***Pinned Comment*** When I say S400 MKII treble's attack is sharp like Focal I am NOT saying S400 MKII sounds like Focal overall. Focal has much more treble energy and has a very opposite sound overall.
thank you bro, honestly this one was tough, the S400 & Special 40 are incredibly similar with the differences being ever so slight so I spent a ton of time with these, way more than usual lol. But I wanted to make damn sure I understood the special 40.
The Black vine finish or whatever it's called on the new iteration of these speakers is absolutely gorgeous. Really liked my Evoke 20s when I had them. I heard the special 40's and really liked (slightly) more. The heritage special's was a different ballgame when it came to that tweeter though. By the way, thanks for the video and the comparisons.
The thing with you Nemo (and thats why i like your channel) is that you are objective and honest and you don't say what others wants to hear!!This is how i am too in my life!!!Greetings from Greece!!!And thank you for the review!!!🎶
I'm a big fan of dyn products... what I like about them is their tweet and mid integrations. Just a nice smooth/natural presentation. It doesn't have bang in your face highs like B&Ws which seem impressive for the first 5 min and then grating after 30 min of listening. Also Dyn is just fantastic at low level listening. For me low volume performance is highly underrated in hifi as people new to the hobby want to crank it and here the boom while I want to know how it will sound at midnight on a friday with a glass of bourbon. The dyns are great for low to mid level listening that along with Harbeths.
Comment on low level listening is great and I wish more reviewers discussed this. Sure, love to blast the music but 98% of my listening is at low to moderate volumes.
Dyns are for those who are happy to trade airier top end and open midrange for a nicely integrated natural listen. Those with “boat loads of money” can have best of both worlds (Q Acoustics concept 500 or something like that).
Great review Nemo! I have the S40s (same color) and totally agree with your side note about power---they do love good power/high current. I've played around with different speaker cables as well and noticed that the Transparent Musicwave cables seem to fit best (for me) and I get even more bass response!
Loved the review, great information for potential buyers of either of these speakers especially when you can’t demo, those 400 MKII still represent an excellent value then for sure, love those cabinets on the SP 40 , great sounding as well according to your review. Thanks for your work
The Buchardts seem like such a great buy! Budchardt and DynAudio are located VERY close to one another and there is some personnel bleed over from DynAudio to Buchardt that I found in my research…so it’s no surprise regarding the similar sound. Budcharts offer real value!!!!
Love my special 40s. If you buy used 40s for the same price as the Buchardt, things level out on investment however, if you move on, you will get all the money back from the used 40s but will take the usual 30 - 40% depreciation hit on the Buchardts. Buying used does have some advantages. Take your pick. If I couldn't get used 40s at a good price, I'd probably pop for the Buchardt.
Indeed, used S400 can be found as low as $1k though so it evens out :). I will say it does seem that used Special 40's are always in outstanding condition.
@@goldwax Great price. I am running mine with Belles amps and a Rogue hybrid tube preamp with a Pontus. Happiest I have ever been with my system. Not that it couldn't be better, heheheh.
Dynaudio Special 40 powered with Lyngdorf TDAI-1120 extended by REL T7X subwoofer, match made in heaven! Don't even know what should I choose for my next upgrade. Great speakers, also a lot of deals on them these days.
Dope sh*t as always and giving the people what they want! This comparo btwn the Special 40s and 400 MKII just saved a lot of wallets. Mine fo sure. Got no choice but to have my speakers up near a wall too so the s400 MKII takes the all around W for me!
Another great video. Thank you. I've been waiting for your Kanta 1 review since you first mentioned picking them up! They are on my short list for my smaller system. Thankfully I have a dealer locally and have auditioned them but not spent a lot of time so far.
Excellent, balanced review. From your comments it sounds like I'd probably prefer the Buchardts over the Special 40. I like plenty of air and sparkle in the treble; I thought I didn't but Triangle Esprit Titus EZ taught me to love a different sound, that sound. I tried the Dynaudio Emit 20 and found them too soft in the higher frequencies.
yeah, I think maybe like me you will prefer the little bit sharper treble of the S400 MKII that is still very refined. Dynaudio treble is still very good but it's attack is soft and it just doesn't fit my taste.
Hello my friend. I bought special 40 for myself a few days ago. I'm currently using it with Sugden A21. Some comments I've read suggest a more powerful amplifier for this speaker. Do you have any amplifier recommendations or should I go with the sugden a21? thanks.
That seems to be a really nice amp, it's Class A and lower power, is it enough power for you? That is a hard question to answer as it depends on the room and your listening habits. If the amp can get loud enough for your taste then I think you're okay but I have not heard that amp myself.
Love your style and your Descriptive comparisons. Picking up a pair of s400 mk2….I already have a kinki ex M1 amp, with Pontus 2 dac. Hope these will all sound great together!
Kinki & Buchardt are an excellent match. Same with Pontus2. It's basically what I use except I'm using Kinki pre & mono with Venus2 dac but that is a review sample. My personal DAC is the Ares2.
