I am just amazed at the quality and technology of the speakers that are now available to us. I'm 54, and to find the equivalent to the speakers of today, you would have to pay much more, thousands of dollars back in the day. Granted, these are not "audiophile" quality, but I bet they can sound pretty darn good. No need to spend thousands of dollars for a set of speakers to get some incredible sound. Good info and video Joe. Oh, the speakers look good too... ;-)
I got a pair of these but unfortunately have been having some significant problems with them. My first set had a noticeable static in the left speaker and the USB connection was very inconsistent. I sent them in and the replacement I received had a left speaker that is noticeably quieter than the active speaker. I tested it with two different sets of speaker cables and different sound sources. Support has been quick in responding, but I'm a little nervous they won't accept the second return because I'm outside the 30 days. What's frustrating is I can hear how good the speakers CAN be, The sound coming from the right speaker I have now is crisp and clear, even without any burn in. I wish I got a set that would just work! They look great too.
Hi Joe! Because of your videos and your advise I purchased Fluance Ai60. Thanks a lot! After three moths of use, I must say that I couldn't be happier with my purchase. An advise to all future customers. Give the speakers couple of weeks to "break". They will not sound good right out of the box. I was very disappointed the first day. Just give them a week or two. And yes, there is no need for subwoofer. The bass is just amazing. The sound easily fills a large living room. Thanks again!
It is kind of interesting that in the good ol’ days bose was often reviled for using DSP to achieve better speaker performance. DSP was thought of as sort of a quick and dirty cheat that Bose used instead of correctly designing their speakers in the first place. Now, reputable companies like Fluance are using the same DSP technique in their active speakers
I've watched This Does Not Compute's video talking about Bose's use of DSP. I think the Fluance actually measure really well on their own without DSP. I've measured the passive speaker on the Ai40's in my Kanto YU6 review video. I was shocked when it measured relatively flat. I had always assumed it was because of the DSP. I would venture to guess that Fluance's DSP has more to do with limiting distortion at maximum levels rather than correcting for deficiencies in design.
My 2 cents. I think the most probable reason for it dropping bass at higher volumes has to do with the DSP. It knows bass boost isn't needed at higher power output. Same reason you need a higher output sub amp than the other speakers need to reproduce sound correctly.
Building your own surround setup with a reciever is also way more fun than buying a soundbar in a box, even with a sub. It's no comparison. I've been looking for a nice soundbar with Dolby atmos for a while.My budget was roughly a grand . Bought one and was not impressed once I set it up at home. I bought a 7.1 receiver a pair of klipsch speakers, a good center speaker, sub and 2 bookshelves for the rear. Very happy now !! Sound quality is great and fills my bedroom. It took me 3 months to buy everything I wanted, plus looking daily for good deals on everything! Spent about 1500 for a 2.5k system in total. Yes it's more than your average soundbar cost but totally worth it !!
If you find the process fun, I agree with you 100%. I guess a lot of people don't consider it fun and they want the simplest setup possible. I get both sides.
i listened the sound-demo with my Sennheiser 559 . low end is very good on both , overall sound quality 60 is WAY better than 40 , but they cant do quick transition bass ( 60Hz - 250Hz ) midrange ( 250Hz - 2000Hz ) bass midrange ... as is normal for a 2-way . i think 3-way ( one just treble , one just midrange , one just bass ) is the way to proper transition , even if the two drivers are identical
Sound signature changes with volume because they programmed a loudness filter into the DSP. It suppose to go along with human hearing which is more sensitive to midrange, especially at low signal levels.
You are the only one on you tube that does A/B comparisons like that! They all should!! I follow you and Techno Dad and Youthman and a couple of others. You are all GREAT!! The best on here!
Yes! I wanted to take my time. There was a lot to cover. Anyway, I've waited about 6 months for them to arrive so I figured, what's a few days more to make a more comprehensive video.
@@joentell keep the quality high! That's important. Quick question, i'm wondering if I should get the UB5 with a bluetooth enabled amp or the AI60's? I really like both but I want the best sound quality for bluetooth usage. (for a living room and music only)
Great channel! If money wasn’t part of the equation... which would you pick? Klipsch RP-51pm, Klipsch Sixes or these? Mostly used for tv watching and some music. Medium sized room.
Joe - I love your channel. You bring real opinions and content. That is what is needed. Steve says everything is great!!!! and you are left thinking I have no idea what to buy. You rank the speakers and that is PERFECT. It is one man's opinion, but thank you for the rankings.
How does the Klipsch R-41pm and R-51pm compare to the Ai40 and Ai60? The Klipsch R-41pm are on sale for 230 right now and I am thinking about picking them up.
Nice vid. Mackie MR524 and Jbl 305p soon? Need for comparison sake. Just tried them both along with the Vanatoos. Settled on the Mackies for now but I'm conflicted because I havnt heard the Ai60s. lol. First world problems
I like any video that challenges the soundbar. I don't mind the soundbar in theory, but they all seem to sound bad, and of course the stereo imaging is virtually non-existent. I have been watching this channel for about 6 months now and I have really grown to appreciate the rational reasonable way Joe presents the gear he reviews. Thank you sir.
Andy B have you tried the SONOS sound bar paired with their sub? Quite expensive but that combination sounds pretty darn good overall. Yes you can get better sound for less money but not in such an unobtrusive package.
@@JHuffPhoto I have indeed heard that and yes it does sound pretty good. I agree. Of course, like Bose, it's pretty good stuff but expensive if your goal is good sound alone. My primary issue with sound bars is the lack of left-right separation and the fact that most people are looking at $200 models. I'm not at all against the idea of them, just that in practice most people are sacrificing the full audio immersion that was once standard in a nice home audio setup. For $200 or so there are so many wonderful sounding speakers that it just pains me to see people using soundbars simply because they can't cope with a couple of wires. I even talked to someone recently who was under the impression that soundbars are a newer, better sounding type of speaker than traditional stereo monitors. Ugh.
Andy B you are absolutely correct. It is very difficult if not impossible to match the bang for your buck that you get with separate speakers. And yes if you are building an actual home theater you need to have at least a 5.1 system. I am actually amazed at the quality stuff available at reasonable prices out there today.
great review Joe :) the dsp works pretty well here on these speakers, goes pretty low. was surprised that you did not mention that the 6.5" woofer added some dynamic punch to the sounds, thats what i noticed when i went from 5" to 6.5". its like having more energy in the mid bass range, sounds more lively. i would like to see options to turn of dsp or even customize the dsp in the ai60, especially when you have a subwoofer with them. i really appreciate the sealed box tho, going to sound much cleaner in many small rooms and closer to walls. on a side note, my passive speaker i use now the manual claims they go down to 25hz, no fallow db numbers so i bet its -6 or something, same size speakers tho, 6.5" but its ported. i have ports plugged now, but unplugged they really hit 30hz with quite the force. almost 10 times the price of the ai60...
Dude, thank you. The purchased the Monoprice Stage right 5" Studio Monitor, Volume at 0, still hisses. I'm sending it back and ordering this Ai60. I find it funny that monoprice does not list the class AMP this these Monitors.
