I want to point out and remind everyone this video is not a review, its a summary of the reviews I have already conducted which you find all listed and linked here For the review of the DynAudio Evoke 10 see here th-cam.com/video/uV005PTFj3E/w-d-xo.html For the review of the SVS Ultra see here th-cam.com/video/EuiD-WQuRYA/w-d-xo.html For the sound demo comparing the Evoke 10 and SVS ULTRA see here th-cam.com/video/eD6_tOSF7Rg/w-d-xo.html For the review of the Ophidian Mojo 2 speakers see here th-cam.com/video/TcuDDt6J1eI/w-d-xo.html For the review of the Sonus Faber Lumina 1 see here th-cam.com/video/RlMtJbGt3qA/w-d-xo.html For the sound demo and comparison between the Sonus Faber Lumina 1 and Ophidian Mojo 2 see here th-cam.com/video/oSJNXS1WI2k/w-d-xo.html For the review of the Neat Acoustics Motive SX3 see here th-cam.com/video/bc3qmTH6jUY/w-d-xo.html For the review of the Acoustic Energy AE500 see here th-cam.com/video/eIQHbyoevw0/w-d-xo.html For the sound comparison between the SX3 and AE500 see here For the review of the Amphion Argon1 see here th-cam.com/video/YHLcPq5g-9g/w-d-xo.html For the review of the ATC SCM11 see here th-cam.com/video/8pIUAbu4ioY/w-d-xo.html For the Sound Comparison between the Argon1 and SCM11 see here For the review of the Buchardt S300 MK2 SE see here th-cam.com/video/1Q_wLKv78-I/w-d-xo.html For more information and to buy the S300 MK2 SE see the Buchardt Audio Website here For the review of the KEF see here th-cam.com/video/csnpWfmDmAo/w-d-xo.html To buy the LS50 Meta from Amazon please see geni.us/lFrsc For the Sound Comparison Video between the KEF LS50 Meta and Buchardt S300 Mk2 SE see here th-cam.com/video/tW-Mgk3vck4/w-d-xo.html
Let me give you my opinion and of course this is just my opinion. I think I do speak for many other people, so when you give a conclusion and you say you're going to pick a winner you do need to actually pick a winner don't just say they're all great. I think that is frustrating for many people.
@@OCleirigh1776 if I picked a winner what would have been the factor to determine this. I couldn’t see any of the speakers separate themself enough from the crowd to do so hence I said what I felt and the truth
Finally, someone is not shy to say, listen for yourself. Also, concise and informative without nonsensical elements. My favorite is the ATC SCM 11. Really looking forward to the next group. Gonna get even closer with 'Company' profiles becoming more distinct.
of the sound demos provided, i agree with you; liked the ATC SCM 11 above the rest. unbelievable honest/natural sound and with jazz, classical and overall uncompressed music, they seem to be the real deal!
@25:25 Dyunaudio 10 kind of wins the test. Dynaudio in my opinion is a reliable choice across a wide variety of price points as they always cover the basics: very high quality tweeters, lively extended bass and smooth coherence between the two speakers.
Great comparison! This review is one of the reasons I bought my ATC SCM 11s. So I knew they were lacking deep bass. At first I was almost shocked how bass shy they are but after combining them with my Elac SUB 2070 it became a perfect match. While the ATCs deliver beautiful mids and highs the Elac Sub completes the sound with a deep low end. I would definately recommend a subwoofer with the ATCs for a full range sound.
I recommend adding the Heco Celan Revolution 3 to the test. I will explain why. A similar test made in Finland with speakers up to 1300euro clearly stood out from rivals, e.g. SVs ultra bockself, sonus faber, focal aria 906 or b w 706.
Very fair assesment of these group of speakers. Your conclusions is why I haven't own a stand mount speaker (in my main system) for over 30 years. You will either have to add at least one sub for a full sound ( as in an LS500), or give up some detail and resolution (as in a Buchardt 300). Great work on all these reviews Terry. Personally, I would love a group review of Full range ( 35hz-20khz) Floor standing towers within the price range of $3-5K (2-3.5K British pounds). Thanks you Terry.
This was well worth waiting for. Thank you! I think a series on powered speakers would be amazing. Mix in pro studio monitors with consumer speakers. They seem to be great value options for people who don’t want to tinker all the time and system match etc.
Yes and No, so long as you buy one that will suit your priorities then yes you cant rally go wrong, but they wont all tick all boxes is probably a better way to put it.
I think what he pointed out here is that you can certainly go wrong if you do not shop for your unique circumstances because the speakers have very distinct differences. Depending on your goals, preferences, environment, and equipment, some are much better choices than others.
You get much more texture in the bass from the ATC. The larger driver goes lower naturally where smaller drivers are using porting to generate lower frequencies. Also I'll bet they play the loudest with the least distortion too.
Great comparison! Your reviews are top notch! Nice to see the SVS Ultra's stack up as I have my eye on them. Have you considered including Elac in these comparisons?
G'day Terry it's Shane from Australia. As a former Dynaudio confidence C4 owner I was pleased to see you picked Dyns well kind of 😁. But I absolutely appreciate your dilemma I would not have liked to have had to have made that decision either Terry. The sound reviews definitely did flesh out differences through my headphones, and I did like the dyns as well. But there were certainly some stiff competition with strengths and weaknesses in all of them to be honest. I enjoyed going through the journey with them and you Terry, and very much look forward to the next run up the ladder$$$$$. 😁🎧👍👏
@@robertbaird7001 Hi Robert I've just taken delivery of a set of Wilson audio Sasha DAW. I still have the dyns and put them in and out of my system quite regularly. l will be sad to see them go when they sell.(I'm in no hurry) 😁 The top end and mid range is sublime with the Dyns, and if you've got the power to drive them with your amp the bass is pretty impressive as well. They can be a little hard to drive unlike the Wilson's which are more efficient. Why did I change I guess I'm just crazy can't sit still for too long always looking for the next upgrade. 😁🎧👍
Very very impressive work. A huge thank you for doing this... in particular the sound comparisons. It allows us do quite good comparisons in time of covid. I wish i was in England so I could buy from you. ONLY niggle i have is why did you not add Quad S2 or S1, those are certainly in the mix for price and performance, and they are British.
Great video. I think most people are not thinking about what sounds the best but what goes for your interior design and what's good value for your money. I just purchased pair of LS50 meta for 850€ (used) and they are now 999€ everywhere. Love the design and the clear sound. I was also thinking of buying Amphion Argon 1 since they are a local company + love the look... But they cost 500€ more.
Great review of these excellent speakers. I've had a pair of SVS Ultra Bookshelves with the matching Ultra Center for a couple of years and love them. I think what many will really like about the SVS Ultra's is that they sound very good for music but also excel for movies. Combined with a SVS subwoofer it's a fantastic package.
Big thanks for this mega review 👍 overall the ATC SCM 11, but I would go for the MOJO 2 given the price increase on the ATC. KEF R3 (not included) or ProAc Response DB3 possibly bests them all :)
Excellent presentation here. And a great example of why you have to listen for yourself and decide what will work best for you. Like yourself I would probably choose the Dynaudio but their bigger brother the Evoke 20. Some of them I have never heard and would be difficult to find here in the states. But I just don't like the sound of any KEF product or the SVS but a lot of people do. That's why they make so many different choices.
I thought either the Dynaudio or the A/E would "win" and they both sorta did -- though I think it's a lot tougher to recommend an 84dB speaker, at least IMHO. But what did excite me was that the Amphion Argon 1 was sneaking around in the soft-overall-winner conversation too, and that I did NOT see coming. I'm really looking forward to hearing those: I was a Linn man back when I was deep into this hobby, and from everything I've heard, the Amphion house sound comes closest to Linn.
Hello, your video has been very helpful to me, comparing these regarded speakers with accuracy and reliable listening. I ended up with the AE500, because I felt they were the best all-around and I got a very good deal on them. I have to say that I have no regrets, upgrading from Monitor Audio Bronze 50, everything is better. I power them with a Cambridge Audio CXA81, for what it's worth. I'm a happy camper.
Just bought the atc scm11. Very impressed. For comparison my main pair of monitors are 20k+ Raidho D1.1. I don’t think anyone would be disappointed if they have a good enough front end.
Terry you are already miles ahead of all the other TH-cam reviewers and clearly the most thoughtful and hardest working. I have one request I hope you will consider addressing more prominently and that is the timbral accuracy of the speakers. Does a piano sound like a piano? Does a Steinway sound like a Steinway or an upright in a pub? I would like to hear this in your demos along with your thoughts and measurements. This, I feel is the next level that would distance you even further from the wannabes. With respect to the next set of speaker tests at 2,000 GBP or so, you have entered territory of the Falcon Acoustics LS 3/5A Gold Badge, a speaker currently in production, hand built in England with a ~50 year BBC pedigree. I know you are capable of evaluating it and encourage you to do so. Congratulations on all your accomplishments, you have come a long way in a very short period of time.