Love me some warm dynaudio!! Great review as always! There’s this one and the other ones called the heritage special. Always get confused between the two. But bro…you have to get you some Wharfdale Elysians 3s…basically the biggest baddest bookshelf imaginable
Hello Nemo, I have Emit M10 which you have some experience and I'm thinking about upgrading to Special Forty, in your opinion worth spend 5 times more money to upgrade? I really appreciate your honest on reviews. Thank you.
Hi Pyntzer, that's a tough question. The lady I sold my special 40 to was coming from the EMIT 10 and she loved the Special 40 but also she was paying used prices. I think at used prices its a nice upgrade for sure. At full MSRP it's hard to justify because cheaper products are always going to ring higher on the value meter.
I'll give you a sneak peak, Kanta is of course better than Aria 906 by a good amount. However going back to Aria 906 after using Kanta is still impressive. I think the EU price makes more sense for Kanta, the US price makes it 4x the price of Aria 906 which I think is a bit too much.
Great comparison. I recently purchased a Denon PMA A110 (Anniversary edition) (160/4 ohm) to drive my S400s so we’ll see how it turns out when it arrives.
@@NemoPropaganda Definitely! I know with the original S400 you didn’t like how the Denon 600NE sounded but with the mid bass hump in the MKII gone it would hopefully be a better pairing with the Denon sound.
@@ChaiBearProductions i actually hated the 600NE overall regardless of speaker pairing, it had a serious lack of dynamics but for $400 (at the time) its hard to complain :)
I love the comment that if anything I said upsets you, "I don't give a f___!" I totally agree. These kind of reviews are about giving an opinion. You can take it or leave it. There is no reason to get defensive or upset. I am currently deciding between the Dynaudio Special 40 and the Buchardt S400 MKII, so I appreciate the comparison. I'm currently leaning towards the S400 MKII. Thanks for the review!
they're cut from a similar cloth overall but I preferred the slightly darker but slightly sharpter treble of the S400 MK2 but the build quality of the Special 40 is undeniably better.
Excellent review! I own both the special 40s and the s400 MKIIs and i agree with your observations almost 100%....I find both speakers to be quite good so Im not letting go of either of them ;)
@@Feliciano12v if you're interested hop in the free discord and we can chat about it there, I'd need mailing address and sensitive info to get an accurate quote :)
Nice review! Love the comparisons, as always… and the transparent caution to any future d-head type comments over a speaker! 😉 I left a critique of the mic 🎤 on discord. Cheers bro! 🍻💪🏽🎶‼️
Although it's certainly not going to win any beauty contests, a solid option at $3450 is the Tekton Double Impact with the $300 crossover upgrade. After I received them I quickly "retired" all my bookshelf speakers and subwoofers LOL. Could be a little overwhelming in a small room though, at 54 inches tall and 120 lb a piece LOL. A real bargain for a reference sound with impressive scale and dynamics, coupled with very high efficiency. Absolute beasts with my Denafrips Apollo amp!
I didn't care for the tekton DI's.. I had a chance to buy a pair used locally for 1500 in creamcycle orange. I was thinking of buying it but would have broken my back moving them at 120 lbs+ and almost 6 feet tall. The tektons had decent performance anywhere in a room and against wall. The bass impact required no subs as you could feel the chest compression. I didn't care for the timbre of instruments or the texture in the mids. It would be fine for a backup system or change of pace but wasn't my preference. Being that efficient using a SET tube amp would be a pretty sweet option.
Great review Nemo 👏. Now that my subwoofer game is up to par I'm now in the hunt for a suitable replacement for my q acoustics 3020i. I had them for a few years and feel like it's time to upgrade. I got my eyes on those buchardts but the kef r3 are looking like a serious contender.
yeah, it's a different sound but most would agree the Special 40 is an upgrade over the Aria. Aria is great but its price has gotten too high for US customers. If you live in EU where you can buy it under $1k then Aria is really something special.
Thanks for the review! It would be interesting to hear what you think about another speaker in the same category that also comes from the Nordics, the Amphion Argon 3s?
I think it's a matter of taste. Recently I got a chance to listen to some of bookshelf sized ones not the dynaudio though. My personal listening taste I had the order of my faves atc 11 tied with the bmr, then totem sky, then gr research , and then I had the triangles. I didn't get chance to listen to the arias though because I've already heard the kanta 2, which I really like as well. It was a small demo meet here locally in az.
The special 40s have been a staple in my collection, and one thing you didn't mention is the amplifier you used. I've found that the more power you give the 40's, the better and more detailed they sound. I'm serious. The treble really opens up when the current is flowing. I drive them with the Arcam SA30, and they deliver all the detail you could want at the top end, without being harsh or fatiguing. Also, try a more analytical amp, rather than an overly warm amp (Marantz for example is too warm). Great review!
Hey Steven, all the associated equipment is always listed in the video description. My amps already lean cool/fast/analytical and have plenty of output so we're on the same page :)
@@NemoPropaganda Cool. There aren’t many reviews of these speakers, so I appreciated your take. I’ve bought some very nice subwoofers based on your recommendations, so please keep up the good work.
I don't have any love for Danny and that's not going to change anytime soon. I'm sure his speakers aren't bad but I fundamentally disagree with the way he conducts himself.
