Live Test Wireless speakers - Devialet, Buchardt, System Audio, KAD Audio

[@schimanski2889]

Direct: 30:28 1:01:42 1:30:10 2:04:33

[@TheAlphaAudio]

Pinned! Can you add the speaker brand / type? That way it is even more informative. First one is the KAD K7, 2nd one is the Devialet Phantom I 108. 3rd is the Buchardt A500 and the 4th is the System Audio 5.2 Silverback. Thanks!

[@glashaedits]

@@TheAlphaAudio Direct Comparison: 30:27 37:40 45:17 KAD K7 (14950€) 1:01:41 1:06:16 1:12:58 Devialet Phantom I 108 (2990€) 1:30:10 1:48:27 1:45:02 Buchardt A500 (3500€) 2:04:33 System Audio 5.2 Silverback

[@MaZEEZaM]

@@glashaedits thank you. OMG the price, vastly above my budget. Urgh looks like I can't afford any of these, the Devialet Phantom I 108 (2990€) EACH its 6,000€ for a pair but they do look cool.

[@DIYtechie]

Just came back to say that this format is great. Audiophiles who are good at describing what we hear, and musicians who know what things are supposed to sound like without being snobbish.

[@chinmeysway]

So vague like a commercial or something

[@thommyj1902]

This format is absolutely amazing, please produce more stuff like that ❤

[@TheAlphaAudio]

Thanks. We will!

[@MaZEEZaM]

@@TheAlphaAudio Yes, i Really enjoyed it.

[@TheAlphaAudio]

@@MaZEEZaM glad to know! Not sure if we can do it on this scale anymore. It is very expensive and time consuming.

[@kingdome1874]

Great Live stream again guys, for me the highlight of the stream was hearing Ms Marnie's beautyful voice, goosebumps !!!

[@iPAINTCODE]

This is a gold standard speaker review, it doesn’t get more honest and the chefs kiss is multiple systems. 👍

[@TheAlphaAudio]

@@iPAINTCODE Thanks!

[@henning.a4646]

Cool test of active speakers with good input from the panel. I have Devialet Phanthom Golds and is very satisfied with that. They updatet the app one time and there have been 3 or 4 firmware updates making them sound even better over the years I have owned them.

[@kennetkusk6417]

Priceless what you have done. I like the way to you analyse each speaker with its DNA in design/value proposition rear to see that on KZbin.

[@TheAlphaAudio]

Thanks!

[@breakoutpete210]

This is the best demo that I’ve seen, and listened to on utube. Bravo 👏👌🎼🔊. 🇨🇦✌️😎

[@TheAlphaAudio]

Thanks man! That means a lot to us!

[@jmtennapel]

It was an absolute treat to hear Marnie Baumer sing and Yung playing piano while being in the room. I am listening back on KZbin to check what it sounds like on KZbin versus being there in the room, while it is still fresh in my memory. You cannot hear what the soundstage is like, but you definitely hear how it all sounds while being there. It is amazing, the live streams REALLY let you hear what it sounds like in real life, minus the depth of the soundstage! On KZbin, the KAD's actually sounded a bit less dry and more balanced than in the room. But the observation with relative difference to the other systems is still as valid.

[@mouser78]

Thanks for sharing this Martijn, I (and I think many others) was also wondering how much is the actual recording and how much is KZbin and my own setup. It was a pleasure to actually see the man with the golden ears in the studio and you were spot on, as usual. I hope we'll be seeing more of you, Jaap & Yung are sometimes pretty busy with the show and the chat, a dedicated listener like yourself certainly adds value to the show.

[@jmtennapel]

@@mouser78 Thank you. I like to stress, once again, that using a headphone is vital. If you play back on speakers the acoustics of the room you are listening in start to play a role and that makes it much harder to get a good idea what it sounds like. For me, it started out as curiosity. I could not imagine that anything recorded and played back over KZbin would give a good impression of what a HiFi systems sounds like. But I gave it the benefit of the doubt and now I can _confirm_ you can. A lot of technical know-how is needed to pull it off though, it is not simple and Jaap has the skill.

