Since posting this review Mads Buchardt has confirmed that the Platin Hub’s room correction system is not calibrated to work with any iPad, only iPhone 6S or newer. This explains why I could not get the room correction system to work correctly. Apologies that this did not come to light prior to completing the review. Please bear this in mind when watching the review. As all my listening was done with the room correction system off, my comments about all other aspects of the system are still valid 🙏
@@StellarAudyssey there is a new app coming out soon. Hopefully, it will work on more devices and I can test the room correction. I am not sure it will change my conclusion as the room correction only works up to 250Hz. The bass on this system is great anyway as I pointed out in the review. It has some issues further up the frequency range. Still a good system overall though 😉
@@abritishaudiophile7314 It might not change significantly... but you need to give the benefit of the doubt... at least. It's a pity that you don't have access to iPhone. Great review Tarun!!!... as usual
From the comments here down below, your subscribers seem to really want you do redo this review because you didn't include the room correction. The effects of room correction up to 250Hz will also affect how you perceive the midrange. I suggest you borrow an iPhone from a friend to do the room correction.
As others have requested, please do a follow up review with the room correction working. BUT, please find out how it works and explain it in your own way. I have heard of other speakers having electronic room correction. But without additional drivers to control dispersion like the B&O's, I have yet to figure out they work other than just attenuating certain frequencies. If that is all they are doing, that is not room correction. It is room compensation. I assume the rear driver has something to do with it, but the frequencies are so long below 250 hz and the distance between drivers so short, the control would "seem" to be minimal at best. I would assume they are sending a delayed/phase altered signal it of the rear driver to cancel side dispersion (figure 8sound output) but again, the distance is between drivers us so minimal, it seems like the effect would be more disruptive than controlling. In large stadiums they will put a ring of low frequency drivers around the main stack and alter the time/phase domain to cancel bass frequencies outside of the venue so as not to annoy the neighbors. But that ring is distanced far enough away from the main stack to actually be able to cancel the extremely long wavelengths effectively. So I would love to hear the theory behind this speaker's bass control.
This is by far the best A500 review I've seen in YT - better than some channels with 5x the subscribers. This is becoming the most respected, no BS channel on hi-fi.
Fully agree. A very thorough a well presented review that cuts through the hype surrounding this product. I've no doubt these speakers are superb and will continue to improve but it's refreshing to hear a more sober and realistic opinion from someone who clearly knows his subject.
What a good review ! I appreciate your kind of Explanation of the Systems and their Specification in an usual Room Setup. That is where we are listening to our Musik ! Thanks ! From Germany, Rudi
Hi Tarun, well done again! you are the most respectable and reputable hi fi reviewer on RU-vid channels. I say this cause you speak more on behalf of yourself and your viewers than the manufacturers , You don’t give us a sense that you are talking like a product promoter, and it is very important that you don’t get too close to the suppliers whether they are the manufacturers, distributors or retailers. That why I treasure your views on hi fi products very much right now.
Thank you James. I greatly appreciate your kind words of encouragement. I don’t see the point in reviewing a product if I can’t give an honest opinion 😊👍👍
@@abritishaudiophile7314 Having said that, to make sure your effort in reviewing products are worth it and that you do not have any conflict of interest, what is your plan in monetising the channel?
It is so refreshing to hear honest and balanced criticism along with praise in these reviews. So many reviews are simply cheerleaders waving their pom poms and making companies pleased enough with them to send them more gear. It's obvious that you are doing this because you have the expertise and the scientific mindset which understands that critique is the engine that drives progress.
@@abritishaudiophile7314 Yours still the best balance of tech talk and subjective listening testing out there. I'd say do a follow up vid when you can do with room correction as intended, because when that works well (can't speak for Buchardt's version...) it's a game changer. If the room is half the battle (or more according to some), and properly designed and employed room correction handles any anomalies produced by the room, then the difference is night and day. Obviously those companies like Anthem that have been working on that tech for decades are ahead of the curve, but that's the tech of of the future that will be common place in audio sooner than later. Some of it is much better than others...
@@willbrink thank you Will. There is a new app coming and various other upgrades. I will wait for that and do a follow up. I can’t test the room correction as it is at the moment as I have an Android phone.
What a great review including a comparison again, thank you! I think these speakers profit from their room correction a lot. Maybe an updated video would be fair comparing their performance for this video to the one with room correction.
Thank you DP. I think that would be great. I will wait for the new app to come out and when it is compatible with iPads or Android phones. I don’t have an iPhone.
If you have a setup closer to walls and empty corners the room correction will have much more benefit than in his setup, which doesn’t need much correction probably to begin with. So the outcome of the review would probably be almost the same.
