The Pioneer Sp-bs22-lr bookshelf speakers have garnered significant attention in the audio community, particularly for their incredibly accessible price point. Having recently acquired a pair from Amazon for a mere $118, including Prime shipping (and often seen at even lower sale prices), I was eager to put them to the test. Right out of the box, the build quality immediately impressed, especially considering the budget-friendly nature of these speakers.
The cabinet presents a taller profile than expected but maintains a manageable weight. A notable and welcome surprise was the inclusion of high-quality binding posts on the rear panel.
A feature typically reserved for higher-end speakers, the curved cabinet design is an exceptional touch, indicating a level of detail often missed in budget models. Examining the drivers, there were no signs of excess glue or sloppy workmanship, a testament to the manufacturing quality despite the low cost.
For rigorous testing, the speakers were subjected to measurements using the Klippel Near-field Scanner (NFS). This advanced robotic system circumvents the limitations of traditional anechoic chambers by analyzing the speaker in a normal room environment. Through sophisticated mathematical algorithms, the NFS effectively eliminates room reflections and minimizes the impact of ambient noise by measuring at a close distance. This methodology ensures that the measurements accurately reflect the speaker’s inherent sound characteristics, independent of the acoustic environment.
Spinorama Audio Measurements
The Spinorama, a standardized set of acoustic measurements, offers a comprehensive and perceptually relevant overview of a speaker’s performance. It encapsulates crucial information about tonality and potential sonic imperfections.
A flat on-axis response, highlighted by the red arrow in the graph, is generally considered ideal. The SP-BS22-LR demonstrates a commendable flatness in this regard, particularly below 1 kHz. The crossover point is situated at 3 kHz, and the measurements reveal a response peak preceding it, followed by a dip afterwards.
Encouragingly, the early reflections, indicated by the dashed blue lines, exhibit a smooth profile, which is a positive attribute for overall sound quality in a typical listening environment.
Delving into the “directivity index” provides insights into the ratio between the speaker’s direct sound and the sound that reflects off surfaces before reaching the listener’s ears.
While some deviations are observed above 2 kHz, they are within acceptable limits for a speaker in this price range.
To simulate real-world room placement, the predicted in-room frequency response, which combines direct sound and reflections, is a valuable metric.
The minimal deviations suggest a relatively neutral sonic character, indicating that the SP-BS22-LR aims for sonic accuracy rather than heavy coloration.
Basic Speaker Measurements
Impedance and phase response relative to frequency are fundamental electrical characteristics that influence how an amplifier interacts with the speaker.
Resonances, often indicated by kinks or wiggles in the impedance curve, are present around 280 Hz and 1.6 kHz. While the 280 Hz resonance isn’t significantly reflected in the frequency response, the resonances around 1 kHz correlate with some observed peaks in the frequency response measurements, suggesting they are more sonically relevant.
Distortion measurements, ideally conducted in an anechoic chamber, were performed in a non-anechoic environment for this test. Therefore, data below approximately 200 Hz should be interpreted with caution.
Advanced Speaker Measurements
Notably, the early reflections are smoother than the on-axis response. This observation counters the common internet trend of excessive room treatment with absorbers and suggests a more nuanced approach to room acoustics may be beneficial with these speakers.
To further examine directivity, vertical and horizontal dispersion patterns were measured.
The highlighted 20 and 30-degree off-axis responses on the left side illustrate the speaker’s behavior when not directly toed-in towards the listening position.
Eye-candy Speaker Measurements
At the crossover frequency of 3000 Hz, the soundfield visualization reveals interesting dispersion characteristics.
Ideally, a full-bandwidth driver would exhibit a single, focused sound wave directed towards the listener. However, due to interference between the tweeter and woofer at the crossover frequency, the SP-BS22-LR exhibits a more complex pattern with multiple lobes, indicating sound radiating in different directions simultaneously.
Full spin data is available for more in-depth analysis.
Informal Listening Tests
Initial listening impressions were positive, characterized by a generally balanced sound profile. However, a slight brightness was noted, potentially attributable to a relative lack of deep bass extension. Experimenting with toe-out, angling the speakers slightly away from the direct listening axis, proved to be effective in achieving a more balanced tonality.
Compared to the JBL LSR305P Mark II, the JBLs exhibited superior bass performance. However, in terms of overall tonality, the Pioneer SP-BS22-LR held its own, demonstrating commendable sonic qualities for its class. It’s worth noting a slight emphasis in the midrange frequencies on the Pioneers.
In loudness tests, while some low-frequency output was discernible, the speakers exhibited significant distortion when pushed hard in the deep bass region. Techno music with higher-frequency bass content fared considerably better. Employing a high-pass filter in playback software to attenuate very low frequencies is recommended to mitigate potential distortion at higher volumes.
Conclusions
The Pioneer SP-BS22-LR stands as a testament to the design philosophy championed by Andrew Jones. Recalling a conversation at CES years ago, Jones highlighted his approach to budget speaker design: prioritizing component quality over cost-cutting in critical areas. His statement, “people making budget speakers put in 10 cent parts. I spend $1 and that makes a big difference!” encapsulates the essence of the SP-BS22-LR’s success. Beyond component selection, the speaker’s performance is undoubtedly a result of skilled engineering.
In conclusion, the Pioneer SP-BS22-LR achieves its objective of delivering a sonically pleasing and visually appealing speaker that belies its affordable price tag. It is a well-rounded budget option that performs admirably, making it a strong contender in its category.
