Meta Analysis & Review of Buchardt A500 All In One Speaker System + Streaming Hub.

Buchardt A500: buchardtaudio....
Discord Link: / discord
There is no associated equipment as this is a standalone system.
Reviewers I quoted:
Zero Fidelity: • Is THIS the future of ...
6moons.com: 6moons.com/aud...
Darko Audio: • Buchardt Audio's A500 ...
Z Reviews: • Buchardt A500 _(Z Revi...
Jay's Iyagi: • Buchardt A500 - The BE...
A British Audiophile: • Buchardt A500 & Platin...

[@ZeroFidelity]

Dang. You didn't have to do Michael like that! Loved this summary. The fact you knocked this out in 1 take is seriously impressive. Keep rockin'!

[@erics.4113]

The nemo-scorcese one long take effect is real. His ability to do these videos like this makes him potently sincere. I don't know how he does it without fumbling the f up.

[@NemoPropaganda]

Hallo, Michael had it coming lol, thank you for the compliment. In full transparency this was the second take as the first one was 42 minutes 🤣

[@NemoPropaganda]

honestly bro it all comes from my refusal to learn how to edit videos lol, spending hours in post production just isn't something I want to do :D

[@muhammadmuflih5628]

Who the fuck mcihale

[@madsbuchardt7845]

Hi Nemo. I got to give it to you, this is properly one of the best "reviews" of the speakers out there. This really gives people a realistic idea of what to expect, and who this is for. It has been a hard product to get reviewed, as DSP controlled speakers are to many die hard audiophiles a bit scary. And most reviewers out there are die hard audiophiles, with a few exceptions :) Great job on this!!

[@JoseMartinez-hi9ie]

😎🙌👍

[@ZeroFidelity]

One of the best huh? F you Mads! :D. I agree. I think Nima's aggregation approach to covering popular hi-fi is smart and provides a lot of value. He's doing a great job!

[@erics.4113]

@@ZeroFidelity you said "nima" instead of nemo. Haha that's an awesome move. I call my employees by the wrong name when I compliment them too. It's hilarious way to "recognize" someone.

[@NemoPropaganda]

Hey Mads, thank you for the kind words, I will admit I agree, it was kind of scary for me also lol.

[@NemoPropaganda]

He's actually using my real name :)

[@ibassnote]

I purchased the A500. I live in a rather small apartment in Japan. There are lots of windows and room treatments would be difficult to impossible to integrate. I would not buy an expensive audiophile system without proper room treatment. I also move every few years. I am a professional musician. Good sound is important to me. Bling is not. I am constantly surprised by these speakers. I hear something that justifies my purchase every time I listen to them. They flank my large screen tv and greatly enhance any thing I happen to watch from movies to gaming. I’ve tried a few mastertunings and find them useful. I am not an audiophile hobbyist. Just a musician that knows what I need to hear. I think your bit about fancy words doesn’t serve you. Anytime a person complains about fancy words or fancy music it makes them seem either lazy or lacking intelligence. Of course, neither are true in your case. Great job here.

[@NemoPropaganda]

Hey Jason, that's awesome feedback. I'm happy the A500 are a good fit for you. They really are unique in what they offer! It's not the fancy words that bother me, it's when people string them all together in a way that is forced. I'm a man that favors efficiency and when someone exaggerates speech to such a degree that the message starts to become lost or misunderstood then I feel that person is failing at communication. Though of course a fair argument would be that the problem is mine for not having such mastery over the English language so it's really just a matter of perspective. At the end of the day though, I was just having a little fun in taking a jab at wordy reviewers generally found in print :)

[@ibassnote]

You just did something I always do, consider both sides and stand by your conviction. That’s all anyone can ask. Cheers.

[@monteclat1687]

What a great & funny review of the A500. Thank you much. If i'm in the market for active speakers, i'd definitely buy this pair.

[@peterphan227]

The great thing about this review is that most reviews are in silos, seperate from one another. What you've done is break down those silos, giving your assessment relative to these other assessments and not in isolation from them. Good job 👍

[@supabayes3284]

Thanks for making this video. A500 is very versatile and the updates in tunings and app offer me more options to adjust for my taste a year after I have taken delivery. This is the future speaker.

[@NemoPropaganda]

Hi Supa! Glad you enjoyed the vid and glad you are enjoying the speakers!

[@HPMIKE55]

Your 100% right 😎🤙 keep up the great job & I cannot wait to see what’s up for next year!

[@Novilicious]

Another winner of a review. This format is amazing! Keep it up!!

[@NemoPropaganda]

thanks bro, I'm having a fun time with it.

[@edmundgil6008]

Loved this idea for a review bro! But man… it had to be a TON of work for you! As for me, I love my subwoofers. I run two; (SVS sealed, and a Paradigm 10” ported). It’s a 2.2 system with two active loudspeakers. I also want to upgrade my current active loudspeakers and this review was super helpful. Thanks again bro. Edmund

[@NemoPropaganda]

Thank you for the kind words Edmund, glad you enjoyed the outcome :)

[@DDennnisss]

Haaha, lolled a couple times during the quotes.. :) I like the new format!

