I absolutely prefer to watch product comparisons like you did in this review. It's nice to know a product sounds good, but compared to what is where my thoughts go, so thanks for posting!
Was running out of breath a lot in this video because I was feeling under the weather. I apologize in advance. Here are the timelines: 0:41 Technical differences 4:05 Low Frequency 5:27 Mid Frequency 7:05 High Frequency 7:50 Low and High volume listening 9:04 Sound Stage and Imaging 10:04 Placement & Set up 10:51 Amplification
Hi Jay, thank you for the comprehensive and well thought out comparison. Would love to see you do more of these comparison videos. A couple of observations... I suspect the Buchardt and ATC have a very similar sensitivity once you adjust for the difference in impedance. The Buchardt have a 3db increase in sensitivity by virtue of the 4 ohm vs 8 ohm rating. ATC use much more expensive parts than the Buchardt and I wonder from your observations if they are the more revealing speaker. Being a sealed box design the ATC’s bass will roll off much earlier but more gradually than the Buchardt. Hence, I would love to know if you added a decent subwoofer to both speakers whether the ATCs would reveal themselves as being the better speaker. I would love to get these two speakers as well as the Dynaudio Special 40s home to compare with my Proac Response 1SCs. Happy new year and keep up the great videos.
How is it a comprehensive and well thought out comparison when it disregards all comparison of the specifications of the two products. Surely that is where any credible comparison starts? And what do you mean by a more "revealing" speaker?
If it wasn't for lockdown and you live near the M25 zone I would lend you both my ATC SCM11'S & 19'S to compare. I have just subsricbed to your channels and i'm highly intersted for a Hegel intergrated amp to drive my SCM19's and you both have done great reviews on some ranges of Hegel's intergrated amps, i'm heading towards the H190 over the H120 but that's at a price jump.
Thank you James. You are the first person I am telling, so this is a spoiler. ATC SCM19 are on their way for me to review so watch this space. Thank you for watching and your support 👍
Had the S400's for a year, outstanding speaker with 2 caveats; not great at low listening levels & rolled off (forgiving) treble left me wanting on "good recordings". Recently switched to ATC SCM11's paired with two REL t7i subs and I'm a happy camper!
Hi Ken, I'm interested to know what size is your room, as I have had the same idea as you, but was wondering if my 16 foot x 11 foot living room would be too small for two T7i Rels? thanks :-)
@@steverees1936 My room is 16 x 24, low ceilings and not open to other areas so behaves smaller than the measurements suggest. You might need to turn both subs volume down just a touch & I think you'll be fine!
Iv have the Atc 11s for five years now great speakers sealed designed so you never get any boomy bass like most ported speakers good for smaller rooms .
ATC resolved, and did so without being harsh. Mine were like powering a brick with very low efficiency. I'd not waste them on a class D amp: no class D amp has a clean treble like class a/b. i used class D for 4 years and got tired of the recessed/vague treble. The atc shine with better amps.
I have the little sister (SCM7) and run with 14 watts integrated tube amp. Fantastic! I prefer running the ATC with a modern tube amp rather than my solid state amp (300 watts), they benefit a lot from a holographic front end (which is also the case for many speakers). Did also run with 50 watts solid state amp and sounded only half good. To my ears, ATC are very good with tone and vocals. In the end I sold my LS50 and kept my ATC. Really enjoyed your review of the wilson audio speakers, I hope to get a Watt/Puppy second hand one day... Thanks for sharing your experience and your passion!
The seven tweeters on the Tekton Double Impact's are from SB Acoustics too. SB Acoustics also has a higher end line of drivers "SATORI" which in my opinion can compete with ultra high end drivers from manufacturers like Scan Speak, Seas, Eton and Accuton but at a friendlier price tag. I guess that's why there are so many speaker manufacturers using SB Acoustics. Thanks for the video!
I think the clue to the better speaker is that the Buchard is trying to be a floor stander where as the ATC is focussed on why a good book shelf can express the benefits of a well designed stand mounts. If I wanted to get bass down to 30hz and below, I would add a REL or better still two REL's. In trying to be the master of all the Buchard loses out to the ATC. For what they are designed for, clearly the ATC is the superior Standmount. I have heard the ATC with a Naim Supernait 3 and it did sound awesome
Depending on sound you are looking for. For me another gadget like sub in my room is pointless. Buchardt is well enough and when you got good acoustic it blows you away. I listen to classe amp buchardt s400 and I had many good speakers. Last was bw 805 d3 and I stay with Danish. My choice Take care!
I'm leaning towards the standmount/bookshelf + subs direction, as I feel that would give me the best of highs, mids and lows, making for a very formidable system that could be competitive with floor standers costing much more. I'm wondering if that is the case, or up to a limit? I've read that having fewer crossovers is an advantage vs towers, but wondering if the physics limitations of large vs small box means the standmount/bookshelf + subs will never be able to match towers? specifically, wondering if scm11 + subs would be just as good as an ATC tower. also, i'm trying to determine what sound signature differences and other differences exist between SCM11 and SCM12 Pro, which have a considerable difference in price with the former being like $600 more.
I never knew that the ATC had a coaxial midrange. That’s a fabulous concept. Usually it’s a tweeter inside coaxial. Obviously they’re putting attention to the midrange.
Does anyone know the difference between the pro and consumer models? SCM12 Pro vs SCM11 and SCM20 Pro vs SCM19, respectively. Are they really the same sound (12 Pro vs 11, 20 Pro vs 19) just different cabinets and slightly different drivers? Or more than that? Notice the consumer version SCM11 costs like $2800, while 12 Pro costs $2100. I like the sound signature of the 11's and would add subs to them to round them out. worried if I go for the 12 Pro (cheaper), the sound won't be the same / as good.
Jay did a very nice comparison among Buchardt S400 and KEF R3. And very nice comparison between ATC SCM11 and Buchardt S400. That makes me wonder, why not compare the KEF R3, and ATC SCM11 for us since I think these two loudspeakers are a closer rival in their merits.
Nice thorough review comparison! Do the feet that are under the ATC speakers influence the sound when comparing the two speakers? What material are made of? Shouldn’t both speakers have the same accessories that could affect their sound?
What one that lacks all specification comparison? Think. Is that a real comparison or just nonsense if you disregard the specifications of the two products?
I have never listen to both of the speakers but do own an ATC SCM40 v2 for 5 years. The first two years i played with a Rega Elicit ( from 2009- 2016), in 2016 i was able to do an upgrade and bought a Leben cs600. I have compared 4 amps; Spec rsa 7... , Accuphase E-2.., Naim supernait 2 and the leben cs600. The Spec sounded to smooth to my liking , the accuphase wasn' t a good match and sounded to thin, naim supernait wasnt a big difference with my rega elicit. I wanted to go home but the sales person told me that i have to give a tube amp a change, i didn't belief that this amp would sound good on the ATC but i was mistaken. He had to unbox the amp because it was delivered not long ago , it sounded straight out the box better then the other amps. So carrefully matching is always a good, i think , i belief that the ATC sounds better with more warm sounding amps. The atc sounds verry dynamic with the Leben . i also experienced big differences in sound with speakercable. I have tried ; vdHul Magnum, Duelund and two types of DNM cable. The dnm resolution cable sounds good, the timing and tone are perfect with the other cables it sounded ok but it failed in certain aspects like bass or tonality . in the shop the ATC was connected with Vovox loudspeaker cable.
