To Fritz, Quicksilver, and all the exceptional makers trying to get the word out

I was unaware of Fritz speakers until pretty recently..maybe 3 or 4 months ago. There was not a ton of info or user reviews on the Internet but what I did come across was all positive. This forum had a lot of good words to say about them.

It is the quality of drivers that he uses which really sparked my interest..& the not ridiculous prices for a speaker that uses that caliber of drivers/tweeters. Outside of some DIY tube equipment most of my audio purchases are from the usual suspects of mainstream equipment. Other bookshelves I've owned over the last 3 or 4 years are the Linton's, R3 Meta's, Elac Vela 403, Martin Logan XT-B100. 

I came across a used sale for the Fritz REV7 SE. The price was really good so I took a chance..bought them without listening first. I am very impressed by their sound. They have a clarity & midrange that is sweet. Vocals are very nice. Guitar strums, bass plucks, the attack on drum hits & shimmering symbols..all extremely realistic. They disappear very easily..even in my wonky room. Putting instruments & sounds out into space all around the speakers. I know that some of this might sound a little ridiculous or overzealous but it is truly what I perceive & hear when I listen to them. They do seem to have just a smidge more emphasis on the upper half of the frequency response. Or maybe I'm just not use to a speaker this open & easy sounding. 

So I am a fan now. I did reach out to J.Fritz after my purchase thru email. He definitely seems like a cool guy. Very personable & open to talk about all things audio. He encouraged me to give him a call as I wanted to know more about his other speakers & designs in general. 

@mattw73 I really like how you described it and would agree. Fritz’s speakers are not cheap but there’s no middleman and I feel like people are getting his 40 years of experience in this very evolved model. No one begrudges a good chef at a unique restaurant the prices on the menu. Granted, it cannot be one of the restaurants that hedge fund managers go to -- there, the high price is actually part of what they want, for social reasons. But if I go to a good restaurant and pay a slightly higher price, I don’t say, "The Cheesecake Factory would have been just as good."

Love this thread highlighting smaller boutique brands.  I haven’t had the opportunity to check out Fritz or Quicksilver but have had my eye on Fritz speakers.  Aric is another fantastic brand, one man show.  I had a set of Omega speakers custom made, visited the shop to pick them up, craftsmanship was off the charts relative to the price.  For high quality, custom built cables Pine Tree Audio is outstanding.  High quality cables, power management components at extremely reasonable pricing.  You can call, email any of these shops and talk with the owner / builder / designer / maker and you can hear their passion for what they do.  Great thread! I need to get me a pair of Fritz speakers. 

I was a hair length away from purchasing a Fritz Carbon 7 SE MKII before leaving for TG holiday out of town and found a heavily discounted demo Audel Magika MKII made in Sicily similarly by a 1 man operation.  The birch plywood quasi transmission-like design intrigued me as did the drivers used (SB Acoustics and Seas) so after reading the reviews I made the purchase. Both the Audel and Fritz use drivers while different, cost similarly if purchased separately. 

The next day they were sent out but 2 days later Fritz runs a sale that while still more than the Audels, I would have jumped on.  I did consider it but I made a lot of purchases for the holidays and needed the dust to settle as well as selling off my larger/older gear first.  

I wanted smaller speakers but there really are none in the size I want that matches what a somewhat larger standmount offers.  Looked at other brands as well and am not regretful of buying the Audels.  They are nice sounding speakers, transparent enough and easy to listen too and if anything given the reviews and forums, the Fritz would be somewhat smoother, definitely different as the Audels are quite unique in certain ways from what I was used too.  Don't know if the Fritz are so much better, still they likely would be the next purchase in speakers if I decide to buy another set even over highly regarded others I had looked at as contenders.

Right now, looking at possible end game amps whether integrated/amp/pre or monoblocks and if one of the brands I am considering makes a (for me preferable) class D integrated with balanced inputs, that would be perfect for size, weight and simplicity.  That brand is Atma-Sphere and I suppose, other companies may offer high performing class D in the coming months or year as well in that form.  Hopefully anyhow. 

Will have to save diligently for what for me would be end game over and done for amp/dac and speakers (I know we all say that).  

So, for the time being, I will enjoy the Audels with my modest CA-1 and D70s while selling off my other gear.

@hilde45 yeah, for me I wouldn't characterize his speakers as "cheap" in price or budget. He did just have a cyber sale on US Audiomart...the Carbon 7 SE MKii for $2200. Which I watched a stellar review of them on the YouTube. Personally I don't consider $2200 cheap either..but from what I read/heard about them I get the feeling that all of his speaker designs have a somewhat similar sound signature in the midrange/upper frequency & amplifier friendly phase response. 

When I mentioned a smidge emphasis on the upper half of the frequency response I didn't mean it as a tilt or rise in that area. It's a very clear & open, effortless vocal/midrange area & upper frequency. It is different in a good way vs many other bookshelves I've owned. My Fritz pair has the newer Revelator 7 inch driver, SE crossover & the Illuminator soft dome..not the ring tweeter with the little hersheys kiss wave guide. I don't know if it's the tweeter or the series crossover (probably both) but it is the best tweeter I've ever heard in my home. 

I see and hear the value of his years of experience & the tweaking of his designs. We all have different preferences in sound & what we like but if someone is in the market in these price ranges I would recommend to give Fritz a call and inquire about his goods. I'm really not trying to come off as a schill to other readers. I think Fritz is a brand that is at least worth a listen..just as much as any other speaker out there.