Cons: Internal wiring ain't pretty but is functional. No sub included.
The Bottom Line: If you want everyone to think you've spent a grand or more on your system, pick these up and don't tell them how much they really cost.
neofusion's Full Review: Fluance AV-HTB+ Speaker System
When I first learned of the Fluance set nearly 4 years ago, information was sparse to say the least. These speakers were not widely known, though the few snippets of consumer experiences praised their quality of sound and downright cheap price when compared with more mainstream home theater sets like those from Sony. Let's face it, for $200 I wasn't expecting much. In fact, I was worried that the whole thing would wind up being a scam and the speakers would turn out to be made out of cardboard or something. Boy was I in for a surprise!
Deciding that the opportunity to score big time was too good to pass up, I placed an order direct from their website. About a week later a massive box arrived that weighed a ton! As I peeled the many thoughtful layers of padding (something you don't see too often when you're looking for a value), the most impressive set of speakers I had ever seen emerged. Solid construction of the speaker boxes was the first thing I noticed. Built to last, the black casings showed some wood grain texture to add a little class to what probably is a laminate anyhow. Again, a detail that I was not expecting at this price. How many of us have spent twice as much on speaker systems that come with cheap looking plastic housings that have no chance to be passed off as part of one's living room furniture and can only hope to find a suitable way to hide them without blocking the sound. But I digress.
I was even more impressed when I removed the black mesh speaker covers to reveal the lovely mids with thick rubber surrounds. I couldn't wait to plug them in and hear what these babies could do. I plugged in my Onkyo A/V Receiver (see my other review for that) and was blown away by the wonderful, warm sound that can only come from quality speakers set in a proper wood enclosure. For the next few months, my favorite thing to do when I invited friends over was to play the game of "Guess how much?" and even I was surprised at how much they thought I paid for the set. $500? $1000? $200?!? No Way!
Since then, I've seen some more details on the internal workings of these speakers and it seems as though the crossovers and wiring isn't as pretty as the outside suggests, but that it is well conceived and effective nonetheless. Bottom line, if you are looking for something that really sets you apart from the rest of the crowd buying their mini-home theater packages that come with ridiculous, plasticy, tiny speakers with a brand name slapped somewhere, you really can't go wrong with the Fluance set. My only low point (pun not intended) is that I didn't get a sub with my speakers, which would have done well with my movie/gamer/music loving life. That being said, the towering front speakers still packed quite a punch and only missed those really low notes that only a sub can pick up.
Well, I've rambled on and on, but hopefully shed a little light on this amazing company that has managed to deliver what we all want at prices that we all can't believe. Thanks for reading!
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