The Fleetwood Sound Helios Speaker Review.
By Steve Huff
The Video Review
Yes indeed there have been times I wished I still had a set of Deville SQ speakers but here we are at the end of 2025 as I start to write this review for a new set of Fleetwood Sound speakers that now sit in my listening room making music.
As luck would have it Fleetwood released some new speakers this year called the “Helios” and these are not $20k or more, but instead come in at under $5k, or $4,940.00. When I saw these on the Fleetwood website I loved the style, the design and the photos of them which were all very well done. Reading about them I saw they were made of 1″ thick torrefied PA OAK which is just something you never see elsewhere as this is a costly way to make speakers. Real wood? Yea it really can sound better.
See Jonathan Weiss of OMA and Fleetwood Sound describe the Helios
The Helios speakers are all solid oak hardwood besides the back plate. There is one coaxial driver here that can be seen, and man is it small at 5″ (don’t let that scare you). This here led me to believe these would sound weak, thin or hard. Boy was I wrong as here, looks are very deceiving. This Coaxial driver is a pro driver and not used in any other home audio or “audiophile” speaker made today. It’s also a very expensive driver according to Jonathan over at Fleetwood Sound. There is a woofer and horn loaded tweeter here and these speakers can pump out 113db of sound without crapping out or making your ears bleed. These throw an absolute massive soundstage.
Here is what Fleetwood Sound says about the Helios:
“The Helios Loudspeaker, named after the ancient god of the Sun, is made of solid 1” thick thermally treated (or “torrefied”) Pennsylvania oak. Similar designs are often described as a “bookshelf” speaker although we don’t suggest you treat it as such. Helios belies its size delivering unbelievable clean sonic output of up to 113dB with a professional 5” coaxial driver that combines woofer/low frequency with a horn loaded compression driver/tweeter.”
The style is simply classic, old school and beautiful. Again, I never see this kind of speaker for anywhere near its asking price. Usually when we see bespoke, quality work like this we would expect to pay at least $10k, sometimes more. With this said, these speakers are not like any other I have experienced as they sound like no other speaker I have heard, in a good way. A very good way.
When I owned the Deville SQ I was happy as can be with almost every aspect of the system. It was so wide open in sound yet injected slight warmth in the midrange to keep everything sounding heartfelt. The details were superb and smooth but very exposed and allowed for everything in a recording to be heard in a way that really let me hear them all with ease. Nothing was mushed together or flabby. The only thing I wanted for was a little more deep bass. This was not an issue as subs usually filled that in if needed but the Deville is a fast speaker and as is usual with fast speakers, it can be tough to get a sub, any sub, to keep up with them.
I ultimately landed on O Audio Icon 12 speakers that replaced my Deville as they gave me that added bass and warmth. As much as I love the Icon 12 with heavy music and even vocals, they are not as open or large sounding as those Deville speakers were. The Icon have me big body, groove and flow as well as a warm velvet hug kind of vibe. The Deville was and is immersive as it gets where sounds floated through the room in a more 3D and open kind of way.
This was the sound I missed after a couple of years without it but I was also very happy with the Icon 12 as they offer something that the Deville do not. It’s a give and take, a matter of what one wants more in their sound reproduction. I wondered if I would ever find this sound again, that sound of the Fleetwood Deville. Could the Helios deliver it in an even smaller and more affordable package?
So we push to November of 2025 and I was asked if I would like to review the new Helios speaker from Fleetwood which is much more affordable, smaller and IMO even cooler in looks than the Deville. I was happy to do this review as maybe, just maybe I thought…I would get that sound back into my system that I loved from the Deville. Now I could compare directly…Fleetwood vs Icon though this would not be a fair fight as the Icon 12 are $25k speakers and much larger in size. The Helios are $4,950 speakers and much much smaller and with less deep bass capabilities.
