Buchardt S400 MK2 - Really good or hyped?
ฝัง
- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 7 ก.พ. 2025
- #hifi #audiophile #stereo #Amplifier #speakers #tubes
/ thomasandstereo
Fraud warning: Someone pretending to be me and going around asking for money.
My second Galion Audio channel: / @galionaudio9146
Buchardt website buchardtaudio....
Gear used or mentioned in this video
Buchardt S400 MK2 speakers
Dynaudio Special 40 speakers
Willsenton R8 tube integrated amp
Galion TS120 Tube integrated amp
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My video on the Buchardt S400 and Galion TS120 SE : th-cam.com/video/tF8q_ZemoFw/w-d-xo.html
See you at the Toronto audio show this Oct in room 354 between 3pm to 4pm.
Your taste hasn’t so much as changed as has “Matured”, would be a better way to describe what is happening to you.
With all due respect Sir & no malice intended but YOU are slowly ageing. As you age you hearing for a better choice of word “DECLINES”. An alternative way to view this to make ourselves feel better, we say our hearing has “Matured” 😂
Please don’t worry, I’m a few decades in front of you and I can confirm as you move through your 40ues/50ies/60ies/70ies and 80ies tgat your hearing will continue to decline, as has mine. Eventually you will just be happy to wake up & hear anything 🤣 as I am.
I must say, I enjoyed your review Sir and have subscribed to your wonderful channel. I look forward to seeing more of your work.
I wish you a wonderful August from Southern Tasmania Australia 🙏🏻
I have to say you have come a long way in your videos over the years. I enjoyed this one very much, specially the focus on your experience and not repeating what has already been said by other reviewers. Keep up with the good stories.
Wow, thank you!
A very insightful review. Two of your greatest strengths is being able to describe the differences using various components and eliciting the feedback from your circle of audiophile friends. As well your “story” tangents are often charming and illuminating. You’ve done a really good job of differentiating yourself from other reviewers by creating a style of presentation that is both engaging and unique. Well done.
Thanks a million!
The Buchhard is my hi-fi cover of the last few years, rarely experienced a loudspeaker that plays so completely ❤️
I think your reverb analogy in terms of voice/midrange naturalness is spot-on! That is what I hear when comparing the BBC derived LS5/9 and LS3/5a monitors to some more 'busy' sounding speakers; the BBC monitors may seem 'tame' in comparison but the immediacy and relaxation of their midrange performance can be quite surprising.
bought these speakers the se version. you are 100% right. needs a warm lively amp, loves tubes.
Thanks Thomas! I have been watching for awhile and I like the unique insight you have that helps me to improve my knowledge about audio.
I had the original S400’s and they were good, but the mkii’s to me were a step above though they were more sensitive to placement. I was running the mkii’s with a Freya+ and a Parasound A23+ amp and while it has plenty of power to get them into the mid 90’s db it is a warm sounding amp to me. I tried a Benchmark AHB2 and even though it is not as powerful, the detail and dynamics were stepped up with the mkii’s and that’s what I was missing. Are they exciting, vibrant, sparkly? No, but that’s OK; I had a pair of KEF LS50’s that burned my ears off after 10 minutes no matter what amp I used.
EXCELLENT review, Thomas! Thank you! I'm purchasing these!
I just got these delivered today and the i150. I look forward to setting them up tomorrow. Thanks Thomas!!!! Going to your other channel right now, I still lust for your amp.
Yes, the Galion has a very different sound.
@@ThomasAndStereo, I have time to return the amp. Do you have a vid pairing the Galion with La Scala's? Or would possibly comment on how your amp pairs with the La Scala's?
@@davecroft2991 I will make a video on that soon. In short a lot of people listen to it, half prefer the Galion TS120 SE, half prefer the $10k Musical Fidelity integrated amp.
@@ThomasAndStereo thank you for taking the time. There is a chance I may get La Scala's in the near future, so for your to take the time to comment is greatly appreciated and kind. Cheers!
@@davecroft2991 Thanks, a very special speaker La Scala. Do not buy it blind, make sure you listen to it first because it sounds like nothing I have ever heard.
This speaker shows why synergy is so important. I first tried them with a very neutral sounding class D amplifier. The pairing was good but it was very bland.
I then purchased a Denon PMA A110 integrated which is known for being livelier with an elevated midrange and bass grunt. Wow-what a difference.
