These High-end Speakers are worth it ! (comparison to KEF R3, Buchardt S400 and Dynaudio Special 40)
Вставка
- Опубліковано 6 вер 2024
- This is my Esse Quadro L'una 177 Speaker Review. In this video I compare to speakers such as the KEf R3, Buchardt S400, and Dynaudio Special 40.
These speakers are simply incredible and worth every penny and here is why !
see where these speakers are on our tier list: www.patreon.co...
www.essequadro...
Contact information:
info@essequadro-speakers.com
yuri.hajtko@gmail.com
Buying anything from amazon by clicking this link supports the channel, it will NOT cost you anything: amzn.to/2PYMTib
Jay's soundstage reviews: • Jay's Soundstage! reviews
Speaker cables made by Jay: sellfy.com/p/x...
Website: nbtsmedia.com
PATREON: / nbts
Instagram: / nbtstudio2017
Facebook: / next-best-thing-studio...
Twitter: / nbtstudio2017
#Highendaudio #Hifi #Audiophile
This is a great video. Do more of this! It gives us a good sense of where things are placed in the market and what to potentially aspire towards.
He-He, only the KEF`s are not from Denmark, the Esse have ScanSpeak Drivers from Denmark, and i am Danish with a big f...... smile on my face, great video. ;))
Yup, if you like warm sounding speakers, this one is truly something worth your time to audition. I just wished they made it without leather so they can lower the price a bit. These speakers are definitely to my taste. I love how sweet they can sound.
on the other hand, I'm not buying them if they are italian and don't have leather on it 😂
@@Jayiyagi true true
Would love to hear your thoughts on the special 40
Thanx for this nice video! I haven't heard Buchardt S400 but Dynaudio Special 40 are far far better than Kef R3 and also much more expensive! A more fair comparison with Kef R3 and Buchardt should be with Dynaudio Evoke 20.
Special 40's are very good. They image better than the Kef R3's and have a wider soundstage. But the R3's are better on some types of music with greater tonal accuracy. Both speakers benefit hugely with better electronics. The R3's actually sounded smoother and livelier with the Hegel H390. The Special 40's sounded more refined at the lower end. With my NuPrime IDA 16 it was very close. I could be happy with either, but the Special 40's had a bit of bloat in the mid-bass that reminded me of my (now sold) Revel 126be's. I have not heard the Esse's yet.
Thank you Jay for another great review. Yes please, Jay, Thomas one of you guys or both of you guys review the Special 40s. I would love to hear some amp pairings. I own the special 40s went through several amps and have settled on the Macintosh MA 252. It turned out to be a nice match in my small room.
Since you are a big fan of Hegel and fan of tubes, I would love to hear your thoughts on the Line Magnetic tube integrated amplifiers. The 845 and 805 are amazing amps, Stereophile Class A.
thanks for you vids and this latest review. what i really liked was that u compared with different level equipment. i don't have deep pockets, so i will probably never own these speakers with your 20k amp. but...knowing a 2k speaker can perform "semi-comparable" to a 7k speaker on a realistic price paired amp....was good to know. it seems to reinforce that finding right balance of components to fit within a budget is probably more important than having a single all-star component.
Secretly, i love Italian performance products!
Used sell the older Sonus Faber Electa Amators , minima Amators ,and Extremas. Excellent hand made quality loudspeakers!
Loved the stuff
Well done review, it's a reminder that more money usually buys MORE . You described the typical differences heard as quality of speaker goes up.
Yea... I was sitting there looking to see a difference in each aspect... Instead I looked at my notes and said "well... Shit..." And truth be told... I knew the game ended even before writing down my notes
sound demo: ua-cam.com/video/zFkCZSB53sY/v-deo.html
Take sound clips, but don't tell people what they are listening to. If they want to "audition" something via: UA-cam, lets see how well they can actually identify whats what - without visual aid.
@@ZeroFidelity Lmaooo
Good idea let's have a game of guess who
I guess the Special 40 aren‘t that special, so you didn‘t really mention them
Waiting for your Vela FS and Totem Tribe Tower comparison 🤩
Just been on Ron's channel checking out his game of guess who with the modified rp600m's it's a bit of fun interaction for the community 😄
Add the McIntosh XR50 Bookshelf speakers. They are 2k for each speaker. Would love to hear where they land amongst this group.
