Fluance Ai60 Powered Bookshelf Review
Oh, my goodness! Fluance has taken the wraps off their brand new Ai60 Powered 6.5” Bookshelf Speakers.
Following a much-welcomed trend in Hi-Fi of consolidating components (and therefore cable clutter), they offer true stereo sound and elegant styling for a modest price. Powered speakers are becoming much more common as of late, and with good reason. The guesswork of which amplifier to pair with your speakers is removed from the equation. And the manufacturer has control over the entire signal path optimizing it for the chosen drivers. Additionally, the mess of wires connecting the amplifier to the speakers is no more. Powered speakers are normally relegated to recording studios or on desktops connected to computers. With mobile devices as the sole source for many people, convenience has taken priority and single box Bluetooth speakers have become more commonplace. So, the move towards powered speakers is a very logical, happy medium if not a nice step-up.
Introduction
If you haven’t heard of Fluance before, they are a Canadian online Hi-Fi company. They have a full roster of speakers available on their site and this one, the Ai60, is a really welcome addition. Add to that an MSRP of $299 and it becomes even more enticing. If you think about it, a pair of good passive budget speakers would run you about the same price, add an amplifier and cables, and you’re looking at twice that. The Ai60s, the focus of this review, are changed in design from Fluance’s offerings. On top of being powered by a 100W integrated Class D amplifier, the Ai60’s house RCA, optical, USB, Bluetooth, and a subwoofer output. Wireless auto-pairing technology automatically pairs a Bluetooth device when in range, and aptX enhanced audio technology ensures powerful and well-defined sound. Now selfishly, I have been looking for a pair of powered speakers for my DJ set up. My search had been the in the budget studio monitor area, think Yamaha HS5’s or Rockit G3’s. And while those are good options, the Fluance Ai60s offer more functionality and flexibility that I had not previously considered.
Fluance claims that the Ai60s are ‘The Right Speakers for Any Experience’. Whether that said experience is listening to your vinyl collection, binge-watching Netflix, or playing video games, the aim is to elevate the listening experience. I should state that I didn’t review these by audiophile standards. In that, these are not made to be your reference monitors of choice, they are more so your everyday speaker. From a connectivity standpoint alone, they could easily sit in place of a soundbar.