TLDR: This speaker responds very differently to different type of amplifiers. It can go from good to amazing (in my opinion).
Totally agree
You are describing the Dynaudio Emit experience that I had.
Thomas, I have the Special 40's and I power them with a NAD S200. Sparkles and does not offend. I am considering the MK 2 from Buchardt and your review sealed the deal. Thanks!
The special 40 is one of my favortie speakers. If you want to upgrade, you might have to go beyond the S400. However, if you are looking for a different flavor, have fun with the S400.
Excellent review Thomas, your channel has really become a go to for a lot of enthusiasts. I've had the S400 MKII's for going on a year now. I have them paired with the Gato Amp150 and the Holo Audio Spring 3kte, the three together are fantastic!
Always enjoy your videos Thomas. Great job.
Glad you like them!
Very good sound demo on this one. Looks like you have great synergy between the components you've chosen. I could live with that system...
Yup, it is the new mysterious solid state class A amp 15w that is coming one day.
Just purchased a used pair for 2000. Including stands. Listening to Diana Krall master off Tidal. Running Luxman 590axii. All I can say is Holy **** these are fantastic. I am done looking.
Congrats!
Great video. Synergy with equipment so important. Thank you for giving these great small speakers a chance. I own them and love them. But you know the hobby. Always want something better/different. Wish someone would do a good tad me1 review!
I've been running MKII's for almost a year and love them. They are very musical and easy to live with. I agree that they have a natural sounding mid-range - which gets them criticised by some as not having enough in the mids. I think this criticism is wrong as the mids of the MKII are perfect for me and have tamed an issue I struggle with and find fatiguing - overly forward female vocals. Love my MKII's (Using Schiit Freya S pre-amp, Schiit Vidar power-amp, REL sub and Geshelli J2 DAC).
I agree. The mids are not recessed but are natural in tone. This speaker produces some of the most beautiful female vocals IMO. I’ve had them a few months and they keep growing on me more and more.
Thanks for circling back and on the synergy key. I paired these with some high quality components that were driving Maggies and other speakers prior. They sounded so textured and expansive and the bass was phenom but were a bit too restrained and recessed in some areas. Once I paired them with more neutral and power driving stuff they truly came alive and on the multi dimensional level. Kept’ em for good.
Great video and very nice speakers.
They can compete with more expensive products.
But the speakers which made my jaw drop is the Audiovector R1 arreté standmount speakers.
I see you everywhere bigging up those r1's lol
@@slyfoxx8540 yes LOL
Yup, I heard the R3 today and Mr Jazz also has the R3.
Looking forward to ordering your 'It's a matter of taste' mug. Thanks for another interesting discussion Thomas. Greetings to you and yours.
Yeah, I have to do it!
I listened to the Buchardt S300 MKiiSE for two years, and LOVED it. Hidden gem indeed. Beautifully balanced, and voices of any kind sounded perfect, and real. But eventually, compared to more expensive speaker (the Aerial 5T), I found it really lacked detail in the upper half of its range, so much so that I was simply not hearing some things that were in the recording (oddly, that showed up most in electronic music with the unusual textures of the electronically generated sounds). If Buchardt would add more resolution, I'd buy it again.
Really nice speaker the Aerial 5T.
@@ThomasAndStereo But just not as full-bodied as the Buchardt. Always there are trade-offs.
I really enjoyed your presentation and delivery of content in this video! Keep this style going!
Glad you enjoyed it!
I have the S300 MkII and it is similar to the S400 MkI in its smoothness and slightly bloomy bass.
I am sampling the Wharfedale Lintons and, at first, they seemed bright, which doesn’t jibe with the reviews. That was 6 weeks ago. Now, either they broke in or I did! The bass is much more prominent and the highs, though detailed, aren’t as annoying. I do believe that the woofers definitely loosened up, but I’m pretty sure that the highs haven’t changed. Instead, I have. They are not warm to me - just detailed. I used to think that was an oxymoron. Goes to show you. The S300 highs, when elevated, despite their overall warmish presentation, get fatiguing. I believe that’s distortion, whether in the driver or crossover.
I like these Lintons. I just wish they weren’t so large. In a medium sized room, they are imposing.
