In this review, we will be comparing Aspen FR20 and Aspen FR30, two Passive Floor-standing speakers by PS Audio.
Let's have a brief look at the main features
of PS Audio Aspen FR20 and PS Audio Aspen FR30 first before getting into our more
detailed comparison.
| Key Specs | PS Audio Aspen FR20 | PS Audio Aspen FR30 |
|---|
| Design | 3-way | 3-way |
|---|
| Tweeter | 2.5" Planar Magnetic | 2.5" Planar Magnetic |
|---|
| Midrange | 10" | 10" |
|---|
| Woofer | 2 x 8" Composite sandwich | 4 x 8" Composite sandwich |
|---|
| Frequency response | 23-20k Hz | 23-20k Hz |
|---|
| Sensitivity | 87 dB | 88 dB |
|---|
| Impedance | 4 ohms | 4 ohms |
|---|
| Power range | 50-300 watts | 100-600 watts |
|---|
| Weight | 60.30kg / 132.7lbs | 104.50kg / 229.9lbs |
|---|
| Dimensions (H x W x D) | 50-1/2" x 16" x 18-3/4"
1283.0 x 406.0 x 476.0mm | 60-1/2" x 16" x 25-3/4"
1537.0 x 406.0 x 654.0mm |
|---|
Aspen FR20 and Aspen FR30 are members of PS Audio's Aspen series of speakers. Below you can find the loudspeakers from this series.
PS Audio Aspen Series
History
What size room are the PS Audio Aspen FR20 and PS Audio Aspen FR30 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 FR20 |
PS Audio Aspen FR30 |
| Near-field |
Bad |
Are you nuts? |
| Small Room |
Poor |
Poor |
| Mid-size Room |
Average |
Average |
| Large Room |
Good |
Good |
| Very Large Room |
Average |
Good |
(* 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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through our links. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.
Drivers
Both Aspen FR20 and Aspen FR30 are 3-way speakers.
PS Audio Aspen FR20PS Audio Aspen FR30
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 FR20 |
PS Audio Aspen FR30 |
|
Driver Setup
|
3-way
|
3-way
|
|
Tweeter
|
2.5-inch
|
2.5-inch
|
|
Midrange
|
1 x 10-inch |
1 x 10-inch |
|
Woofer
|
2 x 8-inch
|
4 x 8-inch
|
Aspen FR20 features a 2.5" Teonex planar magnetic Planar Magnetic Tweeter, a 10" Midrange and 2 x 8" Composite sandwich Woofer with a Crossover frequency at 400 Hz, 2500 Hz – Linkwitz-Riley 4th order acoustic. On the other hand, the Aspen FR30 features a 2.5" Teonex planar magnetic Planar Magnetic Tweeter, a 10" Midrange and 4 x 8" Composite sandwich Woofer with a Crossover frequency at 400 Hz, 2500 Hz – LR4.
Frequency Response
Aspen FR20 and Aspen FR30 has exactly the same frequency range of 23-20k Hz.
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 FR20 and Aspen FR30 have the same Impedance of 4 ohms but where they differ is the sensitivity levels. Aspen FR20 sensitivity is rated at 87 dB and the Aspen FR30's is at 88 dB. This 1 dB difference makes the PS Audio Aspen FR30 a more sensitive speaker compared to PS Audio Aspen FR20, 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 FR20 and the Aspen FR20 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.
Aspen FR30 can handle a max power of 600 watts RMS, whereas Aspen FR20 has a max power handling value of 300 watts RMS, 300 watts less than the Aspen FR30.
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
Aspen FR20 features Binding post type posts and Aspen FR30 has a Binding post type posts. None of these speakers feature bi-amping/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 FR20's and PS Audio Aspen FR30's external dimensions. PS Audio Aspen FR20 has external dimensions of 1283.0 x 406.0 x 476.0mm (50-1/2 x 16 x 18-3/4inch) whereas PS Audio Aspen FR30 has external dimensions of 1537.0 x 406.0 x 654.0mm (60-1/2 x 16 x 25-3/4inch).
