Spatial Sapphires, X5s, Concept 500, Klipsch Heresy and Revel's! Binaural Shootout!

Thank you Adorama! adorama.rfvk.n...
Gear Used!
Innuos Zenith: bit.ly/33j3A0z
Holo Audio Spring 2: bit.ly/39BgusX
Hegel H390:bit.ly/2NTu8Ab
Reality Cables: bit.ly/2Wk9AkL
Spatial Audio X5: bit.ly/3rIvXOm
Spatial Audio M3 Sapphire: bit.ly/3dP3i4i
Klipsch Heresy: amzn.to/3sIhzXG
Q Acoustics Concept 500: amzn.to/3ddGkEx
Revel 226be: bit.ly/2QYpe6a
Tracks used:
Nenad Vasilić | Bass Room (Bass Drop) amzn.to/3cKA6wZ
Nenad Vasilić | Vol 1 (Oj Devojce Pirocance) amzn.to/3dpPe1U
SWAG: new-record-day...
💎💎💎 Speakers reviewed and recommend! 💎💎💎
Bookshelf:
Elac Unifi 2.0: amzn.to/2OrL5RW
Elac UB5: amzn.to/3qo2msU
Elac Debut 2.0: amzn.to/3uVfWar
Elac Debut Reference: amzn.to/2OnQU2W
SVS Ultra: amzn.to/3uXIkZJ
JBL Studio 530: amzn.to/3uVagNL
Floorstanding:
Q Acoustics Concept 500: amzn.to/3ddGkEx
SVS Ultra: amzn.to/3qo2msU
SVS Prime Pinnacle: amzn.to/2MMYt2J
Elac Debut 2.0: amzn.to/3ruZRX7
Elac Unifi 2.0 UF52: amzn.to/3uXJa8P
Elac UF5: amzn.to/3e9ri4F
Triangle Borea Bro 8: adorama.rfvk.n...
PSB Alpha T20: amzn.to/3uS2swa
⭐️ Follow NRD ⭐️
/ ​
/ ​
/ nrdreviews​
💪🏻 Support NRD 💪🏻
/ newrecordday​
Donate via Paypal: [e-mail]
Disclaimer: The links provided are amazon affiliate links: I earn a small commission on purchases at no additional cost to you! I use the funds to help grow the channel, investing in better equipment for the reviews and video production! Thank you!

[@Newrecordday2013]

Just a heads up! The two black subwoofers seen in the corners are not connected or used in this video. Thanks!

[@hassabsaeed9993]

you said the subs are on with the X5 ?

[@hassabsaeed9993]

btw thanks for the video ,, amazing work

[@Newrecordday2013]

@@hassabsaeed9993 The X5s bottom woofers are powered subs. That’s what I was referring to. Thanks!

[@tee-jaythestereo-bargainph2120]

That was badazz Ron thank you ! Sounded great HD6xxx HP Ifi signature hpamp 6xxx button triggered ! 😆 lol me dac ? Ifi zen blue aptX HD Bargain file ! Oh world best cables RCA

[@Coolesttech]

The klipsch are by far the best value for money, the improvements between the heresy and the other speakers are noticeable, but also expected with the x5 costing more than double. A more appropriate comparison would have been with the larger klipsch Cornwall or even the JBL l100. At the end of the day though they all sound different and may all excel in different areas. One thing you don't talk about is actually living with the speakers, most of us would not be able to have spatial speakers in our room, for lack of space unfortunately. That kind of limits the target market a lot, whereas more traditional speakers can work better in difficult rooms. The heresy for example can benefit from being closer to the wall. I restored an original pair and ran them with a 12w Heathkit amp, glorious sound. My incoming dynaudio heritage special will sound magical too with my 390 but in a totally different way. We all have our likes, but if I use food as a comparison, I wouldn't want to eat my favorite food forever because I'd get sick of it. One of the joys of the audio game is switching stuff out and getting that excitement over and over again. We get to save some money and do some of that through you, so thank you! If I ever have a room large enough to consider open baffle I will definitely try them, especially the GR research stacked H frame subwoofers. Cheers

[@donaldbryant5295]

by far the best DEMO I've heard on youTube I wish all demos had comparison's like this. Kudos to you and Randy

[@Newrecordday2013]

Hey thanks!

[@GerardSheridan]

Donald, I couldn’t agree more. This beats pages of words trying to describe how something sounds. New Record Day is revolutionizing high end audio reviewing and I love it. I broke out my Sennheiser HD800’s for this and it was good advice as I’ve not used them in quite a while. NRD, keep up the great work you’re doing and continued success to you and your channel. G.

[@bbfoto7248]

@@GerardSheridan Agreed. Good stuff here. Also check out the "Live Test" videos on *TheAlphaAudio* KZbin channel. Their latest video is a live performer recorded in the studio and then immediately listen back to the performance on 3 different studio monitor loudspeakers in the same room...including ATC SCM40, Dutch & Dutch 8C, and Grimm Audio LS1a.

[@JingoLoBa57]

@@GerardSheridan agree totally and he needs to shout loud about this as the new standard in recording and review of Hi-Fi equipment.

[@marcgabor9690]

Sapphires sound amazing. Klipsch was a little more congested sounding but the way they reproduce piano performance; dynamics, touch and feel is the most realistic to me.

[@frankvanhelvert6231]

no klipsch fan here,but indeed the piano on the klipsch was breathtaking realistic!!

[@stephenstevens6573]

I Will admit, I was skeptical. Piano is probably the most difficult to reproduce in the spectrum. I was blown away with the X5s. That price range will never be in my budget, but thank you for letting us experience it with you. Thank you.

[@Newrecordday2013]

Thanks for the comment! Appreciate it!

[@dksculpture]

Never say never. 👍

[@hrvojekant9415]

This Neumans mikes are the best of the best ! That's why it sound to us all soooo gooood.

[@el34glo59]

I liked the klipsch when it came to piano

[@rockmusicvideoreviewer896]

You do realize the experience you had here is of your very own speakers, and not any of the ones in the video. You were Blown Away, but then you would be even more so if you played the CD, a better recording than this yt stream, on your own system.