[@NemoPropaganda]

hell yeah! laughter makes the world go round!!

[@Phloored]

The way i see this is completely different. You can not compare this to a traditional set up. To have drivers that are direct coupled to a dedicated amp for each driver with it's own dac for each driver with all the crossover work done before the dedicated dac amp for each driver, equals an unparalleled high resolution sound that traditionally systems costing way more can't compete with. It's fast direct and resolved. It's a fantastic value and shifts the emphasis from component matching and cable swapping to room treatment and room correction. I find it much more refined a experience that focuses on a endgame sound solution and just a deeper understanding of the music and how we enjoy it. After building a pair of dynaudio speakers 30 years ago and then finally moving on to a pair of bamberg series 3 fully active with a minidsp studio this is definitely a industry shaping trend. Kudos to Buchardt for doing this. It rocks the boat of all the old methods of attaining a great sounding system. I would go for the A700's if i wasn't so satisfied with my bambergs. So i kinda agree with darko on this.

[@irisfinchmusic]

Good job, Namo. appreciate all the effort...

[@thegrimmer]

The algorithm kicked you aside for a bit; catching up. Killer lighting setup with balanced hue on yourself but blue elsewhere. Thanks for grounding all the A500 minutes I've also watched like a dog.

[@NemoPropaganda]

ahahaha, thank you G, I appreciate that :). I thought the blue was cheesy at first but I like it in a weird way too lol.

[@bruceandt]

I can’t add one single thing. Perfect review

[@NemoPropaganda]

glad you enjoyed it :)

[@DearSX]

I think I'm going for simplifying things and getting a speaker like this, while keeping some of the my separate components as a backup. Great review!

[@Jayiyagi]

Yo. Dope review. I liked how you agreed and disagreed on points based on your take - gives perspective

[@NemoPropaganda]

aye what's up my man!! Hope all is well.

[@xeniavader]

I have a pair. Fantastic!!! The build-in DAC/amps are of a very high level.

[@Abraxus34]

only connected wirelessly? what about analogue xlrs?

[@sudd3660]

this is like a meta review, i like it, lots of reviewers taken into account. i agree with you on enjoying separates, and wanting to have dsp as well. thats why i did a compromise and got it all for my latest build. 3 way plate amp with dsp crossover for my main speakers, and power amp and dac for dual stereo subwoofers. all controlled from a mini dsp shd studio unit, as volume control and dsp room correction and sub/sat crossover integration.

[@NemoPropaganda]

That sounds pretty cool!! I don't have any dsp in my system but I know a lot of people like them.

[@ajzepp8976]

Great review brother Nemo. Mads is killin' it!

[@NemoPropaganda]

Thank you AJ, always like seeing you comment :)

[@gokhanersan8561]

Schiit 4-band EQ is essential for “recording correction.” Must suppress treble on some recordings and boost it on others.

[@PARajapakse]

I'm with you Nemo! I like the fun in mix 'n' match in the hobby. I have some S400 Mk2 arriving (hopefully) this week to match up with a Hegel H190. It's good to know the positioning of these two products to avoid any post (purchase ) traumatic stress! Not that would apply because just hooking up the A500 would be a bit boring. I appreciate your approach as those of us who are amateurs will do the rounds and look at all reviews -Sometimes we are left more confused than we started! LoL. Not this time...Thank you. ;-)

[@JoseMartinez-hi9ie]

Nice😎👍🙌

[@PARajapakse]

@@JoseMartinez-hi9ie Thank you. :-)

[@erics.4113]

That's a nice pairing I'm jealous. Are you rolling without a sub in that setup?

[@PARajapakse]

@@erics.4113 no sub for now. I’ll see what the sound is like first. Love bass! 😀

[@erics.4113]

@@PARajapakse I suppose your room will play a big part of the bass picture once you're all set up. I really want to hear both. The Hegel and the Buchardt. Together should be spectacular. Best of luck with them!

[@samnolan7670]

under 1 minute into the video and hearing your plan of attack makes me excited to keep watching, big up mate!

[@NemoPropaganda]

hell yeah brother!! Hope you found the vid useful or entertaining.

[@petervanderham4725]

Awesome review! Still contemplating between the A500 and the S400II (that I have on pre-order).

[@StanleyBeamish69]

I had the S400 pair with a NAD 658C pre and a Crown drive core power amp with DSP. They sounded fantastic but I just didn’t like all the fuss and cables. The A500 pair was the best move for me. For my weird little bonus room area, the room correction fixed all the problems and now I’m very happy Mads is very good at what he does!

[@NemoPropaganda]

I don't know if my video helped or not but I hope it did :).