Hi Andrew, thanks for the kind words I really appreciate it, and what you are suggesting I 100% agree with my biggest issue is having access to a Steinway piano to know what it sounds like - I have spent a reasonable time listening to Steinways Model C speakers the £100k open baffle ones that are supposed to be a speaker that can recreate the sound of a Steinway piano but I still couldn't say that about them or even really use them as a reference although its all experience in the locker. But I def take on board what you have said because I do agree with you - I also think there is a void that we often forget as audiophiles - we are never listening to live sound, we are always listening to recorded sound and I think that is a fundamental difference. I could rabbit on for ages about this - I think that is enough - thanks again really appreciate it
@@PursuitPerfectSystem Thanks Terry. I think you grasp the issue I am curious about. One expert on this subject is Alan Shaw. How he voices the Monitor 30.2XD would be one approach to this. Since you are so technically adept perhaps you could make a recording of spoken voice or instrument in a natural acoustic space you are familiar with that could serve as your reference. John Atkinson uses recordings of piano he has engineered but maybe something else would work better for you. Voicing a speaker is clearly no simple matter but mastery of that task to achieve as natural a timbral balance as possible is (I have come to believe) critical to long-term listening satisfaction whether we listen to recordings of acoustic instruments or electronically generated. They are more easily spotted playing back the former as a practical matter. Many of us (perhaps) have had the experience of being quite pleased with a new speaker or system initially but over time creeping dissatisfaction sets in. It’s not the only thing that matters but as one goes up the ever escalating food chain we ought to demand increasing timbral accuracy (IMO)
I would include the 3A audio design, by Daniel Dehay made in France originally, or reference 3a made in Canada after the company was sold -amazing performance from any model- phenomenal achievement in high end audio sphere!!!!! give them a try if not familiar yet
You did a great job! A bit surprised that more is not mentioned about the Lumina 1 in this overview on the "pros" side. The vocals are hair standing up on the back of your neck real. Also, the instruments sound like a live performance, though intimate in scale they are some of the most organic speakers I have heard in this price point & beyond. Looks are subjective here too, but to me they are the most beautiful in the group, and when beautiful looks & sound come together for under 1k? They are my winner here. But to be fair the Lumina 2 would have been a better match in this test. 😉👌🎼✨
The lumina 2 didn't exist 12 weeks ago when I started this test and especially didn't exist months before that when I organised it. I know another YT channel has just been praising them as a high end speaker and they a nice speaker but when you listen back to back to all of these different speakers they have obvious shortcomings the others don't. Sorry no hairs standing up nothing live about their sound they are rich sounding which might be the organic aspect you are referring to but that also comes with a bit of a closed in sound a bit smothered over aspect to their sound and they roll off their bass very early. You can get better overall performance for less money too aka wharfedale evo 4.2 but they are obviously much larger speakers. Each to their own for preference of course and I don't want to come across as damning on them but I am just being honest. For £200 more the ls50 meta and ae500 offer a lot more.
I have a pair of SVS Ultra bookshelves, ATC SCM11, and KEF R3. SVS are good, yes. ATC wins hands down against SVS Ultra though as far more dynamic, difficult to compare ATC SCM 11 to KEF R3. ATC are very good but at the moment I really like KEF R3 which would easy be in the top 2 here with the ATC. KEF R3 has a perfectly flat response, clarity and rich or dynamic bass. The top end of R3 is laid back but can be boosted as required.
Hi Terry thanks for all your hard work and helping people to decide what is best for them . However it’s not quite clear which one is number 1 choice, perhaps you could say winner of high frequency is LS50 meta winner for the Bass is ATC and so on. Thank You ever so much for producing very informative videos.
Thanks for the hard work! The more I go back and forth comparing the sound demos, the harder it gets to narrow down what I really prefer. They're all good in different ways. I would probably pick the ATC SCM 11 though and time will tell if the lack of low end bass would bother me.
Remember in the sound demo I pushed the ATC for bass to be on more of an equal playing field with the Amphion and other speakers, but sounds like your will be having a demo of them and I hope that goes well :)
@@Taffy84 I've mentioned elsewhere that I've got a home demo of the SCM11's soon. Don't think I mentioned it will be alongside an REL T5/x too. I've got the house to myself for 3 days too so you can bet your ass I'll be putting them to the sword
I did a lot of research when looking for standmount speakers just over a year ago. I listened to 12 speakers in all and three in my room. I chose the Revel Concerto M16 as there were clearly the best for me. Since then I have upgrade my signal path and with every step the sound improved. They are amazing. They have really good data but more importantly excellent reviews. I know it is difficult to try many speakers but this should be on most people's list to try.
I think what you did is perfect there but beyond that reviews are irrelevant if they are the right speaker for you that is all that matter - until a better one comes along that is haha :)
super helpful, balanced, detailed AND comprehensive summaries,, very credible too, given the individual testing and assessment of each one that is also available. Wish the Polks R200 were included that enjoy some raving reviews at the price from other TH-cam reviewers. Any chance you would be testing those separately, and, ideally providing some thoughts vs this bunch?
Thanks for the summary review. The context is quite illuminating. Very happy with my LS50s and REL subs. I have Magnepan LRS for comparison in system 2 (25 years with ProAc tablettes and Rogers LSB1 passive stereo sub previously:-) I think "characterless" is a compliment unless you want speakers as musical instruments per-se. An uncoloured monitor system let's the recording speak for itself! The LS50s (&LRS!) need a good powerful class AB amp and subs to be a full range system. As for the metas, I'd love to compare them to the originals....
Characterless is a compliment and positive yes, but its also a point of note that these speakers will be much harder on your system than others here and that is something to consider as well
@@PursuitPerfectSystem Yes indeed. Mine are fed by 200+w bridged Mu-Fi amps. I feel that many that ended up on the 2nd hand market weren't fed propa' like. They're a reference level transducer for a crazy low price: THANK YOU KEF!
Great series! Thanks, Terry. I assume the Quad Z-2 will be in the next series? Since that's what I own, I'll be curious to know how it stacks up to the competition.
I dont know if I can stomach another group test I am just going to look a few different options and report on what paying a bit more brings to the table, Quads are here for that reason yes looking forward to listening to them
@@PursuitPerfectSystem Understandable. :) It still sounds like it will be illuminating. One thing to listen for is if the Quads resemble the Piegas since they both have ribbon tweeters.
Hi! I have only one amplifier but I have 3 sets of stand mount speakers: the Quad Z2s, the Monitor Audio PL100IIs and the ATC SCM11s (I got them on this order). I understand there was an improvement from the Quads to the MAs but… although the ATCs are the cheapest, they are the better sounding and more detailed across the range. The Quads are a bit soft on the mids, the MAs aren’t speedy on the lows (as you mentioned on your review) but the ATCs are fast and detailed from top to bottom, while sounding the most realistic and natural. Of course, the bass isn’t as pronounced but they still play quite well at 40Hz in room if there’s material there. The MAs are lovely but they seem too refined and restrained, artificially so. It’s so odd that a speaker that’s made in the UK and sold for less than half the money has what it seems to be a better sound quality than another one more than twice the price, even after having been made in China (where labour costs are lower). So, only the ATCs are staying. The other pairs are for sale.
Every speaker in the individual tests had a large peak in the bass response centered on 60Hz. Those frequency response graphs were at least as much of the testing room as they were of the speakers. As for the peak at 300Hz, that may have been your microphone or the room, but that was also present on all the frequency response curves.
Yes below 300hz is all room but that’s not what’s important because it’s also psychoacoustic measurement not an anachoic measurement which it totally different.
Excellent reviewing style. The information is presented that would make one have an idea of what speakers they'd lean to in the group. To say that this or that speaker should have been included at the price level is missing the point IMO. It is quite possible to shortlist another ten designs that would also be competitive . Brands such as Proac , Spendor , Revel , Focal , Sonus etc come to mind. There are also 2nd hand speakers one could buy for £1000 that cost much more when new but that's another topic. I've only mentioned it because that's the route I'd go if I'm spending that sort of money on a pair of loudspeakers.
Geez, don't know you from a bar of soap, but your reveiw of AE 500 is absolutely spot on, if any freinds drop around and l want to impress them with my little book shelf speakers , l always put on females singers..bar none. In that sence l will follow your reveiws ..cheers.
I bought a pair of Emotiva Pro Stealth sixes for next to nothing on Craigslist because one was not working properly. Took it apart and fixed a loose connection. Pretty sure that there are better sounding speakers out there but there is zero chance that anyone could reproduce the quality of sound I experience for the price I paid. I do run it through a little Magni first. Sound is so good that it keeps me coming back for more.