[@arena_rock_man9030]

Spatial all the way. The fact that one can tell the difference over a cheap cell phone speaker can speak volumes.

[@Chudhole]

I didn’t even think it was a contest the spatials were fat and also phat!

[@amdsquad]

Watching this on iPhone 12 Pro Max and I’m blowned away.

[@el34glo59]

Yeah now try some rock and see what happens.

[@milesdufourny4813]

The Q Acoustics sounded the best of all the "Box" speakers, but both the Spatial speakers are phenomenally better than any of the conventional speakers in this group. The Spatial's have great speed and reveal the texture of the instruments. The X-5s are unbelievable!

[@jayarmstrong]

Quick comparison of my favorite part of the bass track: 8:22 Revel $&^÷*#* 16:22 Klipsch Heresy 25:28 Concept 500 33:27 M3 Sapphire 41:47 X5 The X5 gets the best piano but adds an amplified quality to the magic the M3 does with the bass. Randy's awesome. Thanks

[@Chris._.B]

The Spatials really do have some magic going on. But the Q Acoustics surprised me, the gulf between them and the Spatials wasn't gigantic in terms of the music reaching out and touching me. Klipsch and Revels nice enough but lacking that bit of magic. Top work Ron. Now if you can find us some unicorn speakers that I can fit in my miniscule room please 😀

[@Kevin.L_]

Q Acoustics were a surprise to me as well. Expected more from Revel.

[@sanjaymarathe1442]

Totally agree ..planning to get the q500 ..

[@rajeevakapoor6965]

I play the electric bass so I'm always listening out for the bass line in any piece of music. There was no comparison in my mind that Bass on the M3 Sapphires far outshone that of the other speakers in terms of clarity, texture and depth and speed. There was no overhang on any of the bass notes, only the sustain of the note on the string and the body resonance of the double bass. The muted notes stopped when they were supposed to stop. When the bass was played with the piano you could hear the intention of the bass player and both musicians sounded like they were playing together as a team, especially when the bass player was playing a rapid series of notes. Every single bass note was defined and clear. The Piano also sounded more natural. The Bass on the X5’s was tight but not as deep and also there seemed to be too much bite and emphasis to the bow striking the strings which was distracting and ultimately tiring. The piano initially sounded exciting with the best attack and dynamics and you could easily hear the resonance of the instrument but again this was ultimately tiring to listen too after a while. Too much boom and muddiness of bass notes with the other speakers which masked a lot of detail, especially on the Q Acoustics Concept 500. I totally agree with you on the bass of the M3 Sapphires. You presented a wonderful demonstration and it was easy to hear the difference between all the speakers.

[@mrebear9758]

Completely agree (I'm also a bass player)

[@cheapaudioman]

Where’s the werewolf. I thought you would be inclusive this time.

[@Newrecordday2013]

Hahaha! Turned out he demanded makeup. We don’t have that kind of stuff here at The New Day Records. Maybe next time.

[@cheapaudioman]

@@Newrecordday2013 live and you learn.

[@nomadfurniture5481]

Ron, you need to splice 15 seconds of each speaker playing the same music one right after the other for a better comparison

[@bigelile07]

You hit the nail on the head...but still, we aren't hearing the speakers in person and set up for each speaker's best listening position.

[@NakeanWickliff]

Yes yes yes. We are all fully aware of the drawbacks of online comparisons, yet in this example you failed to use the strongest and most beneficial quality of said online and edited comparison. Audio memory is incredibly short which I’m sure you know. The first 30 seconds of this video dolls out multitudes more data to your listeners than the entire rest of the video. You can level match and switch between all the speakers instantaneously. Could you redo this and just continue on with the first 30 seconds? Perhaps even repeat short 5 second passes of interesting pieces of the music that really illustrate the differences.

[@Neeleshh]

I agree. It pains me to say it, giving the fine job you did, Ron, and I thank you. But regular people like me and others, can't retain the memory of the sound long enough to have a fine comparison. So switching mid-song many times between the various speakers is the best thing.

[@pliedtka]

Couldn't agree more, as it isn't exactly a fare comparison in A-B fashion. Then again some defects will 'show up' after spending a while with equipment.

[@pedroluciano2643]

i jumped on the tracks to get a sense of what you mention, worked pretty well.

[@shodan6401]

The X5s definitely have an enormous dynamic range, and considerable attack when the pianist hits those keys. Having spent too much time in my youth at jazz clubs and bars, I always thought that was something that was impossible to reproduce in audio (I worked at a high end HiFi shop at the time, and we actually had this exact discussion). The piano sounds perfect in timber, and the hammer and strings are clearly audible. The decay is also amazing. Yet there's something I like about the M3s. While the X5 is clearly more accurate and realistic, the M3 has the same amount of detail, but is just a bit more relaxed. Perhaps it's a symptom of aging, but I guess I prefer the more relaxed presentation to the aggressive realism of the X5s. How sad is it that I've come to this? I used to drink my coffee black, but now I like a little sweetener in my Cup of Joe....

[@mariodrv]

The Sapphires have the morst beautifully smooth and powerful sound I gave ever heard in a speaker. Is it possible to be in love with a speakers sound? :)

[@mkfmkf55]

I enjoyed the presentation, but it appears that all the speakers have the same spot, and we all know optimal speaker placement is different with each model. They appear to be too close to Randy from this view. And I know from experience that Heresys need space from the listening spot to sound their best. From this perspective, I think the Spatial X5's sound most like real music. I have Spatials & Klipsch & enjoy both.

