2. misc-audio
  3. 182012-159065

Interesting situation! Do we need this....

  I had a very interesting and unsettling experience that brings this hobby all together...or rips it apart. Recently,  I bought a pair of Fluence SX6 speakers, on sale at Amazon for $120 pair. A small, black, two way bookshelf speaker. Highly-positively reviewed. My plan was to pull the drivers to use in another project. I couldn't buy drivers and crossovers like this for $120(More on this later)...Anyways, I was listening to my new kit amplifier, AKITIKA Z4 that I recently built...Streaming Quobuz...The Fluance speakers were set up next to the KEF LS50 Metas as I had used them previously to test yet another kit amplifier, Nelson Pass' ACA Mini.....For six hours I was simply amazed at how great the AKITIKA kit amp sounded. Massive sound stage, tight, well defined bass, some of the best vocals I've heard, the "AIR" around jazz instruments was fantastic!.....a system to behold...playing through my KEF LS50 Metas....Six hours later, after all types of music, it was time to call it a night (or early morning)....As I go to shut down the system, I realize that all night I was listening to the Fluance speakers!!! They were placed side by side with the KEFs. Do we really need any of this high end equipment to really enjoy the music!

rbertalotto
Post removed 
johnfritter
62 posts
 

@anotherbob I don't get your point? No where in his post did it say anything at all about comparing anything? He in his second post reiterated this was not a "comparison"?

It sounded like he was impressed by something he did not realize he was listening to at the time. 

Doesn't seem to me that @rbertalotto is the one posting "nonsense"!

In general. Is it really impossible that this new amp and speaker combo just possibly for some unknown reason. Happens to have good synergy? You every seen some kids ratty old Honda Civic blow the doors off a new corvette? It really makes the corvette owner mad when you say..."how much did you say you spent on that"?!

Everybody have a great weekend!

J.F.

 

alvinnir2's avatar
alvinnir2
116 posts
 

I have never heard the Fluance speakers but have no doubt that they sound better than what the OP expected, given the cost. We often have a preconceived notion of what something should sound like based on what it costs.

Realistically, the 2 way small box monitor speaker has been around for over 75 years. Clearly some advances have been made in the areas of materials used for drivers and so on. Sometimes you don’t need to reinvent the wheel to get a good result.

I think we sometimes don’t consider how much of the final price comes is derived from the costs of relatively smaller production, based in Europe/USA, cost of marketing, dealer mark ups, distributor mark ups, component manufacturer’s mark up, R and D.

So along comes a little speaker, made in Asia, cheap labour, nothing innovative but using well proven  2 driver concepts, mass produced, with simple distribution and less dealer mark ups and we are surprised that it sounds good.

Is it high end groundbreaking reproduction, probably not. But did it provide a satisfying a listening experience to someone used to more expensive speakers whose cost is representative of the traditional high end manufacturing/distribution scheme. Apparently yes.

rbertalotto OP
138 posts
 

So along comes a little speaker, made in Asia, cheap labour, nothing innovative but using well proven  2 driver concepts, mass produced, with simple distribution and less dealer mark ups and we are surprised that it sounds good.

On the back of the Fluance speakers it state..."Designed and Engineered in Canada".....No where does it say Made In China.....

cd318
2,636 posts
 

@jeffseight

The Pass Amp Camp amps do not provide anywhere near the power those greedy LS 50s demand. What about the new amp with the KEFs?

 

 

Good point. Maybe the Pass Lab ACA mini amp wasn’t doing the Kef’s any favours?

The Fluance SX6s are more sensitive and easier to drive than the LS50s and might be a better match.

 

In any case it looks as though the Z4 is up to the job of powering either pair.

 

 

From their website:

Now there’s a Z4 version of the GT-102. It’s specially configured for speakers with impedance of 4 Ohms and below. We guarantee that it will deliver 50 Watts per channel into 4 Ohm loads. It typically delivers more than 60 Watts per channel into 4 Ohm loads. It will even drive a 2.7 Ohm load without complaint. If you have low impedance speakers, we recommend that you buy/build the Z4 version of the GT-102.

 

https://www.akitika.com/GT102.html

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