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Dellichord FR35
Dellichord FR35 – A brand new take on the classic LS3/5A
BUY DIRECT
In collaboration with the celebrated loudspeaker designer, Brad Serhan on crossover design and development, the result is a full-range speaker that delivers outstanding sound quality in full colour. This little speaker has wonderful texture and instrument placement, images beautifully and unveils hidden detail in recordings without fatigue.
With the wonderful musicality of the legendary LS3/5a monitor in mind, the FR35 provides remarkable transparency and fine detail and has been compared favourably against similar designs at much higher price points.
Improving the LS3/5a style sound? Just add bass.
Designer, Andrew Hutchison, has a long history with the BBC classic LS3/5a monitor. Andrew and his design team strove to design a speaker rich in detail and authentic reproduction of the mid range frequencies of the human voice. You could say the FR35 is a homage, an ode or a tip-of-the-hat to the legendary LS3/5a updated for the modern ear.
Andrew and his team were lead by the fundamentals of the design of the LS3/5a including the size of the diaphragm of the drive units, front baffle, and cabinet – adding modern technologies such as neodymium magnets, hybrid cone materials, self-damped cabinet materials, and visco-elastic sealants. The bass was tuned lower and flatter by increasing cabinet depth and in turn, increasing the volume from this small, sealed box.
The FR35 bookshelf monitor has been designed as a full-range loudspeaker in its own right. Some have said that the only improvement to an LS3/5a style loudspeaker would be more bass. Dellichord has done just that and more by incorporating the FR35 into an active bass system as the FR2035 IsoActive System. This system ‘polishes’ the performance of the FR35 and blends it seamlessly with the thunderous twin 265mm isobaric bass units.
The FR35 internal passive crossover is still ‘in-circuit’ when used as part of a FR2035 system. The visible jumper cables deliver power from the FR20 to the same terminals on the FR35 as used when enjoying them ‘solo’.
Dellichord FR2035 – Key design features
- FR35 bookshelf monitor is a full range speaker in its own right but you can add the FR20 to create your own FR2035 System
- Extraordinary sound quality in this price range
- Designed and manufactured in Australia in our own facility
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Professional Reviews 92/100
Deliciously Crispy
Sound Quality
94/100
Build Quality
94/100
Value for Money
86/100
Compact yet big-sounding, the FR35 delivers a vivid midrange, tightly controlled bass, and a clean, non-shrill treble that makes vocals and acoustic instruments feel immediate and lifelike. In SoundStage Solo, Edgar Kramer praised its spacious imaging, dynamic poise, and refined balance, while the sealed-box design helps it sound surprisingly large for its size.
What Reviewers Are Saying
Pros
Delivers unusually deep, controlled bass for a compact standmount, sounding far larger than its cabinet suggests.
Midrange reproduction is immediate and natural, with vocals rendered clearly and sibilance kept under control.
Treble is refined and balanced, with no obvious shrillness or etch.
Imaging and soundstage are highly precise, producing a three-dimensional, well-defined presentation.
SOUND QUALITY PERFORMANCE 94/100
Reviewers describe a speaker that sounds unusually large and accomplished for its size, with deep bass, a vivid midrange, refined treble, and excellent spatial precision. The overall impression is of a lively, controlled, and highly articulate monitor with real scale and composure.
Bass
93/100
The bass is repeatedly described as deep, powerful, and tightly controlled, with the speaker sounding far larger than its cabinet suggests. One review cites extension varying down to 27 Hz in-room and praises the way it follows low notes with nuance and tonal precision, which is exceptional for a bookshelf design of this type.
Mid
95/100
The midrange is praised for excellent vocal reproduction, immediacy, and realism. Reviewers specifically note that sibilance and etch are well controlled, and that the speaker frees the midband from bass duties in a way that helps voices sound open and convincing.
Treble
94/100
Treble is described as beautifully toned, balanced, and free from shrillness or etch. The review highlights convincing piano tone and well reproduced reverberation, suggesting a refined top end with good detail and very little brightness trouble.
Soundstage Imaging
95/100
The speaker is credited with precise center placement, a large reverberant soundfield, and clearly defined three-dimensional images. Reviewers repeatedly emphasize its spatial precision and the ability to render orchestral recordings with convincing width and separation.
Dynamics
93/100
Dynamics are portrayed as lively and impressive, with the speaker handling soft detail and then jumping to powerful dynamic swings without strain. The reviews emphasize speed, punch, and a sense of energy that helps the speaker feel bigger and more expressive than its size suggests.
Assessments of Build Quality, Usability, and Overall Propositions.
Build Quality
94/100
The cabinet work is praised in strong terms, with first-class veneers, solid enclosures, immaculate machining, rounded edges, and flawless paint application. Reviewers present it as mature craftsmanship rather than merely attractive styling.
Value for Money
86/100
The reviews do not dwell heavily on price, but they do present the FR35 as part of a more expensive system context and as a serious, high-quality speaker rather than a budget option. With limited explicit value commentary, it comes across as a well-made, well-performing product whose price is not obviously dismissed, though neither is it celebrated as a bargain.
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