👍👍👍😎😎😎😎First of all J I see your subscription comp has gone up nearly 20% in the past week something is going on very nice with you LOL anyways congrats very nice review and I like the style of review as well if you continue this way of reviewing I recommend a small oxygen tank near you LOL you can run out of breath very quickly doing it like this but I like it👍👍💪💪😎😎
Very informative, you always deliver amazing content! I had the atc scm 11 and then the 19 (the latter bringing improvements to the low and even more noticeably the mid range fullness and just much more natural) I really enjoyed the ATC for the timbre of instruments. Strings actually sounded like strings etc. I’ve now moved to the hartbeth 30.2 after a home audition and fallen in love. The atc scm19 do a lot of things better, but I never quite fell in love with them completely. The 30.2 are As close as I have come to live unamplified true to life acoustic sound and the vocals just wow. Again spot on timbre. They also can be set up very wide and won’t lose their fullness. Which is important as they are voices to be toed in on axis with the ear and allows for a wide soundstage that has depth and is engaging
engaging? What the f........does that mean? Strings actually sounded like strings. What did they use to sound like? Buzzsaws? What waffle fullness, timbre, and as for him having "amazing content" What are you? A dullard.?
allan powell Cleary you are an upset or disturbed soul, I truly hope you find happiness. I was merely stating that for me I like a speaker where my ears don’t pick up that it’s a speaker trying to sound like a guitar. But that it actually sounds like a real guitar string in the room. If you don’t like my 2cents then don’t read it. Peace and love
To many Bios reviews...review the Dali Rubicon 2 it's an END GAME! I first auditioned these Buchardt S400 MKll ...sent them back and was charged €100 for return...After auditioning so many speakers I found my END GAME- Dali Rubicon 2 , these have full sound stage and detail with plenty enough bass for now...maybe I'll try a sub in the future...these Dali's blow away even the Sonus Faber... I actually auditioned many speakers in the local privately owned Hi-fi store...
Interesting! I’ve got these Dali R2 too. Thinking of ATC scm11. Or Buchardt 400mk2. What is the amp & source you use? I have Cambridge Audio Azur851A amp and Azur851N streamer
i have the ATC 7 with the 75W. Rega Elex. utterly black background. i listen to a lot of Classical and you can clearly descern the contra-basson. 12x16' volume never exceeds 10 o'clock
In "my opinion", a test using a subwoofer would have been very useful, as some people purchasing the ATC would use it in that configuration. I believe that almost all bookshelf speakers would benefit from a separate subwoofer-added comparison, even if the comparison is only between the mains alone, and then combined with the sub. I'm not sure why reviewers don't do this, other than possibly the complexity of running such a test.
you are onto something here, this is the problem with all reviews. when people hear reviewers opinions and they say it sounds great then comes home and pair it with a subwoofer it all falls apart. people own system, and hifi systems are full range. a subwoofer always has a place until you get into real high end size floorstanding speakers. actually the less bass a speaker has the better it will work with a good subwoofer. not to mention the sound quality drawback of using bassreflex or passive radiator.
i think you need a high bandwidth subwoofer or a woofer with low moving mass, i also heard good things about servo subwoofers. in either case, you need speed and sealed subwoofer alternatively open baffle subwoofer. most subwoofers made today is made for low end execution and high moving mass, not suitable for bass but only sub bass. i don't know wich rel subwoofer you have tried, hopefully one of the good sealed ones, cheapest one they offer now is REL NO. 25
@@sudd3660 it is a sealed one problem with a sub it takes away the speakers strengths especially the great midrange that Atc are known for even on a low sub setting to me if you need more bass buy a bigger speaker and let it breath and sound as it should bigger room bigger speakers .
Since they both put most their effort in the mid range...how would u compare atc with sonus faber? From reading reviews...seems like they both are very similar.
Atc's midrange hard to beat. Especially with a quality strong amps(min 150 watts @8 ohm per channel) they produces very very good sound. Not hi fi sound, but as close as to original recordings.
Buchardt 'fuller and warmer sounding' fine, but 'dark notes in between' sorry, in between what? And the ATC has a 'darker/blacker background', do you mean certain sonic elements are recessed?
comparison is fantastic Soulsik, it really help one to fully grasp the UNKNOWN speaker. That's because it's compared to a KNOWN speaker. So, if you would to contrast to known speakers (Buchardt S400 - Sean Culprit / Klipsch rp600 Steve Culprit) then the audience is able to get more realistic feel about the UNKNOWN speaker. At the end, for those who wants to buy, YOU are helping them to make good decisions. For me, one of your fundamental job is help people minimize "regretful buys", not because the gear is no good, but it is not in tuned with their listening biases, and most of all not in harmony with their amplifiers or room. If you have enough exposure, you would know the character of your amp/amps, to know what kind of speaker would match it, or not. Soulsik, please please continue to do comparison. People like me and millions, have a job, with a certain amt of income, and we need to make satisfying decisions. So, thanks for helping me save money.
Research the stuff yourself instead of relying on this charlatan who uses nonsense terms to hoodwink you rubes into thinking he knows about sound reproduction. He does not.
Really? I can't believe I am getting any flack at all for trying to prevent people from believing they need to refer to this character before they make consumer decisions involving quite a bit of money. He gives no specs, he uses nonsense terms in his videos and yet you say his recomendations have "come true for you". He's not a fortune teller, he's a kid with a video site on youtube where he makes vague and nonsensical claims about products without any reference to their specifications even in comparison. You are not incapable of informing yourself about these products and following your own decision making procedure are you? He's no kind of an expert, doesn't even quote specs of products. How do you argue in favour of that kind of twaddle?
No, I'm not arguing for him. I referencing only to my experience. I've taken 1-2 of his recommendations, and it turned out well. You probably know more. I know little.
Think before you post. Any comparison which disregards the specifications of both products is nonsense. Do the research for yourself for your own purchases. And throw away all that twaddle language about speaker performance. Stick to the specifications and then listen, if you can in your home with your set up to see if it satisfies you.I have listened to Classical music for over sixty years and used to try to understand all that jargon until I realised its all used car salesman language. What on earth is the "musicality" of a speaker? How does it induce "fatigue". All these imaginative terms are pseudo science. They are not real. Happy Hew Year
Good one.Would like to have a mention of ATC or both vs the Kef R3 and Elac AMT.Maybe a point score though that is very hard t do objectively.Good start to 2020
How are you guys able to listen at 100 Watts? In others words how are you even sure you have reached 50 Watts etc to give such recommendations base on pwr.
S40, price-wise on the same league with SCM19. but when friends and me did home comparison, S40 has a smaller stage, and less dynamics. the most important thing is the S40 with Atc nearby it just didn't have the same energy with Atc. if you're considering the both, definitely scm11. but the amp is really important for scm. we drive both with Sugden A21se Signiture.