[@kencur9690]

@@jmtennapel let’s not forget you are biased though - you have the ability to confirm, you are in a better position than the rest of us by having been there and having a point of reference, but your mind is “tinted” - knowing how something _should_ sound will most definitely “help” your brain to recreate that sound. I mean, that’s how memories work after all: we are able to bring back pictures from the past just by having experienced them once. Having experienced how the audio truly sounded in real life will undoubtedly affect your recollection of it so you might be hearing things which aren’t there, your mind effectively filling the gaps. It’s not something you can control either as it happens naturally, much like breathing when you splash cold water on your face. That said, I still believe as you do that you can get a good sense of audio from KZbin if done right. Nothing beats listening live in person, but you can get a sort of picture of the audio, at the very least in the sense of distortion and clarity, separation and resolution. Especially if it’s in the same recording, since your headphone will resolve better what has been resolved better so to speak. Still, I myself wouldn’t rely too much on that: too many variables involved. Good to get you started though.

[@xeniavader]

this is a superb channel, thanks so much for doing. listening on high end headphones, feels like I'm in the room with you

[@TheAlphaAudio]

Thanks man! That is the Idea!

[@MaZEEZaM]

I have to say I really enjoyed the unexpected live performance then to compare it with the digital recording was Very interesting. I've only recently found your channel but I immediately found I could trust your opinions and my own ears due to the quality of your recordings and that you guys don't have commercial bias.

[@viggozing598]

System Audio Legend 5.2 would most definitely be my first choice in that group test.

[@eivindeb9449]

The System Audio Legend 5 sounded amazing!

[@Dan-iy8ig]

@@eivindeb9449 can you please tell me how you can tell the difference when you're not there to listen?

[@DJMikeron]

@@Dan-iy8igsome people to so much nonsense on you tube. Trying to be important listening to compressed audio on you tube it is hilarious 😂😂😂

[@kevinf9822]

This was a very enjoyable and educational video. A few days ago I ordered the Buchardt A500 SEs. I feel good about that. :)

[@koblongata]

Owner of Buchardt A700, and I am glad I don't have to fuss about cables anymore, after doing it for like 30 years

[@theorangeguyna6762]

Thanks for the very entertaining video. If I were to choose I’d take the buchardts. Super impressive and high WAF. Nice job Mads and team!

[@eystonaustin4988]

Thank you so much for this presentation!! Very insightful, enjoyable, and fun. There was only one thing I wish could’ve happened… I REALLY WISH I was around for the live stream… Definitely earned my YT subscription today!!! Thank you, and well deserved. I have been thinking about purchasing the Buchardt speakers. I even looked at the D&D 8C a while ago. Have never heard of KAD, but WOW!!! Again, thank you for such a pleasant presentation. Cheers to everyone on the panel, and everyone involved. Great job folks!!!

[@TheAlphaAudio]

Thanks! And no worries. There will be more livestreams.

[@DIYtechie]

Really great test. Buchart hit the sweetspot for me. I also recently listened to the limited edition with the Purifi long range low distortion woofers. Was really good.

[@spanishattache]

Little Fugue in G minor sounded nice on my Creative Stage 360 Soundbar but I can imagine the Devialet is on a whole other level of performance over many speaker bigger than its size, these speakers are amazing & I can't wait to have a pair to call my own. I am aiming for the Opera version of these bad boys.

[@jokur2630]

Loved seeing Marnie hear her performance played back for the first time. That was just beautiful 37:41

[@TheAlphaAudio]

Yeah. That was very nice!

[@jokur2630]

@@TheAlphaAudio First time watching (listening to) your channel. Great stuff. Glad I stumbled upon it, will be watching more.

[@TheAlphaAudio]

@@jokur2630 thanks!

[@REX4340]

Great music, beautifully captured!

[@ibassnote]

I had forgotten to subscribe to your channel. I bought the HEDD pretty much by your shocked reaction. I have been happy with them. I had also chosen A500s and I like them very much. The Buchardts are fascinating to listen to. I always hear something exciting whether it is quiet late night listening or Sunday afternoon jamming. Voices and pianos are truly shocking at times, so very clear and present. But everything sounds great on the Buchardts. So A500 in the living room and HEDD on the desk. A pretty great sounding apartment. Subscribed.

[@TheAlphaAudio]

Thabks man!

[@ibassnote]

@@TheAlphaAudio also I think I told you I used to live in Haarlem!

[@TheAlphaAudio]

@@ibassnote I dont remember... But cool! :-)

[@ibassnote]

@@TheAlphaAudio such a lovely, somewhat sleepy town!

[@karamokodiabate]

@Jason Sypher thanks so much for your comment (very useful). Strongly considering A500. Can you please tell me the size of your living room?

[@matthewhoult1350]

A great demo I think the Buchardt was the star of the show I see on their website they are due to release their own Buchardt Hub this will have both analogue and digital outputs so you can easily pair it with a third party subwoofer and Buchardt will also be releasing their own subs I cant wait to hear that combo.....