Here is where Asia has been a boon to audio. Granted, genius designers in the past have done R&D and made drivers like the Infinity EMIT/EMIM , Dynaudio esotar, Scan Speak revelator and Seas Millenia. Problem is, if you see those drivers, the speakers will be THOUSANDS. The drivers made in Asia (designed in North America or Europe) can match, or closely match the high end drivers for a fraction of the cost. It also means that speakers with "pretty good" drivers like Fluance, Elac and other budget speakers use are also available so that the tech trickles down without the cost in the past. Compare mid-fi in the 70's and 80's to now. $300 -$500 in today's money buys more performance than it did back then.
I haven't tried the Edifiers. They don't respond via social media and that concerns me a bit. If I were a customer with an issue, would they also not respond?
Great great review! I was thinking about a pair of Audioengine HD6 but this got me thinking I can save half the cost and get these. Will have to research more though. Hope you will review some Audioengines as well as I have never heard them. Living abroad now but at home I rock an Arcam AVR600, Oppo BDP83SE to a pair of PMC GB1i. Keep up the good work! Thanks.
I'd love to see more powered speaker reviews from you! Presonus E5, Mackie MR624, Adam Audio T5V and T7V, Peachtree M25! It would be awesome to see how you rank them!
Vanatoo is taking preorders for their Transparent One Encores - these are half the price with a very similar feature set. I know those probably will beat out on sound, but.. such is life. You helped me to pull the trigger on these today. Been following for a while. Thanks for the work on the video Joe.
@@joentell They're in yesterday and set-up... but cut out at around 30-35% volume. Disconnected left passive speaker and powered right speaker plays fine. Checked all connections.. Nothing. Emailed Fluance. Have any thoughts?
i think soundbars are just something differit unpractical placement , and if they're thin resonating plastics with "fullrange" drivers , than anything is better i'd pick monitor displays with their own speakers anytime , at least is practical and you know what to espect
Joe, what, if any, tone settings do you recommend? For movies I crank up the bass but kind of want a sweet spot setting I wonder if you have a preference.
There's no correct setting. It's whatever sounds good to you in your room. How are you liking the speakers so far? For movies? TV? Listening to music? I'm curious what you think.
@@joentell I have been using them for everything; TV, movies, music and the speakers do well with everything. Wasn't that impressed initially coming from the ai40s, but they definitely sounded better after a week of use. The ai40s to me had a different kind of sound and tightness that I miss on certain music but the utility of the 60s is a game changer for me
Thank you for the nice video Joe! Question: Fluance ai60 with separate Mani Shiit phono pre-amp, or Kanto YU 6 with a built-in phono pre-amp? Which one should I buy?
Hi Joe, I just got the ai40's to use with my Fluance RT81 turntable via RCA cables. When I turned them on, I immediately noticed a buzzing sound but it's not from the speakers which are pretty quiet. When I put my ear to the power supply box itself, there's a horrible buzzing sound coming from it that is loud enough for me to hear it over the noise from the speakers. Is that normal for power adapters and is there anything that can be done about it?
I bought a pair of these earlier today and I should be getting them by Saturday. I watched a few reviews of these and yours seem to go into the most detail from unpacking to after letting them play and break in. I'm a very lazy audio fan; I have a pair of desktop Bose that I've had for around nine years now and I have a Stealth 450 Turtle Beach headset that has simulated 7.1. I'm looking forward to having this new pair pop up and show me how good my games and tunes can sound.
I personally use a "VideoSecu 2" from amazon and they works just fine, Decent amount of adjust ability and as long as you don't have pets or kids that bump into things. Or if they are in a high traffic walkway where you might bump into them.
@@JoshM7 So you're using these stands with the Ai60's? They're large & beefy speakers, so I want to make sure they're secure. On fireplace hearth.. so not too much traffic.
@@myrandomamazonreviews6463 Not with these speakers no. I have some Chane A1.4 and I believe they are close in weight, Chanes being 17 pounds each. And after looking the size of the Ai60 up, they seem to be similar sizes too. A1.4's might be heavier if the 29 pounds on Fluance's website is correct. (around 15 pounds each speaker? unless they are 29 pounds each speaker, which seems unlikely)
Awesome reviews. Keep up the good work. One thing I’d like to see covered is weather or not the speakers having mounting options like the 700 series B&W’s. It’s something i wish more affordable bookshelf speakers offered. Also it would be good to recommend compatible speaker stands. I’ve been trying to find a setup for my sons room other than a soundbar but it’s difficult since bookshelf speakers will also need decent stands and i will have to secure them somehow. If i can’t find anything i might give in and get him the Sonos beam which i think is not the greatest for music. I’d love to do the new Sonos amp with bookshelves but it gets expensive.
Hi Joe. Thanks for the review, it was very helpful. I am interested in buying these speakers primarily for my living room instead of a sound bar. However, is there a way to connect the left speaker wirelessly? I cannot run the connecting wire from the master speaker. Too many obstructions. Could I use a Bluetooth transmitter/receiver? Would this work? An example would be the Amphony ifinity audio transmitter/receiver. I would appreciate your help.
I don't think so because the speaker connection isn't just data, it's actually powering the speaker. There might be some way using a second amplifier, but it wouldn't be worth the hassle. If you need wireless, maybe look into Sonos
Hi Joe, thanks for the review. I was wondering if I could connect the speakers to my Synology 918+ NAS via the USB connection and start listening? My NAS has USB type A ports and it can successfully send music (via the NAS Audio Station app) to my Jabra USB headphones, so I was wondering if I can do the same with these speakers and if you had any experience with connecting those speakers to any NAS via the USB port? Thanks
Lol. They're big for a desk! 😊 The Ai40's are more than enough for 99% of people. Just depends if you need the extra input options. You can always get an external DAC or optical to RCA converter if you really wanted.
Check the response graphs. If the ELAC has that room correction stuff built-in, it might be good too. From my experience with the SVS SB2000, I would guess the SB1000 measures flat too.
Nice review. They white and oak looks nice. But when you have 2 channel audio with good stereo separation. I notice dialogues can get lost with bookshelf speakers. 3 channel is what you want if you use them for tv and movies without going to 5.1 surround.
@@joentell I guess it comes down on what you like. I do not care for bright sounding speakers. So they would not work for everyone. And a center channel is what i need for dialogue with a more neutral sounding bookshelf. But the ai60 are very nice looking speakers. And you review does a nice job on the sound quality listen through my headphones. Like they added a sub out, something they really needed to add. As the ai40 was lacking when compare to the competition with many supporting 2.1 setups.
I went back to the ai 40s. I went crazy and bought a optical to rca adapter to run the Tv through the ai40s, and a rca, two in one out, box so i can run my chromecast through the ai 40 s too. So i just have to select what option i want on the switch box. They really need to slap an optical input on these.
Hello Joe, thanks for the awesome review as always. I see you mentioned that these speakers do not have low-pass on their sub output. But it's strange to me because I am using an Infinity Sub R12 connected with a mono subwoofer cable to the LFE in on the sub and the other end to these's sub out. What I noticed is that it's exhibiting results of a sub-out with low pass built in, if i turn the low-pass frequency on my subwoofer to the max it will plays at normal level with deep bass down upto 30 hz. But when i turn the knobs to the lowest frequency on the subwoofer there are barely any sound, the subwoofer is almost silent after doing so. This is strange because I used a Klipsch subwoofer on these before the Infinity/JBL and those exhibits the same behaviour mentioned in your review where there's no low pass and I had to manually adjust the frequency myself to 40hz on the klipsch ( lowest) and even then the klipsch is extremely loud even as such frequency, while the infinity/JBL is silent if I do so.