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 FR20 is approximately 1932.6cm2 / 299.6inch2 and base area of the PS Audio Aspen FR30 is approximately 2655.2cm2 / 411.6inch2. The Aspen FR20 requires 27% less surface area than the Aspen FR30 which gives it a small advantage 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 FR20 weighs 60.30kg / 132.7lbs and the PS Audio Aspen FR30 weighs 104.50kg / 229.9lbs. This makes the Aspen FR30 73% heavier than the Aspen FR20.
Here is a comparison of how Aspen FR20 and Aspen FR30's weights compare with the average, max and min weights in Passive Floor-standing class.
Weight
All Floor-standing Speakers
 Height |
1283mm
vs
1537mm
|
Easier to fit in smaller spaces |
 Base Surface Area |
1932cm2
vs
2655cm2
|
Takes less floor space |
 Price per pair* |
22999USD
vs
34999USD
|
costs less (*prices may change depending on the seller, location and time) |
 Max Input Power |
600 watts
vs
300 watts
|
Handle more power from your amplifier |
 Sensitivity |
88 dB
vs
87 dB
|
Play louder with same amount of amplification power |
 Number of Woofers |
4
vs
2
|
More woofers |
| General |
PS Audio Aspen FR20 |
PS Audio Aspen FR30 |
| Brand |
PS Audio |
PS Audio |
| Speaker Type |
Floor-standing speaker |
Floor-standing speaker |
| Power Range |
50-300 watts |
100-600 watts |
| Sensitivity |
87 dB |
88 dB |
| Impedance |
4 ohms |
4 ohms |
| Frequency Response |
23-20k Hz |
23-20k Hz |
Drivers |
|
|
| Woofer Quantity |
2 |
4 |
| Woofer Size |
8" |
8" |
| Woofer Composition |
Composite sandwich |
Composite sandwich |
| Tweeter Size |
2.5" |
2.5" |
| Tweeter Type |
Planar Magnetic |
Planar Magnetic |
| Aimable Tweeter |
No |
No |
| Midrange Driver |
10" |
10" |
| Crossover Frequency |
400 Hz, 2500 Hz – Linkwitz-Riley 4th order acoustic |
400 Hz, 2500 Hz – LR4 |
Physical Specs |
|
|
| Height |
1283.0mm (50.5") |
1537.0mm (60.5") |
| Width |
406.0mm (16") |
406.0mm (16") |
| Depth |
476.0mm (18.7") |
654.0mm (25.7") |
| Weight |
60.30kg (132.7lbs) |
104.50kg (229.9lbs) |
| Enclosure |
Passive Radiator |
Passive Radiator |
| Grille |
Yes |
Yes |
| Moisture Resistancy |
No |
No |
Connections |
|
|
| Biamp Inputs |
No |
No |
Other |
|
|
| Parts Warranty |
|
|
| Labor Warranty |
|
|
Siblings in PS Audio's Aspen series, so they share a family sound. It comes down to size, output and price.
| Area | Better | Why |
|---|
| Bass |
evenly matched |
Much the same reach (23Hz vs 23Hz). |
| Amplifier needs |
evenly matched |
Similar sensitivity (87dB vs 88dB) - both want much the same power. |
| Headroom |
B |
PS Audio Aspen FR30 takes more power (600W vs 300W) - more in hand in a big room. |
| Size |
depends |
PS Audio Aspen FR20 is easier to place; PS Audio Aspen FR30 is bigger, which usually goes with fuller bass. Your room decides. |
| Price |
A |
PS Audio Aspen FR20 is cheaper - $22,999 against $34,999, about 34% less. |
A PS Audio Aspen FR20
B PS Audio Aspen FR30
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?
PS Audio Aspen FR30 is ahead, but only on 1 of the measured areas, and it costs about 34% more. That is a lot of money for a narrow margin on paper - PS Audio Aspen FR20 looks like the sensible buy unless something else about the PS Audio Aspen FR30 appeals to you. Match it to your room: we rate PS Audio Aspen FR30 the better fit for a very large room; elsewhere the two are rated the same. In a large or open-plan room, PS Audio Aspen FR30 has the cabinet volume to fill it more easily; in a small room, near a wall or at desk distance, PS Audio Aspen FR20 is the easier speaker to get right.
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.