I also just received an amazing small speaker from T+A in for review that comes in at $10,900 called the R330 and even a set of Emotiva $3k vintage inspired beauties called the Nostala LB12. So many speakers to listen to as I also have a few others on hand, even the $5k Vipers that are made in Poland and TINY but with huge deep bass and a sweet sound. I wondered what the Helios would bring to the table.
Two weeks after I was asked about doing a review I received the shipment from UPS that consisted of the Helios and the Floor stands, which are made out of steel and well worth the cost. The Helios has three stand options. A swivel stand for floor or placement up from the floor on a desk, counter, etc, They also have a wall mount option and the full floor stand, which is what came with the set I received.
The speakers are of the natural finish here but they also sell what to me looks like a monochrome version that appears like it came out of an old black and white TV show. Again, these finishes are not stain, but shows how much they were “cooked” during the torrefication process. Again, this is unique in the home audio world. No one does this as it costs $$$ to do so. One thing I love about Fleetwood is that they will not take shortcuts as they will only release quality, period. I like this as in no way does the Helios feel “lesser than” in design, style and build vs the more pricey options they have at their website.
Oswald Mills Audio
If you were not aware, Fleetwood Sound is an off shoot of Oswald Mills Audio and this company makes speakers, amps and more for the millionaire and billionaire class. They make speakers like the OMA Mini which I also have lusted over for years and are in the starting lane at OMA yet what you can acquire can get into the six figures for the speakers. This is not all OMA does as they also make tube amps and one of the craziest turntables I have ever seen. I just love the design of OMA speakers but they are so costly and well, way out of my class. They also create high grade audio furniture as well. This is all cool for those with the cash flow to fund it all but for everyone else? This is where Fleetwood Sound comes in.
OMA decided one day to create Fleetwood Sound, to bring some of their “trickle down” tech into more affordable and smaller but equally as beautiful designs. This is when the Deville was born and it was the first time more of us could get a taste of what OMA was doing. Instead of spending into the hundreds of thousands of dollars, now we could get a taste of OMA for $15-$20k. Still pricey but yea, with Fleetwood Sound you DO indeed get what you pay for and then some in the case of the under $5k Helios I am talking about today.
The Helios Arrive
By the time these arrived it had been a few months since I saw them on the Fleetwood website. When I did see them back then I really wanted to hear them, see them, experience them. I set that thought in the back of my mind and here I am, a few months later listening to them in my own space. When I unboxed them I was in awe as they looked even nicer in the flesh than the photos, and those photos look gorgeous. I have to repeat this…The Helios are so different from the same old same old boxes we see year after year from almost every speaker company and it is refreshing.
We usually get a black box, sometimes with fancy veneer, sometimes they need massive power and others need a few watts to open up. Sometimes we see speakers trying to look cool but inside the speakers are not very good or well made. Some use gimmicks to get sales, others are just doing what they have done for decades..just repeating it over again and again with a MKII, MKIII and so on. I like the Fleetwood Sound ethos of making it right the first time and not putting out new versions of the same speaker. No upgrades needed.
The Helios is unlike any other speakers that have ever been here in my space, besides the Deville itself. I get a similar pride of workmanship vibe here, a similar “wow, these are made so well” kind of feeling. When I caress the wood, I feel wood and not some cheap pressed wood or veneer. No one (or very few) makes speakers out of wood anymore and usually the reasons given are nonsense. It’s about cost in reality as some (not all) cheap out when it comes to build so profits are greater, and they try to convince us that pressed wood is better (it’s not). Wood does and can bring a unique look, vibe and yes, even sound better.
Even though not all are created equal, there are many incredible small speakers that are built to a supremely high level. T+A comes to mind with their R330 I have here, and these are outright incredible but cost $10,900.00 with their all aluminum enclosure. They have bass that rivals my big Icon 12 and are solid as it gets in a bookshelf speaker. Just so luscious and rich in sound.
Even so, the T+A are so different from the Helios. With the Fleetwood speakers I get an all different vibe and feeling. A different sound as well. My wife likens the Helios to an audio projector of sorts. More on that later but even she was impressed with the Helios.
