PS Audio aspen FR30 Loudspeaker – Five decades of development

The stated goals for the PS Audio aspen FR30 Loudspeaker were to design and build a state-of-the-art full-range loudspeaker with exceptionally low distortion, superb reproduction, flawless tonality and exquisite beauty, according to US hi-fi powerhouse PS Audio.

With the new PS Audio aspen FR30 loudspeaker, the US high-end hi-fi manufacturer PS Audio presents a loudspeaker system for the first time and thus enters a highly competitive market. After all, there are dozens and dozens of international manufacturers, hundreds of manufacturers focused on regional markets, and probably thousands and thousands of small developers vying for the favour of customers in this sector.

Nevertheless, PS Audio feels well prepared for this big task, because the new PS Audio aspen FR30 loudspeaker is the result of 50 years of experience in the development of outstanding hi-fi systems.

50 years in development

With a certain irony, PS Audio says that the new PS Audio aspen FR30 needed 50 years of development to be exactly what the Americans imagine a perfect loudspeaker system to be.

For PS Audio, the declared goal was to realise a state-of-the-art full-range loudspeaker with exceptionally low distortion, outstanding reproduction with flawless tonality and, last but not least, an exquisite design, thus epitomising what PS Audio solutions have always been known and appreciated for.

In PS Audio’s view, the aspen FR30 represents the culmination of 50 years of experience in the industry, five decades in which they have learned down to the smallest detail what works and what doesn’t, what is necessary for a loudspeaker to “disappear” and only the magic of the music remains, the company says with a certain touch of pathos.

In-house development in all core components

According to PS Audio, they didn’t want to settle for the components that the market has offered so far, but rather rely on their own developments for all core components.

Even the most advanced drivers could not meet PS Audio’s expectations, so they used their own woofers, midrange drivers and tweeter.

In addition, they developed a crossover that was uncompromisingly optimised for phase-correct operation and designed it in such a way that, in combination with the drivers of the PS Audio aspen FR30, it has an almost flat impedance curve for the operation of the speaker systems with any power amplifier.

According to the manufacturer, even the cabinet was carefully designed to ensure that the sound is not distorted in any way, in order to create a loudspeaker system that makes no compromises.

PS Audio aspen FR30 – Designed as a three-way system

Soberly considered, the new PS Audio aspen FR30 is a three-way system, but it really does have an impressive driver line-up.

The bass foundation is provided by four 8-inch low-distortion high-excursion woofers with aluminium cones and four passive 10-inch low-distortion high-excursion bass radiators. One of them is located directly in the baffle at the front, the others are arranged in pairs at the sides.

This mighty phalanx of bass drivers is supposed to guarantee perfect reproduction because it has been given its own closed cabinet. The manufacturer states that the cabinet is not only extremely solidly built, but is also equipped with massive struts to prevent any sound-damaging vibrations.

The second part of the PS Audio aspen FR30 Loudspeaker’s cabinet is also closed and contains a 10 inch Planar Ribbon Midrange Driver. In addition, two 2.5 inch Planar Ribbon Tweeter are available here. By the way, the Planar Magnetic Tweeter all use foils made of Teonex, one of which is even attached to the back of the speaker.

The two enclosures – Woofer Enclosure and Tweeter and Midrange Enclosure – are connected via a sliding mechanism, so that the installation of the loudspeaker system should be very easy, despite its enormous dimensions and impressive weight.

The crossover relies solely on components with the lowest tolerances, which – according to PS Audio – were specially designed for this speaker system. According to the manufacturer, foil capacitors and air coils are used.

The crossover acts at 400 Hz and 2.5 kHz, as the data sheet of the PS Audio aspen FR30 reveals. It can reproduce a frequency range between 28 Hz and 20 kHz and has an impedance of 4 ohms and a sensitivity of 87 dB. It is suitable for amplifier systems with a power of between 100 and 600 watts, according to the recommendation of the manufacturer PS Audio.

Flexible integration into almost any room

By the way, PS Audio repeatedly emphasises the particularly easy integration of the new PS Audio aspen FR30 Loudspeaker into almost any HiFi environment and into as many rooms as possible.

During the development of the speaker, great care was taken to create a solution that is as flexible as possible and that not only shows its full potential in special listening rooms, but can also be seamlessly integrated into any living environment. For example, the speaker should be comparatively uncomplicated to set up, as the manufacturer promises. One component of this is the so-called Baffle Step Adjustment Option, which is provided here in the crossover. The video linked here by PS Audio founder Paul McGowan and Chris Brunhaver, Senior Speaker Designer, probably explains best what this is all about.

Outstanding design

To integrate as flexibly as possible into any living environment, the new PS Audio aspen FR30 Loudspeaker naturally also has a special design. And in this case it is really special, because the slim loudspeaker almost seems to float above the aluminium stand. Only a comparatively narrow base connects the stand to the actual loudspeaker cabinet, which is also rounded on the underside.

The cabinet itself is made of MDF, but the baffle is made of special glass-fibre reinforced plastic, a material that, according to the manufacturer, has about the same density as aluminium, but allows a special shaping of the baffle. This is done in such a way that soft transitions to the loudspeaker drivers are used as waveguides, thus promoting optimal radiation and – by the way – giving the baffle an extremely elegant shape.

Pearl White or Sable Black

The new PS Audio aspen FR30 loudspeaker is available in Pearl White or Sable Black, whereby the black version also has a black anodised base and a black textile grill, which is included in the delivery. In the white version, the base is silver and the speaker grill, which is held in position by magnets, is also black here.

With a height of 153.67 cm, a width of 40.64 cm and a depth of 65.4 cm, the new PS Audio aspen FR30 Loudspeaker is anything but a compact speaker, but rather a powerful system that weighs no less than 104.5 kg.

The US manufacturer states that the new PS Audio aspen FR30 Loudspeaker will probably come onto the market in spring 2022. As already mentioned, it is available in black or white. As a first idea of what to budget for this solution, PS Audio quotes a price of US$ 28,499 per pair for the US market.

PS Audio aspen Series – Is there more to come?

Finally, it should be mentioned that PS Audio is already talking about a PS Audio aspen Series, so it is not entirely improbable that the Americans will not leave it at just this one speaker system…

Getting to the point

A loudspeaker system that took 50 years to develop – this is how PS Audio advertises its first product of this class, the PS Audio aspen FR30 Loudspeaker. The US high-end hi-fi manufacturer has set itself a very, very high goal for this premiere, because it doesn’t just want to “play along” in the field of loudspeaker systems, but directly to the top. A new reference system is to be available, according to PS Audio. Even more, there has never been a loudspeaker like the PS Audio aspen FR30 Loudspeaker, according to the promise of the company from Bolder in the US state of Colorado.