This is a comprehensive review and detailed analysis of the Pioneer SP-BS22-LR bookshelf speakers, a budget-friendly option often praised for its performance. These speakers were recently acquired from Amazon for US $118, including Prime shipping, although they are known to be available at even lower prices during sales. The build quality of the Pioneer Bs22 speakers is surprisingly impressive, especially considering their affordability.
The speaker cabinet is tall but not excessively heavy. A notable feature for speakers in this price range is the inclusion of high-quality binding posts on the rear panel.
The curved cabinet design is a sophisticated touch typically found in more expensive, high-end speakers. Upon inspection, the drivers show no signs of sloppy glue or other common imperfections often seen in budget speaker components. Measurements for this review were conducted using the Klippel Near-field Scanner (NFS), a sophisticated robotic measurement system. This system provides a comprehensive analysis of the speaker’s performance in 360 degrees and utilizes advanced mathematical algorithms to effectively remove room reflections from the measurements. Additionally, near-field measurements minimize the influence of ambient room noise. These combined capabilities allow for accurate speaker testing in typical room environments, achieving results comparable to, and in some aspects exceeding, those obtained in anechoic chambers. Essentially, these measurements reveal the intrinsic sound characteristics of the speaker, independent of the room’s acoustic influence.
Spinorama Audio Measurements
Acoustic measurements, when compiled into a spinorama, offer a perceptually relevant framework for evaluating speaker quality. The spinorama reveals crucial aspects of a speaker’s performance, particularly its tonality and potential flaws.
Ideally, a flat on-axis response, indicated by the red arrow, is desired. The Pioneer BS22 demonstrates a response that is remarkably close to flat below approximately 1 kHz. The crossover frequency is situated at 3 kHz, and the measurements show a response peak just before this point, followed by a dip immediately after. However, the early reflections, represented by the dashed blue lines, exhibit a smooth profile, which is a positive characteristic.
Examining the directivity index provides insight into the relationship between the speaker’s direct sound and the reflected sound that reaches the listener’s ears after bouncing off various surfaces in the room.
While some deviations are observed above 2 kHz, they are not significant for a speaker in the budget category.
For typical room setups (as opposed to desktop placement), the predicted in-room frequency response, which combines direct and reflected sound, indicates the speaker’s overall tonality within a listening environment.
The minimal deviations suggest that the Pioneer BS22 delivers a relatively neutral sound profile.
Basic Speaker Measurements
The impedance and phase response of the Pioneer BS22 across the frequency spectrum are shown below.
Any noticeable kinks or small wiggles in the impedance response typically indicate resonances. In this measurement, there are a couple of such instances, one around 280 Hz and another at 1.6 kHz. The 280 Hz resonance is not apparent in the frequency response measurements, suggesting it is likely insignificant. However, the frequency response does show some peaks around 1 kHz, indicating that resonances in this range are more sonically relevant.
Distortion measurements, ideally performed in an anechoic chamber, were conducted in a non-anechoic environment for this review. Therefore, data below approximately 200 Hz should be interpreted cautiously.
Advanced Speaker Measurements
It’s worth noting that the early reflections are smoother than the on-axis response. This observation suggests that excessive room treatment with absorbers, often advocated online, may not be necessary or beneficial in all cases.
To highlight the most pertinent data for typical listening room scenarios, the number of graphs has been reduced to focus on key aspects:
The left side of the graph emphasizes the 20 and 30-degree off-axis responses, representing the sound profile when the speakers are not directly toed-in towards the listener’s ears.
Eye-candy Speaker Measurements
The soundfield dispersion of the Pioneer BS22 at the crossover frequency of 3000 Hz is visualized below.
Ideally, a full-bandwidth driver would produce a single, balloon-shaped soundfield directed at the listener. However, due to interference patterns between the tweeter and woofer at the crossover frequency, the Pioneer BS22 exhibits a more complex soundfield with three distinct lobes: one directed towards the listener, one upwards, and one downwards. The complete spinorama data is available in the appendix.
Informal Listening Tests
Initial listening impressions of the Pioneer BS22 were positive, characterized by a generally balanced sound. However, a slight brightness was noted, attributed to a lack of deep bass extension. Adjusting the speaker toe-in, directing them slightly away from the listener’s ears, significantly improved the tonal balance. Compared to the JBL LSR305P Mark II, the JBLs offered superior bass performance, but the Pioneer BS22 exhibited a comparable overall tonality, indicating commendable performance for its class. It was noted, however, that the Pioneer BS22 might have a slightly emphasized mid-range.
In loudness tests, the Pioneer BS22 could reproduce some deep low frequencies, but at higher volumes, distortion became pronounced, particularly in the deep bass range. Techno music with higher frequency bass was handled more effectively. It is recommended to consider using playback software to filter out the very lowest frequencies to optimize performance at higher volumes.
Conclusions
Andrew Jones, the designer of the Pioneer BS22, once explained the speaker’s sound quality philosophy by stating that while typical budget speaker manufacturers use inexpensive components, a slightly higher investment in quality parts—spending $1 instead of 10 cents—makes a substantial difference. This philosophy, combined with skilled design, is evident in the Pioneer BS22’s performance.
In conclusion, the Pioneer BS22-LR bookshelf speakers successfully achieve their objective of delivering non-offensive and surprisingly good sound quality at a budget price point. They offer an attractive design and perform admirably considering their affordability.
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