Let me start by saying that I have a very critical hearing. I can't stand non-natural-sounding speakers. There isn't a soundbar, HTIB, or any shelf system that even comes close to the sound quality, staging, and mid-bass response of this system. Pair this with any 150+W subwoofer and you a 2.1 system that will rival systems costing $2-3k.

How do I know? My main 7.1 HT system has $1500 each main front speakers and $500 surround speakers matched to a 1000W dual 12" sub all powered by top-of-the-line Marantz AVR.

And for stereo content at moderate volume; I can hear very subtle differences between both setups. I honestly cannot justify the difference between both setups given the cost. And these towers do get plenty loud to fill most living rooms so the output is not an issue and they don't distort either.

Lastly, the customer service by Fluance has been top-notch; Julie in particular has been very understanding and patient and resolved all my concerns (small shipping damage; damaged leg --> send a new one-- no questions asked)

I'm very happy with the Ai81 speakers so far. I've got about 15 hours of listening and they aren't quite broken in fully. They sound great in the high and mid frequencies and have surprisingly good bass response for 6 inch speakers. They are lacking in the lower frequencies but paired with my two Fi70's it sounds incredible and the full range is well represented. I was looking to fill in the middle and higher range to let the four 8 inch subs really shine while maintaining a balanced sound and I got exactly what I was looking for. Great sounding product and beautifully constructed.

simple to use, deep bass from 6inch speaker.
enough power...

I have been living with these speakers for a few months now. They feature a rich, full sound. Paired with a Sony HAPZ1ES Hi Res player, with each CD downloaded as a Wave file rather than compressed MP3, the music and vocals always feel fully accurate, with all the instruments and voices revealing their contributions in every song as intended.