We are experiencing a golden age of hi-fi. Everything from low-end to high-end sounds phenomenally good. Unfortunately I’m not sure the same can be said for music. I think we are a little lost, musically speaking. This makes your job somewhat challenging. The scrapes on the string is called string-noise or fingerboard noise. I would replace “tonality” for “tone”. You might speak to some of your musician friends for terminology of instrumental sounds. It’s funny that we talk about sound but we often don’t know much about how those sounds are produced BEFORE they get amplified for your ears. I’m not calling anyone out (GR Research) but can we really be audiophiles without understanding how music is made? Uh oh, did I just hit a rock with my shovel? Think about that for a sec (all of you, us, who love audio equipment). How can we review equipment made to reproduce musical instruments without knowing about the musical instruments themselves. I think that’s something to explore. A great reviewer would know a lot about how music is made BEFORE it hits your pre-amp, DAC, amplifier, speakers etc. it’s a good video. Just spitballing.
Listening is highly subjective. We don't all have to know about the instruments and how music is made to personally enjoy it for this hobby. Jay's friend Thujan enjoys the Kef LS50s sound color, but it's not my cup of tea. What really gets me about the Kef is it doesn't sound true to the natural sound of some instruments for my ear. When cello players dig deep with the bow, whatever that technique is called, it doesn't sound right to my ear on the Kef. The cello is a beautiful instrument but it's not enjoyable to me on the Kef LS50 for whatever reason. What does sound good on the Kef is electronic music. I'm guessing that's what Thujan enjoys listening to. Near-field quiet listening is also enjoyable on the Kef. As far as music today, you just have to learn to try and experience outside the box. There is so much music out there it can be overwhelming to narrow down. Try not to get suggestions from what popular record labels are trying to push for the economy of scale profits. Their goal is to maximize profits not provide what is truly profound music. Try to get recommendations from others with similar tastes as you. If all else fails, then just fall back on the countless tracks and artists that hit you where it matters.
Jason - great observation. The technology is amazing these days (I grew up in the 70's) - but the music seems to be lacking. When I was coming up hifi audio equipment was okay but the music was fantastic. Now it seems the roles have been reversed.
Another good review Jay, I like the way you describe the sound characteristics. At 10k I thought the Sonus would wipe the floor with the other speakers, indeed most hifi customers interested in these or any speaker at this price point would be expecting that. Not the case these days it seems. You have done something here that I haven't ever seen in a hifi mag review, compare speakers at widely different price points. They usually compare like for like cost wise, so good on you for doing that. It just highlights the amount of BS that some reviews spout when reviewing more expensive gear. It's as if, you want a 10k sound then you better be prepared to spend 10k, don't even thing you will get anything this good at 2k.
Wow, now that is one fantastic evaluation of 4 very good stereo speakers, and to have to the CSS came on top technically! Jay, good for you to keep an objective point of view when evaluating speakers, particularly when you have the Sonus Faber in the mix. Cheers.
I like your videos Jay. Cool to see that your also trying diy loudspeaker kits. IMO diy speakers is really the way to go. Cant wait for you to finish/show us the GR Research speakers, they are truly a piece of art.
Great review. I picked up the Buchardts S400 MKll but returned it and chose another one of your favorites the Elac Vela. Loved it's tone, wide sound stage and transparency better. Keep up the good work
You've got me nervous, these are the 2 I'm looking at for ht duties, did the s400 mkii not have a nice wide soundstage? I actually love the look of the velas but I thought the sound would be beat it hands-down with the new crossover. Anything else you could comment on between the 2?
Yeah I'm curious too as both impressed me equally at an audio show... I was recently about to pull the trigger on some slightly used s400’s but they slipped through my fingers.
I like your enthusiasm of audio.......why dont you setup a recording system where you can play the same song, same exact space , same volume level and post each speaker you go through. In years to come, you will have a large library of speaker references to compare each other to and everyone on youtube can do it also just by using two tabs and comparing any speaker in your library against each other.......hope all that made sense. I would do it, but im just not a youtube guy, too old for that, been designing loudspeakers for 33 years. But I do think its like your kind of thing, and I would come here to always listen and many other would too.Also you should try some older speakers from the 80's and 90's, not just new speakers....they are some of the best even to date. I think late 80s and early 90s was the pinnacle of audio.
Nice comparison review! So is the conclusion that unless you crave Italian wood and leather on your speakers you should save yourself ~$8000 and buy any of the other models reviewed without fear of losing out on performance and musicality?
@@longmuskox4194 yeah, im waiting. Listened for a few hours and they started opening up. So far, all the things, and they have balls. I have 7 pairs of other speakers, and they replaced an impulse buy Emotiva T Zero, which I ran all the way up to the CSS. Which says a lot about the Emotiva.
@@longmuskox4194 you have a pair? I spent much more time last night and they are.. mind-blowing. I am blessed with good audio. Absolutely amazing speakers. Premium crossover.
