Review Details

Ai40 Powered 5” Bookshelf Speakers

Product Rating:

Product Review (submitted on June 9, 2020):

I have been researching and shopping for a desktop listening area. I had an older M-Audio AV40 Studiophile. They are pretty good, I think they need to have a better equalizer than free internet software ones. They lack midrange to come forward. First, I bought a JBL Professional 104 speakers. I love JBLs, even the entry-level products sound pretty good. This was a 60-watt speaker. It sounded balanced and nice, but it sounded like 10-watters. I bought a cheap DAC/Amp dongle and they didn't have enough power. I messed around with it too long and couldn't send it back. But, I learned about trying to get hi-fi on a budget with a computer as the "preamp." The lesson is: Don't be cheap and a few extra bucks will save you more in the long run. It is important because it will save you from my mistakes.The Fluance Ai40w active speaker is a gem for $200. For the price, it is a great piece that will last for a long time. They are designed well and I can get the soundstage that is the most important for me. It is only a 5" driver and 35 watts a side, it isn't to bring anyone's ears to bleed. It does sound like Fluance designed the speaker with great pieces and are proud of their product. The Fluance website has a sound graph that was nearly flat from 40hz to 20khz. That is pretty impressive for a smaller "woofer" and a tweeter. They use something called DSP Virtual Sound, it works well. I don't know what they did to smooth everything so well, but they did. They are better than the M-Audio and JBL Professional active speakers that I previously owned. These sound very musical and worth the price of the speakers, easily.But, there is something that I have learned and would help you out if you haven't already learned about the desktop listening area principles. The Fluance Ai40w sound very good with listening to Tidal, Spotify, YouTube, or whatever you listening to. Yet, it's low wattage, small driver, and computer soundcards don't sound great (they are getting better). Every listening area has to have an HD recording, a DAC, and a headphone amp (connected to the active speakers. They will sound so much better with these products. I bought 2 DAC with a headphone amp inside that replaced the older Dell computer sound card. One was a Creative Play!3. It sounded better than the soundcard, but it sounded fake. I can't recommend them. The stats of a DAC doesn't it mean they will sound well and I knew quickly that I wasted my $20 (hahaha, I've spend a lot more than that many, many times). Then, I bought a CLIPTHAT DAC/Amp dongle for $14 bucks. It is a tiny dongle with the Japanese HiRes certification with 383khz and 32-bit DAC. They are used for cell phones and headphones, but I use one on my computer. Amazingly, the music sounded clearer, had a soundstage, and I was pretty happy for my super cheap DAC/ amp dongle. The amp portion isn't bringing out the power from the DAC. A headphone amp is like a preamp that opens the recording to bring out the best in the amp (inside the Fluance). I'm in search for a headphone amp so I can finish the desktop listening area. I love music and this is going to be the best one in my apartment.Lastly, the Fluance is a great flat sounding pair of speakers. The Ai60w had a subwoofer out and more power and, if that is in your budget, I would have been happier. I am happy with the Ai40w speakers. They are close to excellence. I told all of my stories because these speakers, with all their reviews, is to share that there is so much potential in this already very good speakers. But, don't make my mistakes. The super-cheap dude is a bad road. Buy these speakers and go to the Schiit store and buy a good DAC and headphone amp. The entry-level DAC and amp are $99. The next level is about $50 more. If you have to save for only one piece, get one piece and add the next one later. Or, buy them all at once so, it won't take 6 months and aggravation of buying stuff from reviews from crazy people on Amazon and YouTube. These Fluance active speakers are a very good piece to excellent music, videos, podcasts, or whatever you like to listen to and watch. If your computer is the center of your entertainment, the HD recordings, a DAC, headphone amp, and Fluance speakers are going to a great investment that will satisfy most people. Well, a good set of headphones are good for late-night jamming.TL;DRFluance active speakers are great. Computer desktop listeners should buy a DAC and Headphone amp to improve the music. It is worth buying those products to make the music and speakers sound much greater than normal.