Fluance Elite High Definition 2-Way Bookshelf Surround Sound Speakers for 2-Channel Stereo Listening or Home Theater System - Natural Walnut/Pair (SX6W)

If you have been listening to your music collection on cheap (or even fairly expensive) compute grade speakers you haven't truly been hearing it. Once you break these babies in and give them a listen you will understand what I mean.I received my SX6s a few days. Since then I have been breaking them in by playing pink noise through them at a moderate volume for about ten hours. I think they are pretty much broken in now so I thought I'd share some of my thoughts on these bookshelf speakers.DESIGNMany have said that these speakers are huge. I agree with this to a certain point. If you are comparing them with a set of logitech or other computer speakers they would seem rather huge. My last set of speakers was a quite large set of 90's Aiwa, i guess you could call them, bookshelf speakers. The Fluance's are actually smaller than these old speakers so to me they don't seem that big at all. If you're going from an average computer grade speaker system to the SX6s they might seem large in comparison. I actually find there size to be about right for my setup, but I have a rather large computer desk with plenty of room.You can get a basic idea of their design from the pics so I won't bore you with the details. I will try to highlight a few elements you can't tell from the pics.1. The SX6's are made out of a very nice MDF material and have an understated woodgrain pattern. I have the black pair and I really like their appearance.2. Many have complained about their base pedestal. I really don't mind it. I guess you could remove it if you'd like and then they would be sitting on their grommets. I have mine on Adam Hall isolation pads and they look very nice.3. The speaker covers look a little cheap. They are made from a slightly thin fabric and may tear with some abuse. They are pretty typical for speakers in this class though.4. The main design element I don't like with these speakers is their sharp edges. I would have rather they routed the corners instead of leaving them untouched. They seem as though they will scratch and nick very easily.SOUNDThis is where the SX6s really excel. They present a very natural, open sound stage. When compared to most speakers I've heard in this class they are much clearer and more natural. I have a pair of the Dayton B652s (non air) and the SX6s kick the woofers out of those. Both sets have decent bass and highs but the Fluance's sound so much more accurate and open than the Daytons.When you first connect the SX6s to your amp and listen to them the music sounds a little flat. There is not much bass or midbass at the begging. Once you break these babies in for about ten hours (as per the manufacture's recommendation) they really come alive. Lower frequencies are filled in nicely and highs really come alive. I've been able to get them to hit down around 50hz so far. If you need lower bass consider adding a sub.When I play "The Walking Blues" by Royal Crown Revue I am able to hear a full and rich soundstage presented by the orchestra and lead vocals. The tenner sax sounds like it is coming from just off of right center and the vocals sound as though they are coming from the middle. I was never able to hear these nuances with my Aiwa or Dayton speakers, lat alone ANY set of Logitechs!The SX6s have one of the best tweeters I've ever heard. I'm sure there are better ones out there, but this is the best I've heard to date. Highs are clean and crisp while not sounding shrill. Symbals and tenner instruments sounds beautiful and really aid in the natural soundstage.One downside, if you want to call it that, to these speakers is that you can immediately hear the weaknesses in compressed music. Mp3s just don't present the same level clarity and soundstage as lossless audio formats. This truly and issue with compressed music and not these speakers. With lesser speakers it is harder to hear the difference between compressed and uncompressed audio.These speakers are, however, not perfect. One area they seem to struggle is with midbass. Frequences between 120 and 200hz seem a bit muted. I am hoping these come alive after more break in.SUMMERYSo to summerize I'd just like to say again how much I really like the Fluance SX6s. They certainly are not perfect and I'm sure you can find better speakers out there, but not at this price. I purchased a reconditioned pair from Fluance for $100 and they are well worth that price if not twice.UPDATE - 10-21-15I am still really liking these speakers. Currently. I am powering them with an SMSL SA50 amp and using a Behhringer UCA202 DAC. This is a great system and produces excellent sound for the cost (around $200 total depending on the current price of the amp and speakers). I stilly highly recommend these speakers! I've had no issues with them to date.