The CSS seems to be the best in this comparison and looks great, for the Buchardt it's extra for the wood veneers. But the shipping is too expensive for the CSS, $259 usd to my country! Whereas the Buchardt has free shipping, makes the choice quite hard now when the CSS costs more shipped! Warranty also much longer on the Buchardt. What would everyone choose between those 2?
Don't get confused about the shipping cost. Nothing is free. It will be calculated in the cost as are the import duty/tax of that country. Buchardt chooses to sell direct which saves the middle man as these would sell closer to 3,000 E at retail. Is it great value at 2,000 E inc shipping, of course.
Oh ohh!! Did you get the Texan’s authorization to use the NRC facilities ?!? Thanx, keep up the Good Work !! Peace, Bill from Northeastern France !! Best wishes to Two Jay !
Were between these speakers would you put Elac Vela bs 403 you've ranked as a speaker of the year? It isn't my intention to ask you for comparison of all the speakers, it is impossible...but at least the most ranked by you. Thanks!
musicality should be measured by how close to real life performance which is less related to the tone. Sounds like Sonus faber is the best overall among all 4 of them.
Have you tried pairing up the SF EA3 with Galion TS120 amp? It would be great if you could tell us how they match up? How's your liking pairing them up?
Fantastic review ! CSS fully furnished with shipping is the same price as Burchardt s400mkii. So, it looks like it is one more speaker competing in the $2.5K region. Do you prefer CSS over KLH or is KLH still the winner in the $2.5 region?
Hello Jay and thank you for the videos you make, always being objective. How does the S400 Mk2 compare to the Dynaudio Heritage Special? In terms of musicality and rendering but also technically, as for the stage, the basses, the mids, the voices... Thank you for your answer ✌️😁
I'm looking at buying a pair of bookshelf speakers in this price range. It's almost exclusively for music listening and I listen to mainly rock/rap and i have a subwoofer already so bass is not a problem. Which one of these would you recommend? Thank you.
I would be very curious to hear your comparisons on the S300 mk2 versus the S400 mk2. You are one of the few reviewers who have heard both speakers! The S300 doesn’t get nearly the coverage of the S400 but may be more accessible to a majority of people.
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...
Very interesting video :) I listened to these Sonos Faber just recently, found them fantastically emotive with some Jazz Saxophone, however otherwise I found them a bit dull/lacking drive and or dynamics, too polite for me :) My favourite listen of the day was the Marten Duke 2 stand mounts which I found hugely impressive and might order to replace my 2017 Totem Signature One speakers. Tried the Burkhardt s400 MK1 a while ago and was impressed but found them a bit cold and not emotive/exciting. Keep up the good work!
Jay any plans for a review on Klipsch's higher end speakers- La Scala, Klipschorns, or Jubilee? I know they are very big and heavy speakers and Klipsch may not not be receptive to shipping them out. Hell, you may not want to deal with their size and weight either - but, I would love to hear your impression of especially - the La Scalas. Thanks.
How can you compare speakers with different prices.You need to compare Dynaudio confidence 20 and Peak Consult Incognito with Sonus Faber Electa Amator.
I think you might be mistaking distortion for frequency response in the highs. Just a thought which explains the sonus faber high end being perceived as laid back
I wonder what speakers are comparable to the tekton double impact? I’m considering buying the double impact speakers but am interested in a comparison review.
Jay, Just received the Kinki Integrated and trying to decide between the S400 MKII and the CSS 1TD-X. If you had to pick one of those two speakers to go with that amp what would you choose?
How are these compared to the ls50 meta? And would you replace the meta ,if you already have a rel t5x, with any of these( retaining the rel)? Thank you.
Hello Jay, thank for this and past reviews of the Critons. Perhaps like you I am leaning towards a somewhat warm en smooth sounding speakers. At the moment I am looking for an upgrade for my Denton 85's, that have these traits but lack somewhat in detail, dynamics etc. For a somewhat warm-ish sound, which version of the Criton would you recommend: with the original tweeter, the X-tweeter, the basic crossover or the superior xo? Suggestions for any other tweaks? Love to hear from you, kind regards from the Netherlands, Gerlach Sven
How much time has the css crossover had to burn in? It is a serious crossover , it will take a fair amount of use at fair amount of volume before it burns in How many hours roughly have thay done?
Thanks a lot for this outstanding Video. The CSS Audio 1TDX seems to be a very good speaker and worth any penny. i have also a Kit loudspeaker SB-Acoustics ARA, do You know this Speaker? I think it plays in the same Quallity - Class than the CSS Audio, the price is nearly equal. If You know this ARA speaker i would be very interested about Your opinion. best wishes from Bavaria
Jay, great! Did you look at the crossovers on the PSB and Sonos? Both Criton and Buchardt have HUGE, high QUALITY crossovers. Which I believe gives them a better sound and stage. The Sonos are a piece of art!
