Dayton Audio's Classic B65 and DTA2.1 BT2 together run just $155! Thanks for watching, this channel is supported by the kind generosity of my Patreon backers: / audiophiliac Instagram: / steve.guttenberg #daytonaudio #hifi
Well ... they're only for small rooms, if they were Acoustic Research AR 18 you know? They would suit huge rooms and be very expensive but they're computer-engineered with a small room sonic signature of the 1977 year A.R. 18 and its extremely powerful J.V.C. amplifiers. The 'Class AB' $800 Dayton Audio A-400 amplifier is needed to fully run B65 because they have no batting inside, and we could add acoustic wadding with other amplifiers but lose our warranty and it would be very difficult to get it just right. So your wish will be granted if you buy the Dayton A-400.
@@simonzinc-trumpetharris852 Yeah but ... Steve ... you know, stressed that this Dayton audio system is for ... "a kid wanting his first Hi-Fi system" and, most kids aren't filthy rich but do lay claim to making their first $1M at the youngest possible 20 something years of age.
Wow 33 agree. You know Steve is talking about the B65 speakers straining with low bass from his Album "Studio 1 Dub" and formed the conclusion that they weren't 'kick a__ speakers'. (His input equipment was compromised ... may be that it was much more expensive but these B65 ... are actually Kick A__ ... with their 'system' custom designed amplifier. You know Jules said last time that this view of mine "is nonsense because they're just speakers" but no ... they're not, they're engineered to work with an exact amplifier and hooked up stuff, much as the legendary Pioneer N-73 Mini System of 1991 year.
That is pretty much my home cinema setup. 200$ set of used elac speakers, 100$ used 10 inch Klipsch sub, little 100$ used class D amp. 400$ all in and its a great little TV and movie system.
Dayton Audio B652 speakers and HTA-100 hybrid tube amplifier ... Wow! I mean that has the ghetto charismatic sound!! I was talking about using Lanzar car world ellitptical coaxial in the house with reused speaker boxes but B652 is good enough for anybody not doing audio reviews and posting you tube videos you know? Herb points out that there was a 1970s Car Audio sound that was just awesome, and the HTA-100 and B652 has that sound! It's just a few hundred dollars, it'll be a Classic in years to come!
Great to hear about good budget gear! Listening in the bedroom can be so therapeutic at times to wind down before sleeping. I often prefer it than listening to my main system !
Great Review Steve! I had set up a Desktop system recently for near-field listening. I have a pair of Dayton B65 Classics connected to a Lepai Class-T 20W+20W amp. USB out from my Notebook comp goes into an SMSL PS-100 DAC and it's analog output goes to the Lepai. To complete the setup I have a Monoprice "how low does it go?' sub. (You've reviewed most of these earlier). Awesome sound for the small bucks spent....Couldn't be happier!
Thank you for returning to really affordable audio! No disrespect to the high-end stuff, I enjoy learning about it even if it's out of my range. But having products like this in the mix is a plus.
Thanks for watching, I do try to cover a wide range of products. The qualifier, is that they have to be interesting, not just affordable! A classic B 65 certainly fit my requirement, that's why I did it. Thanks again.
@@SteveGuttenbergAudiophiliac A huge Thank You from me also. Please Sir, have great listening day. Kevin from the Finger Lakes region of New York State. Would love to visit NYC and the House of Sound someday.
@@SteveGuttenbergAudiophiliac Thanks, Steve. My sense is since you went fully independent and (mostly) dropped headphones, the median price of the components' you cover has shifted upwards a bit; that's understandable, it's your channel, and as you say, it has to be interesting. I'm happy you found products that are really affordable and meet your criteria.
My basement speakers got wrecked when a large shelf collapsed. I was looking around for some second hand speakers to replace them, but these just might be the ticket. Thanks Steve!
Dayton makes some shockingly good items for the price. I use a pair of Dayton 8” 80w subs ($129ea) with my Kef Reference series speakers and they perform remarkably well.
Love that you're looking at budget speakers. I can't afford true audiophile. Would also like to see speakers in that are 2x-8x the price of these speakers. That's the range of an audio enthusiast. Note: I've used Dayton Audio in a few projects. My experience has been OK and I appreciate what they do, but it's not exceptional.