Thanks for the review. I have a pair of A500 in order, and I think you are missing out on two key points... 1) Very few rooms are ideal, hence having room correction is a huge benefit (I know from my Lyngdorf what it can do to my Dynaudio Confidence) 2) The benefit of NOT having a pile of equipment... I know some people love to look at / play with all sorts of HiFi components, for me the lack of "boxes" is a huge plus. Finally going all digital will give you the upgrade via internet benefits :)
Also don't forget feature no. 3) The Low Level Enhancement (LLE) making the tonal balance the same regardless of volume level. Other systems only have exactly one optimal volume level at which the sound/tonal balance is right.
Thanks for the review. I've got to say that mine are coming in 5-6 weeks and I haven't been this excited waiting for an audio product for a long time. I want a decent versatile system, with minimum number of boxes. Just need the wife friendly speaker stands now.
Beautifully done review. No harsh criticism, but I still know I wouldn't buy these speakers even if I did have the budget. Thanks for keeping it politely honest, and credible and reliable.
Hello Tarun, how’s your New Year so far ? Thanks for this very insightful video. I can’t wait to see your thoughts and professional impressions of the Buchardt A10. Lots of love from the Big Apple🇺🇸🙏🏼
I am kind of a dinosaur concerning the integration of many components into one box ( my audio technician background I suppose). If a part of it fail or cannot be upgraded, we are stuck with a system which have to be fixed or changed and while we are waiting, we have to listen to a secondary system (if we have one). People have to be aware of those possibilities when they buy integrated systems. Also, compared with separate components, the resale value is much lower, maybe due to the obsolescence factor in this kind of market. Except for Bang & Olufsen products, I don't know any other brand who makes integrated systems which become vintage products. Great review and very tantalising subject! I sure it will divide the audio landscape into two fiercefighting parties, and that is a good thing because that is how something can progress! Thanks Tarun! You are the real audiophile deal!
I have been an audio enthusiast since the late 1970's . I fully appreciate that this kind of tech is the future but frankly it leaves me cold , and I would bet I'm not alone it that feeling . The pleasure of mixing and matching components and finding good sound was the essence of the hobby ,this type of gear seams to take all the heart out of the experience .
On the other hand for many it’s an incredible headache with confusing advice and generally many newbies are left with the impression they need to throw huge piles of money towards making sure they have the perfect setup to get the perfect sound. Technology is always the path forward especially when it simplifies and provides a level field for everyone
Sure, but if you just want a hifi quality system for listening to music on its great. I’d depends whether the focus of your hobby is the kit or the music. .
@@richardsinger01 I believe there are ample opportunities for the fun of playing with the kit with these actives. You can always opt out of the wireless and go straight in with XLR which provides opportunities to incorporate pre-amps of your liking as well as DACS. With tubes or without, for example. Then you always hook up a TT. What TT to use, what phono stage, what cart, etc. So there's plenty of fun with that end of the kit. What it eliminates is the headache and never ending search for the right amp/pre-amp match for your speakers and for the never ending search for those speakers that give you just that sound you want (which doesn't exist which means many pairs of speakers needed). Instead, here you simply play with the master tunings. Maybe this is the future of hi-fi where the end user is in total control of the up-stream sound they listen to?
Just for getting rid of the speaker cable nonsense these are a breath of fresh air. You can play to your hearts content with the tunings, room correction comparison of external dacs, preamps, phono amps. Or after my 40yrs of audiophillia, just stick on an Album, CD or Stream and listen to the music. Also knowing the speakers are protected against overload and sound very good at low volumes, something that traditional set ups always lack.
Great review, maybe this is the future? One observation is that to have the freedom to place the speakers without a direct connection to an amplifier sounds great then I notice that these boxes require a mains supply (of course active speakers all need an electric supply) and in my home this would be an issue. I try to make my setup as wife friendly as possible as my system is in our lounge. Thank you for posting, I’m fascinated at how my passion of listening to music is evolving. 👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻
Sorry but the room correction is only calibrated for iPhone, no ipads works with it, it would give you a completely wrong mesument. IPhone 6s or newer are calibrated :)
Mads Buchardt gave us a demo between the A500 and the S400 SE in Buchardt’s listening room in Silkeborg, Denmark. Both impressive speakers but we went for the S400 Sinature Edition (SE). The SE differs from the S400 MKI by a more rigid enclosure, better cross over, improved wiring and high end binding posts + Made in Denmark. The SE cost EUR 350 less than the A500. With the Buchardt I150 nCore class D amplifier (EUR 2000) the S400 SE sounded more finessed and voices and timbres were more natural, regardless the different Master-tuning we have tried in the A500. The S400 love class D high power amplifiers, as their impedance is relatively low. I believe the Hegel 95 or any other lower output class A/B is not the best match for the A400 We bought the S400 SE, they are paired with an NAD M33 Purifi amplifier and we are extremely happy with those. Either the A500 or the S400 the look fantastic on the Buchardt stands and are all extremely great performers for the money.