@@Hung-sy6gq Okay i think i understand now. If you take a look at their subwoofer (fluance) db-10 it has a LFE input and high level input only, which leads me to beleive that indeed they do have a low-pass crossover built in. Now you have me curious, i will do some research.
Hey Joe, GREAT REVIEW Planning to get these after watching this review instead of a Sound bar Just have one concern How’s the centre channel performance? Some people complain about bad dialogue performance for movies or tv shows Like the Yamaha Soundbars has the clear voice setting for that Don’t want to hold the remote all the time
Some sound bars do have a dialogue enhancement function. These don't, but the audio is accurate which means it will sound how they intended it to sound.
Why cant you hook the Ai40's directly to your PC? I did, headphone out jack to RCA in on the powered speaker and its works perfect. A dac is not a requirement. Now I run PC to headphone tube amp to Ai40's.
One thing I have always wondered about active bookshelf speakers is how different does the speaker with the amp sound to the opposing side speaker. In other words, does the amp taking up space change the sound or is it marginal when compared to its passive right/left side speaker.
I've always wondered that too. Of course, because these are active and they use DSP, any slight differences can be accounted for and corrected. The difference is probably minimal anyway.
@@joentell Would be cool if you could measure each speaker with the mic and see if there is much difference in the responses. (leave mic in 1 spot and just swap the speakers taking not of exact positions) Wonder if it will change much.
I have these to replace the internal tv speakers. They are good but the hiss is loud, well loud compared to my JBL lsr305 and s2000 pro. When nothing is playing I can notice the hiss at 6-8ft away. JBL at 3ft and the s2000 at 2-3 ft. Sound wise the DSP is making it sound deeper than the s2000 pro, I even use the tone control to set bass all the way down. After some time with the s2000 pro, I really like the planar magnetic tweeter it comes with, the treble is just more clear compared to silk domes. Anyways, for the price they are a great value, now I just need to find a way to eliminate hiss, thinking of getting a furman power conditioner 🤔
I have them ranked on my Speaker Leaderboard. You be the judge. Http://bit.ly/SpeakerLeaderboard I wouldn't say top notch. They over a value proposition. I didn't like the compression applied like I explained in the video. There are things I like though which I also explained in the video.
I have a question about the weight of these speakers. I just ordered them and looking for speaker stands. Do the weigh 29lbs a peice? Or is it 29lbs both combined weight? Thanks!!
I dont know if I'm making a mistake by asking you to try some Adam audio speakers, I know they are studio monitors and I don't know if you just don't try studio monitors or they are banned but I had to ask haha, kind regards.
@@joentell thank you for the response, I will check if i can buy them in belgium. Bcs now I'm using my old HiFi Sony SS-rxd8 speakers. It's like speakers from the early 2000's, so i really need an replacement for them haha
@@jonasr1150 you wont find fluance in the EU. They avialble only in North American. I was thinking of the ai40 for a house warming present. But no where to be found in germany or the eu.
Great job. Not surprised they bested a sound bar. But in many cases the issue is space. The problem is how can one get better sound than the average television produces without separate speakers, for which there simply isn't any room? A sound bar isn't just a solution, it's the only solution. Superb review, as always. They do seem like an excellent value.
I understand 100 percent. I agree, if you have no other options, then a sound bar is perfect. If you have some room to put some stands next to your TV and you don't have kids that are going to poke in the tweeters..then I would recommend these.
I think they should sell that as an option really. I've measured the passive one and it still performs well. You just can't turn it up as loud and you can get it to distort if turned up too loud. Right now, the only option is to buy two pairs! Yikes
@@joentell Hi again Joe. Have you ever run into a problem of swapping out a faulty amp in a home powered subwoofer before? I have a new Jamo 10-inch sub ($229), but their amps have serious quality control issues, and I really want to keep the sub. Do you think it's feasible with just swapping out the interior amp with another higher quality one? I wonder if anyone's ever done something like that before. I contacted Crutchfield and they didn't seem to offer any answeres either (other than return it for another one, which is not too attractive since this is already my second one). Anyway, any helpful hints will be welcome.
If you can get a plate amp that fits, then it should work. Just make sure that there's no air leakage from screw holes or anywhere else and you should be fine.
@@joentell Thanks! That's very encouraging to hear! I'll look into it! I just have to find a repair shop in my area now for all this to succeed! (There used to be a big one in Huntington Beach, but they've since closed down yrs ago....I've got my work cut out for me)
My wife just bought these for my birthday. I’m kind of frustrated because the Bluetooth doesn’t work. Any ideas on an affordable DAC with Bluetooth I can use?
@@I_AM_HUGO I think it will just revert to a codec that is compatible. Bluetooth is pretty standard across the board. There might be certain versions that have either lower latency or higher quality, but like you're saying, the phone needs to support the more specific codecs.
I think they're completely different value propositions. These are an all-in-one solution and it's a terrific value for the price. The B5's are a great value proposition for passive bookshelf speakers. Paired with the right amp, it is capable of more output than these Ai60's but to equal the functionality of the Ai60's, you will end up spending probably double. So it makes sense that it would outperform the Ai60's.
I just realized you could not connect the 4"s directly to the computer. ( I have to look at it again - but I thought you could). BUT these are looking better for a $100 more!
I was more impressed with the sound/size/value of the Ai40's than these, but they didn't have optical in, built-in DAC or sub out. When you're talking about $200-$300 speakers, $100 is a big difference. When talking about $1000 speakers, it's less of a big deal.
@@joentell I have watched 3 videos of their reviews. 2 were awesome but Z -reviews gave them a bad review. i think I will still buy them based on your opinion. Thanks!
I’ve been STUCK with these speakers for months. I finally found out how to bypass the built in DSP, connect via Bluetooth. I’ve tried optical, rca, usb via MacBook, they all channel through the variable DSP. Middle finger to these speakers. Someone else that owns a set, confirm with me.
Joe N Tell Correct, as far as I’ve tested on my unit. Can’t really tell 100% for sure, but these are the audible signs of my ai60 using DSP that is not present on Bluetooth input. When adjusting the bass level or treble, the volume used to automatically change. When adjusting the volume, the dynamic eq doesn’t crush the low frequency. One thing that’s unique to the Bluetooth setting is the volume knob definitely adjusts the dB in small amounts, any other settings will jump the volume. Using aptx bypasses DSP. Def the last choice of input anyone watching this video would consider. There is a constant hissing at any volume on Bluetooth. I hear z reviews has the same issue when testing the ai40. Bottom line, they don't disappoint and deserve a 2nd look.
That's tough. With a sub, probably the Kanto because I like the look and there is no audible compression. Without a sub, I like the bass of the Ai60's.
Joe I am looking for some decent sound for my TV. I heard that soundbars are not worth the money. I would like to spend around $300 but I do need a subwoofer. I cannot find fluance products in my country. What would you recommend? I prefer powered speakers.
@@joentell Eastern Europe. I almost bought the Edifier S350DB because it has everything I need but I don't like the color. What would you recommend? I could get the Edifier R2730DB and add an extra SW. I want to use it for movies mainly.
Something seems very peculiar here. Both sound very similar to reference, that's the first thing. The second one is that the 40 had more apparent bass.
If they sound close to the source, that isn't peculiar, that's awesome! The Ai60's do have more bass, but I don't think these tracks are doing a good job of showing that. You can tell on certain tracks that have lower bass notes. I used to use a track with lower bass, but it was too annoying to listen to over and over when I record these sound demos. It's an inside joke with me and my subscribers.
