I’ve had my fs52’s for a while now and while I’ve always thought they were excellent, but I recently paired them with a Marantz 2230 and the combination is just as you’ve described! An amazing combo. Keep up the amazing work.
Joe N Tell They have a very nice center image and can even sound like surround sound at times. I am fairly new to audio so I am still learning all of the terms, but I feel like these are some of the best (if not the best) speakers you can get for around $200.
@@joentell I have the package of these pioneer with one pair of fs52 c22 n two pairs of bs22 as side and back surround connected to marantz sr6012. They sound amazing for movies as well as music. I felt very happy when you even like them n use them as ur reference speaker.
People feel pioneer has rounded off high end because of the grill. It truly muffles the high end. It is best to listen to it removed or moddd to cut a hole in the plastic webbing behind the cloth to let the sound pass through without any restrictions. Here is how I did it Before: i.imgur.com/9Ibv7Wb_d.jpg?maxwidth=640&shape=thumb&fidelity=medium After: i.imgur.com/6Y5bsaB_d.jpg?maxwidth=640&shape=thumb&fidelity=medium
I love the fun idea of your speaker leader board and your comments as you place new speakers in their respective positions. It gives perspective to the dilemmas that we all face when choosing the best fit for sound, size, budget etc. Polite suggestion. If you can try some Dali bookshelf/small standmount/desktop speakers. I've been around the block a bit when it comes to speakers. The Spektor 2 and Zensor Pico certainly floated my boat when looking for a desktop (I bought the Picos). I feel that there may be a place on your leader board for one of these. Not sure if they're quite expensive in the USA though.... definitely high quality though. Keep on keeping on my friend.
They're crazy expensive in the US, yet cheap in other places. You'd think they would have sorted it out. I'm not a fan compared to those other Danish guns, Dynaudio. On the other hand, their tweeters produce airy highs at a reasonable price outside of America
I own the pioneers and they are amazing. $189 for the pair and the sound is sexy. If you really want them to come alive put some power on them. I have mine on an adcom 545 and leave the sub muted on most occasions. I'm using the mx-audio tube preamp buffer with GE tubes into the adcom with Tidal hifi from my TV as a source and everyone I demo this combo for is beyond impressed. A sweet buttery smooth sound that doesn't give a hint of fatigue and the extra power on tap brings out plenty of detail. My listening position is about 14 feet away for reference. I think you should compare the pioneers against the fluance signature series as they are that good of a value.
I also use my FX Audio Tube buffers with the GE JAN 5654W tubes on my systems. I love how it rounds out the sound. Do the Fluance Signature towers have the dip around 2.5k like I noticed on the Signature bookshelf speakers in my review?
@@joentell I'm not sure on the towers. I believe the dip at 2.5k is to give the illusion of more low end. With them having dual 8 inch woofers maybe not. While everyone seems to like the bookshelf version the bag is mixed on the towers. I want to give in and buy them but sadly not enough real reviews on them to bite. Those little tube buffers do something that seems to make things softer and smoother and the over used "warmth". Sadly in my experience it doesn't mix well with a processor in my experimentation but for 2 channel enjoyment it is nice.
You should do an episode on taking measurements. Your measurements of the FS52s are the best I've seen, as far them looking essentially flat from about 60hz. It is notable that they are a 2.5 way - had they been a 3-way with a chambered midrange / tweeter maybe they would be legendary. You can spend thousands of dollars and still be using a 2-way design. The Dayton's are a good concept, but frankly I'd rather have a single high quality 6 or 8 inch driver doing bass duty. I'm curious as to how you did the measurements anyway - grills on, grills off, distance etc. It looks like a good amount of smoothing. When I get a chance, I plan to measure mine in-room and outside. One thing testers rarely do is test for "maximum SPL". It would be interesting to see that. As most speakers seem capable of in excess of 100 dB, it would be interesting to see how many can reliably hit high levels without exploding or compressing/sounding like crap. Another website in particular tested the Elac UB5s and found they topped out around 95 dB or so before sounded like doo doo. I'd like to see that verified by someone else. That is because, as you know, the farther away you sit, the more power you have to apply to the speaker to hit the same level of "comfortable" listening (70db-80db + peaks for me). Once your're sitting 10 feet away and watching a movie, it is quite possible you'll be pushing smaller, more affordable speakers to their limits. Even if they can take the power, distortion might be creeping up. Of course, so far, I've pushed the FS52s pretty hard with blockbuster movies and they've enjoyed every minute of it. I own 5 FS52s and use them in a 5.1 or sometimes a 5.2 setup. If you want a treat, have 3 identical towers for the LCR - very hard to go back to a center channel after that. Even carefully integrated, the pioneer center channel is just not as good as the tower or the BS22s, IMO (But I am using it at the moment anyway). To be honest, I've tended to like the presentation of the lowely BS22s better - they just seem a tad punchier to my ears, even with the flatter treble and somewhat weaker bass. They have been a bit more consistent going room to room. Having used the FS52 in two different rooms, I can say that for one room I was in (much more "dead"), I had them crossed over usually around 90-100hz. I could not get the bass to hit right - though no complaints from the midrange / treble. In the new room, I sit much farther away, possibly in a slightly better position. I find I like them crossed over around 70 hz. Still, the bass has not really impressed me yet - its there, but missing a little bite/definition for my tastes. Could be my placement needs tweaking. The midrange, however, is consistently gorgeous. The high end is usually detailed and pleasing, but at times I wish the boost wasn't there - just a bit of glare from that piano. Great to hear from you that they are probably better than the ELACs. Although, if the price is every low enough, I might jump on the UF5s / KEF floorstanders. Now those might be amazing. Then again, AJ did the Pioneer ELITE line as well - it would be amazing if you could review those against the UB5 / something from KEF.
I might do a how to video for measurements. I apply lots of smoothing to keep it simple for beginners. They already have said they don't know what they're looking at so I try to explain in simpler terms. I use a calibrated mic Les than 3ft away.
Those Daytons are the perfect desktop towers. They fit in small spaces, and are basically a bookshelf on a bass-enhancing stand, so there's no drivers blocked by the desk or near-field phase issues between a high tweeter and woofers near the floor. That computer is next-level baller now.
I just sent back my FS52 towers and purchased some JBL studio 230 and some Home Theater Direct speaker stands. I've been very happy with the studio 230's that I purchased the 235 JBL center channel and a RSL speed woofer 10' subwoofer.
The FS52 cannot be beat for soundstage and vocal clarity. IMHO, they beat the Elac Debut 2.0 Floorstanders. I have both of them and have over 60 days of playing experience with both of them.
Gene Hunter - FS52 has clean tight bass, and not deep rumbles. Elac attempts to get the deep rumbles but is not very successfull with it. My recommendation is to get a pair of FS52 for $199 and a pair of subwoofers for another $199, and it will be better than spending $800 on Elac
The center channel comment about the Pioneer is spot on. The image build up is so strong that it is even better than a center channel. In fact as an experiment I even turned the pioneers to face the wall, and it sounds even better, much like how Dr Amar Bose did with his 901.
here is how I have them setup as I test them out. Speakers $198/pair Amp $99 Subwoofer $99 i.imgur.com/CLBOI5d_d.jpg?maxwidth=640&shape=thumb&fidelity=medium
I actually own these speakers and have thought about posting a video them and budget home theater. These speakers along with the CP22 (center), BS22 (surround) and the SP-T22A_LR (upfiring atmos) make for a badass 5.1.4 system. I suggest you buy the best subwoofer you can to accompany them because the 52s are bass shy for serious movie or music listening. I have a Klipsch R-112SW I bought for $219 connected and it blends well. So once again, for a total of $619 you have a badass system. I got stuff flying around my man cave in a clear, atmospheric, real-life action way. No distortion or cheap soundness. Adam Jones must have been bored and challenged at the same time to create this speakers. They punch well above their weight with its tone and music balance. I have heard other speakers that cost way more than they do and have not gone away thinking I'm missing something. Now for the downside. Are these speakers as good as my Klipsch RP 280s...or my Klipsch 7.2 setup?...no. Its sensitivity is about the mid 80s. Therefore, to get the best sound you need an amp of at least 100-150 watts. I power my setup with a Denon X4400H. If you match these speakers with non-Pioneers they may not sound as loud. This is why I feel you should match them with the speakers above. Separate those speakers may sound good...together it's a sonic symphony. Seriously. I'm impressed with the whole setup. Eighty percent of listeners would be satisfied with the sound coming out of it. Another thing, to get the most out of these speakers one should use 14 gauge wire of good quality. Sense they're 6 ohm and harder to drive, you want to lessen the strain on your amp to get all the info to the speakers without overload during high action scenes. It really makes a difference.
I have a pair of the Pioneer floor standing speakers along with the bookshelf speakers as surround sounds plus a Pioneer center channel and a subwoofer. This setup, though not considered super high end, hit my price point sweet spot and still sounds great. Really great to see a review of these and look at those frequency response charts.
0:14 yep, I agree completely! I have Micca MB42Xs and MB42X-c for my home theater, last week I was staring at all that empty space where the speaker stand was and thinking how much more sense a tower speaker would make. Also I didn't seem to like the MB42X in my living room as much as I did on my PC desk (probably due to the 4 inch woofer). A pioneer SP-C22 center showed up on Craigslist for a screaming deal and I pounced. Pioneer FS52's were also ordered over the weekend. So perfect timing on this video! :) edit: Oh, I also felt like at high volumes my ears were getting a bit fatigued by the Miccas in the big room so I'm hoping the pioneer will help with that. Will be returning the MB42X-c and moving the MB42Xs back to my PC desk were they have served me well for 2.5 years!
the presentation on this channel is so clean and for a newbie in this audiophile stuff this is very informative and pretty easy to comprehend. you got my sub sir
I have the FS-52s I absolutely love them... I have the whole Andrew jones 5.1 set up.. As Joe says they are so great with imaging... live music for example Alice In Chains unplugged blew my mind, voices and the sound of guitar strings are so detailed its fantastic... love them. As far as the bass it’s good for most things, but that’s a non issue pairing them with a decent sub is going to take care of any of the bass short comings... as Joes says these speakers are smooth! Thanks for the vid Joe!
