Aspen FR10 Loudspeaker

By far the most important piece in the HiFi chain is the loudspeaker. If the speaker cannot reproduce what it is fed from the electronic chain, the missing musical information is forever lost. To achieve all that music demands, over the years, loudspeaker designers have tried to leverage every trick in the book: electrostats for details, conventional drivers for dynamics, planars for transparency, ribbons, domes, horns, open baffles, bipoles, dipoles. The list is endless and the choices and their inevitable sonic compromises daunting. With close to 50 years under our collective belts, we at PS Audio determined to design the perfect loudspeaker for every application, room size, and budgets. In the Aspen series we start with the FR30, then move to the FR20 and then the FR10. Each is a full range state-of-the-art loudspeaker that covers the range of possibilities from small to large rooms and to meet every budget need. The FR10 will fit into every small to medium sized room and provide room-shaking bass down to 30Hz. For the upper end, the FR10 employs the same Aspen planar tweeter as found in both the FR20 and FR30. For our legendary open midrange, the FR10 relies upon the same planar technology as found in its bigger counterparts. Without question, the Aspen FR10 is the perfect loudspeaker for any room and budget.

The heart and soul of any loudspeaker are its drivers, the transducers that in response to the amplifier's demands pressurize the air and generate the music. Each driver must be optimized for the task at hand. In the FR10, it quickly became apparent we could not source from even the most advanced driver manufacturers in the world the ultra-low-distortion high-dynamic output drivers we would need to build the FR10. We started with our tweeter and midrange for here are the two most difficult drivers to perfect. Moving air at high frequencies without colorations or distortion is a daunting task. On the FR10 we chose to go with a technology that has the speed of an electrostat with the dynamics of a cone. Planar Magnetics. These ultra-low distortion drivers are equally driven with front and rear magnetic structures that offer inherent linearity through symmetrical “push-pull” neodymium motor structures and directly driven ultra-low mass diaphragms with none of the cone or dome breakup, inductance modulation, or hysteresis distortion that plagues traditional drivers. For the low end, we crafted long-throw high-excursion 6.5" woofers that match the effortlessness and transparency of the planar magnetic drivers. To lower distortion, we employed a unique split magnetic gap and a double Faraday ring for low, linear inductance and wide bandwidth, coupled with a single progressive Nomex spider with stitched-in lead wires. The woofer cones are a low-mass Rohacell foam core. Lastly, to achieve maximum linearity and extended deep bass extension without the compression and distortion of ports, we implemented 3 rear-mounted high-compliance passive radiators. Together, these elements create a stunning presentation of music in your home.

Loudspeakers have an honored place in our homes. They often are the focal point of our living rooms and, in that capacity, must proudly make a statement of fitting elegance. The Aspen FR10 enclosure design starts with the internal structure necessary for great sound and then lovingly sculpted into a work of art befitting our homes. With industrial design by famed Studio 63, the FR10's elegant look and smaller form factor complements every decor. Internally, the FR10 is an extensively braced enclosure designed to minimize external vibrations that have the potential of coloring the sound. Externally, the enclosures are lovingly finished with 20 coats of hand-rubbed high-grade lacquer. While the main body and baffling structure are built with MDF, the sculpted front baffle is formed from a dense, rigid and well-damped high-tech thermoset fiberglass resin composite material with integrated high-frequency acoustic waveguides. The speakers look to be almost floating as its curved bottom rests upon its sturdy aluminum base featuring large milled brass spikes with removable tips and integrated plastic feet for hard surfaces (and to aid in speaker placement). A masterpiece of design and love, crafted by those of us that care deeply about music and its reproduction in the home.