# Fluance SX6 Speakers - Opinions and Alternatives for aprox $100



## starbux48

I'm very interested in any posts about the SX6 speakers from Fluance.  Price will be $105 for the pair direct from manufacturer.  Do not have chance to listen to them befoe buying so are there any alternatives around same price that are as good?  I did view a Youtube video that seemed to indicate these sound awesome.  Will be driving them with an Onkyo TX-NR535 receiver around 85w/channel into 8 ohms.


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## zunehdrocks

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=heo66YtJO1w&app=desktop
Is this the review you were talking about?


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## starbux48

Yes that's the only one I've found so far.  They do ship direct, have lifetime warranty, and you have 30 days to audition them and if you want to return them for any reason Fluance even pays the return shipping.  Sounds fair to me.


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## zunehdrocks

I might've mentioned the pioneer bs22 and micca mb42x if i had not seen that video. Zeos says they **** on the miccas and are a step above the pioneers. 
The 2 most popular alternatives are out.
I doubt you'll get any better at this price.


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## zunehdrocks

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8Yq9np0mBfg&app=desktop
Maybe the polk owm 3 if you get a sub

Definitive technology monitor sm45
http://www.stereophile.com/content/definitive-technology-studiomonitor-45-loudspeaker


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## cel4145

zunehdrocks said:


> I might've mentioned the pioneer bs22 and micca mb42x if i had not seen that video. Zeos says they **** on the miccas and are a step above the pioneers.
> The 2 most popular alternatives are out.
> I doubt you'll get any better at this price.




Have you heard the Fluance SX6? 

Audioholics reviewed the whole Fluance SX-HTB+ speaker package, but did not comment on the individual performance of the SX6. Notably, the Pioneer Andrew Jones package was rated better for midrange and treble accuracy. The BS22 have also been reviewed by various other professional reviewers, such as
http://www.soundandvision.com/content/pioneer-sp-bs22-lr-speaker-system
http://www.theabsolutesound.com/articles/pioneer-sp-bs22-lr-loudspeaker/
http://www.stereophile.com/content/pioneer-sp-bs22-lr-loudspeaker

So I don't know think it a good idea to assume that the Fluance are better than the Pioneers based on a single amateur YouTube video. All of the hype surrounding them could be because of that video.


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## zunehdrocks

cel4145 said:


> Have you heard the Fluance SX6?
> 
> Audioholics reviewed the whole Fluance SX-HTB+ speaker package, but did not comment on the individual performance of the SX6. Notably, the Pioneer Andrew Jones package was rated better for midrange and treble accuracy. The BS22 have also been reviewed by various other professional reviewers, such as
> http://www.soundandvision.com/content/pioneer-sp-bs22-lr-speaker-system
> ...



That first link with the fluance sx series doesn't have the sx6 in the package.
http://fluance.com/product/Surround_Sound_Single_Speaker_SXSS.eng-74.html
http://fluance.com/product/SX6_High_Definition_Two_way_Bookshelf_Loudspeakers.eng-12.html
Both the tweeter and woofer specifications *and materials* are different which is very unusual for a speaker in the same series.

I have not heard the fluance sx6. I have heard the pioneer bs22 and bs21.

He has done a review over the pioneers so its not like he is basing his claims off of nothing.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z72X3FZkins&app=desktop


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## starbux48

Well, I have heard the Pioneer BS22s and even in person they didn't sound as good as the Fluance SX6's did in the Youtube video so I have heard the Pioneers and was not impressed with the sound signature.


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## cel4145

zunehdrocks said:


> That first link with the fluance sx series doesn't have the sx6 in the package.
> http://fluance.com/product/Surround_Sound_Single_Speaker_SXSS.eng-74.html
> http://fluance.com/product/SX6_High_Definition_Two_way_Bookshelf_Loudspeakers.eng-12.html
> Both the tweeter and woofer specifications and materials are different which is very unusual for a speaker in the same series.
> ...




Right. I didn't look that closely. But same speaker/model series. 

Listening to the Pioneers is not the same as listening to the Fluance. 

Doesn't matter if he also has a YouTube review of the Pioneers. Any statement based on the claim that "some guy on YouTube said it" is certainly dubious.