Joe N Tell I’ll also mention I’ve been looking for a really nice affordable 5.1 set up for a while... I had the Logitech Z-680s(not sure if you’re familiar they are better than most home theaters in a box still imo) for about 17 maybe 18 years they were good for what they are, plenty loud with tons of bass for movies and games but were so so for music. About 7 years back a good buddy of mine spent about 10 grand on the 5.1 B&W CM9s... I watched Tron at his house, it blew my mind... I came home and popped in Tron on my Z-680s set up and it wasn’t even close, not that I was expecting that but wow gone were those mids, and high highs. I’ve always admired really good hifi, but until recently I had other finacial priorities. After watching countless reviews and recommendations from people like you and Steve Guttenburg, I thought the pioneer Andrew jones line is exactly what I’m chasing without breaking the bank. Boy were you guys right, As you said the mids are incredible. I’m not going to say they are as good as the CM9s but we’re talking pretty damn close to the same experience I felt when I heard the CM9s. I’ve found myself not only enjoying movies much more, but also listening to tons of different artist on Apple Music, for example steely dan and Pink Floyd have a whole new dimension and dynamic to them. I’ve been missing so much... anyone else reading this and are thinking about buying the FS-52s do yourself a favor stop waiting and just get them!
@@Paranimal86 Thanks for the input. I am currently looking at setting up a good surround with my only experience in the past being the Z-680's. Those also fit the budget for me at the time as I agree did well for sound for what they were. I want to eventually get a good atmos 7.2.4 and I think I might start with these speakers and do the Andrew Jones 5.1.
Thanks Thomas! Psychoacoustics can play tricks on our ears. I agree we should trust our ears to tell us what we like, but I don't think we should trust our ears to tell us what a component in a system is or isn't doing.
Jab? No. I said what I said because it's "common knowledge" in this hobby for people to say "trust your ears." I say yes, but just know all of our ears/brains can be fooled. It's equivalent to an optical illusion but for our auditory system.
I was surprised to see these speakers featured again in videos. I bought these last year and this has been the best purchase for home audio for a budget. I got the towers, center, and bookshelf for a 5 channel system for $299. I found a bass-x 12 for $80 locally and found myself with a full setup because we had a left over VSX 70 from another home. Audio is incredible! Movies are very realistic and I couldn’t be happier for the price.
Me too. They make me happy because I know that if people knew how affordable really good audio is, they could easily have a great setup without sweating the $.
@@joentell that's the message I try to spread. All my friends see my setup and think they all my mom goes to it, when that isn't the case. You can find great deals on great speakers! From the moment I met my now, best friend, he was always intrigued with my audio setups, eventually get wanted to get his own so for his birthday me and my dad gave him these old pioneers with jbl subs and an onkyo AV. These days he's rocking all Klipsch reference and a pl-200 Bic sub. Warms my heart I tell you.
Finally got to the audition part of your video when the pioneers came on it was like an acoustic curtain was lifted to expose the mid and upper Freq. content.
you're not crazy . zeos has more than 2 PC's and a laptop , one PC for he's "racing rig" ( ultra low WAF ) has JBL 590 towers . it's also obvious that towers are better 'cause of deeper bass , and if they're made for nearfield as well , you cant go wrong using them as PC speakers . i have R1280T on top of Solo 6 sitting on the floor , on desk ( even flipped upsite down ) they'd lack the bass that anyone would ask , not just bassheads or whatever it's called
Hi Joe, one idea going forward: How a speaker sounds in a room is a combination of how the first arrival sounds (which you're measuring) and how the room reflections sound. This is why it's useful to also measure a speaker 15 and 30 degrees off axis. A speaker that measures flat won't sound flat if the off axis response is full of significant dips unless the room is heavily treated for reflections.
I 've had the FS52's for a while as a part of my 5.1.2 Atmos setup. I have never considered them for listening to music, but after this review I will give them a serious try. I'm a headphones guy and I don't know much about speakers, but I sure do enjoy my Sony SSCS5's
From the looks of it if you put a simple stand of about 8-10" high under those Dayton's you would get those tweeters at about ear level. That sometimes makes more difference than you realize.
When I'm sitting it's pretty close to the right height and off axis is good so that helps also. Not all speakers require or are optimized for direct on-axis listening
Just watched this review on my fs52s! Lol great comparison. I personally like the brighter characteristic of the pioneer over the dayton and fully agree that the bass extension with the pioneers is much more than enough. Sometimes i find myself turning off my subwoofer.
been an audiophile since I was 14 years old that was back in 89!! Lol so amazed and happy how technology has come so far ! I bet I've owned at least 50 sets of speakers ! journey has been so awesome wish I would have somehow reviewed them all on video !!! i must say your the reason I bought the fs52 dam amazing for the price ! In my journey the JBL Lx-500 and klispch kg 2.5 best bookshelf I've heard so far towers and floor models would be Pioneer HPM-100 ,150, klispchhorn and the elac f6 ohhh my ! lol keep up the great job Joe trust your ears over microphone science lol
I hope this comment makes sense...I am moving into a downtown studio apartment and listening to music (mostly vinyl) is very important to me. I want to fill up the whole space with sound but not get a noise complaint. I don't know if its possible to fill a 500sq ft apartment but at a lowish volume. This whole audiophile community is very intimidating. I would like to keep everything under $1000 (can be flexible if a huge upgrade is a little bit more, can also add a piece or 2 at a time) I currently only have a turntable (gramovox vertical turntable) need everything else. I would absolutely love your advice, love your content as well!!
Damn man. I like your channel, amazing quality and I feel like you're an Audiophile for the everyday person. A gem in the Audiophile world IMO. Btw you sold me on the Andrew Jones Pioneer Towers. I have a Pioneer SX-10AE (great amp for the money) paired with Dayton T652's right now. Plan is to move the Daytons to my desk 😆 and put the Pioneers in the living room with the SX-10AE!
If you get a chance to find a sale on the pioneer elite sx-n30 class A/B 85watt receiver grab it it's a warm gem!! I have reviews about it in my channel , no harm Joe you do an awesome job !
I ordered some Yamaha Ns-f51 towers for 225€ i heard very good comments and reviews about them to 98% of satisfaction overall sound and build quality and the price is extremely cheap, i don´t know if these are for sell in US, specs are good and they are powerful too, more than Onkyo´s skf4800 and Pioneer FS52´s. Maybe you can review them
The audiophile community is small but Joe will soon have the biggest channel. He has the perfect combination of presentation skills + editing + knowledge. In that respect I don't think he's underrated!
The old receivers loved 8ohm or more loads these pioneers are an 11 ohm load,you could run two pairs with a class d.I love 4 ohm speakers,both in car and home,they seem more dynamic to me,I have the 442 center channels used as mtm pair on my bed,great speakers,the 4 inch drivers are amazing.
Spend a little more and go with a quality 12 if you have a big room. Ported gets louder but sealed with a lot of power is my choice. Look into a good plate amp and driver,and build or buy the right sized enclosure,I use 1.25 mdf,hid it behind a sofa,set it low,these speakers go down to 60,start there,jmo
I use the pioneers for my right and left channels on my 7.1 surround system and they're absolutely amazing for that. Got both speakers off craigslist for $80. At $40 a piece I really can't complain.
I like the pioneer AV amp signature also because it's tone separation and detail are rounded and natural, but not harsh when separated like a lot of amps out there. Most amps have too many sounds overlapped or when separated too harsh.
I totally agree with your pioneer impressions and description. I want to step up and buy a more expensive speaker but they sound so good. Not sure if the uni5 are worth the step up versus the 152’s. Love your videos Joe.
Both speakers sounded like dayton audio to me.Oh wait... I am listening to this on my 5 dayton speakers...Not the ones you have but the b52's. I was skeptical before i bought them, but I really like them a lot actually.For budget speakers they are hard to beat.
@@joentell For the money, I am not sure if they can be beat. 2 towers were 100$ center was like 30 and the rear bookshelves were around 30 as well.all hooked to a denon 7.1 that I bought for 60$. That alone sounds great.As far as woofers go I have a 12 in car audio woofer on 300 watts. That sounds amazing. But when that's not enough I have two 15 inch car audio woofers on 1000 watts on backup. YEAH the neighbors know when it is all turned on lol. I have more but its never needed in my small space.
You should do a video on how to make a complete system, graphically. Example, how to match up different speakers using frequencies and ohms etc. Your sub woofer video shows the freq flat ranges which you say is good, so match those to another set of speakers with whatever range. Show the graphs for diff types of speakers and how they line up together to get a longer more complete sound range. You could even just show this on a piece of paper. The last thing would be how to get it much louder, be it adding a receiver amp. If you show this graphically, I know the world would appreciate it. I barely understand it because no one has explained the graphs - you did with the subs, but would like to see a complete system explained using those graphs. This would then become an app for retail stores to sell systems. A customer picks a receiver, then picks the front left right speakers to start, then is given matching options for the other speakers to complete the best sounding system. I'm in a rush so cant explain very well, contact me if you dont understand. I have a 7.1 system and it took 5 months to complete based on outside advice.
I know what you're trying to say, but it would be pretty tough to do. I am one of the only people on UA-cam who does measurements so at least you can look at my previous reviews to see how speakers measure.
got the pioneers for 120 canadian dollars each. it cost me 240 for both and i couldnt be happier. on my desk i have KEF Q15 old speakers but the sound amazng
I'm feeling like I need to buy a pair of these Pioneers. I have a pair of Canton Karat 300 that I love and they retailed for near $1000 in 1986. If the Pioneers are anywhere close to that in terms of sound quality it's an incredible accomplishment.
I love this speaker so much that even after buying my ls50 speakers, I still listen to this pair from time to time..its not the bass/base, treble/highs nor the mids that impresses me the first time i heard this but the "IMAGING"! Its a big wow! I tried comparing this speaker in the store with their floor standers like klipsch, kef, and soundstage,,, its the imaging that separates this speaker from the others...superb!