Hey Ninno. Gershman Studio 2 was not here for the comparison so take that with a grain of salt. According to my notes and my audio memory - The Studio 2 has the deepest bass response with the least extended/clinical/edged highs and mids than any of the ones I mentioned in the video. Like I said in my original video - This lends itself to being great on poorly recorded tracks with an impressive bass response to wow anyone. Keep in mind that they are fairly big and require lower stands than any of these
@@Jayiyagi Thank you Jay. Good explanation. Based on your personal taste, do you believe the sound quality of the Gershman is good enough for it to have been in this comparison video if you had them on hand?
There are tons of awesome Bookshelf on the Market - and mostly the best ones are unknown (or) small Projects from Audio Enthusiasts. Sky Audio Verdade II, Amphion One18, Unity SuperRock, AudioOptimum MS10, Strauss SE-NF 3, Mesanovic RTM10....
PSB has been designing their speakers with the tweeter below the woofer forever. Also, I guess you haven’t heard Totems since you didn’t include the Totem Signature Ones.
you dont need a floorstanding speaker for big sound. A good build DBA or SBA + Bookshelf is mostly the better way to go. You just pay fo a lot of wood for a floorstanding speaker and cant adjust / match the lowend perfectly to the room
Great video Jay, thank you! If you have the time to answer - how would you compare the top end extension of the Quad S2 with these ones? I have the S2s but I'm curious about maybe upgrading.
I don't see why those bookshelf speakers would provide noticeably better imaging in comparison to floorstanders with the same cabinet width and the same drivers.
CSS Audio 1TDX vs Buchardt A500 would be really interesting. I understand they are very different things but putting together a comparable system for the same money and doing a comparison would be cool 😎
Tharbamar reviewed the Musician Audio Knight 1 and said superior to the Critons, and they cost only $1500! But color terrible in my opinion. Also Philarmonic Audio BMR monitors should be a really good contender for $1800, nice looks as well.
I Highly doubt that claim since Musician is an unethical company who offers compensation upfront with expectation of positive review whether unit works or does not as intended. Also they lie to customers and increase price when they see traffic from a positive review
@@Jayiyagi you are correct. The other channel mentioned by Carlo Carlini may not be honest to viewers. I heard negative remarks about him in one the audio forum site.
@@08jamu yeap. Had the first hand experience with this shady brand. I’d stay away. It may sound good but plenty of better brands out there that sound just as good if not better for the similar money. Why support a corrupt business
I disagree. I think it is useful to know how the lower priced speakers compare to the high priced ones in actual sound performance. Helps highlight the ones that offer exceptionally great performance for the money. BTW: I hate the phrase "for the money." 🙂
@@longmuskox4194 you are right and when I say “unethical” it is because they explicitly don’t want comparisons with competition unless it favours them. And they often want the reviewer to not disclose the fact that they have been paid. I have had the first hand experience and shared the minimum on the channel before about this shady brand.
@@Jayiyagi Well, thanks for sharing your opinion. It sounds as if their marketing department needs work. I'm not easily influenced by "reviews" and prefer to listen to products myself or at the very least take direction from people I trust. I'm not interested in the brand anyway. I have too much on my plate already and prefer to give products quality time before moving them to the garage for storage or gifting it to family and friends. Life is too short to get hung up on one product for too long. But that's just me.
Jay!!….you’re kneeling next to a pair of KLH Kendall’s….when did you get them and can we expect a proper review on them from you?? You can count on one hand how many speakers get down to 25hz under $2000. I know you love “Bookies”, but those towers are simply Baddass!!
Excellent comparison! Gives me an understanding of how I might upgrade (eventually). Those CSS 1TDX. Goosebumps? Thinking👌🏼. Very much appreciate your noting cool recordings that - are not only enjoyable - but help reference the qualities and attributes that should be found in good designs with proper placement 🙏🏼
Interesting ranking Jay! Would be good to get the new B&W 805 D4 in the mix with the revised /smoothed out diamond tweeter and new crossover ...to see how it compares to your beloved Sonus Faber! I heard it in a store and it sounded pretty good. Not as bright as Focal these days.
The d4 series is a good speaker but needs proper system matching or it will be bland, dry and yea still fatiguing. I’ve heard all of the lineup and prefer the 803 over the 802 personally. I’ve also heard the maxima amator and it’s a totally different speaker. It’s as transparent to the system as the d4 but it’s character is more forgiving of the electronics. It also is thicker, more saturated but not as detailed or as fast as the b&w. My biggest gripe with the new amator series is that you can tell they tried to make a small speaker sound like a floor stander. They sacrificed the size of the image of certain areas of vocals to make the bass bigger. This also causes the tweeter to sound larger than the rest of the sound and makes it feel less integrated.
@@t.j.bennett6454 Hi T.J. - That 805 diamond tweeter is SUPER revealing. I've heard the new 805 D4 with Pass and Accuphase Class A power amps and they sweetened up the top end really nicely with a HUGE soundstage and lots of air...
