$499 Powered Towers! Fluance Ai81 Review

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[@keepingupwiththejones2933]

Yes Fresh Hate Jay making an appearance. That dip in the upper mid range can fixed with Joe's Magic Beans ❤❤🔥🔥

[@guestgoogle4979]

I think part of the frequency response issue is due to the crossover; the large 1-2k dip is likely from cancellation in the crossover region. And they're definitely not using active crossovers; since there's only a single pair of wires going to the secondary speaker, it must have a passive crossover inside. And then surely they're passively crossing the primary speaker as well. For the price this is not at all surprising. I was wondering if anyone has measured the off-axis response at all. It might be eq'able to fix those 2 issue areas.

[@bluelines1792]

I wonder what the Bluetooth identifier is like is it “sound tower because that would be party speaker giveaway.

[@iverson954360]

I bought these a few months ago to use in my stereo set up with a PB1000 as the sub. Replaced a Kanto YU6 with Sub8 set up I had for years. Mainly used to watch movies with some music listening. Overall for the price I'm happy with the set up, but I think a lot of manufacturers need to start including a HDMI port for eArc support on their powered set ups (kinda like Klipsch has been doing with their "The ___" series).

[@jefftaft6036]

Man I was so close to pulling the trigger on the Kanto yu6 and sub, but now you have me rethinking. My setup is for music only. I take it that you like the Ai81's better?

[@iverson954360]

@@jefftaft6036 There's reasons to pick the Kantos over the Ai81s. Aesthetically Kantos look much better (I got the flat gray speakers and subwoofer), especially if they'll be in a common room where you entertain guests. Easier to move if you're a renter and have to think about that stuff. More options for placement like literally placing them on a bookshelf or buying speaker stands etc. For source material when I listened to music it wasn't anything crazy, it was Spotify over Tosslink from either an Nvidia shield or Apple TV, they both sound great to my damaged ears until you start really cranking the volume, that's where the Ai81s start hitting with more authority at the low end because the obvious disadvantage the Kantos have with cone surface area. One thing I didn't like about the Kantos were the fact that it seemed like the EQ adjustments you made on the remote for the bass also affected the subwoofer so you would have to essentially dial in your bass profile for the speakers with the subwoofer disconnected and then set the subwoofer level accordingly once hooked up. Ultimately the Kantos live upstairs now for daytime TV viewing and playing music when guests are over, with occasional vinyl duty as well. I still like them. The Ai81s are pulling movie duty downstairs in the den with the OLED tv.

[@axe2grind244]

I don’t know much about audio, but I got these and I really like them but what I didn’t realize is that they can’t be used with a PS5 or Series X cuz the new consoles don’t have optical inputs anymore. Is there any way to offset this that you know of?

[@iverson954360]

@@axe2grind244 Your tv should have an optical out to use. You would just have to enable it as the output in your tv settings.

[@axe2grind244]

@@iverson954360 Thank you 👍

[@JDuBz815]

Hey Joe, thanks for the review... Do these have just 1 amp in 1 speaker or 1 amp in each speaker? Thanks

[@Pablo-cl6pu]

They have only one amp

[@axe2grind244]

How do I use these with a PS5 or Series X? I didn’t realize the new consoles don’t have optical anymore…does anyone know if there is a way to offset this?

[@ben23a31]

Joe, JBL is having a sale on the JBL 550P Sub for $189.00 down from $699.00

[@audiosmackdown]

good review Joe. The answer for cheap towers is....Find yourself some used Pioneer FS52 and and amp

[@joentell]

I loved those. I owned 2 pair that I purchased.

[@lukeselker5175]

Do you have any idea what the directivity on these is like? If they are EQ-able, then they are a tremendous value. Even if the directivity is relatively poor, pretty hard to imagine getting fully active towers that don't sound like garbage at this price. Fluance is doing something pretty creative here.

[@joentell]

I didn't because I didn't think many would bother to EQ these. I think it could benefit from EQ, but I don't think the dip is fixable.

[@fieldcar]

I think you may need to re-measure gated nearfield (about 1 inch from each driver, then overlay in rew) or 1 meter away at the tweeter's vertical 0 degree. You are probably measuing at a major lobing/cancellation point at like 30-40 degrees below the tweeter. Check this with erin, as he may have an idea why the measurement looks off.

[@joentell]

I frequently compare my measurements with Erin's and Amir's when we have the same speaker in. I feel confident that my measurements would reflect what would show on the Klippel's Listening Window Response.

[@fieldcar]

@@joentell Sounds good. If that's the case, wow, what a crazy dip at the crossover. I appreciate the honesty. I'm just reminded about Erin's talk about negative reviews, and was worried about how manufacturer's could view your channel. Have a good one Joe.

[@joentell]

@@fieldcar I just got a response back from the company thanking me for an honest review. I like that. If this helps them make a better product in the future, that's a win for everyone.

[@Mr21scott]

I wish someone would change the picture under "Sonos Arc" on the leaderboard page to be a picture of an actual Sonos Arc.