[@RemusSimon]

Loved when you quoted Darko about the speakers going down to 25Hz, how you actually sounded like him :))

[@NemoPropaganda]

really? I didn't even realize that, I was born in england so it comes out sometimes I guess.

[@peterphan227]

Agreed regarding "Impulse response textures." Okay I vaguely understand impulse response. But what's the texture of impulse responses? 😂

[@scottt.4596]

Woah. Seriously good review and feedback. Thanks for sharing.

[@NemoPropaganda]

Thanks for watching!

[@hervedelplanque2841]

Great and very documented review, thanks for spending so much time preparing it. I had those speakers for about 2 months and the only part where I’d differ from your comments is on using the xlr inputs. In my experience, using a Bluesound Node hooked to the xlr inputs improved noticeably the sound. Not game changing, but better clarity on mids and highs and also more density to the sound (with the hub the sound is slightly shallower if that makes sense). Also, when listening to compressed sources like Spotify, the node + A500 expose the lower quality (compared to Tidal hi-fi or masters). For lower quality sources, the hub is more forgiving. Of course, not using the hub means you’re giving up on the room correction which can be a problem for some configurations. Last comment, I heard the $15k Kii Three all in one system in my living room for a full day and it does sound better and really much more powerful, but that’s expected for 4x the price of the A500… Hope this helps and keep the great reviews coming :)

[@NemoPropaganda]

Hey brother thank you for sharing your experience, I think we actually agree so here is what I really mean, I connected my node 2i $550, my Preamp Kinki EXP7 $2000 and Ares2 Dac $800 for a total of $3350 worth of added gear all just to use the XLR and the difference was really small. It certainly was an improvement, it should be since I added $3350 worth of gear but man the improvement was really small.

[@hervedelplanque2841]

Thanks for your reply. I haven’t tried with a preamp and DAC, but the $550 node (2021 model) already improved sound noticeably. So I think it’s worth the added cost. Having said that, the hub provides lots of benefits too so I agree with you it makes sense to order the A500s with the hub as long as it only 200€ more. One use case that I really enjoy is to plug my DJ controller to the hub via RCA. There’s no perceptible delay although the sound goes wirelessly to the speakers which gives great placement flexibility to my DJ gear. I wasn’t able to do that previously with Bluetooth for example, the lag was way too long. Disclaimer: I’m not a pro DJ so maybe Carl Cox would disagree with me :).

[@NemoPropaganda]

@@hervedelplanque2841 in that regard it's like you're replacing the hub with the node 2i which is similar in size and price so I think that's an alternative usage case I didn't consider but I really think using a full size $1000+ preamp just for a small improvement is silly and defeats the purpose of these speakers.

[@krutonton]

My experience echoes with yours in terms of the improvement in using my own DAC. In my case it is immediately noticeable and quite a bit obvious especially the density of the sound. There so much more "meat" to the mid and lower midrange that could make certain songs from sounding just decent using the hub to sounding awesome!

[@NemoPropaganda]

@@krutonton that's awesome, I guess maybe it depends on how the DAC is voiced :)

[@bruceandt]

You know what would be cool? To be able to use the master tuning to perfect one single track for your room. Have it locked in and then create another master tuning for the next track in your library. If you had 300 essential tunes? Each individual tune is exactly the way you tuned it.

[@NemoPropaganda]

I find it's just easier to accept recordings as they are, some are great, some aren't. I listen to the crappy recordings in my car where I don't notice :)

[@jonsays3762]

Wow. Ton of info on these little bookies. Thanks.

[@gatobakuniano]

This really was a great video :) By the way, what's your first language? Just curious...

[@NemoPropaganda]

I was born in London to persian parents so my first language was farsi until I was about 5 years old they realized I need to know english so that's when I learned english and moved to america when I was 6 years old.

[@net_news]

love your metareviews!!

[@geraldmcmullon2465]

Interesting comments and comments on comments. Part of the advantages of DSP is how it can room correct. The advantage of active speakers (some what with their less expensive powered speaker cousins) is that you don't have to find the best matching amplifier. Some wireless speakers including streaming features reducing even further the need for yet another external source. The problem with many is that they do not expand to a 5.1 or 7.1 surround sound system. Because the way the digital signal get to the them they have noticeable time lag from TV and video played on a computer. TVs have compressed 5.1 channels on Toslink and computers either use a USB to 6 or 8 channel analogue output or a HDMI debedder also to 6 or 8 channels. I have yet to find a device that feeds from a digital source (computer usb or HDMI, TV or Blue-Ray player HDMI) to 6 (or 8) channels digital coaxial directly into the speakers. Wisa (as in the A500 and B&O Beolabs 28) is supposed to but even the dealers can't explain how it is set up and controlled - B&O start with the TV as the centre and hub. Most wireless systems and many DSP Active speaker systems can not be as easily set up as surround sound leaving customers to go for an analogue receiver with HDMI-ARC input using passive speakers or a sound bar. There are fewer reviews on the A700 which has a bass down to 17Hz when most floor standing speakers are 25Hz or 30Hz.