I like both speakers a lot, I think most people would be happy with either one. As the performance is very close and the sound is similar I suggest you choose based on which one will look nicer in your home :).
Sir Kef ls 50 meta/Audio vector Qr1/monitor audio silver 100 7g/quad s2/golden ear BRX which of these is the best for music? (What I want is good bass and good treble)
Great review my friend, nice job. I own SP40 since a late July - no offense took from your review of course 😂😂😂 - I'd just like to point a couple of things. 1. There is a big price gap between S400 and SP40 for sure , but that stands mostly for US market as I understand. Here in Europe - they are both Danish companies - they are much more comparable , I got mine for 2.600 euros brand new , so 1000 usd cheaper than in the US. 2. I was initially going for the S400 but read in more then 1 source that Hegel amps for some reason don't go well with the new Buchardts. I read that even Mads himself said he wasn't crazy with how S400 sounded with Hegel H190. Apparently mk1 was a better match than mk2 with Hegel's. On the other hand, Dyn seem to love Hegels and their high current potential. 3. Burn in time is serious with the SP40. I am already at maybe 150 hours or more, and still feel the improvement as time goes by. Treble more velvet-y , mids more open.. feel like they need a good 300 hours or so to reach optimal level. 4. They are quite picky with placement , at least in my room. Once you find their sweet spot, they are incredible, but it takes quite a bit of time , trial and error to get it right. I guess s400 are easier in that regard with their monster waveguide. Again, great review, just wanted to share my experience. Keep it up.
Great reviews. Learning to discover what I like. I want to feel and hear the music from the 80s I grew up with. So far many audiophile speakers are too quite with Michael Jackson and similar music. Maybe I need a couple of different sounds.
Thank you for reviewing the Special 40. I smiled when I saw your post on this Dynaudio. I voted for u to review it. Love to hear your perspective. And I heard it. Have a great day
Interesting how similar it is to S400, would have never thought that. How would you compare the other technicalities like soundstage and imaging? I imagine S400 stages way bigger due to the waveguide?
@@NemoPropaganda Which is easier to drive and can a good 50 watt at 8 ohms amp ex. Rega Brio, drive both or at least one to moderate apartment volumes without too much strain?
@@nc3419 S400 MKII are easier to drive than Special 40. Unforutnately I am not very familiar with the capabilities of the Brio but you need an amp that can drive current easily at 4ohms for either speaker to sound its best. If you need something easier to drive the Focal Aria 906 is incredible.
Excellent description in your Focal vs Dynaudio comparison. Dynaudio is known for warmer midrange. That's their signature. Do you recommend the Dynaudio S 40? TY
Yeah the Special 40 is a great speaker and it sells for a fairly low price on the second hand market. I personally prefer the S400 MK2 instead but the sound is very similar.
Your awesome brother. Wish I didn't like my focals so much. Wanting to upgrade from the 906 to a higher line but their 60% price hike on American buyers makes my nutz hurt. Need to find an anternative. There's a guy.. I think out of Cali that makes his own speakers. Fritz. His Carrera, LS7s, and Rev 7 SE speakers look like they may fit the bill. The Carreras use beryllium. The Ls7s use soft dome and the revs use a ring radiator tweeter. If you call him... I bet he'd lend you a couple pair to try for review. He's a good guy.
I've actually heard he's an awesome dude also, I'll give it some thought once I get some more free time. You can always buy used Kanta, that's what I did but it was still $4300.
What you talking shit about my speakers bro! You think you're better than me cuz you got separates and I'm running the AVR! I'm just joking brother. Always love your no bullshit approach. Catch you on the Discord
What does warm midrange mean though. Can you translate by way of frequency content? Adjectives don’t really compute when there’s that kind of subjectivity
a frequency response graph tells you frequency response. It will not tell you if the midrange is warm or if the treble is sharp, or if the bass has good transient response. You are asking for data that does not exist.
I've always wanted a reviewer to turn round and say "I don't give a f k" regarding comments on other speakers that people find "offensive"🤣 Please don't ever change mate👍
Excellent choice, Aria 906 is amazing! It's also very easy to drive so I don't think you will see a huge difference unless the next amp you buy has a different tonal character from the A11.
@@NemoPropaganda Thank you for your reply. I am also thinking of adding a subwoofer in the system. My space is about 25 m2. I am looking at Rel T5x and T9x. The best would be the T5x for the budget aspect. Do you think that this is enough or I should go for the bigger one ? I am not looking for spl, as I only listen up to medium level (75-80 db) and I do not need very low extension. Just a sub to give me a fuller music sound. Thank you again .
@@dimitriskontos858 it's hard to say what will be enough because everyone has different taste in how much bass is enough. I know people who feel 1 T5X is enough in that size room but for my taste I'd like to have 2. I suggest trying one, you can always buy a second one later or you can just jump straight to T9X. Or you can go in the middle for 1 T7X maybe? Can you visit a dealer and hear them?
