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Fluance Ai81 vs Buchardt A700 Comparison

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Fluance Ai81

Powered Floor-standing | 30-20k Hz

Fluance Ai81 Elite
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Buchardt A700

Powered Floor-standing | 17-40k Hz

Buchardt A700
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Fluance Ai81 Fluance Ai81
See at AMAZON
Buchardt A700 Buchardt A700
See at AMAZON
Fluance Ai81
See at AMAZON
Buchardt A700
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Fluance Ai81 vs Buchardt A700 Speaker Comparison

In this review, we will be comparing Ai81 and A700, two Powered Floor-standing speakers from Fluance and Buchardt. Being Powered speakers, they both have built-in amplifiers so you don't need an external power amp or an integrated amp to power them.

Let's have a brief look at the main features of Fluance Ai81 and Buchardt A700 first before getting into our more detailed comparison.

Fluance Ai81 Key Specs

  • 2-way Design
  • 150-watt RMS Integrated Amplifier
  • 1" Soft Dome Tweeter
  • 2 x 6.5" Woven, Glass Fiber Composite Woofer
  • 30-20k Hz Frequency Response
  • Power Range:up to 150watts
  • 16-bit Max Depth / 48 kHz Max Sample Rate
  • Built-in 5.0 Bluetooth
  • Weight:13.16kg
  • Dimensions (H x W x D): 960.0" x 8.5" x 10.24"( 96 x 21.6 x 26 cm )

Buchardt A700 Key Specs

  • 3-way Design
  • 600-watt RMS( 1320-watt Peak) Integrated Amplifier
  • 0.74" aluminum waveguide Tweeter
  • 6" Midrange
  • 4 x 6" paper Woofer
  • 6" Midrange
  • 17-40k Hz Frequency Response
  • 24-bit Max Depth / 192kHZ Max Sample Rate
  • No Bluetooth
  • Weight:28.00kg
  • Dimensions (H x W x D): 1000.0" x 7" x 11"( 1000.0 x 180.0 x 280.0mm )

In the following sections, we will get into more detail in order to better understand how the Fluance Ai81 and Buchardt A700 compare and hopefully end up with enough arguments to decide which one of these loudspeakers is the better choice for you.


**This post contains affiliate links, and I will be compensated if you make a purchase after clicking through my links. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.


Drivers

One of the fundamental differences between these two speakers is that Ai81 is a 2-way design whereas the A700 is a 3-way speaker. 3-way designs utilize a midrange driver in addition to the tweeter and woofer on 2-way designs. Designing a crossover for a 3-way speaker is a complicated process and generally increases the overall cost of the speaker.

Driver Fluance Ai81 Buchardt A700
Driver Setup 2-way 3-way
Tweeter 1-inch 0.74-inch
Midrange - 1 x 6-inch
Woofer 2 x 6.5-inch 4 x 6-inch

Ai81 features a 1" Silk Neodymium Ferrofluid Cooled Soft Dome Tweeter and 2 x 6.5" Woven, Glass Fiber Composite Woofer . On the other hand, the A700 features a 0.74" fine weave soft fabric textile aluminum waveguide Tweeter , a 6" Midrange and 4 x 6" paper Woofer with a Crossover frequency at 100-250Hz and 2800Hz.

Frequency Response

Ai81 has a frequency range of 30-20k Hz whereas A700 has a frequency range of 17-40k Hz. With a minimum frequency of 17Hz, the A700 can go significantly deeper on the low side and provide stronger bass compared to the Ai81's min frequency of 30Hz.

Below graphs depict how these two speakers compare with the max, min and average values of the Min and Max Frequencies of other speakers in the Floor-standing class in our database.

Low Frequency

Floor-standing Speakers

Ai81
A700
Min
Average
Max
High Frequency

Floor-standing Speakers

Fluance Ai81
Buchardt A700
Min
Average
Max

Physical Specs

Size of a speaker can sometimes become an important decision factor due to space constraints or in some cases purely for esthetic reasons. In this section, we are going to compare Fluance Ai81's and Buchardt A700's external dimensions. Fluance Ai81 has external dimensions of 96 x 21.6 x 26 cm ( 37.8 x 8.50 x 10.24 inches) whereas Buchardt A700 has external dimensions of 1000.0 x 180.0 x 280.0mm ( 40.0 x 7 x 11inch) .

Fluance Ai81 is 40mm shorter and 20mm less deeper than Buchardt A700 but it is also 36mm wider.