Wow! That was an Excellent video and really educated me about what's out there. Thanks so much for the comparison!
So it sounds like these speakers sound better then your tektron or the Klipsch that you reviewed?
I heard the LS50 in a store, had the S400 here and hearing/seeing the vid now with the special forty
Liberty by Anette Askvik is one of my favorite songs. That's the first one I show people when they ask to hear my system.
As usual, love your videos. Always full on info and good advice. Would u say that at it's price point, the Hegel is the best mstch for the Bucardt s400, or r there better amps for it
I think you could have chosen a better facet of watches to compare, as more money doesn’t buy accuracy. It’s more likely to get you better build quality, features, brand name and materials
Thanks for the great music! Anette sounded FANTASTIC on my bright speakers!!! LOL! At least I did not miss anything....the Lunas...nah....I will never own them. Too expensive, but so great to know that they exist..... I can’t take the brightness any longer on bad recordings...so I am shopping hard for a left- over pair of discontinued Dynaudio Contour 20s ....white ones....we'll see....... Great video!
If you like Leonard Cohen you should check out Lee Harvey Osmond: Beautiful Scars
Jay, Great Video, but if you can how would you compare the Esse with say the Sonus Faber Electa Amator III or Legacy Audio Calibre bookshelf? or something you may be more familiar with from those lines. Just trying to compare apples to apples..
Hope you can get your hands on Reference 3A REFLECTOR Monitor (especially since you in Canada), would be interesting bookshelf to compare.
It would be interesting to know about a similar priced speaker such as what many feel is a top monitor, Joseph Audio Pulsar/PULSAR2 Graphene.
I've listened to the graphene 2 and 177. Joseph audio was quite good for a metal based dome woofer and great presentation but sounds slightly thinner than the 177. Dynamically similar but a bit harder to drive. The Esse Quadro 146 may be a bit more comparable to the Joseph's. But the Joseph's come in at 12k Canadian, almost double the 146. Hope this helps.
Also the 177 goes quite a bit lower 33hz vs the pulsar2 at 42hz and Joseph's are rear ported. Build quality of both is top notch.
I build guitar amps pnp tube driven. In my experience people often mistake sound differences between tube and solid state to pnp. the primary reason guitar amps which are pnp are preferred, is ease of repair. Well made tube driven amps sound essentially the same as be they pcb or pnp. By the way distortion which is a no- no in the audiophile would is valued to varying degrees in the guitar amp world.
Hey Jay, what are the dimensions of your listening room. Grtz Phil
So what's inside your $20k amp that's not inside a $1k amp that makes is so much better?
Why not compare with your award speaker of 2019... The Elac
Sent back to Elac. Not a direct A/B but from my memory the high frequency was slightly more beautiful and delicate on the vela... slightly better holographic sound stage with Vela+ Billie amp combo. all other aspect... hands down esse quadro.
Does dam Italians. I love there passion for design and Looks. I’m sure they sound amazing. But only for the rich.
When's that Billie Amp review coming up? I'm getting impatient, son! :)
Loved this video. :)
Burchard is not in the same league with the Special 40 sonically. Emit 20 or 30 would be a fair comparison…at a much lower price.
Jay, can you compare sound between KEF R3 vs Dynaudio S40? Use 3 or 4 music, maybe Jazz, Vocal, Rock, Beat. I wonder many people wanted....
Personally I don't like the way the KEF R3 sounds compared to the s40, but I that could have been down to the amp or room. What you like could be so different. I'd go listen to them both (and others in that price range) with a good amount of your favourite music and let your ears decide what you like. Even better, figure out what sound signature you like and get a store to try match an amp/speaker combo for you to listen to.
@@SuperNologic I can not :)
Sorry Jay, a bit off topic here but how do you compare Hegel with similarly priced Naim or Rega amps?
Damn, these speakers are huge! 16:35
A quick question, how does the Special 40 compare to the LS50 passive?
I can answer! I listened to the LS50 nearly everyday for 3 years. Just upgraded to the special 40. After around 100 hours of break in with the Special 40, I can say they're basically in another tier. Their mid bass has much more body. The bass overall is much better too as they can go much deeper. At high volumes I thought the damn LS50 woofer was going to blow.The Special 40 seems to be much much tighter even at high volumes. The highs are just as clear, but less fatiguing/harsh than the LS50. It was really something I didn't know was possible. Overall the special 40 seems a lot more musical because it has all the body and no harshness of the highs (again, just as much detail though). They just seem to hit harder/faster. I found them online as open box on eBay for $2,200. Compared to the $1500 I spent on the LS50 years ago its a no brainer. Now that the LS50 can be had for around 800 open box, it really depends if you have the money. TLDR: The Special 40 is better than the LS50 is just about every possible category.