Good review…I have a pair of DynAudio Contour 20s (bought them new-in-box for $2999 cash-&-carry a yr. ago when the 20i's came out). Love them! Your comparison here helped me understand that I made the right choice over the new Buchardts (which were not available then). The forgiving top end and organic sound is my sweet spot. The listed bass response for The Contour 20 is 38kh. These speakers are bass monsters and YES need to be seriously out from the wall. Using a Schiit Freya + (NOS Tubes) as a preamp. I had the latest version Kinki Studio Mono Blocs, but ditched them for a McIntosh MC152. It seems more powerful and gave the speakers more punch. The amp is rated at 150 wpc, but has been independently measured at 250 wpc. Now I just look for music! 🎶 👀 😁
Dynaudios are generally known for that smooth top end, especially with the Esotar (not to be confused with asshole star) tweeter. Seems like they are going for that kind of sound from their entry level all the way to their top of the line. Multiple measurements from different parties show a problematic ~1khz area and some nasty cabinet resonances which should not be there at such a price. Look bloody gorgeous though, and I know some will die for that smooth top end Dynaudio is known for. Another great one Nemo, cant wait for the Kanta review!
I have the EX-B7 and had the Special 40 until last week. Highly recommend the GR Research crossover upgrade as it brings a leap in dynamics and transparency.
I’ve heard both the Buchhard and the Special 40 on an A/B and found both speakers to be close in the mids and bass, but the treble on the Buchard S400 mkii seemed to be less articulate and frankly made be feel like I would get tired of listening fairly quickly. That alone for me is enough to justice the extra cash. As I write this the video was winding down and you kind of became someone else, and it’s quite possible that you could not give 2 shits about my comment, kind of disheartening to hear.
nope, just trying to keep the toxic people out, if anyone is offended by what I say that is there problem, not mine. I review the gear, the assessment is the assessment, not a personal attack, if someone takes my review as a personal attack then yes I don't care about that at all. As far as getting "tired" from the S400 I'm guessing you mean in a bored sense rather than fatigue? Yes that is possible if its not paired up with the right amps, S400 MK2 is fairly neutral if not somewhat relaxed, it will sound best paired up with neutral/analytical amps like Kinki Studio or Buchardts own amplifier. I would not pair the S400 MK2 to a warmer or smoother amp.
@@marcusmcmurray77 I truly don't, that's the magic, I started this all for fun, I don't care about making any money on youtube so I can swear and tell people they're cunts lol
It has never been my goal to justify the price of a product. I'm here to tell you what it sounds like. There are speakers available in every price category if you feel these are too expensive or outside of your budget.
***Pinned Comment***
When I say S400 MKII treble's attack is sharp like Focal I am NOT saying S400 MKII sounds like Focal overall. Focal has much more treble energy and has a very opposite sound overall.
you turned a seemingly difficult comparison into something relatable. well versed descriptions!
thank you bro, honestly this one was tough, the S400 & Special 40 are incredibly similar with the differences being ever so slight so I spent a ton of time with these, way more than usual lol. But I wanted to make damn sure I understood the special 40.
The Black vine finish or whatever it's called on the new iteration of these speakers is absolutely gorgeous. Really liked my Evoke 20s when I had them. I heard the special 40's and really liked (slightly) more. The heritage special's was a different ballgame when it came to that tweeter though.
By the way, thanks for the video and the comparisons.
The thing with you Nemo (and thats why i like your channel) is that you are objective and honest and you don't say what others wants to hear!!This is how i am too in my life!!!Greetings from Greece!!!And thank you for the review!!!🎶
thank you for the kind words!
@@NemoPropaganda you are very welcome!!
I'm a big fan of dyn products... what I like about them is their tweet and mid integrations. Just a nice smooth/natural presentation. It doesn't have bang in your face highs like B&Ws which seem impressive for the first 5 min and then grating after 30 min of listening. Also Dyn is just fantastic at low level listening. For me low volume performance is highly underrated in hifi as people new to the hobby want to crank it and here the boom while I want to know how it will sound at midnight on a friday with a glass of bourbon. The dyns are great for low to mid level listening that along with Harbeths.
Comment on low level listening is great and I wish more reviewers discussed this. Sure, love to blast the music but 98% of my listening is at low to moderate volumes.
@@island717 I have an anthem STR integrated that I used to power them and my Maggie 1.7i’s.
Late to the party here, but yeah that low level listening surprised the hell out of me.
Dyns are for those who are happy to trade airier top end and open midrange for a nicely integrated natural listen. Those with “boat loads of money” can have best of both worlds (Q Acoustics concept 500 or something like that).
Great review Nemo! I have the S40s (same color) and totally agree with your side note about power---they do love good power/high current. I've played around with different speaker cables as well and noticed that the Transparent Musicwave cables seem to fit best (for me) and I get even more bass response!
Loved the review, great information for potential buyers of either of these speakers especially when you can’t demo, those 400 MKII still represent an excellent value then for sure, love those cabinets on the SP 40 , great sounding as well according to your review. Thanks for your work
The Buchardts seem like such a great buy! Budchardt and DynAudio are located VERY close to one another and there is some personnel bleed over from DynAudio to Buchardt that I found in my research…so it’s no surprise regarding the similar sound. Budcharts offer real value!!!!