Base Surface Area Comparison
Base surface area of a loudspeaker may become a determining factor when the space in your room or desk is limited. The base surface area of the Fluance Ai81 is approximately 561.0cm2 / 87.0inch2 and base area of the Buchardt A700 is approximately 504.0cm2 / 78.1inch2. The Ai81 requires 11% more surface area than the A700 which gives it a small disadvantage on placement in tight spaces.

Weight Comparison

The weight of a loudspeaker can become an important factor if you need to move and reposition the unit often. Weight of a speaker can also "sometimes" be an indicator of the rigidity of the enclosure and the quality of the internal components used. The Fluance Ai81 weighs 13.16kg / 29lbs and the Buchardt A700 weighs 28.00kg / 61.6lbs. This makes the A700 113% heavier than the Ai81.

Here is a comparison of how Ai81 and A700's weights compare with the average, max and min weights in Powered Floor-standing class.

Weight
All Floor-standing Speakers
Fluance Ai81
Buchardt A700
Min
Average
Max

What's in the Box of Fluance Ai81?

Here are the items that are included inside the box of Ai81:
  • Ai81 Powered Tower Speakers (pair)
  • Remote Control
  • 1x CR2032 Battery
  • 6ft Power Cable
  • 8ft 18 Gauge Speaker Wire
  • Quick Start Guide
  • Fluance Catalog
  • Lifetime Customer Support
  • 2 Year Manufacturer’s Warranty

  • Reasons to choose Fluance Ai81 Elite over Buchardt A700
    Woofer Size 6.5 inches vs 6 inches Larger woofer
    Handheld Remote Yes vs No Control the speaker by the included RC
    Height 960mm vs 1000mm Easier to fit in smaller spaces
    Price per pair* 499USD vs 6600USD costs less (*prices may change depending on the seller, location and time)
    RCA Connection Yes vs No Connection via RCA input
    Digital Input Optical vs No Connect digital inputs directly

    Reasons to choose Buchardt A700 over Fluance Ai81 Elite

    Driver Setup 3-way vs 2-way Have a dedicated mid-range driver
    Number of Woofers 4 vs 2 More woofers
    Low Frequency Response 17 Hz vs 30 Hz Generates deeper bass
    High Frequency Response 40k Hz vs 20k Hz Generates higher frequency
    Base Surface Area 504cm2 vs 561cm2 Takes less floor space
    USB Port Service Only vs No USB port adds flexibility
    XLR Connection Yes vs No Connection via XLR input
    Fluance Ai81 vs Buchardt A700 Specs Table
    Detailed comparison of specifications
    General Fluance Ai81 Elite Buchardt A700
    Brand Fluance Buchardt
    Speaker Type Powered Stereo Speakers Floor-standing speaker
    Frequency Response 30-20k Hz 17-40k Hz
    Amplifier
    Watts RMS (Continuous) 150-watt RMS 600-watt RMS
    Watts Peak (Max) n/a 1320-watt RMS
    Max Bit Depth 16-bit 24-bit
    Max Sample Rate 48 kHz 192kHZ
    Drivers
    Woofer Quantity 2 4
    Woofer Size 6.5" 6"
    Woofer Composition Woven, Glass Fiber Composite paper
    Woofer Surround Material Butyl Rubber n/a
    Tweeter Size 1" 0.74"
    Tweeter Type Soft Dome aluminum waveguide
    Aimable Tweeter No No
    Midrange Driver No 6"
    Crossover Frequency n/a 100-250Hz and 2800Hz
    Firing Direction bottom n/a
    Suggested Break-in Period n/a 100 hours
    Physical Specs
    Height 960.0mm (37.8") 1000.0mm (39.4")
    Width 216.0mm (8.5") 180.0mm (7.1")
    Depth 260.0mm (10.2") 280.0mm (11")
    Weight 13.16kg (29lbs) 28.00kg (61.6lbs)
    Enclosure Bass Reflex Acoustic Suspension
    Finish MDF wood n/a
    Available Colors Black Ash,Lucky Bamboo,White Walnut, Natural Walnut Black, White, Walnut
    Grille n/a Yes
    Moisture Resistancy No No
    Connections
    Aux Inputs RCA XLR
    USB Port No Service Only
    Phone Input No No
    Subwoofer Output Wired n/a
    Digital Input Optical No
    HDMI Input No No
    Headphone Jack No No
    Ethernet Port No No
    Other
    Parts Warranty 10 years on speakers / 2 years on electronics (4 years if registered)
    Labor Warranty 10 years on speakers / 2 years on electronics (4 years if registered)

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