Hi Tom. Like I mentioned in the video, I have made a video for each and one of these in more depth. I did not want to make this video too long but price is all around $2000-2500 other than the sonus faber which is $10,000.
I don't even want to notice the speakers , I just want them to disappear. Is there a speaker that does that? It seems everyone talks about the speakers ,I want them to just disappear. 😅
Related videos:
CSS Audio 1TDX review: ua-cam.com/video/MbksuZdrdV8/v-deo.html
Buchardt S400 mk2 review: ua-cam.com/video/PJRBMCA3FzI/v-deo.html
Sonus Faber Electa amator III review: ua-cam.com/video/yYIAWzSh1pQ/v-deo.html
PSB B600 Synchrony review (soundstage take 2): ua-cam.com/video/7H70OifBfmM/v-deo.html
Purchase links (non-affiliated links):
Buchardt S400 mk 2: buchardtaudio.com/collections/passive-speakers/products/s400-mkii
CSS audio 1TDx (kit): www.css-audio.com/online-store/CSS-Criton-1TD-X-Kit-Pair-p221163830
CSS audio 1TDx (fully finished): www.css-audio.com/online-store/CSS-Criton-1TD-X-Fully-Finished-Pair-p115270078
Sonus Faber Electa amator III: www.sonusfaber.com/prodotti/electa-amator-iii/ (dealership only)
PSB B600 Synchrony: www.psbspeakers.com/product/synchrony-b600-bookshelf/
0:00 Introducing the PSB B600
4:22 Similarities and Overview
8:29 Bass (Sound Comparison)
12:10 Midrange (Sound Comparison)
15:34 High Frequency (Sound Comparison)
18:52 Soundstage (Sound Comparison)
20:14 Imaging (Sound Comparison)
21:58 Tonality (Sound Comparison)
24:47 Ranking
We are experiencing a golden age of hi-fi. Everything from low-end to high-end sounds phenomenally good. Unfortunately I’m not sure the same can be said for music. I think we are a little lost, musically speaking. This makes your job somewhat challenging. The scrapes on the string is called string-noise or fingerboard noise. I would replace “tonality” for “tone”. You might speak to some of your musician friends for terminology of instrumental sounds. It’s funny that we talk about sound but we often don’t know much about how those sounds are produced BEFORE they get amplified for your ears. I’m not calling anyone out (GR Research) but can we really be audiophiles without understanding how music is made? Uh oh, did I just hit a rock with my shovel? Think about that for a sec (all of you, us, who love audio equipment). How can we review equipment made to reproduce musical instruments without knowing about the musical instruments themselves. I think that’s something to explore. A great reviewer would know a lot about how music is made BEFORE it hits your pre-amp, DAC, amplifier, speakers etc. it’s a good video. Just spitballing.
Listening is highly subjective. We don't all have to know about the instruments and how music is made to personally enjoy it for this hobby. Jay's friend Thujan enjoys the Kef LS50s sound color, but it's not my cup of tea. What really gets me about the Kef is it doesn't sound true to the natural sound of some instruments for my ear. When cello players dig deep with the bow, whatever that technique is called, it doesn't sound right to my ear on the Kef. The cello is a beautiful instrument but it's not enjoyable to me on the Kef LS50 for whatever reason. What does sound good on the Kef is electronic music. I'm guessing that's what Thujan enjoys listening to. Near-field quiet listening is also enjoyable on the Kef.
As far as music today, you just have to learn to try and experience outside the box. There is so much music out there it can be overwhelming to narrow down. Try not to get suggestions from what popular record labels are trying to push for the economy of scale profits. Their goal is to maximize profits not provide what is truly profound music. Try to get recommendations from others with similar tastes as you. If all else fails, then just fall back on the countless tracks and artists that hit you where it matters.
Well said...
Agree
Jason - great observation. The technology is amazing these days (I grew up in the 70's) - but the music seems to be lacking. When I was coming up hifi audio equipment was okay but the music was fantastic. Now it seems the roles have been reversed.
There's good new music, you just have to dig for it. You're not going to hear it on the radio, at least not mainstream radio.
Another good review Jay, I like the way you describe the sound characteristics.
At 10k I thought the Sonus would wipe the floor with the other speakers, indeed most hifi customers interested in these or any speaker at this price point would be expecting that.
Not the case these days it seems.
You have done something here that I haven't ever seen in a hifi mag review, compare speakers at widely different price points.
They usually compare like for like cost wise, so good on you for doing that.
It just highlights the amount of BS that some reviews spout when reviewing more expensive gear.
It's as if, you want a 10k sound then you better be prepared to spend 10k, don't even thing you will get anything this good at 2k.
Well said. For all the reasons you stated above, this reviewer was the most valuable comparison I heard on UA-cam so far.