I am in the process of setting up my first AV set up in my small flat in Cambridge UK. Please let me know what you think of the following set up. I am interested in your audio file opinion and professional feedback is great on your channel. Projector - Optoma UHD40 4K projector Blue-Ray - Panasonic dpub820eb 4k UHD Audio Visual - Yamaha rxa3080 9 channels 105w with XLRs for my Allen & Heath X-one 62 DJ mixer and Technic 1210 mk5s to plug into 😁. 2 x Power Amps Roksan K3 Stereo Amp 140w or the Cambridge Audio Edge Amp 100w Speakers - Acoustic Transducer Company, 1 x ATC subwoofer, 4 x ATC SMC7 or 11s and 1 x ATC SMC centre speaker. I have looked at the ATC C1 subwoofer which was reissued/ relaunched in Nov 2019. I also would like an opinion on another subwoofer, The Bowers & Wilkins PV1D for this setup. Many thanks in anticipation and love peace and respect to you from Cambridge UK. Andrew
Holy crap, do you live in a warehouse. That's an insane amount of power you're suggesting. I'm running an 8ohm 86db speaker with 10 watts and I can get the neighbours to complain. I'll never understand why so many people think they need big power. Sure if you have Maggie's
Thank you Jay for the very informative comparison review between the ATC SCM-11 and the Buchardt S400 speakers. It’s been our experience that the passive ATC speakers require a bit more power than the average speaker to really get the most out of them. Don’t get me wrong, you can enjoy them with lower powered amps (I often use ATC with a Sugden A21 solid state Class A amp), but to really hear how good they are you need some power (like the ATC SIA2-150 integrated with 150wpc). Scott Wylde Arcadia Audio (ATC Representative)
Scott are you still an ATC rep? Do you happen to know the difference between ATC SCM11 vs SCM12 Pro? Read they use more or less the same drivers and/or have the same sound, but also read the 12 Pro can be laid sideways, and the finishes/cabinets differ (maybe bracing too?). The 12 Pro in the USA seem to be considerably cheaper by many hundreds of dollars, so trying to determine what the differences are exactly.. I listened to many youtube demos of SCM11, as well as compared to my KEF LS50 Metas, and really like the sound signature of the ATC mids and highs being more open, but they are $2800 right now vs $2200 or so for the 12 Pro.
@@StefanUrkel I’m not up on US pricing, but in Canada there’s only about a $200 difference. I believe the Pro has a slightly better tweeter, but you only have the black wood finish and no grill. With the SCM11 you get real wood veneer and grills. That’s my understanding of the differences between the 2.
Hey Jay nice review. Are the Buchardts the Signature Edition or the standard ones and what would you say would be better than S400 with a bigger budget say at around $6000?
The pick of the ATC consumer models are surely the SCM 40As, although they are on the more pricey side. One of the best loudspeakers in the world in my view.
More pricey side? Hahaha. They're ridiculously expensive and humongous for any modern apartment, and despite that size in floorstanding format they only go down to 48hz. Horrible. Dynaudio Focus 30 or KEF LS60 will trump ATC. "Midrange" is not everything.
@@morespinach9832 British Audiophile since reviewed the ATC SCM 40a and doesn't rate the tweeter,. As a Dynaudio owner I agree with you- Dynaudio has good treble, mids and bass, Focus 30 has an ADC which gives it a flat soundstage. Confidence 30 is the pick of the range but costs a lot. Contour 20i and Evoke 10 are the pick of the standmounts with excellent but balanced performance.
I have liked and now subscribed to your channel because of these comparisons to the ATC speakers, ATC speaker reviews are hard to come by. Now I just wish zero fidelity and Thomas & stereo would do ATC book shelf speaker review. Please do review on the ATC SCM 19 I hear they are quite different from the ATC SCM 11. Thanks again.
@@arunhembram1859 if you want to use the speaker for hifi listening than go with the atc scm 11. If you use it for Studio or home cinema than go with the 19. Because the 19 puts every little detail in front and not so much in Balance with the rest of the music. So if you like detail take the 19. But the 11 is more audiophile because perfect balanced and still detailed. I had both. And the 11 sounds better than the Buchhardt. The voices are more natural
@@jo1512 By the same logic, assuming SCM 12 Pro uses same drivers as SCM19, which are different from SCM11, then SCM 12 Pro would sound more analytical and detailed too, right? If that is the case, maybe I'd enjoy SCM11 more. Problem is they cost like $600 more for some reason.
@@StefanUrkel hey, you have to hear in person the speakers in a side by side comparision. And price politics its a complicated thing. Sometimes makes no sense. Whats your favourite atc speaker
Ha! I thought your voice sounded different. Take care. Good comparison! I like that you mentioned how You Tube sounds on each, because I do find myself playing You Tube videos more than i thought I would. I also like that you mention what the sound is like on low and high volumes. Most reviewers don't mention these things. In fact, you covered every important and essential point. Well done! By the way, when you listen to speakers, do you have other speakers set up beside them like you do in the video, and do you find that doing so affects the sound of the speakers being played in any way?
@@Jayiyagi I didn't mean playing at the same time. I just wondered whether another speaker sitting passively beside the one that is playing has a noticeable effect on the sound. I ask because I have a small pair of bookshelf speakers that i use for tv sitting close to my main speakers, and was wondering if i am negatively affecting my main speakers by this?
Amplifiers are as important as speakers, even when comparing different speakers on the same amplifier. Specific amps work better with specific speakers.
As I recalled, buchardt sent you the S400 se not the S400. You need to clarify that to the viewer that you are comparing s400se to the ATC, not the S400. S400 se has a different cross over designed by the Danish Jantzen audio team.
I’d rather have the ATC’s. They look like bricks. Do you sense any less congestion with their rounded cabinets? I have a bias towards acoustic suspension but maybe that’s passé.
Right now, I am in a huge dilemma. Please help me out!! First, Thank you very much for your reviews. It’s helpful who loves HiFi with a limited budget. My music listening is 50% Classic (Cello, Piano, and oboe with orchestra or solo), 30% Jazz, 10% K-Pop, 5% Pop and 5% Rock. Also, I am currently using Zolida tube amp EL34 Tube Amp with Usher s520 with a Rel T5 sub. FYI, I am going to upgrade amp to Primaluna or Cary Audio SLI-80 soon. However, the speaker is the problem. I have experienced the Harbeth M.30.1. As of now, this is my ultimate goal. It sounds great with most of music that I listen. But this speaker is over my budget. Therefore, I was thinking about the Buchardt S400 as alternative option. The thing is that I never listen to this speaker with my own ear (also no demo due to no dealer), it’s really hard for me to make a decision. If there are huge differences between Harbeth and Buchardt with Rel T5 Sub, I would like to eat more Ramen noodles to save money for the Harbeth. But if there is not much difference between those two. I would like to enjoy my HiFi Journey now. Please help me out! Should I order more Ramen? Or just get the Buchardt. Thank you so much for your time!! Also, for future review, could you do a comparison between, Pure tube VS Tube preamp + Solid-state amp VS Solid-state amp? Thank you!!
