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.
Hi Adrian !! I live near Boulder and had the opportunity to go to PS Audio and take the tour , I did had a very awesome time with the sound of this speaker they sound as go as you say simply awesome.
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.
Wonderful review. I have a pair and power them with PS Audio’s M1200 mono blocks. Give them a try with with a more powerful amp and be ready to hear them really perform at their best.
I've been in the hobby since 2000. In 2023 I discovered that I love ribbon tweeters (planar and AMT) more than a $330k Wilson Audio Chronosonic (with cone tweeters or Alexx or Sabrina). I love my GoldenEar BRX with the AMT ribbon tweeter based on the heil. So I upgraded to the PS Audio FR5 with planar ribbon tweeter. (I also love the Wisdom Audio P4m with planar tweeter) source=Apple Music lossless quality
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!
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.
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
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 !
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.
I have never left a comment on your reviews. I have watched a few of the thoughts you have given on speakers. I have spent years watching and listening to opinions on the Bookshelf speaker. Is it better than a tower, does it compare in bass response compared to. In all my explorations of this type of speaker, I have found some very similar reflections. Every reviewer talks about the pure mids. They comment on the hi frequency being something that isn’t to this or that. But definitely perfect for what it delivers. Spacious and airy combined with the lively mids that separates the sound to an incredible wide listening environment. Lastly the bass. People use all kinds of language in this department. I won’t go into that. It’s a bookshelf cabinet with 5 ish wide transducer. Yes the cabinet design is tailored to produce “The best possible response” from that low 80’s sensitivity driver. You need power now to drive these gems. In a world of speakers, cabinets, crossovers, amplification. I simply don’t believe that these speakers make any kind of mark. It’s not you and your review. It’s simply this. Bookshelf speakers will always be just that. What ever the incarnation. So why do people try so hard to speak so highly of a thing that can only ever be so much. People live in smaller homes.
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!
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!
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.
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!
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?
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..😂
@@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.
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.
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.
We have an audio shop here in OK that has a pair, I'm good friends with the owner, and we were curious to how these stood up to the Wharfedale EVO 4.2's that I own. MY setup with the Evo's are a marantz pre, denon POA 2200 amp and pro-ject T1 turntable, we listened to them in my dedicated room after listening to the fr5's in his studio, he is running a mcintosh pre and amp through the same turntable as mine. We switched speakers on both systems, in a nutshell the Evo's were quite a bit more detailed and have more slam but a smaller sweet spot, the fr5's were great at easy listening low volume and weren't as directional as the Evo's, but the Evo's at $1200 a pair are a no brainer compared to the fr5's $3500 price tag. We have listened to quite a few bookshelves over the last 5 years and you can do much better at this price point for way less, just our two cents, if the fr5's were half the price we both agreed they would do well in the market.
@ well, these were just released in the last few months and we have a 30 day return policy for a full refund so I don’t think there are any on the used market yet
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.
Adrian, I have a dedicated music room with Wilson Sasha V (amazing) on it but I would like to build a second (much cheaper) audio system for my family room that my wife easily can use and I also can use for casual listening. Since I alway like McIntosh, but never have had one, this is the perfect excuse to build a small system around that iconic brand. Thanks Carlos E.
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.
Adrian, I always enjoy your videos and hope I can meet you one day, Unfortunately, I don’t live in Canada but I have some work travels to Canada next year so I will try to visit your store. Do you please try this speaker with McIntosh MA325 and add comments on that? Carlos E.
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.
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
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.
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
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!!!
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)
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?
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?
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.
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. $3,500 for a low sensitivity, entry level speaker? Not feeling it. Power requirement of 50-150 watts. Pretty hungry for such a small speaker. Not just PS Audio that is doing this, either. Speaker this size type, really has no business going below 45hz.
Power is cheap nowadays, and Chris told 100W is plenty enaugh for these, and this review showed it (Hegel H120 at 6 ohm is just about 100W). Good subs, e.g. REL also cost quite much
So, Siegfried linkwitz doesn’t know what reference level is? He chose curv drivers for his lx521 reference speaker after previously using Kevlar and magnesium drivers in previous efforts.
Yeah a 20 year old car with heaps of km or a newer car with engine that needs work. Cars aren't priced much more sensibly still lol The other thing to consider is after 10 years, how much is the car worth, and how much did the car cost you. Quite a lot more than the speaker for sure!
I wanted to see what they would sound like with other amps. Theoretically they should sound great with PS Audio products as they were designed with them. Not everyone who will consider these speakers will own PS Audio
At 3500$ 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.
