New Fritz Carbon 7 bookshelf speakers review!

"@stuartk 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."

Hmm, I’ve used those same drivers in some custom speakers I’ve built and with these same brand drivers in particular never found them to be bright and quite weighty and musical, even using a simple 2-way crossover.  I had done nothing overly exhaustive or proven or tediously evolved like Fritz has developed and accomplished with his crossover fine tuning.  Nothing bright with these drivers, fwiw. One of the more musical and warm bodied pairings I’ve ever tried in fact.  

Possible key indicators of something else going on with your room, setup, source, amplifier, cables being used, or possibly a bad synergy going on there. 

@stuark what amplifier and cables are you using these days that you tested the Fritz speakers with? Were the brand-spanken-new from Fritz or used demos?

-I ask because if you did not give the crossovers, drivers, all of it time to settle in, there is no value in stating they were bright if recommended procedures were not followed, just sayin’.  New speaker drivers need time to loosen up, stiff new. 

+1 @decooney 

@stuartk Have you measured your room, acoustically? If so, share the graphs, especially the impulse graph.

Has anyone here tried to pair up Fritz Carbon 7 speakers with an Advance Paris A12 integrated amplifier before?

Background:

I'm helping a friend buying the A12 amp. I mentioned the Fritz Carbon 7 as one possible idea to buy or at least demo to give it a try. A good match or no, why?

Comments anyone?

Specs: AP A12

Product info:

• 190 watts x 2 channels into 8 ohms (280 watts x 2 channels into 4 ohms)
• 4-ohm capability allows use with a wide range of speakers
• THD: 0.007%
• signal-to-noise ratio: >103dB
• frequency response: <10-35,000 Hz (-3dB)
• built-in high-performance PCM 1796 DAC
• High Bias switch lets you select warm, detailed Class-A-like performance at low volumes with automatic switching to AB for full power
• dual-mono design with two toroidal transformers means each channel gets its own dedicated power
• hybrid technology combines a vacuum tube preamp section with a solid-state Class AB power section

@decooney 

Fritz’s speakers have an impedance curve with a minimum of around 6 ohms with mild phase angles across the spectrum – a genuinely easy load. I’ve not heard them with the A12 but I have tried them with the  Atoll IN200, a very similar amp in terms of power, headroom, etc. My guess is that the A12’s hybrid tube pre-stage will likely add a somewhat warmer, slightly rounder character but I didn’t find the Atoll solid-state design to be bright or harsh at all with Carbons. Both have quite enough power — the Carbon’s 88dB efficiency would not need more than a few watts.

That's a good comparable idea @hilde45 with reference to the Atoll IN200. Good to know, and was not aware you tested that combination. Got it, Thanks.  

My buddy was thinking larger horn speakers at first, and I was suggesting the idea of the smaller size Fritz speakers on stands in his room size, and using a bit more power/current with the Fritz. I've used those same woofers before, and like them. 

Something I use to do with Totem Model 1 Signature 4ohm 87db speakers, and those only had 4" DynAudio woofers and small aluminum tweeters. Plenty of drive and grunt to pressurize a slightly larger room. Amazing results driving them with a 320wpc dual mono amplifier. I ran that as a secondary reference system for several years. I really liked that compact mini-monitor footprint. Quite musical with the right amp. Somehow I'd hedge to bet the Fritz Carbon 7s would be more musical too.  :)