The Stands
I also received the steel stands and these are all together already, no assembly required other than to screw the speakers to them, which took me 3 minutes. I simply placed the based of the stand onto the speaker which was siting upside down on a carpet. Three screws each and the stand is installed.
The First Listen
When I set them up I removed the stunning T+A R 330 that were in making music. I was already trying to buy the R330 for my system, and I wanted a set in silver (I still do and did order a set) for my 2026 system. The T+A are just about as good as it gets in a traditional bookshelf sized stand mount speaker. Superb highs, amazing mids and bass that sound like a large full range floor stander. They sound punchy, powerful and smooth. I didn’t think for one second that the Helios, which costs half, would even start to compete with them.
Even so, I moved out the R330 and placed in the Helios.
What a different sound, vibe and energy. The Helios sounded to me almost like the Deville but with a slightly more open top end and an overall more open sound and in this room, a larger sound stage. A hair less warmth and bass but not by much at all. Rather, the Helios was noire airy and 3D than my memory of the Deville but keep in mind those are indeed memories. It was an instantly recognizable sound though and it was one of pure magic as the depth of the soundstage blew my mind.
LISTENING MORE
I had some amazing moments with the Helios over the many weeks of my evaluation. One night our little dog, a Chihuahua named Baby whom we rescued at age 2 (now 15) suffered a heart attack while lying next to us on the couch. For months she had been on heart meds for a failing heart and the night of the attack, as she lay sleeping and breathing shallow I went to my listening room and put on a spiritual music playlist and listened for 3 hours into the wee hours of the morning at low volume.
In my last 5 years in the room I have never felt the emotion so strong from a music system. Sure, I was sad about baby, our dog, and yes I was playing back our fond memories of her in my mind and scrolling through the many photos I shot of her for my old camera reviews back in the day, one of them above shot with a Leica SL2S. Even so, the music was connecting in a way that is hard to describe. The way details were gently being projected into the room, in an all out holographic way. Each instrument had depth, realism and projection.
While this is music you have to be in the mood for it is truly connecting when you dim the lights. play at gentle volumes and have speakers that reveal everything with life, soul and heart. The Helios was doing this better than any speaker I have had through these doors. Magic indeed. By 2:30 AM I was in tears and I am not ashamed to say this. For me, this is what this hobby is all about and I know some of you can relate.
Hell, even Spotify Connect premium sounded downright goosebump amazing through the Eversolo T8 into the Audio Mirror Wave DAC into a Vinshine Dazzle and the Helios.
This was the main system that was sounding so incredible with the Helios. While I did test them with a Heaven 11 Billie MK3 (ICE Module) and an Oilily 300B (the Helios can be powered by as little as 10 WPC) and a Devialet Astra the Dazzle was pure magic here. Who would have thought that a high power solid state class A/B would sound this magical with a speaker such as this.
I did a ton of listening with the Helios. From the music I spoke of above on that sad night to days and weeks of vocals, rock, metal, jazz, new age and old school 80’s synth. One of the most amazing experiences with the Helios was with the live track from the Depeche Mode live in Mexico release. Playing from Tidal Connect “My Cosmos Is Mine” was jaw dropping and goosebump inducing. When Dave Gahn comes in with the vocals it is insanely real. Something I could not recreate with any speaker I have on hand. I love the meaning of this song as well.
The music was large in scale, highly detailed and yet it had some warmth and glow but not too much. The details were of the type that seemed to appear in mid air with height, depth and width at the max. Sure, that Audio Mirror Wave tube DAC was doing a lot of the work but again, when comparing other speakers, none could quite do what the Helios were doing. None. Others were superb and amazing in their own way but could not project or fill the space in the same way as the Helios. Jonathan is right when he speaks about the driver in this speaker being special and expensive to use. It’s simply magical and unreal that it’s this small. This speaker sounds HUGE in my 13X18 space.