Great review! I don't think anyone has done such a detailed compassion of this many at the same time. Only disappointment and I understand you can't do them all however I was hoping to see the new Elac Uni , Triangle Genesee, and the Polk Audio Reserve.
Cool comp. Even though I'm not in the market, I like to hear other peoples take. I've been saying this for a long time but I believe ALL 2-Way speakers should have an L-Pad on the tweeter. Speaker companies would really broaden their user base when it comes down to if a 2-way is too bright for some.
Killer roundup! Thank you for compiling all this information and reviewing these products for us! Smaller company out of the western United States, have you ever listened to anything from Ascend Acoustics? I've heard and seen rave reviews of their Sierra 2-EX stand mounts. Supposedly incredibly resolving with profound low bass extension. Custom SEAS drivers probably don't hurt!
Great review/comparison, what I don't recommend is B&W 606s2 (out of this review), too bright for me, I ended up swapping them by Dynaudio emit 10, much more pleasent to listen for hours
this was great thank you, not sure anyone has done this before, i enjoyed the series and had fun with the comparisons couldnt pick a winner but the meta mojo and ae500 was at the top for me with the evoke10 sx3 and svs at the bottom. thanks again hope to see more of these type series in the future. maybe throw up some polls along the way would be interesting.
I have been playing around with hifi for more than forty years and the new stuff is very nice. My only criticism is that the new speakers have no covering,and if you are a young man with a family then it is a problem. It is like these units are made for men living on their own in a flat. In my day we used to remove the grill occasionally to show the speakers then reace them when I have finished playing music.
I'd love you to compare, say, the Buchardt's and LS50 Meta's to the winner of your last group test, because I actually think the Evo 4.2's have got the legs on both of those speakers (the price is also a bit closer in some markets), I'd certainly have them over the standard LS50's all day long.
Great video! I use the KEF LS50 Meta in a near-field setting with a Rotel 80 watt amp and sub. I'm very happy. The Meta is really a big deal. I have listened to the LS50 standard extensively. Meta is at least 50% better in detail. Thanks again for the great review!
First timer here and enjoyed your video. Introduced a couple of speakers that we don't see in the U.S. (or see less of ...). One point of criticism however, many of us use our audio system in dual roles, ie home theater and music, and would appreciate at least a sentence or two about dialogue quality.
I would class dialogue quality in with vocals and mid range quality. I do have a home cinema setup room but if its a hifi review then I don't use the speakers for cinema as its a totally different system and setup and without a matching centre speaker I cant make it work anyway. Do bear in mind this video is a short synopsis of each speaker I have gone into much more detail in each speakers individual review videos. Thanks for watching and for the comment, really happy you enjoyed it
Just heard the AE500 It gave a really nice n easy listen. Fluid highs, fantastic vocal, solid bass. Driven by Musical Fidelity M5si amplifier and Denon A110 SACD player.
Thanks a lot for this extended comparison of interesting mid priced speakers Terry. I enjoyed it very much and i am looking forward your next series. Can't wait.
Fantastic video and comparison Terry. Bravo man, that was a marathon I’m sure. Any sneak peeks at the list of more expensive speakers you plan to get/compare to?
@@PursuitPerfectSystem Great! I can't wait to hear the Z2s to compare with my S2s to see if the difference is as great as the price would suggest. I know I'd never spend as much on speakers as those in your last group test or the forthcoming one, but this is my hobby and I so enjoy all your reviews even if I don't ever plan to buy something.
Thanks for this great video! So much effort, time and dedication to accomplish this wonderful presentation! Forna low level volume listening, what's your pick?
Recently picked up a $2300 Sonos Atmos setup that I’ve really enjoyed, but I’ve decided to increase my max budget up 1k and return the Sonos system later this month, and instead get an Amp and good passives - but that’s so much easier said than done. Dealing with a little option paralysis here ;)
Hi, excellent review & summary. I appreciate your way of presentation of the essence of each one of them! Could you review Buchardt S-400 too sometime?! I have both S-300 & S-400 and I listen to them in two different rooms and they are easy & unfussy speakers with different sound signatures! Would appreciate your take!
I've enjoyed following this series and I value your input plus it's good to hear that the buchardt's Direct sale business model is only gonna cost one €50 if one was to return them, I guess the EU rules have changed somewhat because I was told last year I'd be better off trying to sell the XTZ 99 series speakers second-hand then trying to return them from the UK
First, I'll admit the fact that I've not demo'd any of the units in this group. That being said, I rarely find speakers at this price point worth the retail cost. Being a working-class feller that is also an audiophile, I'd be inclined to build my own speakers (either from a kit or a proven design), for two reasons: 1.) Less people that want to make money off of my purchase 2.) Cost vs. performance - there is not a single retail speaker that can even come close to competing at double the cost. Just giving another option that may not have been considered
Terry, great video! Would be good to keep the speakers that have the same size mid/bass in one category and bigger speakers in another regardless of price. Hopefully your video will help a potential new buyer to whittle it down to just three or four pairs of speakers before making their choice
Fantastic review. While I’m not looking at this price range, you’ve summed it up in a perfect way - similar how i would do it for my own purpose. I’d love to see a 5K-7K tier :). Keep up the fantastic work.
Boy that spammer in the live chat was a jerk. So Terry re: Wharfedale EVO 4.2-gate as it were in the livestream. I do find it interesting that many reviews of the EVO's have statements like "performs 2-3 times their cost". And I agree. So I'm curious as to why they are not here (and they won you last comparison video). You mentioned in livestream that you didn't have them ready for testing appropriately for comparison, which I understand, but I think they may have performed very well here (I mean SVS Ultra over Wharf 4.2's??). Yes I own 4.2's and I am defending my purchase....but I do love them and, with good equipment, they do shine! Keep up the good work!
Get a recommendation at a price point and try to set up A/B listening tests with your own media and source. Most dealers only offer a few alternatives and may not stock a particular model. If also getting a new source and amplifier the combinations make it that much harder. Even if you pick all the best components when you put them together they just don't sound right.
Great job. Would have been interesting w your view of the Mission ZX 2 in here as well. But a good selection. And 10 makes sense. Maybe you can do a seperate review on it.
No disrespect to yourself but some speakers work well in small room some large some close to a wall some in free standing space so unless you tell your viewing public where they will work best im going to struggle to make a good choice you are a great reviewer i just need more info
It just really surprises me the Revel Concerta2 M16 wasn't included. You did a great job and it was a lot of work, but a glaring omission, in my opinion.
There have been minimal (if any) advancements in speaker technology in the last 30 years. It’s solved. I highly recommend you guys check out the deep unboxings done by a fellow TH-camr. It’s usually an MDF box, a crossover, lots of foam padding, drivers and a tweeter. It’s all incredibly basic stuff and literally anything a company like PMC can do virtually every speaker manufacturer on the planet could replicate with ease. It’s technology we have been using in this format for well over 100 years. You can even make your own speakers by watching a couple of videos online.
If you visit KEF you can walk around their museum and look at all the speakers from the companies whole history and while they were pioneers in the invention of certain speaker drivers and there are obvious similarities from old to new such as what you mention its clear that speakers today are very different to speakers from years ago due to manufacturing processes and design being better. Drivers are still drivers but they are not the same.
What I did not hear in the review is which speakers would perform well in a very common real world scenario in which your music speakers are also your home theater speakers in your main living room. In other words, would not only do well with music, which is a priority, but would also perform well in a visitor environment (somewhat close to a back wall and not extremely toed in for room design purposes), with AV receivers, and maybe as a phantom center setup or have a center channel in the lineup that isn't monstrous and can be put inside or on top of a media center. In my experience, that is the real world use case for the vast majority of speaker buyers. It is very few that buy purely for music with components amplifiers.
This video is not a review, its a summary - but either way I didn't test the use case you mention and therefore cant comment on that sorry. FWIW toe in the speakers for best sound not looks man c'mon haha
@@PursuitPerfectSystem I was giving advice for how to summarize/review for the 95%+ of speaker buyers out there. So few of the speaker reviewers give reviews based on real world situations for the vast majority of speaker buyers, and all review for the same few people that only listen to their speakers on two channels through separate components. While that's all good, it's unhelpful to most people who are making compromises such as getting spouse acceptance for _real_ speakers in the living room and have to counter questions like, "why can't we get a Sonos soundbar like the Smiths have?" While pulling speakers 3-4 feet off the wall and toe-in to cross in front of the ideal listening position are of course preferable for the sake of the audio quality, not everyone can get away with that when it's shared house with kids and a spouse, and not a bachelor pad. This is a *huge* percentage of the real world market for these speakers. Off axis listening and forgiving with position and component style, I would argue, are more important to how most people will _experience_ their speakers.
