Have you ever heard or even seen these speakers?
Ps audio aspen FR 30 Loudspeakers
Having bought several upper end products from p.s audio in the past such as their flagship dac Parts quality inside were Average at best. I am looking at New Loudspeakers and having over 40 years in audio and owning a Audio Store to me a 🚩 flag is when you won’t should the Critical Xover inside which is the ♥️ orthe 🧠 of the speaker , at $28,500 The speaker should be shown inside and out , and if a company uses the term proprietary drivers or Xover parts ,that means nothing special I except the lofty $$ price tag. Having modded Loudspeakers for myself and others for over 20 years ,know first hand most mags take many cost cutting short cuts . It’s up to the mfg to Prove to the buyer they are worthy,Especially a totally new item , they specialize in electronics ,Not Loudspeakers . Unless you can see everything about the drivers, and Xover and parts quality ,then most likely parts are made in China or close to it ,in reality less then $8k into the total build , look at a Wilson Sabrina ,Magico, B&W , they all disclose their build designs . Just ge careful, if you can’t see all your answers, they buy with ⚠️ Caution ⚠️
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I understand perfectly having sold high end for 20+ years, and having an EE degree. What you don’t get is the speakers are built to a price point and you can’t get the top end parts in a speaker that sells for the price of the FR 30’s. Anyone can mod crossovers, it isn’t EE or rocket science. I have been in this hobby for well over 50 years so the only ignorance is what you wrote about me. |
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@stereo5 Did not have any feelings about it. Just figured you were a real bad engineer and may have graduated at the bottom of your class. Hell I know people who are CPA's and tend bar.
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Lol. I worked at the audio store full time and went to college full time for 4 years. That paid my college tuition, car payment and insurance and gas. I was making a cool $5.00 an hour in 1977 when I graduated. Upon Graduation, I went to work in the defense industry for 30 years. I also worked part time at that same audio store for 14 more years working 3 evenings a week and all-day Saturday. Take care. |
Sometimes EEs get sidetracked about all the electrical design parameters and forget the core idea of audio. Audio is all about the sound. It doesn't matter how you get there. There is superb equipment in every design configuration. It's the execution that is important. How else can you think that dragging a diamond across a vinyl groove will produce good sound? |
Per invalid’s post, here’s a link: FR30 crossover – PS Audio As dweller said, PS Audio is not going to AXPONA this year. They lost all of their exhibitor fees from the 2020 show (as did all exhibitors, though I think they got 50% back if they set up for this years show) and Paul McGowan is still concerned with COVID and exposing his employees to all the attendees. No need to debate that, it’s just how it is. I have heard the FR30 (at PS Audio) and they sound excellent. They were at the Montreal show recently and got good reviews. Do they sound better than any of the likely competitors? I couldn’t tell you from personal experience since I haven’t heard any of the competitors since the last AXPONA. Regardless, they should be very competitive in their price bracket. Speakers are very listener/room dependent so they would be worth a listen. There are at least two pairs in the magazine review process so there should be more detailed analysis coming in the next few months |
Invalid thanks for the heads up , as show on his webpage the green resistors are $3 mox vs top quality path audio ,or Mundorf ultra resistors, the capacitors Are made off shore , this is almost a $30 k speaker I would expect far more , look at theExcellent Magico $25k speaker ,their Xover is all verygood $ $30 Mundorf Ultra resistors, and above average Mundorf Evo caps , that’s my point you should get much more for your hard earned $$, in America we are all allowed to have their own opinion , also resale value vs Magico, or Wilson or many top well known brands would be much less . I am very surprised they will not be at the show .i am sure a lot of people would like to hear them ,they do look good on a positive note. |
I’ve never had any respect for PS Audio - over hyped and under performing. |
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I don't believe most any "audiophile" company are using quality parts. There are few that use the finest in speakers in crossovers which need fast response such as Audio Note, Audyn, Dueland, Mundorf, Goertz, Jantzen and others. The PCB boards are garbage for most also. GR-Research has made the high end look like a mockery of slap together products. PS Audio is the same. Margins are the only interest and product ingenuity has stalled in audio with rare exception. Drivers are already made, or to order, crossovers are the worst of the worst and advancements in active systems is almost dead save companies such as ATC and few others. Sadly, PS Audio is a failure in high fidelity as it is in for maximizing profits. |