[@NemoPropaganda]

Sony did a wireless multi channel system that people seem to like but I totally get what you mean. I think the A700 is not reviewed as much because of the costs & risk associated with shipping such a large speaker across the world. I'm guessing it's around $700 in shipping one way.

[@geraldmcmullon2465]

The Wisa information web pages give some details on the Axiim LINK (usb multichannel interface) and SoundSend that takes the TV's audio signal to transmit wirelessly. . Max Buchardt has a video on repairs to the A400 and A700 speakers where the electronics can be removed by the user and replaced. This also means that if (when) Max has a better DAC, better amp for the speakers it is possible to "upgrade" existing active speakers. B&O have similar ideas that their dealer network can replace modules so for repairs the whole speaker does not need sending and upgrades can still be made.

[@PaulRLight]

Great video. Yes, some reviews were very "wordy". I wish that I had $1 for every time that you said "like".

[@NemoPropaganda]

You and me both!

[@crankthetunes7989]

You are the master of the single take video. You gotta be a salesman or a powerPoint presenting ninja!

[@NemoPropaganda]

Thank's Crank, I appreciate it!!

[@CapnJack100]

Thank you, love your reviews. I realize that the KEF R3s have been out for some time but I would love your take on them compared to the but Buchardt's and any other bookshelf speakers you have reviewed. Thank you again.

[@NemoPropaganda]

Hey John, I might one day :) I am curious about them, they're just a bit expensive and I don't have a relationship with KEF yet so I'd have to buy them to review them.

[@CapnJack100]

@@NemoPropaganda thanks for responding. I’m guessing I’m not the first to ask this. I picked up a pair last year before their big sale.. of course. Anyway I have enjoyed them. I dig your reviews so it would be interesting. Keep up the great work, thank you

[@NemoPropaganda]

@@CapnJack100 it's a popular speaker so it makes sense I check it out at some point :), thank you for the kind words.

[@vladimirdorta6692]

There is now a mastertuning specifically to use the A500 with subwoofers, with a high-pass filter at 60Hz, I think.

[@joshdekubber3631]

Omg love the end "If you don't like this video I don't care" seriously though great review. I think it's great information explaining both side from an opinion instead of factual opinion standpoint. Is it really true that their is NO way to hook up a sub or subs while using the hub?? Catch you on the other side bro

[@NemoPropaganda]

Correct! Hub does not have any sub output, they are designed to be an all in one no-subwoofers needed solution. But I know Mads is working on a higher end hub, maybe he will implement a sub output for the theater boys.

[@madsbuchardt7845]

@@NemoPropaganda The hub only have WiSA as an output, so if the sub support WiSA (we are working on one) then you can connect 14 subs wirelessly with the A500 if you like :D With our own Buchardt hub, we would have the option for connecting wired subs.

[@cybergod77]

nice going thru the reviews by your peers

[@edleung4925]

U mentioned you would rather have the s400 mk ii + nice amp; but wouldn't you miss out on master tunings nd room correction?

[@NemoPropaganda]

none of that matters to me, s400 mk2 is my favorite speaker even against Buchardts own speakers. I would rather have S400 MK2 over anything. It is the sound I enjoy the most.

[@edleung4925]

@@NemoPropaganda thank you for the prompt reply

[@Abraxus34]

so as i understood correctly this video - those speakers have sucks bass when we are using these speakers through xlr analogue wired cables connection. they are good only with wireless modes

[@NemoPropaganda]

no, I did not say that. I said the room correction only works with wireless.

[@Abraxus34]

@@NemoPropaganda what do you think if I will use these speakers as active but with xlr analogue only with my PC. Will they sound like dsp also (deep, bassy and cool) or this will be not so good. did you test it?

[@jameslevine1873]

Great second 'review of reviews' with added value from your experience! With the new parametric eq, do you think they can work for someone who likes a full midrange and deep, fast, but not very high volume bass? Keep up the good work!

[@NemoPropaganda]

mmmm, I feel like one of the biggest selling points here is the volume of bass these can produce. You are more describing something like the Elac DBR62.

[@boomusa5567]

The mother of all reviews.

[@NemoPropaganda]

thank you bro!

[@routinecanwait1153]

Hi Nemo! Is it true that you can hear some kind of a noise coming out from the amp of the speakers?If this happens is it still audible in soft music passages? Thanks in advance, love your channel :)

[@NemoPropaganda]

no that was not my experience, the speakers internal amplifiers were silent for me.

[@AndrewWong08]

Can you review the S400MkII with the I150? Would this give the combo the same capability of the A500 for room correction and sound quality?

