Beauty or Bust? PS Audio's New Bookshelf FR5 Loudspeaker
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- Опубликовано: 10 сен 2024
- Hear Adrian's first impressions of PS Audio's new bookshelf speaker: The FR5. Is it a bust or a beauty?
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Check out our interviews with designers and audio luminaries like Daryl Wilson of Wilson Audio, Paul McGowan of PS Audio, Paolo Tezzon of Sonus Faber, Wendell Diller of Magnepan, John Atkinson of Stereophile, Dan D'Agostino of D'Agostino Master Audio Systems, Nelson Pass of Pass Labs and others.
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Edited by: mike@audioexcellence.ca 
Развлечения
Hi Adrian! Thanks for the kind words and detailed and thoughtful review! You definitely got the essence of what we were trying to achieve.
Any potential of a stand mount with the planar midrange? Would that be too tall?
Thanks Chris, fantastic job!
Congrats to the designer Chris Brunhaver❤
I’m always amazed when a two-way system can do so much in terms of frequency
I had the chance to listen to pre-production FR5's a few months ago. It was PS Audio's room and set-up. I have older ears that aren't as resolving as most high-end equipment. I have no point of reference regarding stand mount speakers. I don't critically review audio equipment, so I don't know what to *listen for* (very important IMO).
All that said I agree with almost all of what Adrian had to say. I made a point of moving around the room while listening, sitting, standing, side of room, back of the room, and forward of the listening position. I did not notice any appreciable difference off-axis vertically. A short time later I listened >$25k floor standing speakers played through electronics the salesman was raving about and to me it wasn't any better than the FR5's.
Thank you
Thanks for the review! I have a pair coming in on Sunday.
I envy you
Congrats!
PS Audio always do a great job whatever their endeavor. 👌
I can’t wait to see/hear their subwoofer that they’re working on. The driver looked awesome in one of Paul’s videos
Nice review! And I agree that it should be tested with more powerful amps too
Thanks
Mcintosh 1.2? 😁
Nice Summary👏Thanks! These would be a good fit to consider in this price range for a good majority of hi-fi enthusiasts, when you consider average lifestyles and budgets. I know a lot of people are going to complain that's a lot of money, but there are a lot of people that own houses that might not think that, and if you're serious about stereo hi-fi, you're not looking for $100 bookshelf speakers😉
there's also a good chance that you're not looking for speakers to put out more than 100 dB SPL@ 1 m.
Thanks, appreciate the summary
Thank you. I'd be interested in hearing a comparison between the FR20 and Wilson Sabrina X.
I am so excited. This is next years birthday gift. Lol
Hi Adrian, I just received my FR5s and immediately connected them to a Boulder 2150, Audio Research 6 with MSB Direct DAC. These little guys pack a punch. So much bass!!! I had to move them back to cut down on the bass reflections. Soundstage was amazing good and speakers resolved fairly well. I'm going to let them break in but would love to have your impressions on pairing these with the (PS Audio M1200 or M700) and (McIntosh MC275 or MC1502.). I have a very analytical system and would love to use the FR5 in a system that isn't so analytical.
Frequency response is interesting. For medium level listening in a small room could deliver a nice round sound package.
Any stereo component the costs near $ 4000 SHOULD be great.
Bring retired on a fixed income, I’ll probably have to stick with my DIY tube. Amp/ open Baffle combo which sound pretty amazing. I appreciate your honest review of PS Audio’s speakers. Paul is one of my favorite online personalities. I just had to thank you for the Carolin No recommendation. After listening to the first track, I had to play the whole album. A beautiful recording!
Glad you enjoyed her album!
Thank you for sparing us the unboxing.
lol, don't worry, we have more!
The design looks a lot like my white Kanto Tuks. I love the sound I get from my Tuks.
I use pure silver cables and never get any sibilance.
I’d have issues with sibilance when I used silver plated copper cables.
I’m sure the detailed sound from AMT tweeters can expose cable weaknesses.
I don't like the look of these speakers, but I am sure they sound incredible. Will have to try them out at some point. Thank you for the detailed review!