I know Buchardt has a 30 day return policy once it gets to your house. If you return them they deduct 25 euros from the refund if the speakers aren't damaged. www.buchardtaudio.com/try-at-home
Get some gear to suit your budget. Opt for something for a pair of Kef concertos which won't set you back the Earth and a cheap NAD or Quad amp. CD player get a cheap Denon or the like. Harbeth are over rated and if you can tell the actual difference between them and a pair of cheap Kefs at the kinds of volume you listen at them you are some kind of owl with ultra sonic earholes.Don't get sucked in to the "expert" views on this stuff. The ability to reproduce sound efficiently has not improved drastically since the mid seventies of last century. Beware charlatans and their "expertise" Happy New Year
You maybe confused about information of midrange dome embeded in the middle of cone in SCM11, it is actually SCM19 that uses sort of hybrid mid/bass driver, it has much bigger dome (and voice coil, and SL magnet system) in the middle of cone, same dome as their famous midrange drivers. Sorry
You mentioned on your solo review on the ATC that it required 80watts of amplification or above. So do the Billie amp that are rated 60watts into 8ohm sufficient enough? Thinking on pairing the ATC with Hegel 120 or Denon PMA-1600NE which is around 70-75watt into 8ohm. Some help would really be appreciated. Thanks.
Spineless reviewers who can’t say a bad thing about anything. Yes, we know that everyone has different tastes, but it’s also nice to hear some authentic opinions.
I recently heard both of these, same room same amp and The ATC were just to me, noticeably better in what I like. To my ears, the clarity, focus and mids were just better. The buchs has better bass but that is the only thing, yes the atc are more but worth the difference.
It seems to me that the Buchardt needs the waveguide since the tweeter in lower than the woofer. Hoes the midrange in the center of the woofer create a Doppler effect?
Jay, your presentation could really improve by speaking more slowly, take time to form your words and allow your mind time to formulate your next sentence. Guess what, it would be a lot easier on the ear for us across the Atlantic, in the UK.
@@martinfred9015 The fact that sound demos are done on many other audio channels on TH-cam suggests there's a market for them. By definition then it's not useless. What is your objection to having both? If you don't like the sound demo, then you can mute the video or skip. You're not going to convince everyone that your presentation preference alone is valid.
Nice comparison. I think the perception that the ATC bass is "faster and punchier" is an artifact of the lack of sub-bass. It's just the way we hear it in the absence of sub-bass.
@@sudd3660 my JBL charge Bluetooth speaker uses passive radiator technology that allows lots of bass for the size but try it with speech and you get bass disjointed from rest of sound. I guess buchard has done it much better but since it's passive it won't be fast moving!
@@justinparkman3585 know what you mean about ports. Sometimes I block them up because it leads to uneven bass. Get more bass on certain notes. It's very room dependent though. Sound echoing out of ports can bounce of walls and mess stuff up. I suspect ATC will work great in small rooms unlike even a small ported speaker.
as I've said before when you reviewed them I really like the ATC design it's refreshingly different. The buchardt just looks kinda dull in that finish despite the cool design.
@@Jayiyagi Well, I would have thought the ATC, but after watching the video I am not so shure about it. More revealing, more neutral sounding yet foward soundstage... I don't know. Lets just say I really like the Harbeth SHL5+. Is the ATC somewhat comparable? Probably not...
I didn’t listen to jazz before I had my ATCs; now I can’t stop digging out record after record of well recorded jazz. I can’t imagine a set up better than what I have for playing jazz. MF m5si into SCM11s
I absolutely prefer to watch product comparisons like you did in this review. It's nice to know a product sounds good, but compared to what is where my thoughts go, so thanks for posting!
We need a LOT more of this kind of comparison. Very - very good job with these two.
Was running out of breath a lot in this video because I was feeling under the weather. I apologize in advance. Here are the timelines:
0:41 Technical differences
4:05 Low Frequency
5:27 Mid Frequency
7:05 High Frequency
7:50 Low and High volume listening
9:04 Sound Stage and Imaging
10:04 Placement & Set up
10:51 Amplification
Lol I was about to comment and say got a dry mouth today? 😄
Hope you feel better soon m8
S400 woofer is it not a moded Scanspeak?
Pretty sure that it is.
Jay, can you let us know overall, which do you prefer more?
@@Tbonyandsteak it is not. it uses sb acoustic drivers
I personally prefer the buchardt s400.
Hi Jay, thank you for the comprehensive and well thought out comparison. Would love to see you do more of these comparison videos. A couple of observations...
I suspect the Buchardt and ATC have a very similar sensitivity once you adjust for the difference in impedance. The Buchardt have a 3db increase in sensitivity by virtue of the 4 ohm vs 8 ohm rating. ATC use much more expensive parts than the Buchardt and I wonder from your observations if they are the more revealing speaker. Being a sealed box design the ATC’s bass will roll off much earlier but more gradually than the Buchardt. Hence, I would love to know if you added a decent subwoofer to both speakers whether the ATCs would reveal themselves as being the better speaker.
I would love to get these two speakers as well as the Dynaudio Special 40s home to compare with my Proac Response 1SCs. Happy new year and keep up the great videos.
How is it a comprehensive and well thought out comparison when it disregards all comparison of the specifications of the two products. Surely that is where any credible comparison starts? And what do you mean by a more "revealing" speaker?
Revealing in terms of resolution and detail.
So more efficient as a speaker?
If it wasn't for lockdown and you live near the M25 zone I would lend you both my ATC SCM11'S & 19'S to compare. I have just subsricbed to your channels and i'm highly intersted for a Hegel intergrated amp to drive my SCM19's and you both have done great reviews on some ranges of Hegel's intergrated amps, i'm heading towards the H190 over the H120 but that's at a price jump.
Thank you James. You are the first person I am telling, so this is a spoiler. ATC SCM19 are on their way for me to review so watch this space. Thank you for watching and your support 👍
Had the S400's for a year, outstanding speaker with 2 caveats; not great at low listening levels & rolled off (forgiving) treble left me wanting on "good recordings". Recently switched to ATC SCM11's paired with two REL t7i subs and I'm a happy camper!
Hi Ken, I'm interested to know what size is your room, as I have had the same idea as you, but was wondering if my 16 foot x 11 foot living room would be too small for two T7i Rels? thanks :-)
@@steverees1936 My room is 16 x 24, low ceilings and not open to other areas so behaves smaller than the measurements suggest. You might need to turn both subs volume down just a touch & I think you'll be fine!
Seems to be a popular combination
What amp you're driving the ATCs?
Also, not a very refined sound. If you heard Sonos or Bose before then it's fine.
Thanks for this.. very few reviews of the atc. Much appreciated
Iv have the Atc 11s for five years now great speakers sealed designed so you never get any boomy bass like most ported speakers good for smaller rooms .
Just got a pair and they are great.
@@DaveSHarris if they are new they will get even better as they break in
How would atc compare with spendor A1 thanks John
What amplifier are you driving it with?
@@ManJustLivingLife Roksan Caspian m2
ATC resolved, and did so without being harsh. Mine were like powering a brick with very low efficiency. I'd not waste them on a class D amp: no class D amp has a clean treble like class a/b. i used class D for 4 years and got tired of the recessed/vague treble. The atc shine with better amps.
Hi any chance u tried with Peachtree Nova amps? Did u use like 200-300W Class D? Looking for anyone with experiences :) Thanks!
Nonsense in 2023. Some Class D amps are not only amazing sounding, they're also far more efficient.
Thanks for review. The sound of the voice, is like the microphone is inside the speakers mouth, giving mouth liquid sounds very clear.
