Description
PS Audio Aspen FR30 Loudspeaker
PS Audio’s goals for the FR30 were to design and build a state-of-the-art full-range loudspeaker with extraordinarily low distortion, effortless reproduction, seamless tonality, and exquisite beauty.
The company’s highest expectations have been exceeded.
The aspen FR30 represents the culmination of 50 years of industry experience; learning in intimate detail what works and what does not; what it takes for a loudspeaker to disappear and leave only the magic of the music; designing a no-compromise phase-correct crossover; constructing a cabinet that does not color the sound; crafting a near-flat impedance curve for driving the speakers with any power amplifier, and when not even the most advanced driver manufacturer’s products are good enough to meet PS Audio’s exacting standards, designing woofers, radiators, tweeters, and midranges from scratch. In all respects, the FR30 will transcend your expectations of what it means to be called a reference loudspeaker.
No longer do you have to compromise.
Breathtaking to listen to, beautiful to behold. The aspen FR30.
Design
Designing and building a new loudspeaker is both the easiest and hardest engineering challenge in all of high-fidelity. On the one hand, anyone can go online and buy a few drivers and bang together a box to make decent sound. On the other hand, the most difficult task in all of high-performance audio is crafting a seamless phase-correct output from two or more driver technologies. Over nearly a century of loudspeaker designs, few models have ever achieved legendary status. The FR30 joins the ranks of a rare handful of true full-range speakers that can honestly cover the frequency range of 28Hz to beyond 20kHz with grace, dynamics, slam, and low distortion. What’s captured on the disc is exactly what you’ll hear with a greater resolution than most have ever experienced. Grace, beauty, PRaT, power, and a musicality that is rare amongst 6 figure offerings from other manufacturers await owners of the aspen FR30. That this speaker is financially within reach of many makes it a miracle.
Application
Loudspeakers are part of the family. With their presence, they grace our homes and living areas by bringing the joy of music into our lives. Unlike the electronics that drive them, to perform their best most loudspeakers depend on proper placement and optimized room parameters. The aspen FR30, however, is designed to more easily fit into any living environment and perform at their best with a minimum of setup hassles and a maximum of options. Using the rear-panel adjustments, FR30 owners can place their speakers where they best fit into the decor with nothing more than the flick of the baffle-step switch, or the turn of the rear tweeter control. While the FR30, like all high-performance speakers, appreciates some breathing room between them and the front wall, these unique rear-panel controls offer users greater flexibility of placement without sonic compromise. Using the included step-by-step guide and CD, setup, from unboxing to playing music, happens easily in a few short hours.
Technology Overview
By far the most important piece in the HiFi chain is the loudspeaker. If the speaker cannot reproduce what’s it is fed from the electronic chain, the missing musical information is forever lost. To achieve all that music demands, over the years loudspeaker designers have tried to leverage every trick in the book: electrostats for details, conventional drivers for dynamics, planars for transparency, ribbons, domes, horns, open baffles, bipoles, dipoles. The list is endless and the choices and their inevitable sonic compromises daunting. With close to 50 years under our collective belts, we at PS Audio determined to design the perfect loudspeaker. Our strategy would be to combine the best of all possible driver and crossover technologies in a single coherent design. We would call it the FR30. It would have unquestioned dynamics. It would be full range and capable of being driven by just about any amplifier. Its high-frequency drivers would have lower mass than the air they were driving and the speed and clarity of the best electrostats. Its midrange driver would be so transparent and uncolored as to be unnoticeable. And our FR30 would never be shy when it came to the low end. With 8 woofers supported by 8 high compliance passive radiators, in-room bass response would be nothing short of legendary.
