In this review, we will be comparing Aspen FR10 and Synchrony T600, two Passive Floor-standing speakers from PS Audio and PSB.
Let's have a brief look at the main features
of PS Audio Aspen FR10 and PSB Synchrony T600 first before getting into our more
detailed comparison.
| Key Specs | PS Audio Aspen FR10 | PSB Synchrony T600 |
|---|
| Design | 3-way | 3-way |
|---|
| Tweeter | 2.5" Planar Magnetic | 1" Dome |
|---|
| Midrange | 8" | 5.25" |
|---|
| Woofer | 2 x 6.5" Composite sandwich | 3 x 6.5" Carbon fiber |
|---|
| Frequency response | 32-20k Hz | 24-23k Hz |
|---|
| Sensitivity | 86.5 dB | 89 dB |
|---|
| Impedance | 4 ohms | 4 ohms |
|---|
| Power range | 50-200 watts | 20-300 watts |
|---|
| Weight | 34.10kg / 75lbs | 34.90kg / 76.8lbs |
|---|
| Dimensions (H x W x D) | 41-1/2" x 11-3/4" x 16-1/4"
1054.0 x 298.0 x 413.0mm | 41-1/4" x 9" x 13-1/2"
1048.0 x 228.0 x 343.0mm |
|---|
What size room are the PS Audio Aspen FR10 and PSB Synchrony T600 speakers good for?
The size of the room in which you are planning to use these loudspeakers is an important decision
factor. Here we have compared their suitability to various sizes of environments considering their size
and max power parameters:
| Listening Environment* |
PS Audio Aspen FR10 |
PSB Synchrony T600 |
| Near-field |
Poor |
Bad |
| Small Room |
Average |
Poor |
| Mid-size Room |
Good |
Average |
| Large Room |
Average |
Good |
| Very Large Room |
Poor |
Average |
(* Approximate Room sizes: Small < 100sq. ft / 9 m2,
Mid-size: 100-220 sq. ft / 9-20 m2, Large 220-400 sq. ft / 20-36 m2, Very Large: >
400 sq. ft / 36 m2.
Average Floor Height: 9" / 2.7m. Typical room sizes differ from country to country, and the actual
listening experience changes depending on floor height, room shape, surface materials, listening
position, speaker locations, etc.)
The sections below take each area in turn: drivers, frequency response, physical size and what you get in the box.
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Drivers
Both Aspen FR10 and Synchrony T600 are 3-way speakers.
PS Audio Aspen FR10PSB Synchrony T600
TweeterMidrangeWoofer
Front view, drawn to scale - cabinets and drivers share one scale, so sizes are directly comparable. Hover a driver for its size.
| Driver |
PS Audio Aspen FR10 |
PSB Synchrony T600 |
|
Driver Setup
|
3-way
|
3-way
|
|
Tweeter
|
2.5-inch
|
1-inch
|
|
Midrange
|
1 x 8-inch |
1 x 5.25-inch |
|
Woofer
|
2 x 6.5-inch
|
3 x 6.5-inch
|
Aspen FR10 features a 2.5" Teonex planar magnetic Planar Magnetic Tweeter, a 8" Midrange and 2 x 6.5" Composite sandwich Woofer with a Crossover frequency at 550 Hz, 1750 Hz - Linkwitz-Riley 4th order acoustic. On the other hand, the Synchrony T600 features a 1" titanium with ferrofluid cooling and neodymium magnet Dome Tweeter, a 5.25" Midrange and 3 x 6.5" Carbon fiber Woofer with a Crossover frequency at 450Hz and 1800Hz.
Frequency Response
Aspen FR10 has a frequency range of 32-20k Hz whereas Synchrony T600 has a frequency range of 24-23k Hz. With a minimum frequency of 24Hz, the Synchrony T600 can go significantly deeper on the low side and provide stronger bass compared to the Aspen FR10's min frequency of 32Hz.
The graph below depicts how these two speakers compare with the max, min and average Low Frequency values of other speakers in the Floor-standing class in our database.