Hi Thomas, I'm an HiFi long time aficionado I'm 59 and I had always a sound system of the modest side, the last which I still have and it has been restored, is a JVC Integrated Class A 20W and the matching Tuner and Cassette deck. Since 2021 I had a little better budget and after all these years with the same thing I was planning about getting a pair of Buchardt S300 to pair with my JVC. Well, to make the story short I wrote to Mads Buchardt himself asking for different choices and in the end
I bought a pair of S400 Mark II and the I150 Integrated, and this was partly because of the video you made about the amp (I didn't want the built in microwave though 😂), which was very interesting. Well Thomas, through the years I saw and listened to many systems. From the cheapest Sony or Phillips, etc to amazing McIntosh or true vintage tube Marantz models and to be honest, I never came across anything quite like the Buchardt. It is true that some people might need time because these boxes with this amp, despite you can manipulate the crossover to your taste, are3 very natural and organic, the presentation is incredibly accurate if a little bit of the warm side and then the stage, the image is without doubt the best I ever felt, hugely wide and and high but extremely deep, even cavernous at times. Also the speakers need time for the drivers to break, like a car engine, and depending of the amp and use that can go up to 500 hours of performance so you have to be patient. Anyway, thanks a million Thomas for these fine works and of course don't forget to let me know when an integrated with a built in microwave or toaster jumps into the market.
Much love and admiration from West Spain ❤
Wow, that was heart warming. I am glad you found audio nirvana and took the time to let me know. It made my day.
Hey Thomas,great review once again,and thanks for coming over my house with your Willsenton R8 and listening to my Special 40's! Let me know if you're selling the Buchardts btw!
Thanks for letting me share the story. Will have to ask.
“It’s all a question of taste” TS … I’d really like to listen to these speakers one day!
Thank you for mentioning the Special 40's. I auditioned my Sp40's against the original S400 (MK1) and I really liked them both - I found the S400 more clean and a bit more open, but the SP40 had better, bigger soundstage. I wonder how the MK2 would compare.
The Mk2 soundstage is not as big as the Mk1. Deeper yes but not wider.
@@ThomasAndStereo Maybe it is because the MK2 has internal bracing and MK1 not. Though they have different crossover
Love the channel Thomas and enjoyed your different take on the Buchardts. I just purchased the SK400 mkii and have paired them up with the Wilsenton R8 and to my ears, they have great synergy.
Yes R8 is on the bright side, so it works. change the 6SL7 and you will gain even more clarity.
@@ThomasAndStereo Thanks! Any recommendations on what to change the 6sl7 too?
@@DerekSheerin oh no much experience with it.
No worries - thanks anyway!
@@DerekSheerin You might want to try Sylvania 6SL7 NOS. I installed them, and Mullard EL34 xf2 (also new old stock) and they make the R8 sound much smoother. This tube combo sounds much better than KT77 for acoustic music, jazz and vocals. I got them from Jim in valvesnmore. Tarun (from A British Audiophile YT channel) used Psvane. You may want to check his second video on the R8 with upgraded tubes.
Thomas wherever you change amplifier with a speaker,sound changes alot as you said so why we always give preference to the speakers more then amplifier as far as my experience is concerned amplifier makes more change in sound quality. I think for good sound quality amp is more important then speaker and your previous videos also confirm this statement. YOU ALWAYS SAID WHEN I HOOKED UP TO THIS AMP WOW MAN.
As matter of taste
Long decay reminds me of bad Karaoke and Asian market selling counterfeit CDs blasting off their speakers.
I love short decay as a recording musician. It’s peaceful to be in an intimate and silent space. To an extent, I kinda like your recent videos for this kinda ASMR studio-esque sound.
very cool review Thomas! Seems like this speaker can scale really well and can really but tweaked to one's taste/preference via chain synergy.
Definitely!
This review is by far the best one at several levels…. That’s why I’m a Patreon :)
Thanks a million.
I just bought a pair of Heresy IV. Listen to them for a week. Put the Buchardt s400 mk2 in the exact same place. The sound was so lifeless and dull I actually thought I blew something In my amp.( Line Magnetic 805ia.) Long story short.... I could not wait to put the Klipsch back in. I'm hooked. And the Buchardt is a fantastic sounding speaker. But once you here that Heresy no going back for me.
Love my MKI... Don't need MKII but might look at A700 one day soon 🤟
Totally agree with you Thomas.
