PS Audio FR20 speakers - First impressions

[Tobylq]

Given the lack of information about these I decided to do a "first impressions" post (I am not qualified to do a review).
This is the first PS Audio product I own, I don't know anyone at the Company, they don't know I am posting here.
It took exactly 5 working days from the day I sent them the money to the actual delivery. I wasn't home at the time, they left the pallet inside the garage.
Got home at around 5 PM, it took about 1.5 hrs to move everything around (old and new) and about 20 minutes to do a rough setup.
By the way, with a good dolly this is a one person job, super easy to get out of the cartons and set in place.
Armed with tape measure and a laser level I set them up as symmetrical to the walls and listening position as possible. 8 feet apart with a toe-in of 7 feet
at the back wall and a slight tilt down to get the point where the ribbon drivers meet at ear height. Rear of speaker 25 inches from front wall. At 7 pm I was ready to turn them on and see if they worked. No intention of doing any kind of serious listening, already pass dinner time.
My wife was with me so I decided to play a tune she likes. Power on, Qobuz ready, go !
Music started, sounded good but I couldn't hear any sound coming off directly from the speakers, humm. Got up to check the wiring and to verify all drivers were working and they were. Back to the listening position, same thing. My wife says the music is very "centralized". I thought my previous speakers had a pretty good center image but nothing even close to the FR20s. This was something I had never experienced. So I decided to sit down, relax and listen to this one song I really don't like much. After about 30 seconds my face started to get distorted, with a grin extending from ear to ear. Didn't realize it at the time but my wife takes a 10 second video from my back, I was dancing in the chair !!

As a reference this is my current equipment:
Router-> FMC->Gustard R26->cheapo XLR cables->Benchmark AHB2 -> cheapo 12 ga wire (bi-wiring)->NHT3.3
All I did was swap speakers.

I was kind of confused, the sound was already amazing with zero burn-in and zero setup time (compared to my previous speakers)
Was I transported to a live performance at Carnegie Hall? Nope, it wasn't like that, but it was clearly A LOT BETTER than before.
My wife who thinks I am crazy because I hear things that are not there said the sound is "pretty", to me it was "emotional".

I haven't had time to do any kind of serious listening yet but I already decided to keep these. I can hear the potential already.

Regarding fit and finish I think they are well built and look great in our family room (white), this looks like a product where the manufacturer put in a lot of attention to detail, down to the shipping carton, which is a work of art all in itself.

Regarding the buying experience with PS Audio, well it was totally painless. I was serviced by Audio Consultant Caleb via email. He was very responsive,
professional and knowledgeable, zero sales pressure during the whole process.

Yes, this was a leap of faith given the lack of measurements or feedback from real users, glad I did it.

Hopefully I will have time this weekend to play with REW and see if can start the setup process.

 

[McAllister]

What were your previous speakers?

 

[charleski]

What were your previous speakers?

NHT3.3

NHT 3.3 loudspeaker Measurements

Sidebar 1: Measurements

www.stereophile.com

 

[McAllister]

Nice, well congrats on the new speakers. I’d love to hear these or the FR30’s!

 

[sweetchaos]

Regarding the buying experience with PS Audio, well it was totally painless. I was serviced by Audio Consultant Caleb via email. He was very responsive,
professional and knowledgeable, zero sales pressure during the whole process.

That’s nice, but I thought this was a thread about the speakers, not an ad for the company.

Any photos for us to see?

 

[anotherhobby]

Given the lack of information about these I decided to do a "first impressions" post (I am not qualified to do a review).
This is the first PS Audio product I own, I don't know anyone at the Company, they don't know I am posting here.
It took exactly 5 working days from the day I sent them the money to the actual delivery. I wasn't home at the time, they left the pallet inside the garage.
Got home at around 5 PM, it took about 1.5 hrs to move everything around (old and new) and about 20 minutes to do a rough setup.
By the way, with a good dolly this is a one person job, super easy to get out of the cartons and set in place.
Armed with tape measure and a laser level I set them up as symmetrical to the walls and listening position as possible. 8 feet apart with a toe-in of 7 feet
at the back wall and a slight tilt down to get the point where the ribbon drivers meet at ear height. Rear of speaker 25 inches from front wall. At 7 pm I was ready to turn them on and see if they worked. No intention of doing any kind of serious listening, already pass dinner time.
My wife was with me so I decided to play a tune she likes. Power on, Qobuz ready, go !
Music started, sounded good but I couldn't hear any sound coming off directly from the speakers, humm. Got up to check the wiring and to verify all drivers were working and they were. Back to the listening position, same thing. My wife says the music is very "centralized". I thought my previous speakers had a pretty good center image but nothing even close to the FR20s. This was something I had never experienced. So I decided to sit down, relax and listen to this one song I really don't like much. After about 30 seconds my face started to get distorted, with a grin extending from ear to ear. Didn't realize it at the time but my wife takes a 10 second video from my back, I was dancing in the chair !!

As a reference this is my current equipment:
Router-> FMC->Gustard R26->cheapo XLR cables->Benchmark AHB2 -> cheapo 12 ga wire (bi-wiring)->NHT3.3
All I did was swap speakers.

I was kind of confused, the sound was already amazing with zero burn-in and zero setup time (compared to my previous speakers)
Was I transported to a live performance at Carnegie Hall? Nope, it wasn't like that, but it was clearly A LOT BETTER than before.
My wife who thinks I am crazy because I hear things that are not there said the sound is "pretty", to me it was "emotional".

I haven't had time to do any kind of serious listening yet but I already decided to keep these. I can hear the potential already.

