[avahifi]

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

[roscoeiii]

Hi Frank,

Besides the obvious likely improvement in bass, can you offer some comparison of these with the 22s either stock or as modded by Dennis?

[jackman]

Ladydog, Jeff, has a couple pairs of these for sale in the AC Classified section.  If someone is interested (and if Dennis is willing to do the mod), perhaps they could just purchase from Jeff (a good guy and someone you can trust) and ship directly to Dennis' location.  Dennis is a VERY talented guy and I'm certain the modded versions are worth the money.  I've got no room for them or I would snap them up! 

Not surprised by Frank's comments.  I've never heard a pair of speakers designed by Dennis that didn't sound exceptionally good.  I'm going to call him to see if he can do anything with my Pioneer 41's (the ones before the 22's). 

Jack

[avahifi]

The "Dennis 52s" play louder, deeper, and bigger then the "Dennis 22s" and have similar overall balance.  They are very nice.

Frank

[DMurphy]

Thanks for the positive feedback, Frank.  The 52's need a lot more help than the 22's, and it's much more difficult to get the replacement tweeter integrated well with those 3 woofers that are wired in series, and cinfigured in a complex 2.5 crossover.  That approach is always hard to pull off in terms of midrange clarity, particularly in a budget speaker that has to meet sever cost constraints.  I wish I had time to offer the 52 mod, but I'm buried in orders for the 22.  Maybe in a month or so.  BTW, I was similarly impressed with Frank's handiwork--see my post in the new Vision phono preamp sticky thread.  I'm actually buying vinyl again.  Didn't think that would ever happen. 

[ferrousmike]

Interesting.  I have these and wondered how the woofers were wired since the bottom two seem to put out more bass and the top one more of the midrange.   How can that be in in serial?

[Tom Alverson]

Interesting.  I have these and wondered how the woofers were wired since the bottom tow seem to put out more bass and the top one more of the midrange.   How can that be in in serial?

One way to do this would be to put all three woofers in series, then put a capacitor in parallel with the two "lower" woofers.  At low frequencies the capacitor looks like an open circuit and all three woofers will have output.  At high frequencies the capacitor shorts out the lower two woofers and only the upper woofer has any output.

Tom

[ferrousmike]

Thank you appreciate that, I'm learning. 

I'm going to open them up and take a look

[ferrousmike]

Ah, I knew there was a topic on these!  Thanks folks, esp. Dennis who I hope is recovering well, best wishes.

Just slapping tweeters and caps in was no joy... didn't like it:  https://www.audiocircle.com/index.php?topic=113182.msg1761047#msg1761047

[Kalifaiam]

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

Can I have the croseover network diagram for the Pioneer fs52 please, I have modded the bookshelf already.

[charmerci]

Contact Dennis at info@philharmonicaudio.com

[Kegman21]

Anyone get the design from Dennis Murphy, on the FS52?