Going into some vocals a song popped up I never heard before called “Sing” from Maria Doyle Kennedy. As the song played I was wrapped in a wash of sound that was organic, layered and extremely open and just…well…magical. I really can not describe it in words as it is truly something that has to be experienced. With the Wave DAC the sound is extremely analog and there is nothing digital about the sound at all, I mean zero. The Helios was delivering a true immersive experience that was perfect in its execution.
WHAT ABOUT THE BASS?
As I listened to all kinds of music, even heavy metal and EDM I was not sitting here saying “man, I need more bass” but rather the sound was so composed and natural as is, I didn’t miss it. With this said, when I swapped into the T+A R300 that are more than 2X the cost of the Helios I had all the deep bass I could ask for. Now the sound was deeper, richer, thicker and almost as open but not quite there in that regard. Instead of projecting sound into the room with amazing separation of every sound I was now getting that traditional sound of more body, thicker and a ton more bass kick. The R330 bring this in a superb way that sounds as high end as it gets but as amazing as it is (and I ordered a silver set for my room) these had a different vibe that I will admit, some would prefer.
The R330 could shake the room with EDM if need be or wanted and bring a sound that filled the room with a deeper richer vibe.
Then again, the Helios brought more realism in the mid region. Vocals are haunting, the treble is ethereal with the Wave tube DAC. A bit crisper and flatter with the Eversolo Z10 DAC and softer and sweeter with the Astra so yea the source will matter.
The Helios also seem like a superb speaker for those who like to spin their vinyl. I can see these being pure magic here.
Fleetwood Sound describes the Helios as “Near Full Range” speakers and their specs show the bass goes down into the 50’s, which again, on paper doesn’t seem impressive for those who love deep bass. The bass that is here is super though with control, warmth and it never muddies up the beauty of the Helios. This is a fast speaker so if you wanted to add a sub most subs will not do it perfectly. This is why Fleetwood has come out with their own subwoofer for their speakers. The Fundamental Subwoofer also uses a pro driver that is said to be a perfect mate to the Helios or Deville. I have not tried it yet but hope to in 2026.
The Fundamental sub is gorgeous and more expensive than the Helios but for anyone who wants one of the best sounding full range setups I would say the Helios and Fundamental should get you there. Let me also say that the Dazzle amp has such amazing bass performance that it was bringing out the best of the Helios vs others. The Dazzle also puts out its first watts in Class A and again, at low volume I was so immersed and sucked in for hours.
These speakers can be dangerous in the right room and setup but these sounded great with tubes, solid state or hybrid amps.
CAN THEY PLAY LOUD?
Not only do these deliver all of the soundstage, imaging and immersion at low volumes when turned up they scale up incredibly well. These can go to 113 DB without distortion or flabbing out. I will never get them to that level of course but as they get turned up they fill out a bit more and just sound bigger and bigger. No bass bloat or overload, all sounds so “right” and so real. I look at the volume dial with the Helios as a “Size Dial” as it makes the sound grow larger and deeper.
These sound larger than my Icon 12 but of course without that speakers signature sound of big body, warmth and velveteen treble. Two different vibes indeed but yea, the Helios can do loud or soft.
One day I was in a mood again and listening to a band called “WOOD” with a track called “The Forest Hums”. I turned it up louder and I was just transported to another world when I closed my eyes, as if I was swimming within the music. As I turned it up the image and stage just got bigger, fuller and taller. I turn it down and it gets smaller but retains the traits that make it so special.
MORE TUNES
I listened to Buddha Bar via Tidal and Spotify connect and it all sounded so good with the midbass coming out rich and clean and making me groove back and forth to the beat. Drums sound so clean and distinct and the depth here is amazing with the track called “Sita”. The drums are so awesome here and can really rock when turned up but at low to mid level the detail is incredible with that “dive in soundstage” I have experienced only a few times before. Voices come out in to space away from the speakers on the sides for some and the middle for others. This was at 3:10 AM as I couldn’t pull myself away from the system on this night. Very intimate at low volumes as well, with every detail heard.