Hifi Nirvana is about achieving the correct synergy that suits each audiophile’s tastes.
yeah i want them to be fully done first before adding another, ultra clear undone sound isnt exactly enjoyable
Love the look of those .
Thanks Thomas.
Just sold my Special 40's looking to really step up. Suggestions welcome
I just auditions a set of Monitor Audio PL 100 and was floored.... But at 7K not really there yet.
Take care
I am very happy with my S300’s!
Yes, that is my favorite Buchardt speaker.
I heard this speaker go from okay to amazing when a friend with measuring equipment set it up.
T always doing good review. Now, as both on topic and off topic, let's consider something and get real- only speaking for my own experience here and having many book shelf types and floor standers, assuming one has adequate room for a large speaker- game over vs book shelf. If you are serious about a true full range of detail, immersive experience, book shelf + subs will not produce what a truly large full range speaker can provide, given good equipment matching. IMO, we've been duped by the industry for quite some time with these small form factor speakers and even many svelte towers. It's not just a matter of woofer diameter, but how larger drivers pressurize a room by comparison and integrate mid bass detail with upper extension of frequently range (audible) and the time alignment of deep bass with the frequency band reproduction. This is not a knock on book shelf types, as they certainly can be joyful and have a purpose when space and certain aesthetics are of concern. Several vintage speakers that were realigated to "party speakers", because they were used as such and not paired with quality components, got an unfair and inaccurate reputation. Many of those older,large speaker offerings, once paired with good gear, simply out perform many modern expensive speakers, not to mention that crossover points of the drivers produce an inherently cleaner response. So many speakers nowadays (book shelf and floor standers) have crossovers in the 2khz to 3.5khrz range, which is straight up awful for vocal range response and produce a harsh and unnatural tone. The old design and some modern designs still adhere to crossover points which do not interfere with the vocal range (with minor percentage variations). Manufacturers would do well with getting back to basics and getting off the "trying to sound big" concept. Get back to offerings three driver +systems with 12+ inch bass drivers in the line up along with offering small form factor speakers for those whose needs are best suited to them. For the rest of us- let's get back to listening to music as it was intended. Thanks
My taste is about having the right tool for the right job. IE: Home theater, I stick with horns. Newer horn designs without the vintage harsh/shout. Nothing brings movies to life like slam. Softer speakers sound muddy to me in HT. Movie theaters don't utilized laid back sounding speakers for a reason.
For two channel... I've been leaning toward the S400MKII or Vandersteen 2CE sigIII. Open, boxless, transparent and articulate. All day non-fatiguing listening. I have my eye on the S400MKII.
I heard the Special 40s first with the Bristol 135 integrated and then the 40 Watt Prima Luna, and the Prima Lunas were much better. It was warmer, more organic and much more enjoyable to listen to.
They are really good
I am taking delivery of a pair of S400 Mk II's in a few days. I currently have the S300 Mk II's. These will be up for sale. They are wonderful speakers but I got the bug. Hope I dont miss the S300's too much!
Don't sell it before trying the S400, I personally prefer the S300 more.
I know I know!
Thanks for a great vid. You have a good looking hair style. :)
Thanks for watching!
I got the S400 MKII early this year to work with my Cayin CS-88A. I did end up returning them, the mid-range was way too recessed and the upper bass to too much, causing listening fatigue after just a few minutes. I did a direct a/b comparison with my Wharfedale Diamond 225 and the decision to keep those was a real easy one.
Diamond 225 are fantastic for its price. Modern classics.
I had the 225 at one point, great speaker.
Hi Thomas I use the Yamaha wx-a 50 amplifier with my Buchardt S400 mk11 they sound very good to me, also the Yamaha goes into standby with the remote and also automatic standby after a while the Buchardt’s are sitting on granite cutting boards isolated with blue tack.thought you should like to know as you had one of these amp’s. All the best.
are the new p300 coming through for review as well? thanks for another great review.
If they send it to me!
Don't they need juice? (watts) I wanted to pair them with a modern class D amp. Cheers 🥂 I like a lot your reviews and channel! ❤
How does it compare to Sony soundbar? Is it better?
Depends on how drunk you are.
@@ThomasAndStereo :)
As long as it says “HD sound” on the box, then it will be. Nothing’s better then HD.
@@mikehuntington4440 yeah, my soundbar is 4k lol :D
@@ThomasAndStereo 🤣
"It's All A Question Of Taste!" Indeed....