Wow, now that is one fantastic evaluation of 4 very good stereo speakers, and to have to the CSS came on top technically! Jay, good for you to keep an objective point of view when evaluating speakers, particularly when you have the Sonus Faber in the mix. Cheers.
My favourite reviewer
Keep them coming
Your smoking your other reviewers
By your honesty
And many reviews that keep coming
Keeps me interested
Thanks Jay for the great review. I'm planning on purchasing the CSS 1tdx with the upgrade and building it myself. Excited!
Thank you. That filled in the cracks of what I wanted to know about the sound of the S400 Mkii and the CSS 1TD-X. Helpful comparison.
Glad it was helpful!
You’re recent videos and upcoming with these recents have been fire 🔥
Fantastic comparison, Jay! Great insight. Thanks!
I like your videos Jay. Cool to see that your also trying diy loudspeaker kits. IMO diy speakers is really the way to go. Cant wait for you to finish/show us the GR Research speakers, they are truly a piece of art.
comparing css vs gr research vs buchardt would be very interesting
Great review. I picked up the Buchardts S400 MKll but returned it and chose another one of your favorites the Elac Vela. Loved it's tone, wide sound stage and transparency better. Keep up the good work
You've got me nervous, these are the 2 I'm looking at for ht duties, did the s400 mkii not have a nice wide soundstage? I actually love the look of the velas but I thought the sound would be beat it hands-down with the new crossover. Anything else you could comment on between the 2?
Yeah I'm curious too as both impressed me equally at an audio show... I was recently about to pull the trigger on some slightly used s400’s but they slipped through my fingers.
I like your enthusiasm of audio.......why dont you setup a recording system where you can play the same song, same exact space , same volume level and post each speaker you go through. In years to come, you will have a large library of speaker references to compare each other to and everyone on youtube can do it also just by using two tabs and comparing any speaker in your library against each other.......hope all that made sense. I would do it, but im just not a youtube guy, too old for that, been designing loudspeakers for 33 years. But I do think its like your kind of thing, and I would come here to always listen and many other would too.Also you should try some older speakers from the 80's and 90's, not just new speakers....they are some of the best even to date. I think late 80s and early 90s was the pinnacle of audio.
Would have been nice to see the GR Reserch speakers in this mix. Lol!
Definitely
Apparently it's that good you don't have to hear it...
To think they were so bad that they didn’t even make the list.
@@Jayiyagi You still building them? You ordered them on that one video, was looking forward to that.
He’s not ready.
Nice comparison review!
So is the conclusion that unless you crave Italian wood and leather on your speakers you should save yourself ~$8000 and buy any of the other models reviewed without fear of losing out on performance and musicality?
I just fired up my 1TDX last night, first time.
Break them in real good. Then comment on Jay's previous videos about what you think.
@@longmuskox4194 yeah, im waiting. Listened for a few hours and they started opening up. So far, all the things, and they have balls. I have 7 pairs of other speakers, and they replaced an impulse buy Emotiva T Zero, which I ran all the way up to the CSS. Which says a lot about the Emotiva.
@UCojPw3T4njRuWrspLk8UXPw I figure, best I can push right now is about 80 decibels. They are near field. 2 subwoofers, heaven.
@@longmuskox4194 you have a pair? I spent much more time last night and they are.. mind-blowing. I am blessed with good audio. Absolutely amazing speakers. Premium crossover.
Have you ever heard the Philharmonic Audio BMRs? I find them hard to beat at $2000.
Hey Jay I just got the deal of the century on the triangle comete 40th and I was wondering where you would place them in the mix of these
what's the cheapest options to get good sound from either the Buchardt S400 mk 2 or the CSS Audio 1TDx?
The CSS seems to be the best in this comparison and looks great, for the Buchardt it's extra for the wood veneers. But the shipping is too expensive for the CSS, $259 usd to my country!
Whereas the Buchardt has free shipping, makes the choice quite hard now when the CSS costs more shipped! Warranty also much longer on the Buchardt. What would everyone choose between those 2?
Don't get confused about the shipping cost. Nothing is free. It will be calculated in the cost as are the import duty/tax of that country. Buchardt chooses to sell direct which saves the middle man as these would sell closer to 3,000 E at retail. Is it great value at 2,000 E inc shipping, of course.
Oh ohh!! Did you get the Texan’s authorization to use the NRC facilities ?!? Thanx, keep up the Good Work !! Peace, Bill from Northeastern France !! Best wishes to Two Jay !
Pretty nifty editing!! Good post! 👍🏻
Were between these speakers would you put Elac Vela bs 403 you've ranked as a speaker of the year? It isn't my intention to ask you for comparison of all the speakers, it is impossible...but at least the most ranked by you. Thanks!
musicality should be measured by how close to real life performance which is less related to the tone. Sounds like Sonus faber is the best overall among all 4 of them.
I wonder how the Sonus Faber Sonetto II would be reviewed/ranked which is comparably priced to the other speakers here in this video.
