Over a year ago I started a thread called Pioneer SP-BS22-LR speakers are really nice.
This thread is still going strong with over 73,000 views so far and I suspect has sold lots of these amazing little inexpensive speakers.
I was impressed enough with my own pair that I was motivated to order their bigger brothers, the Pioneer SP-FS52-LR floor standing speakers hoping for better performance yet. These are floor standing mini towers with three woofers and a cone tweeter and are really nice looking.
However, musically what a huge disappointment. They were very rough sounding, nasty top end, and really no redeeming musical qualities at all. I put mine away and they stayed stored for nearly a year.
Dennis Murphy had tried his luck with fixing them late last winter with no great success, the crossover was very complex and strange and he could not computer model it adequately to work all the difficulties out.
However, he recently told me he was up to trying again so I sent him my old unloved pair and he went to work on them. Many iterations later and with a new multi-element crossover and a new tweeter and I received them back ready to try again about a week ago.
Wow, what an improvement. Now I have low cost little floor standing tower speakers that are enjoyable to listen to. All of the rough edges are gone, the overall range is very neutral, and I have very low price speakers I can live with. They are playing classical music from my local radio station right now and only the music is getting my attention, not the speakers.
No, of course they are not up to the performance of my Salk HT3s or Philharmonic Threes speakers they are next to, but there is no "ick" factor with them at all either. Competed to my two sets of several thousand dollar each big speakers they don't reach anywhere as deep in the bass, don't have the high frequency extension or transparency, and won't play as loud or big, but by themselves, they are open, neutral, and engaging.
Dennis says he can build them for $300 a pair or so, assuming he can get a good enough deal on the stock ones. But even at $400 a set they would still set value for your dollar that would be very hard to top.
I am enjoying mine now, I suggest you would too.
Frank Van Alstine