[@OdderLex]

Subwoofer? No need to pair the A500s with a subwoofer, at least not in my room. If you think you might need one then the A700s are the better choice I think.

[@tweedpenguin712]

You must be a kid

[@matsudakodo]

@@OdderLex subs are always needed to reach the pinnacle

[@alex-wk7mq]

i really enjoyed the live music,and the rest as well,well done.

[@TheAlphaAudio]

Thanks Alex!

[@MaZEEZaM]

The microphone discussion was very interesting.

[@mndlessdrwer]

Devialet actually had a showroom at Audio Advice Live and I went in there with the same prejudices, expecting their brand to be sold primarily on a gimmick of the interesting side woofers and the fashionable design. Then they blew me away by actually sounding legitimately great. They're not necessarily my favorite speakers by any stretch. I think the mid-woofer could stood to have been about 20% larger to provide a better balance to the sound, but man do they perform way better than I was expecting, and they're fairly genre agnostic as well, which is nice. I described them as a portable rave, because the amount of sound you can get out of them is insane.

[@morespinach9832]

Way too low end heavy. They’re absolutely gimmicky. You were right the first time.

[@cconnon1912]

These intrigue me. I love the format and them being powered with DAC, AirPlay, etc. it’s the other quest for a small good sounding speaker that has good highs good mid range and enough bass. But also, it’s versatile. I don’t have room for clips Cornwall III or something.

[@mndlessdrwer]

@@cconnon1912 If you have room for a pair of ultra-slim towers then I'd recommend trying to demo the KEF LS60. They'd be about the same price as a pair of the full-sized Deviolet. But the LS60 are just legitimately better because the balance of the mids to everything else is better and the treble isn't as aggressive.

[@GivThmHal]

This was just amazing! I’ve just got into audio merely for the reason I need speakers for my my living room. Been investigating and listening to several speakers and receivers for 2 weeks and I’ve been blown away. Thank you for the magic you have created and information 🙏🏻 By the way the Buchardt won for me, for price range and performance it’s a win. That’s why I’m going to purchase the s400 mk2. If I was to pair the s400 mk2 with the Nad M10 v2 do you think they would work well together? Thank you 🙏🏻 please answer 😂 as your opinion means a lot to my decision. My room is 6x4 metres. Will be using for moderate listening to music and also movies.

[@harnbak]

Thank you very much for a great session. I have had the luck to audition 2 of the 4 speakers, and I couldn't agree more to your observations related to those 2 speakers. I would love to hear the KADs, but they do not retail in DK. I have the request for you to make a similar sessions with 4-5 mid-sized floorstanders like the Audiovector r3, Dynaudio Evoke 50, KEF R7, Monitor Audio Gold 200, PMC twenty5.24i, Sonus Faber Sonetto III, ...?

[@gaycha6589]

Still loving my A500s 18 months in.

[@edmundgil6008]

Amazing Review, interactions, performances & comparisons! Wow! What an ingenious idea; a live recording, juxtaposed by immediately replaying the recording over the sample active speaker systems! Definitely worth a few more rewatches! Love those Silverbacks, and wish I could compare them against the Kef Wireless II. Man, thank you so much! 🎶❤️💪🏽🔥‼️💃🏽

[@TheAlphaAudio]

Thanks!

[@lukabosnjak3829]

Kef are a joke

[@EvgenyLebedevMusic]

SA is a way better?@@lukabosnjak3829

[@johanposdijk5333]

Too late to join the live test unfortunatly. I own a pair of A500 and was curious how you professionals would evaluate them. It seems that you like them as much as I do. I listen to them for about 3 months now, with different tunings and with room correction (makes a big differemce). That's the big plus with different tunings. You can make them sound the way you like them the most.

[@TheAlphaAudio]

Definately great speakers!

[@gijskummeling]

Hi Johan, how were you able to make a choice between the A500 and S400mk2? Both models seem interesting to me but I find it hard to make a choice. Perhaps you have a good tip for me :-)

[@johanposdijk5333]

@@gijskummeling Simplicity was my main argument to opt for the A500. Along with the decision to go for an active speaker system iso passive speakers. If I would choose the S400 (the S400 mkII did not exist at the time I ordered the A500), I would also need new amplification and source equipment as my former hifi system was not up to that standard. Going active saves a lot of equipment and wire spaghetti ;-) The A500 received excellent reviews at that time by several reviewers and the price of the total system was within my budget also. Downside to active speakers and the one and only complaint by audiophiles is, that you can't swop amplifiers, DACs and other equipment when you want a different sound with different kind of music. With the A500, and with A700 for that matter, you can swop different mastertunings from Buchardt to achieve the same result, sort of. I'm living with the A500 for about 7 months now and, allthough I can only compare them to my old system, am still amazed of how they sound. There is only one caviat I have to tell you. The hub, which is made by Platin and not by Buchardt, isn't as stable as I would have wanted. Platin is working on an update to fix some connection issues (Wisa) and Buchardt is working on a pre-amplifier themselves to offer this as an alternative for the Platin hub. The speakers themselves are perfect and can be fed with any pre-amplifier you wish via Wisa (if present) or wired with xlr cables.