If you want Exceptional, but cheap used speakers... search for EPI or Genesis Physics speakers. Specifically, EPI 100v speakers. Make sure the woofers are originals (small dome dust cone, makes it easy to tell), and get the version with the Upgraded tweeter model (plastic bezel mounting, rather than Fiber-Board mount). I got mine for $100, re-foamed. They sound 1000% better than the local high end stereo shops $3000 pair of speakers. They create the most Wide and Deep 3D soundstage, that ive ever heard, from ANY speaker. The bass is Deep, Powerful, and Punchy.. despite only having 8" woofers. They blew my 12" 3-way 90's era Techniques speakers, out of the water (I placed them on the Curb, the next night.. disgusted at how much I had been missing, when hearing the EPI's) If you cant find them locally, and or dont want to pay ebay shipping... a dude that used to work for EPI / Genesis.. makes brand new drivers and parts. His website is "Humanspeakers". He shows the History of all of their models, including schematics, and part numbers. For all of the drivers needed for an EPI 100v Replica, I believe it would take less than $300 in total. The cabinet itself, is very simplistic. Unfortunately, he does not provide all of the cabinet dimensions... however, it shouldnt be that difficult to find them.. to make these simple cabinets yourself. The EPI only uses a single Capacitor for the tweeter... as the woofers have been wound with a heavier gauge wire... allowing them to automatically filter out the high frequency ranges... without the need for an additional crossover component (and less crossover components = less potential for micro-distortions). These Daytons actually look somewhat Similar to the EPI's. However, Id bet my life, that the EPIs far Outperform them in every Metric. Especially the EPIs inverted tweeters... which are pure Magic.
Beautiful speakers! How is The Dynavoice Challenger S-5, Type: Bookshelf Speaker? Model: S-5 Power Handling (RMS): 75 W Power handling (Max): 100 W Woofer: 5.25 inch Tweeter: 1" Super Audio Frequency Range: 55 - 32,000 Hz Sensitivity: 87 dB Crossover Frequencies: 3700 Hz Nominal Impedance: 4 Ohms Color: Black, Oak, White Dimensions (WxHxD): 193 x 376 x 133 mm Weight: 3.7 kg
Steve, about time u give economical gear their due! BTW, I disagree….not ALL of us audiophiles have a higher price point…many of us buy what we can afford on modest budgets, often used gear….but can achieve audiophile grade sound. Absolutely love how u shine the light on audiophile or even non-audiophile recordings. U do a great service introducing us to lesser known, but great artists and recordings on vinyl, or digital, for that your reviews alone are priceless! Yes audiophiles may use the Dayton rig in the garage, basement, any secondary listening space. Interesting how these $70 scale up with better amps, DACs, and sources….absolutely agree…anyone new to stereo gear….this is a great affordable rig to start appreciating music. Very good review sir!
Hello Steve, thanks for reviewing this great little speaker! But you have forgotten to mention one important thing: they are total throwbacks to the wonderful bookshelf speakers of the 60s and 70s, made by Acoustic Research (AR), KLH and others, using acoustic suspension design. Wonder how they would sound with vintage equipment of the time...say a Marantz amplifier/receiver and Dual turntable with Shure cartridge. Now if only someone would resurrect Acoustic Research and bring back the classic AR 3a...
@@bombayteddy Well you know, or make you wiser. These Chinese computer engineered speakers are not throwbacks to crummy AR, KLH, EPI, Advent, and BIC. What you are saying is that you're stuck in a time warp and can't see past your own youth and study of ancient audio.
@@bombayteddy I heard them but I didn't listen because these brands need huge rooms and remember what ... Herb ... advises. These AR8 and 18 were good with low power but the 28 was a whole different grade and the 38 ... 48 etc, really couldn't use Japanese amplifiers at all, as they had a course grade voice coil designed to burn them out! You know it's a long story but to cut it short the Dayton Audio speaker is for small rooms. Steve has a HUGE Audio room bigger than any at Brooklyn Heights and remember what Herb advises about starting with your room.
I would have loved a pair of these speakers when I was a teen! It would have been so much better than my not so great all in one 'stereo'. I have much better stuff now but these would make great porch speakers for outside and entertaining I suspect! There are great active options for $200-300 for a bit of competition. I'm really enjoying Edifier R1850DB actives for secondary bedroom speakers! I have it paired with a modest Topping D10 dac and they sing! Comparing the two setups would be interesting and my guess is they would be quite comparable. Also I love that Studio One compilation from Soul Jazz too!
Good description! Also try Edifier S1000MKII. Very good sounding speakers with D class digital amplifier 24bit 192Khz and APTX HD/adaptive bluetooth connection 24bit 96Khz.
Edifier is a Chinese company, but a very good manufacturer of audio equipment and speakers! Edifier is a global brand that is passionate about sound. Founded in 1996 by a group of audiophiles, the company's mission has always been to provide the best audio experience possible.