I really really liked this type of video. Well done!
Have you tried pairing up the SF EA3 with Galion TS120 amp? It would be great if you could tell us how they match up? How's your liking pairing them up?
Still a shame a few of these we can’t source here in the UK, psb I’d love to look at and hear.
Great vid Jay, with all those affiliate links you left off the t shirt. There’s the new angle, audio fashion.
I own both the S400 MKI and MKII. I would use the S400 MKI in a 2.0 system and the MKII in a 2.1 system.
Fantastic review ! CSS fully furnished with shipping is the same price as Burchardt s400mkii. So, it looks like it is one more speaker competing in the $2.5K region. Do you prefer CSS over KLH or is KLH still the winner in the $2.5 region?
Yes would love to hear his opinion on this
Hello Jay and thank you for the videos you make, always being objective.
How does the S400 Mk2 compare to the Dynaudio Heritage Special?
In terms of musicality and rendering but also technically, as for the stage, the basses, the mids, the voices...
Thank you for your answer ✌️😁
Jay I think Tyler acoustics makes a bookshelf G&R designed
Yes, the T1 Studio Monitors.
3:19 I had the tweeter and woofer mixed up there, so thanks for that clarification. You also pointed out the front baffle? You alright?
I'm looking at buying a pair of bookshelf speakers in this price range. It's almost exclusively for music listening and I listen to mainly rock/rap and i have a subwoofer already so bass is not a problem. Which one of these would you recommend? Thank you.
Would you rather buy the CSS or something like the KLH Model 5 if you had to keep one would one would it be
I would be very curious to hear your comparisons on the S300 mk2 versus the S400 mk2. You are one of the few reviewers who have heard both speakers! The S300 doesn’t get nearly the coverage of the S400 but may be more accessible to a majority of people.
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...
I'm curious, how do they compare to the Klipsch RP-8000F (not low frequencies of course)?
Cool Jay, I wonder how a pair of Golden Ear BRX would rank in this lineup. Hopefully see a review of them from you at some point.
Very interesting video :) I listened to these Sonos Faber just recently, found them fantastically emotive with some Jazz Saxophone, however otherwise I found them a bit dull/lacking drive and or dynamics, too polite for me :) My favourite listen of the day was the Marten Duke 2 stand mounts which I found hugely impressive and might order to replace my 2017 Totem Signature One speakers. Tried the Burkhardt s400 MK1 a while ago and was impressed but found them a bit cold and not emotive/exciting. Keep up the good work!
I would think the Marten Duke 2 would wipe this lot , sure they are more expensive bar the Sonus Faber.
Wonder about definitive technology D11s and SVS Ultra bookshelf speakers... both great bookshelf for under 1,000
Did you review the Totem tribe? The new Paradigm Founders line makes a bookshelf.
Jay any plans for a review on Klipsch's higher end speakers- La Scala, Klipschorns, or Jubilee? I know they are very big and heavy speakers and Klipsch may not not be receptive to shipping them out. Hell, you may not want to deal with their size and weight either - but, I would love to hear your impression of especially - the La Scalas. Thanks.
Hi Jay , excellent your site , in your opignon what is the best Bookshelfs for a Hegel H95 around 1,000$can ? Thank a lot !
If you had to keep one and had to get rid of the rest, which would you keep. For your taste anyway?
Honestly? I’d just cry and run in circles
Hello Jay, could you tell me the brand of the acoustic diffusers that are seen in this video? thanks friend
Great vid, there are so many really good speakers out there
How can you compare speakers with different prices.You need to compare Dynaudio confidence 20 and Peak Consult Incognito with Sonus Faber Electa Amator.
How? Easy. I just did it !
I think you might be mistaking distortion for frequency response in the highs. Just a thought which explains the sonus faber high end being perceived as laid back
Really great video. This is how it is done right.
Really got to build me some 1dtx, think its qualities would enhance my atoll in80se ones
Sweet, sweet comparo man. Love it. Super helpful.
I wonder what speakers are comparable to the tekton double impact? I’m considering buying the double impact speakers but am interested in a comparison review.
Jay, Just received the Kinki Integrated and trying to decide between the S400 MKII and the CSS 1TD-X. If you had to pick one of those two speakers to go with that amp what would you choose?
Good comparison review on 4 really good speakers 😎👍
How are these compared to the ls50 meta? And would you replace the meta ,if you already have a rel t5x, with any of these( retaining the rel)? Thank you.
He made a comparison comparing the 2 in the review video.
Hello Jay, thank for this and past reviews of the Critons. Perhaps like you I am leaning towards a somewhat warm en smooth sounding speakers. At the moment I am looking for an upgrade for my Denton 85's, that have these traits but lack somewhat in detail, dynamics etc. For a somewhat warm-ish sound, which version of the Criton would you recommend: with the original tweeter, the X-tweeter, the basic crossover or the superior xo? Suggestions for any other tweaks? Love to hear from you, kind regards from the Netherlands, Gerlach Sven
How much time has the css crossover had to burn in? It is a serious crossover , it will take a fair amount of use at fair amount of volume before it burns in How many hours roughly have thay done?