Really like your channel Joe.Always look forward to another video. I too have the FS-52's and matching centre with the BS22's at the back plus a BIC America 12" sub.Happy with the sound.Best I've ever had.Oh and just got a pair of the Pioneer Atmos add-ons.Lookin forward to that.Keep at it Joe!
Love it when a speaker punches way above its weight class! Thanks for addressing that question about what tends to give Andrew Jones’s speakers that “rolled off” sound signature (not sure if that was intentional, but it was spot on towards my question last week). Do you have any tips on how to demo speakers like a pro? For instance, is it kosher to bring your own tracks/source, and if so how should you bring it (on a phone, mp3 player, thumb drive, something else )? Are there certain tracks you always use? How do you take notes on your speakers-do you have an organized process, or is it more stream of consciousness? What do you listen for to study the top end? How about upper mids, midbass, and bass (or however you break it up)? How long do you listen to each speaker? Do you switch back and forth mid-track, or listen to several tracks on one then another? Is it a bad idea to listen to 3, 4, or 5 speakers at once?
Nice review i have pioneer FS52 and they really sound good you can’t go wrong buying them. I placed them in the living room with center and surround full pioneer package, they fill the place well...room size 8mx6m
How did you mount the rear surrounds? I am switching from monoprice 10565 to Pioneers (after a brief Micca check) and not sure how to mount the larger bookshelfs. Would prefer not drilling holes in walls.
I love my FS52s. I found the matching bookshelves on Facebook marketplace for $40(!) Brand new.. so I ordered the center channel and the 200w sub. Can't wait to set up my home theater.
@@joentell I love it. Giving the new surround speakers a tryout today with Stop Making Sense. You can see the difference between my old Yamaha center and the pioneer in the pics here. imgur.com/a/lZrFI8U Subwoofer has not come yet, so I'm still using the 50 watt Yamaha sub right now 😬. Just moved in to this house so the entire HT setup right now is temporary until I get new furniture and then I can really plan it out.
It really is something else. It just feels nice to press the buttons, turn the knobs and to hear it click on. It's a whole experience. It sounds great too. The loudness button enhances the bass extension without it sounding muddy or fake.
@@joentell I know, that is what I miss, the knobs and buttons. Especially the tone controls... Much easier than tweaking a dozen frequencies when you remember how easy it used to be with two simple knobs. And the loudness button, they just did so many things right back then.
@@joentell I don't believe in the louds button crap, it only works on the first half rotation of vol knob, then you get punched out mids @6-7/10. I defeat the full time loudness capacitors on midget amps by unsoldering from the middle tap on vol pot
Everything Pioneer has ever made is top notch. I've always used their receivers and I still have the Kuro Elite plasma. I wish they still made TV's their OLED would no doubt be the best like the Kuro. Connected to my home theater is my old NHT Super two towers. If you can find a good pair in eBay you can't beat their sound for the money. I can especially say that for the NHT Super one 2.1 bookshelf. For a little over $100 they are absolutely the best budget speakers out there IMO. Have you ever heard an NHT speaker?
I have the FS52's and I really like them. I have them paired with an Onkyo receiver, the matching Pioneer center channel, two Polk Audio PSW10 subwoofers and some generic in ceiling surrounds. This setup is really great and I think for movies and video games it's just about perfect. I can't imagine needing more in those scenarios. I don't have a bunch of audiophile friends, but this system absolutely destroys any sound bars etc. that I've ever heard at other friends places. I think the audio can compete with a movie theater audio experience. For music, I think they're great, but not end-game for me. I'm reluctant to upgrade them, though, because it's hard to personally test this stuff out and I still really like them. This is an unfair comparison, but listening to music on my HiFiMan Sundaras is much better than from these speakers. Overall, I love your video and I completely agree that these speakers rock. If you pair them with a receiver, center channel, sub, and some surrounds you're looking at around $1,000 for a fully capable sound system for music and a near end-game home theater experience for most users, way better than any soundbar at any price, for example. Thanks for all your hard work!
Joe, I'm guessing You are picking the Pioneers FS52 towers over the Dayton Mk 44T. based on the Pioneers overall high sensitivity ie. It's High Efficiency - a higher output or Sound Pressure Level (SPL) for any given wattage. Afterall, You are using the 20 watt per channel, Marantz '2220'. The "but" is; since Transmission lines usually compromise Efficiency for Deeper Bass (NOT unlike Sealed Cabinets / "Acoustic Suspension" - tuning, But even MORE so ! ). As in most things in Life; It's always a "Question of Balance". So, I'm willing to guess; If the Daytons are hooked-up to, say a 80 watt per Channel Amp or Higher, those 442T will sing. As a matter of fact, few Amps, would be too big. As long as the owner, doesn't purposely , over-drive them. eg. Be Stupid ! As a matter of fact; If I'm correct on the "thirsty" nature of Power for Bass of the the '442 T '. I'd be all the more eager to See and Buy a "552 T" - a slightly larger version to accommodate Twin 5 1/4 drivers versus the 4 inch ones, in the current model … just sayin'. Then again, if it turns out, that I'm actually understating the '442 T' improvements with a "big amp". This could already be a Low Cost Champ ??? Regardless, Best Wishes.
i was considering the Pioneer's they were out of stock. i have not heard them in person. i went with Polk T50's and i have to say they are awesome. they have that center stage that sounds like you are using a center channel.
i have the fs52 on a 4k front end that was all bought used price lol and i been a audiophile for 31 years and i'm amazed by these fs52, They could have sold for 499.00 in my opion , Andrew made them to good ! And I'd love to try the EFS-73 !!
@@joentell Yeah their great, especially for their price point , I bought on your reccomendation J-N-T and still can't believe they just keep getting better everytime i upgrade my reference front end. Thanks for all the straight up reviews with no sugar coating i appricate it like many others do
Budget tip. If you buy book shelf speakers try putting them on something other than a speaker stand. Like your TV stand, a desk, or a bookshelf. Just make sure it's stable.
The 3 khz ranger has a broader dip in the other frequencies than does the pioneer, and there is a bump up in the midbass range for the Daytons. A good EQ can fix those areas for the Dayton.
Mivoc SB238 - 150€ a pair, used to be more expensive though. Or build them yourself from Mivoc SB25 kit that's 90€ a pair - just add wood. The SB25 can be built either as a bass reflex version similar to mass market variant, or a transmission line.
IMHO my DIY towers not only let me hear the difference between the two quite clearly, but also let me think that after all my construction is not bad at all and probably better than those two! DIY is the way to go for those with hands and time! My sub (18" Daytonaudio) gives 20HZ to my complete satisfaction (if UA-cam tests are correct) and it is not bragging. The more we compare the more we learn.
Good choice on the Marantz. Marantz has been notoriously underrated in the power section , that 2220 is putting out more than 20 watts. Nice review, keep up the good work.
Joe, I like your leader board. That is the kind of thing I find very helpful. I would really like to see your perspective on a few things. 1. You have the Andrew Jones pioneer bs 22lr's it would be good to see where you would place them in your leader boards, even though they are not available at retail, many people have them, and knowing how much better or worse they compare to other speakers. 2. Orb audio. there are few reviews on orb audio, they take a single speaker designed to be a modular. 2.1, 5.1 you can stack up to 4 speakers as left/right channel or use one for each channel, to me there is a noticeable difference in my listening experience with 2/chanel as opposed to one/channel. I would love to see your take on them. 3. Being a do it yourself ear too I would like to see your perspective on sound exciters attached to 8ft foam boards, or whatever you like, it's fun to experiment. One science Channel here on UA-cam declared them the world's best speakers. They had an elaborate setup. Anyway thankyou for the honest opinions.
1) I have the Pioneer SP BS22LR's on my leaderboard. Http://bit.ly/SpeakerLeaderboard (case-sensitive) 2) I've messed with Orb Audio at my uncle's house and I wasn't overly impressed. They were small speakers that sounded like small speakers. 3) I'm not at all convinced that sound exciters will sound close to as good as a decent pair of speakers.
I was originally waiting for Fluance's Ai60s (thanks for the review btw) to use on my PC for games, movies/anime, and music when not using my beyerdynamic 990s. After watching this video and reading reviews however, I think I'm gonna go with these FS52s instead and pair them with a SMSL AD18 (a sub would likely be overkill in this current room, so I'll leave that for another day). Will need to elevate them a tad bit but I got two things that will do this perfectly. Thanks for bringing these to my attention and helping me choose, Joe!
Vocal clarity on the FS22's is astonishingly good. Color me impressed...…………...how do they build them that cheap????? If you ever want to add another good option in that price range I would recommend comparing the Bic DV64 towers, they have dual 6.5 inch woofers with 2 6.5 inch passive radiators, they can be had for 130-180 a piece on amazon depending on if they are on sale, specs list them as 29 hz -21 khz 90db@8ohms.
Hey Joe - Can I request you something - I would like to see more on crazy comparisons - like Budget floorstanding against best bookshelf in same price category .. OR best flat frequency response speakers against best monitor speakers with their differences (loudness, clarity, sound-stage, vocals, mids, ear flattering highs etc.) .. Can we please have something like this ??
its not just space for the speaker itself,its how that speaker will react to the room,unless u have huge space or acoustically treated room, ur better off with bookshelves generally speaking
A.I. Dimmer you are right it’s known but i could not be so sure that a bookshelf speaker in better than a tower one in a bad acustic room. In general this type of speaker, unstead to the professional one, have not much this problems. The project beyonde them is created for the home using so they already considered the right variables to reduce bad effects due to a room inside their cabinet and the type of speaker inside. So a tower is further better in this prospective, and more, a little speaker is difficult to treat the acustics inside it because of its litte size so unstead of ehat you say i would prefer a tower speaker also in a bad acustics room. Sorry my bad english. I hope you can understand something. Hello from naples, italy
I need another pair of speakers like I need a hole in my head, but I love bang for buck speakers that sound good, and am really intrigued by the Pioneers. I can also pick them up dirt cheap on the used market. Speaking of which, considering my basement looks like a speaker store I've always wanted to do a used speaker shootout based on current used pricing. Think Klipsch KG vs Paradigm monitors vs A/D/S/ vs BIC venturi vs Ohm Walsh as an example. I think it would be really interesting considering everyone that reviews speakers on here only reviews new speakers. There are plenty of people that can't afford to drop a grand+ on a pair of new ones, but still want a nice set-up. There are some great deals in the used speaker market. Keep up the great work man. It's really helpful in these crazy times. Keep ur chin up everyone
i guess the transmission lines from dayton would need more experimenting with placement to give the same bass at listening position as in front of them. It's typical phase / timing issue.