Got the A500. Then there were the software and wisa hiccups. So I decided to go for the Primare swap and use cables again. It was a bit better, but again not much wow factor I had with the Devialet Raidho combo. Furthermore, I got the feeling I should have some form of roomcorrection. Because I could get a good price on a young I150, I went for it. I never really understood the reviews about anolog sound…until now! When I hooked it up to the Ifi Zen stream with generic usb cable (the Zen was suppose to be temporary until Roon ready on Primare), I could immediately hear more fluidity and less harshness in for example “Keith don’t go”. When listening to “Hey now” of London Grammar, her voice is less grainy. And then there is the bass management. The room correction did it’s thing. No more booming compared to the Primare. It was a breeze incorporating a subwoofer. It was then I discovered I also listened to the a500 while connected to sub outs. They sounded bit recessed but definitely an option when you want to party with an extra set of active speakers 😉 When I switched to a curious cable, the sound got bigger in height but it was less of a wall of incohesive sound the Primare produced. This becomes clear playing “Riverside” from Agnes Obel. The piano is well separated from the voices. Don’t get me wrong. The Primare sounds good and detailed, but there are more layers to be discovered by the I150. And the fluidity is addictive!
Tweeters below the woofer are a good design choice for all speakers. I remember reading an AES article decades ago the studied the phyco-acoustics of apparent localization from octave to octave. It turns out that people think that the higher the frequency, the higher perceived physical origination of the sound. In other words, the higher the frequency the physically higher in space people perceived location of the sound to be coming from. So locating the tweeter below the woofer pulls the perceived location of the highs physically lower and more in the same level as the woofer. This makes for a more consistent sound from the speaker. That is one of the tricks mixers use to play with sound placement in a mix. I spoke to an audio engineer that did that trick but didn't know why it worked. I explained it to him and his eyes opened with an "ah ha!". After explaining it to magico, they came out with a speaker with the tweeter below the mid. I believe that is why mission put all of their tweeters below their woofers although that was before my time. You can try it with regular speakers, but you need to maintain the tweeter, woofer time relationship to your ear. Thanks for the insight on this innovative product.
Very balanced review again :)!! I also preferred the S400 over the A500 in the end. Too bad you could not properly test the room correction, because it was one of the features that I liked the most about the A500 together with the LLE (low level enhancement) which you also did not mention. This advanced loudness feature kicks in below 70db. It is part of the master tuning in the A500, but you can luckily toggle it on or off in their upcoming I150 amp, depending on type of music or use case.
Thank you Gerard. There was a lot to cover in this so I couldn’t mention everything but I agree with you about the LLE feature and how it benefits low level listening with the A500s 😊👍
Thanks again Tarun great review. I have the A500s and was happy with the new rev 2.5 way tune near wall boundary. Was going to waiting for the Android version of the room correction software. Then I tried the 3 way tune which did exactly what you said. I thought my room might be a little to large for that near field tune but it sounds great. Don't need high SPL mostly listen to jazz, fusion and progressive rock. Unfortunately one of the greats Chick Corea just passed away at 79. Think this speaker is going to improve more with time. Looking forward to the Buchardt branded DAC it's supposed to unfold MQA files.
As an owner of a pair of Buchardt A500 I cannot imagine reviewing them without room correction. The correction in my space was quite dramatic and that affected all my mastertuning results. I love your channel but find this review a great disservice to these speakers and am quite frankly surprised that you have left it up. Anyone considering A500’s should look elsewhere for an accurate assessment of these speakers. I love mine. The only problem I have had with them is always relating to them through my phone (which oddly enough is also one of their strengths) which can occasionally be tiresome and even less occasionally glitchy.
I think this is going to be the new ‘hi-fi’, especially for younger people who want style, convenience and simplicity. I do like the idea that the speaker designer can match amplification to the drive units for you, and the room correction is obviously a benefit. But for older enthusiasts like myself (A dying bread sadly), the fun is somewhat taken out of hi-fi by the limited ability to try different amplifiers. In the end manufacturers have to meet demand, and that demand is for tidy, easy to use, nice looking gear, I get that, and when they get it right it cannot be matched by passive speakers either in terms of frequency response or dynamic range. But getting it right means correct cabinet volume relative to drive units, lack of cabinet resonance, drivers that are of high quality and amplification of a transparent quality. I actually like the idea of actives, but more so those that allow you to pick your own dac rather than having it built in, there are a lot of benefits to active crossovers and no need to match impedance with amplification, so when they are good they are terrific, seems like this manufacturer is still finding its feet but it’s definitely the future no doubt about it.
You can add your own dac or pre-amp. Just ditch the wireless and use the XLR all analog. I've already seen YT videos reporting some interesting sounds with tube pre-amps with the A500's.
