Aspen FR5 Loudspeaker

The ground-breaking Aspen series of loudspeakers sets new standards for what is possible in home audio reproduction. Now, with the introduction of our full range 2-way stand mount speaker, the Aspen FR5, it is finally possible to bring the concert hall to any small to medium sized room.

The Aspen loudspeaker series represents the culmination of 50 years of industry experience; learning in intimate detail what works and what does not; what it takes for a loudspeaker to disappear and leave only the magic of the music; designing a no-compromise phase-correct crossover; constructing a cabinet that does not color the sound; crafting a speaker that is easily driven with any decent power amplifier, and when not even the most advanced driver manufacturer's products are good enough to meet our exacting standards, designing woofers, radiators, and tweeters from scratch. In all respects, the FR5 will transcend your expectations of what an affordable stand mount loudspeaker can do.

Design

The FR5 joins the ranks of a rare handful of 2-way full-range speakers that can honestly cover the frequency range of 35Hz to beyond 20kHz with grace, dynamics, slam, and low distortion-and work in most small to medium-sized room. Within moments of installing your new Aspen FR5 loudspeakers, you'll instantly be transported to a new level of musical ecstacy. What's captured on the disc is exactly what you'll hear with a greater resolution than most have ever experienced. Grace, beauty, PRaT, power, and a musicality that is rare amongst 5 figure offerings from other manufacturers await owners of the Aspen FR5. That this speaker is financially within anyone's budget makes it a miracle.

Application

Loudspeakers are part of the family. With their presence, they grace our homes and living areas by bringing the joy of music into our lives. Unlike the electronics that drive them, most loudspeakers depend on proper placement and optimized room parameters to perform their best. The Aspen FR5, however, is designed to more easily fit into any living environment and perform at its best with a minimum of setup hassles and a maximum of options. While the FR5, like all high-performance speakers, appreciates some breathing room between them and the front wall, placement in the room for best performance is a snap. Using the included step-by-step guide and CD, setup, from unboxing to playing music, happens easily in a few short hours.

By far the most important piece in the HiFi chain is the loudspeaker. If the speaker cannot reproduce what it is fed from the electronic chain, the missing musical information is forever lost. To achieve all that music demands, over the years, loudspeaker designers have tried to leverage every trick in the book: electrostats for details, conventional drivers for dynamics, planars for transparency, ribbons, domes, horns, open baffles, bipoles, dipoles. The list is endless and the choices and their inevitable sonic compromises daunting. With close to 50 years under our collective belts, we at PS Audio are committed to designing the perfect loudspeakers for every application, room size, and budgets. In the Aspen series we start with the FR30, then move to the FR20, the FR10, and finally the FR5. Each is a full range state-of-the-art loudspeaker that covers the range of possibilities from small to large rooms and to meet every budget need. The FR5 will fit into every small to medium sized room and provide potent bass output and extension for a stand mounted speaker. For the upper end, the FR5 employs the same Aspen planar tweeter as found in both the FR20 and FR30. Without question, the Aspen FR5 is the perfect loudspeaker for any small to medium-sized room and, certainly, any budget. Why compromise? Go for the best.

The Drivers

The heart and soul of any loudspeaker are its drivers, the transducers that, in response to the amplifier's demands, pressurize the air and generate the music. Each driver must be optimized for the task at hand. In the FR5, it quickly became apparent we could not source from even the most advanced driver manufacturers in the world the ultra-low-distortion high-dynamic output drivers we would need to build this remarkable 2-way stand mount speaker. We started with our planar magnetic tweeter. Moving air at high frequencies without coloration or distortion is a daunting task. On the FR5 we chose to go with a technology that has the speed of an electrostat with the dynamics of a cone. Planar Magnetics. This ultra-low distortion driver is equally driven with front and rear magnetic structures that offer inherent linearity through symmetrical "push-pull" neodymium motor structures and directly driven ultra-low mass diaphragms with none of the cone or dome breakup, inductance modulation, or hysteresis distortion that plagues traditional drivers. For the low end, we crafted a unique long-throw high-excursion 6.5" Curv woven Polypropylene woofer that matches the effortlessness and transparency of the planar magnetic tweeter. To lower distortion, we employed a unique split magnetic gap and a double copper Faraday ring for low, linear inductance and wide bandwidth, coupled with a single progressive Nomex spider with stitched-in lead wires. Lastly, to achieve maximum linearity and extended deep bass extension without the compression and distortion of ports, we implemented a rear-mounted high-compliance 6x9 inch passive radiator. Together, these elements create a stunning presentation of music in your home.

The Enclosure

Loudspeakers have an honored place in our homes. They often are the focal point of our living rooms and, in that capacity, must proudly make a statement of fitting elegance. The Aspen FR5 enclosure design starts with the internal structure necessary for great sound and then lovingly sculpted into a work of art befitting our homes. With industrial design by famed Studio 63, the FR5's elegant look and smaller form factor complement every decor. Internally, the FR5 is an extensively braced enclosure designed to minimize external vibrations that have the potential to color the sound. Externally, the enclosures are lovingly finished with 7 coats of high-quality lacquer for a beautiful satin finish. While the main body and baffling structure are built with MDF, the sculpted front baffle is formed from a dense, rigid and well-damped high-tech thermoset fiberglass resin composite material with integrated high-frequency acoustic waveguides. The front baffle is moutned from the rear of the cabinet with 13" long shoulder screws, holding the cabinet in compression for superior stiffness and enclosure performance. A masterpiece of design and love, crafted by those of us that care deeply about music and its reproduction in the home.

Features:

• Full-range 2-way System
• 83.5 db Sensitivity
• One 2.5" Planar Ribbon Tweeter
• One 6.5" Low Distortion High Excursion Woofer
• One 6x9" High Excursion Passive Radiator
• Curv (Woven, Self-reinforced Polypropylene) Cone
• Thermoset Fiberglass Resin Front Baffle
• Smooth and full off Axis Response
• One Piece Cabinet for Easy Setup
• Easy to Position for Best Performance
• Constrained Layer Damped Internal Bracing for Low Cabinet Vibration
• Custom Film Capacitors & Premium Air-core Inductors
• Magnetically Attached Grilles

Specifications:

• Enclosure Type: Passive radiator (one 6x9" oval rear-firing)
• High Frequency Transducer: 2.5" planar magnetic with Teonex diaphragm
• Low Frequency Transducer: 1 x 6.5" woofers, cast frame, Curv woven polypropylene, advanced magnet structure
• Crossover Frequency: 1750 Hz - Linkwitz-Riley 6th order acoustic
• Sensitivity (2.83V @ 1M): 83.5 dB
• Nominal Impedance: 6 ohm (5.6 ohm minimum impedance)
• Recommended Amplifier Power: 50-150W
• Frequency Response: 35 Hz-20 khz (-6dB) half space, 30 Hz (-6 dB) in-room
• Dimensions (HxWxD):
• 14.5" x 8" x 13" speaker only
• 28.25" x 11.75" x 14" stand only
• Net Weight:
• Speaker: 26.6 Ibs (12.1 kg) each
• Stand: 13.71b (6.2 kg) each