[@el34glo59]

What Klipsch do you have? I have Forte iis with all the upgrades possible. And I'm looking to upgrade my speakers. Idk what to go with. Need some good efficiency. 30 WPC tube amp. But don't want to spend $4000. Is there anything you can recommend? Something with good dynamics but maybe slightly better quality than the klipsch if that makes any sense? Clear, details with some dynamics. Good imaging. Etc. Realism. Maybe disappear a little bit more. I know I'm asking alot but I'm willing to buy used and I'm just trying to find a klipsch alternative and running in circles. If can be slightly smaller than the Forte iis. The room isn't large anyway. And not a lot of treatment in the room. Thanks for any help

[@miragefidelity9255]

You win the trophy for the best sounding audio in KZbin history

[@robertpowell1834]

Folks, I’m late to this party. After seeing the amount of effort put into this demo, this was instant subscription material. Randy let me hear the differences that words simply cannot describe! Here’s my triple take: 1. I did not realize with my ears what the bass was doing until the Concept 500s revealed the truth. For a box speaker, that was an ear opening experience; however, 2. The Spatial Sapphires ruled the day for me on the bass sample. I’ve played in bluegrass bands (yeah, I know…a hi fidelity wonderland) for a large part of my life and the Sapphires hit the resonance and timbre of those big doghouse bass tones that I’m used to hearing. That was about the most faithful reproduction of sound that I have ever heard; however, 3. The X5s absolutely floored me with the piano sample. Holy ebony and ivory Batman. I sold pianos to pay my way through college. I’ve been fortunate to play Steinway, Concert Yamaha’s, Kawai, Bosendorfer Imperial’s (extra keys on bottom end), and I’ve heard stellar concert pianists try out our products…and…well…the X5s had me believing a piano was in the room. So, what does one do to get the best of both worlds? My ears will forever now want the Sapphire bass and the X5 piano. Buy half a set of each? Put the Sapphire on the left and the X5 on the right? The Holy Grail of speakers has to be out there somewhere merging the two sounds of what I just heard. Then you just watch. I know my luck. The new “find” will suck at woodwinds or vocals. The impossible quest is “impossible” for a reason. Until then, the excitement is in the chase. I hope “Randy” stays with us to help slay the windmills. Great job young man with your presentation. I look forward to exploring your videos and chasing dragons.

[@budgethometheaterandhifi]

I'd have to go with the Sapphires based on this video. It's really impressive how much bass they are achieving from an open baffle design. I could get lost in that sound.

[@lillodesigns2160]

That microphone setup is amazing! This is the first youtube speaker demo that I've actually found useful! With a good set of headphones it seems like I can definitely hear what these sound like in your room. If you keep using this binaural head for recordings you'll have to pay more attention to what you do while recording. Every time you took a deep breath, moved slightly on the couch or scratched your beard I found myself whipping my head to the left to see what was over there! :) The X5's and Sapphires are amazing! These are the first speakers I've heard that I'd actually consider buying verses building my own. Nice work on this video!

[@chaseroyell7227]

The first speakers seemed overwhelmed by the tracks. Muffled. Last speakers sounded the best, at least to me. Less of a recording and more of a live sound, if that makes sense. Great demo. I learned a lot. I did get tired of tracks tho, until the last speakers. lol

[@dihydrotestosterone]

No contest the X5 is the winner here.... question: us the demo level matched? As you know a 97 db/w/m will play louder than the Revel lower efficiency... Thanks! 🙋

[@rigorhead01]

The binaural mic head thing is amazing! These were VERY good recordings.

[@alwaysexpandinghorizons6173]

Would love a comparison between • Spatial Sapphire • Spatial X5 • NX - Otica (with subs) • NX - Treme (with subs) • Pure Audio Project and Randy ;-)

[@subject2no135]

I second this request...

[@alwaysexpandinghorizons6173]

@@subject2no135 What i didn‘t know before i wrote this: Ron is not a fan of Pure Audio Project. Not his cup of tea, he says. Unfortunately he doesn‘t explain why not.

[@Kevin.L_]

Rather disappointed the NX-Otica were absent.

[@cablebrain9691]

Not a demo that I could base a purchase on. The source material was unlike most any music that I listen to and seemed more about dynamics and detail than full range tone. Why was there no sweet midrange material? I've been fooled by horn speakers before. Percussive piano and bass do not a demo make. I love the recording setup though. It's the best I've heard on KZbin.

[@treborheminway1196]

Man, the Spatials just kick ass. Wow. Killer sound. (Im sure that's the technical term for it...)

[@Bombo503]

Regarding the piano, the Q Acoustics Concept 500s had it.. seamless, transparent and coherent to the max :) Sounded the most 'natural' to me!

[@themastroiannis]

man!!! a loooooot of work to put this video together! chapeau! total respect...what dedication!! loved the sound clips! just ordered one of Vasilic's albums! exquisite sound engineering! listened to these clips a million times... my preferred speakers were (very surprisingly!): 1. Q acoustics concept 500 (unbelievable honest sound with infinite texture! beautiful, sublime integration. they don't grab you initially but on the long run, i could listen forever to these speakers) 2. X5 (unrivaled clarity, airy. wonderful "you're there" feeling listening to them. i can imagine: totally unforgiving of even the slightest imperfection) 3. Revel F226BE (similar sound signature to the Q acoustics; perhaps a bit more "relaxed" laid back sound; a bit less dry than the Q acoustics? like the Q acoustics, not a speaker that grabs you initially ...but they are just a joy to listen to) 4. Spatial Sapphire M3 (similar sound signature to the X5, but X5 are better on all registers. the sapphires lack texture compared to the 3 above. bass seems a tiny tiny bit "unruly"/slow? on the very low bottom) 5. Klipsch heresy IV (they are nice...but man, they are not even close to any of the other speakers; big "black hole" in the mids! ...and many other issues). wish i could afford the Q acoustics, the Revels, or the X5s .... but now i know what one day i would LOVE to own! ..before i go deaf! thanks Ron!! what a joy this video!

[@scottcarlon6318]

Would have liked to hear the Klipsch cornwalls insted of the hershey, have to say, X5’s for the win .Very good comparison video Ron, thank you.

[@seanlobdell502]

Agreed, a better match and price point.

[@MostlyBuicks]

Well you will get even MORE cabinet resonance. But you will gain bass extension.