The Drivers
The heart and soul of any loudspeaker are its drivers, the transducers that in response to the amplifier’s demands pressurize the air and generate the music. Each driver must be optimized for the task at hand. In the FR30, it quickly became apparent we could not source from even the most advanced driver manufacturers in the world the ultra low-distortion high-dynamic output drivers we would need to build the FR30. We started with our tweeter and midrange for here are the two most difficult drivers to perfect. Moving air at high frequencies without colorations or distortion is a daunting task. On the FR30 we chose to go with a technology that has the speed of an electrostat with the dynamics of a cone. Planar Magnetics. These ultra-low distortion drivers are equally driven with front and rear magnetic structures that offer inherent linearity through symmetrical “push-pull” neodymium motor structures and directly driven ultra-low mass diaphragms with none of the cone or dome breakup, inductance modulation, or hysteresis distortion that plagues traditional drivers. For the low end, we crafted long-throw high-excursion woofers with massive 12-pound motor structures that match the effortlessness and transparency of the planar magnetic drivers. To lower distortion, we employed a unique split magnetic gap and a double faraday ring for low, linear inductance and wide bandwidth, coupled with a symmetrical double spider. Lastly, to achieve maximum linearity and extended deep bass extension without the compression and distortion of ports, we designed our own high compliance passive radiators.
The Enclosure
Loudspeakers have an honored place in our homes. They often are the focal point of our living rooms and in that capacity must proudly make a statement of fitting elegance. The aspen FR30 enclosure design starts with the internal structure necessary for great sound and then lovingly sculpted into a work of art befitting our homes. With industrial design by famed Studio 63, the FR30 stands as a proud sculpture comfortable in almost every decor. Internally, the FR30 is an extensively braced enclosure designed to minimize external vibrations that have the potential of coloring the sound. Externally, the enclosures are lovingly finished with 20 coats of hand-rubbed high-grade “piano gloss” lacquer. While the main body and baffling structure are built with MDF, the sculpted front baffle is formed from a dense, rigid and well-damped high-tech thermoset fiberglass resin composite material with integrated high-frequency acoustic waveguides. Despite the FR30s cumulative weight of 230 pounds each, the speakers look to be almost floating as its curved bottom rests upon its sturdy aluminum base featuring large milled brass spikes with removable tips and integrated plastic feet for hard surfaces (and to aid in speaker placement). When delivered, the FR30 comes in two pieces: the upper midrange tweeter enclosure that easily couples onto the lower woofer enclosure through a custom machined sliding system. Together, the FR30 is stunning both visually and sonically. A masterpiece of design and love, crafted by those of us that care deeply about music and its reproduction in the home.
KEY FEATURES:
• Full range 3-way system
• 87dB sensitivity
• Two 2.5″ planar ribbon tweeters
• 10″ planar ribbon midrange
• Four 8″ low distortion high excursion woofers
• Four 10″ low distortion high excursion bass radiators
• Rear tweeter level control
• Baffle step adjustment for best speaker placement
• Flat impedance curve for easy amplifier load
• Smooth and full off axis response
• In-room bass response to 20Hz @ -6dB
• Two piece cabinet for easy setup
• Adjustable feet
• Easy to position for best performance
• Heavy internal bracing for low cabinet vibration
• Custom film capacitors & premium air-core inductors
PS Audio BHK Signature Preamplifier
Preamplifiers are at the heart of any high-performance music system. They are the critical controlling interface between our sources of music and our loudspeaker chain. Most preamplifiers do a fine job of control and isolation, but only a rare handful make magic happen. Add the BHK Signature Preamplifier into your system and suddenly you are enveloped in a wealth of musicality you’ve not yet experienced: deeper, wider, sound staging, improved separation of instruments and voices, subterranean bass, extended highs, and an openness you’re unlikely to have experienced without this instrument in the system.
Design
The BHK Signature Preamplifier features two 12AU7 dual triode vacuum tubes in the input stage that act as a zero feedback balanced input amplification pair. A combination of an input stepped attenuator, built around the highest quality passive components for coarse volume adjustments, coupled with controlling the actual gain of the vacuum tube for finer steps, turned out to be the most sonically transparent level control we have yet heard. Finally, the output stage is a high-bias class A MOSFET design that is unaffected by cable and power amplifier interface challenges.
Application
Preamplifiers play a critical role in any separates audio system, strategically positioned between sources of music: CD players, phono preamps, DACs, tape recorders and tuners—and your power amplifier—the preamp serves essential roles of control and isolation. The BHK Signature Preamplifier features 5 identical balanced and single ended inputs, and converts all input signals into a balanced signal for the lowest possible distortion, and can be used in a two-channel audio system or as part of a home theater system. The high-bias Class A MOSFET output stage ensures unmatched performance with any cable and amplifier interface.
