Fluance Signature Series Three-Way Floorstanding Speakers Conclusion
While the
Signature Towers are not 
the perfect speaker, they are doing a lot right. To
justly review them, we have to keep in mind the cost, which is $700 shipped for
the continental United States and $910 CA shipped in Canada. For the cost,
there are speakers that do one thing or another better than the Signature
Towers, but the Signatures have a lot to offer as a package: good bass
extension and output capability, a nice appearance, good dispersion, an easy
load for amplification, nice soundstage, and an easy-going sound. It isn’t the
best speaker at any one of these things, but it does them all well and for an
extremely reasonable cost. Even putting the caveats of low cost aside, it is
simply a fine speaker that I could easily live with. The Signature Towers
deserves special consideration from a range of people: those who want good bass
but do not want a subwoofer, those who want a speaker that will sound great for
a home theater system that has to share the living room and thus has to look
reasonably nice, those who want a party speaker that should look good and cover
a broad area with good sound, and those who have a large room and a modest
budget. Those are just some of the groups that the Signature Towers should have
particular appeal to.
In summing up these speakers at this point, I have to list some of the shortcomings, and shortcomings are inevitable, since compromises must be made to achieve its price point. One thing anyone looking to buy the Signature Towers should keep in mind is that they need some distance from the listening position to sound the best. While that is true of many speakers, I found it was especially true of these, since the tweeter and mid-woofer are mounted higher than is normal for tower speakers. Those looking for a tower speaker that has to be placed in relatively close proximity would do well to look at other models. By close proximity, I would say closer than 7 feet or so is too close for the best sound from this speaker. Another small complaint I have is that, as I mentioned before, I would have preferred a more neutral response rather than a ‘warm’ voicing, but I think many of the people who purchase these speakers may like a warm voicing more, especially if they are into rock music or any content meant to be played loud. The fit and finish is not bad for the price, but it won’t be mistaken for truly high-end upon close inspection. Thicker sidewalls and more robust bracing would have been nice, but that is probably too much to ask for at $700 a pair delivered.
To bring this review to a close, the Signature Towers are not a speaker for everyone, but I think most people who end up with a pair will enjoy them a great deal. Speaking of great deals, anyone (in the USA and Canada) who is not satisfied with the Signature Towers can return them with Fluance footing the cost for return shipping, as long as the speakers are in their original condition and original packaging, and the speakers are returned within 30 days of delivery. That is a risky policy for Fluance, as much as these speakers must cost to ship, and it demonstrates that Fluance has a lot of confidence in their product. Buyers also get a lifetime warranty on the speaker. In the end, I enjoyed my time with the Fluance Signature Towers, and I think they are a good choice for most people looking for tower speakers in their price range.
Fluance Signature
Series Hi-Fi Three-Way Floorstanding Speakers Review
MSRP: $699.99/pr shipped
Fluance Audio
4080 Montrose Road
Niagara Falls, ON
Canada, L2H 1J9
1-888-617-6863
Thank you to Aaron Wallace for the use of his terrific pictures for this review; see more of his outstanding photography at his Flickr page.
The Score Card
The scoring below is based on each piece of equipment doing the duty it is designed for. The numbers are weighed heavily with respect to the individual cost of each unit, thus giving a rating roughly equal to:
Performance × Price Factor/Value = Rating
Audioholics.com note: The ratings indicated below are based on subjective listening and objective testing of the product in question. The rating scale is based on performance/value ratio. If you notice better performing products in future reviews that have lower numbers in certain areas, be aware that the value factor is most likely the culprit. Other Audioholics reviewers may rate products solely based on performance, and each reviewer has his/her own system for ratings.
Audioholics Rating Scale
— Excellent
- — Very Good
- — Good
- — Fair
- — Poor
| Metric | Rating |
|---|---|
| Build Quality | |
| Appearance | |
| Treble Extension | |
| Treble Smoothness | |
| Midrange Accuracy | |
| Bass Extension | |
| Bass Accuracy | |
| Imaging | |
| Dynamic Range | |
| Fit and Finish | |
| Performance |  |
| Value | |
See also:
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Recent Forum Posts:
Rootman, post: 1165348, member: 81198
I'm not trying to be a troll or anything –
– yet, sadly, accidental trolling occurs alarmingly often. Best to say nothing at all, my dear man.
Rootman, post: 1165393, member: 81198I guess I'm not understanding what your objection is. Would you also say that Harman shouldn't test their speakers in an anechoic chamber because people don't listen to speakers in anechoic chambers? If so, I think you're misunderstanding the point of measurements like this. They're just intended to sort out the inherent response of the speaker from room effects.
Very Quasi… I'm not trying to be overly critical and get what he's doing.
Dennis Murphy, post: 1165382, member: 29480Very Quasi… I'm not trying to be overly critical and get what he's doing.
The reviewer wasn't conducting listening tests out there on the driveway. He was taking quasi-anechoic measurements. His setup allowed more resolution into the lower frequencies to give a better idea of the inherent bass capability of the speaker. As for the listening environment, as is stated in the article: “In my approximately 24’ by 13’ listening room, I set up the speakers with equal stand-off distances between the backwall and sidewall……………..”
Rootman, post: 1165348, member: 81198
I'm not trying to be a troll or anything, but having bought and listened to high end audio equipment for most of my 60 years(OK, I started at age 10), I know of no one that would ever listen to their rig set out in their driveway, 4 feet off the ground!!!! Unless of course, you are having a field party, like Woodstock!!!! So why run listening tests on stuff out there????
If you want real world stats, use real world listening conditions. I get that not everyone has the same environment….but, I grant you NO one on this man's earth listens out on the driveway to a high end rig on a regular basis, eh???? Enough already with the empirical data!!!!!
Just my two cents after reading and seeing the Fluance speaker review. BTW. I am not listening to BOSE 901's or such. I'm a tube guy with VTL stuff and Maggies and other things. Just saying boyzzzz!!!!
Happy New Year!!!
The reviewer wasn't conducting listening tests out there on the driveway. He was taking quasi-anechoic measurements. His setup allowed more resolution into the lower frequencies to give a better idea of the inherent bass capability of the speaker. As for the listening environment, as is stated in the article: “In my approximately 24’ by 13’ listening room, I set up the speakers with equal stand-off distances between the backwall and sidewall……………..”
If you want real world stats, use real world listening conditions. I get that not everyone has the same environment….but, I grant you NO one on this man's earth listens out on the driveway to a high end rig on a regular basis, eh???? Enough already with the empirical data!!!!!
Just my two cents after reading and seeing the Fluance speaker review. BTW. I am not listening to BOSE 901's or such. I'm a tube guy with VTL stuff and Maggies and other things. Just saying boyzzzz!!!!
Happy New Year!!!
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