You have more than one book. Nice:)
Great review
Would’ve been nice to see Dynaudio Heritage Special in the comparisons…
Any recommendations on a relatively affordable sub to pair with these in a 12x10’ room? Looking at RSL and Rhythmik…
With the CSS Audio diy speaker being so impressive I can't wait to see what you think of the GR-Research speakers.
Thanks a lot for this outstanding Video. The CSS Audio 1TDX seems to be a very good speaker and worth any penny.
i have also a Kit loudspeaker SB-Acoustics ARA, do You know this Speaker? I think it plays in the same Quallity - Class
than the CSS Audio, the price is nearly equal. If You know this ARA speaker i would be very interested about Your opinion.
best wishes from Bavaria
Jay it would be interesting to add the Fritz or Watkins bookshelf speakers to your reviews.
Jay, great! Did you look at the crossovers on the PSB and Sonos? Both Criton and Buchardt have HUGE, high QUALITY crossovers. Which I believe gives them a better sound and stage. The Sonos are a piece of art!
Hi Jay. Great video! How do you think the Gershman Studio 2 compares to the speakers on this list?
Hey Ninno. Gershman Studio 2 was not here for the comparison so take that with a grain of salt. According to my notes and my audio memory - The Studio 2 has the deepest bass response with the least extended/clinical/edged highs and mids than any of the ones I mentioned in the video. Like I said in my original video - This lends itself to being great on poorly recorded tracks with an impressive bass response to wow anyone. Keep in mind that they are fairly big and require lower stands than any of these
@@Jayiyagi Thank you Jay. Good explanation. Based on your personal taste, do you believe the sound quality of the Gershman is good enough for it to have been in this comparison video if you had them on hand?
absolutely
There are tons of awesome Bookshelf on the Market - and mostly the best ones are unknown (or) small Projects from Audio Enthusiasts.
Sky Audio Verdade II, Amphion One18, Unity SuperRock, AudioOptimum MS10, Strauss SE-NF 3, Mesanovic RTM10....
PSB has been designing their speakers with the tweeter below the woofer forever. Also, I guess you haven’t heard Totems since you didn’t include the Totem Signature Ones.
He knows, he's reviewed other psb speakers on his channel
And Totems as well! Jay’s been there done that!
Have thought about reviewing the Musician Knight 1 bookshelf speakers?
Nope. Don’t care for that company. Terrible ethics and customer service involved
@@Jayiyagi What happened? Was the company itself unethical or the distributor? I’m about to order a pair through a US distributor.
Well done Jay 🍻
excellent review
does the floor stander have bigger sound experience compare to bookshelf?
you dont need a floorstanding speaker for big sound. A good build DBA or SBA + Bookshelf is mostly the better way to go. You just pay fo a lot of wood for a floorstanding speaker and cant adjust / match the lowend perfectly to the room
nice comparison could you review the new yg acoustics tor bookshelf speakers or the magico a1 thnaks
Great video Jay, thank you! If you have the time to answer - how would you compare the top end extension of the Quad S2 with these ones? I have the S2s but I'm curious about maybe upgrading.
Bro no need to upgrade if you happy with the quads, don’t let the reviews confuse you.
I don't see why those bookshelf speakers would provide noticeably better imaging in comparison to floorstanders with the same cabinet width and the same drivers.
Hi Jay. Awesome review once again…
Could you tell me what amp you were using in this test please?
Cheers
Many different ones throughout months
@@Jayiyagi
What amp would you recommend for the Buchardt?
I’m thinking Onkyo Tx-RZ50….
@@troystockton8782 that’s pretty good but personally I like it with denafrips Hyperion and hades combo. It had balls to the sound
@@Jayiyagi
Cool, I will check it out. Thankyou for your quick reply and keep up the awesome reviews 👍
Jay, how do you think the Alta Audio Alyssa would fare in this comparo?
I think it would have done extremely well. Can’t say for sure as it wasn’t here for a side by side test but those speakers were really good
Legacy Audio ‘Studio’ would be another interesting speaker to review in this category.
CSS Audio 1TDX vs Buchardt A500 would be really interesting. I understand they are very different things but putting together a comparable system for the same money and doing a comparison would be cool 😎
…but did you use those cable lifters? 😀
Tharbamar reviewed the Musician Audio Knight 1 and said superior to the Critons, and they cost only $1500! But color terrible in my opinion.
Also Philarmonic Audio BMR monitors should be a really good contender for $1800, nice looks as well.
I Highly doubt that claim since Musician is an unethical company who offers compensation upfront with expectation of positive review whether unit works or does not as intended.