@@luke9822 If you look at the the information out there the common theme is the variables are so vast YOU have to do your research and match your gear to your own needs/situation and the wife if you have to haha. The speakers in this test have a bit of everything for every body. Not to say that there aren't more than just these to try, plus if any thing you can take away that there is a lot of choice so you can find your speakers for your needs. If all else fails Lie!! the sound bars were sold out, and you got a good discount and 6 year warranty on the KEF blades.
@@robertbaird7001 Funny response, Robert. Thanks. I did get the takeaway summary that all of these speakers are good, but which one is best for _depends_ on your own criteria. What I was saying here is that there are criteria that are very common in real world situations that was not a variable being compared. Aesthetics is obviously personal and not something anyone needs help with, but most buyers are dealing with these speakers serving double duty for home theater, I believe, and many in less than perfect placement.
@@luke9822 I get what you mean. I have the that very issue my speakers are in the livingroom, and not in a place to get the best out of them. I had also seen some speakers in a magazine that had some serious pedigree and reviews but when I listen to them it was a big NO. Also I think even our real world circumstances can vary so much. Terry would have a job on his hands to recreate this with any accuracy. On the point you made about speakers that need to be two foot into the room I do find that strange why they make more speakers that can't be placed near walls, as thats the most practical place for them to be.
Thanks for all your work on this, I bet your glad its finally finished! I would be happy to see you review a few decent floorstanders in the future as I'm not into stand mounts, which ultimately take up the same room as a floorstander anyway xD
For something like this bookshelf's are logistically much easier because storing this many speakers and boxes is a real challenge and its hardcopre unboxing them all to do video, putting them away again and out again 11 times now - its hardcore
@@PursuitPerfectSystem understood, I really do appreciate that this level of comparison is very hard work, which is why its so appreciated. Having bought some floorstanders recently for £1200 that I believe would show every one of these units a clean pair of heels, you can see why I would make the suggestion, they beat everything I listened too up to 3k! As a result I would urge anyone not in a small room to try, as the extra bass depth of a decent floorstander is clearly heard thriughout the rest of the range too, and imo gives many instruments a more natural sounding timbre as a result. However, I appreciate what your saying and if you cant move floorstanders about then you cant psyically test them. xD This was a great set of tests and I'm sure you have helped many people enourmously by doing them, thanks again!
stand speaker+sub vs tower speakers in the same price range ? ex: in my country kef ls50 meta + svs sb1000pro would cost $1500. is there any tower counterpart that could compete with this setup ?
This was a great review. Very useful. I'm shopping for bookshelf speakers atm and this helped add some candidates to my list. The one thing that could really help me is if you could match the speakers to the music where they shine the most. I mostly listen to acoustic stuff, rarely stuff with heavy base (that's for outdoor listening...), so that being said, could you (or anyone else) help recommend which of these would be best for me ? Jusding by the video, I think It the Kef, Amphion and Acoustic energy intrigue me the most. Am I on the right track ? Thanks again.
@@vincentpedalino618 I'm not necessarily expecting to be blown away but at the very least I'm hoping they can show me what I've been missing. I cannot overstate how much enjoyment I've had from the DM's over the last 20 years and it is in part because of Terry's videos that I'm finally taking the blinkers off and doing some auditions. The thing that will make it very difficult for me to eventually pull the trigger on a purchase is the fact that I've had such incredible value for money from the DM's. They were £250 new which at the time was about 50% over my intended budget but bloody hell am I glad I got them. It really is going to take something VERY special to force my purse strings open this time.
@@PursuitPerfectSystem Be careful with Tekton. I've read several comments from people who are having a very hard time getting the speakers they ordered. They won't respond to phone calls or emails.
Some great work there Terry and a great service to potential buyers in the market for standmounts. I’m the owner of monitor audio 100 gold, I’m looking for something that’s more detailed and vocals that really stand out , at 5000 what would you recommend…. Thanks
I have a litle bit different question... which of the mentioned speakers will be a good choice to listen to piano and electronic and ambient music. (I have an offer for Amphion Argon1 - 600 GBB pair - and I'm seriously considering these speakers). Thank you for this Review and (hope) the answer.
Fantastic summary video and great concluding remarks. It’s a bit disconcerting isn’t it that the ATCs don’t produce more bass with that enormous woofer and the relatively big box. Are the SCM11s still bass shy even after applying some Dirac magic?
Its not really about the size its about their design how they are intended to measure and sound , if you check review I explain it in more detail. Yes ai was able to push them more to my liking with dirac - check the sound demo video for the result of that
All the other speakers are ported which is fake bass and can introduce chuffing of the port. The ATC are true bass and all these speakers need to be used with a sub anyway, IMO.
Enjoy the video...Would you be able to do review a Best Budget Speaker below £300 or £250 ....probably most of music lovers comes in this group including myself....
I did another one before this for speakers upto £650, I appreciate thats still more but it might be worth checking out as not all the speakers in that test cost the full budget
@@PursuitPerfectSystem Thank you I watched it today. Q Acoustics 3030i can be bought new one today for £245: Acoustic Energy AE300 went up so it is about £630 ... (KEF Q150 can be bought now for £270 but am not sure ...). Also saw original ELAC Debut B5 used for £120 and ELAC Debut B5 2nd generation new for £230). I just bought about 23 years old Linn Classik - all integrated CD player, amplifier and tuner for £130 ...Anyway thank you for educated some of us on hifi...It is rear to find podcast as yours from the UK - mostly are from the USA...Keep on with the good work ....
@@nebod1556 I reviewed compared the acoustic energy ae100 mk2 recently comparing them to some Elac around the same price and to the q acoustics Maybe check that revie out
Thank you very much for your valuable and valuable work. Let me ask you a question. In your opinion, which of these speakers will understand the NAD C700? Thanks so much in advance for the reply.
I want to point out and remind everyone this video is not a review, its a summary of the reviews I have already conducted which you find all listed and linked here
For the review of the DynAudio Evoke 10 see here th-cam.com/video/uV005PTFj3E/w-d-xo.html
For the review of the SVS Ultra see here th-cam.com/video/EuiD-WQuRYA/w-d-xo.html
For the sound demo comparing the Evoke 10 and SVS ULTRA see here th-cam.com/video/eD6_tOSF7Rg/w-d-xo.html
For the review of the Ophidian Mojo 2 speakers see here th-cam.com/video/TcuDDt6J1eI/w-d-xo.html
For the review of the Sonus Faber Lumina 1 see here th-cam.com/video/RlMtJbGt3qA/w-d-xo.html
For the sound demo and comparison between the Sonus Faber Lumina 1 and Ophidian Mojo 2 see here th-cam.com/video/oSJNXS1WI2k/w-d-xo.html
For the review of the Neat Acoustics Motive SX3 see here th-cam.com/video/bc3qmTH6jUY/w-d-xo.html
For the review of the Acoustic Energy AE500 see here th-cam.com/video/eIQHbyoevw0/w-d-xo.html
For the sound comparison between the SX3 and AE500 see here
For the review of the Amphion Argon1 see here th-cam.com/video/YHLcPq5g-9g/w-d-xo.html
For the review of the ATC SCM11 see here th-cam.com/video/8pIUAbu4ioY/w-d-xo.html
For the Sound Comparison between the Argon1 and SCM11 see here
For the review of the Buchardt S300 MK2 SE see here th-cam.com/video/1Q_wLKv78-I/w-d-xo.html
For more information and to buy the S300 MK2 SE see the Buchardt Audio Website here
For the review of the KEF see here th-cam.com/video/csnpWfmDmAo/w-d-xo.html
To buy the LS50 Meta from Amazon please see geni.us/lFrsc
For the Sound Comparison Video between the KEF LS50 Meta and Buchardt S300 Mk2 SE see here th-cam.com/video/tW-Mgk3vck4/w-d-xo.html
Hey Terry- Great video series. I had an idea for a series- Omega Speakers vs Zu Audio or any speaker system like them. Take care.
And we hoped you already made up your mind as to which is the best but still haven't.?
Let me give you my opinion and of course this is just my opinion. I think I do speak for many other people, so when you give a conclusion and you say you're going to pick a winner you do need to actually pick a winner don't just say they're all great. I think that is frustrating for many people.
@@OCleirigh1776 if I picked a winner what would have been the factor to determine this. I couldn’t see any of the speakers separate themself enough from the crowd to do so hence I said what I felt and the truth
Finally, someone is not shy to say, listen for yourself. Also, concise and informative without nonsensical elements.
My favorite is the ATC SCM 11.
Really looking forward to the next group. Gonna get even closer with 'Company' profiles becoming more distinct.
of the sound demos provided, i agree with you; liked the ATC SCM 11 above the rest. unbelievable honest/natural sound and with jazz, classical and overall uncompressed music, they seem to be the real deal!