[@CraigArnolduk]

Revel 6:39 : track 1 10:19 track 2 Klipsch : 14:38 track 1 18:25 track 2 Concept 500 23:45 track 1: 27:15 track 2 Sapphire : 31:44 track 1 35:21 track 2 X5 : 40:04 track 1 43:22 : track 2 The volume on the X5 is higher, so they will sound better by default, after volume matching it's much less clear which is better. Open a window for each speaker align the tracks, volume match then switch between them. I presume the volume difference was there in the room as well. Reverse the volume and the other speakers sound better than the X5. :( A suggestion - start each speaker test with a test tone that you can volume match to correct for this sort of thing, it's very difficult to do by ear with actual music. A question - why are the X5 only semi-active? They are very sensitive and it would seem easy to add a small amplifier for the tweeter/midrange.

[@Newrecordday2013]

Hey Craig, all the speakers are carefully level matched using pink noise and a decibel meter. Then again, when brought to final cut I’m using a decibel meter and making sure every single speaker is as close as possible. It’s a ton of extra work but I think it’s important. What possible is you are hearing a clarity in a specific bandwidth, typically up higher that’s perceived as louder.

[@CraigArnolduk]

@@Newrecordday2013 Well switching to playing this through my speakers the X5 are at least 3dB louder than all the others on my meter. It's very noticeable to the ear too, so I'm not sure what's going on. Perhaps worth including the pink noise tone for 2-3 seconds in the videos? Don't get me wrong m8, the X5 seem amazing and because of you will probably be my next upgrade. For the moment I'm loving my Concept 300s. :) You are doing great work, one of the most honest and hard working reviewers on KZbin.

[@Newrecordday2013]

Thanks man! Dude... throw some headphones on! You haven’t heard anything yet! Knowing you are playing this back on your speakers, all level matching gets a little hard to predict. It’s possible your hearing your own room gain exciting one speaker more than the other.

[@CraigArnolduk]

@@Newrecordday2013 I listened first with headphones, but the X5 sounded louder, so I switched to speakers to check. To be honest I think all these speakers are excellent, not all of the same character to be sure, but fine examples of their kind.

[@krutonton]

I'm hearing the same thing as Craig did though on my speaker. It was obviously louder with the X5 by quite a bit, or maybe because the X5 just have that much more of a presence in the piano range it's jumping out more compared to the others

[@donaldbryant5295]

I am surprised the Klipsch had bass although muddy at points you are right the piano as far as I can tell sounds more like a piano I sure would like to hear Hiromi Uehara on those X5's

[@turbografx15]

I actually opened 5 seperate tabs (1 for each speaker) in my browser and queued each to the start of the bass and piano sections and then played them in alternating 5 second intervals. No headphones cuz i don't have any good ones but using some semi-decent speakers here. 1. The Spatial X5 or M3 are the tops, but I would have to hear them in person to tell which is truly best. I worry the X5's would be fatiguing in the treble region. I personally play instruments in real life and in my opinion these hands down captured the most accurate tonality of them without a doubt. 2. This might go against what others are saying here but I found the Q Acoustics Concept 500 to be the next best in this lineup. 3. For me the Klipsch Heresy and the Revel 226BE are last place. Which is better than the other... I don't really care, I'm more interested in the best, and I'll let others argue which is which regarding these two. Thank you for inspiring me to finally make some of my own open baffle speakers (after many years of putting it off) Ron, you're a great man.

[@Newrecordday2013]

I agree with you on your impressions. I believe we are hearing the same things.

[@frankotte3613]

Great video, Ron! That was a lot of work! Thanks, I enjoyed it. Best Piano: X5 Best Bass: Saphires. Although....The way the X5's let you hear the room where the recording was made is mesmerizing. I said before, your recording of the original Saphire review was the best sound on KZbin ever. The Neumann Dummy takes it up another notch! --Listening on GR X-Statiks with all upgrades, Twin dual 12" GR/Rhithmik OB servo subs, Roku stick+

[@tractioncontroloff9796]

My favorite NRD video ever! I think this style of shootout review is what viewers crave. “Randy is quite the tool” lol! More shootouts like this if possible! Wishing the NRD family a happy holiday!

[@rainergieringer7600]

After researching for a while and auditions I bought last week the Q acoustic 500. It’s an amazing speaker. I connect it to my Naim a Uniti Atom and the sound is just amazing! The bass reflection is close to a sub feeling with chest punch... clear - warm - dynamic and outstanding imaging...every penny worth...

[@Newrecordday2013]

Love the 500s!

[@issadad]

Late to this party but a new gold standard (avec Randy) for YT reviews. As of Aug 2023, neither Spatial Audio Lab link goes anywhere. Their website has one pic of the Q6, no mention of M3 or X5 -- they look like a startup company. Re: the shootout, Revel seemed blameless but also bloodless, sterile -- I was aware above all of listening to a speaker demo. The Heresy suffered here, not sure why, but to my ears came off as boomy, nasal, hollowed out -- and, contrary to expectation, boxy. The Q 500 was when I became aware that jazz was a thing in this demo, bass & piano playing actual music together. That revelation only got better via Spatial Audio Lab, X5 the last shooter standing. But how much are they and where do you get them? Maybe an update?

[@LemonySnicket-EUC]

X4 is for 2024

[@crobledom]

So far the best sound demo ever congratulations Ron you blow out off the park

[@joeycastillo1496]

By far, the best sound demo I have heard. I played this video using Mac + external Dac and connected to my secondary dedicated music system. Boy, was I in for a ride.

[@photobriangray]

The Revels prove that accurate and true can be sterile. To be fair, Heresy was very impressive given the competition here and certainly has the edge as a "lifestyle" product. The Q's are the Revels after a few espressos. The difference between the two Spatial speakers is what surprised me the most. The Sapphires sound laid back compared to the X5s. Best representation of back-to-back I've heard...

[@_BlueHorseshoe_]

Nailed it. Perfect summary.