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## starbux48

I appreciate all the responses.  I do know that referencing Youtube videos is not a real test.  I did audition the Pioneer B22's and for my taste did not prefer them.  Speakers as all know here are the most subjective (along with headphones) of gear.  What I heard on the Youtube review of the Fluance SX6's even played over very low-fi computer speakers make me want to try them.  30 day money back, no question, return policy when ordered direct.  They even pay the shipping both ways.  I did, and do, want any other speakers to consider though.


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## zunehdrocks

cel4145 said:


> Right. I didn't look that closely. But same speaker/model series.
> 
> Listening to the Pioneers is not the same as listening to the Fluance.
> 
> Doesn't matter if he also has a YouTube review of the Pioneers. Any statement based on the claim that "some guy on YouTube said it" is certainly dubious.



Well i can't really say much else...
Theres barely any reviews or comparisons specifically for the fluance sx6

He has a reddit page with a bit more stuff btw
http://www.reddit.com/r/zeos


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## cel4145

zunehdrocks said:


> Well i can't really say much else...
> Theres barely any reviews or comparisons specifically for the fluance sx6




Exactly. That's the whole point. Would you invest all your life savings in a company because of what one guy says on his YouTube channel? Or would you be better to invest your life savings in a company that has been reviewed professionally? The former is certainly a much, much riskier proposition. 

For instance, you can find people on the Internet swearing up and down that Bose Acoustimass speakers are the greatest things ever. Yet consistently, when people are asked to compare them to other comparably priced top speaker sets, most people will find that the Bose don't sound as good--by a significant margin. Yet, there is always that rare person that likes the Bose better. For all you know, only 1 in 50 people would prefer the Fluance to the Pioneers, and that guy on his YouTube channel is that one person. 

So I'm not saying the Fluance are bad. I'm saying that there's not enough evidence to support that they are as good as that guy claims. Might be/might not. But I guess if you like to go to the track and throw your money down on the long shot . . .


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## starbux48

Two responses to last post.  I am not anyone else.  I don't care how many amateur and "professional" reviews there are on a manufacturer.  I am not going on reviews, I am going on how the Pioneers sound in person and the Fluances sound in the video.  I have seen the written reviews of the Pioneer BS22s out there,  but when I heard them myself I definitely did not like them.  I respect others preferences and views, but I have heard the Pioneers myself. I found Best Buy speakers that sounded as good for half the price.  And when a company pays for shipping both ways, and offers a return for any reason where is the gamble?
  
 I feel the characterization of "But I guess if you like to go to the track and throw your money down on the long shot . . ." is unfair.  Fluance is a manufacturer that has chosen not to sign agreements with dealers or bigbox stores. I've seen companies like that before that means nothing as to their quality or anything about the company. When one gambles, it is often on word of mouth information or opinions of others, my desire to check out the Fluances is based on evidence of what they sounded like on the video.  If they sound half as good in person, and I can return them for a 100% return, that to me is no gamble. 
  
 To answer "Would you invest all your life savings in a company because of what one guy says on his YouTube channel? Or would you be better to invest your life savings in a company that has been reviewed professionally? The former is certainly a much, much riskier proposition", I am not investing my life savings (#1) and (#2) my interest has nothing to do with whoever posted the demo on the SX6 speakers said.  My interest is on the music I heard.  I guess that's been misunderstood.  What I meant to say and convey was what I heard on the demo, several types of music including types I listen to were played and they sounded better via my computer speakers than any of the Pioneers I have personally heard.  I have no idea what he said because most of the video was music playing unlike 99.9% of Youtube "reviews" that the viewer rather than hear multiple tracks to show what the speakers will do instead are subjected to a video version of what could easily have been a text review on Amazon.  My opinion so far and probable decision to check them out has nothing to do with anyone's opinion because I have heard them even though it's online, not read someones opinion or review.
  
 I have been using gear since mid 70's and not a newbie.  I have owned Polks, PSB, Pioneer, Wharfedale Diamond 10.1s, and others, and to me the Pioneers, no matter what others may think or how many like them, I do not.  The reason for my post was to elicit other suggestions that I may wish to consider that in one way or another I could "audition" the speakers.  I can audition Pioneers if I fork over $129 to Best Buy or audition the Fluance SX6 speakers by forking over $105.  Hmm, seems like I am saving money.
  