I am building up an economical 2-channel stereo system with the main components being CD player, amplifier and loudspeakers. My challenging idea is to optimize the audio performance with a total budget of less than 500 usd. With the purchase of Fluance SX6 loudspeakers from Amazon, I believe I am approaching my goal, and even saving some money.In order to keep my planned budget in control, my other equipment consists of second-hand vintage elements obtained from eBay, with sufficiently low distortion and decent output power for enjoying just basic hi-fi. My integrated amplifier is Fisher CA-880, and the CD player is JVC XL-V311. I have connected the Fluance speakers via 16-gauge wires. My listening room size is around 14x14 feet, with attenuating material on the walls and floor.I have "warmed up" the loudspeakers for about one week, and this is the result of the evaluation of some of my favorite music today:1) Antonio Vivaldi. Conciertos. "Concierto en re mayor para guitarra y orquestra de cuerda". Josef Podhoransky, orquesta de cámara eslovaca. Allegro and Largo. It is a pleasure to listen to the natural sound of flutes and guitar. There is a spacious feeling, with natural sound and accurate position of the acoustic instruments. The sound of violins is equally natural and accurate, although there might be some, slightly harder mid-range sounds noted.2) Jean Sibelius. Finlandia records 2003. "Valse triste". The speakers handle the wide dynamics of the violins beautifully in this piece, delivering clear and natural sound over the whole frequency range except in the lowest band.3) Mark Knopfler: Local Hero. "Wild Theme". The guitar and piano are in a good balance. Both sound natural, and the image is enjoyable. Pleasant, warm and accurate delivery of the music.4) Diana Krall: The Look of Love. "S'Wonderful". The voice of Diana is natural and accurate. The instruments of the orchestra are in balance in mid and high band, although the lowest bass is relatively weak. Violins and piano sound natural, and the speakers create a spacious feeling. There is occasional hardiness in some of the mid/high-band sounds which might partially be a result of still non-optimal preparation of the listening room.5) Tomatito: Anthology. "Spain". Excellent balance of instruments. The overall sound is simply enjoyable in order to admire the fusion of jazz and flamenco. The natural sound of the piano fits nicely to the acoustic guitar of Tomatito, and also the higher bass is present. As previously, though, the lower bass area is weak.6) Gotan Project: La Revancha del Tango. "Triptico". This music is a combination of acoustic and electrical instruments, and the bass is essential in this very piece. The accordion sounds natural although it might be slightly hard which could be an indication of some small variations in mid-high band frequency response and/or potential echoing in the listening room. The speakers deliver an accurate image, and the sound of the acoustic instruments including piano is in general pleasant. As for the electrical instruments, there is clearly higher frequency bass present, although this area is perhaps not as exact as it is in the mid and high bands. The lower bass area is quite attenuated which means that especially in this type of music, a separate sub-woofer would already be beneficial in order to fully explore the contents.7) The Dave Brubeck Quartet: Time Out. "Take Five". This hit is quite enjoyable to listen to via SX6 speakers. They create a spacious scene for delivering this masterpiece in such a way that you can virtually imagine the location of Paul, Dave, Eugene and Joe in front of you. The sound of sax is warm, the piano is natural, and the drums sound great. The bass is attenuated, though, but the overall performance is in balance, including the drum solo. Although I have heard this piece several times, I managed to find new nuances in the background.Overall, I am positively surprised with my new Fluance SX6 speakers. I would not have believed to find so clear and balanced sound in this price range. Also the solid, good looking wooden construction with high-quality elements is worth mentioning. Technically, this type of frequency response could be expected in much more expensive equipment, although the lower bass is attenuated. There is sufficiently higher bass for many types of music, though, so the performance is excellent taken into account the size and the price of the speakers. For me, these speakers work as such especially for listening to acoustic music. For the listening to also lower bass, I would plan to purchase a separate sub-woofer. The performance of Fluance SX6 is in any case so good that I am sure I am happy with this setup for much longer time than I was originally planning, simply for enjoying good, old 2-way hi-fi audio without spending too much money.