[@michaelwesterlund5729]

WOW! Great work. The Spatials clear winners with no box but I am an Apogee FR ribbon user so no box is my bias (but I do love my klipsch’s as well). I actually think the Sapphires may actually be quicker and more dynamic than the X5s. Maybe it’s just my headphones limitation. Maybe the synergy of drivers. What is remarkable is that as soon as you hit either of the Spatials you can practically here the bridge on the bass move..:). Just amazing. The X5s clearly accelerate past the Sapphires regarding reverb decay and capturing real piano (and bass). Much more realistic picking up mic bleed, string decay, reverb carry over, etc. Really well done, Ron.

[@ericharrelson2045]

Randy is quite the performer.

[@kkr6549]

The most realistic piano came from the M3s, so I would put my money on them and save myself a packet. The concept 500s were exceptionally well damped. Very refined presentation but still the M3s would win on ultimate presentation.

[@gwatson7124]

Revel: I'm listerning hard and it sounds nice, but they're not moving me. Klipsch: Too boomy, had to skip them. QA: Foot tapping, pretty good. M3: This is more like it. Foot tapping and swinging. X5: Chest kick then blows to the head. Boom! Boom! Bam! Bam! Bam! Then foot tapping, head swinging and full upper body bopping music. X5 wins this round easily.

[@jeremiahchamberlin4499]

My take on them all was pretty much like yours, see above, but you put it much more succinctly. 🙂

[@gwatson7124]

@@jeremiahchamberlin4499 I was a bit suprised a didn't like the Revels more as I own their M22 standmount and rate them highly. That said, if was in Ron's room during this demo instead of listerning via my phone (LGv30) and IEMs (Westone W60 gen2) my opinions may differ. Anyhow, it was an excellent video from Ron.

[@Kevin.L_]

Revels were the only ones that came across as almost lifeless to me. Not sure what was missing.

[@el34glo59]

You had to skip the Klipsch? Stop. Seriously

[@gwatson7124]

@@el34glo59 Perhaps they would be my favorite if I listerned to them live?

[@VGiena]

The binaural panning is a nice twist to sound demo vids. Great job NRD. 👍

[@Newrecordday2013]

Thanks buddy

[@mike.thomas]

I know I’m late, but yeah, this was a proper demo (as good as it can be when delivered over YT after being transcoded and god knows what else). Sounded good and I could hear obvious differences between the different models. The funny thing is, as I progressed through the examples, I kept thinking “well, that sounds great, but so did the last”. But then when I rewound and re-listened after the Spatial models, I realized they sounded much better. I heard significant box coloration, at least in the Revel and the Klipsch (the latter is unsurprising, but disappointing, given I’ve been considering a pair), and I did not love feeling like I was sitting in the balcony when the Heresy was playing. But it’s a much less expensive speaker, anyway. If you were trying to make a point with the open baffle speakers, I think you did. With these selections they outperformed the others, and the last ones were best (I think). This is coming from a Maggie lover so it’s not surprising that I like the boxless sound, though I’m “stuck” with box speakers in my current place. Anyway, I’m going to hunt down this music and check it out on my Naim Uniti Star/KEF R3 setup and see how it compares. Thanks for the comparison! Edit: IMHO the original piano recording was too spread in the stereo field to be a great listening test. To me it made it hard to judge since pianos don’t usually take up the room. Maybe it’s just me.

[@ChicagoRob2]

I preferred the Concept 500s, which had a seamless, coherent sound.

[@scottypalmer2158]

I totally agree

[@JustinBenn]

Me too. I've had open baffles in the past and like them a lot. But once you parse out their amazing soundstaging abilities, you can start to detect trouble managing crossover regions and overall tonal presentation. In other words, the spectacular drivers become distracting from the music. Those 500s are long-term music partners to these ears, and sonically pretty damn good.

[@ronlevine8873]

To be fair, you should be comparing the Klipsch Forte 4 to the other speakers rather than the Heresy 4. The little Heresy is a real magic trick--all that sound from such a small enclosure--but there is considerable resonance coming from such a small box. Many have called the Forte 4 the "audiophile's horn speaker" since it has fewer minuses and more pluses than the other members of the Klipsch Legacy line. Not to mention that it goes down to 30 Hz flat when correctly positioned--with a single flea-watt amplifier without a subwoofer.

[@philschack9937]

This is to me is quite revealing but not exactly of the question of which sounds more like a bass or a piano. It is much more revealing of what the speaker produces in the sense of a room. And all are true to their goals. Revel is accurate to a performance in a deadened room which the re cording studio may very well have been. Both Spacials take the recorded material into a lively but well acoustically prepared room giving the sense of space and placement in 3D. The Klipsch is doing its own thing which is nice if you like it, and the Q is maybe more a cross of the Revel and the Spacials. Then you got to think about your room and what your compromises may be.... Where can you place the speakers mostly and then maybe what treatment needs. Pretty fun and useful. Got to evaluate on headphones though to really get it.

[@ryanacree]

Exactly! I have never seen open baffle speakers in a recording or mix studio and likely never will because of those reasons.

[@philschack9937]

@@ryanacree Just FYI for my listening I have recently replaced my Dunleavy SC-ii speakers with Spatial Audio M4 turbo S. In Every respect the Spatial Open Baffle is best I have heard for a 12 x 20 size room. For studio the Dunleavy are fantastic. For listening they are superb as well. The Spatial however take everything up another notch and bass up notches. Soundstage and imaging are tops.

[@ryanacree]

@@philschack9937 Yes, open baffle has dynamic advantages, but come at a price with other things. Like you say, "...your room and what your compromises may be..." There is a trade-off there that will not work in many rooms. But it has the same advatages of open headphones, but with headphones, there is just leakage, lol. So I can see so many are into that type speaker design.

[@sonicmainliner]

All this is well and good, which one rock n rolls though? e.g. you put on... dunno, Iron Maiden's 1st album, do you want to switch it off and go back to piano and bass or do you want to crank it? That is the question.

[@el34glo59]

Exactly

[@ufarkingicehole]

The Revels sound better than expected. The x5 sounds the most complete. Very cool Ron! The Klipsch sound slightly thin on upper mids and top. The Q500 seems less open. I would probably be happier with the X5 or even the Sapphires. 1. X5 2. Sapphires 3. Revel 4. Q 500 5. Klipsch

[@Newrecordday2013]

Glad you enjoyed!

