Argon Audio Forus 5 Bookshelf Speaker, Walnut (Pair)

The Argon Audio Forus 5 is a passive 2-way bookshelf speaker with a 5.25-inch mid-woofer, a 1-inch soft dome tweeter and a rear bass reflex port, playing on an amplifier of your choice. The Walnut finish is the warmest of the three: wood look instead of a technology statement, fitting anything that looks like a living room and not a server room.

Why the Forus 5?

Two drivers, cleanly separated at 2,700 Hz: below, a 5.25-inch paper/fibre cone for fundamental tone and mids, above it a 1-inch soft dome with neodymium magnet. The low crossover point keeps voices within a single driver instead of splitting them across two. Lower down, the rear bass reflex port helps out down to 55 Hz. For a cabinet just 27 centimetres tall, that's considerably more than the looks promise.

What you get

Two speakers in Walnut finish, magnetically attached front grilles and rubber feet. The whole thing is driven by whatever you already have or are about to choose – the gold-plated screw terminals accept anything from slim bare wire to a proper banana plug. The integrated wall mount on the back is there when you need it, and doesn't stand out when you don't.

Who is the Forus 5 suited for – and who isn't it for?

Straight talk: if you want everything in one cabinet, including streaming and a power amp, the active Argon models are the right fit – this one needs an amplifier in front of it. For very large, open spaces, a floorstander is the more honest answer. And you shouldn't place it flush against the wall, the port fires backward and wants air. But if you want warm, grown-up stereo sound in a normal living room, this is exactly right.

Our verdict

In Walnut, the Forus 5 is the speaker visitors think is fancier than it is – and it backs that up sonically. Compared with the smaller Forus 4, it's 5.25 instead of 4 inches of cone, 55 instead of 60 Hz, and a 1-inch instead of 0.75-inch tweeter; the gap is in both spec sheets, we're not just claiming it. Which amplifier suits it and how to place the pair in the room – we're happy to work that out with you: HD Zürisee in Wädenswil, 044 680 22 00 or WhatsApp 076 534 22 00 (text only, no calls).

Technical data

• Type: Passive 2-way bookshelf speaker, bass reflex (rear port)
• Tweeter: 1″ soft dome with neodymium magnet
• Woofer/midrange: 5.25″ paper/fibre cone
• Frequency range: 55–20,000 Hz (−3 dB)
• Impedance: 4 Ω
• Sensitivity: 86 dB
• Crossover frequency: 2,700 Hz
• Connection: single-wire, gold-plated screw terminals
• Mounting: integrated wall mount on the back
• Cabinet: MDF, magnetically attached front grille
• Dimensions (W×H×D): 16.8 × 27.2 × 21.2 cm
• Weight: 3.6 kg per speaker
• Finish: Walnut
• Sales unit: Pair (2 speakers)
• Included: 2 speakers, magnetic front grilles, rubber feet

Frequently asked questions

Is the Forus 5 active or passive?

Passive. It needs an integrated amplifier or receiver with normal speaker terminals; it has no amplifier or streaming module of its own. In return, you decide yourself what drives it – and can swap the electronics later without changing the speakers.

What room size suits the Forus 5?

It's well suited to rooms of roughly 12 to 30 square metres. The 5.25-inch cone and the rear bass reflex port carry the fundamental tone down to 55 Hz, which is enough there without a subwoofer. In very large, open spaces, a floorstander is the more honest answer.

How much better is the Forus 5 than the Forus 4?

The difference is measurable, not just claimed: 5.25 instead of 4 inches of cone, a 1-inch instead of 0.75-inch tweeter, a 55 instead of 60 Hz lower cutoff, and a deeper crossover at 2,700 instead of 2,900 Hz. That results in more fundamental tone and a calmer midrange.

Can I mount the Forus 5 on the wall?

Yes, a wall mount is integrated on the back. Because the bass reflex port also fires backward, though, you shouldn't mount it completely flush. If you want to bring the speaker firmly onto the wall, you're better off with the Forus 5 Wall.

Why buy the Forus 5 from HD Zürisee?

Because the questions that decide whether you'll enjoy it rarely appear on the spec sheet: does it suit your room, your furniture, your amplifier? We work that out with you calmly. Plus our own in-house technician and advice that stays reachable after the purchase too.

Goes well with

To turn the pair into a system: a suitable amplifier, a speaker stand for the right ear height, proper cable – or the whole Argon Audio world and the other bookshelf speakers to compare.