[@NemoPropaganda]

maybe one day, but since Buchardt makes all the products you are curious about I think they will be the best to answer this question. If I were you I would email them and see what they have to say about it :)

[@MrNickjberry]

Nemo, here is my main concern with this A500 speaker. Each speaker contains THREE amplifiers, THREE DAC's and electronics for the USB EQ system. It worries me having SIX amps and SIX DAC in two speakers, it seems like a ton of potential things to go wrong down the road. If one does go bad, will a A500 replacement a few years later even sound the same? The drivers might have changed. The DAC might have been updated. Who knows? Seperates just seem so much safer for long term usage. Of course, people drowning in money probably won't have this concern, but I am not in that position.

[@NemoPropaganda]

This is a great question to bring up to Buchardt directly if you're seriously considering buying these. Most companies make sure to have ample parts supply on hand for a certain period of service or will instead plan to replace them outright with whatever the updated model is if they no longer have parts on hand for warranty. Only Buchardt can answer this question though.

[@rdolle990]

So far quality class D amps with onboard DAC's are not having too much issues. There is a very long warranty on these speakers and in a video Mads explains if parts, which are very easy to replace yourself, can be bought cheap from Buchardt directly. when out of warranty. kzbin.info/www/bejne/q2aUqqR3fKZ3Z7c

[@RMW1982]

Great review, thanks! Did your pair get extremely hot? I’ve read some owners say theirs are quasi space heaters.

[@NemoPropaganda]

the back plate certainly gets warm, I'd say space heater is a bit of an exaggeration though.

[@madsbuchardt7845]

This has been addressed, so they do not get that warm anymore. Around 48-52 Celsius at the back :)

[@NemoPropaganda]

@@madsbuchardt7845 This is awesome that you're responding to questions, I wish more companies did this!

[@MarcelNL]

I really still am in doubt; the A500s or some Wharfedale Elysian 2's to which I later will add subwoofers, a different amp and a Denafrips dac. The A500 clearly is cheaper and looks far less messy in my room of 5 X 5 meters, but those Wharfedales are beautiful and I am thinking about some day buying an amp with an integrated tube pre-amp. I'm not 100% if DSP is something for me, but perhaps it could be. If I want to give the A500 a try, I'd have to sell my current pre- and power amp so I can afford it, and that will make it more difficult to just buy the Wharfedales some day later if I would want to send the Buchardts back; I'd need a new amp as well!

[@NemoPropaganda]

Hey Marcel, sounds like you're not sure if you should go with powered all in one speakers or keep things as they are and upgrade your amp? I wish I could help with that but it really is a personal decision. Personally I enjoy keeping things separate, part of the hobby I enjoy is bringing all the different components together, having the stack, the cables, etc... But I think the powered options are great too, just for different reasons. My final thought on powered speakers is similar to my thoughts on electric cars, I'm sure I'll own an electric car one day, just not today :)

[@MarcelNL]

@@NemoPropaganda Haha I do own an electric car and I love it. I also have had Beolab 8002's which were okay, except for a very nasty bump in the mid bass and the lack of deep bass. (I was thinking about buying subs.) The fact that they were active didn't bother me much, although I indeed did feel limited for future upgrades. Fortunately with these Buchardts you can still use (tube) pre-amps and I've seen a video in which you can hear an amazing improvement with sound quality on A700's using such a pre-amp. Right now I have a NAD C165BEE + C275BEE with some vintage high-end speakers that are just much too linear sounding for my taste. I haven't had such lean / thin sound in over 2 decades, and these speakers used to cost about 4 - 5 grand in 1996. The set that I would want to have (Heaven11 Billie + Denafrips Pontus + Wharfedale Elysian 2 + dual SVS SB-1000 Pro) would cost 3 times as much as a set of A500's and it also would cost more than A700s. But then at least you do have full control over the sound. On the other hand: mastertunings + room correction AND the DSP that corrects treble and bass at low volume settings also absolutely is nice. Choices choices......

[@NemoPropaganda]

@@MarcelNL yeah, it's a tough decision. The A500 are warm in some ways but lean in other ways. A lot of owners absolutely love them. Personally I prefer the S400 MK2 with an amp and dac of my choice.

[@MarcelNL]

@@NemoPropaganda I do like warm sound, that's also why I'm interested in the Heaven11 Billie amp and the Denafrips Pontus. In fact, a review of the Billie is what got me interested in the Buchardt 400 MK 2 since it supposedly was a match made in heaven. But then I would still need subwoofers, and still I'm not sure if the S400 MK2 would be a better choice over the WHarfedale Elysian 2. And before you know it, you're spending MUCH more money than you intended! 🙂Also, the Elysian 2 needs a lot of breathing room and these Buchardts probably would perform better in my 5 by 5 meter room (15 by 15 foot). Next to the speakers there is a built-in closet so that wall actually is only 4 meters wide, and by the corner is a door so the speakers can't be pulled forward very much. On top of that, there just isn't much space for a tv, amp, speakers and subs by a wall of only 4 meters wide. I do appreciate this discussion by the way! :-)

[@NemoPropaganda]

@@MarcelNL yeah, it's always hard to know what the best direction to go in might be. Don't be afraid to take advantage of in home trials if they're available in your region.