[@ufarkingicehole]

@@Newrecordday2013 hearing the Sapphires on a different system, I am thinking that's the way to go

[@fritzklessinger1829]

The X5 wins on bass and piano....q500 comes closest(nice woodsiness and harmonics ...Revel and other Spatials are too metalic and zingy on bassstrings and piano....heresy is way below the others.... Soundstage and in the room feeling :X5!!!

[@krismichalsky]

Question, why are the speakers so close to the couch/listeners? If you're too close, isn't that just a little too much "in your face"? I'm not bashing you, just really curious. Thanks brother.

[@Newrecordday2013]

Great question Kris! I’d encourage you to check this out. kzbin.info/www/bejne/eaq3nKqhgJ2ChJI

[@joesapereira5539]

Wow, that was the most fun I have had online listening in a few months. Well done Ron. You definitely need to find a way to keep Randy around. While listening to the X5s at around 41:30 through 41:37 I thought my ears were playing tricks on me because I heard a baby crying in the background, but someone else mentioned they heard it too. Glad my hearing is still in tact.

[@ryanacree]

Really good demo. You really only needed the second song. Obviously the open baffles had the most realistic dynamics, sustain, quickness...because they get to cheat with no box. That also means they have nearly as much rear noise as front noise. So you can also hear they are the most comb filtered. Certainly a trade-off. But just like if you had electrostatics, which are the same way, you really need a treated room. Given all of that, the Revels did the best overall given everything else. Oh, and your amp is way too over damped for Klipsch Hereseys. Those need a really low damping amp to make them more lively. This is why many like tube amps for those. Not for the warmth, but for the low damping factor. It is no wonder those sounded the worse out of the bunch.Sapphires did the best overall given everything else.

[@ryanthomastew]

Great video!!!! The format is really cool and I hope the crowd funding goes well so you can purchase the Binaural microphone to keep as a tool in your arsenal! These are all pretty damn good speakers. I think the Spatial open baffle still edges out the others as they have no bloat/resonance/overhang to the sound.

[@michaeltuohy1249]

Ron, thanks so much for this! It had to take a crapload of time. When you asked "Do you hear the box?" I was like well....a bit.... I have Electrostat hybrids that present similarly in the mids and highs. The transmission line bass is powerful, but NOT as nuanced as this! Yes! I did hear the box! Until the Spatials played. Then I figured out what was NOT box! Amazing! So easy to hear even over You Tube! I understand why people feel the levels weren't matched. On first blush it sounds this way, but after a couple runs you can see that what we think is SPL. is actually MORE. More information, not louder information, if that makes sense?? Once again, thanks for this! BTW- Go ahead and start that Go Fund to keep Randy. I'll toss some bones your way.

[@rothgartheviking858]

the Spatial's sound so good.

[@maxchau8558]

X5 was the most balanced, most revealing, least amount of distortion speaker of the group

[@chrispicquet733]

I love your comparisons in this video! But these same tones became my inspiration to build my own speakers! I got sick of having ultra high end speakers come in and out of my house and leaving me unsatisfied!( Many Apogee's,Cabasse, Legacy,Dynaudio,Pro Ac,Magnapans,Alon IV's,...should I continue?) I still have and enjoy small British monitors like Rogers LS35a's,Celestion Sl 6si's,DL 6's,300's,model 3's, Epos, B&W's,Linn Index's,Quad ESL 57's( the Audiophile Benchmark for transparency) Klipsch Belle's, Klipsch HBR Hereseys.It took me two years to build my speakers.Goal to to achieve the transparency of the Quad's,with the Punchiness of the Heresy's I did it focusing on female vocals and piano.the hardest sounds to recreate electronically.( Had my living room covered with the best drivers out there).

[@lifeevent88]

What are building? :)

[@Drivehead103]

Great way to review speakers. Thinking about upgrading and this type of information really helps. Now if I could talk you into playing some Pearl Jam, Ted Nugent, Black Sabbath, ZZ Top, Drivin'n'Cryin, Widespread Panic, Frank Marino and mahogany rush and many other great rock bands.

[@johnnixon2504]

I have a pair of older hersey speakers circa 1980ish. I was shocked by the bass your example provided. Same general texture as my old ones, just way deeper. Guess the port does make a big difference. I use my subs as stands to elevate the mid range driver to ear level. I have had great success with imaging using this method.

[@Floresshamanichealing]

That was fun! Thanks for posting this. Now I’m going to try and sell one of my kidneys to buy the X5’s.

[@Newrecordday2013]

Hahahaha! Who needs kidneys?!

[@cy6412]

Alright, well... shit... guess I'm gonna have to get back on the open baffle bandwagon now.

[@jamesfuller7903]

M3 for the gigantic soundstage. X5 for realism. Klipsch was warm and friendly but got muddled and started tripping over itself. Q reached out and grabbed me but the instrument separation seemed confined. Revel was sterile and a bit dull. M3 for the win for me. Thanks Ron! Great video.

[@Newrecordday2013]

Thanks James!

[@Chudhole]

This is where I’m at the m3s were me all day.

[@el34glo59]

Yeah the klipsch is definitely not slow

[@pfekin]

The Concept 500 have by the far the most satisfying and technically accomplished sound: mid-woofer / tweeter integration is just exceptional, music portrayed in full technicolor. I found the X5 to be by far the most live venue like, however open baffle woofers and horn loaded compression tweeters are notoriously hard to match and these speakers are no exception. Revels had maybe too much bass, with less harmonics than on the Concept 500's. Feel they could perform better - maybe they need more break-in? Didn't care much for the Heresy's and their monochromatic, hashed (3 way filter) rendering of music (though the bass is better than on previous models). Finally, where did the mids go on the M3s? What a disappointment.

[@JustinBenn]

Yup.

[@williamjueschke9960]

Klipsch was good, Q’s were surprisingly really good but the Spacial’s were simply amazing both, very nice job Ron.

[@hallvard3600]

Are all speaker test volume matched? Doesn't sound like it, the for example the last speakers are much louder. Vastly gives a different perception of the sound.