Regarding fit and finish I think they are well built and look great in our family room (white), this looks like a product where the manufacturer put in a lot of attention to detail, down to the shipping carton, which is a work of art all in itself.

Regarding the buying experience with PS Audio, well it was totally painless. I was serviced by Audio Consultant Caleb via email. He was very responsive,
professional and knowledgeable, zero sales pressure during the whole process.

Yes, this was a leap of faith given the lack of measurements or feedback from real users, glad I did it.

Hopefully I will have time this weekend to play with REW and see if can start the setup process.

I'm just amused it took you 928 days to make your first post after registering!

Congrats on the new speakers! This thread needs pics.

 

[MAB]

NHT3.3

NHT 3.3 loudspeaker Measurements

Sidebar 1: Measurements

www.stereophile.com

I'm happy to take those NHT 3.3s off your hands.

 

[charleski]

Measurements of the FR30 show a rather odd high-frequency response, don't know whether this applies to the FR20 too:

PS Audio aspen FR30 Loudspeaker Lab Report

Lab Report Honestly rated at 88dB, the FR30's sensitivity is also influenced by the Near/Far setting of the two 64mm planar tweeters. Set to 'Far' the sensitivity reaches 88.2dB/1kHz and 88.5dB (500Hz-8kHz), enhanced by the presence band boost of the tweeters [see Graph 1], prior to their peak...

www.hifinews.com

 

[NiagaraPete]

No offence to you or your purchase. But we’re you not concerned at all with PS Audio’s dubious claims with other products they market?

 

[amirm]

No offence to you or your purchase. But we’re you not concerned at all with PS Audio’s dubious claims with other products they market?

I am pretty sure his speakers do produce sound. So let's let folks express their experiences.

 

[NiagaraPete]

I am pretty sure his speakers do produce sound. So let's let folks express their experiences.

Cool, but would you with your experience buy on faith?

 

[yewneek]

'Burn-in' ≠ Ohms Law *sigh*

 

[Martin]

Measurements of the FR30 show a rather odd high-frequency response, don't know whether this applies to the FR20 too:

PS Audio aspen FR30 Loudspeaker Lab Report

Lab Report Honestly rated at 88dB, the FR30's sensitivity is also influenced by the Near/Far setting of the two 64mm planar tweeters. Set to 'Far' the sensitivity reaches 88.2dB/1kHz and 88.5dB (500Hz-8kHz), enhanced by the presence band boost of the tweeters [see Graph 1], prior to their peak...

www.hifinews.com

That is one scary bright looking ski-jump.

My Von Schweikert VR-5 speakers project a ball of sound when dialed in. They audibly disappear. It’s a unique experience if you’ve never heard it.

Congrats on the new speakers.

Martin

 

[617]

Glad you're enjoying your speakers. Hifi is a great joy, and speakers which project an unwavering center image are wonderful, and the PS Audio speakers certainly look the part.

I think the frustration people have with PS Audio is that they do misrepresent the performance of some of their products by misusing technical concepts, but my understanding is that these speakers were designed by a completely separate group. They were designed and marketed as a traditional high end hifi speaker, driven by that kind of understanding of what a speaker should do, and chiefly guided by listening. Although we have not seen measurements of these speakers, the designer has discussed them here and his openness about his design should be commended.

I would like to correct you on one small point. You say you're unqualified to review these speakers. I would say you are at least as qualfied to review them as anyone in the hifi press.

 

[SuicideSquid]

'Burn-in' ≠ Ohms Law *sigh*

Burn in (or more accurately break-in) is a real thing with speakers (it isn't with amplifiers or other components). Not sure how ohm's law is relevant. Speaker drivers are made of material that is initially stiff when brand new and which softens with regular use.

The BS around break-in is how long it takes. It only takes a few hours of constant playback - a few days of normal use - to soften up most speaker material to the point where the sound profile of the speakers has stabilized. Companies that say you need 50 or 100 or 1000 hours of break in for speakers to sound their best are just trying to swindle you into keeping the speakers past the point of no return.

 

[Rick Sykora]

I am pretty sure his speakers do produce sound. So let's let folks express their experiences.

My car makes sounds and cost less than these speakers.

p.s

oops, missed that these are the less expensive FR20s. So they actually cost a little less than my car.

 

[LTig]

Burn in (or more accurately break-in) is a real thing with speakers (it isn't with amplifiers or other components). Not sure how ohm's law is relevant. Speaker drivers are made of material that is initially stiff when brand new and which softens with regular use.

Not with Klein&Hummel (and probably Neumann) - according to Markus Wolff (chief designer) the change in sound on my O300D is so small as to be almost inaudible (meaning far from those usually reported day and night differences). It's just a very slight shift of f3 of the woofer as I understood it.

 

[SuicideSquid]

Not with Klein&Hummel (and probably Neumann) - according to Markus Wolff (chief designer) the change in sound on my O300D is so small as to be almost inaudible (meaning far from those usually reported day and night differences). It's just a very slight shift of f3 of the woofer as I understood it.

I think the change in sound from most speakers is, at worst, small, and at best, inaudible. But it is an actual, measurable phenomenon grounded in reality, unlike the claim of "burn-in" needed for preamps, amplifiers, dacs, etc.

If I get or build a new set of speakers I just run some pink noise through them for a couple of hours and then never think about it again.

 

[LTig]

I think the change in sound from most speakers is, at worst, small, and at best, inaudible. But it is an actual, measurable phenomenon grounded in reality, unlike the claim of "burn-in" needed for preamps, amplifiers, dacs, etc.

Agreed

If I get or build a new set of speakers I just run some pink noise through them for a couple of hours and then never think about it again.

Why if the change is small or inaudible? Just start and enjoy.

 

[Tobylq]