[@stefanbanovic]

@Nemo Propaganda thank you very much for the great video. I have a question. I can't make up my mind about my new purchase between LS50 WII +KC62 vs Buchardt A10. I plan to use it with TV, Lap top and stream mostly from my phone. How big is the difference between the 11hz in kc62 vs A500 25hz? Which option sounds better to you? I have a room of 20m2. Which system can sound louder? Are a10 or a500 enaugh loud? Thank youuu

[@NemoPropaganda]

I never heard the A10 or LS50 WII. Only A500 and LS50 Meta with KC62.

[@stefanbanovic]

@@NemoPropaganda In that comparison which would you chose?

[@NemoPropaganda]

@@stefanbanovic I don't like powered speakers personally so I would rather have the LS50 Meta + KC62, I feel I would have more flexibility but that doesn't mean that's what you should do. The A500 have a strong selling point also, if your room has some issues the built in room correction can be extremely helpful and making them sound great in a challenging room and you don't have to worry about buying anything else so it really just depends what your goals are.

[@stefanbanovic]

@@NemoPropaganda is the 25hz of A500 plenty enough or that kc62 produce a big step in terms of the bass which could benefit in music or movies? And which set has a bigger soundstage? :)

[@NemoPropaganda]

@@stefanbanovic A500 stage way larger and their bass performance is insane for being a speaker only without a separate subwoofer but LS50M with a KC62 will have much stronger bass overall and much deeper extension. No compact bookshelf speaker in the world can compete with a dedicated high quality subwoofer. But I can't tell you if the bass of the A500 will be enough for you or not. It's like spicy noodles, what I consider spicy enough may not be spicy enough for you. Personal taste is a big factor. I think for many people the A500 will satisfy all their needs but some people will want more. I wish I could be more helpful but how much bass is enough is very personal to everyone.

[@michaellong9039]

An interesting comparison would be the Buchardt A500 vs the KEF LS50W2 + KC62. Both active, but with different philosophies for internal amps, streaming and DSP.

[@NemoPropaganda]

indeed! I don't have a relationship with KEF yet but I hope that changes in the future, as I already have the KC62 I would be happy to cover the LS50W if they'd send over a review sample one day :).

[@patriktakacs]

These are exactly the two options I‘m gonna choose from. It’s just so hard to choose, since nobody has a take on that. Price wise are they also the same. Sadly Darko didn’t have the KC62 back then. Does anybody heard both of them?

[@NemoPropaganda]

@@patriktakacs A500 doesn’t need a sub 😎

[@patriktakacs]

@Nemo Propaganda yeah you said that in the review and I completely agree. The question is: KEF ls50 w2 + kc62 or the Buchardts alone.

[@NemoPropaganda]

@@patriktakacs If LS50W2 sounds and performs exactly like Meta well then I have reviewed Meta and used it with the KC62 and it is impressive. The S400 has a much larger vertical stage and a larger sense of scale overall while the meta/62 combo had more extension in the bass and slightly better separation in the very high frequencies. Both setups should be awesome but I think most people may prefer the more powerful sound and larger soundstage of the A500 while some may prefer the meta/62 combo in smaller rooms as the Meta is not idea for bigger rooms at louder volumes.

[@gueroblanco]

Hey Nemo Propaganda, I love this! Question: I read a lot about massive problems with Buchardt's own "Platin Hub". Have you had issues? Would you recommend it? their forum is full of posts from people with issues, they even offer the A500s with a different hub from "Primare" now. What are your thoughts?

[@NemoPropaganda]

Hey bro, the only minor issue I had was initial setup in the google echo system took a couple of tries lol but that seemed to be more google related as I've had the same problem setting up other google ecosystem products. From my conversation with Mads about the new hub it was more to offer something that's visual aesthetics and build quality were more on par with the A500 as the Platin hub looks a bit cheap and out of place for some owners. I didn't know there was issues with the platin hub and actually thought it was very reliable.

[@gueroblanco]

@@NemoPropaganda thanks bro for the awesome reply and help.

[@Audfile]

Hey manno! Have an idea for a unique review. Nobody talks about the Parasound NewClassic 2250 V2. 400 watts. 45 amps, looks like a beast for the money. And it's Parasound, they are supposed to punch way above. Thoughts? I bet they'd send you a sample.

[@NemoPropaganda]

Yo! I feel like that's nothing too wild, you can grab a pair of Emotiva Mono Blocks that do 600w at 4ohms for the same price so affordable wattage is in no short supply these days. I don't know if i want to review just poweramps, I do like integrated amps though.

[@eva00r]

The warm speaker that you said was just released a week ago.

[@NemoPropaganda]

I'm sorry beam I'm not sure what you are referring to, can you please clarify?

[@cory3685]

Hello, have you noticed that the A500 reduces the bass levels as the volume reaches reference levels? Basically any reduction in bass as volume goes up?