Love my special 40s. If you buy used 40s for the same price as the Buchardt, things level out on investment however, if you move on, you will get all the money back from the used 40s but will take the usual 30 - 40% depreciation hit on the Buchardts. Buying used does have some advantages. Take your pick. If I couldn't get used 40s at a good price, I'd probably pop for the Buchardt.
Indeed, used S400 can be found as low as $1k though so it evens out :). I will say it does seem that used Special 40's are always in outstanding condition.
Which amplifier do you use with the SP40?
Got my as-new red birch S40s for $1,700. Couldn’t be happier, at this price level, anyway.
@@goldwax Great price. I am running mine with Belles amps and a Rogue hybrid tube preamp with a Pontus. Happiest I have ever been with my system. Not that it couldn't be better, heheheh.
@@goldwax killer deal, was that the local pickup pair I saw on audio mart?
“If you had a boat load of money, you could have the best of both worlds.” Beautiful summary of the hi-fi domain!
Dynaudio Special 40 powered with Lyngdorf TDAI-1120 extended by REL T7X subwoofer, match made in heaven! Don't even know what should I choose for my next upgrade. Great speakers, also a lot of deals on them these days.
It’s nice to see a hobbyist channel that is serious about review quality. 👍
I appreciate that!
Awesome review Nemo! I appreciate the time you spend sharing your personal opinions on this platform.
Dope sh*t as always and giving the people what they want! This comparo btwn the Special 40s and 400 MKII just saved a lot of wallets. Mine fo sure. Got no choice but to have my speakers up near a wall too so the s400 MKII takes the all around W for me!
Thank you for the kind words my man.
Great comparisons. Thanks for sharing.
Another great video. Thank you.
I've been waiting for your Kanta 1 review since you first mentioned picking them up! They are on my short list for my smaller system. Thankfully I have a dealer locally and have auditioned them but not spent a lot of time so far.
Hey Jordan, I'll be working on that video next I promise! They're stellar but make sure you haggle that dealer down from the $8k MSRP.
Excellent, balanced review. From your comments it sounds like I'd probably prefer the Buchardts over the Special 40. I like plenty of air and sparkle in the treble; I thought I didn't but Triangle Esprit Titus EZ taught me to love a different sound, that sound. I tried the Dynaudio Emit 20 and found them too soft in the higher frequencies.
yeah, I think maybe like me you will prefer the little bit sharper treble of the S400 MKII that is still very refined. Dynaudio treble is still very good but it's attack is soft and it just doesn't fit my taste.
Hello my friend. I bought special 40 for myself a few days ago. I'm currently using it with Sugden A21. Some comments I've read suggest a more powerful amplifier for this speaker. Do you have any amplifier recommendations or should I go with the sugden a21? thanks.
That seems to be a really nice amp, it's Class A and lower power, is it enough power for you? That is a hard question to answer as it depends on the room and your listening habits. If the amp can get loud enough for your taste then I think you're okay but I have not heard that amp myself.
Love your style and your Descriptive comparisons.
Picking up a pair of s400 mk2….I already have a kinki ex M1 amp, with Pontus 2 dac. Hope these will all sound great together!
Kinki & Buchardt are an excellent match. Same with Pontus2. It's basically what I use except I'm using Kinki pre & mono with Venus2 dac but that is a review sample. My personal DAC is the Ares2.
Love me some warm dynaudio!! Great review as always! There’s this one and the other ones called the heritage special. Always get confused between the two. But bro…you have to get you some Wharfdale Elysians 3s…basically the biggest baddest bookshelf imaginable
I've seen them, they look incredible but a little to large & heavy for my taste lol
There is no Elysian 3, only the new 1 and the older 2 and 4...
@@AbsoluteFidelity you’re right! I meant the 2’s
I have them they sound big and need a big space@@AbsoluteFidelity
i prefer the Dynaudio for sure
Hello Nemo, I have Emit M10 which you have some experience and I'm thinking about upgrading to Special Forty, in your opinion worth spend 5 times more money to upgrade? I really appreciate your honest on reviews. Thank you.
Hi Pyntzer, that's a tough question. The lady I sold my special 40 to was coming from the EMIT 10 and she loved the Special 40 but also she was paying used prices. I think at used prices its a nice upgrade for sure. At full MSRP it's hard to justify because cheaper products are always going to ring higher on the value meter.
@@NemoPropaganda thank you! have a good day.
Very interesting comparisons (specially since I have the Focal Aria 906). Thanks! Looking forward to the Kanta No 1 review.
I'll give you a sneak peak, Kanta is of course better than Aria 906 by a good amount. However going back to Aria 906 after using Kanta is still impressive. I think the EU price makes more sense for Kanta, the US price makes it 4x the price of Aria 906 which I think is a bit too much.
Awesome comparison!! All very interesting speakers!! Just great
I ran a set of them with a Sugden IA-4 Integrated, they were a very detailed speaker. They loved a decent powered amp.
Great comparison. I recently purchased a Denon PMA A110 (Anniversary edition) (160/4 ohm) to drive my S400s so we’ll see how it turns out when it arrives.
those look beefy!
@@NemoPropaganda Definitely! I know with the original S400 you didn’t like how the Denon 600NE sounded but with the mid bass hump in the MKII gone it would hopefully be a better pairing with the Denon sound.