Same here five years now had them. still impress me
@25:25 Dyunaudio 10 kind of wins the test. Dynaudio in my opinion is a reliable choice across a wide variety of price points as they always cover the basics: very high quality tweeters, lively extended bass and smooth coherence between the two speakers.
This is one of the best ways to give people an informed choice to shortlist/demo b4 buying. Very nice✌👌
Thanks Ian it's hard because there is so many I had to cut out so much otherwise would you would have been here all day watching :)
Great comparison! This review is one of the reasons I bought my ATC SCM 11s. So I knew they were lacking deep bass. At first I was almost shocked how bass shy they are but after combining them with my Elac SUB 2070 it became a perfect match. While the ATCs deliver beautiful mids and highs the Elac Sub completes the sound with a deep low end. I would definately recommend a subwoofer with the ATCs for a full range sound.
I enjoy your honesty in reviewing these speakers and not just giving a prize to one particular speaker, this speaks volumes to your integrity.
Thanks Leo
I recommend adding the Heco Celan Revolution 3 to the test. I will explain why. A similar test made in Finland with speakers up to 1300euro clearly stood out from rivals, e.g. SVs ultra bockself, sonus faber, focal aria 906 or b w 706.
"I wonder what happens if we spend a little more money" is the audio enthusiast equivalent of "just another drink"
well said
Sometimes it’s “I’m just gonna buy a round for everyone” 😂
Cheers guys 🍻😂
Very fair assesment of these group of speakers. Your conclusions is why I haven't own a stand mount speaker (in my main system) for over 30 years. You will either have to add at least one sub for a full sound ( as in an LS500), or give up some detail and resolution (as in a Buchardt 300). Great work on all these reviews Terry. Personally, I would love a group review of Full range ( 35hz-20khz) Floor standing towers within the price range of $3-5K (2-3.5K British pounds). Thanks you Terry.
Arendal 1723 and 1723s speakers..👌👌
This was well worth waiting for. Thank you! I think a series on powered speakers would be amazing. Mix in pro studio monitors with consumer speakers. They seem to be great value options for people who don’t want to tinker all the time and system match etc.
Yeah those Adam t5v are awesome value paired with a sub for £450-650 total - very hard to beat
I suppose the real conclusion is that speakers in this price range have a high and consistent quality. Can’t really go wrong with either one.
Yes and No, so long as you buy one that will suit your priorities then yes you cant rally go wrong, but they wont all tick all boxes is probably a better way to put it.
I think what he pointed out here is that you can certainly go wrong if you do not shop for your unique circumstances because the speakers have very distinct differences. Depending on your goals, preferences, environment, and equipment, some are much better choices than others.
I guarantee ATC SCM11 will not disappoint just by the in house workmanship alone and the sound is superb.
For me Atc is the best choice all of them.
You get much more texture in the bass from the ATC. The larger driver goes lower naturally where smaller drivers are using porting to generate lower frequencies. Also I'll bet they play the loudest with the least distortion too.
enjoyed your series very much and looking forward to your £2000 comparison!
Me too!
Great comparison! Your reviews are top notch! Nice to see the SVS Ultra's stack up as I have my eye on them. Have you considered including Elac in these comparisons?
G'day Terry it's Shane from Australia. As a former Dynaudio confidence C4 owner I was pleased to see you picked Dyns well kind of 😁. But I absolutely appreciate your dilemma I would not have liked to have had to have made that decision either Terry. The sound reviews definitely did flesh out differences through my headphones, and I did like the dyns as well. But there were certainly some stiff competition with strengths and weaknesses in all of them to be honest. I enjoyed going through the journey with them and you Terry, and very much look forward to the next run up the ladder$$$$$. 😁🎧👍👏
What speakers do you have now and why did you choose them over the dye's cheers.
@@robertbaird7001
Hi Robert I've just taken delivery of a set of Wilson audio Sasha DAW. I still have the dyns and put them in and out of my system quite regularly. l will be sad to see them go when they sell.(I'm in no hurry) 😁 The top end and mid range is sublime with the Dyns, and if you've got the power to drive them with your amp the bass is pretty impressive as well. They can be a little hard to drive unlike the Wilson's which are more efficient. Why did I change I guess I'm just crazy can't sit still for too long always looking for the next upgrade. 😁🎧👍
Ideal. I really want to hear some Wilsons as they are different from the speakers I like normally. happy listening.
I'd like to add my appreciation of all your hard work in the group test on our behalf. No one else is as thorough as you are, Terry!
Thanks John
Very very impressive work. A huge thank you for doing this... in particular the sound comparisons. It allows us do quite good comparisons in time of covid. I wish i was in England so I could buy from you. ONLY niggle i have is why did you not add Quad S2 or S1, those are certainly in the mix for price and performance, and they are British.
Great video. I think most people are not thinking about what sounds the best but what goes for your interior design and what's good value for your money. I just purchased pair of LS50 meta for 850€ (used) and they are now 999€ everywhere. Love the design and the clear sound. I was also thinking of buying Amphion Argon 1 since they are a local company + love the look... But they cost 500€ more.
Great review of these excellent speakers. I've had a pair of SVS Ultra Bookshelves with the matching Ultra Center for a couple of years and love them. I think what many will really like about the SVS Ultra's is that they sound very good for music but also excel for movies. Combined with a SVS subwoofer it's a fantastic package.
Big thanks for this mega review 👍 overall the ATC SCM 11, but I would go for the MOJO 2 given the price increase on the ATC. KEF R3 (not included) or ProAc Response DB3 possibly bests them all :)
For the next series of larger stand mount speakers and $$, I hope Triangle Genesis Tio are included in the demo. Great work please keep them coming !
I did try and get Triangle speakers for this, but it didn't happen, I will ask again but I cant promise anything
Focal 906 pls
Really good review and enjoyed your opinion as to the different speakers. You are the reliable Audio scout for aspiring audiophiles.
Excellent presentation here. And a great example of why you have to listen for yourself and decide what will work best for you.
Like yourself I would probably choose the Dynaudio but their bigger brother the Evoke 20. Some of them I have never heard and would be difficult to find here in the states. But I just don't like the sound of any KEF product or the SVS but a lot of people do. That's why they make so many different choices.
I thought either the Dynaudio or the A/E would "win" and they both sorta did -- though I think it's a lot tougher to recommend an 84dB speaker, at least IMHO. But what did excite me was that the Amphion Argon 1 was sneaking around in the soft-overall-winner conversation too, and that I did NOT see coming. I'm really looking forward to hearing those: I was a Linn man back when I was deep into this hobby, and from everything I've heard, the Amphion house sound comes closest to Linn.
Hello, your video has been very helpful to me, comparing these regarded speakers with accuracy and reliable listening. I ended up with the AE500, because I felt they were the best all-around and I got a very good deal on them. I have to say that I have no regrets, upgrading from Monitor Audio Bronze 50, everything is better. I power them with a Cambridge Audio CXA81, for what it's worth. I'm a happy camper.
Just bought the atc scm11. Very impressed. For comparison my main pair of monitors are 20k+ Raidho D1.1. I don’t think anyone would be disappointed if they have a good enough front end.
Terry you are already miles ahead of all the other TH-cam reviewers and clearly the most thoughtful and hardest working. I have one request I hope you will consider addressing more prominently and that is the timbral accuracy of the speakers. Does a piano sound like a piano? Does a Steinway sound like a Steinway or an upright in a pub? I would like to hear this in your demos along with your thoughts and measurements. This, I feel is the next level that would distance you even further from the wannabes. With respect to the next set of speaker tests at 2,000 GBP or so, you have entered territory of the Falcon Acoustics LS 3/5A Gold Badge, a speaker currently in production, hand built in England with a ~50 year BBC pedigree. I know you are capable of evaluating it and encourage you to do so. Congratulations on all your accomplishments, you have come a long way in a very short period of time.
Hi Andrew, thanks for the kind words I really appreciate it, and what you are suggesting I 100% agree with my biggest issue is having access to a Steinway piano to know what it sounds like - I have spent a reasonable time listening to Steinways Model C speakers the £100k open baffle ones that are supposed to be a speaker that can recreate the sound of a Steinway piano but I still couldn't say that about them or even really use them as a reference although its all experience in the locker. But I def take on board what you have said because I do agree with you - I also think there is a void that we often forget as audiophiles - we are never listening to live sound, we are always listening to recorded sound and I think that is a fundamental difference. I could rabbit on for ages about this - I think that is enough - thanks again really appreciate it
@@PursuitPerfectSystem Thanks Terry. I think you grasp the issue I am curious about. One expert on this subject is Alan Shaw. How he voices the Monitor 30.2XD would be one approach to this. Since you are so technically adept perhaps you could make a recording of spoken voice or instrument in a natural acoustic space you are familiar with that could serve as your reference. John Atkinson uses recordings of piano he has engineered but maybe something else would work better for you. Voicing a speaker is clearly no simple matter but mastery of that task to achieve as natural a timbral balance as possible is (I have come to believe) critical to long-term listening satisfaction whether we listen to recordings of acoustic instruments or electronically generated. They are more easily spotted playing back the former as a practical matter. Many of us (perhaps) have had the experience of being quite pleased with a new speaker or system initially but over time creeping dissatisfaction sets in. It’s not the only thing that matters but as one goes up the ever escalating food chain we ought to demand increasing timbral accuracy (IMO)
I would include the 3A audio design, by Daniel Dehay made in France originally, or reference 3a made in Canada after the company was sold -amazing performance from any model- phenomenal achievement in high end audio sphere!!!!! give them a try if not familiar yet
You did a great job!
