Fluance: Good or Bad?
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| What's the story with Fluance? Would you guys recommend them to someone looking for a middle of the line home audio setup? I don't want to pay a fortune but also don't want bottom of the line. I found these on ebay and was wondering if it was a scam. I was looking to spend more 250 for a 5 speakers but if these are legit and if the reviews i have read are accurate I would just assume go with this. http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=1946178606&category=14993 FLUANCE SX-HTB $249.00 Does anyone have any horror stories etc they would like to share before I go ahead and purchase them? thanks. |
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| I purchased a set, the same ones you are looking at, and I was at first sceptical but for the price said if they were no good I'll put them in storage. After getting them and breaking them in I can tell you I keep an eye on there web site. Waiting for them to make a subwoofer. These speakers are first class, I ended up putting my Yamaha and Sony's in storage. The terminals are all gold plate with Bi-wire on the mains, the sound quality is superb and for $250 for a matched set of 5, wow. Well worth it, look at the specifications then compare them with the $2000+ companies. They are just as good |
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hieb | Frank, Thanks for the info. I just wasn't sure if this was one of those "too good to be true" deals. I mean it averages out to 50 bucks a speaker... In a store or even online I wouldn't expect much from a speaker of that value. However, these do seem legit and I am 99.9% sure I am going to jump on it. Did you end up getting a sub also? I realize Fluance doesn't make one but from what I've read it's a good idea to add one with this setup. |
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| Hi, I have also bought Fluance Home theate speaker package and have not been disappointed. They are supposed to bring out a subwoofer (8" and 10" I think) in 2 months or so. Will retail for around $250-$300, respectively. Ron |
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Benny | I bought a pair of the SV-10's about 3 months ago and have enjoyed them thoroughly. I opted for the SV-10s (with the larger mids and the smaller woofer) because I already had a powered sub in my system. I bought this pair to specifically listen to music with. Listening to music with a surround system made it sound like there was a great separation between the highs and the bass. The Fluance speakers blend the music very nicely. Of course they sound good listening to digital music but they even make analog music(vinyl albums) sound great. I would highly recommend these speakers to anyone. |
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| Hi, When I was looking for a desent set of home theatre speakers I came across the Fluance section and was amazed by the prices, the price fit pefect with my budget. Then looking at the specs on these speakers and I was shocked, comparing these specs to $1000+ speakers they are identical. These speakers were worth the gamble. If thats true about Fluance making a subwoofer I'm looking forward for that day to come. |
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| Hello, I was wondering if any of you who have these speakers, use them with a 110w reciever. I have a Denon 1803 and I don't want to purchase them if I will only end up blowing them out. If that is the case, could you point me in the direction of some good speakers to match my reciever. Thank you. |
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Anonymous | You will probably be ok, unless you blast your music, coz surround receiver ratings are exagerated. I would buy them, and not blast the music too loud - you will be ok. |
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Anonymous | It gives me a great deal of relief hearing all these nice reviews of Fluance Speakers. I, like many others, think I am going to now buy the AV-HTBs. Thanks all |
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Matt | Would anyone know the difference between the HV HTB and the SM 938 sound? Or I should ask; How much louder is the bass from the SM 938s compared to the HV HTB? Would the Sm 938s fill a small room with bass and not have to worry about getting a subwoofer? If anyone could anwser any of those questions that would be most helpful for my upgrading process. Thank you |
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Matt | From the previous message I mean the "AV" HTB speakers. |
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John | Thanks for the help. I will be buying a set as soon as my income tax comes back. And now I have enough left to get the widescreen I want. thanks again John |