[@NemoPropaganda]

Hi Cory, I don't listen too much above 80dB so I'm not sure about that. I would imagine the dsp would pull some bass as it approaches it's maximum output to protect the drivers. Most powered speakers are designed that way.

[@lsaideOK]

Don't belittle your own linguistic dexterity. You could have just said 'big words' instead of vast vocabulary! That's not just some pretty decent synonyms but alliteration as well. A unique review with all of the KZbin reviewer quotes. Just a touch of sarcasm to help it all go down.

[@vitriol218]

Listening to you, Darko and Z, given flexibility and surplus of options/tuning/room correction, I don't know what these speakers are (what's their signature, character, non-existent essentially...) They are pretty, as far as I know, like a model, shallow and "silky". ;) Can't listen to them, don't know what to expect. I'd rather stick with my "ancient" system and method (to the MADness). As 6moons guy is over the top, these speakers perfectly reflect what he wrote actually. Yeah, DSP has been immensely improved over the years, and I DID NOT listen to these speakers, but everyone saying how DSP/Active speakers will always sound better is just marketing ploy from my POV. Hey, this is a new thing, let's try to sell it as much as we can. This is an expensive hobby and marketing is extremely important, or you'll end up as an underdog like Exposure vs Naim. (the irony eh?)

[@NemoPropaganda]

The sound of the speaker changes based on what master tuning software you have plugged in so the sound is nearly impossible to describe in a review.

[@ruffman44]

I can give you the main reason Zeos love these speakers so much is he gets to keep them for free most of companies he deals with allow him to keep the equipment for free that's why he shills so hard for them!!!

[@NemoPropaganda]

oooof, that's a shame if that's true, I remember when most of his gear was bought with patreon money and the patrons even got to choose what was next, there was a lot of authenticity to it all that I really appreciated. I will give him this, he is the reason I own the Buchardt S400.

[@shawnorjiakor]

That's not always true.

[@bencausey]

NO JOKE about 6 moons. Thank you.

[@NemoPropaganda]

Hi Ben, thanks for watching!

[@jitarasualexandru9659]

Extraordinary is the way you do reviews. You're 10 levels above everything I've seen so far. Anyway, in my opinion the iphone microphone is generally a garbage.

[@NemoPropaganda]

thank you, that's very kind of you to say. Regarding the iPhone microphone; it's the consistency from unit to unit that's really good for this scenario.

[@thepickyaudiophile]

That 6 moons review does sound a quite over cooked! That said, if youtube reviews at large could take anything from the written reviews, it is some of the more detailed description of sound. I’m personally starting to get a little fatigued at the sometimes overly simplified, somewhat calorie starved, binary hype reviews. I want to see more insight, more stuff that the newcomer might not understand, until spending some time with this hobby (you know actually owning and experiencing different gear) and less binary “just trust me, this is better than a, b, c”. Totally not aimed at your channel, you just hit a nerve 😉

[@NemoPropaganda]

I hear ya, I'm guessing you already follow Zero Fidelity? He breaks everything down really well. The problem with more insight is it means more length to videos that are already long as they need the proper context or it'll again turn into a "trust me this is good" scenario but I also feel like there are a good bit of reviewers that get fairly technical. Erins Audio Corner dives deep into objective data & measurements, Zero Fidelity does a great breakdown/description of the sound, Thomas & Stereo does some great comparisons and has really good context to what he says, NRD is also great with the descriptors, did you see his May Dac review? Oh man he really took a unique approach into describing the improvement and even visualized it for us in an awesome way! In fact it's so awesome I will link it here for your viewing pleasure :) kzbin.info/www/bejne/foHXpIqsnc9_rqM

[@JPWinters]

Cool review Nemo. The new format is more more helpful (when there are multiple reviewers). It provides better context on where something lands on the overall scale. Btw, the current year is 2021, not 2020 lol. I've traditionally been an analog/2-channel guy but I would have no problem going active/all-in-one hooked into my computer if it's done right. I see plenty of room for both approaches in the future.

[@NemoPropaganda]

Wait, what makes you think I don’t know year it is?

[@JPWinters]

@@NemoPropaganda You said 2020 twice in the video, but maybe you were talking about last year? Thought it was a new speaker but I'm seeing now it's been out about a year.

[@NemoPropaganda]

@@JPWinters when i said Darko crowned it product of the year for 2020? That's the year he did it :p

[@JPWinters]

@@NemoPropaganda Yeah yeah you're right..

[@zackpetrovic3029]

Is that the Kinki Studio EX-M1 in the middle?

[@NemoPropaganda]

no sir, it is the exp7 preamp and i have the exb7 power amps :D, up at the very top is the Pontus 2 DAC.

[@mcbowler]

Impulse response is how fast a speaker can stop after an impulse. It affects texture and certain dry sounds the most. If you want insane texture check on tekton speakers. The mid range is insane. I had to pair super tweeters with mine for better top end though. There are tests and charts that measure impulse response. Tekton speakers measure perfectly due to the design. Impulse response isn't everything., I wish tekton had powered DSP corrected speakers.