 Please if anyone else has speaker names to recommend, I welcome them.


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## cel4145

starbux48 said:


> Two responses to last post.  I am not anyone else.  I don't care how many amateur and "professional" reviews there are on a manufacturer.  I am not going on reviews, I am going on how the Pioneers sound in person *and the Fluances sound in the video.*




Well, as you have already pointed out, YouTube videos are questionable for auditioning speakers. I personally would not factor them into speaker choice at all given that the room they were recorded in, the speaker placement, the recording equipment and its placement, and the speakers you listen to the recording with all color the sound. And then a YouTube recording can never give you any idea about the quality of the imaging and the soundstage, which could impact your preference if they are listened to in person. In fact, I ignore them completely because I know that it is such an extremely unreliable method of evaluating speakers, that I'm better off not even letting the video experience bias me at all. This is the only speaker video that I have ever seen that provides much useful insight into speaker performance:

[VIDEO]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XlpqBoQ1hoQ[/VIDEO]



However, if you did not like the Pioneers for the money, that is certainly understandable in that speaker choice is an individual listening preference thing. If you listened to them in a BestBuy, I would warn you that's a horrible place to evaluate speakers. 

As far as the analogy I made, that was just to make the point that speakers are an investment, that it is risky to make decisions based on one person's YouTube video, and it was in reply to zunehdrocks. People are often quick to recommend audio equipment A over equipment B based on almost no (or dubious information) without pointing out the risk to the person of doing so. In your case, if you can afford to audition speakers and return them if you don't like them, then by all means do so. That's the way to know if you'll like something. As far as auditioning the Pioneers, if you have a BestBuy nearby, no cost to audition other than driving to get them and driving to return them. If your credit card will handle it, buy both and compare them side by side and just for yourself since you can return either for free 

For other suggestions, the Pioneers and Miccas are some of the best alternatives in your budget range. The Pioneers will often drop in price (do a search for them with slickdeals as a keyword), so you can certainly catch them for closer to $100 if you are patient. Polk's factory direct store on Ebay will also have some of the TSi/Monitor series for close to your price range (TSi and Monitors are about the same); Newegg also often has sales on Polks. Accessories4less.com may have some factory refurbished/factory warrantied speakers in your budget range--check them out.


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## starbux48

I did hear the Pioneers at local Best Buy and maybe if they go on sale again I may try them to listen at home instead of in the store.  Best Buy is a horrible place the way they set up speakers now as they have extremely limited source material.  I won't buy anything that can't be returned either online or in person.  I do have a nearby Fry's Electronics that might be a place to go sometime.  As far as ordering online either Ebay/direct from manufacturers, there will not be an ability to return anything so even if they hit my pitiful price range, I would have to either order from manufacturer like Polk or Fluance direct.  I don't know if Polk pays return shipping and offers unconditional returns, but will check.


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## cel4145

No doubt. You can take your own source material, but that doesn't help much. Have you ever looked closely at how they have all their electronics wired up through their speaker switching system? Yuck! And then I wonder about their receiver configuration. Since they have everything setup for listening to a subwoofer, do all the speakers have a crossover set? Do they have the speakers EQd or tone controls applied? LOL

BestBuy carries the Polk TSx series. Polk typically has made slight variations of their same speaker line: Polk Monitor, Polk Monitor II, Polk TSi. The differences are mostly cosmetic. I think the TSx may be the same in that line (not sure).


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## starbux48

I just found some Infinity P143 speakers for around $65/pair from Amazon.  Only drawback would be I would have to pay return shipping if I didn't like them.  Normally $65 each, so about 1/2 MSRP.


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## starbux48

Now there are several paid of Polk Audio R15's on Ebay around $65/pair incl shipping.  I know wouldnt be able to return them but are another possibility.