As the playlist moved on a song called “Zaston” came on and it was haunting. From the music to the vocals it was soothing, stress reducing and again, immersive and as real as I have heard from a speaker. I switched to some larger speakers I also had here, the Qualio IQ30 which are quite pricey and large. While the IQ 30 had bigger bass and a more sparkly treble the small Helios had a more organic vibe and believe it or not an even larger soundstage with a bit more warmth in the midrange. With the T+A R330 the sound was equally as awesome but different. Thicker, bigger bass, fuller but again, less open and less height to the stage vs the Helios but yea, a richer deeper sound indeed for the R330. When the piano and male vocals come in at the end…goosbumps on the Helios.
CONCLUSION
I spent a lot of time with the Helios speaker and as soon as I unboxed them I knew I would have a hard time saying goodbye to these and I based that on looks alone. Little did I know what these boxes had in store for me over the weeks I listened. From my emotional night with my dog to rocking out mid day to my wife listening to them with me. When I asked her to describe what she heard she said it was like a movie protector but with sound. She said the sound did not seem to come from the speakers but rather the room itself. As if a large screen was in front of her and sounds and music were being “shown” in various parts of the screen. She also said the sound was very big and different from others she has heard in here.
I have had some pretty special speakers in my home over the last several years. So many that I loved, adored and some that I bought and sold later on, a few with regrets. Yea, regrets can be an SOB but honestly money was big issue for me when I sold the Deville speakers. I am just a regular Joe who loves music. A guy who has had systems for over 40 years and have had music in my life for as long as I can remember. My mother was a music lover as well and as a kid she listened all of the time to her records. Maybe it’s in my genes, lol.
I knew for 2026 I wanted to bring in a couple of new speakers. Originally one was to be a small size and one medium to large. I bought the T+A RT330 because yes, they are special as well in their own kind of German way. Technically superb in sound and execution. Full range all the way with a drive and beat like no other small speaker I have encountered. With that said, the retail on the T+A is almost $11k and that is a lot of cash to drop on a small 2 way, no matter how good it is. After weeks with the Helios and taking my sweet time with this review I never tired of them. Instead, each time they went back in whether it was after a small or large speaker being in I instantly heard what I was missing when they were out. That was the way they delivered transparency, detail and that magical midrange.
Nope, these do not do the deepest lowest bass out of the box but what they do bring is so satisfying and heartfelt, especially with the Dazzle amp and Wave DAC. With the other DAC, the Z10, they were not as all out detailed or open but still sounded organic, open and beautiful If not a bit more sharp. These are just unique speakers that also are drop dead gorgeous in design. After my time with the review was up I could not send them back and decided to buy these vs a larger speaker for my 2026 system. This means I now have two smaller speakers. One set that sounds like a large floor standing full ranger in the R330 from T+A and one that transports me to the inner depths of the music and brings that emotional pull.
The Helios has the right price indeed at $4,940.00. The stands you choose are extra and optional.
The Helios is not a speaker that is hard to drive though I would recommend more watts vs less. The Dazzle is very refined with the Helios. Smooth, open, 3D and layered as it gets and it puts out insane power but with grace and beauty vs raw or edgy sound. Overall this speaker is for someone in a small to mid sized space who wants an open sound and one that immerses you inside of the music. These speakers are for those who like big rich realistic vocals, magic in the mids and a smooth yet extended treble that brings a big wide, tall and deep 3D layered soundstage. These will do metal and EDM better with the Fleetwood Sound Fundamental sub (My guess is these would be 100% end game, no matter the cost for 99% of us, with the sub) but out of the box they offer just enough for me to not want for more.
You can see and hear them at my instagram @hifihuffofficial or hear a properly recorded 4 song demo in the members area at my YouTube channel HERE.
You can order or read more about the Helios at the Fleetwood Sound Website HERE