Possibly, but I've noticed this effect with most smaller drivers. A 4" woofer doesn't create bass that travels as far a larger woofer playing the same tone at the same SPL. It's weird. I wonder if there's a name for that effect.
It may be worth noting for people the lack of bass at the listening position may not be due to the lack of output/capability, but rather the relationship between you, the speakers and the room itself.
@@joentell Thanks! So in this case it was the speakers themselves. I have a question if I may, I will make it brief. It seems common for people to crossover their speakers to subwoofer at around 80hz, so in my research for new speakers, do I really need to concern myself with large driver/low frequency speakers? I thought Double Impacts would be cool then decided I don't need that much speaker, maybe go for something less with better clarity like Focal Aria 926 or Kef R700 or could I go even smaller?
NHT deserves a spot on that list somewhere. Especially with the price point of the SuperOne 2.1 and SuperZero 2.1. Both can be had for under $100 a speaker on Amazon.
First things first. On my UA-cam reviewers leaderboard you are at the top. Actually, you are the only one ON the board. However, I was ready to cry FOUL! when the music demos started. I didn't think it was a fair demo because you obviously left the Dayton's in their boxes. To my ears the difference between them and the Pioneer's was that startling. Night and day. But as the music genre changed the differences didn't sound as glaring. They were still there, though. Great job, my friend. Now...about that Denton/Ultra face-off. Soon?
Maybe he will let you borrow them again. I was extremely impressed with them and was of a mind that no speaker at that price point could touch them. I spent a whole day comparing them with a $5500 pair of Focal's and they more than held their own. So for you to put the Wharfedale's ahead of them makes quite a statement. It would be a great head to head shoot out! Maybe the stars will align and you can facilitate that some day.
There are lots of speakers I need to review moving forward. Take my Speaker Leaderboard recommendations with a grain of salt. It is more subjective. Some people will prefer the Ultras over the Denton 85th. It's just stuff like bass response and vocal presence that put it over the SVS. The SVS is more accurate overall and sounds similar to studio monitors to me.
Take the Leaderboard with a grain of salt?? How could you say such a thing? We all live and die by the Board. It's our audio Bible! It's the first thing I check in the morning and the last thing I check at night. I have a full size replica in my living room. It's hanging on the wall next to a picture of my mother. Sheesh. Anyway, of course you have lots of other speakers to review and I sure can't argue with moving forward. Gotta go, I think FedEx just dropped off my Denton's.
My old Nakimichi died about the same time as my first of 3 kids came. I have a Hsu powered subwoofer and besides that starting from scratch. Looking at this: Pioneer SP-FS52 $139 just dropped at Amazon S.M.S.L AD18 $144 I saw you reviewed both. My playroom is 12x20 with a fireplace, piano, drums and bookshelves on the 12 foot walls. Will this sound Okay?
If your amp/receiver can't drive a 6 ohm load, you don't need new speakers, you need a new amp/receiver. A felt tweeter ring should help the Dayton's rising tweeter response.
Wow those Pioneers do sound crisp compared to the Dayton. Dayton sounds a bit boxy in comparison (via my V-Moda headphones of course...) I can see how someone may prefer the Dayton with that rounded sound, I think the Dayton is perhaps more transparent, but I'd go for that Pioneer sound all day.
This was great. What about the R820f Klipsch speakers for your next "budget" towers? They are always on sale and have great customer reviews , but no in depth reviews like you would provide. I own a pair and love them , but would love your input too.
Those Pioneers seem like an amazing deal. I can't believe you have tower speakers on your desk lol. Hey as an aside... I use a Denon receiver with Audyssey room correction. I'm sure you've seen it in action, you have a mic, and the amp plays quick sweeps through each individual speaker and then corrects EQ and timing to get the best curve it thinks is possible with your setup. My question is, what kind of curve would you get in your sweep test when playing back through an Audyssey corrected amp. Does it flatten everything? Does it produce a signature curve no matter what speakers you have? It'd be interesting to hear what you think or if you've tested this.
I use Marantz and Denon receivers with Audyssey. I've haven't tried doing a frequency response test at my listening position after running Audyssey, but I think they calibrate something called the X-Curve if I'm not mistaken. It's a house curve and isn't flat. It tries to EQ speakers to have an optimal response, but it has limits to how far it can push or cut frequencies so speakers will still retain certain characteristics. Different speakers won't all of a sudden sound identical. I thought that's what it did at first, but I found out through experience that it is limited.
@@joentell I'd love to see some curves with various speakers if you ever get the chance. My speakers are huge and pretty full-range so I do worry I'm smothering them with fake EQ from the Audyssey setup. Thanks for your reply.
I just made a video about Denon and Marantz receivers. A lot of people seem to like Yamaha also. My favorite amp to pair with these is my vintage Marantz 2220b. They sound awesome together.
My home theater 5.1.4 is all pioneer i started on a budget thats why i baught them i think they sound fantastic for price my next setup is gunna be kef q series
These are 8ohm+ speakers,they read 11.2 ohms,they will love this load. I have never read a newer speaker this high,the fs51s also read this high,the back says 6 ohms,the bs22s read 5.1 ohms,why doesn't pioneer rate these as 8 ohm is beyond me.
I think you've mentioned it in another comment. Impedance varies based on frequency. I'm assuming they rated it below 8 ohms because on average it reads below 8 ohms.
Good review. Im looking for a decent pair of Towers as I am sick of playing with my 5.1 Samsung trying to make it sound decent. Soundbars are a darn joke. I have a big living room with high ceilings and ceramic tile floors. My music taste is very broad (Sade to Slayer) and need some mid range in my life. FS-52s are looking real good for the price.
I’ve had my fs52’s for a while now and while I’ve always thought they were excellent, but I recently paired them with a Marantz 2230 and the combination is just as you’ve described! An amazing combo. Keep up the amazing work.
That makes me happy!
I have the Pioneer FS52 and they are absolutely outstanding
What's something specific that you like about them compared to other speakers?
Joe N Tell They have a very nice center image and can even sound like surround sound at times. I am fairly new to audio so I am still learning all of the terms, but I feel like these are some of the best (if not the best) speakers you can get for around $200.
That's what I've experienced also!
@@joentell I have the package of these pioneer with one pair of fs52 c22 n two pairs of bs22 as side and back surround connected to marantz sr6012. They sound amazing for movies as well as music. I felt very happy when you even like them n use them as ur reference speaker.
I love them. I'm glad you like them also.
People feel pioneer has rounded off high end because of the grill. It truly muffles the high end. It is best to listen to it removed or moddd to cut a hole in the plastic webbing behind the cloth to let the sound pass through without any restrictions.
Here is how I did it
Before:
i.imgur.com/9Ibv7Wb_d.jpg?maxwidth=640&shape=thumb&fidelity=medium
After:
i.imgur.com/6Y5bsaB_d.jpg?maxwidth=640&shape=thumb&fidelity=medium
Good point! I'm gonna pin this
How did you cut it out?
@@jackr57 - pliers.from my toolbox.
I love the fun idea of your speaker leader board and your comments as you place new speakers in their respective positions. It gives perspective to the dilemmas that we all face when choosing the best fit for sound, size, budget etc.
Polite suggestion. If you can try some Dali bookshelf/small standmount/desktop speakers.
I've been around the block a bit when it comes to speakers. The Spektor 2 and Zensor Pico certainly floated my boat when looking for a desktop (I bought the Picos). I feel that there may be a place on your leader board for one of these. Not sure if they're quite expensive in the USA though.... definitely high quality though.
Keep on keeping on my friend.
Funny you asked. I am in the process of reaching out to Dali! Glad you're enjoying the videos.
They're crazy expensive in the US, yet cheap in other places. You'd think they would have sorted it out. I'm not a fan compared to those other Danish guns, Dynaudio. On the other hand, their tweeters produce airy highs at a reasonable price outside of America
I own the pioneers and they are amazing. $189 for the pair and the sound is sexy. If you really want them to come alive put some power on them. I have mine on an adcom 545 and leave the sub muted on most occasions.
I'm using the mx-audio tube preamp buffer with GE tubes into the adcom with Tidal hifi from my TV as a source and everyone I demo this combo for is beyond impressed. A sweet buttery smooth sound that doesn't give a hint of fatigue and the extra power on tap brings out plenty of detail. My listening position is about 14 feet away for reference.
I think you should compare the pioneers against the fluance signature series as they are that good of a value.
I also use my FX Audio Tube buffers with the GE JAN 5654W tubes on my systems. I love how it rounds out the sound.
Do the Fluance Signature towers have the dip around 2.5k like I noticed on the Signature bookshelf speakers in my review?
@@joentell I'm not sure on the towers. I believe the dip at 2.5k is to give the illusion of more low end. With them having dual 8 inch woofers maybe not.
While everyone seems to like the bookshelf version the bag is mixed on the towers. I want to give in and buy them but sadly not enough real reviews on them to bite.
Those little tube buffers do something that seems to make things softer and smoother and the over used "warmth". Sadly in my experience it doesn't mix well with a processor in my experimentation but for 2 channel enjoyment it is nice.