A bit surprised that more is not mentioned about the Lumina 1 in this overview on the "pros" side. The vocals are hair standing up on the back of your neck real. Also, the instruments sound like a live performance, though intimate in scale they are some of the most organic speakers I have heard in this price point & beyond. Looks are subjective here too, but to me they are the most beautiful in the group, and when beautiful looks & sound come together for under 1k? They are my winner here. But to be fair the Lumina 2 would have been a better match in this test.
😉👌🎼✨
The lumina 2 didn't exist 12 weeks ago when I started this test and especially didn't exist months before that when I organised it.
I know another YT channel has just been praising them as a high end speaker and they a nice speaker but when you listen back to back to all of these different speakers they have obvious shortcomings the others don't. Sorry no hairs standing up nothing live about their sound they are rich sounding which might be the organic aspect you are referring to but that also comes with a bit of a closed in sound a bit smothered over aspect to their sound and they roll off their bass very early.
You can get better overall performance for less money too aka wharfedale evo 4.2 but they are obviously much larger speakers. Each to their own for preference of course and I don't want to come across as damning on them but I am just being honest. For £200 more the ls50 meta and ae500 offer a lot more.
I have a pair of SVS Ultra bookshelves, ATC SCM11, and KEF R3. SVS are good, yes. ATC wins hands down against SVS Ultra though as far more dynamic, difficult to compare ATC SCM 11 to KEF R3. ATC are very good but at the moment I really like KEF R3 which would easy be in the top 2 here with the ATC. KEF R3 has a perfectly flat response, clarity and rich or dynamic bass. The top end of R3 is laid back but can be boosted as required.
Hi Terry thanks for all your hard work and helping people to decide what is best for them . However it’s not quite clear which one is number 1 choice, perhaps you could say winner of high frequency is LS50 meta winner for the Bass is ATC and so on. Thank You ever so much for producing very informative videos.
I'm pretty sure I would choose the Dyne Audio but I also really like the KEF meta wireless 2. The package is very appealing to me.
There is no Meta wireless. There is Meta or wireless
Thanks for the hard work! The more I go back and forth comparing the sound demos, the harder it gets to narrow down what I really prefer. They're all good in different ways.
I would probably pick the ATC SCM 11 though and time will tell if the lack of low end bass would bother me.
Remember in the sound demo I pushed the ATC for bass to be on more of an equal playing field with the Amphion and other speakers, but sounds like your will be having a demo of them and I hope that goes well :)
All of these speakers really need a sub so if you get a sub the lack of bass on the scm-11 is not an issue.
@@Taffy84 I've mentioned elsewhere that I've got a home demo of the SCM11's soon. Don't think I mentioned it will be alongside an REL T5/x too. I've got the house to myself for 3 days too so you can bet your ass I'll be putting them to the sword
I did a lot of research when looking for standmount speakers just over a year ago. I listened to 12 speakers in all and three in my room. I chose the Revel Concerto M16 as there were clearly the best for me. Since then I have upgrade my signal path and with every step the sound improved. They are amazing. They have really good data but more importantly excellent reviews. I know it is difficult to try many speakers but this should be on most people's list to try.
I think what you did is perfect there but beyond that reviews are irrelevant if they are the right speaker for you that is all that matter - until a better one comes along that is haha :)
@@PursuitPerfectSystem I am already eyeing up some floorstanders!
@@colinwilby8803 Hahaha there you go :)
super helpful, balanced, detailed AND comprehensive summaries,, very credible too, given the individual testing and assessment of each one that is also available. Wish the Polks R200 were included that enjoy some raving reviews at the price from other TH-cam reviewers. Any chance you would be testing those separately, and, ideally providing some thoughts vs this bunch?
Thanks for the summary review. The context is quite illuminating.
Very happy with my LS50s and REL subs. I have Magnepan LRS for comparison in system 2
(25 years with ProAc tablettes and Rogers LSB1 passive stereo sub previously:-)
I think "characterless" is a compliment unless you want speakers as musical instruments per-se.
An uncoloured monitor system let's the recording speak for itself!
The LS50s (&LRS!) need a good powerful class AB amp and subs to be a full range system.
As for the metas, I'd love to compare them to the originals....
Characterless is a compliment and positive yes, but its also a point of note that these speakers will be much harder on your system than others here and that is something to consider as well
@@PursuitPerfectSystem
Yes indeed.
Mine are fed by 200+w bridged Mu-Fi amps.
I feel that many that ended up on the 2nd hand market weren't fed propa' like. They're a reference level transducer for a crazy low price: THANK YOU KEF!
Great series! Thanks, Terry. I assume the Quad Z-2 will be in the next series? Since that's what I own, I'll be curious to know how it stacks up to the competition.
I dont know if I can stomach another group test I am just going to look a few different options and report on what paying a bit more brings to the table, Quads are here for that reason yes looking forward to listening to them
@@PursuitPerfectSystem Understandable. :) It still sounds like it will be illuminating. One thing to listen for is if the Quads resemble the Piegas since they both have ribbon tweeters.
Thanks Terry. After seeing your reviews, I bought AE500 a weeks ago. It's cheapest compared to others in Korea(It's £720).
Nice!! I hope you like them
@@PursuitPerfectSystem I like it them.^^ Thank you very much for commenting.
I've enjoyed every second of this series of reviews and I'm looking forward to the next series, thanks for all your hard work and expert analysis
Hi! I have only one amplifier but I have 3 sets of stand mount speakers: the Quad Z2s, the Monitor Audio PL100IIs and the ATC SCM11s (I got them on this order). I understand there was an improvement from the Quads to the MAs but… although the ATCs are the cheapest, they are the better sounding and more detailed across the range. The Quads are a bit soft on the mids, the MAs aren’t speedy on the lows (as you mentioned on your review) but the ATCs are fast and detailed from top to bottom, while sounding the most realistic and natural. Of course, the bass isn’t as pronounced but they still play quite well at 40Hz in room if there’s material there. The MAs are lovely but they seem too refined and restrained, artificially so. It’s so odd that a speaker that’s made in the UK and sold for less than half the money has what it seems to be a better sound quality than another one more than twice the price, even after having been made in China (where labour costs are lower).
So, only the ATCs are staying. The other pairs are for sale.
Every speaker in the individual tests had a large peak in the bass response centered on 60Hz.
Those frequency response graphs were at least as much of the testing room as they were of the speakers.
As for the peak at 300Hz, that may have been your microphone or the room, but that was also present on all the frequency response curves.
Yes below 300hz is all room but that’s not what’s important because it’s also psychoacoustic measurement not an anachoic measurement which it totally different.
Excellent reviewing style. The information is presented that would make one have an idea of what speakers they'd lean to in the group.
To say that this or that speaker should have been included at the price level is missing the point IMO. It is quite possible to shortlist another ten designs that would also be competitive . Brands such as Proac , Spendor , Revel , Focal , Sonus etc come to mind.
There are also 2nd hand speakers one could buy for £1000 that cost much more when new but that's another topic. I've only mentioned it because that's the route I'd go if I'm spending that sort of money on a pair of loudspeakers.
Geez, don't know you from a bar of soap, but your reveiw of AE 500 is absolutely spot on, if any freinds drop around and l want to impress them with my little book shelf speakers , l always put on females singers..bar none. In that sence l will follow your reveiws ..cheers.
Cheers all my reviews are spot on of course 😀
I bought Dynaudio Evoke 10 and i am very happy with the decission.
Yeah nice speakers I really liked them
I bought a pair of Emotiva Pro Stealth sixes for next to nothing on Craigslist because one was not working properly. Took it apart and fixed a loose connection. Pretty sure that there are better sounding speakers out there but there is zero chance that anyone could reproduce the quality of sound I experience for the price I paid. I do run it through a little Magni first. Sound is so good that it keeps me coming back for more.
Great review! I don't think anyone has done such a detailed compassion of this many at the same time. Only disappointment and I understand you can't do them all however I was hoping to see the new Elac Uni , Triangle Genesee, and the Polk Audio Reserve.
