I am really fancying a pair of FR10’s, but find they do not get much of a mention (for or against), whereas it all seems to be FR30 and 20’s.
Yes, I think it’s a thing to but don’t know why.
It’s partly that the FR20 & FR30 people (include me in the FR20 people) are more active on the forum, and it’s partly that the FR30 & FR20 are extra wonderful.
But if you’re thinking about the FR10’s, I wouldn’t hesitate, especially with their current trade-in special, they’re quite a bargain. They have a flat panel ribbon midrange driver and a flat panel ribbon tweeter. The tweeter is, I believe, the same tweeter as used in the FR20 & FR30.
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I’ve thought about this too, since I am debating between the FR10 and 20. The former are a better fit for my budget and room, but I am looking at what will probably be my final speaker purchase (given my age), so I want to get the best I can.
The FR30 is, IMO, a world-class speaker with the FR20 not far behind. So it’s natural for those who have heard them, can afford them, and have room for them to be enthusiastic. As @adifferentpaul said, some of these folks are quite active here.
I have studied the specs, read the reviews, and read the comments here about both FR10 and 20. I believe the FR10 is an excellent speaker that may well be an improvement over what I have now. It’s also a terrific value at the moment, with the trade-in. If I buy one (as I am leaning towards doing) and it turns out to surpass my current speakers, I will be happy.
One of the tricky things about this hobby is that there’s always something better out there. There’s nothing wrong with working to get better music in our homes, as we are able (I have certainly spent time, effort and money to do so). But we also need to appreciate what we have and not fixate on what we don’t. If I go with an FR10 and it turns out (thanks, PSA, for the 30-day home trial 
) to be better than my current speakers, that will be a gift in my life, and I will not (except on rare occasions, perhaps) obsess about the “one that got away” (the FR20).
If I get an FR10 in my room, I will be sure to post some comments here. 
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Seems like I heard somewhere that the FR10s are voiced to have a more “fun” character to the bass. I take this to mean they may be warmer sounding than the FR20, good or bad depending on taste. I could be mistaken so don’t hold me to that.
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I was torn between the FR10s and the FR20s. Room size was the deciding factor. FR20s are much deeper, and they would have to be much further into the room than I wanted. Plus no help needed unpacking and moving the FR10s.
A compromise? I may never know. I thoroughly enjoy the FR10s and have zero buyer’s remorse. Took a while to get positioned to my liking (no toe in) but once locked in, magical.
Agreed that of the four speakers these get the less mention. But I have not heard any negative reviews and don’t see many (any?) up for sale. I’m OK with the sleepers of the lot.
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If it’s any help……I love my pair of FR10’s. But I may be a bit biased…..
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Chris Brunhaver often says that creating any loudspeaker requires compromises. When a group of audio fanatics get together on a forum to rave about the sound quality of their speakers, the issue of compromises isn’t what gets discussed first. For my needs and preferences, though, the FR10s have the best “compromise profile” of any of the Aspen speakers.
Starting at the top, I know that the late, great audio reviewer, Anthony Cordesman, stated that “the FR30’s midrange and high-frequency sound quality was the best I’ve heard from any speaker.” Wow! That’s pretty high praise from a reviewer who’s listened to thousands of speakers, including a number of ultra-expensive exotic designs. When I can get the same planar tweeter and a slightly smaller version of a similar planar midrange in an FR10 at a fraction of the cost of the larger Aspens, I’m very happy. I may not go online to brag about my FR10’s mids and highs in front of a bunch of FR20 and FR30 owners, but I’m still very pleased with the sound quality of the FR10s.
Considering bass reproduction, I recognize that the FR30 and FR 20 are built for more bass extension and impact than the FR10, but my FR10s still have a “big” sound that is clean and tight, with the ability to “rock out” whenever needed.
Where the FR10 clearly beats the FR20 and FR30 (IMO) is in terms of cost and style. The FR10 has the simplest, cleanest look of the Aspen line. Even the smaller FR5 looks boxier, and the FR20 and FR30 look massive in comparison. The larger Aspens (especially the FR30) can dominate a room and turn it into more of a “listening lab” where music goes to be analyzed. My FR10s, in contrast, are able to disappear visually into a comfortable living room, allowing the emotional impact of music to wash over me. My FR10’s slim 8” front baffle and soft black matte finish produce a “stealth” effect, helping the FR10s work their sonic disappearing magic even when the lights aren’t turned off.
To obtain this level of sound quality and visual style for $6K (after trade-in discounts) makes the FR10 a great value. Thanks to Chris and all the other PSA folks for designing a speaker that has just the right blend of compromises.
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@SDL, thank you very much for your detailed remarks, so clearly presented.
Others may feel the same reluctance, which perhaps explains the less frequent discussion of the FR 10 here.
