Fluance SV-6 Bookshelf Speaker Review
Author:  Shane Mattson
Review Date: 03/1/04-->5/2/04 
 

SV-6 Specifications:

• System Type: 2 Way - 2 Driver Bookshelf Loudspeakers
• Tweeter: 1" Neodymium Balanced Silk Dome Ferrofluid Cooled
• Woofer\Midrange: 5" Polymer Treated Driver with Butyl Rubber Surround
• Power Handling: 30 - 100 Watts
• Frequency Response: 50 - 20K Hz
• Sensitivity: 89±3dB
• Crossover Frequency: 3500Hz PCB Mounted Circuitry Butterworth Design
• Impedance: 8 Ohms
• Cabinet: Precision Crafted MDF Internally Braced
• Enclosure: Tuned Rear Port Bass Reflex Bookshelf Design
• Dimensions: 13.5 X 8.3 X 9.1 inches (H x W x D)
• Weight: 11.6 pounds/speaker.

About Fluance:

Evaluation System

After opening up the shipping box, I was surprised to find the build quality of the SV-6's so good considering their low price point.  Too often, manufacturers of entry level price-point products try to squeak every last cent out of their profit margin by using low quality components.  This is not evident in the look and feel of the SV-6's.  A  single set of high quality gold plated binding posts can be found on the ported rear of the loudspeakers.  At the bottom of the SV-6's is a wooden base coupled to the speakers via four gold colored feet.  I am not sure what sonic advantage this base has and did not bother to remove it during the evaluation however it does differentiate the SV-6's from other cookie- cutter bookshelf speaker designs.  The 1" Neodymium Balanced Silk Dome Ferrofluid Cooled tweeter and the 5" Polymer Treated Driver with Butyl Rubber Surround woofer had the appearance of being well built and of high quality.  All-in-all, I was impressed with the overall build quality of the SV-6's.. 

Burn-in, burn-in, burn-in.   The SV-6's need several hours of burn-in before their sonic quality can be fully appreciated.  I literally burned both speakers in for 60 hours before starting the performance aspect of this review.  Out of the box the SV-6's sound restricted, very thin sounding in the mid-range and bright sounding in the upper end of the frequency range.  I tried not to make any critical judgement with regards to the out-of-box sound and decided I would burn the speakers in for quite some time before registering a first impression.  Glad I did!  After 60+ hours of burn-in, the SV-6's literally transformed.  No longer did the upper end sound restricted, the highs smoothed out quite a bit with little to no indication of listener fatigue at higher output levels (The SV-6's can play loud*, and hold their own when pushed close to their output limit).  The mid-range became less hollow sounding and produced a more up-front natural tonal quality found in loudspeakers several times the SV-6's sale price.  Bass response was excellent given the small enclosure and 5" driver.  You may notice a slight "boominess" towards the 80-100K frequency range depending on placement.

I believe the intent of these speakers for most people will be to set them up on/in a bookshelf due to their compact size.  I tried the SV-6's on top of a bookshelf spaced 2" from the back wall and 2" from the side of the bookshelf.  These speakers need some breathing room for best performance, however you will not be disappointed with the sonic quality if placed in a more confined area.  Ideally, the SV-6's sound best 2 feet from a back wall and at least 1 foot from a side wall to reduce any boominess as mentioned before.  The bass with this positioning is deep and provides good balance between the lower-mid range frequencies. 

The SV-6's imaging is excellent.   Location of instruments could be easily identified in the soundstage which is quite extraordinary for a pair of speakers under $200.00 a pair!  The more I listened, the more impressed I was.

What type of music did I use to evaluate the SV-6's?  All styles of music were played through the SV-6's.  From complex orchestral recordings to small Jazz combo and everything in between.  Vocals sounded exceptional, well balanced and defined.  Horn and string instruments sounded life-like and percussion instruments were presented extremely well allowing the listener to appreciate all of the nuances unresolved by low-resolution drivers.  I could go on and on....everything played through the SV-6's was fun to listen to.   

I approached this review from an average listener standpoint with fairly low expectations considering the SV-6's low price point.   As my listening sessions with the SV-6's progressed, I found myself critiquing as if I were listening to the Mark Levinson/Sonic Frontiers/Apogee system.  The SV-6's are addicting....I kept seeing the low price tag flash in bright bold colors in my mind every time I started to pick apart every sonic imperfection.  Yes, there are imperfections....and the imperfections will not be noticeable by most listeners.   Again, I did not approach this review as if I were reviewing a pair of high-end loudspeakers.  My approach was to determine whether or not music was enjoyable to listen to through the SV-6's.  It's quite extraordinary these days to find such an outstanding performer in the sub $150.00 price range...if the SV-6's were priced at $250.00 a pair I would have said they were a bargain (don't get any ideas Fluance!).   Regardless of your music preference, the SV-6 are highly recommended for music lovers looking for a pair of outstanding speakers in the <$350.00 price range.

*I did not take any SPL (Sound Pressure Level) measurements at high output volume, but rest assured they can play quite loud with little to no detectable distortion.