Cool comp. Even though I'm not in the market, I like to hear other peoples take. I've been saying this for a long time but I believe ALL 2-Way speakers should have an L-Pad on the tweeter. Speaker companies would really broaden their user base when it comes down to if a 2-way is too bright for some.
Killer roundup! Thank you for compiling all this information and reviewing these products for us! Smaller company out of the western United States, have you ever listened to anything from Ascend Acoustics? I've heard and seen rave reviews of their Sierra 2-EX stand mounts. Supposedly incredibly resolving with profound low bass extension. Custom SEAS drivers probably don't hurt!
Great review/comparison, what I don't recommend is B&W 606s2 (out of this review), too bright for me, I ended up swapping them by Dynaudio emit 10, much more pleasent to listen for hours
this was great thank you, not sure anyone has done this before, i enjoyed the series and had fun with the comparisons couldnt pick a winner but the meta mojo and ae500 was at the top for me with the evoke10 sx3 and svs at the bottom. thanks again hope to see more of these type series in the future.
maybe throw up some polls along the way would be interesting.
I am doing another one now Philip
I have been playing around with hifi for more than forty years and the new stuff is very nice. My only criticism is that the new speakers have no covering,and if you are a young man with a family then it is a problem. It is like these units are made for men living on their own in a flat. In my day we used to remove the grill occasionally to show the speakers then reace them when I have finished playing music.
I'd love you to compare, say, the Buchardt's and LS50 Meta's to the winner of your last group test, because I actually think the Evo 4.2's have got the legs on both of those speakers (the price is also a bit closer in some markets), I'd certainly have them over the standard LS50's all day long.
Great video! I use the KEF LS50 Meta in a near-field setting with a Rotel 80 watt amp and sub. I'm very happy. The Meta is really a big deal. I have listened to the LS50 standard extensively. Meta is at least 50% better in detail.
Thanks again for the great review!
In a blind test i guarantee you won't know the difference
First timer here and enjoyed your video. Introduced a couple of speakers that we don't see in the U.S. (or see less of ...). One point of criticism however, many of us use our audio system in dual roles, ie home theater and music, and would appreciate at least a sentence or two about dialogue quality.
I would class dialogue quality in with vocals and mid range quality. I do have a home cinema setup room but if its a hifi review then I don't use the speakers for cinema as its a totally different system and setup and without a matching centre speaker I cant make it work anyway.
Do bear in mind this video is a short synopsis of each speaker I have gone into much more detail in each speakers individual review videos. Thanks for watching and for the comment, really happy you enjoyed it
Just heard the AE500
It gave a really nice n easy listen.
Fluid highs, fantastic vocal, solid bass.
Driven by Musical Fidelity M5si amplifier and Denon A110 SACD player.
Thanks a lot for this extended comparison of interesting mid priced speakers Terry. I enjoyed it very much and i am looking forward your next series. Can't wait.
Fantastic video and comparison Terry. Bravo man, that was a marathon I’m sure. Any sneak peeks at the list of more expensive speakers you plan to get/compare to?
Evoke 20, Quad Z2, Arendal 1723, System Audio Legend Neat Ministra and I hope JBL HDI1600 too but they are not here the others are
@@PursuitPerfectSystem Great! I can't wait to hear the Z2s to compare with my S2s to see if the difference is as great as the price would suggest. I know I'd never spend as much on speakers as those in your last group test or the forthcoming one, but this is my hobby and I so enjoy all your reviews even if I don't ever plan to buy something.
Thanks for this great video! So much effort, time and dedication to accomplish this wonderful presentation! Forna low level volume listening, what's your pick?
good review, it would be interesting to see review for active speaker under £2.5k
I will keep that in mind as an idea thanksn
Which would be the best fit for nearfield listening? Relax laidbak sound?
I think you have nailed it here. Plenty of choices but enough to find the information to make a choice. Can you do floor-standers next?
Nice one as always. The Dynaudio are the ones that got me excited.
Recently picked up a $2300 Sonos Atmos setup that I’ve really enjoyed, but I’ve decided to increase my max budget up 1k and return the Sonos system later this month, and instead get an Amp and good passives - but that’s so much easier said than done. Dealing with a little option paralysis here ;)
Hi, excellent review & summary. I appreciate your way of presentation of the essence of each one of them! Could you review Buchardt S-400 too sometime?! I have both S-300 & S-400 and I listen to them in two different rooms and they are easy & unfussy speakers with different sound signatures! Would appreciate your take!
What rooms size?
I've enjoyed following this series and I value your input plus it's good to hear that the buchardt's Direct sale business model is only gonna cost one €50 if one was to return them, I guess the EU rules have changed somewhat because I was told last year I'd be better off trying to sell the XTZ 99 series speakers second-hand then trying to return them from the UK
First, I'll admit the fact that I've not demo'd any of the units in this group. That being said, I rarely find speakers at this price point worth the retail cost. Being a working-class feller that is also an audiophile, I'd be inclined to build my own speakers (either from a kit or a proven design), for two reasons: 1.) Less people that want to make money off of my purchase 2.) Cost vs. performance - there is not a single retail speaker that can even come close to competing at double the cost. Just giving another option that may not have been considered
Well said. And good luck on your build!
Great video as always mate! Thank you. ps. I would probably buy AE500 & LS50 for just over 2K, plug-in one depending on a mood and get it over with 🤣
In fact, I already have the Metas and I just bought the AE500, waiting to arrive.
Nice review. It really helps given the difficulty of listening to all of these speakers in one place. Thank you very much indeed!!!
Amazing work, thanks so much! Very keen for next price bracket review!
You are the best reviewer. THIS is what we want to see - LOTS of reviews. Thanks so much for setting the bar high.
Good video, really helpful. Now I want to see this with *active* speakers, those could be even more impressive!
Terry, great video! Would be good to keep the speakers that have the same size mid/bass in one category and bigger speakers in another regardless of price.
Hopefully your video will help a potential new buyer to whittle it down to just three or four pairs of speakers before making their choice
Fantastic review. While I’m not looking at this price range, you’ve summed it up in a perfect way - similar how i would do it for my own purpose. I’d love to see a 5K-7K tier :). Keep up the fantastic work.
Boy that spammer in the live chat was a jerk.
So Terry re: Wharfedale EVO 4.2-gate as it were in the livestream. I do find it interesting that many reviews of the EVO's have statements like "performs 2-3 times their cost". And I agree. So I'm curious as to why they are not here (and they won you last comparison video). You mentioned in livestream that you didn't have them ready for testing appropriately for comparison, which I understand, but I think they may have performed very well here (I mean SVS Ultra over Wharf 4.2's??).
Yes I own 4.2's and I am defending my purchase....but I do love them and, with good equipment, they do shine!
Keep up the good work!
Get a recommendation at a price point and try to set up A/B listening tests with your own media and source. Most dealers only offer a few alternatives and may not stock a particular model. If also getting a new source and amplifier the combinations make it that much harder. Even if you pick all the best components when you put them together they just don't sound right.
This would be a difficult choice indeed. Have you tried the Monitor Audio silver 100's? They are pretty good value for money.
Great job. Would have been interesting w your view of the Mission ZX 2 in here as well. But a good selection. And 10 makes sense. Maybe you can do a seperate review on it.
Thank you for the video
Question please how the EVO 4.2 compare to the other speakers in the video?
Is it in the same Category should we say ?
I think they sell for 1k in the US so I guess they're in the same category?:D
The EVO 4.2 were the winners of my last group test - they are £600 here in the UK give or take a penny
No disrespect to yourself but some speakers work well in small room some large some close to a wall some in free standing space so unless you tell your viewing public where they will work best im going to struggle to make a good choice you are a great reviewer i just need more info
It just really surprises me the Revel Concerta2 M16 wasn't included. You did a great job and it was a lot of work, but a glaring omission, in my opinion.
I am pretty sure I looked at them a few years ago so it didn't make any sense to review them again
@@PursuitPerfectSystem I'll have to try to find your review. Thank you
Cheers and thanks, again and again, for your time and relentless work Terry,, 🍻😎👍!
There have been minimal (if any) advancements in speaker technology in the last 30 years. It’s solved. I highly recommend you guys check out the deep unboxings done by a fellow TH-camr. It’s usually an MDF box, a crossover, lots of foam padding, drivers and a tweeter. It’s all incredibly basic stuff and literally anything a company like PMC can do virtually every speaker manufacturer on the planet could replicate with ease. It’s technology we have been using in this format for well over 100 years. You can even make your own speakers by watching a couple of videos online.