Low Frequency
Floor-standing Speakers
Neither pair reaches down to 20Hz, the usual definition of full-range, which is normal for speakers of this size. If you want the bottom octave for movies or bass-heavy music, add a subwoofer to whichever you choose. Visit our Powered Subwoofers section to find out more about the available options.
Impedance and Sensitivity
Aspen FR10 and Synchrony T600 have the same Impedance of 4 ohms but where they differ is the sensitivity levels. Aspen FR10 sensitivity is rated at 86.5 dB and the Synchrony T600's is at 89 dB. This 2 dB difference makes the PSB Synchrony T600 a more sensitive speaker compared to PS Audio Aspen FR10, hence will play louder with the same amount of watts.
One thing to keep in mind that the lower impedance speakers, especially the ones that are rated at 4 ohms may put more pressure on the amplifier unit comared to higher impedance speakers especially at high volume levels, so make sure the amp you pair with the Aspen FR10 and the Aspen FR10 can provide this impedance level.
Sensitivity
Floor-standing Speakers
Power Range
Power
range is the range of input power in watts RMS that a loudspeaker is designed to handle. Staying
within that range gives nominal performance; driving the speaker beyond its maximum wattage can damage it.
Synchrony T600 can handle a max power of 300 watts RMS, whereas Aspen FR10 has a max power handling value of 200 watts RMS, 100 watts less than the Synchrony T600.
Note that higher power handling does not make a speaker louder: that depends mainly on
sensitivity and impedance. The calculator below shows how loud each of these actually plays
on a real amplifier.
Which plays louder on your amplifier?
Starting with a popular amplifier — change it to the one you own, or any you are
considering, and watch both numbers move.
Input Type and Bi-Amping / Bi-Wiring
Synchrony T600 features Binding post posts which make bi-amping or bi-wiring possible. Aspen FR10 has a Binding post which doesn't feature bi-amping/bi-wiring.
PSB Synchrony T600's Binding post terminals allows Bi-amping or bi-wiring
Physical Specs
The size of a speaker can sometimes be an important decision factor due to space constraints or in some cases purely for esthetic reasons. In this section, we are going to compare PS Audio Aspen FR10's and PSB Synchrony T600's external dimensions. PS Audio Aspen FR10 has external dimensions of 1054.0 x 298.0 x 413.0mm (41-1/2 x 11-3/4 x 16-1/4inch) whereas PSB Synchrony T600 has external dimensions of 1048.0 x 228.0 x 343.0mm (41-1/4 x 9 x 13-1/2inch).
PS Audio Aspen FR10 is clearly the larger of the two speakers. Its body is 70mm wider, 6mm taller and 70mm deeper than PSB Synchrony T600.
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 PS Audio Aspen FR10 is approximately 1230.7cm2 / 190.8inch2 and base area of the PSB Synchrony T600 is approximately 782.0cm2 / 121.2inch2. The Aspen FR10 requires 57% more surface area than the Synchrony T600 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 PS Audio Aspen FR10 weighs 34.10kg / 75lbs and the PSB Synchrony T600 weighs 34.90kg / 76.8lbs. This makes the Synchrony T600 2% heavier than the Aspen FR10.
Here is a comparison of how Aspen FR10 and Synchrony T600's weights compare with the average, max and min weights in Passive Floor-standing class.
Weight
All Floor-standing Speakers
What's in the Box of PSB Synchrony T600?