You should do an episode on taking measurements. Your measurements of the FS52s are the best I've seen, as far them looking essentially flat from about 60hz. It is notable that they are a 2.5 way - had they been a 3-way with a chambered midrange / tweeter maybe they would be legendary. You can spend thousands of dollars and still be using a 2-way design. The Dayton's are a good concept, but frankly I'd rather have a single high quality 6 or 8 inch driver doing bass duty. I'm curious as to how you did the measurements anyway - grills on, grills off, distance etc. It looks like a good amount of smoothing. When I get a chance, I plan to measure mine in-room and outside.
One thing testers rarely do is test for "maximum SPL". It would be interesting to see that. As most speakers seem capable of in excess of 100 dB, it would be interesting to see how many can reliably hit high levels without exploding or compressing/sounding like crap. Another website in particular tested the Elac UB5s and found they topped out around 95 dB or so before sounded like doo doo. I'd like to see that verified by someone else.
That is because, as you know, the farther away you sit, the more power you have to apply to the speaker to hit the same level of "comfortable" listening (70db-80db + peaks for me). Once your're sitting 10 feet away and watching a movie, it is quite possible you'll be pushing smaller, more affordable speakers to their limits. Even if they can take the power, distortion might be creeping up. Of course, so far, I've pushed the FS52s pretty hard with blockbuster movies and they've enjoyed every minute of it.
I own 5 FS52s and use them in a 5.1 or sometimes a 5.2 setup. If you want a treat, have 3 identical towers for the LCR - very hard to go back to a center channel after that. Even carefully integrated, the pioneer center channel is just not as good as the tower or the BS22s, IMO (But I am using it at the moment anyway). To be honest, I've tended to like the presentation of the lowely BS22s better - they just seem a tad punchier to my ears, even with the flatter treble and somewhat weaker bass. They have been a bit more consistent going room to room.
Having used the FS52 in two different rooms, I can say that for one room I was in (much more "dead"), I had them crossed over usually around 90-100hz. I could not get the bass to hit right - though no complaints from the midrange / treble. In the new room, I sit much farther away, possibly in a slightly better position. I find I like them crossed over around 70 hz. Still, the bass has not really impressed me yet - its there, but missing a little bite/definition for my tastes. Could be my placement needs tweaking. The midrange, however, is consistently gorgeous. The high end is usually detailed and pleasing, but at times I wish the boost wasn't there - just a bit of glare from that piano. Great to hear from you that they are probably better than the ELACs. Although, if the price is every low enough, I might jump on the UF5s / KEF floorstanders. Now those might be amazing. Then again, AJ did the Pioneer ELITE line as well - it would be amazing if you could review those against the UB5 / something from KEF.
I might do a how to video for measurements. I apply lots of smoothing to keep it simple for beginners. They already have said they don't know what they're looking at so I try to explain in simpler terms.
I use a calibrated mic Les than 3ft away.
Those Daytons are the perfect desktop towers. They fit in small spaces, and are basically a bookshelf on a bass-enhancing stand, so there's no drivers blocked by the desk or near-field phase issues between a high tweeter and woofers near the floor. That computer is next-level baller now.
See I like the way you think! "Bass-enhancing stands!"
I just sent back my FS52 towers and purchased some JBL studio 230 and some Home Theater Direct speaker stands. I've been very happy with the studio 230's that I purchased the 235 JBL center channel and a RSL speed woofer 10' subwoofer.
Yes, props to RSL Speedwoofer 10. I have mine set up with Elac UniFi 5s. Great together!
I bought a pair of Polk T50 towers for my daughters room. 1” tweeters, 6” driver, 6” passive radiators. About $200. Really nice too.
The FS52 cannot be beat for soundstage and vocal clarity. IMHO, they beat the Elac Debut 2.0 Floorstanders. I have both of them and have over 60 days of playing experience with both of them.
How would you compare the bass?
Gene Hunter - FS52 has clean tight bass, and not deep rumbles. Elac attempts to get the deep rumbles but is not very successfull with it. My recommendation is to get a pair of FS52 for $199 and a pair of subwoofers for another $199, and it will be better than spending $800 on Elac
I'm glad I'm not the only one who thinks that! Thanks for the insight.
Pionneer has bass that can travel further and fill a room more than the Daytons.
Joe N Tell - That is because the Pioneer has 2 woofers crossover below 250hz.The elac is crossover at 90hz.
The center channel comment about the Pioneer is spot on. The image build up is so strong that it is even better than a center channel. In fact as an experiment I even turned the pioneers to face the wall, and it sounds even better, much like how Dr Amar Bose did with his 901.
here is how I have them setup as I test them out.
Speakers $198/pair
Amp $99
Subwoofer $99
i.imgur.com/CLBOI5d_d.jpg?maxwidth=640&shape=thumb&fidelity=medium
I like the tall skinny towers with multiple drivers
I actually own these speakers and have thought about posting a video them and budget home theater. These speakers along with the CP22 (center), BS22 (surround) and the SP-T22A_LR (upfiring atmos) make for a badass 5.1.4 system. I suggest you buy the best subwoofer you can to accompany them because the 52s are bass shy for serious movie or music listening. I have a Klipsch R-112SW I bought for $219 connected and it blends well. So once again, for a total of $619 you have a badass system. I got stuff flying around my man cave in a clear, atmospheric, real-life action way. No distortion or cheap soundness. Adam Jones must have been bored and challenged at the same time to create this speakers. They punch well above their weight with its tone and music balance. I have heard other speakers that cost way more than they do and have not gone away thinking I'm missing something. Now for the downside. Are these speakers as good as my Klipsch RP 280s...or my Klipsch 7.2 setup?...no. Its sensitivity is about the mid 80s. Therefore, to get the best sound you need an amp of at least 100-150 watts. I power my setup with a Denon X4400H. If you match these speakers with non-Pioneers they may not sound as loud. This is why I feel you should match them with the speakers above. Separate those speakers may sound good...together it's a sonic symphony. Seriously. I'm impressed with the whole setup. Eighty percent of listeners would be satisfied with the sound coming out of it. Another thing, to get the most out of these speakers one should use 14 gauge wire of good quality. Sense they're 6 ohm and harder to drive, you want to lessen the strain on your amp to get all the info to the speakers without overload during high action scenes. It really makes a difference.
I have a pair of the Pioneer floor standing speakers along with the bookshelf speakers as surround sounds plus a Pioneer center channel and a subwoofer. This setup, though not considered super high end, hit my price point sweet spot and still sounds great. Really great to see a review of these and look at those frequency response charts.
0:14 yep, I agree completely! I have Micca MB42Xs and MB42X-c for my home theater, last week I was staring at all that empty space where the speaker stand was and thinking how much more sense a tower speaker would make. Also I didn't seem to like the MB42X in my living room as much as I did on my PC desk (probably due to the 4 inch woofer). A pioneer SP-C22 center showed up on Craigslist for a screaming deal and I pounced. Pioneer FS52's were also ordered over the weekend. So perfect timing on this video! :)
edit: Oh, I also felt like at high volumes my ears were getting a bit fatigued by the Miccas in the big room so I'm hoping the pioneer will help with that. Will be returning the MB42X-c and moving the MB42Xs back to my PC desk were they have served me well for 2.5 years!
The original micca speakers are better for my vinyl setup than the Polk T15
the presentation on this channel is so clean and for a newbie in this audiophile stuff this is very informative and pretty easy to comprehend. you got my sub sir
Oh man. Huge compliment! 🙏
I have the FS-52s I absolutely love them... I have the whole Andrew jones 5.1 set up..
As Joe says they are so great with imaging... live music for example Alice In Chains unplugged blew my mind, voices and the sound of guitar strings are so detailed its fantastic... love them. As far as the bass it’s good for most things, but that’s a non issue pairing them with a decent sub is going to take care of any of the bass short comings... as Joes says these speakers are smooth! Thanks for the vid Joe!
It's always helpful when someone who owns them and has listened to them a lot comes to a similar conclusion.
Joe N Tell I’ll also mention I’ve been looking for a really nice affordable 5.1 set up for a while... I had the Logitech Z-680s(not sure if you’re familiar they are better than most home theaters in a box still imo) for about 17 maybe 18 years they were good for what they are, plenty loud with tons of bass for movies and games but were so so for music. About 7 years back a good buddy of mine spent about 10 grand on the 5.1 B&W CM9s... I watched Tron at his house, it blew my mind... I came home and popped in Tron on my Z-680s set up and it wasn’t even close, not that I was expecting that but wow gone were those mids, and high highs. I’ve always admired really good hifi, but until recently I had other finacial priorities. After watching countless reviews and recommendations from people like you and Steve Guttenburg, I thought the pioneer Andrew jones line is exactly what I’m chasing without breaking the bank. Boy were you guys right, As you said the mids are incredible. I’m not going to say they are as good as the CM9s but we’re talking pretty damn close to the same experience I felt when I heard the CM9s. I’ve found myself not only enjoying movies much more, but also listening to tons of different artist on Apple Music, for example steely dan and Pink Floyd have a whole new dimension and dynamic to them. I’ve been missing so much... anyone else reading this and are thinking about buying the FS-52s do yourself a favor stop waiting and just get them!
@@Paranimal86 Thanks for the input. I am currently looking at setting up a good surround with my only experience in the past being the Z-680's. Those also fit the budget for me at the time as I agree did well for sound for what they were. I want to eventually get a good atmos 7.2.4 and I think I might start with these speakers and do the Andrew Jones 5.1.
If you like Andrew Jones then you may love KEF speakers.
Great video Joe. I like how you use charts to explain things. I never could have known just by listening.
Thanks Thomas!
Psychoacoustics can play tricks on our ears. I agree we should trust our ears to tell us what we like, but I don't think we should trust our ears to tell us what a component in a system is or isn't doing.
Great video. To me the Pioneers sounded way brighter. They just went up by 30% in my country dammit!
Hey,that sounds like a jab!...wink.
Jab? No. I said what I said because it's "common knowledge" in this hobby for people to say "trust your ears." I say yes, but just know all of our ears/brains can be fooled. It's equivalent to an optical illusion but for our auditory system.