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| has anybody bi-wired a pair of SM-938's? I just bought a pair and heard that the sound is quite improved with a biwiring set up. thanks, Miguel |
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xclan | Miguel, how do they sound? thanx and yer opinion is appreciatted. |
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Matt | hello, I am kinda new to all of this stuff, my first home theater system I bought was a kenwood HTB system, it runs good, but I want something w/ more power, and I came across fluance's website. The AV 5's, and AV BP2 really caught my attention. I want to try to stay away from the bundeled systems. anyways, I was wondering if anybody knows anything about these speakers good or bad. Thanks in advance also, what is bi-wiring...do you need new speaker wire/ reciever? thanks |
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Warder45 | https://www.ecoustics.com/electronics/forum/home-theater/1996.html For your questions on Bi-wiring |
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con771 | Just bought a set of AV-HTB's I'll let you know when I receive them |
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| Im looking into the set of AV-HTB's to replace my klipsch promedia 4.1 computer speakers. I have been using them on my computer for some time now but I think im gonna go Hi-Fi with my room. Will they sound better than those little things? Will it be possible to wire my sub up to the reciever or will I have to buy a new (probably larger) one? The sub that comes with the klipsch speakers is a dual 6.5" side firing setup that I think is running 180 watts. A little input would be very nice guys! Im really interested in this company. |
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smallfoot | I'd just like to mention that I received my Fluance package a few weeks ago...and they're fantastic! I got three AV-SC's for the front stage, a the AV-BP2 bipolar surrounds. If you're wondering why I went with AV-SC's for the mains instead of the matching floorstanding AV-4...simple, I like the look better and I already had some nice stands for them If you're considering these for a budget HT setup, I give my highest recommendation btw, I'm using a Cambridge SoundWorks subwoofer. |
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Warder45 | Smallfoot, what reciever do you use if you don't mind me asking. I'm glad the AV-SC's work as the right and left mains, I may have to pursue that setup because of space. Diagram of space below. W _____________------W W |--VCR--TV-------|-S--W W |--DVD_______|------W--W = Wall W |-------|--------------------W--S = Speaker W |____|--------------------W As you can see the built in cabinet prevents me from having tall floor mounted speakers. It's 3 feet tall already, so unless I cut the end off I have to look to small mains; so I may try your center speaker idea. Do you have them Standing up or do you have them as normal center speakers lying down? |
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Warder45 | W ________________ W W | VCR TV | S W W | DVD_________| W W = Wall W | | W W |____| W This is how it supposed to look, but the preview window distorts it so I changed it and it returned to normal. http://www.hometheaterspot.com/htsthreads/showflat.php?Cat=&Board=UBB5&Number=380153&page=0&view=collapsed&sb=5&o=&fpart=1 here's another thread on Fluance |
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Warder45 | Nevermind I can't get it to work. |
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smallfoot | I'm using a JVC RX-5020BK (from a HTiB). http://www.jvc.ca/en/consumer/product-detail.asp?model=RX-5020VBK I have the main speakers vertical on stands, the stands are about 2 feet tall. Nice, simple, "classy" look, especially with the grills off. What receiver do you have, Warder45? |
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Warder45 | I don't have one yet. Right now I'm looking at the Pioneer VSX-D912K. |
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| Im thinking about a set of ES-1`s because of the look. has anybody tried these yet ? And if so , what do you think ? |
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| I notice several of you have purchased the sm938's. I am considering a pair of these speakers. What is everyones opinion of them?? |
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| I am a proud owner of a pair of Appogee Stage, speaker ($3500.00)new. I was looking for some good looking, good sounding Home-Theater speaker set, and I came across some simulaly made Flaunce, under the name brand Goky, by Gold-Sky Inc, I think they are the maker of the Flaunce as well. I am one satified customer, I now distribute them to my friends and family members, when they Audition the speakers , I normally ask then to go and compare and then price the speakers ; every time they came back with a price over $600.00 per set of five. Therfore I sell mine highter than the Flaunce..Leslie of NY. |