What are the best bookshelf speaker for near field listening?
Bryan C start researching diy single driver speakers, or look at some higher end studio monitors like the state of the art Genelecs.
I wonder how the Esse compare to the Buchardt S400 mk2.
Different league, however the new Esse Quadro Stratis S1 is a closer competitor to the S400 SE edition which are in a similar price range.
@@egnw0 OK I'll look the Esse Quad up. Thanks for the comment 👍
What was the point in comparing it to the Special 40 when it wasn't mentioned even once? You just compared it to the KEF and the S400. Correct me if I missed something.
Esse quadro destroys the dynaudio the same way it destroys the s400. Thats why I said I didn't go into it but you are right I didn't make that point clear enough
My pinion is that it is obvious because of the used drivers. Quality nicely done drivers (Scaspeak) would better all day compare to entry level drivers used in this comparison. Thx
If you know somebody or can do it yoursefl you can reach this sound quality for fraction of the price!
I ve got the kef R3 new for 1100.i am waiting for my dealer, do you think that's a good value?
Excellent considering they are $2k for a pair.
Do y'all ever review Bowers and wilkins speakers? Particularly the 705 s2's
I had the 705 S2’s and sold them after only a few months as they were too bright... bought the special 40’s and fall more in love with them every listen (and yes they get better with more hours of burn in)
First of all i love this channel! I am torn in my decision making. Budget option 1200 Euro: Triangle Bro3 with Iotavx SA3+PA3 VS. More expensive option 4900 euro: Buchardt s400 with Hegel P190. Will I get a significantly better music/sound experience with the more expensive option? I am a hobby dj and I practice at home. Style of music: Deep house, minimal techno and disco. Also listen to jazz, classical and rock. I want to play relatively loud and feel the bass without adding a subwoofer, mainly in regard of my neighbors. The sound quality varies from wav, 320 kbps to poor recordings. I live in an apt and the roomsize in question is ruffly 6x4 m. Maybe there is a compromise? The Buchard s400 with Iotavx pack? Please comment.
I think either will do you well since both have excellent bass. Watch the reviews on ZeroFidelity he compares these plus individual reviews.
What did you end up getting? I’m looking for good quality bass as well but without a subwoofer. I also listen to a lot of poorly recorded music as well. Certain industrial old alternative and some metal.
Italians always masters of aesthetics in design. So bit surprised the Luna 177's doesnt look very appealing to me (a far cry from the likes of Sonus Faber). I'm sure it sounds fantastic, just not crazy about the looks.
I think sonus faber goes for more that wood look which I also love but esse quadro goes for more modern look which is stunning in person... Cameras and pics dont do it justice...
what's better, the Esse Quadro Luna 177 or the Focal Sopra No1?
Sopra #1 are a bit on the colder side but also have very good detail retrieval. Not sure if they come with stands or not but the 177s are about half the price right now at the moment and come with stands.
There must be special components inside the speaker as well.
Very high quality crossover. Top of the line binding posts and upgraded internal wiring.
Damping factor jumps from 2000 with the H120 to 4000 with the H190. Also power jumps to double too, so this is most likely the reason for the difference.
damping factor cant be just one number, you need a graph to see how it works. and at a minimum the single frequency the damping factor was measured at in what ohm load.
looking up my own poweramp, its 2000 at 20hz, then drops to 8 at 20khz.
@@sudd3660 wouldn't you need more control of woofer at lower frequencies, which is where dampening factor is more important?
probably, but how can you tell if hegel won't provide the frequency graph, at least 2 numbers like at 20hz and 200hz or something like that.
Let your ears decide. They are truly great amps.
Just want to check with you, will you all accept small cosmetic defects??
like the followings:
1. minor paint chip (100um spot) on the shadow flare
2. rubber gasket supporting the uni-q driver has some fleshes and bur. adhesive visible in small areas.
3. un even painting/coating on shadow flare. can see small bums. probably due to dust contamination before coating.