Overview
The BHK Signature Preamplifier is one of the most remarkable musical instruments in the world. It is the perfect interface between your sources and power amplifier. Designed by Bascom H. King, the BHK Signature distills Bascom’s 50 plus years of high-end audio design experience into a single masterpiece of audio amplification. “This is the best sounding preamplifier I have ever designed or heard,” and that’s saying a lot for a man of Bascom’s experience. Preamplifiers play a critical role in any separates audio system, strategically positioned between sources of music: CD players, phono preamps, DACs, tape recorders and tuners – and your power amplifier – the preamp serves essential roles of control and isolation. Control is simple in concept, but extraordinarily difficult to design in an acoustically transparent manner. Control duties such as input switching, volume, balance, and amplification can place unwanted acoustic thumbprints on the music if not designed with extraordinary care. The challenge in any design is to do as little damage to music’s purity as possible. What our Master Designer, BHK, has built will not only stand the test of time, but represents one of the finest musical instruments ever built to honor the music.
Inside Story
At the heart of any preamplifier are the gain stage that provides the amplification, and the volume control that manages how loud or soft the music plays. Inside the BHK Signature Preamp a pair of hand-selected and matched 12AU7 dual triode vacuum tubes provides the unit’s gain. Volume is controlled by a GainCell controling the actual gain of the vacuum tube. This offers the cleanest, lowest impact gain control in precise, half-dB steps. A massive, high-current transformer feeds the BHK Signature Preamp’s power supply, which ensures that the unit can reproduce music with a wide dynamic range, without compression or distortion. Painstaking through-hole construction is used, along with the finest, hand-selected components: PRP resistors, high grade Audiophile capacitors—even the solder was auditioned for the best sound. Nothing was spared in the execution of Bascom King’s design. Fully-balanced circuitry with a bandwidth that extends almost to DC on the low end and well above audibility on the high end are responsible for the effortless presentation of music BHK preamplifier owners enjoy. First time listeners remark at how much better-defined the space around instruments and vocals appears; the improvements in sound quality are nothing short of ground breaking. Openness, transparency, increased space around instruments—voices come alive in ways most never thought possible.
The Build
Bascom King has said, “vacuum tubes are simply more convincing and musically accurate than any other input configuration I have ever tried,” and the BHK Signature preamplifier proves his statement. All inputs, whether single-ended or balanced, are converted to a pure balanced signal by the dual triode vacuum tube for lowest distortion, highest linearity performance. Input switching is accomplished through hand-selected double-pole double-throw, gold plated relays that we’ve chosen for their sonic neutrality. The signals, once selected, are passed directly to the revolutionary new multi-stage attenuator controlling both volume and balance. High-performance analog audio products like the BHK Preamp benefit from the use of through-hole discrete parts in the signal path. Hand-selected through-hole PRP resistors, high grade Audiophile capacitors and the finest discrete parts are used throughout the BHK Signature preamplifier. Nothing was spared in its design. Even the solder we use has been auditioned for best sound. Extended signal bandwidth—from below 0.1 Hz to above 100 kHz— is partly responsible for the effortless presentation of music produced by the BHK preamplifier. A massive power supply with an oversized toroidal transformer, the Class A MOSFET output circuit ensure that the BHK Preamplifier will effortlessly drive any cable or amplifier.
KEY FEATURES:
• Zero-loss Vacuum Tube Input Stage
• Coupled & Balanced MOSFET Output Stage
• PRP Resistors in Signal Path
• 5 x RCA Single Ended Inputs
• 5 x XLR Balanced Inputs
• Fully Balanced Input to Output
• Oversized Power Transformer
• BHK Designed MOSFET Voltage Regulators
• BHK Designed MOSFET Headphone Stage
• Remote Control
• Standby Button for Vacuum Tube Stage
• Easy Access for Customisation
• Each Input can be Set to HT Bypass
PS Audio BHK Signature 250 Amplifier
The BHK 250 stereo power amplifier is an industry reference standard for performance—a 250 watt per channel investment grade musical instrument that brings life to music.