I have the little sister (SCM7) and run with 14 watts integrated tube amp. Fantastic! I prefer running the ATC with a modern tube amp rather than my solid state amp (300 watts), they benefit a lot from a holographic front end (which is also the case for many speakers). Did also run with 50 watts solid state amp and sounded only half good. To my ears, ATC are very good with tone and vocals. In the end I sold my LS50 and kept my ATC. Really enjoyed your review of the wilson audio speakers, I hope to get a Watt/Puppy second hand one day... Thanks for sharing your experience and your passion!
Agree with the tube amp. I use Arc ref 5se/ 75 pre/power combo. Adds some body to what is a slightly thin/ neutral sound on my SS amps.
Talk and technical specs are great but I’m sure everybody would like to hear the speakers also thanks so much
Very informative, sounds like I will enjoy ATC more.
The seven tweeters on the Tekton Double Impact's are from SB Acoustics too. SB Acoustics also has a higher end line of drivers "SATORI" which in my opinion can compete with ultra high end drivers from manufacturers like Scan Speak, Seas, Eton and Accuton but at a friendlier price tag. I guess that's why there are so many speaker manufacturers using SB Acoustics. Thanks for the video!
If only Tekton DIs looked a bit less like alien turd!
This was an EXCELLENT comparison. Very practical. 👍🏻
I think the clue to the better speaker is that the Buchard is trying to be a floor stander where as the ATC is focussed on why a good book shelf can express the benefits of a well designed stand mounts. If I wanted to get bass down to 30hz and below, I would add a REL or better still two REL's. In trying to be the master of all the Buchard loses out to the ATC. For what they are designed for, clearly the ATC is the superior Standmount. I have heard the ATC with a Naim Supernait 3 and it did sound awesome
I own both...You nailed it!
That was a very helpful comment. That is exactly the reason why I returned the giant Elac impostors for the smaller, but truly hi end Dynaudios.
Depending on sound you are looking for.
For me another gadget like sub in my room is pointless.
Buchardt is well enough and when you got good acoustic it blows you away.
I listen to classe amp buchardt s400 and I had many good speakers.
Last was bw 805 d3 and I stay with Danish.
My choice
Take care!
I'm leaning towards the standmount/bookshelf + subs direction, as I feel that would give me the best of highs, mids and lows, making for a very formidable system that could be competitive with floor standers costing much more. I'm wondering if that is the case, or up to a limit? I've read that having fewer crossovers is an advantage vs towers, but wondering if the physics limitations of large vs small box means the standmount/bookshelf + subs will never be able to match towers? specifically, wondering if scm11 + subs would be just as good as an ATC tower. also, i'm trying to determine what sound signature differences and other differences exist between SCM11 and SCM12 Pro, which have a considerable difference in price with the former being like $600 more.
@@SpierdalajyoutubeB&W is not Danish
I never knew that the ATC had a coaxial midrange. That’s a fabulous concept. Usually it’s a tweeter inside coaxial. Obviously they’re putting attention to the midrange.
It's not really a co-axial, it's a single driver with the centre dust cap emitting the high frequencies.
@@Taffy84 The driver for the speaker shown in this video? It has a dust cap.
Does anyone know the difference between the pro and consumer models? SCM12 Pro vs SCM11 and SCM20 Pro vs SCM19, respectively. Are they really the same sound (12 Pro vs 11, 20 Pro vs 19) just different cabinets and slightly different drivers? Or more than that? Notice the consumer version SCM11 costs like $2800, while 12 Pro costs $2100. I like the sound signature of the 11's and would add subs to them to round them out. worried if I go for the 12 Pro (cheaper), the sound won't be the same / as good.
Jay did a very nice comparison among Buchardt S400 and KEF R3. And very nice comparison between ATC SCM11 and Buchardt S400. That makes me wonder, why not compare
the KEF R3, and ATC SCM11 for us since I think these two loudspeakers are a closer rival in their merits.
Man. The competition at that price point is absolutely fierce, isn't it?
The ATC is the best Speaker by far.
Nice thorough review comparison!
Do the feet that are under the ATC speakers influence the sound when comparing the two speakers? What material are made of?
Shouldn’t both speakers have the same accessories that could affect their sound?
How would ATC SCM11 compares with kEF R3? I think they have more similarity with each other.
I really like this style of reviews. 👍
What one that lacks all specification comparison? Think. Is that a real comparison or just nonsense if you disregard the specifications of the two products?
I have never listen to both of the speakers but do own an ATC SCM40 v2 for 5 years. The first two years i played with a Rega Elicit ( from 2009- 2016),
in 2016 i was able to do an upgrade and bought a Leben cs600. I have compared 4 amps; Spec rsa 7... , Accuphase E-2.., Naim supernait 2 and the leben cs600. The Spec sounded to smooth to my liking , the accuphase wasn' t a good match and sounded to thin, naim supernait wasnt a big difference with my rega elicit. I wanted to go home but the sales person told me that i have to give a tube amp a change, i didn't belief that this amp would sound good on the ATC but i was mistaken. He had to unbox the amp because it was delivered not long ago , it sounded straight out the box better then the other amps. So carrefully matching is always a good, i think , i belief that the ATC sounds better with more warm sounding amps. The atc sounds verry dynamic with the Leben . i also experienced big differences in sound with speakercable. I have tried ; vdHul Magnum, Duelund and two types of DNM cable. The dnm resolution cable sounds good, the timing and tone are perfect with the other cables it sounded ok but it failed in certain aspects like bass or tonality .
in the shop the ATC was connected with Vovox loudspeaker cable.
Which one was the tube amp?
@@vijoyem1 Leben CS 600
👍👍👍😎😎😎😎First of all J I see your subscription comp has gone up nearly 20% in the past week something is going on very nice with you LOL anyways congrats very nice review and I like the style of review as well if you continue this way of reviewing I recommend a small oxygen tank near you LOL you can run out of breath very quickly doing it like this but I like it👍👍💪💪😎😎
Great job !! very impressed with your comparsion
Very informative, you always deliver amazing content!
I had the atc scm 11 and then the 19 (the latter bringing improvements to the low and even more noticeably the mid range fullness and just much more natural)
I really enjoyed the ATC for the timbre of instruments. Strings actually sounded like strings etc.
I’ve now moved to the hartbeth 30.2 after a home audition and fallen in love. The atc scm19 do a lot of things better, but I never quite fell in love with them completely. The 30.2 are As close as I have come to live unamplified true to life acoustic sound and the vocals just wow. Again spot on timbre. They also can be set up very wide and won’t lose their fullness. Which is important as they are voices to be toed in on axis with the ear and allows for a wide soundstage that has depth and is engaging
engaging? What the f........does that mean? Strings actually sounded like strings. What did they use to sound like? Buzzsaws? What waffle fullness, timbre, and as for him having "amazing content" What are you? A dullard.?
allan powell Cleary you are an upset or disturbed soul, I truly hope you find happiness.
I was merely stating that for me I like a speaker where my ears don’t pick up that it’s a speaker trying to sound like a guitar. But that it actually sounds like a real guitar string in the room.
If you don’t like my 2cents then don’t read it.
Peace and love
How are the Harbeth 30.2 nearfield? do you still have them or replaced by now?
