Fluance Ai41 Bookshelf Speaker Review

For many players, gaming headsets and headphones are probably the go-to choice for audio solutions, while speakers, especially speakers like the Fluance Ai41, do not often cross gamers’ minds, though maybe they should. Stereo speakers offer a wider sound stage and much more powerful sound than any headphones out there, even when available at a reasonable price point, which the Ai41 flaunts.

Fluance has made quite a name for itself in the world of vinyl sound systems and turntables, and while the Ai41 can easily be used for that if you would like, they are targeting the Ai41 to be more useful for a variety of setups. Over the last couple of weeks, we were lucky enough to test out the Ai41 and see if it really was a great all-around speaker option. The speakers were tested while listening to music, watching movies and TV, and playing games.

Unboxing and Setup Process

• Fluance Ai41 Bookshelf speakers
• Remote control
• 8ft 18 gauge speaker wire
• 6ft power cable

As someone who grew up in the early 2000s and is used to bookshelf speakers from that era, unboxing and setting up the Fluance Ai41 was an absolute treat. Typically, when speakers come with speaker wire to connect the stereo drives, it is a tedious process that can be quite a pain. I was glad to see that the Ai41 opted for a more straightforward approach, using a nut and bolt design for the speaker wire connection. Just putting the already exposed ends of the wire into the corresponding ports and screwing down the bolt got the speakers ready to connect. There is no need for wire strippers or cutters, unless you want to clean up the cable run and you are not using the entire 8-foot cable run.

After that is done, plug in the power and connect the cable of your choice. You will have to source RCA cables or an optical cable for yourself, but if you choose to connect via Bluetooth, you are ready to go with nothing else required.

Connectivity

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Using the Fluance Ai41 is a joy no matter how you set it up, whether it is in your living room, on your TV hooked up to a turntable, or even on your desk. However, if you plan on using these for desktop use, first and foremost, you will want to ensure your desktop has an optical connection or pick up an adapter for the best gaming experience. There is nothing wrong with the Bluetooth connection for listening to music, but the latency can become fairly noticeable when watching movies or playing games.

If you are using these speakers on your TV, you will probably want to use the optical connection because, unless you are still using a CRT TV, there is a good chance you don’t have RCA inputs on your TV still. Most soundbars and smart speakers nowadays use HDMI ARC to connect to TVs, and while optical doesn’t support all the fancy features that come with HDMI 2.1, it is an effortless, reliable setup. Plus, you don’t lose any HDMI inputs this way.

While these speakers do have a tweeter and woofer on each unit, if you want more bass performance out of them, you can use the Sub connection port to connect a subwoofer of your choice to the Ai41. However, it’s worth noting that because it is a wired subwoofer, you will not be able to easily place the sub next to your couch like you can with wireless subs that come with soundbars.

When it comes to the RCA connection, most people will connect it to their turntable. Because the speakers are powered and have their own pre-amp, regardless of what turntable you are using, these speakers can easily be connected to your system. There is nothing worse than getting an upgraded pair of speakers and realizing that neither your turntable nor speakers have a preamp.

Sound Quality

While the Ai41 might seem like another set of bookshelf speakers from the outside, you will soon see why Fluance has earned such an excellent reputation in the audio community when you start playing sound through them.

Because it seemed like a good excuse to watch Dune again, after getting these speakers set up, that was the first thing we put them to the test with. While they don’t have any fancy digital features like virtual surround sound, the Ai41 creates a very immersive sound stage even before touching any of the EQ settings. The stereo separation allows for pretty good imaging, and even without an external subwoofer connected, these 5-inch speakers can create a pretty powerful sound.

Movies and TV

When the Atriedes first landed on Arakis, the rumble and hiss from the spaceships sounded amazing. Even though my living room is relatively small, these speakers can easily fill a good-sized room with powerful sound.