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## zunehdrocks

cel4145 said:


> Exactly. That's the whole point. Would you invest all your life savings in a company because of what one guy says on his YouTube channel? Or would you be better to invest your life savings in a company that has been reviewed professionally? The former is certainly a much, much riskier proposition.
> 
> For instance, you can find people on the Internet swearing up and down that Bose Acoustimass speakers are the greatest things ever. Yet consistently, when people are asked to compare them to other comparably priced top speaker sets, most people will find that the Bose don't sound as good--by a significant margin. Yet, there is always that rare person that likes the Bose better. For all you know, only 1 in 50 people would prefer the Fluance to the Pioneers, and that guy on his YouTube channel is that one person.
> 
> So I'm not saying the Fluance are bad. I'm saying that there's not enough evidence to support that they are as good as that guy claims. Might be/might not. But I guess if you like to go to the track and throw your money down on the long shot . . .


 
 He doesn't really seem all that incompetent (which is why i give him so much credibility)
 Check out a few of his guides. You might end up liking or agreeing with them.
 http://www.reddit.com/r/zeos
  
  
 http://tascam.com/product/dr-40/specifications/
 (his mic)


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## cel4145

zunehdrocks said:


> He doesn't really seem all that incompetent (which is why i give him so much credibility)
> Check out a few of his guides. You might end up liking or agreeing with them.
> http://www.reddit.com/r/zeos




I think you have a fan boy crush 

Over the years, I have helped hundreds of people buy speakers and subs over at AVS Forum, and have even written a speaker FAQ myself (all but the surround section, #6). If one of the AVS members over there that I know and respect said Speaker A is better than Speaker B in what looks to be the same class of speaker, I would still doubt it until we had many more comparisons come in. Personal listening tastes make too much of a difference. Room & placement makes too much of a difference. So even if your boy likes the Fluance better than the Pioneer, that does not mean that most people will for most uses. It only suggests that they might be equivalent in class. Particularly given Audioholics reviews of both speaker model series. 

BTW: Your boy is wrong. .1 is a channel with movies and other multichannel audio. And his explanation of room correction software is a bit lame. Room correction software will almost _always_ improve the frequency response of a speaker set by smoothing it, whether or not the listener prefers that. And it doesn't measure distance; the software measures delay and corrects for that. They just express the concept as distant (which is why you should never override it just because the distance seems off). The receiver brand explanation is rather lame, too. There are other things I would correct in that guide page--seems like the writing of someone who has been trying to assimilate all that they have read, but hasn't quite groked it all yet. 

In fact, he seems to be trying to make a name for himself really, really hard to the extent of being a bit of an overachiever who is probably over reaching a bit. All of his guides are from this year (except one). And all of his YouTube reviews are from this year. Maybe in a few years I'll be more enamored of him like you are (lol)


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## zunehdrocks

cel4145 said:


> I think you have a fan boy crush
> 
> 
> 
> ...


 

 Ouch
 I think we need a few people to buy both and return one to test a bit of his competence.


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## cel4145

zunehdrocks said:


> I think we need a few people to buy both and return one to test a bit of his competence.




I would bet that they are similar in class, and that personal preference and specific use would be the deciding factor. Although the descriptions in Audioholics reviews does lean toward the Pioneer series perhaps having higher quality drivers and tweeters (note their comments on treble and mid accuracy), but that's just a guess. 

For instance, here are the measurements of the Pioneers from Stereophile's review and notice how the bass is tuned differently between them and the SX6:



Black trace is the sum response. 

And then here is what Fluance says for the SX6



The Pioneers look to have more linear bass response down to 70hz (probably the tuning point) and then sharply fall off from there. That's probably an intentional tuning design with the idea that one would cross them over with a sub at 80hz. The Fluance seem to start to roll off starting around 100hz (probably the tuning point), with a more gradual decrease in bass. So one person might like the Fluance for their deeper bass extension, although diminished output in the midbass. And someone else might like the stronger midbass output of the Pioneers. The Fluance could benefit from boundary gain below 70hz, where the Pioneers have already rolled off, so the Fluance could have a good bit more audible bass extension that would make them sound pretty linear if they are getting boosted by the room. On the other hand, the higher tuning point is a tradeoff. Speakers/subs exhibit much higher levels of distortion below their tuning point. So the Pioneers could easily sound cleaner in bass response from 70 to 100hz because of the tuning, assuming that the drivers are otherwise comparable in SQ. 