To many Bios reviews...review the Dali Rubicon 2 it's an END GAME! I first auditioned these Buchardt S400 MKll ...sent them back and was charged €100 for return...After auditioning so many speakers I found my END GAME- Dali Rubicon 2 , these have full sound stage and detail with plenty enough bass for now...maybe I'll try a sub in the future...these Dali's blow away even the Sonus Faber...
I actually auditioned many speakers in the local privately owned Hi-fi store...
Interesting! I’ve got these Dali R2 too. Thinking of ATC scm11. Or Buchardt 400mk2. What is the amp & source you use? I have Cambridge Audio Azur851A amp and Azur851N streamer
i have the ATC 7 with the 75W. Rega Elex. utterly black background. i listen to a lot of Classical and you can clearly descern the contra-basson. 12x16' volume never exceeds 10 o'clock
A really useful comparison. Thank you.
That was great. I have a jones for the scm, but no real need. I have a weakness for good sealed suspension speakers....
Will you compare the Burchard S400 and the Amphion Argon3S?
In "my opinion", a test using a subwoofer would have been very useful, as some people purchasing the ATC would use it in that configuration. I believe that almost all bookshelf speakers would benefit from a separate subwoofer-added comparison, even if the comparison is only between the mains alone, and then combined with the sub. I'm not sure why reviewers don't do this, other than possibly the complexity of running such a test.
you are onto something here, this is the problem with all reviews. when people hear reviewers opinions and they say it sounds great then comes home and pair it with a subwoofer it all falls apart. people own system, and hifi systems are full range. a subwoofer always has a place until you get into real high end size floorstanding speakers.
actually the less bass a speaker has the better it will work with a good subwoofer. not to mention the sound quality drawback of using bassreflex or passive radiator.
doesn't work with Atc the Atcs bass is far superior to even a rel sub been there done it
i think you need a high bandwidth subwoofer or a woofer with low moving mass, i also heard good things about servo subwoofers. in either case, you need speed and sealed subwoofer alternatively open baffle subwoofer. most subwoofers made today is made for low end execution and high moving mass, not suitable for bass but only sub bass. i don't know wich rel subwoofer you have tried, hopefully one of the good sealed ones, cheapest one they offer now is REL NO. 25
@@sudd3660 it is a sealed one problem with a sub it takes away the speakers strengths especially the great midrange that Atc are known for even on a low sub setting to me if you need more bass buy a bigger speaker and let it breath and sound as it should bigger room bigger speakers .
Since they both put most their effort in the mid range...how would u compare atc with sonus faber? From reading reviews...seems like they both are very similar.
Which model Atol did you use? Nice review
Ever listen to GURU QM 10 ?
For 2 grand, which is my budget for a bookshelf, what can you highly recommend?
Atc's midrange hard to beat. Especially with a quality strong amps(min 150 watts @8 ohm per channel) they produces very very good sound. Not hi fi sound, but as close as to original recordings.
Midrange is not everything.
@@morespinach9832
If midrange not right, nothing else matters.
Buchardt 'fuller and warmer sounding' fine, but 'dark notes in between' sorry, in between what? And the ATC has a 'darker/blacker background', do you mean certain sonic elements are recessed?
comparison is fantastic Soulsik, it really help one to fully grasp the UNKNOWN speaker. That's because it's compared to a KNOWN speaker. So, if you would to contrast to known speakers (Buchardt S400 - Sean Culprit / Klipsch rp600 Steve Culprit) then the audience is able to get more realistic feel about the UNKNOWN speaker. At the end, for those who wants to buy, YOU are helping them to make good decisions. For me, one of your fundamental job is help people minimize "regretful buys", not because the gear is no good, but it is not in tuned with their listening biases, and most of all not in harmony with their amplifiers or room. If you have enough exposure, you would know the character of your amp/amps, to know what kind of speaker would match it, or not. Soulsik, please please continue to do comparison. People like me and millions, have a job, with a certain amt of income, and we need to make satisfying decisions. So, thanks for helping me save money.
Research the stuff yourself instead of relying on this charlatan who uses nonsense terms to hoodwink you rubes into thinking he knows about sound reproduction. He does not.
thanks for sharing your thoughts. His recommendations have come true for me. You are entitled to your own opinion. Feel free to share your thoughts.
Really? I can't believe I am getting any flack at all for trying to prevent people from believing they need to refer to this character before they make consumer decisions involving quite a bit of money. He gives no specs, he uses nonsense terms in his videos and yet you say his recomendations have "come true for you". He's not a fortune teller, he's a kid with a video site on youtube where he makes vague and nonsensical claims about products without any reference to their specifications even in comparison. You are not incapable of informing yourself about these products and following your own decision making procedure are you? He's no kind of an expert, doesn't even quote specs of products. How do you argue in favour of that kind of twaddle?
No, I'm not arguing for him. I referencing only to my experience. I've taken 1-2 of his recommendations, and it turned out well. You probably know more. I know little.
Think before you post. Any comparison which disregards the specifications of both products is nonsense. Do the research for yourself for your own purchases. And throw away all that twaddle language about speaker performance. Stick to the specifications and then listen, if you can in your home with your set up to see if it satisfies you.I have listened to Classical music for over sixty years and used to try to understand all that jargon until I realised its all used car salesman language. What on earth is the "musicality" of a speaker? How does it induce "fatigue". All these imaginative terms are pseudo science. They are not real. Happy Hew Year
Hey Jay, did you ever try the ATC with a Hegel? I have an H390 and just ordered a pair of SCM-11’s. Think it will be a great match though.
Hey! What did you think? :-)
Good one.Would like to have a mention of ATC or both vs the Kef R3 and Elac AMT.Maybe a point score though that is very hard t do objectively.Good start to 2020
How are you guys able to listen at 100 Watts? In others words how are you even sure you have reached 50 Watts etc to give such recommendations base on pwr.
Your thoughts on ATC SCM11 vs the Dynaudio S40's? I know the 40's have more bass, but that is it.
S40, price-wise on the same league with SCM19. but when friends and me did home comparison, S40 has a smaller stage, and less dynamics. the most important thing is the S40 with Atc nearby it just didn't have the same energy with Atc. if you're considering the both, definitely scm11. but the amp is really important for scm. we drive both with Sugden A21se Signiture.
@@seogulee739 Which one of the 2 is the most clear and detailed? I thought the special forty was not that detailed
I am in the process of setting up my first AV set up in my small flat in Cambridge UK. Please let me know what you think of the following set up. I am interested in your audio file opinion and professional feedback is great on your channel. Projector - Optoma UHD40 4K projector
Blue-Ray - Panasonic dpub820eb 4k UHD
Audio Visual - Yamaha rxa3080 9 channels 105w with XLRs for my Allen & Heath X-one
62 DJ mixer and Technic 1210 mk5s to plug into 😁.
2 x Power Amps
Roksan K3 Stereo Amp 140w or the Cambridge Audio Edge Amp 100w
Speakers - Acoustic Transducer Company, 1 x ATC subwoofer, 4 x ATC SMC7 or 11s and 1 x ATC SMC centre speaker. I have looked at the ATC C1 subwoofer which was reissued/ relaunched in Nov 2019. I also would like an opinion on another subwoofer, The Bowers & Wilkins PV1D for this setup. Many thanks in anticipation and love peace and respect to you from Cambridge UK. Andrew
Are you sure the ATC are coax? I can’t seem to see that on there specs.
