Fluance SX-HTB+ 5.0 Speaker System Review

[admin]

For years we'd heard about Fluance speakers, but until we HEARD Fluance speakers we didn't understood what all the hubbub was about. Fluance has been know for offering what appears to be an insanely low-priced surround loudspeaker solution (or stereo depending upon your needs) for what many manufacturers charge for a single refurbished speaker. While it wouldn't be fair to compare the SX-HTB+ speakers to a $1000 surround sound speaker system, or put them up against the likes of any of the full-priced models we've reviewed, it's amazing just how much you can expect for $300. What's even more amazing is that Fluance speakers come with a lifetime manufacturers warranty for parts & labor.

Discuss "Fluance SX-HTB+ 5.0 Speaker System Review" here. Read the article.

 

[gliz]

first review I have seen of any speakers from them. These and a AVR and a blu-ray and you are in the game, great review

 

[GranteedEV]

Just goes to show

Cheap Drivers + Decent cabinets + good crossovers = decent speakers

The cardboard ports part really made my day. Although I was this close to using sonotube ports myself and still might.

 

[kevon27]

This is a perfect review because I can finally ask a question which has been on my mind for awhile.

So you are a person who bought the Fluance speakers (noob).. They were cheap and looked good.
You got them setup and you think they sound awesome. That's until you herd your buddy incredibly awesome and mind blowing Polk Audio speakers.
But you don't want to go out and buy new speakers cause the wife will not allow that.
What to do? How can you make your current speakers sound 'BETTER'?
This is something I would like Audioholics to do an article on. Making your current speaker sound better. Upgrading the drivers, adding more bracing, upgrading the crossover, etc, etc.
Maybe you can turn this $299 5.0 system into a $1000+ 5.0 system will a little elbow grease.

 

[Bass Bum]

So someone found some use for the left over toilet paper cardboard rolls, eh?

 

[sholling]

There will always be a market that wants/needs/can only afford a $300 5.0 system. I'd rather point newbies at a $170 pair of bookshelves and a $190 sub but I know lots of people that would be perfectly happy with this system. Sort of an intermediate step between HTIB and a $400 (on sale) Polk Monitor 60/CS1/Monitor 30 5.0 system. I can also see it as a dorm room solution where you know that it's going to be thrashed and trashed and the ports used for ash trays and candy wrapper disposal by roomies.

 

[scott911]

i back opinion of a previous poster, but maybe take it a spep further. If you have $300, just get a pair of halfway decient bookshelf speakers for that full value. Add a sub in future when you can afford more.

forget about the 5 channel sound...

I haven't heard the units reviewed, but I'd be surprised if they were really much better than the 10 watt speakers built into name brand tv. So what are you really gaining spreading your budget so thin.

 

[3db]

Just goes to show

Cheap Drivers + Decent cabinets + good crossovers = decent speakers

The cardboard ports part really made my day. Although I was this close to using sonotube ports myself and still might.

I would not call them decent. Acceptable for the price perhaps but there are too many sonic flaws to call them decent.

Cons
Weak midrange
Compressed highs
Muddy bass when used w/o subwoofer
Cardboard ports on center and surrounds

 

[gliz]

Sound, like taste is subjective. I have only “read” what they sound like. My approach to this whole hobby is don’t take it to serious. I think a grateful altitude makes things sound better. I buy the gear I can afford and don’t worry about impressing anyone. Now that I am older I can get the gear I want. I think that this is a good set and far better than any HTiB. This and a receiver and a sub and you are in the game!

 

[gliz]

I would not call them decent. Acceptable for the price perhaps but there are too many sonic flaws to call them decent.

Cons
Weak midrange
Compressed highs
Muddy bass when used w/o subwoofer
Cardboard ports on center and surrounds

..but you have not heard them, you have only read them.

 

[MinusTheBear]

For $300 and a lifetime warranty I'm sure this product trumps most if not all the HTIB - Bose, Polk etc. This is the market I would compare them to. Surely you are getting much better value with this package. Not to mention a killer warranty. With all speakers there are trade-offs and offering a speaker package at this low of cost, obviously there are a lot more consider. Now would you take a better design and higher quality parts in the crossover or better build quality in the port tubes? For me, Fluance seems to have made the correct trade-off.

The funny thing, is I have had much more expensive speakers shipped from an ID manufacture that has used cheaper packaging with no double boxing. All things considering and some perspective, I am quite impressed with what you get for the money.

 

[scott911]

trying to figure out costs...

$300
take out $50 profit
take out $30 packaging
take out $50 shipping and manu. costs
take out $50 in admin costs
(all just guesses..)