No Infinity IRS Servo Static, no Dayton Wright, no Sony & Yamaha VFET and the Yamaha Monitors and all that there was in the 1970s to 1990s with some of the best engineering ever. Clueless audiophiles know so little about physics and turntable platter flywheel effect and the B&K paper facts that PROVE that the DD were vastly superior but some only see with their eyes and not their mind that we are in a time of fools making audio into an expensive way to part with the fools money. Innovation and the middle class were driving forces and demand was high. Now it is the money and money and money. Thank god for the DIY groups and a handful of innovators left. |
Well, as a newbie I would like to thank PS Audio. Paul McGowan has helped me greatly through his books “Audiophile’s Guide, The Stereo, Unlock the Secrets to Great Sound,” and his autobiography, “99% True, Almost a Best Seller.” I have also enjoyed his almost daily YouTube videos and podcasts. I plan to use his “Reference Music” recording to set up new speakers that were not purchased from PS Audio. Without Paul’s careful instruction, I would have no idea how to properly tune speakers and their room. We are losing high-end audio dealers everywhere these days, but these guys are determined to stay, and we should be appreciative. I have reached out to other dealers with questions, only to be ignored. Not so with PS Audio, two employees of which immediately responded to my inquiries. I am looking forward to visiting their business in Boulder next month and personally listening to the new speakers. I also note that the customer in the installation video appears to be a knowledgeable audiophile who is quite pleased with his new speakers, and there is already a long waiting list to purchase these speakers. I expect that PS Audio would gladly show and explain their cross-overs if specifically asked. This company appears to be devoted to customer service and providing all things audiophile, from wall-socket through speaker output. I am grateful they are here, and I hope to support and encourage their efforts through my future business. |
PS Audio designed and had built ALL of the drivers used in the FR30. Not even the OP here has EVER done that!! The tweeters, midranges, woofers, and passive radiators are all PS Audio designs, by Chris at PS Audio. Inspired by the IRS V. I went to Colorado and visited PS Audio. Graciously, I was permitted to hear a demo of the FR30s. At $30K, these are the finest speakers I’ve ever heard! I’ll gladly take them over the Wilson Audio WAMM speakers. Lots of ignorance in here about speakers. Design a XO, now you’re an “expert” mentality by the OP.
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PS Audio does not make any of the parts in their speaker. All the parts are made in China/or far east for them. The midrange and tweeter are probably the B&G Neo 10 and Neo 3......they certainly look EXACTLY like them. Danny Richie at GR Research had Neo 3s made for him at the same factory that the B&G drivers are made. B&G was sold to Christie digital and Christie decided to not sell the drivers to anyone else....then they decided to sell them (through Parts Express) and now only the Neo 3 is sold through retail. Danny Richie at GR Research made several speakers using the Neo 10 that were, I am sure, much better than the PS Audio speaker.....he used the driver on an open baffle......one, in fact, used 4 Neo 10s with a Neo 3 in between....check this out: The parts in the PS Audio xover look like good generic Chinese parts.....these are good. However, they are not really serious. You want to see a serious xover then look at the bottom of this page.....a crossover I made for a brand new Apogee Duetta. A brand new Duetta can be purchased (with my custom xover) for around $20K......this speaker would simply kill the PS Audio speaker. Crossover pics at bottom of page along with an older pic of his speakers....I will have more speaker pics soon....showing his new amps, etc. http://tweakaudio.com/EVS-2/Speaker_ideas.html The PS Audio speaker is a very good speaker......state of the art....hardly. |
PS Audio is a legit company. From what I’ve seen, this speaker had a predecessor that was too impractical to ship and properly setup. I have no qualms at all that this new speaker was built to recover all that lost R&D and start and stop production costs that were incurred. Paul promised to do it right this time, and he spent a lot more on R&D this time around. If his engineers can produce a 5 fold markup (that’s how manufacturing is structured in a lot of industries- $1 in parts equals $5 MSRP) by producing a sound that has people on a waiting list with “inferior” parts, they have done what they were paid to do. If they only have 5 grand in a pair of speakers they could have gone to 6 grand on, even better. As they are helping to recoup those R&D costs at a higher clip than what was expected when the engineering started. Personally, I highly appreciate everything about the company, which includes Paul himself. If he has a great success with these speakers, it’s just one more hurdle he conquered in life and business and one more thing I will admire about the man. |
In general I accept the premise that better quality parts will lead to improved sound quality. However the overall speaker design and manufacturing aspects have to be considered. Speaker#1 has an "A" list of renown parts. Speaker #2 uses parts from unknown/unfamiliar less expensive brands. Speaker #1 sounds just okay and speaker#2 is captivating. I’m spending my money to purchase the latter. Sound quality will always trump an impressive parts list as far as I’m concerned. This is audio so you actually have to do some listening. Charles |