[@gopro_vlogs]

I like the sound of the devialet speakers the best

[@frostycanada6404]

Buchardt should be super proud of their active models and and eye opener for me. I might be wrong but I think there is zero bracing with the A500 which is goes against what everyone believe or thinks should be done. I own a pair of S300mk2 powered by a Sugden integrated and find them to be super well behaved in room. Brian

[@madsbuchardt7845]

A500 does have a huge bracing. this is naturally there as you have two separated cabinets inside them for each woofer :)

[@frostycanada6404]

@@madsbuchardt7845 Thank you for the correction. I forget which US reviewer said that there was no bracing … with S300/S400? Congratulations on the excellent performance of your A500. Brian

[@matsudakodo]

@@frostycanada6404 none in the S400 MKI, the small cabinet sufficed. When the cabinet enlarged for the A500 and S400 MKII, bracing was added

[@rdolle990]

Great video with great commends! Why not taking off the covers of the Buchardt?

[@MaZEEZaM]

Sadly we can't get the Buchardt A500 in Australia.

[@mennobolle]

Thanks for this review. Very close to ordering a pair of A500's for a home review. This as I 'm interested in investigating going from my ATC surround set-up to a more compact set-up.

[@jmtennapel]

I will review them extensively at home and write a review about them for Alpha Audio. ATC is quite a challenge to replace, maybe you should consider giving System Audio a try as well. I think the tonal colour of the SA and ATC -- as I've heard it in different other live streams -- is closer than Buckhardt and ATC. But the Buckhardt's are definitely worth an audition.

[@mennobolle]

@@jmtennapel Thanks! It is not an high-end active ATC system, but passive SCM40, C3C and SCM11 (all Mk1) with a Parasound power amp. Quality wise still very happy with it. Looking at getting a simpler surround set-up that is less intrusive (onwall speakers and receiver) as I just use the HT much less. And then a separate compact stereo set-up, gives me also more freedom in living room layout.

[@Stephenwongdirectimaging]

Buchardt S400 II. very well sound good with Naim supernate 3 or 202 /200DR. pre power specially on vocal

[@ErickReyes-oc2or]

O wow, thanks for this 🙏

[@rg6556]

Well well well well well DONE!! Thanks for the great effort!

[@TheAlphaAudio]

Thanks!

[@gunterhackstock4480]

With thanks to such good reviews I'm with the A700 for a few months and very happy about they sound. Because the Buchardt's scale in a pleasant but realistic way, the precision is on spot not feeling too anayltical and the fun factor is given for sure. All this in respect and relation to the also tested Devialet Phantom 108 dB (more fun coloured sound) and the Buchardt A500 (more limited to lower volumes). I chose the A700 over the A500 because of the more dedicated midrange, resulting in more clearance in voices while bass is more controlled during load. Congratulation to Mads for making me happy! Because it's not that easy 🙂 But be aware of the german distributor HifPilot because of bad customer service 😞

[@TheAlphaAudio]

Thanks!

[@axelwunsch2366]

No Hifipilot is a exzellent Distributor with Great Service ❤

[@gunterhackstock4480]

@@axelwunsch2366 You do not know my case at all. Therefore, you can not deny me my bad experience with HifiPilot! Fine if it was positive for you. Not for me. And it's still pending.

[@Alex.R.O.P]

i feel i shoud get the buchardt a500 over Keff ls50 WL since i live in the city where their headquarter is ..

[@EirikHolan]

What are the names of the demo songs? Great video! 🤩

[@andreemilsen369]

Thank you for such a thorough comparison😊 I prefere the A500, my kind of sound 😊

[@MaZEEZaM]

interesting about the companies that didn't want to be compared.

[@JoroIrl]

Guys and gal, fantastic work here, Thank you. 🙂

[@dumitrustoian3600]

Hey guys you do amazing work👍,I want to ask you between B&W 804 D4 and KAD K7 which one you choose?thanks

[@TheAlphaAudio]

KAD without a doubt... it's much cheaper (active) and in the end more natural. But that's a matter of what you are looking for of course.

