New Fritz Carbon 7 bookshelf speakers review!


Speaker shoppers and fans -- just glad to see this new review of one of my favorite speakers of all time.

HERE: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0UdO7g80-DA

Brief summary of his Fritz Carbon 7 SE Mark I Speaker Review 

  Speaker Overview  
- Handcrafted bookshelf speakers ($2,950/pair) from respected boutique maker Fritz
- Cabinet dampening with Norz material; 7" carbon/paper woofer, 1" tweeter
- 88 dB efficiency, extends to 38 Hz bass

  Sound Quality  
- Exceptional clarity and detail with minimal cabinet resonance
- Wide soundstage, detailed bass texture, neutral warmth
- Excellent low-volume performance; reveals recording quality

  Performance Comparisons  
- More detailed than reference Buchardt S400 Mark I speakers
- S400s offer more aggressive bass; Carbon 7s provide superior width and detail

  Amplification & Recommendations  
- Efficient design pairs well across all amplifier types (tube, solid-state, Class D)
- 30-75 watts sufficient; quality matters more than power
- Room placement important 

hilde45

Thanks @erik_squires and @atmasphere 

I tried the Fritz with the ST-35 you encouraged me to try and it did quite well.

I also tried it with the NAD m23 and AGD Audion class D amps. They lit up in a really delightful way. I'd love to hear them with your Class D amp someday!

FWIW, I found the Carbon 7’s surprisingly bright, based upon what I’d encountered in reviews. Fritz suggested I play them at length, at loud volume, face to face but that wasn’t practical in my case, so I returned them. I will say, he’s a great guy. 

 

@stuartk 
that’s the opposite of what all the reviews I have seen say, interesting. 
at least you were able to try them and know for sure.

@stuartk - when I got a pair of his Carrera BE's a few years ago, they needed a well over a hundred hours of break-in time before they sounded right. I've had some speakers that needed that, and some that did not. 

@mattldm 

I was very excited to try them. Based on the reviews that described them in glowing terms and the price, I figured I couldn’t go wrong. None of the reviews I’d read or watched mentioned anything about them being fussy about placement or the need for room treatment, as mentioned here. At least I live relatively close to Fritz, which minimized shipping costs.