Am i overly paranoid? these defects are not noticeable when placed on stand and sitting 2m away.
Heck, not even visible when you are staring at it 1m away.
thank you for your responses!
Quadro has more cosmetic defects than the KEF's
@@BrianGarside how so?
@@egnw0 cant remember, been too long since I've seen this. Must of been with my naked eye.
@@BrianGarside If you have a chance I would suggest seeing them in person. I see no defects in my pair.
Cheers.
Wonder, the Esse Quadro Luna compare to Tad Me1 and Harbeth 30.1... i wish you can compare for me :)
I would say Esse Quadro is similar to the TAD ME1. Harbeth 30.1 is too different to even compare... maybe similar beauty in the midrange but thats about it
Hand built = 90% of ridiculously high cost.
...dude stop digressing, stay on topic for your future reviews.🧐
Couple of things. I'm sure you were insistant that these use seas drivers 😉
Yeah sibilance really sucks and is such a difficult thing to eliminate without sacrificing detail.
I appreciate the matching speakers and t-shirt 👍
chris vinicombe they are scanspeak drivers.
@@jayrick5174 yes its obvious because of the markings on the woofer cone. Jay insisted they were seas if I remember correctly. So thought I'd mention the change cus I'm an asshole
@@chrisvinicombe9947 nope I said scan speak
@@Jayiyagi oof yes you did. I must have got confused with something else. I'm being an asshole and a idiot tonight , gonna blame it on Captain Morgan.
Thank you :)
I think it's funny these speakers are called "Bookshelf " when no one really places them on a bookshelf especially when they come with their own stands.
They are quite big, especially the depth. That's a good point. They are bookshelf but can also be called stand mount as they are more likely to be mounted to stands. They also have a 146 model which is more like a standard sized bookshelf.
Good video
I’d like to see you and some friends do some double blind listening tests. Just knowing the speaker is 2.5 times the price is going to program your psyche and bias you. I’m an audiophile, but a pragmatist too...seems like a paradox, but it works for me. If you need help determining what is statistical supported via analysis, I can run your numbers.
John
I love Hegel more’
sound demo plzzzzzzzzzz
That was very interesting, now since powered speakers are being manufactured to a higher level, how about some reviews on those?
Looking at your R3 in that beautiful black, are you 100% happy with the build quality? There are folks around having issues with drivers fit and especialy grey ring covering the HW which are not really evenly fiting and can move from time to time just by playing the speaker. Since you are using your, as it looks like, quite extensively, I'm wondering how yours are doing on this matter.
painting is very good but there are little gaps around the ring around the bass on mines ... but only if you look closely. didn't matter for me :)
I work for an Italian company that make great products, but at this price point I think you can find better products. However, you will not get the love with each product.
I think you have the pricing wrong. These beasts cost 12.000 eur, which translates to 14.000 USD, I should know I leave near Trieste, and yes they are worth every penny.
The pricing is directly from the seller here in Canada.
Hi, That is the price for the 223 model - 3 way stand mount. Contact Salvatore for the right pricing - that doesn't sound right.
Not compared with DynAudio Heritage Special.....
They looks like some ProAc’s draped in leathers that were dominated by some Tektons.
Lol
To much
@@donaldheitger6731 ?
"Beautiful lip smack!" LOL!
Wont understand till you hear it properly ! Changes the realism of the music.
@@Jayiyagi Wondering what other speakers have this quality? Short list please.
You will save a lot of money on educating yourself on how to use a good EQ-system.
You cannot make yamaha studio monitors sound like adam s-series using the equalizer )
@@sergev9043 It wasn't what I meant either, but there are some that can also be done with a good EQ system. But of course, no EQ system will make the sound cleaner, but one can get their personal favorite sound frequencies, and personally for me, purity doesn't necessarily have to be everything. Now I'm talking about an extra sophisticated EQ system, which requires education to use it properly. But of course it is also important that the sound is clean. I understand what you mean, but the perfect speaker and amplifier does not exist, and for that reason it is a must for me to use a sophisticated EQ to be 100% satisfied. One factor is clear sound, and the other factor is sound frequencies, which you can also adjust with an EQ system. But yes there are also several factors that affect the sound in other ways, which have to do with how the speaker system is built and what types of materials, the list is long. Otherwise I myself have a relatively expensive system with separate equipment and floor standing speakers, because most often it will be better sound of more expensive equipment. But to clarify what I meant is that I managed to get a little more satisfied with the sound of a cheaper system, by setting the audio frequencies next to a more expensive system that I have not used the EQ system, even though the sound has been cleaner. This with sound is more advanced than just expensive equipment all by itself, And the reason for that is that people have different tastes. But most of it is in higher price ranges, too. For my part, though, Cube Audio is the best speakers I've heard so far, and they're not the most expensive out there either, but personally I don't exactly 100% agree on the audio frequencies, but it's not far away! Some amplifiers also have an EQ system, do they work? yes, but do they work well? no, they get too simple.