Hi Thomas! I just ordered Marantz 40n (with CD60 to match) and I was thinking to buy the Buchardt S400 MK2. Is that a good match? I'm a professional violin player and l usually listen to classical and folk music (sometimes The Beatles, Elvis and Jazz). I'm using not Fluance R85 TT (and I will probaly upgred it this year with something better, but not sure what TT areoun $2000 -$3000 is better yet). Thank you!
Hi Thomas, love your videos... I want to ask you a question. Are these better than the kef r3 meta? I have a NAD class d amplifier with 130 watt at 8oms and I want to change my old speakers. Which of these 2 speakers do you think will perform better in a small to medium room? And if you have any other speakers to recommend from your experience combined with nad class d amplifier. Thanks for your time Thomas.
Thomas, a friendly suggestion....
Learn and start using FIR/IIR filter correction. The endless pursuit of ones subjective preference in sound is more easily achieved using DSP. My 2 cents.
🤗 THOMAS … I really think you should make that cup and put it on and I also think it would be good to change your name to Thomas and stories😁… and again you emphasize how important synergy is and keep it up 🤗💚💚💚
I might!
Thomas, what is that song at the end? Your presentations are great!
Thanks, check the description
I don't want to know if it's good or not.
I want to know if it makes instruments and voices sound like real instruments and voices
I don't want hear about, sparkly, bright, low end, smooth, forward, extension, detail, midrange.
I want to hear about realistic life sized presentation
well said!
Maybe you could suggest to your friend an R2R converter, they tend to sound more organic compared to delta-sigma implementations.
My story: in my band days our singer would always have to have an echo or reverb unit on his vocals, else he couldn’t sing.
if he wants to tame the brightness of the speakers get a makeup cotton wool bud and tear it in half and some surgical tape and type it in front of the tweeters making sure you're not touching it.
Torn between Burchard, Arendal 1723 monitor, Sonnetto II, Emit 50.
synegery..not more an equipment to make up shortcoming.Then again there is no perfect speaker.Just need to spend more to couple with.good insight review.thanks
I bought the s400 markii 2 week ago still Looking at amp to match it
do tell when you find a good match. I will try it with a schist aegir and freya+ soon
@@denizekintanrsever4749 i run aegir in mono with freya + and 400mkII. LOVE IT.
@@rumbolzpunktde that’s great to hear! It wasn’t a problem that aegir is not rated for 4ohms in mono? That was giving me a a pause
So Thomas, since you had the Special 40 for a while as you said, how come you didn't review them? I understand that you consider them maaaybe superior to the S400mkii and with that full body sound and detailed, sparkly top end, I would assume that you would enjoy them. No?
Sure I really like them. They were not sent to me for review, but it was a friend who lent it to me. I am just overwhelm already with reviews for companies sending me gear that I don't have time to make videos on my own stuff.
@@ThomasAndStereo apparently I won a prize by someone pretending to be you.
Just want to let you know Thomas
@@s37en_gr Yes I saw and thanks for letting me know.
My favorite Buchardt speaker is the MK Ultra.
One day.
I am in doubt between this one and the Wharfedale Elysian 2.
I do like some warmth in the sound, but also body. The Wharfedales are absolutely beautiful to see.
For now they will be connected to a NAD C165BEE + C275BEE combo but I am thinking about getting a Heaven11 Billie and I understand these Buchardts are amazing with that.
My room is about 16 by 16 foot (with a kitchen to the side) and the speakers won't have very much breathing room around them. I believe these Buchardts need far less breathing room than the Wharfedales?
All in all, what could you advice?
I think I would like this speaker's sound. I'm big into soundstage and don't want to run a subwoofer. But I use a Cary Audio 300SLI integrated amp. It's a 300B single ended amp of some 15 watts. I listen near field 7 feet. I don't play loud, maybe 80 to 83db. The amp does have a 4 ohm tap on the outputs. What your thoughts on the pros and cons me using this s400 mk2. I'm also looking at a pair of the ProAc Response DB1
If I had to place them in a cabinet, would you say they would sound better than rear ported speakers?
I am looking at the mkll’s as my current speakers are too bright for my taste. I have a Simaudio
340i integrated. Any one have thoughts on this combo?
Theoretically, would the MKII be a good match with the Decware Torii MK5?
