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PS Audio FR30 speakers

YSC

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We all do remember this is a $30k speaker, right? And passive. Expectations of performance should be close to sublime given how many active and cheaper speakers achieve this. Plus the active ones have other advantages such as “room control”.
I think there's no conflict here, you know, good performer in the respective price bracket could mean "superb"
 

amirm

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The customer who is in the market to buy a large tower speaker is not interested in smaller passives/actives. So I don't see the likes of Genelec, D&D, etc. being a competition for its target market.
 

ahofer

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The customer who is in the market to buy a large tower speaker is not interested in smaller passives/actives. So I don't see the likes of Genelec, D&D, etc. being a competition for its target market.
F228s, Perlisten, etc though. It seems like that rear-firing ambience will be the differentiating selling point.
 

Bruce Morgen

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The customer who is in the market to buy a large tower speaker is not interested in smaller passives/actives. So I don't see the likes of Genelec, D&D, etc. being a competition for its target market.

True, but they may well be very interested in a Kii Three system with the BXT option -- IMO that option offers much more bang for all those bucks vs. a pair of FR-30s plus the appropriate first-rate amplification.
 

YSC

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$11k vs. $30k. Better be a LOT better.
Even low in the food chain I do know audio marginal return diminishes very quickly and things like look or brand prefer kicks in for a lot.

Put aside my kind of reserve against ps audio, say just for genelec, the 8331 isn’t a lot better than 8030 for instance but a ton more expensive, but I would say the improvement definitely worth the money if one can spend
 

MaxBuck

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PS Audio has made some good performing gear in the past, Paul's marketing fluff notwithstanding. I think it's premature to denigrate this speaker in the absence of objective data.
 

Purité Audio

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In recent years everything PS Audio has measured pretty poorly.
Keith
 

CtheArgie

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PS Audio has made some good performing gear in the past, Paul's marketing fluff notwithstanding. I think it's premature to denigrate this speaker in the absence of objective data.
I did not denigrate it. I proposed a “positioning” of the speaker based on classic marketing understanding. There’s nothing wrong with that statement or denigrating. It is a specific choice they made given their “captive” audience.
 

Cars-N-Cans

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I did not denigrate it. I proposed a “positioning” of the speaker based on classic marketing understanding. There’s nothing wrong with that statement or denigrating. It is a specific choice they made given their “captive” audience.
I think Paul knows his audience just like you say and that is why the flagship was released first, as it will make the biggest splash and allow his loyal customers to be the first buyers. The PS Audio speaker has been his "ace in the hole" and the release of it was timed to ensure the company can remain profitable as I'm sure the electronics sales have been flagging as of late given all that has gone on.
 

Chris Brunhaver

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$11k vs. $30k. Better be a LOT better.
Well, we're releasing our next model down (aspen FR20) this year. It's a double 8" woofer design priced around the larger Revel F328 (3 x 8" woofer) design. I've been doing some distortion testing just in our warehouse, in a similar manner to Amir, and seeing a bit lower distortion with our product (<2% from 25 Hz and up at 100 dB nominal). We have less sensitivity (about 87 dB at 2.83V) but bass extension is -6 dB at 23 Hz. While I'm not claiming that we're better in other respects but there are some certainly areas where someone could say that we're "better".
 

SamR

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Even low in the food chain I do know audio marginal return diminishes very quickly and things like look or brand prefer kicks in for a lot.

Put aside my kind of reserve against ps audio, say just for genelec, the 8331 isn’t a lot better than 8030 for instance but a ton more expensive, but I would say the improvement definitely worth the money if one can spend
Diminishing returns is a fictitious construct made up by those who cannot, or do not want to, afford spending more. As long as you choose wisely, you will always get better sound if you spend more. No one can quantify whether something sounds “2X” better. But we know it sounds better.

What I do not like about these speakers is the two crossover points in the most critical midband range. The crossover would have to be very well made and expensive to not have a detrimental affect on sound, and there’s no way that it is a this price point.
 

Joe Smith

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Diminishing returns is a fictitious construct made up by those who cannot, or do not want to, afford spending more. As long as you choose wisely, you will always get better sound if you spend more. No one can quantify whether something sounds “2X” better. But we know it sounds better.

What I do not like about these speakers is the two crossover points in the most critical midband range. The crossover would have to be very well made and expensive to not have a detrimental affect on sound, and there’s no way that it is a this price point.
"Diminishing returns is a fictitious construct made up by those who cannot, or do not want to, afford spending more. As long as you choose wisely, you will always get better sound if you spend more."

I certainly disagree with this, 100%. Good work on this site every day that proves the exact opposite!
 

SamR

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"Diminishing returns is a fictitious construct made up by those who cannot, or do not want to, afford spending more. As long as you choose wisely, you will always get better sound if you spend more."

I certainly disagree with this, 100%. Good work on this site every day that proves the exact opposite!
Ignorance is bliss, I suppose!
Just do not listen to a high end system!
 

Purité Audio

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Pompous twit.
Keith
 

DonR

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Diminishing returns is a fictitious construct made up by those who cannot, or do not want to, afford spending more. As long as you choose wisely, you will always get better sound if you spend more. No one can quantify whether something sounds “2X” better. But we know it sounds better.

What I do not like about these speakers is the two crossover points in the most critical midband range. The crossover would have to be very well made and expensive to not have a detrimental affect on sound, and there’s no way that it is a this price point.
Most of what constitutes "better" can and is quantified by measurements.
 

Joe Smith

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Ignorance is bliss, I suppose!
Just do not listen to a high end system!
Yeah, no interest, sorry. I love the audio low end - spending a lot of money for loudness and the last 2% of resolution is not appealing to me. It would not be so even if I were more wealthy. Too much else to do with money and life.

And by the by, I do consider my systems to be "high end," at least for me. Each person's definition of that would be different, it's a slippery slope. It's meaningless, really. My equipment, you'd disdain. Someone with even more $ would diss your stuff. And so it goes.
 
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