I might be wrong and this is totally unexpected for me, but I think the ai40 sound more detailed, faster, and "airier" with slightly more control. Maybe it's the burn in if that's really a thing, but I'm starting to think it is. Also it may be mic distortion from the added oomph of the 60s. Still 40 sounds more detailed imo. Like more cohesive, where the 60 sounds more like the bass is not as seemless and it seems the instruments are less refined. There seems to be some subtle detail loss with the 60. 🤷 amazing I'm gonna go way out on a limb and probably be outcasted from society when I say, I think the 40 sounds better. And while it seems hard to tell apart at first, I think the 40 sound actually 10%+ better. Like if I heard the 40, I wouldn't want the 60 afterwards but if I heard the 60 it wouldn't bother me if I hadn't heard the 40. Sorry fluance... My opinion is weird I know. It maybe different if I'm listening in person. But I noticed it first when watching this video on my def tech 8020 (a great speaker) and hear it again on my Sennheiser hd600 (a trustworthy sounding headphone). I wouldn't care to make this upgrade I have decided and I'm relieved, too.
I think the rising treble response on the Ai40's is more pleasing even though the original source track isn't even that bright. The Ai60's might even be more accurate. The source track's treble is somewhere between the Ai40 and the Ai60. You can turn the treble up a bit on the Ai60 too.
@@joentell Joe, thanks for being an awesome guy! I thought the same thing but the speed and seemlessness of the sound on the 40 just seems to have it beat. If I didn't know, I'd think the 40 were the more expensive speaker. I would probably have paid the difference in price for the 40 if it had the sub out. It sucks to say that because I was really hoping the 60 would fill the sub bass for pop and rap or any genre with deep bass. I expected the same clarity. I could've hoped for a little smoother tweeter. You might wanna try out the tekton design double impact. Zero Fidelity recommended them at $3k. They look awesome and zero Fidelity is a good reviewer, I think. Take care bro
It surprises me that you feel the AI60 beats out the Vanatoo T0 for sound quality. I have not had the pleasure of hearing the T0's but I have auditioned the AI60, and while it's not a dud, the sound quality was nothing special. Everyone raves about how good the T0 sounds, especially for its size. Perhaps the t0 is just good for what it is? A small desktop speaker, while the AI60 is an average sized bookshelf with average sound. And average, larger speaker beats out great small speaker? Just my guess.
I think you pretty much nailed it. I love those guys at Vanatoo and I think they're T0 is awesome. But there's only so much bass you can get from a small speaker like that. Did you hear the Ai60 at a desk? You weren't impressed? You already know what I think. I didn't like the dynamic range compression, but tonal response and frequency response we're all impressive. Features and functionality on the T0 wins over the Ai60's.
@@joentell I had the AI60 set up on stands outside of my desk. They didn't sound bad, my plan was to move my desk setup over to a TV and have the AI60 become my new desk speakers, but I preferred the sound of my amp/ HTD level 3 book shelves. They just sound bigger, even in a relatively nearfield situation. I still plan to move the HTD's over to a TV at some point, perhaps replaced by the Vanatoo T1 instead of the T0 which was what I was hoping to go for. I don't really need bluetooth or a ton of connectivity features, just want good sound at my desk as this is where 90% of my listening is done.
I am just amazed at the quality and technology of the speakers that are now available to us. I'm 54, and to find the equivalent to the speakers of today, you would have to pay much more, thousands of dollars back in the day. Granted, these are not "audiophile" quality, but I bet they can sound pretty darn good. No need to spend thousands of dollars for a set of speakers to get some incredible sound. Good info and video Joe. Oh, the speakers look good too... ;-)
Thanks Michael! 🙏
I got a pair of these but unfortunately have been having some significant problems with them. My first set had a noticeable static in the left speaker and the USB connection was very inconsistent. I sent them in and the replacement I received had a left speaker that is noticeably quieter than the active speaker. I tested it with two different sets of speaker cables and different sound sources. Support has been quick in responding, but I'm a little nervous they won't accept the second return because I'm outside the 30 days. What's frustrating is I can hear how good the speakers CAN be, The sound coming from the right speaker I have now is crisp and clear, even without any burn in. I wish I got a set that would just work! They look great too.
Cool Joe Quote: "It is not something that I would complain about, but it is something that you should know about"
Hi Joe! Because of your videos and your advise I purchased Fluance Ai60. Thanks a lot! After three moths of use, I must say that I couldn't be happier with my purchase. An advise to all future customers. Give the speakers couple of weeks to "break". They will not sound good right out of the box. I was very disappointed the first day. Just give them a week or two. And yes, there is no need for subwoofer. The bass is just amazing. The sound easily fills a large living room. Thanks again!
It is kind of interesting that in the good ol’ days bose was often reviled for using DSP to achieve better speaker performance. DSP was thought of as sort of a quick and dirty cheat that Bose used instead of correctly designing their speakers in the first place. Now, reputable companies like Fluance are using the same DSP technique in their active speakers
I've watched This Does Not Compute's video talking about Bose's use of DSP. I think the Fluance actually measure really well on their own without DSP. I've measured the passive speaker on the Ai40's in my Kanto YU6 review video. I was shocked when it measured relatively flat. I had always assumed it was because of the DSP. I would venture to guess that Fluance's DSP has more to do with limiting distortion at maximum levels rather than correcting for deficiencies in design.
My 2 cents.
I think the most probable reason for it dropping bass at higher volumes has to do with the DSP. It knows bass boost isn't needed at higher power output. Same reason you need a higher output sub amp than the other speakers need to reproduce sound correctly.
Building your own surround setup with a reciever is also way more fun than buying a soundbar in a box, even with a sub. It's no comparison. I've been looking for a nice soundbar with Dolby atmos for a while.My budget was roughly a grand . Bought one and was not impressed once I set it up at home. I bought a 7.1 receiver a pair of klipsch speakers, a good center speaker, sub and 2 bookshelves for the rear. Very happy now !! Sound quality is great and fills my bedroom. It took me 3 months to buy everything I wanted, plus looking daily for good deals on everything! Spent about 1500 for a 2.5k system in total. Yes it's more than your average soundbar cost but totally worth it !!
If you find the process fun, I agree with you 100%. I guess a lot of people don't consider it fun and they want the simplest setup possible. I get both sides.
Bought these for my 65” X900F in the basement. It’s incredible how much great sound these things produce , and that bass!
Yes! Glad you're enjoying them.
Do you need a subwoofer for bass?
i listened the sound-demo with my Sennheiser 559 . low end is very good on both , overall sound quality 60 is WAY better than 40 , but they cant do quick transition bass ( 60Hz - 250Hz ) midrange ( 250Hz - 2000Hz ) bass midrange ... as is normal for a 2-way . i think 3-way ( one just treble , one just midrange , one just bass ) is the way to proper transition , even if the two drivers are identical
Sound signature changes with volume because they programmed a loudness filter into the DSP. It suppose to go along with human hearing which is more sensitive to midrange, especially at low signal levels.
Correct
You are the only one on you tube that does A/B comparisons like that! They all should!! I follow you and Techno Dad and Youthman and a couple of others. You are all GREAT!! The best on here!
FINALLY THE REVIEW IS OUT! :D
Was waiting for this for DAYS.