[@kenhiett5266]

Ok, I do not consider myself an audiophile as I intentionally try to avoid listening to music analytically. Being carried away by music emotionally is the entire point for me. With that said, forgive me for my own loose terminology. I was blown away by the X5's specifically and I'm frankly shocked it translated through KZbin and my headphones. Those speakers sound alive to me in a way only the M3's flirted with. Although having the X5's in the middle of the room makes sense acoustically, I highly doubt sitting that close is anywhere near the ideal listening position. The piano sounding far more realistic under an open baffle modality makes perfect logical sense to me. Grand and baby grand pianos are specifically designed to sit away from walls, allowing the sound waves to travel out in all directions, which the M3's and X5's come much closer to duplicating. Again, there's something specific about those X5's that blows me away and it's probably going to end up costing me.

[@jbc1042]

Each one of these speakers is a winner. If they weren't heard side by side or back to back in this comparison, every one sounded great. The Spatial's are a truly unique presence to listen to. Thanks for a great "in home" demo, I thoroughly enjoyed it!

[@jsmctch]

Ron, you should have just named this video "the moment you've all been waiting for"... Wow the definition from top to bottom on the Revels and the X5's. Perhaps we could persuade Randy's owner to stay??? He is a must

[@johnwhite2576]

all good- but have to agree with Ron-the x5 sound on piano stands out as the most obvious takeaway fro this comparison, and I tuen my own piano. X5s are probably accurate enough re piano reproduction to guess this was a Yamaha piano ? If Im right, no more needs to be said

[@rickp6731]

Compare them to the Steinway Lyngdorf Model O Open Baffle Loudspeakers to get a real ear opener 😇Best speakers on the planet 🙂😉

[@sc0or]

Q is a new Warfedale with its scarring mid range naturality ) Despite OB produces a free, open sound, a size of instruments is undefined. A piano as wide as a scene is not good.

[@tractioncontroloff9796]

The h390 had the Klipsch’s singing! Excellent synergy between the two!

[@booobtooober]

Is it live or is it mem-or-X5 Beginning of piano track Revel F226BE - 9:58 (10:15) (12:10) Heresy - 18:24 (20:19) Concept 500 - 27:13 (29:08) Spatial M-Sapphire - 35:20 (37:15) Spatial X5 - 43:22 (45:17)

[@garysarlo2135]

Spatial M3s!! Check out Dominique, Nameless album, Birds or Rise, Home. Absolutely amazing with the Spatials. Thanks Clayton and NRD.

[@spacejaime]

The X5 wipes all the others here. Astonishing! 👍

[@el34glo59]

Why exactly did you use a klipsch that was priced so much lower than the competitors? Go Cornwall or Forte at least

[@anthonyhopkin]

Thanks for this excellent presentation NRD. For me it was half way through the M3S that I found my foot tapping and body was generally joining in the party. Nothing up to that moment - This carried on throughout the X5's as well. That says all. Would like to hear the comp live... Greetings to one and All

[@chonasimpson6487]

An audiophile sitting with his best friend .Sorry i could not help myself lol.

[@flaviogmaia]

Sound Klipsch with commentary!

[@johnolson4977]

X5 $6500 vs Klipsch Cornwall 4 $6000 ( the Big Boy ) would have been a fair comparison not the baby klipsch 🤣🤣🤣

[@Tendervittle]

!!Good job Ron-> Revels for the win..

[@Newrecordday2013]

Thanks for watching and sharing your opinion man! Appreciate it!

[@rndm4642]

Awesome video! Glad to see some Klipsch Heritage in the mix! They’re not the most accurate but they may just be the most fun.

[@rndm4642]

Could we expect a review on a Heritage model from you? Not sure they’re your cup of tea, but would be cool to hear your impressions.

[@nilsgoranmagnusson4827]

Great session Ron! I grabbed my OLLO AUDIO S4 MK1 headphones and connected them to my Marantz PM7000N and the Samsung TV over optical. I must say Ron, what a great audition room you have, an inspiration for us all and Randy-das Nuemann Kopf is doing its job with highest fidelity. As for the two speaker designs boxed and unboxed for me the winners is unboxed period. However for most us out there the room size is the biggest factor being not be able accommodate open baffle, sadly but physics is physics. Then a pair boxed just have to do the job. I own a pair of Concept 500 and for me they were the best sounding of the three boxed contenders. Both the Revel and Heresy had bloated bass. An honorable third place for the Concept 500. The winner is the Spatial X5 and the piano was the real deal here no comparison from the others. Hm, I need a bigger room!

[@BMaxey]

Firstly, this is an awesome demo. This is the way speaker demos should be. Secondly, the Spatials's were very good but impractical for me. I'm happy with my Concept 500's which did, IMHO, a great job as well.

[@scottypalmer2158]

Wow...the Klipsch seem to be the weakest of the bunch but I bet they could kill some Pearl Jam. The concept 500 had the warm inviting sound that I crave👍. The Sapphires sounded bigger than life...the piano was beautiful but huge.

[@scottypalmer2158]

@@kentwood2914 : Definitely! It would have been nice to hear the Heritage's on stands instead of on the floor. I think that would've made a difference too.

[@remiandrepedersen868]

I like the dynamics of Klipsch. They do not have the most correct sound, but I just like this sound character.

[@remiandrepedersen868]

@@dougg1075 Yes, I have them too. Music should be heard, not analyzed, and there the 4th generation of Klipsch does a very good job.

[@sergeysmelnik]

Nothing sounds and images like a horn. Plus the low distortion and big dynamic sound. I love my Forte I that I recently recapped and sealed the cabinets. I love the sound of the phenolic mids and highs which sound more laid back compared to the newer titanium stuff. I got a pair of Tekton double impacts on the way I hope I actually love them more than the klipsch.

