FR5 First Impressions in Ordinary Listening Spaces

Remarkable.

In my bit of a strange space, I can say, and after only 11 days, I find these speakers to be pretty remarkable.

They are currently 23 inches from the front wall, 1-1/2 feet from the side walls, and just over 3 feet apart. Yet, they still are giving me a deep sound stage behind them.

I previously had Paradigm Studio 100s (a long time ago before I went lofi with just wireless speakers) and those really gave me a great sense of the room (now I know this is as sound stage), but these FR5s…they are rivaling those much larger speakers.

One of the best recordings I know for getting a sense of the room, “Summer Morning” by Jonathan Richman. There is lots of detail and lots of space in the room this song was recorded in. I loved my Elacs…thought for their size and price, they did a great sound stage. But the FR5s…they just fill everything in more. It is a complete transformation of taking me to that room where the band is playing.

In my current meager office.

And the FR5s bring me back to a sound signature I remember. I was fortunate to grow up in a house with Infinity speakers. My father owned Infinity Servo Statik 1s (or 1As ?) and I was lucky to have Quantum Reference 5s in my room. I remember the bass those could produce and these get me there.

And I haven’t even tried the trick @Huddy keeps talking about yet!

I keep telling my wife, I think I am very close to my endgame speakers here.

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