The BHK Signature 250 Stereo Power Amplifier culminates one man’s lifelong quest for perfection in power amplification. Bascom H. King’s magnum opus combines a vacuum tube input with a powerful MOSFET output capable of 250/500 watts per channel. When cost-no-object performance is the goal there are a rare handful of power amplifiers capable of transporting listeners into a musical space few are able to enjoy. The BHK Signature 250 is one such amplifier. Lush, gorgeous, powerful, revealing, hand built, perfect. If you are uncomfortable with compromise and seek the finest performance, reliability, and build quality in a single-chassis format, the BHK Signature 250 is a perfect fit.
Design
Nothing in the design of a power amplifier is more important than its input stage when preserving music’s finest nuances. In the BHK Signature, a vacuum tube serves as the perfect interface between the preamplifier and MOSFET output stage. This hybrid approach offers stunning musical performance and unrivaled, effortless drive to the speaker. The Signature 250 Stereo Amplifier is the ultimate choice when a single chassis solution is required.
Application
The BHK Signature 250 Stereo Amplifier produces 250 watts/ channel into an eight-Ohm loudspeaker, 500 watts/channel into four-Ohms, and stable into 2-Ohms; enough power to satisfy even the hungriest of loads. Use this amplifier as the bedrock of your high-performance audio or home theater system. The BHK 250 provides the finest performance, reliability and build quality possible, in a single chassis format.
Technology Overview
The importance of the power amplifier in the 2-channel system chain cannot be overstated, yet it’s often overlooked. It’s the rare few music lovers that truly appreciate the power amp’s critical role in preserving music’s nuanced details, because most amplifiers fail to preserve them. Overtones from plucked instruments, subtle cues defining placement, depth, soundstage width, and transient decays are often lost in the power amplifier. Suddenly revealed are the tiniest of details that now ring clear through the BHK, perfectly preserved through its low feedback, vacuum tube and MOSFET design. When it comes to musically controlling and powering loudspeakers, the BHK Signature has few peers at any price. The stereo Signature 250 produces 250 watts/per channel into an eight-Ohm loudspeaker, 500 watts/channel into four-Ohms, and stable into 2-Ohms; enough power to satisfy even the hungriest of loads.
Input Stage
A power amplifier’s input stage is a critical interface in the quest to preserve music’s essential details and vacuum tubes do it best. Hand matched pairs of Russian Gold Lion 6922s provide the perfect interface between the delicate musical transitions output by the DAC or preamplifier, transferring it without loss to the MOSFET output power stage and eventually the loudspeakers. The hybrid approach used in the BHK Signature takes advantage of the best traits technology has to offer, unavailable in traditional solid state or tube designs. While vacuum tubes are the perfect input stage, they cannot make the same claim on a power amplifier’s output. Conversely, solid state designs are correct for output stages, but suffer when used as inputs. Only a hybrid approach takes advantage of the best in both disciplines.
Output Stage
A power amplifier connects its reservoir of energy to the loudspeaker through a type of valve (solid state or vacuum tube) controlled by the input stage. If the input stage has done a good job of preserving music’s subtle details, textures, timing and phase information, transferring it without loss to the power stage and eventually the loudspeakers is best handled by a tube-like solid state device known as a MOSFET. Not all MOSFETs are the same, their differences characterized by their relationship with the input signal and the power supply driving them: N-types for the positive going signals, P-types for negative. N-types have lower distortion and perform better than P-types but N-channel-only amplifiers are rare. Using only N Channel MOSFETS in its output stage, the BHK Signature produces a near-perfect balanced waveform without the degradation inherent in a complementary design.
KEY FEATURES:
• Zero-Loss Input Tube
• Powerful Mosfet Output Stage
• RCA Single-ended Input
• XLR “True” Balanced Input
• 250 W Per 8Ω Channel
• 500 W Per 4Ω Channel
• < 0.1% THD 20Hz 20kHz At Rated Power
• Little Heat Production
• -3dB > 200khz
• Damping Factor = 100
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