@@hemantishwaran5741 I thought he said that if you use XLR, the analogue signal gets converted back to digital at the speaker and then back to analogue by the speaker’s internal DAC. In which case using an external DAC is pointless. Unless I miss interpreted that?
@@paulkelleway8032 You have it right. Analog gets converted to digital and then back to analog. Yet this still works (meaning, you can fiddle with the sound on a DSP active by tinkering with the downstream analog). I've seen this done with other DSP active speakers and have a set myself where I do just this where I run my own DAC through XLR to the DSP actives. I'm kind of surprised this isn't so well known since your DAC is likely to be way superior to anything on board an active. That's not why I'd use an active, it would be more about the attack from the amplifiers and the ability to control cross-over. You can see John Darko's YT video "Any color you like with .the Schit Freya +" where he does this experiment. I also saw a YT video with the A700's where someone used their own DAC and found the sound quite nice.
@@hemantishwaran5741 interesting stuff, I’m not expert on electronics but I as far as I am aware, class d amps covert to digital and back to analogue anyway. But if you use class A or AB amps in actives, the signal you feed them is not messed with, but then you have the problem of disposing of excess amplifier heat and the fact you need more space in the cabinet than class D. But ultimately I agree that the advantages of actives is power and dynamics, they are made specifically to get the best from the drive units by the designer. Ultimately if they sound good who cares. 🙂
Moans about it for 15 minutes and then recommends it at the end. It's the British way!! Great review mate, thank you for your honesty. I'm waiting for my delivery of the A500 later this month...
@@abritishaudiophile7314 are you planning to do a re-review once you have got the room correction working on an iPhone? Think that would be really interesting to see how much difference it makes!
Great review on these amazing speakers Tarun. My main concern with these is many years down the line if and when something goes wrong with them. Who would fix such technology? Would it cost the consumer to send the units back to the manufacturer? Otherwise some clever technologies involved here. 🙂
@@adamsonlinearrayspeakersha87 That’s why I don’t invest in any of that stuff 2.1 or just 2 Chanel Sit back with a drink and a cigar and enjoy the music
Case in point PMC active speakers with removeable modules just try finding a new PMC DS-001 or a New Flying Mole Dad-100 that will fit into the DB1SA or TB2SA PMC TB2SA Flying mole DAD-M100 PMC TB2SA PMC DS-001 PMC DB1SA PMC DS-001 PMC DB1SA Flying mole DAD-M100
This is something that have been taken into consideration when we designed them. The module is very easy to swap should something break. It's a easy 5 min job, only a screwdriver is needed and you are covered under warranty when you do this even. We will release a video on this subject and show how to do it. We are also having upgraded modules on the road map, so when better parts become available we can do an version 2 of the module. And this can in theory also result in version 3,4 and so on in the future. Flexibility is the key with our active speakers :)
Really good review and very honest attitude towards high end audio. I just have a small question. You say at the end that at this price there are better analog active speaker solutions. I would be grateful if you could name some active bookshelfs that are not falling into the monitor/studio category. Thanks in advance and keep on the good work.
2 years have passed since this review, A500 have now improved mastertunings, thus probably an update of this review is possible. As of my experience sound improves quite a bit when Platin hub is used only for WISA transfer only with an an external streamer connected via a digital input (preferably coaxial).
Thank you Tarun. Several of your reservations echo those I had when corresponding direct with Mads Buchardt a coupe of months ago, particularly the acoustic in to XLR. I decided to wait and see despite the pre order sale price. Since then the fact that it and the hub are made in China means I will be looking elsewhere. However, I salute Mads for interacting direct with customers. I enjoy your videos even when the review is of a product does not interest me.***** Daniel
Out of interest why is the source of manufacturing an issue to you? You can hardly buy anything that is not made in China nor contain components from them.
Human rights. Uighars for starters. You may be surprised to find that there are many manufacturers of both amplifiers, loudspeakers and DACs who manufacture and source in Europe and North America. For example only, Amphion Loudspeakers and Atoll Amplifiers. You may have to pay more but not always. There is no such thing as a free lunch. All of my existing hifi equipment is now Non Chinese.
@@danielcramer9600 Okay from a moral standpoint of the country’s actions fair enough. But how far can you take this stand when your phone and computer and batteries are probably made there. And yes I am well aware of other countries that produce such equipment. In fact 28 years ago I nearly purchased active tannoys, have looked into ATC and more recently the KEF LS50’s but they are also built in China. I’m not knocking the human rights issue and fair play to you.
@@justlookingaround9834 I fear we are drifting away from the basis of my comment agreeing with Tarun's critique and in particular with the acoustic XLR conversion problem. My criticisms as a possible buyer became moot when I found out where it was manufactured. However, to answer your valid questions, my computer was made in S Korea, my batteries in Belgium and my 6 year old Moto will be replaced with a S Korean mobile phone in the near future.