Consequently, even if the drivers are similar quality, these speakers are setup differently such that one person could like one or the other better when it comes to bass response based on personal preference, and for that matter, someone might like one or the other better in different setups in one's own home.


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## zunehdrocks

If this really does sound like other ribbon tweeters...
http://www.parts-express.com/dayton-audio-amt-mini-8-air-motion-transformer-tweeter-8-ohm--275-095


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## zunehdrocks

starbux48 said:


> Well, I have heard the Pioneer BS22s and even in person they didn't sound as good as the Fluance SX6's did in the Youtube video so I have heard the Pioneers and was not impressed with the sound signature.


cel4145
Do you think you could get away with hearing the two videos and comparing the differences in sound?
He uses the same
Room 
Speaker placement
Mic placement
Mic (tascam dr40 which is rated at 20-40khz +1db/-3db)


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## cel4145

zunehdrocks said:


> cel4145
> Do you think you could get away with hearing the two videos and comparing the differences in sound?




It would be like listening to both speakers through a heavy EQ filter, only you don't know how they have been EQd, and you also cannot judge the soundstage and imaging. I just don't what you can get out of it.


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## Gr33nL34f

interesting. i was set on the pioneers but also found zeos review of the fluances and they do seems pretty nice. read on amazon a guy changing out the woofer on them to some peerless woofers and said they sound alot better and matched well with the tweeter but its one guy talking like cel said not sure if i can trust his judgement but like the guy said on amazon the cabinet on the fluances are probably worth a good bit so it maybe worth a try.
http://www.parts-express.com/peerless-830860-5-1-4-ppb-cone-hds-woofer--264-1080


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## Gr33nL34f

this is the amazon review im talking about:

SIMPLE MODIFICATION: Many have complained about the brightness of the 5.25" mid-woofer and their is a simple fix that will upgrade this speaker to be as good as any in this size. Parts Express sells the Danish made Peerless HDS PPB woofer $41/ea and you only need to unscrew the speaker and unplug the woofer and attach speaker wire (light colour is hot and dark is the ground). Drop it in and it fits in the cut out. It takes a drill for four (not six) holes, use only the top and bottom screw holes. The driver is truncated frame and exposes a small amount of the finished wood on the top and bottom of the speaker. These are high end drivers and they mate perfectly with the silk dome and crossover. They are better than the Wharfedale Diamond 2.2 at near 1/2 the price. The boxes alone are worth $129, and this $82 plus shipping will make it a true audiophile speaker. I have permanently replace my Swan copies because of the beautiful bass and smooth highs.

First let me say the ten hour break in is bogus. It takes more like 20-30 hours of use at a higher than normal volume to get these stiff components loosened up. My original AR 3A speakers took over fifty before they smoothed out, so these aren't as bad as those. The sound is just now smoothing out, but the instrument separation is truly amazing. The extended highs are something more expensive speakers would be proud of. I'm using a classic AKAI hand built 30 watt/channel amp and it takes all of it's power when played at high level. These are not like today's amp and simply won't clip when giving up their power, and they never gave head room power in the early seventies. I have a DIY version of the original Swan M1 and I thought they were the best small speakers I've ever heard, but now I must reserve that opinion until these SX6's get a good hundred hours to be a bit more relaxed. I've read many reviews on several sites, and I can't for the life of me understand what these people are listening to. A few years ago they began using this new tweeter and I hope they continue to use it in the future. I really think these speakers would best be used as stand alone stereo speakers with no sub.


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## cel4145

gr33nl34f said:


> interesting. i was set on the pioneers but also found zeos review of the fluances and they do seems pretty nice. read on amazon a guy changing out the woofer on them to some peerless woofers and said they sound alot better and matched well with the tweeter but its one guy talking like cel said not sure if i can trust his judgement but like the guy said on amazon the cabinet on the fluances are probably worth a good bit so it maybe worth a try.
> http://www.parts-express.com/peerless-830860-5-1-4-ppb-cone-hds-woofer--264-1080




A tweeter, driver, and crossover are all matched, and the inner enclosure volume is designed to support them. So there is much more to speaker design than simply sticking a new driver in a cabinet.

That being said, you could put together your own speaker using vetted designs and components. There's a large speaker DIY community on the web


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