[@remiandrepedersen868]

@@sergeysmelnik For me, it should be life in the sound that engages, but at the same time be comfortable to listen to and 4th generation of Klipsch has done a lot right there. Jbl also has some similar ones, but personally I have not heard them, and they also cost around 5000 $ more. But I also like Tekton especially well, because they also have good life in the sound to be speakers that do not have horns. For my part, Cube audio 8 "are the best speakers that do not have horns for me, in that room, with the type of equipment used in that case. But they still get a little more dead in the sound compared to horn speakers. At the same time there are also many different factors that affect the sound, such as the room, how they is placed in the room, the equipment with which they are paired, even the cables, so for that reason it still becomes difficult to say which speaker, amplifier, DAC, CD player, etc. one likes best. Do not misunderstand me, because it is not meant as criticism, but you have found your sound, and it is wonderful and enjoy them.

[@sdemosi]

Yes I totally get that. I've often thought that every audiophile needs a Klipsch at some stage of their life. In the same way every car nut needs an Italian classic like an Alfa Romeo. It's not about clinical brilliance, it's about passion & character.

[@paulsochinfan]

@@sdemosi agree

[@ryans1129]

Sapphires for the stand up bass were incredible. X5s hands down for the piano. I may have to take this open baffle stuff seriously. This by far is the best test I've heard yet without having to sell my kid for speakers.

[@Temmple]

I noticed that the 500 sounded less box like than other box speakers. But my fav is the Sapphires.

[@MrAlvarochahin]

Excellent format, commentary, sound and the best of all, beautiful music, wow! I enjoyed this one very much. I love the Heresy and the Spatial. You are gifted Ron. Thanks for doing this. PS, I want Randy's job LOL!

[@jonuiuc]

hmmm, at first I thought I liked the spacials with the air. but the x5 won me over, its a little more upfront and the bass is deeper. with if efficiency and powered bass maybe it can give some oomph to a less powered/bassy amp.

[@Newrecordday2013]

Your right that the X5s do have some cool advantages with the high sensitivity and powered subwoofer. It opens the door to some really cool options!

[@jonuiuc]

@@Newrecordday2013 Have you ever tried the Saphires with a class D amp? I've been eyeing the Technics SU-G700 (I'm a sucker for big meters).

[@BrentLeVasseur]

@@jonuiuc I will be using my Sapphires with the NAD T778. For stereo I would recommend the NAD M33. Both the T778 and the M33 have OLED TV black levels and zero noise. Both are one and done solutions. They both have DIRAC Live which solves any room acoustical problems that can’t be solved through proper speaker placement. Both have touch screens and can stream and decode high res audio from Tidal or Qobuz. And if you want a tube sound you could probably plug a tube pre amp into them and get that tube sound without having to switch amps. Oh and if you love big meters there is a setting on both NAD amps that swaps the touchscreen track display for a giant analogue UV meeter. :)

[@inmyopinion6836]

You should have never reviewed those damned NX Oticas . All these here ,sound like Walmart speakers now . Danny is an audio angle ! He wants us to HEAR the music , without forfeiting our children's inheritance to get that opportunity . Could you do a talk on the pros and cons of 2 subs VS 1 on mono .

[@Newrecordday2013]

Hah! The Oticas are special, that’s for sure!

[@rcdude86]

My thoughts from grado 60’s headphones is. Revel were flat sounding and seemed to hit quite low on the bass track, the piano track for revel seemed dull to me. Not bad dull but dull. The klipsch were there live sounding and for bass i felt a little liight on bass track. But had the klipsch life to the track. The piano for klipsch track sounded like a what i would here for a live piano. Life as in hey thats a piano playing over there. Ya. Then the m3 saffiersNot the ones with the horns. They sounded really good. Better mid bass then the klipsch and nice live sound for both tracks. Those are my picks. Great demo for sure. Best i have seen yet, not sure if its cause the mic’s being used in randy’s ears? Clean and clear though.

[@mattgiunt]

This is a fantastic exploration of high end speaker sound.Im more of a home theater/music person so I was really impressed by the Concept 500 and the fact that Q Acoustic has a line of center channel speakers so one could build a home theater around the concept 500. The X5s were clearly the best sounding music speakers I have ever heard. Would love to build a home theater around them but that is not what they were created for. Maybe someday the company will take a shot at open baffle home theater. Ron, you are such a detailed and amazing reviewer and who would have thought you are also damn funny and entertaining with Randy.

[@travis4798]

Had to double check I hadn't bumped the bass knob on my amplifier. Wow those Heresy' are strong! They all sounded good just slightly different variations in tweeter and mid-range brightness. I've been eyeing the Heresy's for a while, this just confirms my suspicions. Very nice sound. ;)

[@MostlyBuicks]

The Klipsch cabinet obscures the resolution.

[@Bradimus1]

The Revels are #1. The Q Acoustics sounds like a very forgiving and pleasant speaker based on this recording anyway.

[@rockyAQ04]

I was pretty impressed with the Klipsch. Great dynamics and clarity particularly with the piano and string articulations. It didn’t do so well in the bass region. I’d love to hear the larger Klipsch on this recording. Q Acoustics was better than expected. X5 was very good, but it didn’t do it for me with the piano tone.

[@donaldmcmichael9062]

Good Gosh the Spatial’s to me sound incredible…. Thanks for doing this - I would have never considered open baffle until now.. plus made by hand in Utah is another strong selling point.

[@cabeallen1277]

For me, the Spatial Audio (both) are the clear leaders here. The tactility, detail, air, and realism is head and shoulders above the rest.

[@mariodrv]

@@nicoras8803 Here on youtube smartass - through an excellent binaural mic setup.

[@1mctous]

The first minute laid bare the 5 speakers' ability to reproduce bass and piano. The X5 led the pack by a country mile. The Heresy's box thickened the bass the most but its piano tone was decent. The M3's thinned the bass and piano but kept the texture. My best to worst would be X5, M3, Heresy, Q Concept, Revel which correlates with how well they kept intact the dynamics and articulation.

[@Newrecordday2013]

Thanks Martin!

[@RonLykins]

Makes me wish I had upped my budget to buy the X5 instead of the M3 Sapphires. I was totally happy with the M3’s until I heard this

[@jerryjohnson3801]

well I can't afford the M3 new what do you want to sell me yours ?