I probably expected too much from this review but I can't say I was convinced by it one way or another. I did learn that while this might be the future of audio... it's still very much "work-in-progress" at this stage. Can't believe you need to have an iPhone to use it (that fact alone screams "not ready" for prime time yet!). Last but not least, I can't quite reconcile the "recommended" conclusion despite the fact there seems to be more cons than pros... Regardless, keep your reviews coming Tarun as I love your approach to hi-fi.
Hi Raphael, you have to take any criticism I have of the A500s in context. It may not be the last word in midrange refinement but it is a good sounding system with great dynamics and bass response. It is also a very good choice for people who want the convenience and flexibility of few boxes and wireless connectivity. Definitely worthy of the Recommended status 😉
@@abritishaudiophile7314 Apreciate you taking the time to respond Tarun. I can see where you're coming from. I simply perceived a slight disconnect between your experience and your conclusion. Not sure why but I did. Nevertheless, I don't doubt it's an interesting concept in itself. Part of me can't help thinking about what happens when CPU gets obsolete or electronics breaks down... Then you're out of luck (unless Mads' hub box is the actual brain that needs updating?). Versus traditional integrated that can last 20+ years, attached to a decent, compact and affordable Bluetooth bridge/DAC a la iFi Audio or Topping... Slightly more space but sounds more sustainable. Still love the idea of loading sound profiles and get some kind of "new speaker feel" as one does while tube rolling. Kudos to Buchardt for pushing the envelope. Never a dull moment in hi-fi! Cheers Tarun!
Currently the only thing I can't use with my Android phone is the room correction sw. I can stream Tidel directly using Google Cast up to FLEC quality. The new improved app / software will come with a microphone and have EQ and other user sound adjustments. Even without room correction in a room with poor acoustic properties, by playing with positioning and a bit of toein they sound great. They really can dig down to 25 hertz using the 2.5 way tune. I like Tarun perfer the 3 way you give up a little SPL and low grunt but bass tightens, mids open and sound stange almost as good as the S400s IMHO. So if I want to rock out load to AC/DC and shake the floor I use the 2.5. Then if Im listen to jazz Bill Even Trio I load the 3 way tune. Also Mads will keep the improvements coming so this systems sound quality and flexibility will continue to improve.
I wouldn't get hung up on the room correction aspect. This is only for frequencies < 500Hz I think. I received them a couple of days ago and haven't bothered with this as I'm not an iphone user. I have to say I'm really enjoying them so far. A review can only take you so far, you really need to hear them to decide if they're to your taste or not.
There's definitely been a few feathers ruffled in response to this review! I've been listening to the A500's for over a week now and enjoy them a lot. I've no real reference points in this price range to say whether they lack a certain mid range refinement or not. What I can say without question is that Britney's "Toxic" will blow your mind on them 😊. On a more serious note I only have another 30 odd days to decide whether I keep them or not. If you could manage to review Dynaudio's Heritage Special and Wharfedale's Elysian 4.2 in that time I would be most grateful. I'm looking for end game speakers so I can get out of this hi-fi chasing my tail malarkey...altho I do quite enjoy that. This is what happens when you become famous. Fans become demanding 😉
The A500s are a good speaker which will just get better with updates and upgrades over time. The things that I picked up on most people won’t even notice. If you like them then that is all that matters 😊
@@abritishaudiophile7314 Yea, but no but...what if I like the Heritage Special's even more? Or Dynaudio's Confidence range? Although I realise that it's all just a hedonic treadmill of very diminishing returns after a certain price point...which is why I'd find hi-fi review very difficult. E.g. I have an ancient Yulong D100 headphone DAC and a modern favourably reviewed Topping D50s. When I compare them I can't hear any appreciable difference switching quickly between them. It drives me nuts! One part of me says "there must be a difference?!" and the other part of me goes "hmm, well yeah I know, but I can't hear it".
Thanks for the review. Shame that the room correction did not work at the time of the review - it's a killer feature when one live in a room with lively acoustics. And I totally agree with you on the 3-way mastertuning improving the mid range. Using the stock or forward midrange tuning distorts the upper mid range and can make the speakers unpleasant to listen to. Fx. I never thought my ears would hurt when listening to Eva Cassidy. But so far the 3-way tuning improves things greatly. Judge is still out for what it does to the low end though.
I’m considering purchasing these A 500’s It would seem that with master tunings and the size of my room, there is some consideration here from your thoughts.
Tarun, good review, and i like you style a lot- reassuring, like what newspapers used to be before the age of hyperbole. I doubt the logic of TBA's general approach " Room correction only affects frequencies below 250Hz, so the rest of my comments are valid' . Audio/ visual processing for the human is analog, and every frequency lends color and context to the other. Much like we perceive a sunset differently in the absence of some of the red spectrum, one would perceive mid-range sound from a speaker differently , in the absence of its low frequency response not being properly set up. A spectrometer could provide objective analysis - but that's not why we buy speakers, right?