[@dumitrustoian3600]

@@TheAlphaAudio thanks

[@frostycanada6404]

Jaap, and to everyone involved in this production thank you. Please be patient with me as I might have a few questions to ask you about this live stream. Jaap, you never mention this but I really hope that your Patreon supporters helps offset some of cost in making this all happen. I’m very happy to be supporting Alpha Audio. Brian

[@TheAlphaAudio]

Thanks Brian! All the support helps. Know that all Patreon support is used for these kind of productions. And our recently aquiered measuring equipment.

[@schimanski2889]

Sorry, unfortunately, I can no longer edit the post. Error message from KZbin.

[@TheAlphaAudio]

@@schimanski2889 no worries. Thanks!

[@EnerGeezerSquirrel]

The revierws' comments seem to indicate that the Buchardts might be a good choice for Glenn Gould enthusiasts?

[@dave8396]

I have heard so many good things about the Buchardt

[@metalceesie219]

i loved it very much! BEDANKT!

[@mickrileybcn]

The best of the best review

[@Gee00001]

I wonder if the Devialet wouldn’t have had any compression issues if Tidal or Airplay2 were used?

[@frostycanada6404]

Jaap, last observation and question. Observation: I really enjoyed the reviewer sitting in the middle chair and personally you should invite him more often. He seems to be very nice person and not judgemental when I comes to equipment being reviewed. Question: What was the average sound level (db level) being played when testing all these speakers? That’s it, and thank you.

[@TheAlphaAudio]

Thanks. We thought the energy in the team was also very nice with Martijn joining us. Average dB was around 70. Loud enough for good samples, but not too loud for long listening.

[@frostycanada6404]

@@TheAlphaAudio Interesting. I’m surprised that you were getting compression with the Devialet at that level.

[@psyphonyxaudio]

Very wonderful

[@frostycanada6404]

First question concerning the beautiful recording from Yung and the lovely lady. The live recording … are we listing to the room or the live feed from the recording console? She has tons more reverb live, but the mastered version seems more reserved. I’m really enjoying this. Any feedback would be great, Brian

[@TheAlphaAudio]

The 'Live performances' are directly from the recording deck with the chosen reverb. The mastered version is slightly different indeed.

[@frostycanada6404]

@@TheAlphaAudio Thank you. The Buchardt A500 are nice and transparent and you can clearly hear the reverb in her voice. 👌🤗

[@TheBuap]

her voice so lovely..

[@mauro21savaan]

Ola The Alpha Audio team, a suggestion for review if I may. System Audio legend 40.2 silverback with the SA stereo hub and Primare SC15 WiSA for comparison. Also might be fun to make the legend passive and run them with the Primare i15 prisma and the Marantz 40N for example. Just some suggestions.The System Audio legend line has also dolbysound possibilities but this does not have my personal intrest. Compliments to your work, lov it! And you have tested the SA legend 5.2 before, cheers.

[@c.j.vanwoerden1676]

Next time invite the man in green once again. He is a real asset to your team. He stayed focussed during the review on the sound.

[@TheAlphaAudio]

Martijn will be in the next stream at Artone again!

[@JingoLoBa57]

Now try the Daniel Hertz lines of active systems and compare.

[@mndlessdrwer]

I personally prefer towers, but I totally get what he's saying about them sounding less accurate than bookshelves. It has to do with the fact that you're dealing with less of a point source, so you end up with more vertical distortion and delay from the woofers, depending on how they're crossed over and how they're arranged. I'd be curious to see someone place an order with HiVi to get them to re-engineer and manufacture their currently discontinued 3-way concentric coaxial driver and make a bookshelf speaker with it. Those things were insane, but the real culmination of what a point-source driver could be.

[@bigjay1970]

Laying in bed here in the USA at 7:00 in the morning. Guess who's excited to watch on their cell phone here in bed for the next 2 hours? Me!🤭😇 That is, as long as it's in English that it does appear to be.😬

[@TheAlphaAudio]

Now that is dedication!

[@thommyj1902]

Hi guys, I would love to hear your opion on the Cabasse Pearl Pelegrina, if you happen to get one to test

[@TheAlphaAudio]

OK!

[@michaelauyeung6745]

What connection mode was used in the testing? All using bluetooth, wifi or optical?

[@TheAlphaAudio]

All Roon... Ethernet.