Also they lie to customers and increase price when they see traffic from a positive review
@@Jayiyagi you are correct. The other channel mentioned by Carlo Carlini may not be honest to viewers. I heard negative remarks about him in one the audio forum site.
@@08jamu yeap. Had the first hand experience with this shady brand. I’d stay away. It may sound good but plenty of better brands out there that sound just as good if not better for the similar money. Why support a corrupt business
@Jay's iyagi good to know thank you!
@@Jayiyagi Booooooooo on Tharbamar
Great one but you should compare speakers in the same price range . Would prefer to have SF Sonneto II in the list versus Electa amature.
I disagree. I think it is useful to know how the lower priced speakers compare to the high priced ones in actual sound performance. Helps highlight the ones that offer exceptionally great performance for the money. BTW: I hate the phrase "for the money." 🙂
I disagree as well. I want to know the degree of performance increase per dollar on a speaker.
Could you please compare CSS and Mucusian knight 1?
Save your money and stay away from Musician brand. Unethical and only does paid reviews
@@Jayiyagi That's not a review Jay. That's marketing.
@@longmuskox4194 you are right and when I say “unethical” it is because they explicitly don’t want comparisons with competition unless it favours them. And they often want the reviewer to not disclose the fact that they have been paid.
I have had the first hand experience and shared the minimum on the channel before about this shady brand.
@@Jayiyagi Well, thanks for sharing your opinion. It sounds as if their marketing department needs work. I'm not easily influenced by "reviews" and prefer to listen to products myself or at the very least take direction from people I trust. I'm not interested in the brand anyway. I have too much on my plate already and prefer to give products quality time before moving them to the garage for storage or gifting it to family and friends. Life is too short to get hung up on one product for too long. But that's just me.
NICE comparison line up ...
where is your sonus faber maxima amator?
Not here in the video because it’s a floor-standing speaker
@@Jayiyagi The MAXIMA AMATOR is mysterious to me. I cannot hear the demo in local stores, and no in youtube. Very curious
Jay!!….you’re kneeling next to a pair of KLH Kendall’s….when did you get them and can we expect a proper review on them from you?? You can count on one hand how many speakers get down to 25hz under $2000. I know you love “Bookies”, but those towers are simply Baddass!!
Excellent comparison! Gives me an understanding of how I might upgrade (eventually). Those CSS 1TDX. Goosebumps? Thinking👌🏼. Very much appreciate your noting cool recordings that - are not only enjoyable - but help reference the qualities and attributes that should be found in good designs with proper placement 🙏🏼
Wish the KLH 5’s were here since they are in that price range.
If I remember correctly, Jay said the Buchardt Mk2s were better technically but he liked the sound of the KLH more.
So the PSB sounds like Beats headphones?
You once loved the Totems and said they made other speakers sound like they were broken, some new girls came to town now. ;)
Totem still in my heart. Quite different from all of these tho. Im only a fan of their tribe and metal so far
Interesting ranking Jay!
Would be good to get the new B&W 805 D4 in the mix with the revised /smoothed out diamond tweeter and new crossover ...to see how it compares to your beloved Sonus Faber! I heard it in a store and it sounded pretty good.
Not as bright as Focal these days.
The d4 series is a good speaker but needs proper system matching or it will be bland, dry and yea still fatiguing. I’ve heard all of the lineup and prefer the 803 over the 802 personally. I’ve also heard the maxima amator and it’s a totally different speaker. It’s as transparent to the system as the d4 but it’s character is more forgiving of the electronics. It also is thicker, more saturated but not as detailed or as fast as the b&w. My biggest gripe with the new amator series is that you can tell they tried to make a small speaker sound like a floor stander. They sacrificed the size of the image of certain areas of vocals to make the bass bigger. This also causes the tweeter to sound larger than the rest of the sound and makes it feel less integrated.
@@t.j.bennett6454 Hi T.J. - That 805 diamond tweeter is SUPER revealing.
I've heard the new 805 D4 with Pass and Accuphase Class A power amps and they sweetened up the top end really nicely with a HUGE soundstage and lots of air...
Jay great video as usual! The only way it could be better is if you go to Training Everyone X-pert Audiophile Shit (TEXAS).
That was good. I like what you did there
Please! Introduce the PSB and reintroduce the others with their prices!!
Hi Tom. Like I mentioned in the video, I have made a video for each and one of these in more depth. I did not want to make this video too long but price is all around $2000-2500 other than the sonus faber which is $10,000.
@@Jayiyagi Thanks.
CSS Audio 1TDX with DSP is the ticket
You shouldn’t even mention 20Hz response in review of bookshelf speakers.
Agreed haha
Hello from Nigeria
the manufacturer put in the bumps- low and high freq- to wow customers when auditioning.
hey hey... I want some of what you were smoking at 10:00 onwards.. you're high with so many happy speakers around you.. :P
I don't even want to notice the speakers , I just want them to disappear. Is there a speaker that does that? It seems everyone talks about the speakers ,I want them to just disappear. 😅