Your review is flawed right off the bat. You say because the Esse cost more, of course they will sound better. That's the very definition of a biased review.
Wait a minute! You aren't Italian? Lol \o/
no. io non sono
He likes the smell of leather. All his jackets are leather !! 😅
Just kidding ok.
As good as they may sound, at 7K I would like something more substantial in size. I like to get what I paid for.
You are getting what you paid for in sound and build but I get it, some of us just need to see the weight and size to justify the price
@Fat Rat Why can't a product look and sound good? Isn't that what most people want?
@Fat Rat Let me give a different perspective for a moment. Those are all good things but think of speakers as not just things that make sound. For example a grand piano in a room is not only an instrument but also a piece of furniture and adds to the decor of the room design/look. We need to stop being selfish and see that other people who are not in the hobby like us may want to enjoy both visual and auditory stimulation. I myself don't like keeping my system to myself and have it playing if I have people over. When it's static, its also out for display so that means it adds another dimension to it being not just audio equipment but a part of the living room's furniture (speakers). Now, in terms of sound, yes it's always good to keep your eyes closed to dedicate one sense for listening enjoyment. I also have other speakers which I don't care about looks because they're active studio monitors and they are there for one purpose - work.
I'm just an advocate for having HiFi speakers that have form and function, there are way too many ugly speakers and designs driven by weird audiophiles which look like they were purposely designed to be obscured from public view.
@Fat Rat Fair point! That's why this kind of stuff is subjective, at the end of the day if you're happy you've achieved what you set out to do.
@@Jayiyagi Hard to believe for a 2-way vs KEF's 3-way, with custom drivers vs ScanSpeak which are good, but really? I trust your review but having a hard time believing its that good.
"they are pricey and they are up there in terms of price"
What type of sub would be best for the Esse 177? or would that not be ideal and effect the quality of the sound.
Probably something from REL but dont' really need a sub for them if you power the 177s with a good class AB amp, they extend down to 32Hz. Unless you are a big bass head, then you should be good.
I agreei if you going to spend that kind of money why screw with perfection. something that nice you want clean as could be. If you need a sub buy something else. Thank you for your response.
@@gtric1466 You're welcome!
its ported design, not meant to mate with a subwoofer, and because that it also have all the drawbacks of port.
subs destroy well engineered speakers they are only good for poor speakers or cinema sound
Please compare it with 10,000 dollar speakers. Then tell us the experience.
kef reference 1 pls ;p
I briefly did but heres how it all goes down: sonus faber. Focal. Harbeth. Tad. Kef... You name it... All has that classic sound they are going for. Esse quadro is in my opinion one of the most neutral (with slight boost in bass and treble) with detail and smoothness in the midrange that is probably one of the best if not the best in high end bookshelf speakers.
5 cents word mate
You’re not a watch guy either? 😩
Jay I wish you would just get to the meat of the review rather than rambling on at the beginning about god knows what. We KNOW WHY you're doing a comparison, TO DO A COMPARISON! Doesn't really need much explaining. You can have your final thoughts and wrap up at the end but it's so aggravating to have to wait while you go on with shitty analogies to watches and cameras. This video was probably an hour long before edits.
You’re not Italian? 😂
You’re not Italian? 🤣
Sponsored by Hegel. Jk haha
I wish it wasn't a joke... actually it's quite the other way around where I pay them for the gear...
Not to worry Jay. Mist of us, like me, believe in your integrity 👍.
@@eng-lokchua7819 Thanks. I don't think theres any thing wrong with being sponsored as long as I am transparent about it.
Lol! NO! an inexpensive wrist watch keeps better time than expensive mechanical watches!
Lol , in fact, its quite the opposite compared to loudspeakers! Note to all..