[@michaelauyeung6745]

@@TheAlphaAudio It is funny, devialet might have listened to you guys complaint, they have just released an app update yesterday and there is a new equalizer function within which there is a voice mode, and that works for vocal tracks which cut the low end influence a bit and makes the vocal sounds more natural 😂

[@dariopieterson]

@@michaelauyeung6745 did you hear that new update????

[@michaelauyeung6745]

@@dariopieterson I own Phantom I, if you set the EQ into "voice mode", it becomes a more normal speakers with more emphasis in vocals, but it becomes less "devialet" than it has to be…

[@marinescucandrei]

Cabasse is big in active speakers

[@TheAlphaAudio]

Yup... we have a new pair on review now.

[@OdderLex]

Sure thing. The Pearls will be at the same level as the A500s I think. In my case there was no love for the spheres from my wife

[@Dan-iy8ig]

Can anyone explain why different types of music such as rock, Jazz and others were not listened to in the testing?

[@jmtennapel]

Because there is limited time, not everything streamed will pass without KZbin immediately blocking the stream. Jazz is included.

[@matsudakodo]

Time and copyright

[@mndlessdrwer]

One thing to point out is that fully active speakers with DSP correction can sound truly fantastic, but they do rob you of source and amplification scaling, so they will only ever sound as good as you can configure them to as an integrated system. You cannot try to "match" your speakers to specific amps and you cannot tune a speaker by providing it with a colored source, pre-amp, or amp. As far as I am aware, none of the companies producing active loudspeakers provide them with enough processing overhead to really re-tune the sound signature to emulate other sources or amplifiers. So, barring the integrated multi-band EQ and room correction software, you can't change how things sound. For the average consumer, this is likely to be a non-issue. Most people just want a set of speakers that sound good in their room and they don't want to have to fuss with swapping around sources, pre-amps, and amplifiers to find what best suits the speakers, music, or room. So for people who don't derive their joy from tinkering with their setup, fully active and DSP controlled loudspeakers are practically ideal. Not to mention that nowadays they can come with excellent streaming integration that lets you stream 24-bit/192kHz files over wifi-connected devices, so you aren't even necessarily giving up anything in terms of source file fidelity. I don't think passive speakers are going to die out, at least not anytime soon, but active streaming loudspeakers certainly do have a lot of draw for the average consumer and I'm very interested to see how they develop in the future. I'd love to see a set that includes a more fully-featured audio processing software with support for parametric EQ, amongst other filters.

[@TheAlphaAudio]

The group of customers that just want a good sounding system is much larger than the tweakers... But yes... You are less flexible.

[@mndlessdrwer]

@@TheAlphaAudio Absolutely, so being able to get the gist of the sound from videos like this is fantastic for those who don't have an audio store nearby to demo them at. I'm fortunate because I am close enough to one that carries a lot of great speakers, though most of these are new to me. I think the best wireless active loudspeaker I've had the pleasure of listening to on demo was a pair of the KEF LS60. They're something special, so hopefully you guys will toss them into a live demo video sometime. Their tuning reminds me a lot of my KEF iQ90 on a very neutral amplifier and source, so of course I'm predisposed to like them. Honestly, though, I can't wait to see how the market for wireless active speakers develops now that we have newer and more competent wireless audio transmission standards and we have powerful enough ARM processor-powered SoC devices that run cool enough that manufacturers can package them into the speakers to handle all of the audio streaming over a variety of different connectivity methods. Truly a time to be alive and see how technology takes something that we thought we had figured out and turns it on its head by giving us speakers with far greater sound than their size would ordinarily allow.

[@trey81373]

You just described the reason I went to active speakers from the component tweaking/upgrade train. I’d rather sit back and enjoy knowing that the speakers I am listening to were ideally matched to their amplification from the designer.

[@mndlessdrwer]

@@trey81373 That's really the ideal. Find what sounds good to you and just stick with that. It's so, so easy to fall down the rabbit hole of "could this sound better if I do this or buy this". Audiophiles have a somewhat well-earned reputation of people who use music to listen to their equipment. It's one of the reasons I'm so glad that my speakers sound quite acceptably good on my current source so I'm not desperately tempted to upgrade it. Like, sure, I'll happily take an upgrade if I find one at a price I can't pass up, but I don't feel the lingering urge to do so. Fully active speakers package that situation up quite nicely for people. It'll sound as good as it's going to sound out of the box, no need to keep trying new things.

[@dariopieterson]

Ik heb een vraag bij deze System Audio Legend 5.2 moet je die stereo hub er bij kopen of niet :)

[@TheAlphaAudio]

Je hebt een wisa hub nodig.