Good work Joe
Yes! I wanted to take my time. There was a lot to cover. Anyway, I've waited about 6 months for them to arrive so I figured, what's a few days more to make a more comprehensive video.
@@joentell keep the quality high! That's important. Quick question, i'm wondering if I should get the UB5 with a bluetooth enabled amp or the AI60's? I really like both but I want the best sound quality for bluetooth usage. (for a living room and music only)
For overall SQ, get the SMSL AD18 or better amp, UB5 and a Chromecast Audio so you don't have to stream via Bluetooth
Great channel! If money wasn’t part of the equation... which would you pick? Klipsch RP-51pm, Klipsch Sixes or these? Mostly used for tv watching and some music. Medium sized room.
Joe - I love your channel. You bring real opinions and content. That is what is needed. Steve says everything is great!!!! and you are left thinking I have no idea what to buy. You rank the speakers and that is PERFECT. It is one man's opinion, but thank you for the rankings.
Hi. Great review. Can one use surround speakers with these? Any wireless option? Thank you
How does the Klipsch R-41pm and R-51pm compare to the Ai40 and Ai60? The Klipsch R-41pm are on sale for 230 right now and I am thinking about picking them up.
Nice vid. Mackie MR524 and Jbl 305p soon? Need for comparison sake. Just tried them both along with the Vanatoos. Settled on the Mackies for now but I'm conflicted because I havnt heard the Ai60s. lol. First world problems
I like any video that challenges the soundbar. I don't mind the soundbar in theory, but they all seem to sound bad, and of course the stereo imaging is virtually non-existent.
I have been watching this channel for about 6 months now and I have really grown to appreciate the rational reasonable way Joe presents the gear he reviews. Thank you sir.
Thank you! 🙏
Andy B have you tried the SONOS sound bar paired with their sub? Quite expensive but that combination sounds pretty darn good overall. Yes you can get better sound for less money but not in such an unobtrusive package.
@@JHuffPhoto I have indeed heard that and yes it does sound pretty good. I agree. Of course, like Bose, it's pretty good stuff but expensive if your goal is good sound alone. My primary issue with sound bars is the lack of left-right separation and the fact that most people are looking at $200 models. I'm not at all against the idea of them, just that in practice most people are sacrificing the full audio immersion that was once standard in a nice home audio setup. For $200 or so there are so many wonderful sounding speakers that it just pains me to see people using soundbars simply because they can't cope with a couple of wires. I even talked to someone recently who was under the impression that soundbars are a newer, better sounding type of speaker than traditional stereo monitors. Ugh.
Andy B you are absolutely correct. It is very difficult if not impossible to match the bang for your buck that you get with separate speakers. And yes if you are building an actual home theater you need to have at least a 5.1 system. I am actually amazed at the quality stuff available at reasonable prices out there today.
I haven't, but I may in the near future.
great review Joe :)
the dsp works pretty well here on these speakers, goes pretty low.
was surprised that you did not mention that the 6.5" woofer added some dynamic punch to the sounds, thats what i noticed when i went from 5" to 6.5". its like having more energy in the mid bass range, sounds more lively.
i would like to see options to turn of dsp or even customize the dsp in the ai60, especially when you have a subwoofer with them. i really appreciate the sealed box tho, going to sound much cleaner in many small rooms and closer to walls.
on a side note, my passive speaker i use now the manual claims they go down to 25hz, no fallow db numbers so i bet its -6 or something, same size speakers tho, 6.5" but its ported. i have ports plugged now, but unplugged they really hit 30hz with quite the force. almost 10 times the price of the ai60...
Dude, thank you. The purchased the Monoprice Stage right 5" Studio Monitor, Volume at 0, still hisses. I'm sending it back and ordering this Ai60. I find it funny that monoprice does not list the class AMP this these Monitors.
Do you have the hiss for the ai60? I am exchanging my ai40 for that and I am wondering if that shared the same issue.
Just bought them through a sale and I'm loving the sound from the Ai60. I didn't hear no dynamic range compression from my unit.
That's good to hear
Here is where Asia has been a boon to audio. Granted, genius designers in the past have done R&D and made drivers like the Infinity EMIT/EMIM , Dynaudio esotar, Scan Speak revelator and Seas Millenia. Problem is, if you see those drivers, the speakers will be THOUSANDS. The drivers made in Asia (designed in North America or Europe) can match, or closely match the high end drivers for a fraction of the cost. It also means that speakers with "pretty good" drivers like Fluance, Elac and other budget speakers use are also available so that the tech trickles down without the cost in the past. Compare mid-fi in the 70's and 80's to now. $300 -$500 in today's money buys more performance than it did back then.
Agree!
Joe- great channel. By what order of magnitude are the Ai60 better than the Edifier R2000DB?
I haven't tried the Edifiers. They don't respond via social media and that concerns me a bit. If I were a customer with an issue, would they also not respond?
Good review mate. I'll be going with the 40's as they fit my budget and room size.
Good choice!
Great review I have these and love them you represented their sound and performance well
Do you think this are worth the money or just go with the micca rb42? thanks a lot for your reviews
Excellent review! But now, what’s about « Fluance Ai61 vs Ai60 »?
Great great review! I was thinking about a pair of Audioengine HD6 but this got me thinking I can save half the cost and get these. Will have to research more though. Hope you will review some Audioengines as well as I have never heard them. Living abroad now but at home I rock an Arcam AVR600, Oppo BDP83SE to a pair of PMC GB1i. Keep up the good work! Thanks.
Wanted to say thank you for the content! It's great for a relative newcomer to audio like me, and I've decided to purchase a set of these as a result.
I'd love to see more powered speaker reviews from you! Presonus E5, Mackie MR624, Adam Audio T5V and T7V, Peachtree M25! It would be awesome to see how you rank them!
Vanatoo is taking preorders for their Transparent One Encores - these are half the price with a very similar feature set. I know those probably will beat out on sound, but.. such is life.
You helped me to pull the trigger on these today. Been following for a while. Thanks for the work on the video Joe.
Let me know how you like them!
@@joentell They're in yesterday and set-up... but cut out at around 30-35% volume. Disconnected left passive speaker and powered right speaker plays fine.
Checked all connections.. Nothing.
Emailed Fluance.
Have any thoughts?
Had a fault in the speaker wire. Thanks again for the review Joe! I like them so far.
You can still use a powered sub w/ai40 .Sub needs to have high pass input ie spring connectors ,then you just run 1 channel thru....
Yes exactly!
Bit of an audio novice but can you share exactly how to set that up?
Hey Joe, did you happen to notice any single input sounding better than the others?
Would you recommend the ai60 or edifier s350db or audioengine a5+ with subwoofer ?
i think soundbars are just something differit
unpractical placement , and if they're thin resonating plastics with "fullrange" drivers , than anything is better
i'd pick monitor displays with their own speakers anytime , at least is practical and you know what to espect
Wanting to upgrade my TV speakers. What's better, these on stands or the pioneer sp-fs52s and a receiver?
How would the Ai60 work in an 18x14x8 living room for classical music? How about the Ai40? would there be a better $200-300 alternative
Do Fluance and Kanto work together? They are both Canadian, and their speakers look awfully similar.
Joe, what, if any, tone settings do you recommend? For movies I crank up the bass but kind of want a sweet spot setting I wonder if you have a preference.
There's no correct setting. It's whatever sounds good to you in your room.