I'm glad you made this review. I agree, they are really good for the money. I picked up two pairs for my brother's shop to replace some nice, but dying vintage speakers and these sound as good or better with a relatively small box. I also heard the original version which was even cheaper, and had no bass, but this version with a larger box has some bass. And these look nice too!
Great video Steve. I always thought it would be interesting if you did a review on the SMSL D300, and hear your take on it. As it has the same Rohm dac chip as the Luxman D10X SACD player which you reviewed a while back, and seemed to enjoy it a lot.
I had some bookshelf daytons that had that woofer and AMTs. They boxes were too thin and noisy. One fell off the wall mount and I added a second set of 6.5" woofers and a larger AMT in a MTM config with some much better boxes. Sound good enough for being on a budget.
Those Classic B65 speakers visually remind me of the ADVENT/3 speakers of the late 1970s. I bet that the Classic B65s would match up nicely with a Yamaha R-S202 receiver or something like that. I have an R-S202 and it's quite good.
You know what? I looked up your Yamaha R-S202 receiver and uh ... it was uh ... (one of those black, you know ... brushed aluminum things and ... it's a rack system component.) Now ... rack systems have speakers that are custom manufactured to give the optimal results when matched with their ... really ... quite ugly rack systems. You buy the whole set! and ... rack systems are not 'Audiophile'. You might think I'm being like Mayor Jim Fouts, but I'm trying to explain to you that rack systems are not Audiophile.
@@keplermission Let me explain something to you. I put my “audiophile attitude” aside and heard one of these at a record and CD store that I frequently visit. I was impressed quite enough to buy one.
@@bikdav Yeah and we get rack system sets that look like ... Steve's ... Technics SL-1200G but are actually the SL-1800 and we might try to persuade modest home owners that the low down model is good enough but ... their hearts are set on only the high end product. But it depends as ... Herb ... pointed out on our room. If it's small, you know, a rack system is a good bet. But Advent 3 you know?
It would be interesting to hear these with seriously good electronics. The UK hifi philosophy of the 1980s was 'garbage in, garbage out'. Better, with that in mind, to put the majority of your cash into the front end, then amps, and lastly the speakers. At least to get you going. A well designed budget speaker is likely to sound better with quality amps than the other way around, given a good source. It's gonna be better controlled and giving of its best. It seems that philosophy isn't much fashionable any more, and was it ever in the States?
Sadly, here in the States it's 'speakers first'. People don't seem to realize that the source is *so* important. For years I had a $3,000 Naim CD player and amp going through a pair of AR speakers I got at a garage sale for $20. Sounded amazing.
I have, like the vast majority of people, budget based music systems. My wife has different music tastes so I listen on headphones or when she is away. So was primarily interested in what you thought of these budget speakers. I was not expecting you to mention the Jon Hassell album, some of the tracks on this album can be summed up in one word ‘beautiful’, the music appeals to my introspective self and each time I listen it honestly takes me on a journey. Now I find myself wondering just how good this would sound on a good amplifier & speaker combination.
I think the whole in the grill is large enough for a 3d printed waveguide insert for the tweeter. That would make the refraction issues become way smaller and therefore making vocals way smoother. It might lift the 2-4kHz a few db pushing the vocals a bit further forward in the soundfield. As a pluss the waveguide is really small so it should be fast to print. We have to see some measurement of this speaker if its worthwhile doing but it could be a fun little project!
@@keplermission Is the hole in the grill too small? I saw measurements of the speaker and a waveguide will fill out the curve nicely with 2 db boost in 2-4kHz range. The hole creates bad dipps in the off axis response in its native form.
@@impuls60 Yeah but off axis response you know is bad in many good vintage speakers like the QUAD ESL-57 Electrostatic, and ... anything with a cone tweeter but when we walk away from the receiver volume knob and are sitting in the sweet spot, wow it all happens. But you could suggest a revision to Dayton Audio, it's the product price problem, they're aiming at maximum sales.
and i wonder how it would sound with upgraded crossover parts? would be a good speaker to experiment with, maybe upgrade the woofer or the tweeter just for funsies
Good stuff, Steve I still listen to my NHT a.k.a. now hear this acoustic suspension speakers as a TV or late night radio speaker incredible for 200 bucks a pair… much same profile soft dome tweeter hey thanks for sharing oh, and they compete with my Ls 50’s impressive Tweeter wise oh, I have a pair of r3 metas too Still miss the Klisph sound. Loud.