Thank you Manoj. 😊👍 The room correction will affect the overall tonal balance as you describe. Unfortunately, my criticisms are being blown out of proportion. What I pointed out about upper midrange refinement and the systems ability to render fine timbral detail is unlike to change with the room correction system.
@@abritishaudiophile7314 true, and i am not harping on that comment of yours. I think all reviews of the a500 talk about overall sound quality / listen-ability in favor of detail and clarity. I would probably re-run a test if i haven't been able to establish reference conditions, and not put out any results or opinions till then.
Another good review Tarun, nice one. I'm looking around for reviews of the Ptoac Tablette 10s and I can't find any on yt. There are some elsewhere on the net but I was wondering if you can think of any reasons why none of the RU-vid reviewers have done them. That is, unless I've missed them.
I've been spamming a lot under your videos what I was planning to buy, but I think this just is a perfect all-in-one sollution for me. I was thinking about: - Heaven11 Billie - Denafrips Pontus - Wharfedale Elysian 2 - 2x SVS SB-1000 Pro as my future set. That's about triple the price of this Buchardt A500 set, and I need to stay realistic. You get a 45 day trial period with Buchardt and I am bsolutely certain that I will love this. I'll sell my NAD amps and current speakers. If these Buchardts actually would disappoint me (which I highly doubt) I at least will have some money for my desired set! 🙂
It would be nice to see a review of the A700 Floor Stand Models... Plenty more drivers to optimize the bass. I own a pair of the SE400's and really enjoy them. Mads Buchardt is very responsive and has outstanding Customer Service.
I would like to revisit the A500s down the line. Mads pointed out that upcoming DSP changes should address my criticisms and a calibrated mic will allow me to test the room correction 😉
Definitely like the room correction technology, I'd like to see more of this on regular amplifiers, such as is available on the NAD you reviewed. I think that will be a massive step forward in terms of general sound quality. Also, do you have any plans do review B&W 700 or 800 series? I'd love to hear your opinion on them 🙂
LOL. Moo, Love the cow :) curious if you still need the hub if you have a compatible TV that supports WISA? Understand w/o the hub you can not get the room correction and other features. I still don't know about DSP vs pure analog like the Andrew Jones' Navis speakers.
I've got the buchard S400 speakers with tube power amplifier and it's true it is rolled off at 16khz. However you can use REW with mic for room correction to get the best out of them.
Wow ..so much tech to tell me what my ears like to listen to. Inevitable of course that this is the way forward, there will always be the die hard (Me) that love to fine tune the system and room to their preferred quality of reproduction and at the end of the day there is room for all esp when you have a chap who is not afraid to call it how it is to aid your purchase.
Thank you for another well presented, thoughtful review. Although this product is not my cup of tea, I so throughly enjoy your reviews I watched the whole video anyway. (My current fantasy speaker are one of the big Tannoys) So today I started of to just run some electrons through my new (valve) preamp and ended up listening to music for 3 1/2 hors. Seems to happen any time I put on music. Guess it's the downside of having a nice Hifi.
Excellent review always! If I'm not mistaken, Buchardt guarantee speaker parts for 3yrs but electronic parts only 1yr=that's tell you what's going to happen!
It's not true. We have 10 years on the speakers and 2 year on the electronics, with soon an option for registration on them to a total of 4 years on the electronics
My next simple small setup is for my bedroom mostly for jazz and classical. Only streaming. Any advice on a $1,500 budget for it. That would for speakers and a amp
Tarun have you listened to the Pearl Acoustics Sibelius speakers? Seems like something fit for your room, and seeing how the owner is a fellow countryman of yours even though theyre located in Belgium I would be thrilled to hear your impressions. Might add he makes some nice vids aswell.
Hi buddy, I have checked out his channel. It is an interesting single driver design. Quite a lot of money for what you get but may be worth checking out 😉
Thank you for your considered review. I’m not quite sure the room correction would have made that much difference. Unless there is something obviously wrong with your room set up.
Thank you JLA. Unfortunately, I fear that my criticisms of this product will get blown out of proportion. It is not the most refined in the midrange and I agree that the room correction system won’t help here. It is still a good sounding system with exceptionally good bass dynamics and control 😊👍
@@abritishaudiophile7314 Yes, you have ruffled a few feathers especially on the Burchardt owners FB page. It’s interesting because Z’s review was gushing and he didn’t activate the room correction. I was eagerly anticipating your review (as I have come to appreciate your reviews) and I admit was disappointed it wasn’t more positive. But it reinforces that all HiFi product reviews are subjective and have equal merit. I will say that they are capable of a performance that belies their physical size but with that, there are caveats and I think that is a lack of delicacy in the midrange. But as a simple one box solution that removes the need for amplifier choice which offers streaming and room correction in simple setup; they are a great choice for people who just want to listen to a plethora of music and get away from clutter and having to balance components in a system. They can also still appeal to tweakers with the master tunings and Mads ongoing customer support is exemplary. Sorry for such a long reply.