That leaves $120 to buy 13 drivers & five cross-overs.
$6.50 per component

And that's if the MDF, spikes, vinyl, grills, batting, and cardboard are free.

 

[MinusTheBear]

trying to figure out costs...

$300
take out $50 profit
take out $30 packaging
take out $50 shipping and manu. costs
take out $50 in admin costs
(all just guesses..)

That leaves $120 to buy 13 drivers & five cross-overs.
$6.50 per component

And that's if the MDF, spikes, vinyl, grills, batting, and cardboard are free.

The fact they use air core inductors, the crossovers in these speakers use better parts than a vast majority of loudspeakers. Even getting up to thousands, you will still see manufacturers cutting corners in the crossover department with the parts used. Some very miserable ones. Fluance even provides brass spikes instead of those cheap, plastic round pads you stick on the bottom of the speaker. Also take into consideration rounded grilles, excellent packaging, lifetime warranty. In some areas these speakers have better build quality and come with more options than some more expensive speakers. The cardboard ports are still amusing though.

 

[3db]

..but you have not heard them, you have only read them.

True and I usually take reviews with a grain of salt. However, a fault was found with the lows, mids, and highs. The lows you can get around with by the use of a subwoofer. But the mids and highs, espcially the mids is in the mosts sensitive part of our hearing. If mids can't sound right, then the speaker will sound bad.

I also realize that its only $300 for a complete system and the lifetime warranty is something un heard of in a spekaer of any price range. If some one desperately wants to get into home theater and does not want to spend a lot of coin, this would be the ticket and it would beat most HTIB. However, I'm also sure that a willingnes to upgrade these speakers would come rather swiftly once money becomes available. The cardboard ports really do not affect performance over plastic ports as long as the port is smooth inside.

 

[MinusTheBear]

I wonder how much of an improvement receivers that use Audyssey MultEq might have on speakers like these...if it could fix/improve on some of the issues of the mid/highs that the reviewer had.

 

[Audioholics]

I wonder how much of an improvement receivers that use Audyssey MultEq might have on speakers like these...if it could fix/improve on some of the issues of the mid/highs that the reviewer had.

I've found that Audyssey and similar EQ systems work particularly really well on less expensive systems.

 

[walter duque]

For someone that's just getting into HT this might just be the ticket? Lets just call it stage 1.
Gotta start somewhere.

 

[Sp00ks]

Ok, I'll bite. I never post here but read all the time. For someone that is just setting up a home theater and not a self proclaimed Audiophile these fit the bill, for a smaller room.....

You have purchased your big arse TV. A decent receiver and the budget is thinning quickly. You know enough and appreciate better sound than a HTiB, these make good starter set. Bang for the buck, you really can't beat them.

I purchased a set of these when we first set up our HT as it was all I could afford at the time. I was impressed with the build quality for the price and they sounded decent for our small living room. Without actually measuring, I'm going to guess 14x14. We had them for years but only used them in the HT. We never played music.

I have since replaced them of course but our son is still using them in a 1 br apartment. They are still going strong.

Are they the best sounding setup? No. However, for $300 I highly doubt they can be beat. My biggest problem with them was the center channel. We had a hard time with low level dialog. I have thrown some power at them in the past and they always performed admirably.

I would recommend them for someone building a HT on a budget. Now if they could just get their production issues worked out.... that is a different story.

Jerry

 

[stansbca]

I actually own these speakers and have been very happy with them. When I was in high school, I worked at Circuit City selling TVs/Speakers. These are easily better than the lower end polks and on par with the Infinity Betas from that era. Yes the surrounds and center aren't quite on par with the fronts, but they still have done alright for me. I did find they had a fairly long break-in period of probably 30-50 hours. The midrange was probably the biggest improvement in that time, really warming up and becoming more cohesive with the rest of the sound. I haven't heard much under 700 dollars (for 5 speakers) that could touch it (and no HTIB that's even remotely close). Do they compete with my dad's McIntosh rig? No, but they are way better than $300 would suggest. I have them running from a Sherwood 7502 I picked up on ebay for 80 bucks, two Dayton 10 inch subs in stereo for 115 each, and an Oppo 980. I haven't spent a lot of money, but with a lot of careful setup, placement, calibration ect, I have a darned good sounding system which gives me a lot of enjoyment. The company was also a pleasure to deal with.

 

[Marshall_Guthrie]

These are easily better than the lower end polks and on par with the Infinity Betas from that era.

Admittedly, I don't own the Fluance speakers and haven't heard them, but I think you may be underestimating the Infinity Betas. Do agree about the low-end Polks though. I bout a pair of R15s just to see, and they've been in a box waiting for a garage sale ever since.