Here are the items that come with the Synchrony T600:
- Floorstanding loudspeakr
- Grille
- 2 Binding-post jumpers (pre-installed)
- 4 Isolation feet
- 2 Port plugs
- Owners Manual
- Warranty Card
 Passive Radiator |
three 6x9" oval rear-firing
vs
None
|
Increases the bass performance |
 Max Input Power |
300 watts
vs
200 watts
|
Handle more power from your amplifier |
 Sensitivity |
89 dB
vs
87 dB
|
Play louder with same amount of amplification power |
 Number of Woofers |
3
vs
2
|
More woofers |
|
Low Frequency Response |
24 Hz
vs
32 Hz
|
Generates deeper bass |
 High Frequency Response |
23k Hz
vs
20k Hz
|
Generates higher frequency |
 Bi-Amping and Bi-Wiring |
Yes
vs
No
|
Allows bi-amping and bi-wiring connections |
 Height |
1048mm
vs
1054mm
|
Easier to fit in smaller spaces |
 Base Surface Area |
782cm2
vs
1230cm2
|
Takes less floor space |
 Price per pair* |
8000USD
vs
9999USD
|
costs less (*prices may change depending on the seller, location and time) |
| General |
PS Audio Aspen FR10 |
PSB Synchrony T600 |
| Brand |
PS Audio |
PSB |
| Speaker Type |
Floor-standing speaker |
Floor-standing speaker |
| Power Range |
50-200 watts |
20-300 watts |
| Sensitivity |
86.5 dB |
89 dB |
| Impedance |
4 ohms |
4 ohms |
| Impedance |
n/a |
4 ohms |
| Frequency Response |
32-20k Hz |
24-23k Hz |
Drivers |
|
|
| Woofer Quantity |
2 |
3 |
| Woofer Size |
6.5" |
6.5" |
| Woofer Composition |
Composite sandwich |
Carbon fiber |
| Woofer Surround Material |
n/a |
Rubber |
| Tweeter Size |
2.5" |
1" |
| Tweeter Type |
Planar Magnetic |
Dome |
| Aimable Tweeter |
No |
No |
| Midrange Driver |
8" |
5.25" |
| Crossover Frequency |
550 Hz, 1750 Hz - Linkwitz-Riley 4th order acoustic |
450Hz and 1800Hz |
| Firing Direction |
n/a |
rear |
Physical Specs |
|
|
| Height |
1054.0mm (41.5") |
1048.0mm (41.3") |
| Width |
298.0mm (11.7") |
228.0mm (9") |
| Depth |
413.0mm (16.3") |
343.0mm (13.5") |
| Weight |
34.10kg (75lbs) |
34.90kg (76.8lbs) |
| Enclosure |
Passive Radiator |
Bass Reflex |
| Finish |
n/a |
MDF/Lacquer |
| Available Colors |
n/a |
Gloss Black, Satin Walnut |
| Grille |
Yes |
Yes |
| Moisture Resistancy |
No |
No |
Connections |
|
|
| Biamp Inputs |
No |
Yes |
Other |
|
|
| Parts Warranty |
|
5 Years |
| Labor Warranty |
|
5 Years |
No single best speaker here - they are built to different priorities, and the right one depends on your room, your amplifier and what you listen to.
| Area | Better | Why |
|---|
| Bass |
B |
PSB Synchrony T600 digs deeper - 24Hz against 32Hz. A subwoofer would even that out. |
| Amplifier needs |
B |
PSB Synchrony T600 is more sensitive (89dB vs 87dB), so it goes louder on the same amplifier. |
| Headroom |
B |
PSB Synchrony T600 takes more power (300W vs 200W) - more in hand in a big room. |
| Size |
depends |
PSB Synchrony T600 is easier to place; PS Audio Aspen FR10 is bigger, which usually goes with fuller bass. Your room decides. |
| Cabinet |
depends |
Passive Radiator vs Ported. |
| Expandability |
B |
PSB Synchrony T600: bi-amping. |
| Price |
B |
PSB Synchrony T600 is cheaper - $8,000 against $9,999, about 20% less. |
A PS Audio Aspen FR10
B PSB Synchrony T600
depends neither is better in the abstract - it turns on your room, placement or how you will use them.
Only specs published for both speakers are judged; anything missing on either side is left out rather than guessed.
Which should you choose?
PSB Synchrony T600 is the easier recommendation: it leads on most of the measured areas and costs less. Take PS Audio Aspen FR10 if its size, looks or fit in your room suit you better. If a subwoofer is in your plans, the bass gap largely stops mattering - you would be crossing over above 32Hz anyway, so judge these on the other rows instead. Match it to your room: we rate PS Audio Aspen FR10 the better fit for a small room and a mid-size room, and PSB Synchrony T600 for a large room and a very large room.
And remember what a spec sheet cannot show: how each looks in your room and whether the finish suits it, what dealer support and warranty are like where you live, and how they actually sound to you. If you can hear them first - ideally with your own music - that will tell you more than any number above.