Thank you!! I have the H95 and placed an order for S400 MKII (paper woofer). I was wondering if H95 was going to be a little underpowered, but sounds like not the case (I listen at fairly low levels anyway).
Tarun, late to the party until today. Another honest and well thought out review. For the money these speaker command, If I bought them, I would expect them to be outstanding. I would be very disappointed. I’ve read where iPads are not supported but iPhones are. I would have drawn the same conclusion you did. This doesn’t make much sense as the iOS operating versioned identically for iPad and iPhone until version 13. I would think either device should be supported.
Thank you Steve. I appreciate your support. This is a complex system with many aspects. The iPad issue was unfortunate. It is tough for manufacturers who produce streaming products to keep up to date with the constant OS updates on various platforms 😊👍
Regarding the up to date I phone stuff I blame the manufacturer. He should have mentioned this important point in his literature. Also you did say that there is a new control hub coming out. What happens to the folk with the original hub? Do they get the up to date one F.O.C? I think Buchardt got the review that they deserved. You covered all the points well with the material that you were given!
Thank you Mike. I appreciate your support. Certainly, the literature could be clearer but I have to take some responsibility here too. I assumed because the room correction works on IOS devices 6S and newer that I would be fine with my 2020 iPad Pro. In my defence there were no error codes or anything that suggested that there was a compatibility issue. The program ran without a glitch. It was only when I listened that I felt something wasn’t quite right. At least it confirms that there is nothing wrong with my hearing if nothing else. I would be surprised if the new app isn’t available to existing owners. Hopefully, it will be compatible with more devices 😊👍
@@abritishaudiophile7314 I say this as a software developer - the responsibility to make it clear whether software will behave itself on your device belongs with the team that built it and sold it to you. It's early days with new tech though, it just sounds like an oversight. Releasing an interim update with a message saying it's not yet calibrated for iPads (when launched on an iPad) is how I'd handle it.
It does say iphone 6S and newer, I pads aren’t mentioned. It’s an oversight I’ll grant you but more people have phones and waving a iPad seems odd. The new hub will be a Burchardt product with additional features, that Mads will offer at a discount to current older hub owners. I think that is fair.
It’s just about clear documentation. This is the only review I have seen that makes the not unreasonable assumption that and iPad would suffice in lieu on 6s or above. Those in the know realise that it is about the mic calibration.
One of the most hyped up Brands. Most people buy thinking that this is a bargain since this is factory direct. Heavily marketed on social media. Heavily pushed by hifi influencers. I’ve only heard the S400 and it sounds good. It has its flaws like any other speaker but for those who are looking for the things that Buchardt offers, they will be satisfied. But one thing to note is that this is not a giant killer. In fact, for the money, there are loads of options.
Hi Ajit, that is the problem with hype. Things get blown out of proportion. You can’t blame the manufacturer, they are just trying to get the product out there. Mads Buchardt is a good guy. His company produces competitive products and I have no doubt he will look after his customers well. 😊
Can’t agree with the phrasing of your comment. ‘Most hyped up brands’ well that’s not the owners fault nor purchaser. I had a long reply but the iPad lost it going into standby. But the summary is, What owners think this is a bargain? You can send them back if you don’t like them. There is great support. They are a one stop solution. Who doesn’t think there are other options?people choose this option, what a ridiculous comment. Everyone knows there are flaws with all systems. I’m 55 I don’t want loads of options. It’s been a year of lockdowns, these have been a fantastic purchase, they aren’t perfect nor the last thing in HiFi but they sound very good especially at lower levels. And you can tweak with the master tunings with more improvements to the OS coming.
Tarun, would you consider comment or review a B&W speaker ? The 603 S2 Anniv edition in particular. None of the available reviews I found on the net do match yours (by far), but the fact that i can't find any review from yours on B&W gets me worried. Thank you.
Disappointed with the first impressions of the A500 - a V-shaped tonality with way too much bass for my liking, even though I used the room correction - so I can only agree with your review.
Hi Atri, all good. Just taking a week off. Both my wife and my son are home and there is no homeschooling due to half term. So just spending some family time together. Thank you for asking. There will be a new video next week on a rather special amplifier 😊👍
Time to make a similar comparison with the brand new Buchardt A10.. Will you do it? Actually i got Hegel H390 in combo with Harbeth SLH5+ and from a lot of time I’m thinking to resize mu setup at the minimum possible. Thanks
I’m not sure I agree with the assessment that you are throwing your money away if your plan is to only use the direct XLR connection. Results can vary quite a bit and there’s a lot of experimenting one can do for DSP driven actives. I’ve seen someone running a tube preamplifier through the XLR’s and reporting excellent results. In other words, even though DSP is at play you can still tinker with the downstream sound chain to get some interesting up stream sound. And I believe these speakers have incredible potential which is why I would experiment and tinker over and over again with these before considering other actives. Great video.
