Well, they are very narrow band so the musical note would need to land on them. Also, this is a range where room modes are present and can ring like this as well.
The metal cone break up resonance is probably more audible.
It’s partly a philosophical thing. Our carbon rohacell woofers had a resonance (less severe than what is show in the stereophile measurements of the Alta speaker) but I decided to switch cone materials and profile and tooled this Curv cone which has much better damping. A lot of designer like metal cone midranges though
The FR5 stormtroopers are in place in my whiskey-listening lounge. In short, they are excellent.
They switched out my Zu Soul Supremes that were driven by a First Watt J2 in a hot-running low wattage class A SET & high efficiency speaker setup. I’ve paired the FR5’s with an NAD class D M23 for a cooler system for summertime.
The room is a bit tricky with not a lot of options for speaker placement leaving only toe-in and a few inches of movement back/front. Nonetheless the Zu’s created a nice sound stage as do the FR5’s (if set up properly). I do need them toe’d out quite a bit from on-axis to get the soundstage.
It is really a mid-field setup so speakers that are more of a point source do well. The FR5’s drivers integrate exceptionally well in this regard.
Great bass for a little speaker but I did add in my 2 REL T7x’s. The NAD M23 driving the FR5’s and RELs is a fantastic combo. Tight bass, midrange clarity, no fatiguing in the highs. Can’t find any fault with them from my ears.
Front end is Roon—>HiFiRose RS130–>Schiit Multibit Gungnir DAC—>PSAudio BHK Pre—>
I just use the Mjolnir for headphones, which it drives really well. With already having the FirstWatt J2 in the system, I was getting my Class-A needs for speakers already fed well.
Ron Brenay lent me a pair to burn in for him about 4 years ago. They look gorgeous but they needed DSP in my room at the time whereas “cheaper” LS 50 Meta’s, BR03’s, ELAC UB62’s, PMC TB2’s and KF R3’s (non Meta) didn’t. He had issues with the Speakers he didn’t like either and never published a review on his channel.
I found the Alyssa’s Treble soft, and Bass not deep enough but the midrange was fine. I had to add a slight boost above 10kHz and a “bump” below 100Hz. Then they could shake the room when required.
Adding DSP to correct Speakers where cheaper one’s didn’t need it make me wonder. One shouldn’t need DSP as a crutch above $5k.
After what I heard from the FR20’s at Jeff Behr’s place last year. I’m sure the FR5’s are worthy adversary’s nonetheless.
That seems strange to me based on hearing the Alyssa’s at several shows. The bass on these speakers was exceptional, and dug much deeper than I expected for a speaker of their size. What amp were you using to drive them? Even though they are fairly efficient, they need some current to really shine.
I wouldn’t say that the Alta Alyssa are fairly efficient. I’m not trying to throw shade at a manufacturer Stereophile measured their sensitivity at a full 6 dB less than spec at 81.5 dB.
Then again, you can’t break the laws of physics. if you want low bass in the small box, this dictates lower efficiency. i think it’s important to be honest about your ratings though, like we try to be.
My pair came in yesterday and I"m blown away at their clarity and bass. Much better than the Kef ls50s which I love. Unfortunately, mine are sitting on top of my kallax and can’t get more than a foot away from the wall. Does anyone know if the white grills are available for purchase?
Speaking of grills for the FR5s. Chris does it make any difference with or without grills sonically? I like the look with grills on my FR5s yet every now and then I take them off. Just curious. Thanks and great work done these speakers.
Hi Chris, thanks for the update on the grills. I was using the Kef KC62 with the ls50’s and a hegel h190. Not sure if I’ll continue to use the sub with the FR5’s as they have enough bass on their own.
The effect of the grilles is pretty subtle. It should sound a little brighter and more airy with the grilles off but it’s a matter of personal preference.
I was using the KEF LS50 Meta speakers which are excellent. I then installed the FR5s which were also great from the beginning. Then I saw one of Paul’s YouTube videos in which he described how to set up the speakers. I totally missed installing the jumper cables. Once I did that, it took it to a new level. Can’t believe how good they sound. The Kef’s are now in my bedroom. Lol
Quick review of the stands… they are very well built, easy to put together, look good and certainly do the job. Mine are on IsoAcoustics GAIA III isolator feet which fit perfectly. I usually fill stands with some “aquarium” gravel. This 10lb bag from Amazon (one per stand) filled both cavities perfectly to the brim (https://a.co/d/ftWYN46 ). The gravel certainly helps to deaden the stands and more importantly makes them much less top-heavy. Museum putty holds the speakers to the stands.