I realized already that the FR10 would be a better fit in my room; thank you for reinforcing the importance of this.
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Is ok if you do. I am an owner of a pair of FR20’s and would like to hear more detailed listening impressions of the FR10’s, and associated equipment that help get the most out of them.
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Thanks to you for this insightful and well written post! That’s great to see.
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For me, It was a toss up between the 20s and the 10s. I would have LOVE to put a pair of 20s in my listening space, but because it is a shared area with the family, space constraints became a huge factor for me. 10s fit perfectly, the 20s would have been better, but my wife would have murdered me…. lol I showed her where a pair of 20s would sit in the room and she went…uh no. 10s it was!
Frankly, I prefer the 20s in almost every situation. for my smaller listening area the 10s were the perfect fit. With my deep couches too, my ears are almost perfect height with the 10s mids and tweeters. That helps a ton in a challenged room like mine.
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The bargain aspect as it relates to the trade in program is questionable. The program has always struck me as a gimmicky. In order to pull off something like that, PS Audio has to artificially inflate the asking price. That’s the only way to cover the cost of the discount. Yes, turning the used gear over to TMR (or wherever) for resale accounts for some of the discount, but only a small part.
Relying upon these carnival barker type sales gimmicks undermines the character of the company. Why not simply give a straight and honest price?
The other downside of these sorts of gimmicks is that they hurt resale values for the buyer
This is in no way a criticism of the PS Audio products. But this talk of trade in programs and bargains makes my eyes roll. A bargain that exists as a result of an artificially inflated price tag is not a true bargain. It’s instead a marketing trick similar to a used car lot rather than a high end audio company.
Cuz urr body got fr20 n 30 money cuh… fr10 guys dont wanna show that salary on da forum 
There have always been gripes about high end audio pricing. There are many companies that simply have high prices and never offer discounts or incentives. PS Audio does offer discounts from time to time. Getting a pair of the FR10 for only $6k when trading in older gear is most certainly a bargain, if a bargain ever exists in high end audio. I stand by my comment.
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In this case, the bargain is a marketing deception. They artificially inflate the price in order to provide the discount. That’s a deception, not an actual bargain.
Here’s an example of how PS Audio artificially inflates their prices. Some years ago I wanted a DirectStream Junior. At the time it cost $4000. I emailed PS Audio and told them I only had $2000 to spend and asked if they would sell the new unit to me for that price.
They countered by saying something to the effect of that with a trade in, they’d sell it to me for 30% off. I responded saying that I had nothing to trade in and that $2000 was my max.
After a couple of back and forth emails they did sell me the brand new DSJ for $2000 with no trade in required. Did I get a $4000 DAC for half price? Or did I get a $2000 DAC for $2000 sans the crazy markup?
For me it’s obvious, they grossly inflate their retail prices as a conscious marketing strategy. Very similar to how a used car lot operates. You can further ask why does no other HiFi company have such a generous trade in program? Is PSA simply extraordinarily generous? Do they have some sort of margin voodoo magic that literally no other HiFi company has?
Don’t have to be a MBA do tell the answer is no. It’s obvious, their marketing strategy is buillt on inflated prices to fund the illusion you’re getting a bargain via trade in or, in my case, stubborn negotiating.
They sold me the $4000 DSJ for $2000 not out of the kindness of their heart, they did so because the margin was so huge they still made a desired profit at 50% off.
So no, all that price shell game mumbo jumbo is not getting you a deal in the Aspens. It’s simply a way to provide the illusion of a deal made possible by artificially jacked up prices.
I’m not suggesting other high end companies don’t jack up their prices. But they don’t rely upon obvious marketing sleight of hands to fool their customers. If I’m going to overpay, at least be honest about it 
Once again, no shade cast upon the products themselves, except for perhaps the power plants. But everything else is great stuff.
I’m just not a fan of deceptions and shenanigans.
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It sounds like PS Audio was extra nice to you. If I received that special bargain, my mindset would be grateful instead of the current tone.
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Would you feel better if they did not give you a special deal? PSA was very accommodating to you. The good deed from them was not appreciated obviously.
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You miss the point. Yes, they gave me a good deal. That’s not the issue. The example was to show how large their margins are, which explains how PSA can provide the deceptive trade-in program. They can offer that very unusual program because they artificially inflate their prices to do so. Multiple things can be true at once. They can have given me a good deal some years ago, and be using margin deceptions to offer what is ostensibly a faux bargain via their trade-in program…. for me, the program is very huckster. I prefer straight talk…
I believe that many, if not most, high-end audio companies charge more than they would have to in order to succeed financially. And that’s the market that PSA has to work in. By charging $10,000 for the new DAC, they are making a statement that they are competing at this level, establishing the DAC’s position in the market. Then they help their customers by offering trade-in discounts, while many others don’t. I like that.
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