Fluance Ri91 Floorstanding Speakers Review: A High-Fidelity Powerhouse

The Fluance Ri91 floorstanding speakers represent a significant leap forward in the company’s lineup, delivering an exceptional audio experience that will satisfy both music enthusiasts and budding audiophiles. As the larger sibling to the already impressive Ri71, these speakers bring enhanced features and superior sound quality at a price point that’s hard to ignore.

Unboxing and First Impressions

Right out of the box, the Fluance Ri91 speakers make a statement. Standing at nearly 42 inches tall and weighing in at approximately 40 pounds each, these aren’t speakers you’ll want to move around frequently. The substantial build quality is immediately apparent, though I did encounter some concerns with the initial packaging—the styrofoam was already disintegrating upon arrival, which raised some red flags about long-term durability.

The speakers come in three elegant finishes: walnut, black, and white, allowing them to blend seamlessly with various home decor styles. The front baffle features a sleek design with the woven glass drivers and AMT tweeter prominently displayed, giving them a professional, high-end appearance that belies their reasonable price tag.

Design and Build Quality

The Ri91’s cabinet construction is robust, utilizing MDF with internal bracing to minimize resonance and vibration. The front-firing bass ports at the bottom of each cabinet are a thoughtful design choice, allowing for flexible placement options without worrying about rear-wall clearance.

The active speaker houses all the connectivity options on its rear panel, including:

• HDMI ARC input (a welcome addition for TV integration)
• Bluetooth 5.0 with aptX HD support
• Two RCA inputs
• Subwoofer output
• Speaker wire terminals

The included remote control is functional and intuitive, featuring dedicated treble and bass controls that allow for quick tonal adjustments. The volume dial on the active speaker itself is a nice touch, though I found myself reaching for the remote more often during testing.

Setup and Usability

Setting up the Fluance Ri91 is refreshingly straightforward. After unboxing, you simply connect the active speaker to power, link the two speakers with the provided speaker wire, insert batteries into the remote, and you’re ready to go. The entire process took me less than 15 minutes.

However, achieving optimal sound quality requires some careful consideration of speaker placement. These are not plug-and-play speakers in the truest sense—you’ll want to experiment with positioning relative to walls and your listening position. The manual provides helpful guidelines, but expect to spend some time fine-tuning the setup for the best possible soundstage.

One minor annoyance I encountered was the occasional Bluetooth connectivity hiccup, particularly when streaming high-resolution audio files. While the aptX HD support is appreciated, the connection stability could be improved.

Sound Quality: Where the Ri91 Truly Shines

The Fluance Ri91 delivers a sound signature that will please most listeners, though it does have some characteristics worth noting. The frequency response spans from 40Hz to 30kHz, which is respectable for speakers in this price range.

At lower volumes, the speakers can sound slightly muffled, lacking the dynamic punch that becomes apparent when you turn up the volume. This isn’t necessarily a flaw—many high-quality speakers require some power to truly come alive—but it’s worth mentioning for those who primarily listen at lower levels.

The midrange is rich and forward, which works beautifully for vocals and acoustic instruments. However, this emphasis can make the treble seem slightly recessed by comparison. The AMT tweeter does an admirable job of maintaining clarity and detail in the high frequencies, but the overall tonal balance leans toward the warmer side of neutral.

Bass response is tight and controlled, though not earth-shattering. The 40Hz lower limit means you’ll get solid foundation for most music genres, but serious bass heads might want to consider adding a dedicated subwoofer, especially for electronic music or hip-hop.

Stereo imaging is impressive, with a wide and deep soundstage that creates an immersive listening experience. Instrument separation is excellent, allowing you to pick out individual elements in complex musical arrangements.

Performance Across Different Content

Music: The Ri91 excels with most music genres. Jazz and classical recordings benefit from the detailed midrange and controlled bass, while rock and pop tracks have the energy and impact you’d expect from floorstanding speakers. The only genre that didn’t translate quite as well was electronic dance music, where the bass, while present, didn’t have the visceral impact of dedicated subwoofers.

Movies and Gaming: While the Ri91 can certainly handle movie soundtracks and gaming audio, they’re not optimized for this use case. The stereo presentation, while spacious, lacks the immersive quality of a proper surround sound setup. Dialogue is clear, and action scenes have impact, but for a dedicated home theater experience, you’d be better served by a soundbar system or a full surround setup.

Features and Connectivity

The inclusion of HDMI ARC is a significant upgrade for Fluance, allowing for easy TV connectivity without sacrificing an analog input. The Bluetooth 5.0 with aptX HD support is appreciated, though as mentioned earlier, the wireless performance could be more stable.

The lack of Wi-Fi streaming capabilities and a built-in phono preamp are notable omissions, especially considering the price point. While neither is a dealbreaker, their absence is felt when compared to some competitors that offer these features.

Value Proposition

At $799 (approximately £640 / AU$1,270), the Fluance Ri91 sits in a competitive segment of the market. They’re more expensive than the Ri71 but offer meaningful upgrades in terms of features and performance. When compared to direct competitors like the Q Acoustics M40 HD, the Ri91 holds its own, particularly with the inclusion of HDMI connectivity and higher power output.

The two-year warranty provides peace of mind, though the initial quality control issues I experienced (faulty HDMI port on the first pair) are concerning. Fluance’s customer service was responsive in resolving the issue, but it does raise questions about consistency in manufacturing.

Should You Buy the Fluance Ri91?

Buy them if:

• You’re looking for high-quality stereo speakers for music listening
• You want the convenience of HDMI ARC connectivity
• You appreciate a warm, midrange-forward sound signature
• You’re setting up a dedicated listening room or home audio system

Don’t buy them if:

• You need a true home theater experience
• You primarily listen to bass-heavy electronic music
• You require Wi-Fi streaming capabilities
• You want a more neutral, reference-quality sound

Final Verdict

The Fluance Ri91 floorstanding speakers deliver impressive performance that belies their price point. They offer a compelling combination of features, sound quality, and aesthetics that will satisfy most music lovers. While they’re not perfect—the mid-forward presentation won’t appeal to everyone, and the occasional quality control concerns are troubling—they represent excellent value for anyone looking to step up their home audio game.

The inclusion of modern features like HDMI ARC and aptX HD Bluetooth shows that Fluance is listening to consumer demands, even if some omissions (Wi-Fi, phono preamp) keep them from being a complete all-in-one solution.

For the target audience of music enthusiasts and budding audiophiles, the Fluance Ri91 offers a significant upgrade over budget speakers without requiring a second mortgage. They’re speakers that will make you want to rediscover your music collection, and that’s perhaps the highest praise any audio equipment can receive.

Overall Rating: 4.5/5

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