PS Audio Aspen speakers

Just to clarify, the sensitivity specs for the Aspen speakers are as follows:

FR30 88 dB

FR20 87 dB

FR10 86.5 dB

FR5   83.5 dB

The sensitivity of the FR5 is a bit on the low side, but it isn’t too hard a load for any amplifier that has a moderate amount of power. The sensitivity trade-off for the FR5 was done to ensure that even this small stand-mount speaker could go reasonably low in the bass.

I have the FR10 speakers, which have been easy to drive using the 200 watt/channel (into 4 ohms) Atma-Sphere Class D monoblocks. I’m still breaking in both the FR10s and the A-S monos, but I can already tell that the high-end is going to be sublime. The bass is also coming along nicely, even without subs.

I just want to add an additional comment on the planar magnetic tweeters and midrange drivers used in the Aspen speakers. All four of the Aspens use the same planar tweeter. The FR30 and FR20 use the same planar midrange, while the FR10 uses a slightly smaller planar version of that midrange.

The late Tony Cordesman, a highly respected audio reviewer, made the following statement in his 2022 review of the FR30 in TAS: "the FR30's midrange and high-frequency sound quality was the best I've heard from any speaker to date." He also praised the bass produced by the FR30, as long as the user has a listening room that allows for deep and well-distributed bass.