My pleasure!
Thanks Adrian. Nice looking and, I’m sure, great sounding speaker. Reminded me of the Legacy Calibre, although those are more money but heavyweights in this stand-mount format.
As a legacy fan myself I feel the Calibre XD are designed to be an active speaker and yes the cost is nearly double. Their studio speaker at just about half of the cost of the FR5 and IMO would be more comparable. For me you can’t go wrong with Legacy. Their tonality is perfect for me
This was a great review. I would love to hear the FR5 someday and see how they compare to my Sonus faber speakers. Also, thank you very much for the recommendation of Carolin No's music. I love finding out about these great recordings.
My pleasure!
Very interesting review. I have an Eversolo DMP-A8 feeding an Accuphase E-4000 which is driving a pair of T+A Lignum LGS20 loudspeakers. It sounds like the FR5 would be a good paring and a nice upgrade.
Hope you get a chance to try
I will definitely get one since I am moving to a small space soon
At that efficiency rating, you will definitely want an amp with real power/current to show what it can do.
Correct but still manageable for a lot of quality amps
Current demands aren’t high as impedance isn’t particularly low
This amp will do: Perreaux 2150B - 340/680/920wpc@8/4/2 ohms. I have one!
Really solid review - love your thoroughness and enthusiasm.
Thanks
Great review - I have been looking for a review of these as they seem like a good fit for my room and stereo (and budget.). Thanks!
My pleasure
Paul at PS Audio says these are intended for a small to medium sized room but they’re not intended to get nearly as loud as a tower speaker. They still plan on coming out with their own subwoofer to work with these.
unless you plan on listening extremely loud, these speakers will do fine in the midsize room with a decent amplifier without subs; but obviously, if you want to shake the midsize room, it's not going to be good enough..it's all about expectation right..😂
The woofer for their sub looked awesome sitting on the table during one of Paul’s video’s. Can’t wait to what they do w it
Have you tried these with a pair of subwoofers ?
@@jpgsf1978 nope, not me. Would like to hear it though.
@@jpgsf1978 Even
though the FR5 speakers
dig reasonably deep in frequency, the sheer physical size dictates
that you could use subwoofer(s) if you really want to feel the bass.. I'm sure those guys are going make decent matching subwoofer(s) for those bookshelf FR5's.
Hi Adrian. Great review. Seems like a lot of great choices these days that don't break the bank from the PS Audio FR5 in the bookshelf space to the MoFi SourcePoint 888 in the floor standing category. Two great choices at different ends of the size spectrum both $5K USD or less. Seems like the price level that diminishing returns kicks in is dropping lower and lower. Keep up the good work with these reviews!
Thanks!
Thank you for the great review! These look fantastic!
Thanks!
In Australia, these would be an interesting comparison to the March Audio Sointuva.
I would like to hear someone compare the FR5 with the KEF LS50 Meta.
They don’t really compare, just looking at specs. Then you have the mindset of psaudio which is musicality and enjoyment first. Whereas the LS50s are sterile, with essentially no bass response.
Should compare to monitor audio flagship bookshelf
Thanks for the great review! I wanted to say a couple of things: If it is critical to have the tweeter at ear level, it may be better to have a speaker stand made if the stands don't match your ear level. I really want to see a review of the FR10 which is a price point that is just on the edge of affordability to a lot of Canadians. Speaking of which, since you are Canadian, how about stating in your reviews the American AND Canadian prices if you have them (which, for these speakers you do on your website). And back to the FR10s, how do they stand up with competitors at the same price range?
Have not heard the FR10, thanks
Adrian I filled my stands with "CATNIP" like you said and now my cat just goes crazy for the sound of these speakers where did you come up with this idea ???????? Love your channel !
My cat thinks my speakers on heat
lol
How does it compare to Buchhardt S400 MK2?