@@ChaiBearProductions i actually hated the 600NE overall regardless of speaker pairing, it had a serious lack of dynamics but for $400 (at the time) its hard to complain :)
I would love to hear your impressions of the a110 with special forty
Regards@@ChaiBearProductions
Hey Nemo , Covered all aspects quite thoroughly ....Keep Going !
Thanks, will do!
I love the comment that if anything I said upsets you, "I don't give a f___!" I totally agree. These kind of reviews are about giving an opinion. You can take it or leave it. There is no reason to get defensive or upset. I am currently deciding between the Dynaudio Special 40 and the Buchardt S400 MKII, so I appreciate the comparison. I'm currently leaning towards the S400 MKII. Thanks for the review!
they're cut from a similar cloth overall but I preferred the slightly darker but slightly sharpter treble of the S400 MK2 but the build quality of the Special 40 is undeniably better.
Excellent review! I own both the special 40s and the s400 MKIIs and i agree with your observations almost 100%....I find both speakers to be quite good so Im not letting go of either of them ;)
ahaha, I relate, I want to keep both but the sound is too similar so the Special 40 has to go to a new home where it will be loved and used more.
@@NemoPropaganda how much are you selling them for?
@@Feliciano12v if you're interested hop in the free discord and we can chat about it there, I'd need mailing address and sensitive info to get an accurate quote :)
Nice review! Love the comparisons, as always… and the transparent caution to any future d-head type comments over a speaker! 😉 I left a critique of the mic 🎤 on discord. Cheers bro! 🍻💪🏽🎶‼️
I saw the cretique and appreciate the feedback my bro :)
Although it's certainly not going to win any beauty contests, a solid option at $3450 is the Tekton Double Impact with the $300 crossover upgrade. After I received them I quickly "retired" all my bookshelf speakers and subwoofers LOL. Could be a little overwhelming in a small room though, at 54 inches tall and 120 lb a piece LOL. A real bargain for a reference sound with impressive scale and dynamics, coupled with very high efficiency. Absolute beasts with my Denafrips Apollo amp!
the value proposition of the Tekton DI are undeniable :)
Any plans to review the Lore Reference Nemo?
no, not at this time.
I didn't care for the tekton DI's.. I had a chance to buy a pair used locally for 1500 in creamcycle orange. I was thinking of buying it but would have broken my back moving them at 120 lbs+ and almost 6 feet tall. The tektons had decent performance anywhere in a room and against wall. The bass impact required no subs as you could feel the chest compression. I didn't care for the timbre of instruments or the texture in the mids. It would be fine for a backup system or change of pace but wasn't my preference. Being that efficient using a SET tube amp would be a pretty sweet option.
Great review Nemo 👏. Now that my subwoofer game is up to par I'm now in the hunt for a suitable replacement for my q acoustics 3020i. I had them for a few years and feel like it's time to upgrade. I got my eyes on those buchardts but the kef r3 are looking like a serious contender.
ah yes, KEF R3 are very beautiful! I hope to get a review sample.
Great review as always sir!!! Would you pick these over focal aria for 50/50 music home theater?
yeah, it's a different sound but most would agree the Special 40 is an upgrade over the Aria. Aria is great but its price has gotten too high for US customers. If you live in EU where you can buy it under $1k then Aria is really something special.
@@NemoPropaganda I am honestly having a hard time trying to decide between the arias and the Dynaudio evoke 20 what would you choose?
@@Bryan-hd7nm I have not heard the Evoke personally so I cannot say. I as under the impression it was very much the opposite sound of the Aria though.
Thanks for the review! It would be interesting to hear what you think about another speaker in the same category that also comes from the Nordics, the Amphion Argon 3s?
I've sent Amphion a few emails for a review sample so we'll see what happens :)
Hi Nemo, nice review. Which stands I see under the Dynaudio's? Thx.
Hi bro, those are the Kanto SX26, very beefy stand!! I show them off more in this video: ruclips.net/video/4X7DwJrhoPw/видео.htmlsi=ulDfeE_aynOY3EY7
@@NemoPropaganda Thx. Greets from Holland.
I love standmount speakers.
One of the very best under 10000 euros is the Audiovector R1 arreté
I will try to get a review sample but it's hard because my channel is not that big bro.
Good stuff. Would be cool if you someday have the chance to review/compare the Contour 20
I guess the mk2 and others also image the same and have the same soundstages? Thanks.
Sorry Ben I don't understand the question.
Very nice review Nemo!
Thanks!
I think it's a matter of taste. Recently I got a chance to listen to some of bookshelf sized ones not the dynaudio though. My personal listening taste I had the order of my faves atc 11 tied with the bmr, then totem sky, then gr research , and then I had the triangles. I didn't get chance to listen to the arias though because I've already heard the kanta 2, which I really like as well. It was a small demo meet here locally in az.
Totally agree with your review of the Dynaudio 👏🥇💯🙌🔥
The special 40s have been a staple in my collection, and one thing you didn't mention is the amplifier you used. I've found that the more power you give the 40's, the better and more detailed they sound. I'm serious. The treble really opens up when the current is flowing. I drive them with the Arcam SA30, and they deliver all the detail you could want at the top end, without being harsh or fatiguing. Also, try a more analytical amp, rather than an overly warm amp (Marantz for example is too warm). Great review!