@@joentell Just kidding. It could have been sarcasm..but just me kidding after first reading it.
I was surprised to see these speakers featured again in videos. I bought these last year and this has been the best purchase for home audio for a budget. I got the towers, center, and bookshelf for a 5 channel system for $299. I found a bass-x 12 for $80 locally and found myself with a full setup because we had a left over VSX 70 from another home. Audio is incredible! Movies are very realistic and I couldn’t be happier for the price.
That's awesome! Thanks for sharing the info!
Joe N Tell thanks for replying! Love the high quality content you produce and it is great to see this creativity with audio in mind!
Really appreciate these kind of videos Joe. There's always a soft spot in my heart for great budget speakers that really deliver!
Me too. They make me happy because I know that if people knew how affordable really good audio is, they could easily have a great setup without sweating the $.
@@joentell that's the message I try to spread. All my friends see my setup and think they all my mom goes to it, when that isn't the case. You can find great deals on great speakers! From the moment I met my now, best friend, he was always intrigued with my audio setups, eventually get wanted to get his own so for his birthday me and my dad gave him these old pioneers with jbl subs and an onkyo AV. These days he's rocking all Klipsch reference and a pl-200 Bic sub. Warms my heart I tell you.
That's awesome of you! Keep it up! 👊😎
@@joentell you too sir 👊
Finally got to the audition part of your video when the pioneers came on it was like an acoustic curtain was lifted to expose the mid and upper Freq. content.
An honest assessment of these speakers. It shows you're not being paid or gifted something to give a favorable review.
Viewers' trust is the most valuable thing I have.
you're not crazy . zeos has more than 2 PC's and a laptop , one PC for he's "racing rig" ( ultra low WAF ) has JBL 590 towers . it's also obvious that towers are better 'cause of deeper bass , and if they're made for nearfield as well , you cant go wrong using them as PC speakers . i have R1280T on top of Solo 6 sitting on the floor , on desk ( even flipped upsite down ) they'd lack the bass that anyone would ask , not just bassheads or whatever it's called
Hi Joe, one idea going forward: How a speaker sounds in a room is a combination of how the first arrival sounds (which you're measuring) and how the room reflections sound. This is why it's useful to also measure a speaker 15 and 30 degrees off axis. A speaker that measures flat won't sound flat if the off axis response is full of significant dips unless the room is heavily treated for reflections.
I 've had the FS52's for a while as a part of my 5.1.2 Atmos setup. I have never considered them for listening to music, but after this review I will give them a serious try. I'm a headphones guy and I don't know much about speakers, but I sure do enjoy my Sony SSCS5's
Yeah, let me know.
Love your leaderboard, makes your review more worthwhile than all the other reviewers.
From the looks of it if you put a simple stand of about 8-10" high under those Dayton's you would get those tweeters at about ear level. That sometimes makes more difference than you realize.
When I'm sitting it's pretty close to the right height and off axis is good so that helps also. Not all speakers require or are optimized for direct on-axis listening
Just watched this review on my fs52s! Lol great comparison. I personally like the brighter characteristic of the pioneer over the dayton and fully agree that the bass extension with the pioneers is much more than enough. Sometimes i find myself turning off my subwoofer.
Loved your review. Just ordered the FS52s. First non bookshelf speakers for me. I also subscribed. Keep up the great reviews.
Where did you order dude? These are discontinued. Been looking for years online.
Bro, I have these 2 FS52, 4 BS22, and CS22. They sound so sweet, imaging is unreal, I found that out quick.
I wish people could experience it. It helps to have people who have these speakers share their experience.
I appreciate your borderline frustration battling with your preferred choices with data found to price picks
System Audio uses 4" bass drivers all the time in various designs, even more higher end ones.
been an audiophile since I was 14 years old that was back in 89!! Lol so amazed and happy how technology has come so far ! I bet I've owned at least 50 sets of speakers ! journey has been so awesome wish I would have somehow reviewed them all on video !!! i must say your the reason I bought the fs52 dam amazing for the price ! In my journey the JBL Lx-500 and klispch kg 2.5 best bookshelf I've heard so far towers and floor models would be Pioneer HPM-100 ,150, klispchhorn and the elac f6 ohhh my ! lol keep up the great job Joe trust your ears over microphone science lol
Glad you're enjoying the videos. Did you see my latest video? I use mic measurements AND my ears. They compliment each other.
Joe N Tell Lol no I haven't watched it I'll go check out now ,and again thanks a lot for what you do for us all
I hope this comment makes sense...I am moving into a downtown studio apartment and listening to music (mostly vinyl) is very important to me. I want to fill up the whole space with sound but not get a noise complaint. I don't know if its possible to fill a 500sq ft apartment but at a lowish volume. This whole audiophile community is very intimidating. I would like to keep everything under $1000 (can be flexible if a huge upgrade is a little bit more, can also add a piece or 2 at a time) I currently only have a turntable (gramovox vertical turntable)
need everything else. I would absolutely love your advice, love your content as well!!
Damn man. I like your channel, amazing quality and I feel like you're an Audiophile for the everyday person. A gem in the Audiophile world IMO. Btw you sold me on the Andrew Jones Pioneer Towers. I have a Pioneer SX-10AE (great amp for the money) paired with Dayton T652's right now. Plan is to move the Daytons to my desk 😆 and put the Pioneers in the living room with the SX-10AE!
Thank you for the kind words. Keep me up to date with your setup!
If you get a chance to find a sale on the pioneer elite sx-n30 class A/B 85watt receiver grab it it's a warm gem!! I have reviews about it in my channel , no harm Joe you do an awesome job !
I ordered some Yamaha Ns-f51 towers for 225€ i heard very good comments and reviews about them to 98% of satisfaction overall sound and build quality and the price is extremely cheap, i don´t know if these are for sell in US, specs are good and they are powerful too, more than Onkyo´s skf4800 and Pioneer FS52´s. Maybe you can review them
Underrated channel
Thank you. 🙏
The audiophile community is small but Joe will soon have the biggest channel. He has the perfect combination of presentation skills + editing + knowledge. In that respect I don't think he's underrated!
@@ckarsenal Thank you for the kind words! I will continue trying to improve.
just subscribed hope to spread the word
🙏
I've been waiting for this review of the Dayton MK442T's. Thanks for this shootout.
For sure! I hope you find it informative. UA-cam is still processing the video, but it should be 4K soon.
4 ohm, that is kind of nuts...
I know, I was surprised when I saw the spec. Fortunately, most class D amps will welcome 4 ohms no problem!
The old receivers loved 8ohm or more loads these pioneers are an 11 ohm load,you could run two pairs with a class d.I love 4 ohm speakers,both in car and home,they seem more dynamic to me,I have the 442 center channels used as mtm pair on my bed,great speakers,the 4 inch drivers are amazing.
And what 10“ subwoofer is recommended to pair with these. I have a decent size room so 10” sub is perfect. Idk if I should go for a pioneer sub or not
Spend a little more and go with a quality 12 if you have a big room. Ported gets louder but sealed with a lot of power is my choice. Look into a good plate amp and driver,and build or buy the right sized enclosure,I use 1.25 mdf,hid it behind a sofa,set it low,these speakers go down to 60,start there,jmo
I use the pioneers for my right and left channels on my 7.1 surround system and they're absolutely amazing for that. Got both speakers off craigslist for $80. At $40 a piece I really can't complain.
I like the pioneer AV amp signature also because it's tone separation and detail are rounded and natural, but not harsh when separated like a lot of amps out there. Most amps have too many sounds overlapped or when separated too harsh.
I totally agree with your pioneer impressions and description. I want to step up and buy a more expensive speaker but they sound so good. Not sure if the uni5 are worth the step up versus the 152’s. Love your videos Joe.
I think the Uni-Fi series is a step up and worth it.
invest in acoustic room treatment it makes a massive difference , more than changing speakers your room really messes with your speakers
Both speakers sounded like dayton audio to me.Oh wait... I am listening to this on my 5 dayton speakers...Not the ones you have but the b52's. I was skeptical before i bought them, but I really like them a lot actually.For budget speakers they are hard to beat.
I hear good things about them.
@@joentell For the money, I am not sure if they can be beat. 2 towers were 100$ center was like 30 and the rear bookshelves were around 30 as well.all hooked to a denon 7.1 that I bought for 60$. That alone sounds great.As far as woofers go I have a 12 in car audio woofer on 300 watts. That sounds amazing. But when that's not enough I have two 15 inch car audio woofers on 1000 watts on backup. YEAH the neighbors know when it is all turned on lol. I have more but its never needed in my small space.
I love affordable audio and diy stuff. The people having the most fun with audio are the ones with the right idea.
You should do a video on how to make a complete system, graphically. Example, how to match up different speakers using frequencies and ohms etc. Your sub woofer video shows the freq flat ranges which you say is good, so match those to another set of speakers with whatever range. Show the graphs for diff types of speakers and how they line up together to get a longer more complete sound range. You could even just show this on a piece of paper. The last thing would be how to get it much louder, be it adding a receiver amp. If you show this graphically, I know the world would appreciate it. I barely understand it because no one has explained the graphs - you did with the subs, but would like to see a complete system explained using those graphs. This would then become an app for retail stores to sell systems. A customer picks a receiver, then picks the front left right speakers to start, then is given matching options for the other speakers to complete the best sounding system. I'm in a rush so cant explain very well, contact me if you dont understand. I have a 7.1 system and it took 5 months to complete based on outside advice.
I know what you're trying to say, but it would be pretty tough to do. I am one of the only people on UA-cam who does measurements so at least you can look at my previous reviews to see how speakers measure.
got the pioneers for 120 canadian dollars each. it cost me 240 for both and i couldnt be happier. on my desk i have KEF Q15 old speakers but the sound amazng
I owned these Pioneer speakers for 2 years and I would say you are right on the money.
I'm feeling like I need to buy a pair of these Pioneers. I have a pair of Canton Karat 300 that I love and they retailed for near $1000 in 1986. If the Pioneers are anywhere close to that in terms of sound quality it's an incredible accomplishment.