Where to begin? expos are not in any way the place to audition speakers. But if you can play a shelf speaker in a massive room at AXPONA and not get laughed out of the show you are on to something. When I first started my journey in HIFI I was blown away by the high cost of some of these products. (I still am) Yes $4k is a lot for a shelf speaker but when compared to other products in the same price range it deserves consideration. I believe this to be a very fair and honest review of the good and bad of these speakers. Even the FR30's at their $30K price point compete, sound wise IMO, with much higher priced speakers. IMO to say any shelf speaker by any manufacturer is "full range" is a stretch. does this speaker sound good for what it is? Yes.
In a normal size room, I think these will surprise you re bass extension and power
Sounds great. Can you try them close yo wall as many of us need to in condos/ living rooms?
My guess based on other speakers of this type: Especially due to the passive woofers in the back you would get way too much bass when you can't place them away from a back wall. The only solution I see would be a (most likely parametric) equalizer in the signal chain.
Nice review
Thanks
Great review Adrian... How about just as thorough a review of their flagship, the Aspen FR30 (which was expected) after your initial video from the Montreal Audiofest where they launched? Many Thanks!
Would love to know how these compare to the much more expensive Wilson Tune Tots
This description leads me to the idea that these speakers might be suitable as monitor speakers in a small audio studio like mine. In such a use case you mainly need an excellent and neutral representation of midrange and not necessarily a lot of bass. Would you agree from your own listening experience?
They actually have a lot of bass, more than I would have believed in our room. Yes I don't see why they wouldn't be great as monitors unless you're looking for hyper detailed speakers to show recording issues
@@adrianlow2114 Thanks for your assessment!
I think Chris is a great designer and a very nice person. My sensibilities stick with Maggie’s in that price range. Of course along with a sub
Great review as always Adrian. I was looking at these or the cheaper KEF LF50 Meta's for my place down south... I wanted something small and white. These two choices have similar looks, compact size but from the sounds of it these would be a much better choice! I'd definitely like to hear them.
Come by anytime! I think you'll be pleasantly surprised with them
@@adrianlow2114 I will set up a time to pop in to see you or Louis!
I have GOT to stop watching reviews. I so want a pair of these.
Hi Adrian, how does the FR5 compare to the Mofi 888 in the mid base and high's?
Adrian. You meant to fill the speaker stand post with cat litter, not catnip, right?😂 You don't want the cats to all flock to the speakers and go crazy around it!!!
Adrian, how about that long awaited (and delayed) review on the FR30s?!
Thanks and looking forward to it!
I don't like how they look but I would love to listen to them.
Adrian, Please do a brief followup video using the FR5 with PS Audio SACD transport, Airlens and Directstream DAC that were in the background of this video, along with a BHK preamp, and a set of Stellar M1200's, then a set of BHK monoblocks. I'd love to hear your impressions of the FR5 using that front end. I know that's most likely not the target front end for the FR5, but , well, maybe the shortcomings you noted will go away, and the FR5 may blow you away? That front end should show what the FR5 really can do.
I have no doubt the sound will be improved. The FR5 appears to be quite transparent. However, I wanted to have a sense of what they are capable of when matched with equipment that many will likely be using
Nice
I’m waiting for that Hegel h190v vs h390 video.
Thanks for the review I am really interested in hearing these as I look to upgrade my harbeth P3s as I am moving to a larger 4x3m room. How do they compare to the Sonetto III G2 as that is another option I am thinking about.
Yet another, low sensitivity bookshelf speaker trying to sound larger than it is. I'd rather sacrifice some of that low end for higher sensitivity in a 2-way design, especially since subwoofers have become more normalized. Just not crazy about sharing low sub bass with the mid driver in a hi-fi situation. If going to go that low, I'd prefer a 3-way. In this case, you basically have a 6.5" subwoofer and a tweeter. $3,500 for a low sensitivity, entry level speaker? Not feeling it. Power requirement of 50-150 watts. Pretty hungry for such a small speaker. Not just PS Audio that is doing this, either. Speaker this size type, really has no business going below 45hz.
Not everyone has the space or ability to add subs. As always, I highly suggest you listen and try it with an open mind
Power is cheap nowadays, and Chris told 100W is plenty enaugh for these, and this review showed it (Hegel H120 at 6 ohm is just about 100W). Good subs, e.g. REL also cost quite much
I wonder how they would sound compare to the MonAcoutic Platimon VC One Speakers
What's your take with PS Audio BHK 600 Mono Block amps?