If you visit KEF you can walk around their museum and look at all the speakers from the companies whole history and while they were pioneers in the invention of certain speaker drivers and there are obvious similarities from old to new such as what you mention its clear that speakers today are very different to speakers from years ago due to manufacturing processes and design being better. Drivers are still drivers but they are not the same.
What I did not hear in the review is which speakers would perform well in a very common real world scenario in which your music speakers are also your home theater speakers in your main living room. In other words, would not only do well with music, which is a priority, but would also perform well in a visitor environment (somewhat close to a back wall and not extremely toed in for room design purposes), with AV receivers, and maybe as a phantom center setup or have a center channel in the lineup that isn't monstrous and can be put inside or on top of a media center.
In my experience, that is the real world use case for the vast majority of speaker buyers. It is very few that buy purely for music with components amplifiers.
This video is not a review, its a summary - but either way I didn't test the use case you mention and therefore cant comment on that sorry. FWIW toe in the speakers for best sound not looks man c'mon haha
@@PursuitPerfectSystem I was giving advice for how to summarize/review for the 95%+ of speaker buyers out there. So few of the speaker reviewers give reviews based on real world situations for the vast majority of speaker buyers, and all review for the same few people that only listen to their speakers on two channels through separate components.
While that's all good, it's unhelpful to most people who are making compromises such as getting spouse acceptance for _real_ speakers in the living room and have to counter questions like, "why can't we get a Sonos soundbar like the Smiths have?" While pulling speakers 3-4 feet off the wall and toe-in to cross in front of the ideal listening position are of course preferable for the sake of the audio quality, not everyone can get away with that when it's shared house with kids and a spouse, and not a bachelor pad. This is a *huge* percentage of the real world market for these speakers. Off axis listening and forgiving with position and component style, I would argue, are more important to how most people will _experience_ their speakers.
@@luke9822 If you look at the the information out there the common theme is the variables are so vast YOU have to do your research and match your gear to your own needs/situation and the wife if you have to haha. The speakers in this test have a bit of everything for every body. Not to say that there aren't more than just these to try, plus if any thing you can take away that there is a lot of choice so you can find your speakers for your needs. If all else fails Lie!! the sound bars were sold out, and you got a good discount and 6 year warranty on the KEF blades.
@@robertbaird7001 Funny response, Robert. Thanks.
I did get the takeaway summary that all of these speakers are good, but which one is best for _depends_ on your own criteria. What I was saying here is that there are criteria that are very common in real world situations that was not a variable being compared. Aesthetics is obviously personal and not something anyone needs help with, but most buyers are dealing with these speakers serving double duty for home theater, I believe, and many in less than perfect placement.
@@luke9822 I get what you mean. I have the that very issue my speakers are in the livingroom, and not in a place to get the best out of them. I had also seen some speakers in a magazine that had some serious pedigree and reviews but when I listen to them it was a big NO. Also I think even our real world circumstances can vary so much. Terry would have a job on his hands to recreate this with any accuracy. On the point you made about speakers that need to be two foot into the room I do find that strange why they make more speakers that can't be placed near walls, as thats the most practical place for them to be.
Thanks for all your work on this, I bet your glad its finally finished!
I would be happy to see you review a few decent floorstanders in the future as I'm not into stand mounts, which ultimately take up the same room as a floorstander anyway xD
For something like this bookshelf's are logistically much easier because storing this many speakers and boxes is a real challenge and its hardcopre unboxing them all to do video, putting them away again and out again 11 times now - its hardcore
@@PursuitPerfectSystem understood, I really do appreciate that this level of comparison is very hard work, which is why its so appreciated.
Having bought some floorstanders recently for £1200 that I believe would show every one of these units a clean pair of heels, you can see why I would make the suggestion, they beat everything I listened too up to 3k! As a result I would urge anyone not in a small room to try, as the extra bass depth of a decent floorstander is clearly heard thriughout the rest of the range too, and imo gives many instruments a more natural sounding timbre as a result.
However, I appreciate what your saying and if you cant move floorstanders about then you cant psyically test them. xD
This was a great set of tests and I'm sure you have helped many people enourmously by doing them, thanks again!
Love the series! And finally I will get to see the Ministra review? Next week? Tomorrow? I am putting the popcorn in the microwave… 🍿
That is some detailed comparison man. Hats off.
Thank you, appreciate it
I will continue to listen to my Heco Aurora 300 - Black Ebony - Bookshelf Speaker
I don't know much about bookshelf speakers but I would have loved to have seen how the DT demand d11s would have stacked up.
stand speaker+sub vs tower speakers in the same price range ? ex: in my country kef ls50 meta + svs sb1000pro would cost $1500. is there any tower counterpart that could compete with this setup ?
This was a great review. Very useful. I'm shopping for bookshelf speakers atm and this helped add some candidates to my list. The one thing that could really help me is if you could match the speakers to the music where they shine the most. I mostly listen to acoustic stuff, rarely stuff with heavy base (that's for outdoor listening...), so that being said, could you (or anyone else) help recommend which of these would be best for me ? Jusding by the video, I think It the Kef, Amphion and Acoustic energy intrigue me the most. Am I on the right track ? Thanks again.
I've got a pair of SCM11's for a week long audition next month, even more curious to see how they compare to my trusty B&W DM601 S3's.
@@vincentpedalino618 I'm not necessarily expecting to be blown away but at the very least I'm hoping they can show me what I've been missing. I cannot overstate how much enjoyment I've had from the DM's over the last 20 years and it is in part because of Terry's videos that I'm finally taking the blinkers off and doing some auditions. The thing that will make it very difficult for me to eventually pull the trigger on a purchase is the fact that I've had such incredible value for money from the DM's. They were £250 new which at the time was about 50% over my intended budget but bloody hell am I glad I got them. It really is going to take something VERY special to force my purse strings open this time.
@@vincentpedalino618 Ahh floorstanders, wish I had the space otherwise I'd probably be heading down that route. Still it's going to be fun!
The bass alone on the atcs will make b/w,s sound silly if you have a quality amp to drive them
@@justinparkman3585 pioneer sc-lx72
@@drichcymru that's a beast shouldn't have any probs there.
Moving up in price you get some compelling choices like the Tekton Impact Monitor, Quad, and Totem. I hope you can review them!
I have quad here I tried tekton they said no and totem didn't come back to me so 1 out of 3 :)
@@PursuitPerfectSystem Be careful with Tekton. I've read several comments from people who are having a very hard time getting the speakers they ordered. They won't respond to phone calls or emails.
@@PursuitPerfectSystem which of the quads do you have?
@@russellparker4568 Z2 :)
@@PursuitPerfectSystem nice!
Some great work there Terry and a great service to potential buyers in the market for standmounts. I’m the owner of monitor audio 100 gold, I’m looking for something that’s more detailed and vocals that really stand out , at 5000 what would you recommend…. Thanks
I have a litle bit different question... which of the mentioned speakers will be a good choice to listen to piano and electronic and ambient music. (I have an offer for Amphion Argon1 - 600 GBB pair - and I'm seriously considering these speakers). Thank you for this Review and (hope) the answer.
Fantastic summary video and great concluding remarks. It’s a bit disconcerting isn’t it that the ATCs don’t produce more bass with that enormous woofer and the relatively big box. Are the SCM11s still bass shy even after applying some Dirac magic?
Its not really about the size its about their design how they are intended to measure and sound , if you check review I explain it in more detail. Yes ai was able to push them more to my liking with dirac - check the sound demo video for the result of that
All the other speakers are ported which is fake bass and can introduce chuffing of the port. The ATC are true bass and all these speakers need to be used with a sub anyway, IMO.
Enjoy the video...Would you be able to do review a Best Budget Speaker below £300 or £250 ....probably most of music lovers comes in this group including myself....
I did another one before this for speakers upto £650, I appreciate thats still more but it might be worth checking out as not all the speakers in that test cost the full budget
@@PursuitPerfectSystem Thank you I watched it today. Q Acoustics 3030i can be bought new one today for £245: Acoustic Energy AE300 went up so it is about £630 ... (KEF Q150 can be bought now for £270 but am not sure ...). Also saw original ELAC Debut B5 used for £120 and ELAC Debut B5 2nd generation new for £230). I just bought about 23 years old Linn Classik - all integrated CD player, amplifier and tuner for £130 ...Anyway thank you for educated some of us on hifi...It is rear to find podcast as yours from the UK - mostly are from the USA...Keep on with the good work ....
@@nebod1556 I reviewed compared the acoustic energy ae100 mk2 recently comparing them to some Elac around the same price and to the q acoustics Maybe check that revie out
Thank you very much for your valuable and valuable work. Let me ask you a question. In your opinion, which of these speakers will understand the NAD C700? Thanks so much in advance for the reply.
Loved your reviews Terry. Thanks a lot.
Thanks. This is really interesting. Just shows what can be got for a reasonable outlay. Some really nice speakers.