PS Audio FR30 speakers

[antcollinet]

They look pretty cool

Depends on what you think looks cool.

To me they look like an industrial electrical cabinet - and even if I was in that market, I'd not consider them on that alone.


Now some of these look cool (and many look bloody awful )
But I'm not about to drop heading on for half a million or more on any of them either.

The Most Expensive Speakers If Money is No Object

Speakers that can cost as much as a mansion? You bet. When it comes to sound quality, the technology is ever-evolving but that innovation can come at a pretty steep price.

octaneseating.com

 

[pozz]

Not at any appreciable level. They're seriously SPL limited in the bottom end.

McGowan said, years back, that his goal for his speakers was to reach 120dB SPL peaks.

 

[dfuller]

McGowan said, years back, that his goal for his speakers was to reach 120dB SPL peaks.

That's loud as fuck. Let's be honest here, if you're hitting 120dB peaks with most material your average level is around 100dB. That's very, very loud.

 

[YSC]

Hm.

Where are the servo woofers they were talking about? Ah well.

I wonder about the drivers. Directivity and resonances are gonna be an issue.

I'm not saying that this is what we should expect, but this article by one of the designers ends with the BG Neo10 driver, which measures like this: https://www.erinsaudiocorner.com/driveunits/bg_neo10/ @hardisj

Not for the first time, I wonder how much influence nostalgia has in traditional audio. BG made the drivers for the Genesis speakers McGowan loves.

that peaking... I was thinking am I looking at headphone driver...

 

[MakeMineVinyl]

That's loud as fuck. Let's be honest here, if you're hitting 120dB peaks with most material your average level is around 100dB. That's very, very loud.

Uh, yeah! I would think at that level many direct radiator speakers would either tear themselves apart or melt down, not to mention the amplifier power required. On the other hand, with the right audiophile power cord it would be easy peeasy.

 

[pozz]

That's loud as fuck. Let's be honest here, if you're hitting 120dB peaks with most material your average level is around 100dB. That's very, very loud.

The idea was to reproduce the dynamics of classical music. Something like that. I'd just like to see data eventually, particularly for the cheaper models. The current design is very different from all of the previous previews they've showed so I really don't know what to expect.

 

[MakeMineVinyl]

The idea was to reproduce the dynamics of classical music. Something like that. I'd just like to see data eventually, particularly for the cheaper models. The current design is very different from all of the previous previews they've showed so I really don't know what to expect.

But the true dynamic range of classical music, with real musicians in a real space is at best 60dB or so due to bothersome things like the musicians breathing, moving about, room noise and other factors.

 

[pozz]

But the true dynamic range of classical music, with real musicians in a real space is at best 60dB or so due to bothersome things like the musicians breathing, moving about, room noise and other factors.

I don't think McGowan was being realistic. He had a bunch of goals and tried to make the speakers fit them. These were supposed to be "IRS killers", for example. I have no idea how to assess that. Perhaps these were meant to sound close to the IRS Vs in some fashion.

 

[richard12511]

That whole "Des Moines" thing was almost too cringe to get past.

"like the white album"-?

Should have rounded the top as well.

"maybe we could get down to $2000-3000/pair". then claims pricing is purely cost+, haha.

Not a word about what it achieves in measurements other than "down to 30 Hz". What are the chances he releases useful specs?

A $20k-$30k speaker that size that goes down to 30Hz seems really unremarkable. Surely it digs deeper than that.

 

[presto]

Some more info on the FR30 speakers mentioned the PS audio forum:

https://www.facebook.com/PerfectSenseAudioMatters/posts/2009297919228376

Seems some dealers posted some marketing stuff ahead of the official release. Interesting large planar or ribbons used. Pricing seems still unncertain. As always the discussion about measuring also comes up in the PS Audio forum thread and ASR is mentioned: https://forum.psaudio.com/t/ps-audio-fr-30-priced-at-41-000-in-sweden/25718/73

 

[MakeMineVinyl]

and ASR is mentioned: https://forum.psaudio.com/t/ps-audio-fr-30-priced-at-41-000-in-sweden/25718/73

I am not going to make a snide remark. I am not going to make a snide remark. I am not going to make a snide remark. I am not going to make a snide remark.
I am not going to make a snide remark. I am not going to make a snide remark.I am not going to make a snide remark. I am not going to make a snide remark.

 

[richard12511]

I am not going to make a snide remark. I am not going to make a snide remark. I am not going to make a snide remark. I am not going to make a snide remark.
I am not going to make a snide remark. I am not going to make a snide remark.I am not going to make a snide remark. I am not going to make a snide remark.

What's with the "ASR doesn't do speakers"? It appears they're local, but under the false impression that ASR can't measure speakers?

 

[arancano]

To me the PSA FR-30s looks like a work of fine art. I don't have to like them to consider them art. To me, white is not a color and tall, thin and deep is not an appealing shape. Still, the speakers undeniably make a statement.

Except that all that really matters is how they measure and sound. Few claims have been made but Paul did say that it is a most seamless design. We'll eventually see if that is true.

PSA products are good. I know because I've owned their top of the line. However, having heard the competition, I also think they don't necessarily live up to their marketing hyperbole, and there are plenty of competitors that I consider equal or better than the PSA gear I've used, and cost less.

Perhaps the FR-30 rollout was a decision made on the likelihood of who might review them. It is not likely that Paul's many friends in the industry will kick them to the curve. That is why I would love to hear from the YouTube reviewers who I consider to be more objective. Will it be easy for them to get their hands on these expensive art pieces? We'll see.

I would love to hear that the FR-30s break new ground in speaker design and listening pleasure. The decision to first deploy a $20k-$30k speaker gives me pause, but hope springs eternal.

 

[AndrewC]

I would love to hear that the FR-30s break new ground in speaker design and listening pleasure.

Unlikely. Nothing Paul/PS Audio has ever done has broken new ground.

 

[Koeitje]

And they're expensive. It looks like the midrange and tweeter listening axis is pretty high.

Gotta listen to them standing up I guess. They should take a look at how KEF does it.

 

[Jason K]

It looks like Super Big size RTM10.

 

[Jim Matthews]

McGowan said, years back, that his goal for his speakers was to reach 120dB SPL peaks.

Sure.
Just not MIM Komodo 3000 loud.

 

[Zvu]

Lots of things look cool. Glad we're on AudioScienceReview where the only things we want to look cool are measurements.

Well not quite.

We do want measurements to look cool but we don't want a loudspeaker to look like a roadkill regardless of how good performance is.

 

[arancano]

u had me smiling at the image of roadkill. i've hunted but that never would have occurred to me. for me it would be more like a virginal rocket ship that you saddle up on its side and hang on for dear life as u head, already camouflaged, into the snowy woods, weaving around trees at breakneck speed. maybe a device that can conjure up such images is art after all.

as far as breaking new ground, i later learned that some of the innovation claims for PSA products, like the programmable array on the DSD DAC, were hardly as unique as talk about them implied. so are are the claims for galvanic isolation in the SACD transport.

i get a kick out of having to listen to the FR-30s standing up. midrange and tweeter placement violate the recommendations Paul makes in his videos. maybe claims about expanding the sweet spot are the way they'll be addressed. still, that's an area to investigate further.

paul is a good front man. his bedside manner is appealing to many. fact checking claims and questioning design decisions is not a bad idea for anyone contemplating products from any company. PSA is no exception.

 

[richard12511]

View attachment 165581View attachment 165582It looks like Super Big size RTM10.

I'll be very surprised if it measures as well as the RTM-10.