I love this speaker so much that even after buying my ls50 speakers, I still listen to this pair from time to time..its not the bass/base, treble/highs nor the mids that impresses me the first time i heard this but the "IMAGING"! Its a big wow! I tried comparing this speaker in the store with their floor standers like klipsch, kef, and soundstage,,, its the imaging that separates this speaker from the others...superb!
Exactly!
Really like your channel Joe.Always look forward to another video. I too have the FS-52's and matching centre with the BS22's at the back plus a BIC America 12" sub.Happy with the sound.Best I've ever had.Oh and just got a pair of the Pioneer Atmos add-ons.Lookin forward to that.Keep at it Joe!
Thank you! Glad you're enjoying the content.
Love it when a speaker punches way above its weight class! Thanks for addressing that question about what tends to give Andrew Jones’s speakers that “rolled off” sound signature (not sure if that was intentional, but it was spot on towards my question last week).
Do you have any tips on how to demo speakers like a pro? For instance, is it kosher to bring your own tracks/source, and if so how should you bring it (on a phone, mp3 player, thumb drive, something else )? Are there certain tracks you always use? How do you take notes on your speakers-do you have an organized process, or is it more stream of consciousness? What do you listen for to study the top end? How about upper mids, midbass, and bass (or however you break it up)? How long do you listen to each speaker? Do you switch back and forth mid-track, or listen to several tracks on one then another? Is it a bad idea to listen to 3, 4, or 5 speakers at once?
6:17 'Very tricky stuff going on here... and I love it'
Nice review i have pioneer FS52 and they really sound good you can’t go wrong buying them. I placed them in the living room with center and surround full pioneer package, they fill the place well...room size 8mx6m
We should start a FS52 fanclub! 😂
How did you mount the rear surrounds? I am switching from monoprice 10565 to Pioneers (after a brief Micca check) and not sure how to mount the larger bookshelfs. Would prefer not drilling holes in walls.
Hahaha i am not fan boy but you wont go wrong with Pioneer FS52 and with that price (y) thumb up Pioneer
victorescu speaker mount did great job for me
I love my FS52s. I found the matching bookshelves on Facebook marketplace for $40(!) Brand new.. so I ordered the center channel and the 200w sub. Can't wait to set up my home theater.
Yes! Let me know how it turns out.
@@joentell I love it. Giving the new surround speakers a tryout today with Stop Making Sense. You can see the difference between my old Yamaha center and the pioneer in the pics here. imgur.com/a/lZrFI8U
Subwoofer has not come yet, so I'm still using the 50 watt Yamaha sub right now 😬.
Just moved in to this house so the entire HT setup right now is temporary until I get new furniture and then I can really plan it out.
Awesome! Thanks for sharing.
Dayton sounds warm and musical
I love my Pioneer FS52's. I use them with a Polk subwoofer and that combination works great for me. They are excellent value for your money.
That's awesome!!!
Beautiful Marantz unit there... I need to start looking for some of that old Marantz gear. The sound was always incredible.
It really is something else. It just feels nice to press the buttons, turn the knobs and to hear it click on. It's a whole experience. It sounds great too. The loudness button enhances the bass extension without it sounding muddy or fake.
@@joentell I know, that is what I miss, the knobs and buttons. Especially the tone controls... Much easier than tweaking a dozen frequencies when you remember how easy it used to be with two simple knobs. And the loudness button, they just did so many things right back then.
@@joentell I don't believe in the louds button crap, it only works on the first half rotation of vol knob, then you get punched out mids @6-7/10. I defeat the full time loudness capacitors on midget amps by unsoldering from the middle tap on vol pot
Everything Pioneer has ever made is top notch. I've always used their receivers and I still have the Kuro Elite plasma. I wish they still made TV's their OLED would no doubt be the best like the Kuro. Connected to my home theater is my old NHT Super two towers. If you can find a good pair in eBay you can't beat their sound for the money. I can especially say that for the NHT Super one 2.1 bookshelf. For a little over $100 they are absolutely the best budget speakers out there IMO. Have you ever heard an NHT speaker?
I have the FS52's and I really like them. I have them paired with an Onkyo receiver, the matching Pioneer center channel, two Polk Audio PSW10 subwoofers and some generic in ceiling surrounds. This setup is really great and I think for movies and video games it's just about perfect. I can't imagine needing more in those scenarios. I don't have a bunch of audiophile friends, but this system absolutely destroys any sound bars etc. that I've ever heard at other friends places. I think the audio can compete with a movie theater audio experience. For music, I think they're great, but not end-game for me. I'm reluctant to upgrade them, though, because it's hard to personally test this stuff out and I still really like them. This is an unfair comparison, but listening to music on my HiFiMan Sundaras is much better than from these speakers. Overall, I love your video and I completely agree that these speakers rock. If you pair them with a receiver, center channel, sub, and some surrounds you're looking at around $1,000 for a fully capable sound system for music and a near end-game home theater experience for most users, way better than any soundbar at any price, for example. Thanks for all your hard work!
Joe, I'm guessing You are picking the Pioneers FS52 towers over the Dayton Mk 44T. based on the Pioneers overall high sensitivity ie. It's High Efficiency - a higher output or Sound Pressure Level (SPL) for any given wattage. Afterall, You are using the 20 watt per channel, Marantz '2220'. The "but" is; since Transmission lines usually compromise Efficiency for Deeper Bass (NOT unlike Sealed Cabinets / "Acoustic Suspension" - tuning, But even MORE so ! ). As in most things in Life; It's always a "Question of Balance". So, I'm willing to guess; If the Daytons are hooked-up to, say a 80 watt per Channel Amp or Higher, those 442T will sing. As a matter of fact, few Amps, would be too big. As long as the owner, doesn't purposely , over-drive them. eg. Be Stupid ! As a matter of fact; If I'm correct on the "thirsty" nature of Power for Bass of the the '442 T '. I'd be all the more eager to See and Buy a "552 T" - a slightly larger version to accommodate Twin 5 1/4 drivers versus the 4 inch ones, in the current model … just sayin'. Then again, if it turns out, that I'm actually understating the '442 T' improvements with a "big amp". This could already be a Low Cost Champ ??? Regardless, Best Wishes.
I have full set Andrew Jones on my 7.1 denon system with 4 towers Fs-52 , center, sub and enabled Dolby atmos, sounds amazing for the price.
What was the price?
just found your channel and its totally worth my time
i was considering the Pioneer's they were out of stock. i have not heard them in person. i went with Polk T50's and i have to say they are awesome. they have that center stage that sounds like you are using a center channel.
i have the fs52 on a 4k front end that was all bought used price lol and i been a audiophile for 31 years and i'm amazed by these fs52, They could have sold for 499.00 in my opion , Andrew made them to good ! And I'd love to try the EFS-73 !!
That's saying a lot! Glad you came to the same conclusion as I did.
@@joentell Yeah their great, especially for their price point , I bought on your reccomendation J-N-T and still can't believe they just keep getting better everytime i upgrade my reference front end. Thanks for all the straight up reviews with no sugar coating i appricate it like many others do
Budget tip.
If you buy book shelf speakers try putting them on something other than a speaker stand. Like your TV stand, a desk, or a bookshelf. Just make sure it's stable.
The 3 khz ranger has a broader dip in the other frequencies than does the pioneer, and there is a bump up in the midbass range for the Daytons. A good EQ can fix those areas for the Dayton.
Mivoc SB238 - 150€ a pair, used to be more expensive though. Or build them yourself from Mivoc SB25 kit that's 90€ a pair - just add wood. The SB25 can be built either as a bass reflex version similar to mass market variant, or a transmission line.
After watching your comparison, I wanted to buy these Pioneer FS52 using your affiliate link but these are out of stock.
I was worried that would happen eventually.
IMHO my DIY towers not only let me hear the difference between the two quite clearly, but also let me think that after all my construction is not bad at all and probably better than those two! DIY is the way to go for those with hands and time! My sub (18" Daytonaudio) gives 20HZ to my complete satisfaction (if UA-cam tests are correct) and it is not bragging. The more we compare the more we learn.
Good choice on the Marantz. Marantz has been notoriously underrated in the power section , that 2220 is putting out more than 20 watts. Nice review, keep up the good work.
for bass, u need to move air. to move air, u need surface area and xmax. thats why the pios will sound better; a lot more surface area
Agreed.
Joe, I like your leader board. That is the kind of thing I find very helpful. I would really like to see your perspective on a few things.
1. You have the Andrew Jones pioneer bs 22lr's it would be good to see where you would place them in your leader boards, even though they are not available at retail, many people have them, and knowing how much better or worse they compare to other speakers.
2. Orb audio. there are few reviews on orb audio, they take a single speaker designed to be a modular. 2.1, 5.1 you can stack up to 4 speakers as left/right channel or use one for each channel, to me there is a noticeable difference in my listening experience with 2/chanel as opposed to one/channel. I would love to see your take on them.
3. Being a do it yourself ear too I would like to see your perspective on sound exciters attached to 8ft foam boards, or whatever you like, it's fun to experiment. One science Channel here on UA-cam declared them the world's best speakers. They had an elaborate setup. Anyway thankyou for the honest opinions.
1) I have the Pioneer SP BS22LR's on my leaderboard. Http://bit.ly/SpeakerLeaderboard (case-sensitive)
2) I've messed with Orb Audio at my uncle's house and I wasn't overly impressed. They were small speakers that sounded like small speakers.
3) I'm not at all convinced that sound exciters will sound close to as good as a decent pair of speakers.
I was originally waiting for Fluance's Ai60s (thanks for the review btw) to use on my PC for games, movies/anime, and music when not using my beyerdynamic 990s. After watching this video and reading reviews however, I think I'm gonna go with these FS52s instead and pair them with a SMSL AD18 (a sub would likely be overkill in this current room, so I'll leave that for another day). Will need to elevate them a tad bit but I got two things that will do this perfectly. Thanks for bringing these to my attention and helping me choose, Joe!