I would be very curious to know, as well.. any decware really
There are some who agree the MKII are somewhat muffled. and perhaps too base heavy. I wonder Thomas what you think is the top all around bookshelf these days?
If you like Focal speakers, yes relatively speaking I can see why some people would find it muffled. My current favorite bookshelf probably is the Apertura Swing.
@@ThomasAndStereo How does the swing compare to these MK2? I’ve heard good things
@@ThomasAndStereo OK Thanks Thomas. Always enjoy your commentary.! Very mature, sophisticated and professional
@@ThomasAndStereo Hi thomas do you prefer the apertura over the 400s mkII
I would love to hear your thoughts on now the Buchardt's compare to the CSS Criton towers compare. I am thinking similar? I own the Criton's and also Magnepan 3.7i's. Looking at adding another flavour to my system, not replacing anything. Thanks if you could share
Thomas you need to listen to the mission 770 crazy good
One day.
Really like your way discribing the sound. I wonder if it's possible to turn around the speaker, I mean tweeter on top? Can you place the speaker 40cm close to wall? Cherrs from austria🔊😁
You are not supposed to, regarding distance, email and ask them.
Please compare kef r3 meta
Hi Thomas, I`d like to leave a question: Currently I am giving a try to an Energy CB-20 bookshelf, and even though I am finding them good, there´s no much reviews about them out there.. Not only you, but other reviewers as well don´t talk much about Energy speakers. Wonder why.
The answer is actually really simple, Energy does not reach out to TH-camrs. Some companies don't want TH-cam reviews and still believe in the older model where you go to the store to listen.
@@ThomasAndStereo thank you for the input. By the way, what's your thoughts about energy speakers? Have you auditioned any? I know the Veritas line has always impressed the audiophile public, but how about the entry level line, such as RC 10 and CB 20?
I got the Buchardt 400 MK2 about 5 months ago, at the begining they sound incredible, with great bass response, great midrange, and ok treble. But a month ago the wonderful sound just disappears. I try it with different sources and amps, and couldn't get that wonderful sound. I think is me and not the speakers. I just get bored with their sound.
Haha, you must have caught what we audiophiles call the ' upgrade virus.' 🤣
@@ThomasAndStereo In the 90' it was called audiophilia. But what I did was go in the opposite direction: downgrade.
The cure is to buy a little Bluetooth speaker and exclusively use this for one month 😂
S400mk1 preferred to avoid the high frequencies
I like sound that is natural spicy buttery sparkle. Is this natural spicy buttery sparkle?
You need to add hot sauce to it.
As ALWAYS your Story Channel has not failed to make me smile and 😂. And yes, yes, yes, put that on a mug. There are just too many who fall into the Echo Chamber of the haters... because they are somehow ignorant of this Mission Statement, sadly. I personally am just looking my system. I do have limitations that will influence that objective, but I doubt the short comings will keep it from being, good enough. Thanks once again Thomas.
Thomas does your feelings about the Mid and Treble from the MKII when you've paired it with the Mono Blocks or the Amp which made sleep deprived mean the MKII is actually mean the are indeed neutral or slightly musical. So, in the real world they are simply giving you exactly what you feed it. Thus it is even more an impressive speaker than one might expect. And one should not assume it is the speaker which is lacking?
Well, for those who like detail, it is lacking in that sense. However, if that is not important to you, then everything else is pretty ok. Just need to find the right pairing.
Wow...am I seeing a Galion 15W Class A power amp coming soon? Can't wait to get more information on that. Btw when is the review on the Wilsenton R300 coming?
Yup, you noticed! The amp voicing is pretty much done, I can have it build in Canada but waiting for the chassis. R300? In a month.
Hey Tomas. Great video.
I have these speakers, and I really like them. I actually was thinking of upgrading to a focal Kanta 1 bookshelf as my next speaker.
You talked about getting the s400s to sound lively with a brighter sounding amp….is there any way to get a focal Kanta to sound more laidback like the s400 type sound? Or is the focal Kanta just too forward to be “reigned in”
Sure you can get the Focal to sound 'smooth'. The more expensive Focal line are not as 'bright' as the entry level ones. Gear matching is the key cause it is easy to get the Kanta to be bright too.
