Per PS audio’s website, I noticed yesterday,
the Aspen series speakers increased in price.
I did not check other PSA products, just the Aspen speakers.
FR 5 with stands is $4500
FR 10 is now $12,000
FR 20 are $23,000. FR 30 now $35,000
I am considering the FR 10 later this year as a present to myself, after I get my dental work done. I never heard any Aspen speakers, except in youtube videos. Those videos helped put the FR 10 on my short list of my next speakers. Driving to Lifestyle AVI in Vegas from the Tucson area may be my best option to hear them.
Not ragging on PSA at all, but just wondering why the price increase ?
Thanks in advance. Would like to hear from any PS Audio employee.
Of course. From thomasnet.com : As of May 12, 1 week ago, the WH announced that it would lower tariffs on Chinese imports from 145% to 30%. In return, China will reduce tariffs on American goods from 125% to 10%. This temp agreement will remain in effect for 90 days, during which time officials from both nations will engage in talks to establish a more permanent trade arrangement.
I didn’t know PSA cabinets are made in China.
What do you do at PS Audio ?
You’ve never heard them apart from a YouTube video, but considering a $12,000 purchase based on that? Apparently the speakers you heard the YouTube video on are good enough. Problem solved!
The planar ribbon midrange and tweeter make the FR speakers special. They sound good with lesser electronics, but power them with upper level pre & power amps & dac’s, and they really open up.
That’s not what I posted. I posted they are on my short list of speakers to listen to.
That’s why I posted regarding listening to them in Vegas.
Read before you post.
Hi Dave. Yes, sorry about the price increase. Kind of the last thing we wanted to do, but we don’t have a lot of choice because of the tariffs. The problem is that everything goes up in price. Suppliers raise their rates on inventoried items we need to buy from them, and we are kind of stuck in the middle. Even shipping costs have jumped up. While it might be jolly good fun for the president to tell the head of WalMart to “suck it up” as the tariff effects its inventory, smaller companies like PS Audio are caught in the middle.
Indeed, our Aspen series are made in China, as are just about every speaker brand you can think of, from B&W to Sonus Faber. China is the source for most of the rare earth magnet material high-end speakers need for their drivers, and they have the best cabinet manufacturing facilities in the world. But, as you notice, even our USA-made electronics have gone up too, and that’s because we, like everyone else in this country, rely on the world market for semiconductors and capacitors, even metal. Trump’s tariff on aluminum shot up the chassis cost because even though the PMG chassis are made here, our vendors have to buy aluminum from their vendors, and guess where most of the raw aluminum comes from.
In any case, not much we can do on all this. Fortunately, we were financially able to “suck up” the majority of the cost and did not have to have a 1:1 price increase.
Hope you do get a chance to head over to AVI in Vegas. Great shop and I think you’ll be impressed.
My annual fee last year was north of $50k from joining Al’s cult group, and I have not even checked the Stealth box yet. I am still struggling with Gryphons.