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| Hi, I was looking at getting a set of flaunce speakers , the AV-HTB and was wondering what would be a good choice of reciever to go with them? |
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| i want to get a system and like the sm-938's. can these 2 and a center channel provide great sound. what do i do about the surround sound. how about 4 of these, 2 front-2 back, plus a center channel, can that be done. or, do i need to get smaller ones. thanks |
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Anonymous | Chris I ordered the AV-HTB today to pair with my HK AVR 325Z. I have heard these speakers with Onkyo TX-SR601 and Denon 1082 receivers. Of the two, I prefer the Denon which had a better sound definition. I can let you know how they perform with the HKs in a few days time when I receive them both. Overall, I like these speakers for the price and for smaller rooms. You may want to add a sub woofer. |
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Anonymous | Aleks, you could get the sm's plus the center. They should provide very good 3 channel surround sound, and you can add some rear speakers later plus a sub if you want at any time. The rear speakers add that extra dimension to surround sound because there will be sound all around you. The sub adds to the rumbling, deeper tones like explosions, crashes, etc... enough to shake your room if you like. I have an Onkyo TX-SR501, and it lets you select how many speakers you have available up to 6.1. |
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Russ | I too am considering one of the Fluance surround sets. I've heard people mention that they'd be good for a smaller room...what size room would be too big? I'd be using them in a 20'x30' apartment (would never be played *too* loud) room. And just how cheesy is the finish on the SX-HTB (the blond wood one)? Thanks! --Russ |
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Anonymous | Russ I would not consider the finish to be cheesy at all. I guess its up each one's perspective but its solid wood construction with smooth edges and gives an overall nice traditional appearance. They are heavy 80 lbs shipping weight for 5 speakers. I am using them in 15x12 apt and they sound good without a sub. Maybe for your size of room, you may want to consider a sub. |
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Anonymous | I would agree that the finish looks high quality. The SX set has a good veneer that doesn't look like it would peel or chip easily. The mains have a nice design to them at the base as they have a separate riser kind of footing that makes them stand out from the usual cheap rectangular box designs. The mesh speaker covers are shaped along the edges to also add a bit to the appearance. I'm using my SX-HTB set in my living room (15 x 20) and believe me the sound is more than enough to shake the floors with a 65 watt per channel amp. Celine Dion sounds great on these speakers as well as serious DTS movie soundtracks. You won't be disappointed by the sound quality, fit and finish, and price. Trust me. |
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Mitra | HI: I have a JVC 7030 VBK, and have connected a pair of Fluance SV-10 speakers with it. The response from the speaker is amazing. It beats $700 Bose speaker hands down. I would give it a 5 out of five. It can definitely match speakers of price range of $600-800. I do not have a subwoofer, but my wife complains about the deep bass I get from the 8" woofer it has. I would highly recommend SV-10. Mitra |
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Me | Greetings, I posted a response to another thread here (see 'Great deal or con victim?' posted under 'Me' on Sept 17/03) about the 'White Van Guys' type speakers. It's a long post, but in the end, I had made a few suggestions, one including Fluance speakers as a very good alternative (rather than getting duped by the White Van Guys). As I was searching around afterward, I found this thread, so I thought I'd share my own experience with Fluance speakers for those considering them: First off, I am not an expert audiophile guru (but I do really like music and movies:>). I bought my Fluance speakers through an authorized dealer off of eBay last January (01/03), for a total of $306.00, including shipping. I bought the SX-HTB home theatre package (the beechwood version with slightly better specs than the black AV-HTB version), and received the speakers at the end of January. I hooked them up to a Kenwood THX VR6070 A/V receiver which I bought within a couple of weeks of the speakers (I also feel that I got a very good deal on the Kenwood receiver brand new/factory sealed/etc off of eBay -- for more than $200 less than Best Buy was currently selling it