@@ThomasAndStereo cool. So….if you were to recommend a smooth and warm sounding amplifier, what would it be? thanks again Thomas, much much appreciated
@@mikehuntington4440 I have the Kanta No. 2 (floorstander) and I don't find them bright. However, that might be a matter of synergy. I have a Rogue tube preamp, and as for amps I rotate between an Ayre VX-5 (class AB), a First Watt J2 (class A) and a Willsenton R8 with EL34 tubes. The last one, with KT88 tubes was a little bit shouty--that's why I changed to EL34. Also I found using the 8 ohm tap instead of the 4 ohm tap was smoother, because with the 4 ohm tap some lively music got shrill at times. So, yes, the Kanta can sound smooth and very detailed at the same time with several solid state and tube amps. My two cents for what is worth. @Nemo Propaganda recently acquired both the Buchardt S400 Mk2 and the Focal Kanta No. 1, so you might want to check his YT videos since he kind of uses the same setup for both.
@@giovannitirado6229 awesome, thanks for the advice. Its actually Nemo’s review that lead me to consider the Kanta bookshelf. I have the kinki amplifier and Pontus DAC. I really love the sound of the s400s, but wish it had a bit more detail and better soundstage. I have never even heard the Kanta, but hope to hear them at the Toronto audio show ina couple weeks.
Thanks again, I’ll keep these amps you recommended on a list.
Hi Thomas, will you add reviews or impressions of using Unison Reaserch Simply Italy in the future? follows your channel and if I remember correctly you had one, I am very curious about your opinion about it.
Probably if I have time.
None of the guys at Audio Excellence liked that speaker. Maybe they needed to try it with different amps. But I think it’s a bit crazy if you buy a 2k speaker but then have to buy half a dozen expensive amps before you find an ok match. Maybe some audio shops will let you borrow amps for a day or two but it’s not likely. I’m thinking of listening to the Rotel Michi with Sonus faber Soneto 5 or Lumina 5 soon.
Could be just a question of taste. Nothing wrong with that, I am sure many people are like them, just that there are way more people who liked the Buchardt over people who do not.
If they carry this, they may like it.
@@oohora They are pretty honest guys.
@@aussie8114 i agree for vilip and adrian.
These were the guys claiming the MKII had NO mids. I own these speakers and they are plain wrong.
@Thomas & Stereo Did you watch the Audio Excellence Canada reviews? It caused quit a stir. BTW, for those in US, the exchange rate was pretty favorable last week, so good timing for those who got one then.
Well yes and there is nothing wrong with it, just not to their taste. Perhaps it was not detailed enough. Tonight a subscriber dropped by and told me about that review, he was expecting the s400 to be garbage, I let him listen to it with the Galion and he was like, huh..what..it's pretty good.
@@ThomasAndStereo Thomas I heard klh model 5 but not the s400 ii, how would you compare and contrast them?
@@StefanUrkel well, KLH is more extended, has a more nuanced bass, and has a 'bigger' scale.
The S400 is space friendly, different tone and perhaps more 'natural'.
Rather than change all these amps, why can't you just add a schiit Loki in the chain to change these tonalities ? Thanks for this review.
Sure, good idea. Maybe you can't get the punch, soundstage but tone, probably.
Schiit Loki is the Schiit. It is the magic ingredient in my system.
I still own and use a set of Mk1 and did audition the Mk2 side by side for a number of weeks. I agree with your comments about the lower ranges. Mk2 is much more linear in my room, Mk1 is a bit more fun and lively. Honestly didn't notice a big different at the top end. Maybe its my ears or my room but I just wasn't able to flush out any major differences even using several different class a/b/d amplifiers. Yes I hear subtle differences but nothing significant. I ended up sticking with my Mk1 because I couldn't justify the extra cost for the improvements I was hearing. Mk2 was a darn fine speaker though.
Nice, thanks for sharing your experience. I wish I had both to AB test it. It was based on my memory! 😱
@@ThomasAndStereo I went back and looked at my notes from that eval. I made an interesting comment regarding individual instrument note clarity in the lower ranges. I found instrument clarity down low be better with the Mk1 than the Mk2. It seemed to me that the Mk2 traded off some of this clarity for that linearity you mentioned. My assumption was that this had a lot to do with the aluminum vs paper cone of the driver. Of course this was my gear, my room, my ears, etc.