Everything makes a difference. Yes, a speaker that is less well done can sound better than a particular speaker....more well done. However, the speaker less well done can sound way, way, way, way better if it is well done. This is truth. Is the PS Audio speaker well done?......it is well done.....but not very well done....not even close to what is possible. My own speaker that I used for a while used the Neo 10 and Neo 3 on an open baffle.....no binding posts...all hardwired xover with way better parts and way less parts.....no resistors what so ever.....this would sound way better than the PS Audio top end. Check it out. If the Neo 10 were still available the top end of my speaker would cost less than $1K with all the parts and wire and wood and felt and everything (for the pair). Of course, you could finish it any way you like including super finishes and paint. It does not have to look like my Frankenstein....he he http://tweakaudio.com/EVS-2/planar_midhighs.html BTW......the B&G Neo 10 and 3 are both 92db sensitive......so no resistors are needed to match them so I do not know why the PS Audio speaker is only 87db sensitive.....maybe they are padding both the mids and highs to the woofers (really bad idea to put resistors in series with the signal when you do not need it). There is nothing innovative about the PS Audio speaker.....just drivers in a box....looks nice and I am sure sounds nice. But you can make a better speaker for a few thousand dollars. |
dgluke said....”As they are helping to recoup those R&D costs at a higher clip than what was expected when the engineering started.”
According to McGowan they only price product based on cost to get product into the consumers hands. Quote from Paul... ”As many of you know, PS Audio prices its products not by how much R and D or tooling costs were spent but rather a very simple formula of parts, shipping, and labor times a standard markup.”
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My point was even if it sounds good with average parts , by using the top 10 % in quality will ultimately sound better ,If you are willing to go Thst extra mile to get That refinement . IHave proved this many times , with many well known brands ,that is how Dan Modwright became so popular ,taking a good product and putting in much high grade parts in key areas ,the same thing applies to Loudspeakers, my point was the speaker can be that much better in low level detail, imaging,and soundstage depth judt by putting in day another $$800-$1k in parts I recently took a very respectable Dynaudio speaker and put $1500 into the Xover and wiring it literally transformed it to compete with speakers 2x+ it’s cost ,being into mods or upgrades for so long ,I am sometimes very critical , it’s just my observation on what’s possible nothing more. |
It is not just parts quality, but how you do things. For instance, it sounds better to wire a coil into the inside and out the outside winding. So, the outside winding would go to ground or output.....practically no one knows this. I don’t know a single speaker done this way. It is not subtle, the sonic difference. There are connectors on drivers that you can bypass and wire directly to the voice coil wires.....no one in the world does this.....sometimes, especially when a driver has binding posts on it.....the sound can be completely transformed by removing the binding post and hardwiring to the voice coil wire. All capacitors need to be oriented properly.....like the coils....that is, the outside foil on the cap should go to ground or output. I don't see any markings on the caps in the PS Audio xover, so I would assume they are all put in there willy nilly. All binding posts degrade the sound. The best ones that I have heard are the WBT Negtgen coppers. Even better than that is using nylon hardware to clamp your speaker wires to the xover wires.....as shown in the pic of the Apogee xover on my site. I will have this as the main set up on a bookshelf speaker I will be producing later this year (of course, it will have the wires going directly to the voice coil wires on my full range driver in the box). You do not want to use traces in your xover....you want the parts hardwired together. You want the xover parts not vibrating with the box....or on their own.......on and on it goes....this game is infinite. Enjoy this moment....the only moment that exists |
Does anyone know what the cabinets are made out of? Just by looking it reminds me of molded plastic or fiberglass. All it says on the website that I could find was very vague and said it was a very dense material. If it is a molded Cabinet it must’ve cost a fortune for all the dies. Does anybody know more about this? I also wondered why they sell them by round? I think the proper word would be container full. I don’t think any of it is manufactured in the United States. It probably shows up completely boxed up and ready to be shipped in a container. Then when they move to the next round they only are committed to buying the difference between what is not sold and what was sold. If they do get stuck with some then it’s not like getting stuck with a warehouse full of them. |
I found this online... “The enclosure is made from extensively-braced MDF with a front baffle formed from a dense, rigid, and well-damped fiberglass resin composite material. Integrated high-frequency acoustic waveguides are molded into the baffle to enable optimum horizontal and vertical dispersion and a smooth frequency balance both on- and off-axis.” |