My pleasure!
Vocal clarity on the FS22's is astonishingly good. Color me impressed...…………...how do they build them that cheap????? If you ever want to add another good option in that price range I would recommend comparing the Bic DV64 towers, they have dual 6.5 inch woofers with 2 6.5 inch passive radiators, they can be had for 130-180 a piece on amazon depending on if they are on sale, specs list them as 29 hz -21 khz 90db@8ohms.
Hi Joe. Which one is better in your opinion when it comes to sound? Pioneer sp fs52 vs Elac b6.2
Hey Joe - Can I request you something - I would like to see more on crazy comparisons - like Budget floorstanding against best bookshelf in same price category .. OR best flat frequency response speakers against best monitor speakers with their differences (loudness, clarity, sound-stage, vocals, mids, ear flattering highs etc.) .. Can we please have something like this ??
Yes I've made note of your previous comment
its not just space for the speaker itself,its how that speaker will react to the room,unless u have huge space or acoustically treated room, ur better off with bookshelves generally speaking
A.I. Dimmer you are right it’s known but i could not be so sure that a bookshelf speaker in better than a tower one in a bad acustic room. In general this type of speaker, unstead to the professional one, have not much this problems. The project beyonde them is created for the home using so they already considered the right variables to reduce bad effects due to a room inside their cabinet and the type of speaker inside. So a tower is further better in this prospective, and more, a little speaker is difficult to treat the acustics inside it because of its litte size so unstead of ehat you say i would prefer a tower speaker also in a bad acustics room.
Sorry my bad english.
I hope you can understand something.
Hello from naples, italy
This is an amazing rating system you've worked out. Thank you so much.
Glad you liked it!
I need another pair of speakers like I need a hole in my head, but I love bang for buck speakers that sound good, and am really intrigued by the Pioneers. I can also pick them up dirt cheap on the used market. Speaking of which, considering my basement looks like a speaker store I've always wanted to do a used speaker shootout based on current used pricing. Think Klipsch KG vs Paradigm monitors vs A/D/S/ vs BIC venturi vs Ohm Walsh as an example. I think it would be really interesting considering everyone that reviews speakers on here only reviews new speakers. There are plenty of people that can't afford to drop a grand+ on a pair of new ones, but still want a nice set-up. There are some great deals in the used speaker market. Keep up the great work man. It's really helpful in these crazy times. Keep ur chin up everyone
I bet that Marantz is putting out more than the rated 20 watts. They are really nice receivers.
It sounds like it. Or maybe these new amps today aren't putting out the true wattage. They were more strict about how they measured back in the day.
i guess the transmission lines from dayton would need more experimenting with placement to give the same bass at listening position as in front of them. It's typical phase / timing issue.
Possibly, but I've noticed this effect with most smaller drivers. A 4" woofer doesn't create bass that travels as far a larger woofer playing the same tone at the same SPL. It's weird. I wonder if there's a name for that effect.
@@joentell It probably has a name. I actually think I've seen it, but can't remember
It may be worth noting for people the lack of bass at the listening position may not be due to the lack of output/capability, but rather the relationship between you, the speakers and the room itself.
That's true. I've moved the speaker around to many different positions to make sure what I'm saying is true. It's the same with most small drivers.
@@joentell Thanks! So in this case it was the speakers themselves.
I have a question if I may, I will make it brief.
It seems common for people to crossover their speakers to subwoofer at around 80hz, so in my research for new speakers, do I really need to concern myself with large driver/low frequency speakers?
I thought Double Impacts would be cool then decided I don't need that much speaker, maybe go for something less with better clarity like Focal Aria 926 or Kef R700 or could I go even smaller?
That 80hz frequency is just where bass is not easy to localize. It's omnidirectional at that point. It's just the max frequency more than anything.
NHT deserves a spot on that list somewhere. Especially with the price point of the SuperOne 2.1 and SuperZero 2.1. Both can be had for under $100 a speaker on Amazon.
I've heard good things
@@joentell can we see your whole list of everything?
@@mikedinno8413 you mean like this? bit.ly/SpeakerLeaderboard
@@joentell YES!! Thanks!!
First things first. On my UA-cam reviewers leaderboard you are at the top. Actually, you are the only one ON the board. However, I was ready to cry FOUL! when the music demos started. I didn't think it was a fair demo because you obviously left the Dayton's in their boxes. To my ears the difference between them and the Pioneer's was that startling. Night and day. But as the music genre changed the differences didn't sound as glaring. They were still there, though. Great job, my friend. Now...about that Denton/Ultra face-off. Soon?
Thank you!!! 🙏🙏🙏 I don't have the Ultras. My fellow UA-camr, Technodad, let me borrow the Ultras for review.
Maybe he will let you borrow them again. I was extremely impressed with them and was of a mind that no speaker at that price point could touch them. I spent a whole day comparing them with a $5500 pair of Focal's and they more than held their own. So for you to put the Wharfedale's ahead of them makes quite a statement. It would be a great head to head shoot out! Maybe the stars will align and you can facilitate that some day.
There are lots of speakers I need to review moving forward. Take my Speaker Leaderboard recommendations with a grain of salt. It is more subjective. Some people will prefer the Ultras over the Denton 85th. It's just stuff like bass response and vocal presence that put it over the SVS. The SVS is more accurate overall and sounds similar to studio monitors to me.
Take the Leaderboard with a grain of salt?? How could you say such a thing? We all live and die by the Board. It's our audio Bible! It's the first thing I check in the morning and the last thing I check at night. I have a full size replica in my living room. It's hanging on the wall next to a picture of my mother.
Sheesh.
Anyway, of course you have lots of other speakers to review and I sure can't argue with moving forward. Gotta go, I think FedEx just dropped off my Denton's.
My old Nakimichi died about the same time as my first of 3 kids came. I have a Hsu powered subwoofer and besides that starting from scratch. Looking at this:
Pioneer SP-FS52 $139 just dropped at Amazon
S.M.S.L AD18 $144
I saw you reviewed both. My playroom is 12x20 with a fireplace, piano, drums and bookshelves on the 12 foot walls. Will this sound Okay?
If your amp/receiver can't drive a 6 ohm load, you don't need new speakers, you need a new amp/receiver. A felt tweeter ring should help the Dayton's rising tweeter response.
Wow those Pioneers do sound crisp compared to the Dayton. Dayton sounds a bit boxy in comparison (via my V-Moda headphones of course...) I can see how someone may prefer the Dayton with that rounded sound, I think the Dayton is perhaps more transparent, but I'd go for that Pioneer sound all day.
This was great. What about the R820f Klipsch speakers for your next "budget" towers? They are always on sale and have great customer reviews , but no in depth reviews like you would provide. I own a pair and love them , but would love your input too.
Perhaps in the future.
Dayton makes a dual 6.5" tower for $148 and they sound pretty good for the $. I hear with a lil damping and better crossovers they can be great!
Those Pioneers seem like an amazing deal. I can't believe you have tower speakers on your desk lol.
Hey as an aside... I use a Denon receiver with Audyssey room correction. I'm sure you've seen it in action, you have a mic, and the amp plays quick sweeps through each individual speaker and then corrects EQ and timing to get the best curve it thinks is possible with your setup. My question is, what kind of curve would you get in your sweep test when playing back through an Audyssey corrected amp. Does it flatten everything? Does it produce a signature curve no matter what speakers you have? It'd be interesting to hear what you think or if you've tested this.
I use Marantz and Denon receivers with Audyssey. I've haven't tried doing a frequency response test at my listening position after running Audyssey, but I think they calibrate something called the X-Curve if I'm not mistaken. It's a house curve and isn't flat.
It tries to EQ speakers to have an optimal response, but it has limits to how far it can push or cut frequencies so speakers will still retain certain characteristics. Different speakers won't all of a sudden sound identical. I thought that's what it did at first, but I found out through experience that it is limited.
@@joentell I'd love to see some curves with various speakers if you ever get the chance. My speakers are huge and pretty full-range so I do worry I'm smothering them with fake EQ from the Audyssey setup.
Thanks for your reply.
I have FS52. Whats the best amplifier you guys recommend for it. I prefer powerful neutral sound. Thanks
I just made a video about Denon and Marantz receivers. A lot of people seem to like Yamaha also. My favorite amp to pair with these is my vintage Marantz 2220b. They sound awesome together.
Just sold my fs52 for $145 the other day. Kinda feelin like I should have kept them.
My home theater 5.1.4 is all pioneer i started on a budget thats why i baught them i think they sound fantastic for price my next setup is gunna be kef q series
Hi. I am wondering if I can change the surround speakers for other two towers. Do you think this is a good idea?
Okay now I'm dying to hear my old Pioneer SX-727 through a pair of these FS52's!
These are 8ohm+ speakers,they read 11.2 ohms,they will love this load. I have never read a newer speaker this high,the fs51s also read this high,the back says 6 ohms,the bs22s read 5.1 ohms,why doesn't pioneer rate these as 8 ohm is beyond me.
I think you've mentioned it in another comment. Impedance varies based on frequency. I'm assuming they rated it below 8 ohms because on average it reads below 8 ohms.
Good review. Im looking for a decent pair of Towers as I am sick of playing with my 5.1 Samsung trying to make it sound decent.
Soundbars are a darn joke. I have a big living room with high ceilings and ceramic tile floors. My music taste is very broad (Sade to Slayer) and need some mid range in my life. FS-52s are looking real good for the price.
Try them out!
My avr is 8ohms my new speakers are 4ohms. Didn't check before I bought, so I changed my avr to 6ohms. Do you reckon that's ok???
Oh yeah!!!!!!! The Pioneers are much cleaner!!! They have a flat response where the others are muddy! Love the sound of the pioneers.
Which would be better for "home theater" my simple budget 5.1
What would be the best combination of 5.1 set up with these Pioneer FS52 tower speakers?Center,subwoofer and rear channels?
Takes me about 3 hours to build stands sanding, paint and dry time, but I love Tower speakers.