Hi Thomas, have you ever heard of or are familiar with the Joseph Audio Pulsar2 Graphene2 bookshelf speakers for review? I have a chance to audition a pair in my home for evaluation whilst deciding between the Buchart S400 MKII or the Dynaudio and could use your well experienced advice especially because this will be my first pair of "small" speakers. I plan to drive whatever I wind up with using a Hegel H590 which I know will be superb. Also any thoughts on whether any of these particular speakers would benefit using a subwoofer? Many thanks!
I have only heard Joseph at shows and don't really have a solid opinion on them. The Joseph probably would sound closer to the Dynaudio. Subwoofer? Sure they can both benefit but not to add more bass but to add more info.
Thank you Thomas for your great videos. Is it posible you review the Penaudio Lumi and Penaudio Cenya Supreme. King Regards!! Luis.
If they reach out to me, sure!
Hello I'm French,
Hello, I need an opinion before ordering the Buchardt S400m mkII. I have for the moment a small listening room and the speakers will be 15 cms u back wall, is it possible without being drowned under the low sounds?
I hesitate with the Dynaudio Special Forty, can you give me your opinion on the choice?
I own a Yamaha AS1200 amplifier.
Thank you
Je pense que les enceintes ont été conçues pour pouvoir être placées près d'un mur. Envoyez un courriel à Buchardt pour confirmer.
Will you make a Quadraphonic (SQ, QS, CD4) Galion for me. As someone who has spent a lot of time in Vietnam listening to karaoke i can assure you, reverb does not make bad singers sound better.
Lol.
Buchardt came out with p300 very similar to s400 except with less quality parts. Im trying to figure where does the S400 value comes from. It is 700 over the p300.
Crossover parts a day r&d, imagine needed to pay tens of thousands to an engineer to develop a crossover for you.
@@ThomasAndStereo thanks for ur input
Thomas, Heaven 11 has recently come out with version 2 of the Billie Amp. I want to pair it with the S400 MKII. But before I do, please contact Itai Azerad and get a demo unit Billie Amp from him and pair it with the S400 MKII. I'm curious to know if the synergy is there and if the top end sparkles, and the S400 becomes more lively? Or maybe, it's a bad match. I'll want to know either way.
I have both in my house
@@ThomasAndStereo Great! So what's the verdict? Great synergy or no? I'm hoping the tubes add that bit of magic.
@Mortimer Snerd Not as straightforward because it requires tube rolling.
@@ThomasAndStereo I meant "as is", with the stock tubes in it.
Hi Thomas.
I have the special 40s. I don't think they are lively. They sound very natural to me. I dont think the top end is sparkling.
I do think they sound natural in the vocals region and they have a fast and detailed bass. Top end is very detailed but quite smooth to my ears.
On the contrary I dont really like B&W speakers and Focal.
The conclusion is that there is no replacement for hearing by yourself with your gear in your place.
PS I admire your work, I really would like to hear the Galion because you personally made the sound tuning!
I wonder if it will be able to drive my special 40 well.
Hi,I'm the one with the Special 40's in the video.What amplifier are you using? I'm very curious to know.Thanks.
@@robertlizzi8428Hi Robert.
I use the Yamaha a-s1200.
Yamaha is not a warm amp. It is neutral with a touch of cool in the upper mid.
You can check out some videos on my channel.
I use the Atlas hyper 3.5 speaker cables
PS my room is messing up the sound a little bit.
It's all relative. For Mr Kanta, the special 40 is just right. Also, you mgiht have a great amp to match it.
@@ThomasAndStereo I position them not too far from the wall and i have a small listening room, in this way the SP40 sounds full and tonally even. With a good bass foundation.
@@igaldins How far apart are the speakers from each other? And what amp? Thanks again
I see a merchandize store coming 😂
Will you do any review on the P300?
I don't think so unless they send me one.
Hey Thomas, I hope your doing well, I haven't watched any of your videos in awhile. I enjoyed your review, have you checked out any of Buchardt's active speakers? according to Z Reviews they are the best speaker that he's ever heard and you can change the voicing of the speaker with the press of a button.
One day!
It's hard for me to ever go with actives. Too many reports of failures with KEF LS50W I & II, plus the heat that they generate if you go with something like ATC which doesn't use digital amps.
Thanks Thomas. You got a Venus 2?
In for review with the Pontus 2
@@ThomasAndStereo I have Ares II, just ordered Pontus 2.