Poor Fritz

From responses so far, I gathered that Fritz speakers are boutique products, somewhat more expensive than what competition would be. They use good parts and perform well within their physical limitations. Reviews are good, shopping experience seems to be unusually flexible, and you get a little exclusivity in your ownership. Add the fact that the man has a reputation of being a nice person and is doing the work himself. Those few extra things may be just enough for some to pay a few (hundred) extra dollars. Win-win.

I purchased a pair of the Carerra Be's from Fritz this spring. He called me after I sent him an email via his website. Spoke for at least an hour, with another follow-up of about 1/2 an hour. He was extremely helpful. I emailed him pictures of my audio cabinet and he found a finish for the speaker that complimented it perfectly. You could tell that he has a real passion for his work and pride in his product. I read several reviews before I contacted him and as I was contemplating the purchase. All of the reviews I could find were positive. I don't remember any that made me think "poor Fritz".  

It was my impression that his return policy is motivated out of a desire to have a satisfied customer and not a marketing gimmick. He wants to make sure that the speakers match your gear, room and listening preferences.

I am extremely pleased with my purchase. The speakers are everything I hoped for.   I don't have any experience with ultra-high-end speakers, but I feel as if Fritz's speakers give more than fair value for the money.

The tweeter used in the Carrera is a high end, SB acoustics Beryllium tweeter.  A single one is close to $400.  That 7” paper driver is a Scan Speak Revelator and the are around $250

Total cost of drivers is $1300. Cost of speakers is $3500. So how much is he actually making? Can anybody answer that without insulting me? 

The Be tweeter in the Carrera is the best handling of any Be tweeter that I've ever heard, and I've heard several, some less than great and some OK.  All Fritz speakers also go remarkably low for the price.  They are also tube friendly.  The demo at the 2018 CAF with a Modwright 300B headphone amp was superlative.  Above all, they sound really great, unlike certain "bargain" brands.

Hi @decooney

I have not owned Fritz speakers, nor do I have financial interest in his business. I first heard them in Oakland at a show, and they were amazing. Easily the best sound of the show. I was absolutely amazed at the components he was using and how inexpensively he was selling them for.

I remember at that show Blue Coast Records (DSD downloads!) was there and I got to meet a couple of their ladies, I cant’ remember if both were musicians, or one was a musician and the other a recording engineer. Both independently also mentioned they thought his room was fantastic.  Another really amazing thing to me was that he did a lot of custom work. Sending speakers to listeners, and modifying them to taste.

Here’s the thing: If those speakers had a Wilson badge they would be 5x as expensive and to my ears comparable sound quality (and better than older Wilsons) given the size restrictions. Here is a man producing $15,000 speakers for a song, with customized finished and even sound profiles.

It’s like lusting after an Armani rack suit you can’t afford and finding a tailor who can make you a tailored pair with better with equal or better fabrics for half.



Best,
Erik