Hey Steven, all the associated equipment is always listed in the video description. My amps already lean cool/fast/analytical and have plenty of output so we're on the same page :)
@@NemoPropaganda Cool. There aren’t many reviews of these speakers, so I appreciated your take. I’ve bought some very nice subwoofers based on your recommendations, so please keep up the good work.
Good video. Keep up the good work.
Please review the GR Research Encore XLS. They are fantastic speakers
I don't have any love for Danny and that's not going to change anytime soon. I'm sure his speakers aren't bad but I fundamentally disagree with the way he conducts himself.
Have you ever heard ProAc D2's in comparison?
I have not.
I would love if you would review the svs sb16 ultra subwoofer. Awesome reviews man keep it up :)
I have a 100lb weight limit bro and that badboy is 146lbs! I’m 39 years old and trying to keep my back strong :)
@@NemoPropaganda yes i got 1 sb16ultra and it is HEAVY !! :O thinking of getting a second one 😁 , anyway i love watching all your videos man 👍
Used S40 or new s400mk2. Same price? What would you choose?
I like both speakers a lot, I think most people would be happy with either one. As the performance is very close and the sound is similar I suggest you choose based on which one will look nicer in your home :).
Sir
Kef ls 50 meta/Audio vector Qr1/monitor audio silver 100 7g/quad s2/golden ear BRX which of these is the best for music?
(What I want is good bass and good treble)
Hi bro, I have not heard all of those but if your budget is around $2k why not go for Buchardt S400 MK2?
i hesitate between these and proac db1 , cant hear any of them altough i did heard a bit of the 40 for few second in a bad set up in a store
I never heard proacs so I don't have an opinion here.
my room is 11ft by 16 ft my amp is a moon 600i v1 the volume around 60 to 70 db ?
Yeah I think the Special 40 would be just fine at those volumes in that room size.
thank you sir
timbre "tambre" is the word you were looking for about sound natural or real.
Concur about the treble, same with my Focus 160s
Love the focals also, especially when backed with a pair of rel t7s
oh yeah, REL & Focal are a fantastic match!!
Nice review Sir😊
how do they sound at lower volume ???
what dB do you consider low volume and what size room?
Maybe you have tried Canton. If not, had been fun to get your opinion. Me consider them slightly underrated.
I have not, they're not very popular in my region.
Great review my friend, nice job. I own SP40 since a late July - no offense took from your review of course 😂😂😂 - I'd just like to point a couple of things.
1. There is a big price gap between S400 and SP40 for sure , but that stands mostly for US market as I understand. Here in Europe - they are both Danish companies - they are much more comparable , I got mine for 2.600 euros brand new , so 1000 usd cheaper than in the US.
2. I was initially going for the S400 but read in more then 1 source that Hegel amps for some reason don't go well with the new Buchardts. I read that even Mads himself said he wasn't crazy with how S400 sounded with Hegel H190. Apparently mk1 was a better match than mk2 with Hegel's.
On the other hand, Dyn seem to love Hegels and their high current potential.
3. Burn in time is serious with the SP40. I am already at maybe 150 hours or more, and still feel the improvement as time goes by. Treble more velvet-y , mids more open.. feel like they need a good 300 hours or so to reach optimal level.
4. They are quite picky with placement , at least in my room. Once you find their sweet spot, they are incredible, but it takes quite a bit of time , trial and error to get it right.
I guess s400 are easier in that regard with their monster waveguide.
Again, great review, just wanted to share my experience.
Keep it up.
Thank you brother I appreciate the feedback. You are correct, any speaker that has lots of bass will have a long break-in period for sure!
Nice honest review!
Loved the review.
Great reviews. Learning to discover what I like. I want to feel and hear the music from the 80s I grew up with. So far many audiophile speakers are too quite with Michael Jackson and similar music. Maybe I need a couple of different sounds.
Just demo some stuff maybe? I'd suggest starting with Focal :)
Thank you for reviewing the Special 40.
I smiled when I saw your post on this Dynaudio.
I voted for u to review it.
Love to hear your perspective.
And I heard it.
Have a great day
thanks Law, I always appreciate the feedback!
Interesting how similar it is to S400, would have never thought that. How would you compare the other technicalities like soundstage and imaging? I imagine S400 stages way bigger due to the waveguide?
Both stage fairly large, the S400II does take the lead in all dimensions.
@@NemoPropaganda Which is easier to drive and can a good 50 watt at 8 ohms amp ex. Rega Brio, drive both or at least one to moderate apartment volumes without too much strain?
@@nc3419 S400 MKII are easier to drive than Special 40. Unforutnately I am not very familiar with the capabilities of the Brio but you need an amp that can drive current easily at 4ohms for either speaker to sound its best. If you need something easier to drive the Focal Aria 906 is incredible.
Excellent description in your Focal vs Dynaudio comparison. Dynaudio is known for warmer midrange. That's their signature.
Do you recommend the Dynaudio S 40?