[@dariopieterson]

@@TheAlphaAudio sory dat ik vraag maar bij sommige site staat dat hij € 2.649,00 is maar ik weet niet of ze bedoelen met die stereo hub er bij of zonder haha echt ingewikkeld want stad er weer duizend er plus die stereo hub is kom je weer op de zelfde bedrag uit waar die andere site het in een doen dus alles bij elkaar voor die eerste prijs die ik op noem 🤔😁

[@TheAlphaAudio]

@@dariopieterson je hebt sowieso een manier nodig om de speakers te koppelen met een bron. De Platin hub is 1 mogelijkheid. Primare heeft ook een Wisa hub die werkt.

[@dariopieterson]

@@TheAlphaAudio is dit better dan een stereo set of raadt je toch aan voor een eindversterker eigenlijk wil ik jullie prive appe maar ik kan dat niet op jullie site :)?

[@TheAlphaAudio]

@@dariopieterson je kan via het contactformulier gewoon mailen hoor!

[@ThomasDercole2230]

The vocals on the KAD were alot more detailed IMO.

[@O2-D2]

What is your conclusion?

[@jmtennapel]

Forward to 2:20:00 and you get to the conclusion.

[@TheAlphaAudio]

You can see / hear the conclusion in the end.

[@JingoLoBa57]

Never heard a Devialet speaker or amp I liked.

[@YoramPomer]

I wish you did include a B&O wireless loudspeaker because this is the combination I have at home. My debate was between the Buchardt A500 and B&O 17. I picked the B&O even if the Buchardt sound is probably superior, and this is because as a living room system, the visual and the flexibility of positioning is not less important than the sound. If I had a dedicated listening room, than my decision would have probably been different. The sound of the B&O is amazing. It is capable of overcoming none optimized room, such as an open space living room with no acoustic walls. BTW, this can a very interesting experiment for one of your episodes - The ability of quality loudspeakers to sound good in a normal living room. A real life experiment, where the sofa is not positioned at the optimal sweet spot. Thanks for the great video.

[@lukabosnjak3829]

B&o sounds cheap...

[@YoramPomer]

@@lukabosnjak3829 Did you compare both speakers in the same environment?

[@lukabosnjak3829]

@@YoramPomer No. B&o looks nice but Buchard is way more serious sounding especially if you have will to play with master tunings...

[@YoramPomer]

@@lukabosnjak3829 We (including myself) need to be careful when we quote opinions of others because this is how fake news is spread. Many people like to say that BO looks nice but the sound is very average. People also like to say that Leica cameras are over priced and not worth the money. It has a lot to do with products that are from the start too expensive for the price aware person. But is this true? As long as you are not doing a compare, then quoting what people like to say is not very helpful. This is why I asked for an objective compare. BO is creating WISA loudspeakers since 2014. Both BO and Buchardt are Scandinavian brands that take their products very seriously. From my standpoint, it's a valuable compare - even if BO is out of reach for many audio fans.

[@lukabosnjak3829]

@@YoramPomer What's the point in those at all when Vifa Stockholm 2.0 (also Scandinavian) sounds better than most speakers for any price...

[@Peter-ii4xq]

I cannot judge her voice, I have never heard her life (without equipment). The same with the piano.

[@bbfoto7248]