Hi Steve another great informative video, that vinyl wrap looks bloody good, it looks from your video if was wood veneer, but $70 it’s very good , the amp looks great too and ideal as your said for kids or study etc as you said. Regards mark
Well ... N.A.D. (New Acoustic Dimension) you know? The C541 has a fair sound but NAD CD Players? The C541 sound is similar to the market leading NAD 3020 amplifier in that it has a hint of a punchy low frequency but they're both tricking the buyer into thinking they're better than they really are. These aren't detailed and spacious like the Marantz CD 52 that we can still get in the USA but they're very seldom seen. But NAD are unreliable and the C541 is based on SONY and the laser head is quite cheap and plentiful but...
@@keplermission I take it you did not agree with Steve's review of the Dayton speakers then. They cost less than a grand, so they MUST be some awful Sony-like garbage. Right?
@@dougodyssey50 Well I wasn't talking about the Dayton speakers at all. I was trying to recommend a CD player to obtain at a moderate price and you know SONY are good but they lack detail and NAD wow, it's just one letter away from 'BAD', isn't it? NAD and SONY are stablemates, they're LOUD and powerful but the Dayton speakers, are best with Dayton amplifiers, they're System speakers, not Audiophile.
Wow! See what they sound like. I was in Best Buy yesterday listening to sound samples of the speakers in the showroom. Everything sounded horrible! The Kef speakers were dull and the Bowers and Wilkins sounded bright being played through a 3000.00 Marantz home theater receiver!
It's funny you mention this kind of set-up being perfect for a kid wanting to get into music. I picked up something VERY similar to this for my grandson a couple years back and we used his PC as the source. He seems really happy with it and now wants to get to Dearborn Music (he lives in Michigan) to get a turntable and start picking up some records. This hobby is kind of like a virus...once you're infected the symptoms stay with you.
If all you have is $140 for a pair of speakers, buy used... you'll get a much better speaker than these or any other budget model purchased new. I bought a pair of Dynaco A35s for 150/pr not so long ago, just excellent. Also I picked up a few a few British designs over the last few years like Mission 770s, Tangent TM1's, Kef 103.2s and Linn Index's for between $150 and $200) all guaranteed to smoke the Daytons. I also have a pair of yard sale $40 EPI 100s I've used for years and they are also excellent and far better than the Daytons too. The lesson is buy used... something you won't hear from SG because he's vested in the new and latest audio market. That is where he came from and where his bread is buttered. There is nothing wrong with buying new but the real bargains are more likely to be found on the used market.
Well, that’s not the case, but won’t forget “best things in life are free”, and, sometimes, good things in hi-fi are not as expensive as your right kidney (or maybe the left?).
You know Keith uh ... they'd step up and you'd never admit it but you'd be listening to them instead of the other things. In fact you'd be scratching your head and wondering how your Khorns didn't measure up when you'd put so much in. Well, you know ... Steve ... didn't get along very well with his high end SME turntable and preferred an upmarket Technics Disco turntable, because he has a BIG room with a load of low frequency problems. Herb ... says start with your room. You can buy expensive stuff and have the wrong room and just not be clever enough to get the best out of things aimed at genius buyers.
Hey Steve, I still have my Dayton audio B652's from 13 years ago that you happened to review back around that time. I presently utilize them as my high 'presence' speaker in a 7.1 HT system. With both of them being 2 way designs with the 6.5" mid woofers how does the B65 compare to the B652's?
The updated model has a x-over for the 6.5 woofer now. It is no longer a full range driver. 45 to 50 Hz. cutoff. Box is slightly larger as well but not by much.
@@adamant3844 I do. It cuts off the woofer to a safe point. I use mine in a small 7.1 home theater. Using them as a stereo set up would certainly require a subwoofer.
If you ask 1,000 audiophiles "What's the most important component in an audio system", the vast majority of them would answer "Speakers" Yet, magically, when Steve went from the crappy Dayton class D amp to a superior class AB, the speakers really opened up. And even more magically, when Steve went to a better source, the speakers got so much better. Speakers cannot possibly IMPROVE on the signal they are being sent. They can however, more clearly reveal the faults of all upstream electronics. I ALWAYS suggest getting the best possible source, then working down the audio chain to the speakers. Thanks for proving my point Steve.