at the time). I'm very, very pleased with the receiver, and suffice it to say, 100 watts per channel, 6.1. I also have a JVC XVS-500 DVD player (progressive scan/DTS decoder) which has so far never failed to provide a sharp picture and excellent sound, and a Sony SLV-N81 HIFI (Reality Regenerator, blah) VCR which I'd love to throw out of the nearest window (it's a piece of JUNK!! -- recording quality is very poor for a "higher" end newer VCR, and in play mode the VCR completely distorts colors on and off very frequently at random intervals, when it pleases), and last, but not least, a Sanyo Beta HI-FI 7500 & a Sanyo SuperBeta 4027, that both still provide a sharp picture and run like champs!:D Anyway, on to the Fluance speakers -- I'm still, eight months later, very, very happy with these speakers (inside & out). DVDs sound absolutely intense, full, and vibrant; music definitely sounds good, but I am waiting to buy a better CD (or possibly SACD) player for the final word on music (my DVD player is good but it just doesn't have the full frequency capability necessary to qualify as a top-notch music CD player as well). I would be interested to see how vinyl sounds on these, but my records will have to wait until I have a turntable again (I don't think these speakers are really built mainly for music, in any case -- they're built for HT). And of course, the speakers only sound better now after breaking them in for eight months. If anything, I still feel like I paid too little for them (but then again you can never pay too little for something;). They are not $10,000 speakers by any means, but I firmly believe they are built and sound way better than many speakers that cost far more than the $306.00 it took to get these delivered to my front door. At the time, they didn't manufacture a subwoofer, and I thought I would wait for awhile in any case. In fact, I thought I'd be "suffering" for awhile without a sub, but the lows are deep enough and full enough that buying a sub for this system is still low on my list (I really thought I'd hear the need for one immediately, but I still haven't; that may be my personal taste, but I do like a dose of good loud bass). Bottom line, I would definitely buy these speakers again, and will probably have these for a long time to come. If you're on a tight budget and want to get more than your money's worth, I definitely think these speakers are a great choice (and personally I think even if you aren't on a tight budget, but don't have the desire to spend excessive amounts of money on speakers, you might want to take a look at these speakers). I know that probably sounded like a commercial, but I'm in fact neither a salesperson nor do I work for Fluance, nor do I want to:P -- but I really do think they're high-quality speakers, for (more than) the money. I haven't listened to any of their other speakers, so I don't know how the rest of their product line measures up, but I'm definitely pleased with the SX-HTB set (the specs of this set are listed on their website). Of course, don't take my word for it, do the research, but I'd definitely suggest taking a look at them (http://www.fluance.com/) before you decide to buy. --Me |
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| I have finally gotten my SM-938's all set up with a Wharfdale PI center and using my old Bose as surrounds. (No subwoofer yet) The sound is fantastic for both hometheater, and music. I've got everything running off of a Kenwood VR-6070 (silver) Couldn't be happier, just waiting for some money to replace the bose surrounds and get a sub. Any suggestions? Also anybody know how to biwire these fluance speakers? Miguel |
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| I want to set up my home theater as well as a karaoke system. Which would be my best choice? I plan on buying a Harmon Kardon 125 reciever currently I have a Sony 454 |
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Kar | Miguel Instructions on how to bir-wire the Fluance Speakers are found here I am reproducing the text from the website. The website has illustrations also. How do I use the bi-wiring connections to increase the performance of my system? The bi-wire connection separates the woofer from the combined midrange and tweeter section. A bi-wire compatible speaker has 4 binding post terminals. These two sets of terminals allows the speaker to be split into two independent sections. The split connects the mid and high frequency drivers to one set of terminals and the low frequency driver to the other pair. As these speakers are shipped from us, there are gold-plated bridges connecting the two sets of terminals that allow the speaker to be connected as a traditional loudspeaker. In the bi-wire connection the bridges are removed and separate sets of speaker wire are run from the amplifier to each section as shown below. Here are the steps to connect speakers in the bi-wire mode: Ensure that your system is powered OFF. Remove the bi-wire bridges from each speaker (this separates the LPF & HPF crossovers). Connect each amplifier channel to its respective speaker section as shown. When connecting speaker wire take care to maintain the correct polarity (+ or RED) to (+ or RED) and (- or BLACK) to (- or BLACK). Before attempting the connection make sure that your amplifier's speaker wire connectors will accept a second set of cables and that the equipment is turned OFF while you make the connections. Hope this helps |