Thank you Hermant. I agree that you can do some great things with DSP. I was referring to where the money gets spent in the speaker. In each A500 is an ADC, DSP engine, 3 DACs and 3 amplifier modules. In an analogue active speaker like the ATC SCM19s there is just the analogue electronic crossover and amplifier modules. You pay your money and take your choice 😉
@@abritishaudiophile7314 You make an excellent point as you always do. To me the key difference is the master tunings making it possible to tune the speakers. That's what sets this miles apart from analog actives. It seems the major issue in your video was limited master tunings and room adjustment that did not work in your set up (by the way I think you have a very large room, much larger than most audiophiles listening room, maybe A700's are a better fit?). But I am confident Buchardt will address those issues (from your recent posting this looks to be related to the use of an iPad). No doubt more tunings are on their way. I really like the idea of ditching the wireless here and going all analog with XLR. Downstream you employ your fav DAC/pre-amp giving you even more customization which then gets DSP'ed with the master tunings.
The thoroughness of your reviews is quickly making Darko RU-vid channel irrelevant. Also by encouraging discussion in comments section yours is a welcome change from Darko’s pissy attitude toward his viewers
Hello And thanks for your super videos ;) I am facing the choice of new speakers, can you tell me which is better Buchardt a500 or Acoustic Energy AE 1 ? Thanks for the reply and keep up the good work !!!
Colour me overly critical, but I would have thought that, for the price of the Buchardt A500 + Platin Hub System all of the bugs would have been worked out of it before release? At the current asking price of this system, it should work without a hitch (and make you breakfast too).
I have a speaker distance question, i have a set of boston acoustics vrs micros I'm using for surround sound, i think they are the surround sound speakers they are di poles and i have them placed slightly in fornt of listening position. So they are i guess designed to reflect of the front of the room and back, they are technically pretty close maybe 4 or 5 ft but what should i set them distance wise in my receiver. should they be set the distance off of front wall plus distance back to listening position, or back wall being closer. Let me know what you think, thanks
@@abritishaudiophile7314 cheers. There are few more quite good bookshelf speakers in our mind (few of us here), such as the KEF LS50 META and ELAC VELA. BTW, have you came across XTZ 99.25? They seriously good in their price range especially paired with the right amplifier. Seem like XTZ EDGE A2-300, Hegel H190 and NAD Master M33 are extremely good with these speakers. Any chance you can arrange to make some videos to test them? Hope that you manage to arrange...😬
Hi Jeppe, the room correction system deals with room modes below 250Hz. It is my understanding that it corrects for impulse, phase and amplitude response. I suspect it will improve the response in this region if you have a compatible device to use with it. I have no issue with the bass and lower mid frequency response of this system. In fact it is one of it’s key strengths. The bass is fast, extended with great weight. Please consider my criticisms of the product in context. This is a good sounding system with excellent dynamics and great flexibility. It lacks some refinement, in particular in the upper midrange and it’s ability to render fine timbral and harmonic detail. I can’t see how the room correction system would have any bearing on this. All things considered it is a good choice for those who want a dynamic system, with the convenience of wireless connectivity 😊
Fyi. The price is incorrect. With the hub is only an extra 250 euro. Also, it takes as much as 300 hours to break in. Did you review the speakers broken in?
Mega OT. Who is the typical audiophile. 1. Mostly male. 2. Mostly middle age or aged. 3.His musical interest goes beyond one genre. 4. Insatiable curiosity about hi fi components. 5.His best speaker his the next one. 6 Dedicates at least one hour of pure musical listening daily. 7.He's happy with background music while doing other things. 9. While watching movies pays a lot of attention to the sound effects and considers a real torture having no other option but incorporated TV speakers. 10. His audiophile's best friend rig sounds better even though it is cheaper then his. Did I forget anything. Open for suggestions
Wow... tastes are so very different. I can agree with almost nothing he is saying. The A500 are far from "warm" here. I had the S400 for a couple of months before buying the A500 and I tested the S400 with a very neutral and linear sounding DAC-mono-poweramp-combo costing 10 times the money of the suggested Hegel amp and even this combo was far inferior in sound quality to the A500 us almost any aspect. Again I am learning: SQ is a highly subjective matter. Only trust your very own ears in the end.
Hi Itzi, good advice to trust your own ears. However, the purpose of a good review is to put taste to one side and try to describe the performance of a product. What is does and what it doesn’t do as objectively as possible. Sure, there is always a subjective element, lots of variables and the fallibility of humans. I have confirmation from a highly reliable source that my review was accurate (won’t mention names). There could be various reasons why your experiences did not match my own.