Holy crap, do you live in a warehouse. That's an insane amount of power you're suggesting. I'm running an 8ohm 86db speaker with 10 watts and I can get the neighbours to complain. I'll never understand why so many people think they need big power. Sure if you have Maggie's
I would like to see Legacy studio hd vs elac AMT
Thank you Jay for the very informative comparison review between the ATC SCM-11 and the Buchardt S400 speakers.
It’s been our experience that the passive ATC speakers require a bit more power than the average speaker to really get the most out of them. Don’t get me wrong, you can enjoy them with lower powered amps (I often use ATC with a Sugden A21 solid state Class A amp), but to really hear how good they are you need some power (like the ATC SIA2-150 integrated with 150wpc).
Scott Wylde
Arcadia Audio (ATC Representative)
I was looking at that ATC integrated amp and was mind boggled on how they put the headphone jack on the back instead of the front. Why?
its not always about the watts it's about the quality of the amp a Caspian m2 at 85 wpc will easily run the 11s
Scott are you still an ATC rep? Do you happen to know the difference between ATC SCM11 vs SCM12 Pro? Read they use more or less the same drivers and/or have the same sound, but also read the 12 Pro can be laid sideways, and the finishes/cabinets differ (maybe bracing too?). The 12 Pro in the USA seem to be considerably cheaper by many hundreds of dollars, so trying to determine what the differences are exactly.. I listened to many youtube demos of SCM11, as well as compared to my KEF LS50 Metas, and really like the sound signature of the ATC mids and highs being more open, but they are $2800 right now vs $2200 or so for the 12 Pro.
@@StefanUrkel I’m not up on US pricing, but in Canada there’s only about a $200 difference. I believe the Pro has a slightly better tweeter, but you only have the black wood finish and no grill. With the SCM11 you get real wood veneer and grills. That’s my understanding of the differences between the 2.
What about the SCM7’s. Would you happen to know how they measure up to the 11’s?
Hey Jay nice review. Are the Buchardts the Signature Edition or the standard ones and what would you say would be better than S400 with a bigger budget say at around $6000?
His are the Signature Edition and he's only listened to the normal version at a buddy's house.
Someone at Audioholics was asking about the speaker stands- can you post info about them?
Thanks
Thanks that was me, what stands are being used for s400 speakers look nice and really solid.
Hi,
May you kindly also review on Amphion Argon 3s bookshelf speaker against these two? I am looking at my first hi-fi set, thank you
@thenextbestthingstudio what about the Elac Vela comparison in the mix
Please could you let me know what you have placed between the ATCs and stands, those black rubbery feet?
Isoacoustics
hi @next best thing studio do you sell atc speaker?
The pick of the ATC consumer models are surely the SCM 40As, although they are on the more pricey side. One of the best loudspeakers in the world in my view.
More pricey side? Hahaha. They're ridiculously expensive and humongous for any modern apartment, and despite that size in floorstanding format they only go down to 48hz. Horrible. Dynaudio Focus 30 or KEF LS60 will trump ATC. "Midrange" is not everything.
@@morespinach9832 British Audiophile since reviewed the ATC SCM 40a and doesn't rate the tweeter,. As a Dynaudio owner I agree with you- Dynaudio has good treble, mids and bass, Focus 30 has an ADC which gives it a flat soundstage. Confidence 30 is the pick of the range but costs a lot. Contour 20i and Evoke 10 are the pick of the standmounts with excellent but balanced performance.
I would go with the ATC and a sub any day, week and month of the year and any year of the century.
I have liked and now subscribed to your channel because of these comparisons to the ATC speakers, ATC speaker reviews are hard to come by. Now I just wish zero fidelity and Thomas & stereo would do ATC book shelf speaker review. Please do review on the ATC SCM 19 I hear they are quite different from the ATC SCM 11. Thanks again.
Atc 19 more detail but more analytical too.
Atc 11 is more musical.
@@jo1512 what do u mean by analytical?
@@arunhembram1859 if you want to use the speaker for hifi listening than go with the atc scm 11.
If you use it for Studio or home cinema than go with the 19.
Because the 19 puts every little detail in front and not so much in Balance with the rest of the music.
So if you like detail take the 19.
But the 11 is more audiophile because perfect balanced and still detailed. I had both. And the 11 sounds better than the Buchhardt. The voices are more natural
@@jo1512 By the same logic, assuming SCM 12 Pro uses same drivers as SCM19, which are different from SCM11, then SCM 12 Pro would sound more analytical and detailed too, right? If that is the case, maybe I'd enjoy SCM11 more. Problem is they cost like $600 more for some reason.
@@StefanUrkel hey, you have to hear in person the speakers in a side by side comparision. And price politics its a complicated thing. Sometimes makes no sense.
Whats your favourite atc speaker
Ha! I thought your voice sounded different. Take care.
Good comparison! I like that you mentioned how You Tube sounds on each, because I do find myself playing You Tube videos more than i thought I would.
I also like that you mention what the sound is like on low and high volumes. Most reviewers don't mention these things. In fact, you covered every important and essential point.
Well done!
By the way, when you listen to speakers, do you have other speakers set up beside them like you do in the video, and do you find that doing so affects the sound of the speakers being played in any way?
I only play 1 speaker at a time. And Yes, playing them side by side will affect the sound
@@Jayiyagi
I didn't mean playing at the same time. I just wondered whether another speaker sitting passively beside the one that is playing has a noticeable effect on the sound.
I ask because I have a small pair of bookshelf speakers that i use for tv sitting close to my main speakers, and was wondering if i am negatively affecting my main speakers by this?
@@denniswade6727 yes. you shouldn't have passive anything beside the speakers you are playing
@@Jayiyagi Thanks!
I would think with the large waveguide the S400 would be the better at low volumes. Interesting
S 400 is not good for low volume
Do these observations translate the same with vinyl? In your opinion which speaker would have the edge playing records?
It goes the same way. The s400 is better for poor recordings while atc is great for great recordings. If it was up to me, Id choose the s400
Atc with sealed design will always be better for vinyl. Unless you’ve got a phono stage that has a subsonic filter
Amplifiers are as important as speakers, even when comparing different speakers on the same amplifier. Specific amps work better with specific speakers.
A transparent one like Hegel H90. You won't go wrong, even with the most finicky speakers.
Remind people to hit that bell notification your content is getting better by the day brother
Whats the red Monster speaker to the left?
which one is best for human dialogue ?
As I recalled, buchardt sent you the S400 se not the S400. You need to clarify that to the viewer that you are comparing s400se to the ATC, not the S400. S400 se has a different cross over designed by the Danish Jantzen audio team.
I’d rather have the ATC’s. They look like bricks. Do you sense any less congestion with their rounded cabinets? I have a bias towards acoustic suspension but maybe that’s passé.
Actualy buchard use SB Acoustic SB17NBAC-04 driver that poor transparent sounded...only give warmth and giant soundstage.
how do you compare scm11 to proac t10/t10s
Yesterday i when to Local ATC showroom to do a compare ATC11. Vs S400 Mark ii with ATC pre and power 150w . I prefer s400 Mark ii is Sound better
Right now, I am in a huge dilemma. Please help me out!! First, Thank you very much for your reviews. It’s helpful who loves HiFi with a limited budget.