These class D amplifiers are also of different quality, but it doesn't have to be a super premium class AB amplifier! For example, the Edifier company is created by several audiophiles and produces very good active speakers with class D amplifiers and electronic crossovers, and their products are generally not very expensive! Here is an excerpt from an internet article:"Today’s Disruptive Class-D Amps Are Changing the Audiophile Hobby Very Much For The Better" "There is a sea change going on in the audiophile hobby coming from the world of electronics - specifically via a whole crop of new-school, Class-D amplifiers. These amps are designed around any number of somewhat modern semiconductors and offer tremendous value, as well as world-class performance, all on one small, light, energy-efficient chassis. They are smaller, lighter and quite affordable, but that is only the start of the argument for using these new power amps in your audiophile system. Do These New Class-D Audiophile Amps Sound That Good? In a word - yes. They are also a bit of a mind-f**k, in that they are so small, so light, and so different-looking that they couldn’t possibly be as good as a traditional Class-AB amp, could they? With these new designs, gone are the big heat sinks. Gone are the two-man lifting requirements for a 120-pound-plus stereo amp. Gone is the need for the constant maintenance that tubes require. Gone is the heat that you get from tubes and Class-A designs. This is a brave new world for audiophile amplification indeed. "
@@osiearl1181 Yeah Gone are your savings in the bank. But 'Class D' you know? NAD C338 ... do you know the NAD brand? Well I guess you should. The 338 is rated top 'Class D' product. But NAD is for a certain kind of customer. NAD were used with Cerwin Vega speakers that were of the lower ... mass market ... later kind after the founder had died.
i have headphones from Beyer dynamics , they cost 300 i also have the edifier W800BT plus , they cost 40 guess which ones i use and the Beyer's are connected to an amp , the Edifier is just 16bit 41000 in windows , not even the the highest quality it can go and STILL SOUNDS BETTER and has more punch all categories can't seem to be able to change the bitrate to anything other then 16bit 41000Hz , because the microphone of Bluetooth headphones prevents higher settings , can't figure out how to change it , not even after completely shutting off the microphone / hands-free option , nothing works still , with this problem , the Edifier from 40 bucks sound 200x better then the 300 bucks Beyers same thing with my Edifier R2750dB , have more expensive products lying around , but that's about ALL they do , lying around the Edifier products that are Actually Doing Something around here
I bought a pair of these and am disappointed. There's something just missing in them, probably some midrange. I also have the MK-402s, and I like them a lot better for a similar price.
You could probably bullshit some people into believing that these speakers are far more expensive than 70 bucks, especially if they smoke a bowl first! 😂😂😂
What is cheap audio? If the sound is very good even from cheaper speakers and D class amps these days! Do the speakers have to be made of gold or is good audio quality only for the rich? An audiophile and a person who can hear sound frequencies well can also hear good sound from cheaper and good speakers, and the speakers do not have to be made of diamonds. I can mention, for example, a very durable but very cheap car, which also moves well enough, despite the fact that it has a small engine, but also consumes little fuel and has a large enough trunk for a small car" Renault Thalia 1.4L 55Kw 2 valves per cylinder and timing belt The "Gates" set costs 18 euros in Europe and can also be replaced in the yard if necessary".
@@virksim9864 it's another chanel that does reviews. Btw there is a video doing a sound demo of the b65 I didn't like it. A speaker from at least usd600 up is really how you begin.
@@mgaming7 -- Absolutely *not* ! An true acoustic suspension speaker system depends on the air sealed in its enclosure as an adjunct to the woofer's surround and spider -- such a woofer cannot function as designed in free air, which is clearly not the case for any of the dirt-cheap off-the-shelf woofers in sub-$100 bargain bin products like this Dayton. I'm even older than Steve(!), and way back in the day I sold true acoustic suspension speakers from AR and KLH alongside products like the Bozak B302-A, which had no port but did *not* employ the acoustic suspension principle. The difference in bass performance and sensitivity between an (e.g.) an AR-3A and that Bozak was *immense* because of those design choices, specifically the AR had far superior bass extension and the Bozak required much less amp power for the same SPL. My point was that a fellow old-timer like Steve should know better than to casually present such a false equivalence!
@@editorjuno good grief, steve was just saying they aren't ported which to Most people just means acoustic suspension. So you found a loophole to get around that analogy, good for you the rest of us will go by exactly what steve said and not use One instance where its NOT that. ......
@@mgaming7 -- A known fact of loudspeaker design is not "a loophole." My choice of comparison was only one of a multitude available, because sealed box speaker systems had been around for decades before Edgar Vilchur developed the acoustic suspension principle -- I just picked one that was likely to ring a bell with a fellow old timer like Steve.
@@editorjuno Well the B65 is not Acoustic Suspension because it has no batting inside its small box and ... it doesn't need any if run with the intended Dayton Audio amplifier, so don't try putting any wadding in there because you'll reduce the sensitivity and overall shine. The DTA 2.1 BT2 might not be the intended matching amplifier but with the right one it is absolutely awesome, the low price is a qualifier but so is the hooked up equipment.