Three hours later, after processing Dune again, it was time to play some games with the Ai41. As we said at the beginning, if you typically play games with headphones or a gaming headset, it is well worth trying to game with a nice set of speakers to see how different the experience is. You will not get the same immediate response and amount of directionality as headphones can offer, but considering how wide of a sound stage you can get with the Ai41, that is easy to overlook.

Gaming

In story and single-player games, the sound quality of the Ai41 is hard to beat, even compared to the best headphones out there. Because the sound can bounce off the walls and objects around you, everything sounds much more natural, and it feels like you are actually in that world. Of course, there are more gaming-focused speakers, like the Razer Leviathan V2 Pro, that offer a bit better surround sound, but the Ai41 still offers pretty impressive performance for just a stereo pair.

However, if you are into competitive gaming, headphones and gaming headsets might still be the better option for quickly reacting to sound cues.

Music

The sound quality while listening to music made Fluance a popular brand, so it makes sense that music is an absolute joy to listen to on the Ai41. Whether you are listening to vinyl or just connecting your phone via Bluetooth, it is easy to lose track of time listening to your favorite music through these speakers. As with gaming, where the wider sound stage is hard to replicate in headphones, the advantage of Fluance’s bookshelf speakers is even more evident when listening to music.

Sitting back and relaxing listening to an album or jamming out while you do some chores around the house, these speakers offer a great sound that can easily fill the house with music.

Is The Fluance Ai41 Right For You?

While bookshelf speakers are not for everyone, the Fluance Ai41 is worth considering for your audio setup, even if you weren’t looking for bookshelf speakers. However, they might not be the best option if you are looking for a small-footprint audio setup. Even though the Ai41 are relatively small bookshelf speakers, on top of a desk, they do take up a good amount of space. Even on TV consoles they may be too bulky, since you are not able to put them under the TV like a soundbar, meaning you have to make sure you have enough room for these on either side of your TV.

If you are willing to deal with the larger footprint, the Ai41 is an incredible speaker set that is an absolute steal at this price point. You can easily spend twice this amount and get similar-sounding speakers. The build quality on the Ai41 is incredible, and the wood siding looks excellent in any aesthetic. Whether you are an experienced audiophile or just starting your HiFi audio journey, the Fluance Ai41 is a fantastic option that is not hard to set up, easy to dial in EQ settings and is at a price point that is not exorbitantly high where the barrier to entry is too high.

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Fluance Ai41

Offering a whole new level of performance, the Fluance Ai41 Powered Bookshelf Speakers deliver outstanding clarity, immersive stereo imaging, and room-filling sound. Expertly engineered, these active speakers deliver exquisite audio reproduction as the artist intended. Plus, with various inputs, these speakers can easily be used for multiple use cases, from TV speakers to directly connecting to a turntable and adding to your desktop for a powerful sound experience wherever you want. 

Bluetooth Connectivity?

Yes

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Input Type

RCA L/R, Bluetooth, & Digital Optical TOSLINK

Dimensions

10.9 x 6.5 x 7.6 inches

Power

100-240V AC

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Drivers

2x 1 inch Silk Soft Dome Neodymium Ferrofluid Cooled 2×5 inch Woven, Glass Fiber Composite Driver with Butyl Rubber Surrounds

Frequency response

35Hz – 20KHz

Pros

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• Affordable compared to most other high-end speakers
• Gorgeous build quality
• Amazing sound for gaming, music, and watching TV
• Easy set up process

Cons

• Wired pair does limit placement options
• Can be a bit larger for desktop use

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FAQ

Q: Are Fluance bookshelf speakers good?

For a fairly affordable price point Fluance speakers offer incredible price to performance, especially when you compare it to other home audio brands that are producing similar level speakers. The Ai41 is a perfect blend of affordable and premium performance, making them a great option if you are looking to upgrade you audio setup without spending too much money.

Q: What is the difference between Ai40 and Ai41?

The main difference between the Ai40 and Ai41 is the ported design of the Ai41. Also, the Ai41 comes with a lot more connection options than the Ai40, including RCA analog inputs, an optical digital input, and even a Bluetooth 5.0 connection.