How are you liking the speakers so far? For movies? TV? Listening to music? I'm curious what you think.
@@joentell I have been using them for everything; TV, movies, music and the speakers do well with everything. Wasn't that impressed initially coming from the ai40s, but they definitely sounded better after a week of use. The ai40s to me had a different kind of sound and tightness that I miss on certain music but the utility of the 60s is a game changer for me
Thank you for the nice video Joe! Question: Fluance ai60 with separate Mani Shiit phono pre-amp, or Kanto YU 6 with a built-in phono pre-amp? Which one should I buy?
I figure you can swap out preamps cheaper and easier than swapping speakers. My vote goes to Ai60 + Preamp.
@@joentell Thank you! Keep up the good work!
Thank you!
I bought the ai60 8 months ago and im now looking to add a subwoofer. What would be a good option for around 250$?
Hi Joe, I just got the ai40's to use with my Fluance RT81 turntable via RCA cables. When I turned them on, I immediately noticed a buzzing sound but it's not from the speakers which are pretty quiet. When I put my ear to the power supply box itself, there's a horrible buzzing sound coming from it that is loud enough for me to hear it over the noise from the speakers. Is that normal for power adapters and is there anything that can be done about it?
I bought a pair of these earlier today and I should be getting them by Saturday. I watched a few reviews of these and yours seem to go into the most detail from unpacking to after letting them play and break in. I'm a very lazy audio fan; I have a pair of desktop Bose that I've had for around nine years now and I have a Stealth 450 Turtle Beach headset that has simulated 7.1. I'm looking forward to having this new pair pop up and show me how good my games and tunes can sound.
Let me know how you like them
The RT 81 has a built in phono for anyone worried about hooking up to a fluance turntable. The RT 82 and above does not have the built in.
Hey Joe - what kind of stands should I get for my new Ai60's?
Anything that brings the tweeter to ear height when you are sitting (or standing) at your typical listening position.
I personally use a "VideoSecu 2" from amazon and they works just fine,
Decent amount of adjust ability and as long as you don't have pets or kids that bump into things. Or if they are in a high traffic walkway where you might bump into them.
@@JoshM7 So you're using these stands with the Ai60's? They're large & beefy speakers, so I want to make sure they're secure. On fireplace hearth.. so not too much traffic.
@@myrandomamazonreviews6463 Not with these speakers no.
I have some Chane A1.4 and I believe they are close in weight, Chanes being 17 pounds each.
And after looking the size of the Ai60 up, they seem to be similar sizes too.
A1.4's might be heavier if the 29 pounds on Fluance's website is correct. (around 15 pounds each speaker? unless they are 29 pounds each speaker, which seems unlikely)
29lbs for both.
Awesome reviews. Keep up the good work. One thing I’d like to see covered is weather or not the speakers having mounting options like the 700 series B&W’s. It’s something i wish more affordable bookshelf speakers offered. Also it would be good to recommend compatible speaker stands.
I’ve been trying to find a setup for my sons room other than a soundbar but it’s difficult since bookshelf speakers will also need decent stands and i will have to secure them somehow. If i can’t find anything i might give in and get him the Sonos beam which i think is not the greatest for music. I’d love to do the new Sonos amp with bookshelves but it gets expensive.
Hi Joe. Thanks for the review, it was very helpful.
I am interested in buying these speakers primarily for my living room instead of a sound bar. However, is there a way to connect the left speaker wirelessly? I cannot run the connecting wire from the master speaker. Too many obstructions.
Could I use a Bluetooth transmitter/receiver? Would this work? An example would be the Amphony ifinity audio transmitter/receiver.
I would appreciate your help.
I don't think so because the speaker connection isn't just data, it's actually powering the speaker. There might be some way using a second amplifier, but it wouldn't be worth the hassle. If you need wireless, maybe look into Sonos
Hi Joe, thanks for the review. I was wondering if I could connect the speakers to my Synology 918+ NAS via the USB connection and start listening? My NAS has USB type A ports and it can successfully send music (via the NAS Audio Station app) to my Jabra USB headphones, so I was wondering if I can do the same with these speakers and if you had any experience with connecting those speakers to any NAS via the USB port? Thanks
Thanks for the review Joe!
I really want to add these to my desk setup but I think they may be a tad too big. I'll figure it out lol
Lol. They're big for a desk! 😊
The Ai40's are more than enough for 99% of people. Just depends if you need the extra input options. You can always get an external DAC or optical to RCA converter if you really wanted.
@@joentell I'm actually good on my desk setup (vanatoo T0s); I just have the new speaker bug lol I'll probably just get a sub for my T0s instead.
T0's are great on a desk. Make sure to get a decent sub that measure flat across the crossover point.
@@joentell That's the plan; I'm still shopping for one. I'm between the $99 elac and saving up for an svs1000.
Check the response graphs. If the ELAC has that room correction stuff built-in, it might be good too. From my experience with the SVS SB2000, I would guess the SB1000 measures flat too.
Nice review. They white and oak looks nice. But when you have 2 channel audio with good stereo separation. I notice dialogues can get lost with bookshelf speakers. 3 channel is what you want if you use them for tv and movies without going to 5.1 surround.
Not necessarily. It depends on the tonality of the speakers. I find brighter speakers do better for dialogue comprehension.
@@joentell I guess it comes down on what you like. I do not care for bright sounding speakers. So they would not work for everyone. And a center channel is what i need for dialogue with a more neutral sounding bookshelf.
But the ai60 are very nice looking speakers. And you review does a nice job on the sound quality listen through my headphones. Like they added a sub out, something they really needed to add. As the ai40 was lacking when compare to the competition with many supporting 2.1 setups.
Weird question where should I get some good speaker stands?
Amazon
Which one is better, Edifier R1850 or AI40 by Fluance?
I went back to the ai 40s. I went crazy and bought a optical to rca adapter to run the Tv through the ai40s, and a rca, two in one out, box so i can run my chromecast through the ai 40 s too.
So i just have to select what option i want on the switch box.
They really need to slap an optical input on these.
Paul Gibson May I ask why u went back to AI40s?
I feel like the treble is kind of muted in both speakers a little.
I've ALWAYS hated sound bars! They look so tacky! Can't wait to get these if they ever get the all black back in stock again!
Hello Joe, thanks for the awesome review as always. I see you mentioned that these speakers do not have low-pass on their sub output. But it's strange to me because I am using an Infinity Sub R12 connected with a mono subwoofer cable to the LFE in on the sub and the other end to these's sub out. What I noticed is that it's exhibiting results of a sub-out with low pass built in, if i turn the low-pass frequency on my subwoofer to the max it will plays at normal level with deep bass down upto 30 hz. But when i turn the knobs to the lowest frequency on the subwoofer there are barely any sound, the subwoofer is almost silent after doing so. This is strange because I used a Klipsch subwoofer on these before the Infinity/JBL and those exhibits the same behaviour mentioned in your review where there's no low pass and I had to manually adjust the frequency myself to 40hz on the klipsch ( lowest) and even then the klipsch is extremely loud even as such frequency, while the infinity/JBL is silent if I do so.
I think you need to connect the sub out from the AI60 to your sub via left right, not LFE. correct me if im wrong.
@@rjkent5 My left has LFE built in. Right is line in by itself no LFE
@@Hung-sy6gq Okay i think i understand now. If you take a look at their subwoofer (fluance) db-10 it has a LFE input and high level input only, which leads me to beleive that indeed they do have a low-pass crossover built in. Now you have me curious, i will do some research.