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.
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.
@@A-gks 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.
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❤
Thanks for the review! I have a pair coming in on Sunday.
I envy you
Congrats!
One of my all time favorite videos
I’m always amazed when a two-way system can do so much in terms of frequency
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
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
I am so excited. This is next years birthday gift. Lol
Hi Adrian !! I live near Boulder and had the opportunity to go to PS Audio and take the tour , I did had a very awesome time with the sound of this speaker they sound as go as you say simply awesome.
Thank you. I'd be interested in hearing a comparison between the FR20 and Wilson Sabrina X.
Really solid review - love your thoroughness and enthusiasm.
Thanks
Thank you for sparing us the unboxing.
lol, don't worry, we have more!
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
Nice review! And I agree that it should be tested with more powerful amps too
Thanks
Mcintosh 1.2? 😁
Thank you for the great review! These look fantastic!
Thanks!
Wonderful review. I have a pair and power them with PS Audio’s M1200 mono blocks. Give them a try with with a more powerful amp and be ready to hear them really perform at their best.
I will definitely get one since I am moving to a small space soon
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
Frequency response is interesting. For medium level listening in a small room could deliver a nice round sound package.
I've been in the hobby since 2000.
In 2023 I discovered that I love ribbon tweeters (planar and AMT) more than a $330k Wilson Audio Chronosonic (with cone tweeters or Alexx or Sabrina).
I love my GoldenEar BRX with the AMT ribbon tweeter based on the heil.
So I upgraded to the PS Audio FR5 with planar ribbon tweeter. (I also love the Wisdom Audio P4m with planar tweeter)
source=Apple Music lossless quality
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!
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.
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!
Any stereo component the costs near $ 4000 SHOULD be great.
Adrian, how about that long awaited (and delayed) review on the FR30s?!
Thanks and looking forward to it!
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
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
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!
I have never left a comment on your reviews.
I have watched a few of the thoughts you have given on speakers. I have spent years watching and listening to opinions on the Bookshelf speaker.
Is it better than a tower, does it compare in bass response compared to. In all my explorations of this type of speaker, I have found some very similar reflections.
Every reviewer talks about the pure mids.
They comment on the hi frequency being something that isn’t to this or that. But definitely perfect for what it delivers.
Spacious and airy combined with the lively mids that separates the sound to an incredible wide listening environment.
Lastly the bass.
People use all kinds of language in this department. I won’t go into that.
It’s a bookshelf cabinet with 5 ish wide transducer. Yes the cabinet design is tailored to produce “The best possible response” from that low 80’s sensitivity driver.
You need power now to drive these gems.
In a world of speakers, cabinets, crossovers, amplification. I simply don’t believe that these speakers make any kind of mark.
It’s not you and your review. It’s simply this.
Bookshelf speakers will always be just that.
What ever the incarnation. So why do people try so hard to speak so highly of a thing that can only ever be so much.
People live in smaller homes.
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!
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!
In Australia, these would be an interesting comparison to the March Audio Sointuva.
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
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!
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
Would love to know how these compare to the much more expensive Wilson Tune Tots
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.
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.
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.
We have an audio shop here in OK that has a pair, I'm good friends with the owner, and we were curious to how these stood up to the Wharfedale EVO 4.2's that I own. MY setup with the Evo's are a marantz pre, denon POA 2200 amp and pro-ject T1 turntable, we listened to them in my dedicated room after listening to the fr5's in his studio, he is running a mcintosh pre and amp through the same turntable as mine.
We switched speakers on both systems, in a nutshell the Evo's were quite a bit more detailed and have more slam but a smaller sweet spot, the fr5's were great at easy listening low volume and weren't as directional as the Evo's, but the Evo's at $1200 a pair are a no brainer compared to the fr5's $3500 price tag. We have listened to quite a few bookshelves over the last 5 years and you can do much better at this price point for way less, just our two cents, if the fr5's were half the price we both agreed they would do well in the market.
I don’t believe this is correct. PS doesn’t have any dealers in OK currently.
What is the company name?
@cbrunhaver I don't believe you read the comment correctly, never said he's an authorized dealer, they have tons of used gear in their shop
@ well, these were just released in the last few months and we have a 30 day return policy for a full refund so I don’t think there are any on the used market yet
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
Hi Adrian, how does the FR5 compare to the Mofi 888 in the mid base and high's?
