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 FR30 is a Floor-standing speaker.
Let's have a brief look at the main features
of PS Audio Aspen FR5 and PS Audio Aspen FR30 first before getting into our more
detailed comparison.
| Key Specs | PS Audio Aspen FR5 | PS Audio Aspen FR30 |
|---|
| Design | 2-way | 3-way |
|---|
| Tweeter | 2.5" Planar Magnetic | 2.5" Planar Magnetic |
|---|
| Midrange | — | 10" |
|---|
| Woofer | 6.5" Composite sandwich | 4 x 8" Composite sandwich |
|---|
| Frequency response | 35-20k Hz | 23-20k Hz |
|---|
| Sensitivity | 83.5 dB | 88 dB |
|---|
| Impedance | 6 ohms | 4 ohms |
|---|
| Power range | 50-150 watts | 100-600 watts |
|---|
| Weight | 12.10kg / 26.6lbs | 104.50kg / 229.9lbs |
|---|
| Dimensions (H x W x D) | 14-1/2" x 8" x 13"
368.0 x 203.0 x 330.0mm | 60-1/2" x 16" x 25-3/4"
1537.0 x 406.0 x 654.0mm |
|---|
Aspen FR5 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 FR5 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 FR5 |
PS Audio Aspen FR30 |
| Near-field |
Good |
Are you nuts? |
| Small Room |
Good |
Poor |
| Mid-size Room |
Average |
Average |
| Large Room |
Poor |
Good |
| Very Large Room |
No way |
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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Drivers
One of the fundamental differences between these two speakers is that Aspen FR5 is a 2-way design whereas the Aspen FR30 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 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 FR5 |
PS Audio Aspen FR30 |
|
Driver Setup
|
2-way
|
3-way
|
|
Tweeter
|
2.5-inch
|
2.5-inch
|
|
Midrange
|
- |
1 x 10-inch |
|
Woofer
|
1 x 6.5-inch
|
4 x 8-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 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 FR5 has a frequency range of 35-20k Hz whereas Aspen FR30 has a frequency range of 23-20k Hz. With a minimum frequency of 23Hz, the Aspen FR30 can go significantly deeper on the low side and provide stronger bass compared to 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 FR30 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 FR30 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 FR30's is rated at 88 dB. This 4 dB difference makes the PS Audio Aspen FR30 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 FR30 can handle a max power of 600 watts RMS, whereas Aspen FR5 has a max power handling value of 150 watts RMS, 450 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 FR5 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 FR5's and PS Audio Aspen FR30'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 FR30 has external dimensions of 1537.0 x 406.0 x 654.0mm (60-1/2 x 16 x 25-3/4inch).
PS Audio Aspen FR30 is clearly the larger of the two speakers. Its body is 203mm wider, 1169mm taller and 324mm 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 FR30 is approximately 2655.2cm2 / 411.6inch2. The Aspen FR5 requires 75% less surface area than the Aspen FR30 which gives it a small advantage on placement in tight spaces.