@TheAlphaAudio Unfortunately, I missed the live stream due to the time difference in the States, but this was another excellent speaker comparison, gentleman! My hat is off to Yung and his skills at the keyboard, along with the wonderful talent of Marnie B! It was also great to have Martjin's ears and impressions included in this test as well. 👍 For my taste, there was a bit too much reverb on the live session. In my experience, most vocalist do prefer quite a bit of reverb to overcome the direct bone conduction signal levels of their own voice while tracking. You obviously toned down the reverb a bit in the mastered playback track, but it was still just a bit too much for me. Jaap, for the level matching between the speaker sets, don't you think it would be better to play a -0dB 1kHz sine wave through each set before the playback begins? As it is, you are randomly measuring the dynamic musical track at a random point in time where the level will never be consistent. It might be unpleasant for the KZbin listeners, and for yourself as well, but it would be very brief and much more accurate in level matching the speaker sets. For the KZbin listeners, you could mute it or provide a warning just before the level-matching test tone is played. It was curious how much the System Audio Legend 5.2 (last speaker pair) resolved the nuances of the reverb as well! IME, this tells me that there is excellent phase response/coherency and good directivity matching between all of the drivers, and that the midbass region is not bloated or overemphasized, which tends to mask these details. In the Devialet Phantom speakers, it was interesting how they emphasized the mechanical, percussive sounds of the piano. Perhaps a different mic'ing technique could be used. However, I believe it was moreso due to the built-in compression that was "pushing up" these mechanical sounds of the piano in the mastered track. As you said, Jaap, the Devialet Phantoms would not be able to reach those 108dB SPL levels CLEANLY from those small enclosures and particular drive units without some sort of dynamic compression and/or limiting. It is very common for active/powered studio monitors to have built-in compression and limiters to protect the drivers. My active Neumann, ATC, and Kali Audio studio monitors all use limiting and suffer from at least some amount of dynamic compression At Louder Listening Levels. However, I believe that the Phantom loudspeakers here are doing active Level-dependent AND Frequency-dependent compression, i.e. dynamic "normalization". I'm also a HUGE fan of the old RCA ribbon mics...44's, 77's, KU3A, etc. But these old mics can be finicky and expensive to maintain, so I own and use the AEA versions of some of these ribbon mics, including the KU4 cardioid ribbon. They are FANTASTIC on vocals, and nearly any instrument as well. Incredible Realism and a HOLOGRAPHIC, spacious sound! I also use the Samar Audio Designs VL-37A active ribbon mics and the similar AEA Nuovo N8's for drum O/H & room mics, and for my Saxophones. Amazing on Cello, violin/viola, and basically all strings as well! Keep up the great work! I know that it's incredibly complex and difficult to produce these livestream comparisons from both the video and audio aspect!

[@jmtennapel]

Marnie and Yung chose the reverb together with Martijn, the sound engineer from Artone. Do not forget that any artist collaborating is very brave. It is live, it is recorded. For a recording session where you can have several takes you can decide on the reverb afterwards. I heard her sing, without reverb in a dry acoustic recording room and I can tell you she really can sing. What a gifted performer of lyrics she is! She completely had me with the 'When I was a boy' song at the end, she completely did draw me in on the story she was telling. Also the first song, a standard, was wonderful. I'm glad she did not record that for the test, because I probably wouldn't kept it dry ;)

[@soulfunkjazz]

1:30:44

[@bpalpha]

These are powered speakers, not wireless.

[@TheAlphaAudio]

True

[@gaycha6589]

A500s are wireless

[@Peter-ii4xq]

It is impossible to listen only to speakers. Explain me how you think you can? Everybody says he is building the best. Let's be realistic please.

[@TheAlphaAudio]

Not sure what you mean...

[@DJMikeron]

If you all are so serious about sound get that room treated before you turn on the speakers

[@TheAlphaAudio]

@@DJMikeron true

[@Peter-ii4xq]

What microphones and microphone cables are used? What´s the character of the amp, equipment, cables, room acoustics? In other words: again a review that helps nobody. It's all about business. Nice website by the way. Please don't full the readers.

[@matsudakodo]

Please don't post worthless comments.

[@ArnaudSiemons]

Funny guy...... If this vid/comparison makes you curious go out and find out for yourself...... Blabbing about cables and such...... Full the readers? You mean "fool" and nobody's reading.....

[@kencur9690]

@@ArnaudSiemons microphones will definitely give their tint to a recording, even neutral ones, and microphone cabling most definitely matters. Still, that’s just part of the reality of audio. It’s a valid concern he posts but what can one do? As you say, if this gets you curious, just go have a listen yourself... and then also worry about the fact that what you listened to *there* won’t be exactly the same as you’ll hear when installing whatever you are taking home with you. So even a live listening won’t provide an accurate depiction of things to come. If we go into the psychology of things, then even your own mood will affect the listening, and even your living room speakers will sound different from one day to another.

[@matsudakodo]

@@rmcaudio7041 no. The same components were used for all speakers. There are no variables between cables, microphones, etc in this test.

[@matsudakodo]

@@rmcaudio7041 I hope you are not claiming the wireless network affects sound quality. Yikes! No wonder there's a lot of misunderstanding here. This is a relative comparison between speakers. No absolute statements are being made. However, keep in mind that good speakers sound good in many rooms, and the sonic differences between them will still be audible in different rooms. The comparison is more valid than you're giving them credit for.

[@tweedpenguin712]

LED lights don’t affect wireless connection lmfao and they are trying to say the copper makes the speakers sound different lol what a joke.

[@matsudakodo]

The transformers for AC to DC to run the LEDs can, and when they said copper, it was in reference to the instruments.

[@chinmeysway]

I can’t wait to listen to my shitty thrift 60s speakers ASAP; this is just too fukn weird