@@rjkent5 Found out anything good?
Hey Joe, GREAT REVIEW
Planning to get these after watching this review instead of a Sound bar
Just have one concern
How’s the centre channel performance? Some people complain about bad dialogue performance for movies or tv shows
Like the Yamaha Soundbars has the clear voice setting for that
Don’t want to hold the remote all the time
Some sound bars do have a dialogue enhancement function. These don't, but the audio is accurate which means it will sound how they intended it to sound.
Joe N Tell thank you so much for the answer
Love your videos always ☺️
Thank God I found this channel. Keep it up Joe.
From Joe
Thank you! 🙏
Why cant you hook the Ai40's directly to your PC? I did, headphone out jack to RCA in on the powered speaker and its works perfect. A dac is not a requirement.
Now I run PC to headphone tube amp to Ai40's.
Yes, you can do that. You can even use Bluetooth if your computer supports it.
One thing I have always wondered about active bookshelf speakers is how different does the speaker with the amp sound to the opposing side speaker. In other words, does the amp taking up space change the sound or is it marginal when compared to its passive right/left side speaker.
I've always wondered that too. Of course, because these are active and they use DSP, any slight differences can be accounted for and corrected. The difference is probably minimal anyway.
@@joentell Would be cool if you could measure each speaker with the mic and see if there is much difference in the responses. (leave mic in 1 spot and just swap the speakers taking not of exact positions) Wonder if it will change much.
I have...no difference that was obvious.
Hi Joe, does the ai60 shared the same hissing issue the ai40 has? At least for your review unit.
The Ai40 had a high pitched noise and hiss. These have some his when turned up loud, but so do many other powered speakers
I have these to replace the internal tv speakers. They are good but the hiss is loud, well loud compared to my JBL lsr305 and s2000 pro. When nothing is playing I can notice the hiss at 6-8ft away. JBL at 3ft and the s2000 at 2-3 ft.
Sound wise the DSP is making it sound deeper than the s2000 pro, I even use the tone control to set bass all the way down. After some time with the s2000 pro, I really like the planar magnetic tweeter it comes with, the treble is just more clear compared to silk domes.
Anyways, for the price they are a great value, now I just need to find a way to eliminate hiss, thinking of getting a furman power conditioner 🤔
Did you try lowering the volume on the Ai60's and turning up the volume on the source instead? Also try optical if you have a chance.
I haven't heard the S2000. They don't respond on social media.
Can I use the ai60 with my phone cordless?
With Optical from my computer I keep getting chirping when the speakers aren't playing anything. What can I do to stop this?
I hope one day someone can compare the sound quality for this one with KEF LS50 wireless or KEF LSX wireless.
Other reviewers have totally dumped on these speakers? Are these still a top notch speaker in your opinion?
I have them ranked on my Speaker Leaderboard. You be the judge. Http://bit.ly/SpeakerLeaderboard
I wouldn't say top notch. They over a value proposition. I didn't like the compression applied like I explained in the video. There are things I like though which I also explained in the video.
Just get a cheap DAC and hook it up to the smaller speakers. :-D just as long as the TV/disc player is set to PCM you will hear sound. :-D
I have a question about the weight of these speakers. I just ordered them and looking for speaker stands. Do the weigh 29lbs a peice? Or is it 29lbs both combined weight? Thanks!!
Combined. You want have a problem.
@@joentell Thanks!
Loved your point about input volume! So true!
Any chance youre gonna do an update on the newer versions of these speakers
Coming up soon!!!
Hi, I want to replace my sound bar. Can these speaker connect directly to my TV and dvd player? Do I need a receiver ?
Check to see if you have an optical out
OK, thanks
Klipsch the fives or edifier s 2000 mk3?
Hey joe would you be able to review the jbl stage a130 and a120? You would be the first on the internet to review them.
I dont know if I'm making a mistake by asking you to try some Adam audio speakers, I know they are studio monitors and I don't know if you just don't try studio monitors or they are banned but I had to ask haha, kind regards.
Nothing is banned. I'm open to trying all kinds of speakers.
Niiice, it would be cool to see a review, you may like the high end of those
Are they better than my jbl bar 3.1? Bcs i want some good speakers for my pc
I haven't heard the JBL's but I would guess that these are better than most sound bars under $800.
@@joentell thank you for the response, I will check if i can buy them in belgium. Bcs now I'm using my old HiFi Sony SS-rxd8 speakers. It's like speakers from the early 2000's, so i really need an replacement for them haha
@@jonasr1150 you wont find fluance in the EU. They avialble only in North American. I was thinking of the ai40 for a house warming present. But no where to be found in germany or the eu.
@@jamiemui5186 that's why i can't find them in any of the shops here
Great job. Not surprised they bested a sound bar. But in many cases the issue is space. The problem is how can one get better sound than the average television produces without separate speakers, for which there simply isn't any room? A sound bar isn't just a solution, it's the only solution. Superb review, as always. They do seem like an excellent value.
I understand 100 percent. I agree, if you have no other options, then a sound bar is perfect. If you have some room to put some stands next to your TV and you don't have kids that are going to poke in the tweeters..then I would recommend these.
Opened up UA-cam and right there was a new video! Looks like I get to be first for once with a comment. :)
Keep up the good work!
You ARE first!
Is it possible to get a pair of the passive ones?
I think they should sell that as an option really. I've measured the passive one and it still performs well. You just can't turn it up as loud and you can get it to distort if turned up too loud.
Right now, the only option is to buy two pairs! Yikes
@@joentell Thx 4 heart
It would be great if they had the black body with the white front.
Man, these things don't like to played at low volume! Sound a little distorted and when you turn them up, they get awesome!
Nice review Joe. I'm surprised you've never reviewed any Monitor Audio bookshelves yet (or have U?)
Not yet
@@joentell Hi again Joe. Have you ever run into a problem of swapping out a faulty amp in a home powered subwoofer before? I have a new Jamo 10-inch sub ($229), but their amps have serious quality control issues, and I really want to keep the sub. Do you think it's feasible with just swapping out the interior amp with another higher quality one? I wonder if anyone's ever done something like that before. I contacted Crutchfield and they didn't seem to offer any answeres either (other than return it for another one, which is not too attractive since this is already my second one). Anyway, any helpful hints will be welcome.
If you can get a plate amp that fits, then it should work. Just make sure that there's no air leakage from screw holes or anywhere else and you should be fine.
@@joentell Thanks! That's very encouraging to hear! I'll look into it! I just have to find a repair shop in my area now for all this to succeed! (There used to be a big one in Huntington Beach, but they've since closed down yrs ago....I've got my work cut out for me)
Parts Express
Maybe try the Technical Pro MB5000/6000 studio monitors?
My wife just bought these for my birthday. I’m kind of frustrated because the Bluetooth doesn’t work. Any ideas on an affordable DAC with Bluetooth I can use?
Why doesn't it work? It should! I've never had a issue with Bluetooth on mine. Maybe contact Fluance.
On it...
Joe N Tell I just found out these speakers only support aptX codec. The Apple IPhones do not support this.
@@I_AM_HUGO I think it will just revert to a codec that is compatible. Bluetooth is pretty standard across the board. There might be certain versions that have either lower latency or higher quality, but like you're saying, the phone needs to support the more specific codecs.