[@Steve30x]

I wish more companies would make speakers that are either downward ported or front ported. I can't pull my speakers out from the wall much so rear ported speakers are out of the question.

[@joentell]

It definitely helps with bass response

[@shipsahoy1793]

That dip does affect your perception of voices. Idk why, but towers generally seem to suck for some reason compared to bookshelf’s on stands with subs in a proper setup, or just “proper” 3-way floor standers. Towers are more like “eye candy” for some people tbh.

[@shawnorjiakor]

Fluance active speakers sound at their best by bypassing their internal DAC to a different DAC. The Ai81s are no different... On their own, they're for the everyman listener. But, with a change of DAC and source, they can punch above it's value. Synergy is crucial, but when it works... You get amazing results.

[@joentell]

I measured the passive speaker also which bypasses everything.

[@shawnorjiakor]

​​@@joentellthat's not what I meant, Joe. I was talking about bypassing the internet DAC via optical from the active speaker.

[@shawnorjiakor]

@@joentell Using different DACs and sources per se.

[@joentell]

@@shawnorjiakor I understood. I'm just saying the issues I had with the frequency response cannot be fixed by using an external DAC.

[@shawnorjiakor]

@@joentell I get that. I didn't say the frequency response issues are fully resolved with an external DAC. Fluance does have quality control issues and not all units sound the same.

[@UberAlphaSirus]

I read that as Flatuance.

[@edwarddesmond2975]

This is my opinion of a Speaker and that is if it sounds good you don't need software to tell you it doesn't or maybe it's my OLD ears, Anyway before the Umik-1 and other Calibration methods came about for the consumer a speaker was a speaker so I guess what you don't know won't effect you, I have even heard speakers that test well that seems a bit off to me but maybe that has something to do with our choices of music and our choices of sound

[@joentell]

I have viewers who have old speakers that they chose because they listened to them at the store and it sounded best to them. I'm talking speakers from the 70's, 80's, 90's etc. They love their speakers. But then when we go to measure them, and they find that there are obvious issues caused by the design. They still have an attachment to them. I recommend something like the Arendal speakers that measure extremely well. At first they're reluctant, but they give it a shot. Guess what happens? The old speakers get taken out and never return. I have one guy who can't stop raving about how amazing they sound. I'm not surprised one bit. Why? Because the measurements show that! There's a direct correlation between how a speaker sounds and how it measures. It's really that simple. The way the dimensions of a box will tell you how large the box is, and measurements will ensure the sides are straight, the same can be said for the measurements of the acoustic properties of a speaker. It's not a mystery. Many will argue that a speaker that doesn't measure well might still sound good, but 9 out of 10 times, in a blind test based only on the sound quality, people will choose a better measuring speaker. But not everyone buys based on sound quality alone. They might like the brand, or the look, and that's ok too!

[@edwarddesmond2975]

@@joentell So when we go to buy speakers should we charge the batteries in our Laptops and bring our Umik-1 microphone to the dealership or should we depend on the opinions of others, Manufacturers embellish the Specs of their speakers so you can't depend them, What is the best way to buy speakers ?

[@JMJM75257]

I guessed an under $500 pair of bookies and you threw a curve ball with these active towers! Seems like it could have had a ton of potential like you said with dsp. But let's face it they most definitely cheaped out on internal processing probably forgoing a flatter response to meet a price point. It's a shame because I'd have paid around $100 more to have a more linear response. Definitely missed the mark on this set.

[@joentell]

I measured the port tuning and it's tuned low. I heard audible 25hz tones. Maybe, depending on the placement and the room, you could get some surprisingly good bass extension.

[@JMJM75257]

@@joentell I let the subs do the talking down low! I'd take a mid centric set of bookshelves with the aforementioned subs any day of the week over towers. I feel you tend to get a more believable soundstage from the smaller speakers and paired with subs you end up a better overall experience. Just my 2cents!

[@madarcturian]

I like dips there. Imagine it was intended.

[@joentell]

You might like these then.

[@Audio_Simon]

You get a nice appearance, a lot of woofer and convince for your money. Do they go loud? But meh.. not one for me as I prioritize quality over quantity.

[@shipsahoy1793]

These speakers don’t make much sense from a marketing viewpoint.. Is there a $500 active tower pair with optical in and dsp for 2.0 home theater and stereo niche that I’ve never heard of? Seems like an answer to a non-existent question lol

[@JDuBz815]

I can see it being used in a minimalist or "spouse approved" setup. Smart tv, active towers, maybe a blu ray player. For those with smaller spaces or who just don't want a bunch of components. Personally I was thinking about them for my race sim rig lol

[@impuls60]

Measuring crossover at 1 foot makes no sense when the standard is 1meter away. Pls reupload at 1 meter with the usual Rew measurement settings.

[@AngelGarcia-5BignsFishing]

I thought Fresh Hater J was related to you. But yall look NOTHING alike 🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣

[@edverbeek6292]

I clicked off after you said this video is sponsored by Fluance.

[@joentell]

Your prerogative. I followed up with a bunch of negative stuff, if that helps. LOL.