In this review, we will be comparing two different types of speakers by PS Audio. PS Audio Aspen FR5 is a Bookshelf speaker whereas the Aspen FR10 is a Floor-standing speaker.
Let's have a brief look at the main features
of PS Audio Aspen FR5 and PS Audio Aspen FR10 first before getting into our more
detailed comparison.
| Key Specs | PS Audio Aspen FR5 | PS Audio Aspen FR10 |
|---|
| Design | 2-way | 3-way |
|---|
| Tweeter | 2.5" Planar Magnetic | 2.5" Planar Magnetic |
|---|
| Midrange | — | 8" |
|---|
| Woofer | 6.5" Composite sandwich | 2 x 6.5" Composite sandwich |
|---|
| Frequency response | 35-20k Hz | 32-20k Hz |
|---|
| Sensitivity | 83.5 dB | 86.5 dB |
|---|
| Impedance | 6 ohms | 4 ohms |
|---|
| Power range | 50-150 watts | 50-200 watts |
|---|
| Weight | 12.10kg / 26.6lbs | 34.10kg / 75lbs |
|---|
| Dimensions (H x W x D) | 14-1/2" x 8" x 13"
368.0 x 203.0 x 330.0mm | 41-1/2" x 11-3/4" x 16-1/4"
1054.0 x 298.0 x 413.0mm |
|---|
Aspen FR5 and Aspen FR10 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 FR5 and PS Audio Aspen FR10 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 FR5 |
PS Audio Aspen FR10 |
| Near-field |
Good |
Poor |
| Small Room |
Good |
Average |
| Mid-size Room |
Average |
Good |
| Large Room |
Poor |
Average |
| Very Large Room |
No way |
Poor |
(* 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
One of the fundamental differences between these two speakers is that Aspen FR5 is a 2-way design whereas the Aspen FR10 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.
PS Audio Aspen FR5PS Audio Aspen FR10
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 FR5 |
PS Audio Aspen FR10 |
|
Driver Setup
|
2-way
|
3-way
|
|
Tweeter
|
2.5-inch
|
2.5-inch
|
|
Midrange
|
- |
1 x 8-inch |
|
Woofer
|
1 x 6.5-inch
|
2 x 6.5-inch
|
Aspen FR5 features a 2.5" Teonex planar magnetic Planar Magnetic Tweeter and 1 x 6.5" Composite sandwich Woofer with a Crossover frequency at 1750 Hz - Linkwitz-Riley 6th order acoustic. On the other hand, the 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.
Frequency Response
Aspen FR5 has a frequency range of 35-20k Hz whereas Aspen FR10 has a frequency range of 32-20k Hz. With a minimum frequency of 32Hz, the Aspen FR10 can go slightly deeper then the Aspen FR5's min frequency of 35Hz.
The graph below depicts how these two speakers compare with the max, min and average Low Frequency values of other speakers in the Bookshelf class in our database.
Low Frequency
Bookshelf 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 FR5 is a 6 ohms speaker compared to the Aspen FR10 which has a nominal impedance of 4 ohms. Lower impedance speakers, especially the ones that are rated at 4 ohms may put more pressure on the amplifier unit especially when played at high volume levels, so make sure the amp you pair with the Aspen FR10 can provide this impedance level.
These two speakers also have different sensitivity levels. Aspen FR5 sensitivity is rated at 83.5 dB and the Aspen FR10's is rated at 86.5 dB. This 3 dB difference makes the PS Audio Aspen FR10 a more sensitive speaker compared to PS Audio Aspen FR5, hence will play louder with the same amount of watts.
Sensitivity
Bookshelf 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 FR10 can handle a max power of 200 watts RMS, whereas Aspen FR5 has a max power handling value of 150 watts RMS, 50 watts less than the Aspen FR10.
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 FR5 features Binding post type posts and Aspen FR10 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 FR5's and PS Audio Aspen FR10's external dimensions. PS Audio Aspen FR5 has external dimensions of 368.0 x 203.0 x 330.0mm (14-1/2 x 8 x 13inch) whereas 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).
PS Audio Aspen FR10 is clearly the larger of the two speakers. Its body is 95mm wider, 686mm taller and 83mm deeper than PS Audio Aspen FR5.
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 FR5 is approximately 669.9cm2 / 103.8inch2 and base area of the PS Audio Aspen FR10 is approximately 1230.7cm2 / 190.8inch2. The Aspen FR5 requires 46% less surface area than the Aspen FR10 which gives it a small advantage on placement in tight spaces.