Nice review
Thanks
To make a long story short these are the best stand mount speakers ever in the price range and beyond.
Adrian,
I have a dedicated music room with Wilson Sasha V (amazing) on it but I would like to build a second (much cheaper) audio system for my family room that my wife easily can use and I also can use for casual listening. Since I alway like McIntosh, but never have had one, this is the perfect excuse to build a small system around that iconic brand.
Thanks
Carlos E.
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!
How do they compare to the GoldenEar BRX's?
Adrian,
I always enjoy your videos and hope I can meet you one day, Unfortunately, I don’t live in Canada but I have some work travels to Canada next year so I will try to visit your store. Do you please try this speaker with McIntosh MA325 and add comments on that?
Carlos E.
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
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 have GOT to stop watching reviews. I so want a pair of these.
Thanks for the video, can you please review Sonus Faber Sonetto II G2? That is the most affordable speaker
Better than B&W 705 S3 and signature?
Would love to hear a pair at the Capital Audiofest - not too much to ask to get someone to run a pair of these or the bigger ones?
So ...... CATNIP is the answer to *really enjoy* a pair of PS Audio speakers!!! :-D
We're going to spare you the unboxing lol I just watched jay's video so thought that was funny. Hope you guys still get along.
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.
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
Is there going to be a review of the Amber Midnight speakers that you unboxed a month ago?
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!!!
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)
Is the price for a pair or each?
Per pair
What's your take with PS Audio BHK 600 Mono Block amps?
Wondering if a better frontend streamer-DAC would help with soundstage width?
Possibly.
How do you think this compares to the G2 sonnetto? I like PS audio, but not a fan of the aesthetics. These might even be more expensive in the U.S.
How do they do on rock?
no problem given reasonable volumes
I wonder how they would sound compare to the MonAcoutic Platimon VC One Speakers
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
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 build. How much?
It's mentioned in the video.
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
I’m waiting for that Hegel h190v vs h390 video.
Nice helpful review, thanks.
My pleasure
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.🐈⬛🐈
Nice
83db i don't care what people here say fan cheering
That's a horrendous design trade. Danny richie i bet is already chuckling seeing this video
I don't like how they look but I would love to listen to them.
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.
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.
1.7x are a much better value 👌
This is a pair of speakers that is the most expensive and least sensitive.
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.
You can't that's pointless it's not a true ribbon . A true ribbon you can do that with ...
@@MichelLinschotenit has been done
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
ELAC Debut Reference B6.2 same specs $700
Was interested in this speaker until I saw it employs the Curv cone material. Good stuff but not reference level.
So, Siegfried linkwitz doesn’t know what reference level is? He chose curv drivers for his lx521 reference speaker after previously using Kevlar and magnesium drivers in previous efforts.
Entry level thats the price of a small car in australia
Same as in South Africa.
Way out of reach for some of us.
2 cars in serbia
Yeah a 20 year old car with heaps of km or a newer car with engine that needs work. Cars aren't priced much more sensibly still lol
The other thing to consider is after 10 years, how much is the car worth, and how much did the car cost you. Quite a lot more than the speaker for sure!
Small scale tech production items are always that way.
@@RennieAsh one good enough merc from 2009
83db what the fuck
My Harman Kardon HKTS 65/60 speakers are fantastic even though 83 db. It's about the sound and how the sound make you feel, NOT the specs. ☝️
Τhat's the price you HAVE to pay for a speaker as small as this to be able to go down that low.
That's so you spend 10k on PS audio amps to make them sound good.
If efficiency is that important to you, perhaps jbl or klipsch might be more to your liking.
@@mattjones7547 Just say goodbye to all that bass extension.
God, please - don’t fill them with catnip (especially if you have cats around)!
a comparaison of those versus the Cabasse Rialto would be interesting.
Use PS Audio amps to demo.
I wanted to see what they would sound like with other amps. Theoretically they should sound great with PS Audio products as they were designed with them. Not everyone who will consider these speakers will own PS Audio
At 3500$ 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.
They’re probably not the ones to ask, since they didn’t care for the S400 mkii’s at all.
Where they are made in CCP of China?
I believe so
Yup, Just like every Apple iPhone ever made.
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.
Bit plain looking. Kef copy of the passive radiator. Steel binding post.
The binding posts are brass with a satin nickel plating.
You stop listing the other kit??
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.
@@A-gks 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.
At 4,000$ with stands way way overrated! I can think of 10 speakers at half the price that are miles better!😊
Well...which ones?
They are selling their name with this one, not the product