It does look like these are no longer being manufactured by O&P (Onkyo). I believe that these speakers deserved every bit of the hype they received when they first came out. I first purchased a pair at around $70 back in 2017 to build an office system for my wife. I paired them with a (now discontinued) 15W tube hybrid AB Monoprice amp (which sounded way better than the 25W amp that Monoprice was and still is selling - I bought both to compare). The result was as described, extremely neutral, very musical. Positively remarkable for the money. And in a near-field position, they truly shine, as the bass roll off is less noticeable. If used in a stand mount setup (or on a credenza) as a main listening system, they will not perform at the same level that they do in near-field listening without augmenting with at least one subwoofer (think two to nail the sound). If paired with two of the Pioneer subs, they do bring a lot to the table and could be an interesting way to go. BUT, for 2-channel budget playback, I don't think they are the best way to go, principally because the budget amp quality is so poor. In addition to the Monoprice 15W tube hybrid, I own a Chinese made Breeze audio LM1875 with toroid. The LM1875 offers a strong step up in SQ over the Monoprice 15W hybrid, and a massive step up from the Monoprice 25W hybrid (no comparison despite the cheaper price of a LM1875 - you just need to get comfortable ordering off of AliExpress and having communication issues with people only fluent in Chinese which is crudely translated by AliExpress). So if on a tight budget <$200, if you can grab a used pair of BS22 for <$100, and you are brave enough to order straight from China and wait around a month to get your product, you can assemble a killer budget system with these.
Yes, the Elac Debuts are simply better in every way. Lower bass response, more transparent throughout the audio spectrum, and a more "hifi" sound. In many ways, I don't think they compare at all, but given that these Pioneers come in at such a low price point, I don't think there's much to complain about, especially when partnered with a high quality budget amplifier like the LM1875 or a LM3886. But if you want to pair these BS22 with a US market amplifier that retails for ~$100, then I have a strong feeling you will be disappointed. These uber entry level Pioneer BS22 almost seem to demand quality power. My guess is that AJ had it in mind that these would be paired with a quality receiver or quality budget integrated. I don't think he had tube hybrids or class D silliness in mind when he voiced these. And I'd definitely say the exact same applies to the FS52 as well - these floor standers really seem to be designed for a very entry level integrated over a receiver. When I've played the BS22 or FS52 on my main hifi, they definitely come life, while retaining much of their "sound", and they don't seem to pass through all of the detail that my hifi system offers, but I wouldn't expect them to do so at their price points. The FS52 would make for an excellent budget hifi system as they are extraordinarily musical. No, they aren't the last word in detail or soundstage, but honestly most of the <$1k speakers are not impressive sounding to my ears, except for the Elacs.
I was so deeply impressed that I decided to purchase an entire Pioneer theater system built around the floor standers, 2x 8" Pioneer subs, center channel, and these bookshelves. I paired them with the Pioneer LX101 7.2 receiver. I was tempted to sell my floor standers and replace them with the bookshelves, as the bookshelves did a killer job in the front left/right position, but I figured that the hassle of selling floor standers would be more difficult than just keeping them. Yes, the floor standers definitely drive a more substantial sound, but I'm not certain that they are a better sound. AJ created a very cohesive sounding entry level theater package that punches way above the price point. I think I was able to purchase the entire theater system for well under $1k, including the receiver and the extra subwoofer. Remarkably musical and fantastic for a more realistic vocal presentation. I auditioned a number of other budget and mid hifi systems that failed to achieve the kind of balance and neutrality that these entry level Pioneers are able to create. What's enjoyable about these Pioneers is that they perform so strongly together without overburdening the listener with the inherent shoddiness of Dolby Digital (which is what most streaming arrives as).
But alas, these speakers will likely not be returning. At the moment used copies of these speakers are going for far too much money. But if you can find a used pair of BS22 for <$100 or FS52 for <$200, and you need a budget system for a room in which you want music to sound like music without spending 2-5x, then definitely, 100% buy these speakers. Yes, they are not as good as the Elacs. Nope. But then again the Elacs are aimed at different usage cases, i.e. higher end gear. What AJ did with these Pioneers was to create a bargain basement speaker that neither sounds nor looks bargain basement. When paired with a budget integrated or mid level receiver, you get killer performance relative to price and pretty much all other speakers minus the Elacs.