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Anonymous | I recently purchased a Kenwood htib. The receiver is a 600w surround,it has a 5 disc progressive scan dvd player. The system itself is loaded with features, and it even plays vcd. The only drawback is the speakers. I have listened to several htib systems and the speakers are allways the weak link. I have been reading reviews for the Fluance AV-HTB and I can't wait to get my hands on a set. Can anyone recommend a decent subwoofer to compliment this system? I have a 53in widescreen in a 19 x 13 room. We watch alot of movies, mostly action and horror. We do occasionally listen to music,but primarily just watch movies. Speaker size is not an issue, quality is! Thanks! |
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Berny | Anonymous with Kenwood htib, I would pair the Kenwoods with the Athena ASF-2, the Axiom M50 and M60 and Paradigms..if you like the big tall towers...Polk Audio Ls series are also nice but the Axioms, Paradigms and the Athenas staged a lot better. One thing I liked about the Athenas would be its sensitivity plus its available at CC. I believe the Kenwoods could really benefit from sensitive speakers. If you like a smaller size, I'd go with the Axiom M22, excellent imaging with the Kenwoods, Ascends, same thing. I didn't like the bookshelf speakers that Athena had, it seems to want more power than the other speakers I've been trying. The Athena subs sounded weak and lacking. Try the HSU or Velodyne. I have been hearing a lot about the Fluance and I but I haven't auditioned them at all, however, I have heard that the MDF used are not as thick as the others, and that really makes a difference on the sonic quality of the speakers, resonance and all that. But if you get them, kindly post a review that way we can all benefit. cheers |
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Anonymous | BERNY, SOUNDS TO ME LIKE YOU KNOW AND LOVE AUDIO SYSTEMS. I DID NOT QUITE EXPECT TO RECEIVE SUCH A DETAILED RESPONSE. I WAS PLAYING AROUND WITH MY KENWOOD SYSTEM TODAY AND FOR LISTENING TO MUSIC IT REALLY SOUNDS EXCEPTIONAL. HOWEVER WATCHING A MOVIE IT REALLY LACKS THE KIND OF SOUND YOU CAN FEEL! I WILL DEFINITELY EXPLORE OTHER OPTIONS BEFORE I TAKE THE LEAP. BUT I HAVE TO ADMIT I HAVE READ SOME REALLY GOOD REVIEWS FOR THIS SYSTEM. I WAS CONSIDERING THE AV-BP2 BIPOLAR SPEAKERS FOR THE FRONT AND REAR SURROUND. I MAY TRY TO STAY AWAY FROM THE PACKAGE DEAL. ONE WAY TO LOOK AT IT IS THAT "PRE-PACKAGED DEALS ARE LIKE PRE-PACKAGED MEALS, EVERYTHING MAY BE THERE BUT IT STILL LACKS SOMETHING". |
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Berny | ANONYMOUS, Any news on the Fluance AV-BP2 speakers? I would appreciate it if you could post a review if you ever purchased them. I have been considering them for some time, for my teenager. I'm sure he'll be happy with any old stereo, i just want to start him off right. cheers |
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Al_P | I have Fluance speakers for about 5 months now. These speakers do perform quite nicely for the price of $250. Can't ask for anything more. After I calibrated the speakers, these speakers are comparable with $800-$1000 range or maybe more. I live in an apartment and these speakers serve me perfectly. Add the AR 108S sub, this lil sub is just another good choice i made. I do recommand the sub as well for an apartment. Yesterday, I put in LOTR,fellow of the ring movie. And listen it at about 8dbs under the reference level. These speakers sound great. The openning scene where the narative talks, it sounds so clear. And on the bridge scene, believe it or not I feel a lil pressure come from that lil AR sub. I have to turn it down a lil due to the fact that my neighbors weren't happy about me crank it up so high before hehehe  I'm very satisfy w/ these speakers. And highly recommand to anyone that is looking for budget speakers. BTW, I am using Yamaha 5560. Recommand that reciever as well. Thanks to all you guys that helping me out. I was coming in here clueless just about 6 months, now that I do understand a bit about HT. Figure that I should share my lil story. Peace out! AL, P.S. get SPL metter at radio shack and Avia or DVE tune up disc, well worth it... |
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