These or the Kanto YU6 for home theater and music?
Ai60 are $299 and the Kanto Yu6's in black are $339.99 right now
Do you think these are an upgrade over there Elac debut b5's?
I think they're completely different value propositions. These are an all-in-one solution and it's a terrific value for the price. The B5's are a great value proposition for passive bookshelf speakers. Paired with the right amp, it is capable of more output than these Ai60's but to equal the functionality of the Ai60's, you will end up spending probably double. So it makes sense that it would outperform the Ai60's.
I just realized you could not connect the 4"s directly to the computer. ( I have to look at it again - but I thought you could). BUT these are looking better for a $100 more!
I was more impressed with the sound/size/value of the Ai40's than these, but they didn't have optical in, built-in DAC or sub out. When you're talking about $200-$300 speakers, $100 is a big difference. When talking about $1000 speakers, it's less of a big deal.
@@joentell I have watched 3 videos of their reviews. 2 were awesome but Z -reviews gave them a bad review. i think I will still buy them based on your opinion. Thanks!
Hello, I can't find in your videos a review about the A2 + audioengine, if you haven't done it, could you do it and compare it with these bookshelf?
I haven't reviewed it. A fellow moderator on reddit.com/r/budgetaudiophile has done a written review of them
I have heard the A2+ and these have way more bass
I’ve been STUCK with these speakers for months. I finally found out how to bypass the built in DSP, connect via Bluetooth. I’ve tried optical, rca, usb via MacBook, they all channel through the variable DSP. Middle finger to these speakers. Someone else that owns a set, confirm with me.
So Bluetooth defeats the DSP?
Joe N Tell Correct, as far as I’ve tested on my unit. Can’t really tell 100% for sure, but these are the audible signs of my ai60 using DSP that is not present on Bluetooth input.
When adjusting the bass level or treble, the volume used to automatically change.
When adjusting the volume, the dynamic eq doesn’t crush the low frequency.
One thing that’s unique to the Bluetooth setting is the volume knob definitely adjusts the dB in small amounts, any other settings will jump the volume.
Using aptx bypasses DSP. Def the last choice of input anyone watching this video would consider. There is a constant hissing at any volume on Bluetooth. I hear z reviews has the same issue when testing the ai40. Bottom line, they don't disappoint and deserve a 2nd look.
Confused between ai60, edifier r2000db and edifier r1850db + sub.. any suggestions?
Ai60.
This or the YU6's?
thanks for your reviews.
Hello, klipsch the fives or fluance a61?
speakerleaderboard.com
Fluance Ai60 or Kanto YU6?
They both have their own redeeming qualities. Have you watched my Kanto YU6 review yet?
@@joentell yes, of course) if you were to choose between these two models, what would you take for yourself?
That's tough. With a sub, probably the Kanto because I like the look and there is no audible compression. Without a sub, I like the bass of the Ai60's.
@@joentell thx, Joe)
Will it stand up to Edifier S2000pro?
I've yet to test out the Edifier.
Sooo, the fives? I'm guessing they hamburg these. I gotta check the leaderboard...
They kinda do...to a lot of speakers
@@joentell All the hype makes me want them just to have them. wife will probably kill me...
That's me!! Some times play it too loud!!
Joe I am looking for some decent sound for my TV. I heard that soundbars are not worth the money. I would like to spend around $300 but I do need a subwoofer. I cannot find fluance products in my country. What would you recommend? I prefer powered speakers.
Where do you live?
@@joentell Eastern Europe. I almost bought the Edifier S350DB because it has everything I need but I don't like the color. What would you recommend? I could get the Edifier R2730DB and add an extra SW. I want to use it for movies mainly.
Something seems very peculiar here. Both sound very similar to reference, that's the first thing. The second one is that the 40 had more apparent bass.
If they sound close to the source, that isn't peculiar, that's awesome! The Ai60's do have more bass, but I don't think these tracks are doing a good job of showing that. You can tell on certain tracks that have lower bass notes. I used to use a track with lower bass, but it was too annoying to listen to over and over when I record these sound demos. It's an inside joke with me and my subscribers.
I might be wrong and this is totally unexpected for me, but I think the ai40 sound more detailed, faster, and "airier" with slightly more control.
Maybe it's the burn in if that's really a thing, but I'm starting to think it is. Also it may be mic distortion from the added oomph of the 60s.
Still 40 sounds more detailed imo. Like more cohesive, where the 60 sounds more like the bass is not as seemless and it seems the instruments are less refined. There seems to be some subtle detail loss with the 60. 🤷 amazing
I'm gonna go way out on a limb and probably be outcasted from society when I say, I think the 40 sounds better. And while it seems hard to tell apart at first, I think the 40 sound actually 10%+ better. Like if I heard the 40, I wouldn't want the 60 afterwards but if I heard the 60 it wouldn't bother me if I hadn't heard the 40. Sorry fluance... My opinion is weird I know. It maybe different if I'm listening in person. But I noticed it first when watching this video on my def tech 8020 (a great speaker) and hear it again on my Sennheiser hd600 (a trustworthy sounding headphone). I wouldn't care to make this upgrade I have decided and I'm relieved, too.
I think the rising treble response on the Ai40's is more pleasing even though the original source track isn't even that bright. The Ai60's might even be more accurate. The source track's treble is somewhere between the Ai40 and the Ai60. You can turn the treble up a bit on the Ai60 too.
@@joentell Joe, thanks for being an awesome guy!
I thought the same thing but the speed and seemlessness of the sound on the 40 just seems to have it beat. If I didn't know, I'd think the 40 were the more expensive speaker. I would probably have paid the difference in price for the 40 if it had the sub out.
It sucks to say that because I was really hoping the 60 would fill the sub bass for pop and rap or any genre with deep bass. I expected the same clarity. I could've hoped for a little smoother tweeter.
You might wanna try out the tekton design double impact. Zero Fidelity recommended them at $3k. They look awesome and zero Fidelity is a good reviewer, I think.
Take care bro
Those better sound good at $3k!😂
@@joentell look at them 😂 you can see that's a Mondo speakhorus El biggo grande 🤣
It surprises me that you feel the AI60 beats out the Vanatoo T0 for sound quality. I have not had the pleasure of hearing the T0's but I have auditioned the AI60, and while it's not a dud, the sound quality was nothing special. Everyone raves about how good the T0 sounds, especially for its size. Perhaps the t0 is just good for what it is? A small desktop speaker, while the AI60 is an average sized bookshelf with average sound. And average, larger speaker beats out great small speaker? Just my guess.
I think you pretty much nailed it. I love those guys at Vanatoo and I think they're T0 is awesome. But there's only so much bass you can get from a small speaker like that.
Did you hear the Ai60 at a desk? You weren't impressed? You already know what I think. I didn't like the dynamic range compression, but tonal response and frequency response we're all impressive.
Features and functionality on the T0 wins over the Ai60's.
@@joentell I had the AI60 set up on stands outside of my desk. They didn't sound bad, my plan was to move my desk setup over to a TV and have the AI60 become my new desk speakers, but I preferred the sound of my amp/ HTD level 3 book shelves. They just sound bigger, even in a relatively nearfield situation. I still plan to move the HTD's over to a TV at some point, perhaps replaced by the Vanatoo T1 instead of the T0 which was what I was hoping to go for. I don't really need bluetooth or a ton of connectivity features, just want good sound at my desk as this is where 90% of my listening is done.