[@erics.4113]

What's that silver box on top rack above the kinki pre? Looks like a denafrips pontus ii?

[@NemoPropaganda]

Hey Eric, good eye my man, you are correct!

[@erics.4113]

@@NemoPropaganda looking forward to your thoughts on it considering it's double the cost of ares that I'm looking at too (and you've been using for some time now)

[@NemoPropaganda]

​@@erics.4113 we shall see, gotta knock out some speakers first :)

[@erics.4113]

@@NemoPropaganda I gotcha. I think it's a positive to live with a component for a while anyhow. Sometimes initial impressions don't capture a lot of the qualities that shine after you've lived with it for some time

[@peterphan227]

Savings every dollar now for these things.

[@eyeshezzy]

I want all that bass 😅 no trimming for me

[@NemoPropaganda]

that's what you think, it was a lot bro.

[@Cujobob]

I don’t think liking or hating DSP should change how people feel about the sound quality, that’s more of a user experience personal preference issue. Buchardt reviews are all over the place, in general. It goes for their passive speakers, as well. I think a major reason for it is that it needs more space from the wall than many are giving it due to the bass response. People buy monitors due to space constraints, typically, but these are monitors that may need to be treated like large floorstanders. And uh… that defeats the purpose.

[@NemoPropaganda]

Buchardt reviews are generally always favorable outside of a few outliers. I wouldn't call that "all over the place" The A500 have room correction so you can shove them as close to the wall as you like. As far as the S400 needing space from the wall that is the case with any and all speakers with strong bass response. Dynaudio Special 40 is the same way. I wouldn't say that defeats the purpose though, you can't blame the speaker for the rooms issues. We all have different rooms and some are more challenging than others, it's just part of the hobby.

[@sparkplug964]

Would anyone here say the A500 can reproduce the same Midrange you might get from a Class A 300B Tube amplifier?

[@NemoPropaganda]

No it does not.

[@geraldgreene5563]

Lol .. absolutely hilarious

[@JosephTongret]

6 MOONS.... I'm glad it's not just me. I get dizzy and nauseated just remembering my few visits to that website. Waxing poetic gibberish that made my head hurt. Every review is like six pages of that &h1t!

[@NemoPropaganda]

Yup! Makes me feel like it's google translated from a different language.

[@E.T.Persson]

✌🏼👽☮❤

[@HPPG2017]

👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻

[@IrenESorius]

+👍‍‍👍‍‍👍‍‍👍‍‍👍‍‍/👍‍‍👍‍‍👍‍‍👍‍‍👍‍‍

[@bbi7835]

so weird this review is only for men

[@NemoPropaganda]

oh look it's someone taking a normal speech pattern out of context in some odd attempt to be seem edgy & cool. You're such a champion for justice bro, great job!

[@bbi7835]

@@NemoPropaganda 4:20 enough context for you? if i was ever edgy and cool that ended a long time ago. i was jsut curious about some speakers but i've definately stumbled into the wrong channel. i'll leave you bros to it

[@NemoPropaganda]

@@bbi7835 what kind of response did you expect with that comment? The topic is speakers and it seems like you're trying to make some political statement about gender. If that was not your intention then I'm sorry but even with the context it still seems like you're just taking a jab so I responded with a jab.

[@andreemilsen369]

Great review as always🤘 If one would want to use this with a sub, it is not hard (same for hometheatre purpose). Just use your own preamp, and hook speakers up with the balanced input. The preamp does the crossovers, and most will also have their own roomcorrection/ eq😊 I am actually considering doing just that when the moneyfairys allow🙊

[@NemoPropaganda]

yes! i think i mentioned that in the video but then if you're adding a preamp might as well add a power amp and go for the passive version of the speaker no?

[@andreemilsen369]

@@NemoPropaganda I think you said so too🤪 The reason I am thinking of going with the active, is many, but mainly because I like DSP (using MiniDSP on my subs), and the tweakability it gives me, the active speaker has less faseissues (I think, based on what I read), and I kind of feel they will be a bit more punchy than the passive ones (pure speculation that🤪). Btw... V8's are WAY better than battery**it 🙊 preferably in NA config for me😊 I'd like Rythmik F18's (4 of them) to go with the Buchardt's btw🤪

[@NemoPropaganda]

@@andreemilsen369 no way, turbo v8 is the best!!!!!!!

[@andreemilsen369]

@@NemoPropaganda Well... You like turbos, I prefere NA... I like DSP, you don't... We can still be friends 🤪 I do like the power of turbo though... But I hate the lag.... And I really prefere the sound of NA... Mostly the sound🙊 I also prefere carbuerators for the exact same reason🤪

[@NemoPropaganda]

@@andreemilsen369 fair enough, I really do hate dsp lol