Serious question: Were the speakers actually auditioned head-to-head against six-figure speakers? Or are the advertisement claims referring to six-figure speakers bluster/puffing?
Fair question to ask (and I’m not saying there’s anything nefarious about the ad before someone assumes that, even if purely bluster - just wondering what, if anything, is behind the claim).
After all, the ad would suggest that many were compared and found lacking, given that the traits are allegedly “rare”
IMO the one thing is, that I’d find a lot of speakers which you could amp with whatever you like and they sound slow and sluggish and the other is, that getting a full range speaker fast and controlled is a different topic than getting a bookshelf or not much bigger speaker controlled. But good amps certainly help, too.
I see they are now called the aspen FR30s. What is the significance to that?
And why the lower case “a” in aspen?
I’m assuming any beta test discussion/comments are/were kept private. Any date when we’ll get to see them? Would love to see what folks have to say.
Good call on the crossover. I’ll task Chris with another video. Thanks for the heads up.
This would be great. My experience is like @jazznut 's.
We just wanted something that was own able, said something about its heritage of being developed here in Colorado, and something we felt good about.
Now you’ve given me something to dream about…
Thanks Paul
Maybe - maybe not, but what I do know is that there is a pair of IRS V’s in one of the listening rooms there at the Mothership . . .
I’ve heard those and one or two serious megabuck (half $million) systems in the past few years. And the IRS are close enough, IMHO.
The bigger issue for little old me is that $30k speakers are not chump change, and would require a serious amount of creative finance. Given the serious contenders at the price point and the logistics of a comparative listening evaluation, the result is wait-and-see decision paralysis.
You don’t agree with the hat? You against music?
I’ve heard 6-figure speakers that were so bloated I fled the listening session after 15 minutes. Stereophile’s High-End speaker of the year cost $78,000.
I think I’d need a serious amount of creative shoplifting …
I have Revel Ultima Studios, admittedly quite old. Harman International has a tricked out A/B room that moves speakers in and out of place to facilitate double-blind comparisons. It was claimed they wouldn’t release a speaker until it objectively outperformed it’s direct competitors.
Comparing a new model to competition at multiples of its price is salesmanship, or “mere puffery”.
Regardless of age those are fine speakers.
The 15" Radial drivers in @danofesherintheuk 's PMC speakers produce visceral low frequency sound. They were designed 30 years ago for studio use.
L. O. L.
Amen, Brother.
Haven’t been following this thread to closely, do we known where they will be built?
Have not heard a thing. Maybe Paul can chime in…
I might have missed this perspective of the FR-30, but a view of the rear of the speaker would be nice. This would show the second HF driver/wave guide and attenuator as well as the type of terminations, single or double.
They cost less than what the speaker cables for them cost. 
.
I hope they don’t need power cables as well.