Pretty tough market space with literally thousands of competitors. For the same money, I can get Adam Audio S3V - active 3-way with built-in DSP.
The large/tall tweeter must limit the vertical dispersion. Can you walk around in the room and still have a decent treble?
NB: I would love a comparison of the different models - is there a sweet spot?
There's some drop off at very high frequencies when you stand or walk around, but really not very obvious unless you're paying serious attention
With a modest 25k USD budget with kind of system would recommend for singer/songwriter tracks for best late night listening performance? To hear the most out a track with as close to accurate tone?
Please stop being stupid- a modest 25 grand system.. what a joke
83db what the fuck
My Harman Kardon HKTS 65/60 speakers are fantastic even though 83 db. It's about the sound and how the sound make you feel, NOT the specs. ☝️
Τhat's the price you HAVE to pay for a speaker as small as this to be able to go down that low.
That's so you spend 10k on PS audio amps to make them sound good.
If efficiency is that important to you, perhaps jbl or klipsch might be more to your liking.
@@mattjones7547 Just say goodbye to all that bass extension.
Better than B&W 705 S3 and signature?
Wondering if a better frontend streamer-DAC would help with soundstage width?
Possibly.
Is there going to be a review of the Amber Midnight speakers that you unboxed a month ago?
How do they do on rock?
no problem given reasonable volumes
Entry level thats the price of a small car in australia
Same as in South Africa.
Way out of reach for some of us.
2 cars in serbia
Yeah a 20 year old car with heaps of km or a newer car with engine that needs work. Cars aren't priced much more sensibly still lol
The other thing to consider is after 10 years, how much is the car worth, and how much did the car cost you. Quite a lot more than the speaker for sure!
Small scale tech production items are always that way.
@@RennieAsh one good enough merc from 2009
From watching Paul's videos, I know that he has Harbeth P3ESR on his desktop. It would be interesting to know if it was an inspiration to start the development of the FR5? Thanks Adrian
Darren Meyers, when he worked at PS Audio had a set of P3ESR on his desk. Those are somewhat smaller and designed more like a modern LS3/5A.
The Aspen FR5 doesn’t really share any design DNA with the BBC type monitors other than a polypropylene cone (though in our case it’s a woven “Curv” variety)
This is a pair of speakers that is the most expensive and least sensitive.
Any comparison to Q Acoustics Concept 50’s?
Will a 300B tube amp, 8w single ended, be able to drive this FR5 well?
Do you really mean 8 Watts? Or 8 Ohm? In the 1st case: No.
Yes, but you won't have any dynamics when you want to increase the volume level.
Nice helpful review, thanks.
My pleasure
I hope it measures better than their towers, I assume this will be the high selling unit that will get ppl into the door to attaining the higher end models. Hoping they send one to Erin to review. I actually don't think it's terribly in efficient at 83db if the power handling is high enough it shud still be plenty loud esp if its used in nearfield. Power is cheap these days.
Ya...I was disappointed by the measurements of one of the bigger models. I know measurements don't mean "everything"...but in my experience, the best sounding ones... usually have great measurements too.
Have you heard the FR20 or FR30 in a decent room hooked up to good gear? If you have, comments about any apparent unfavorable measurements go out the window.
@@mikehuntington4440 Proper and high quality measurments do really tell a lot about how something will sound. Most people deny it because they dont understand how to read them and want to justify/cope with their high dollar purchases.
I’d like to see that tweeter mounted open baffle but that’s another discussion. Sounds like a great unit for a medium sized room at a sub and EQ it.
ELAC Debut Reference B6.2 same specs $700
It's *Pat* Matheny!
lol, yes. Senior moment
1.7x are a much better value 👌
True, but more expensive as well!
Nice build. How much?
It's mentioned in the video.
I plan on filling that stand with cat litter not sure where to buy that however
Use sand.
