Audiophilepure

As designers get more control over frequency response and radiation pattern, it becomes more and more clear that they are not all aiming at the same thing. This situation makes it even more important that one listens carefully for oneself. No one else can walk that path for you, of trying to decide what you want your speakers to do. The Five17s present a distinctive view and a definite philosophy of how a loudspeaker should behave. It is surely worth checking them out—there is not much else around like them, since most DSP designers are going via the narrow-pattern controlled-directivity route and for a slight, or not so slight, downslope in on-axis response. The Five17s do neither of those things but present a different view of neutral sound, and one which can be convincing, indeed. Your choice. What they do, they do very well, and in a remarkably small and elegant package. 

https://www.stereophile.com/content/estelon-xb-diamond-mk2-loudspeaker

How’s the maximum volume? More than ample for my needs—I never came close to running out of power—though I’m not sure I’d choose speakers with ceramic membranes as party speakers. These are too good for that anyway.

And the bass? Ample quantity, approaching full-range depth while perhaps not quite plumbing the lowest reaches. Certainly, the bass was present at full volume down to the bottom note on acoustic or electric bass (41.2Hz), and it comes very close to full volume down to the lowest notes on a standard grand piano (27.5Hz). Acoustic (double) bass was lively and articulate. On tracks with lots of bass—I’m thinking of EDM tracks like Cristoph’s “Reachin’,” from Consequence of Society Vol.1 (16/44.1 FLAC, Noir Music/Tidal), the bass is fun, although the XB Diamond Mk IIs don’t quite provide the bass massage of the big-sister Forzas. In a room smaller than mine, perhaps they would.

If you are wondering about my emphasis at the start of this review on how impressed I was with IRS Reference and Genesis I in their day, let me stress that I’ve been reviewing for far too long to let hope or nostalgia substitute for real-world performance in a constantly evolving high end. If anything, I tend to be a bit hypercritical in evaluating anything I consider for purchase. The FR30, did more than live up to my hopes, however, and one way to sum up is to state that I’m buying my review pair as another set of reference speakers. The FR30 is truly outstanding, highly recommended, and well worth the set-up effort necessary to make it perform at its best!