My music listening is 50% Classic (Cello, Piano, and oboe with orchestra or solo), 30% Jazz, 10% K-Pop, 5% Pop and 5% Rock. Also, I am currently using Zolida tube amp EL34 Tube Amp with Usher s520 with a Rel T5 sub. FYI, I am going to upgrade amp to Primaluna or Cary Audio SLI-80 soon.
However, the speaker is the problem. I have experienced the Harbeth M.30.1. As of now, this is my ultimate goal. It sounds great with most of music that I listen. But this speaker is over my budget. Therefore, I was thinking about the Buchardt S400 as alternative option. The thing is that I never listen to this speaker with my own ear (also no demo due to no dealer), it’s really hard for me to make a decision.
If there are huge differences between Harbeth and Buchardt with Rel T5 Sub, I would like to eat more Ramen noodles to save money for the Harbeth. But if there is not much difference between those two. I would like to enjoy my HiFi Journey now.
Please help me out! Should I order more Ramen? Or just get the Buchardt. Thank you so much for your time!!
Also, for future review, could you do a comparison between, Pure tube VS Tube preamp + Solid-state amp VS Solid-state amp? Thank you!!
I know Buchardt has a 30 day return policy once it gets to your house. If you return them they deduct 25 euros from the refund if the speakers aren't damaged.
www.buchardtaudio.com/try-at-home
Get some gear to suit your budget. Opt for something for a pair of Kef concertos which won't set you back the Earth and a cheap NAD or Quad amp. CD player get a cheap Denon or the like. Harbeth are over rated and if you can tell the actual difference between them and a pair of cheap Kefs at the kinds of volume you listen at them you are some kind of owl with ultra sonic earholes.Don't get sucked in to the "expert" views on this stuff. The ability to reproduce sound efficiently has not improved drastically since the mid seventies of last century. Beware charlatans and their "expertise" Happy New Year
Nice one dude! Great job
You maybe confused about information of midrange dome embeded in the middle of cone in SCM11, it is actually SCM19 that uses sort of hybrid mid/bass driver, it has much bigger dome (and voice coil, and SL magnet system) in the middle of cone, same dome as their famous midrange drivers. Sorry
Gauder Akustik Arcona 40 should be added to this comparison.
KEF R3 are better than both and deserve more reviews/praise. ATC SCM11 have a wonderful sound and pace.
ATC as usual is less forgiving, not recommended for mix bag music lovers.
Like your analytical descriptions.
You mentioned on your solo review on the ATC that it required 80watts of amplification or above. So do the Billie amp that are rated 60watts into 8ohm sufficient enough?
Thinking on pairing the ATC with Hegel 120 or Denon PMA-1600NE which is around 70-75watt into 8ohm.
Some help would really be appreciated. Thanks.
ATC recommend 75-300w amp. I use 80w Cambridge integrated and it is fine but probably better with more watts.
Taffy O'Keefe does the warmth of the Cambridge come thru?
@@rizalahmad4207 Not really, sounds more neutral to my ears, but I have nothing to compare it with either.
I'd be more concerned with current than watts.
My advice, go listen these speakers yourself with your own amp. It very personal.
"... See you in the next one"
And don't be late 😉
Great comparison, thanks for this!
Any of the two a real upgrade from my Dynaudio Contour 1.3MKII's? Or just different?
Different. Your Dynaudio's are excelent, but I've listened ATC11's and something about them is just so good...
Spineless reviewers who can’t say a bad thing about anything. Yes, we know that everyone has different tastes, but it’s also nice to hear some authentic opinions.
30Hz on the Buchardt, never! ATC is much more realistic to physics. No listening test?
Buchart is very colored and polite vs the ATC. The ATC kills it with accuracy.
Buchardt goes down to 25 Hz.
I recently heard both of these, same room same amp and The ATC were just to me, noticeably better in what I like. To my ears, the clarity, focus and mids were just better. The buchs has better bass but that is the only thing, yes the atc are more but worth the difference.
for the Buchardt were they the newer MK II version that were released in early 2022 ?
@@howard5992 Yes mk 2.
ATC to me was better for my tastes, and in that price range only bested by the BMR.
maybe use a mic that is not so close to your mouth? can hear the booming with p's and can hear swallowing saliva.
Sounds like swallowing post nasal drip. Distracting for sure - maybe a cold during this taping ... 🤷🏻♂️
I use atc for mastering
ATC looks like Dynaudio design.
Can't go wrong with hockey pucks...
It seems to me that the Buchardt needs the waveguide since the tweeter in lower than the woofer. Hoes the midrange in the center of the woofer create a Doppler effect?
Jay, your presentation could really improve by speaking more slowly, take time to form your words and allow your mind time to formulate your next sentence. Guess what, it would be a lot easier on the ear for us across the Atlantic, in the UK.
Include an A/B sound demo next time. Yeah, yeah it’s TH-cam but better than listening to someone just TALK about the sound differences.
Actually no. Sound demos are useless. Its better to hear his opinion.
@@martinfred9015 The fact that sound demos are done on many other audio channels on TH-cam suggests there's a market for them. By definition then it's not useless. What is your objection to having both? If you don't like the sound demo, then you can mute the video or skip. You're not going to convince everyone that your presentation preference alone is valid.
ATC work much better with amps above their price point.
That buchard tweeter looks like the old nuance speakers tweeters
Nice comparison. I think the perception that the ATC bass is "faster and punchier" is an artifact of the lack of sub-bass. It's just the way we hear it in the absence of sub-bass.
its passive radiator on s400, known to have many sound quality compromises to achieve more bass. that has no place on hifi gear.
no its that they don't do boomy bass like most ported speakers do their bass is far superior to most
@@sudd3660 my JBL charge Bluetooth speaker uses passive radiator technology that allows lots of bass for the size but try it with speech and you get bass disjointed from rest of sound. I guess buchard has done it much better but since it's passive it won't be fast moving!
@@justinparkman3585 know what you mean about ports. Sometimes I block them up because it leads to uneven bass. Get more bass on certain notes. It's very room dependent though. Sound echoing out of ports can bounce of walls and mess stuff up. I suspect ATC will work great in small rooms unlike even a small ported speaker.
Sound demo plz
And would you sell the S400’s :)
as I've said before when you reviewed them I really like the ATC design it's refreshingly different. The buchardt just looks kinda dull in that finish despite the cool design.
Pff, if this guy knew any better he wouldn't be comparing these two, of course as in by default ATC is gonna be better...
What speaker less than $15,000 is better than the ATC?
can you someday do Vandersteen 1Ci ? i'll subscribe ;p jk. i'll do that anyways
which one for jazz?
you tell me based on what I told you in this video ;)
@@Jayiyagi Well, I would have thought the ATC, but after watching the video I am not so shure about it. More revealing, more neutral sounding yet foward soundstage... I don't know. Lets just say I really like the Harbeth SHL5+. Is the ATC somewhat comparable? Probably not...
@@l.m.372 if you like the harbeth, why not get the harbeth?
@@Jayiyagi *cue adlib* The moneeeeyyyyy!!! Need something half the price...
I didn’t listen to jazz before I had my ATCs; now I can’t stop digging out record after record of well recorded jazz. I can’t imagine a set up better than what I have for playing jazz. MF m5si into SCM11s