Why are you being stupid??
I don’t want my cats climbing on them so they can do their business.🐈⬛🐈
At 3500$ a pair it is out of my range of affordability. I am considering a pair of Buchardt S400 at around 1700$. Any comparison between the two? The sensitivity is a little too low requiring a very large amp.
a comparaison of those versus the Cabasse Rialto would be interesting.
Is the price for a pair or each?
Per pair
Where they are made in CCP of China?
I believe so
Yup, Just like every Apple iPhone ever made.
Use PS Audio amps to demo.
I wanted to see what they would sound like with other amps. Theoretically they should sound great with PS Audio products as they were designed with them. Not everyone who will consider these speakers will own PS Audio
I wish you could get to the point (7.30) much earlier. All the rest are just drivel. The rest can be shorter and concise. Sigh... why reviews has to be so long winded? Oh, I appreciate the price being announced from the get-go, instead delaying it, apologizing, and avoiding it.
damn it, i was waiting for this speaker, and they made it with compromises in places i do not want.
i know it is impressive with bass on its own, but imagine how much better i would sound as acoustic suspension instead. and it would be half the size and a bit cheaper.
would need subwoofers either way, call it upgrade path.
adding subwoofer to passive radiator with now way to disable it.....
and when the speaker itself goes low then the subwoofer can only add the lowest of bass, that is never goin to sound like a large speaker in the same way.
or i can say it in another way, the less bass a stand mount speaker has the more the subwoofer can do, that is what a floor standing 3 way does, the bass driver on those play high up to midrange.
whats acoustic suspension?
@@ProfessorJohnSmithgenerally a softly sprung woofer in a sealed box. It uses the air spring as some of the suspension.
Just cross the speaker higher. You can do both with the PR design. You can't with the Acoustic suspension
True acoustic suspension speakers no longer exist today. Remember, sealed does not necessarily mean acoustic suspension.
Anyway, show me a speaker in this size and price range that is in a sealed alignment. You can't find any. Don't give me 70hz crap answers like a LS3/5A.
Your next best bet is Magico A1.
But I will let you in on a secret. Audimaxim S5.
@@meesmo4 i know the difference between sealed and acoustic suspension, i prefer sealed my self, sealed is smaller boxed.
i know the options are small for high end sealed speakers, and not active/powered.
spendor got a few models, or Jern speakers.
You stop listing the other kit??
Bit plain looking. Kef copy of the passive radiator. Steel binding post.
The binding posts are brass with a satin nickel plating.
They are selling their name with this one, not the product
Hey Paul
Sounds like the vertical off access dispersion is very narrow 🤔 That must be inherent of that ribbon tweeter
Great speaker but you can't buy it in Germany 😢
Take a trip and purchase.
In Poland dealers they are available
@@Raymondey Thank you for the information 👍
Same in Switzerland. Dealers have only PS audio electronics, no speakers.
Wtf is that price tag
oh thank god ... no cardboard on camera .. lol
When you knocked the speaker it sounded like loose metal 😅
no, it's pretty dense
I am Totally Confused! At 6:18 you say these speakers are $39.99. But go to the website and they're $5,000! What gives?
USD vs Canadian
@@cbrunhaver 😂🤣
@@rindordrums ahh, you’re making a funny
They looks boring....
Wait, 5k is just a single one, not the pair?
That price is pair.
Its 5k CDN for the pair
Oh great, more bi-wiring....... for no purpose whatsoever. I'm still waiting on any scientific verification that bi-wiring has any positive effect. LOL Like all PS Audio products, the price is insane.
I agree! Bi-wiring is just woo!
Looks like a 6.5 centimeter woofer.
It's 6.5 inches, not centimeters.
@@Fastvoice doesn't look like it.
@@dougdavis8986 Watch it on a bigger screen. 😅
It's probably beauty but still overpriced garbage that it's all looks
C’mon man a 6x9? Like from K-Mart? Kraco 500 watt speakers. By a Focal and call it a day.
Doesn't matter how good it sounds that design really is a let down
How do they compare to the GoldenEar BRX's?