TY
Yeah the Special 40 is a great speaker and it sells for a fairly low price on the second hand market. I personally prefer the S400 MK2 instead but the sound is very similar.
@@NemoPropaganda TY. You're one of the few honest reviewers.
@@ericle7299 thank you for the kind words my man.
Your awesome brother. Wish I didn't like my focals so much. Wanting to upgrade from the 906 to a higher line but their 60% price hike on American buyers makes my nutz hurt.
Need to find an anternative. There's a guy.. I think out of Cali that makes his own speakers. Fritz. His Carrera, LS7s, and Rev 7 SE speakers look like they may fit the bill. The Carreras use beryllium. The Ls7s use soft dome and the revs use a ring radiator tweeter. If you call him... I bet he'd lend you a couple pair to try for review. He's a good guy.
I've actually heard he's an awesome dude also, I'll give it some thought once I get some more free time. You can always buy used Kanta, that's what I did but it was still $4300.
What you talking shit about my speakers bro! You think you're better than me cuz you got separates and I'm running the AVR! I'm just joking brother. Always love your no bullshit approach. Catch you on the Discord
I think it's time you get a mono block amp for each speaker in your theater :D
@@NemoPropaganda 🤬
I might lol it's only 2.2
What does warm midrange mean though. Can you translate by way of frequency content? Adjectives don’t really compute when there’s that kind of subjectivity
a frequency response graph tells you frequency response. It will not tell you if the midrange is warm or if the treble is sharp, or if the bass has good transient response. You are asking for data that does not exist.
I've always wanted a reviewer to turn round and say "I don't give a f k" regarding comments on other speakers that people find "offensive"🤣
Please don't ever change mate👍
thank you for the support in my obnoxious behavior, I will continue :)
@@NemoPropaganda that's ma boy
I always enjoy your videos and your blunt conclusions! Don't change a thing! 🇺🇦🇺🇸🤜
thank you bro!
How do they compare to the new contour 20i or heritage special
I don't know.
Hi. I have Aria906 driven by a Rotel A11 Tribute . Do you think that an upgrade of the amp will be a good idea ? And what amps I should look ? Thanks.
Excellent choice, Aria 906 is amazing! It's also very easy to drive so I don't think you will see a huge difference unless the next amp you buy has a different tonal character from the A11.
@@NemoPropaganda Thank you for your reply. I am also thinking of adding a subwoofer in the system. My space is about 25 m2. I am looking at Rel T5x and T9x. The best would be the T5x for the budget aspect. Do you think that this is enough or I should go for the bigger one ? I am not looking for spl, as I only listen up to medium level (75-80 db) and I do not need very low extension. Just a sub to give me a fuller music sound. Thank you again .
@@dimitriskontos858 it's hard to say what will be enough because everyone has different taste in how much bass is enough. I know people who feel 1 T5X is enough in that size room but for my taste I'd like to have 2. I suggest trying one, you can always buy a second one later or you can just jump straight to T9X. Or you can go in the middle for 1 T7X maybe? Can you visit a dealer and hear them?
@@NemoPropaganda Thanks. I think that trying one T5x first, and adding a second if needed is the best way. Thank you for yor suggestions.
Love this guy
I love you like a fat kid loves cake and that is top tier love right there.
Great work thanks
Nemo, keeping it 💯 !!! ✊🏽
Good review…I have a pair of DynAudio Contour 20s (bought them new-in-box for $2999 cash-&-carry a yr. ago when the 20i's came out). Love them! Your comparison here helped me understand that I made the right choice over the new Buchardts (which were not available then). The forgiving top end and organic sound is my sweet spot. The listed bass response for The Contour 20 is 38kh. These speakers are bass monsters and YES need to be seriously out from the wall. Using a Schiit Freya + (NOS Tubes) as a preamp. I had the latest version Kinki Studio Mono Blocs, but ditched them for a McIntosh MC152. It seems more powerful and gave the speakers more punch. The amp is rated at 150 wpc, but has been independently measured at 250 wpc. Now I just look for music! 🎶 👀 😁
ah so you did find some amps that were an upgrade over the old carvers?
Dynaudios are generally known for that smooth top end, especially with the Esotar (not to be confused with asshole star) tweeter. Seems like they are going for that kind of sound from their entry level all the way to their top of the line. Multiple measurements from different parties show a problematic ~1khz area and some nasty cabinet resonances which should not be there at such a price. Look bloody gorgeous though, and I know some will die for that smooth top end Dynaudio is known for. Another great one Nemo, cant wait for the Kanta review!
Thank you bro!
I have the EX-B7 and had the Special 40 until last week. Highly recommend the GR Research crossover upgrade as it brings a leap in dynamics and transparency.
Until Danny can speak respectfully about other engineers I'm not interested in his products. I'm happy you're happy with them though :)
great thx ✌🏼👽☮❤
You know you can trust a review from a reviewer who he ends it like that! I think it should be his outro on every video. 🤣🤣🤣
maybe we make this my standard outro :D
Maybe i should join the discord. Super good chanel!
do it bro
I’ve heard both the Buchhard and the Special 40 on an A/B and found both speakers to be close in the mids and bass, but the treble on the Buchard S400 mkii seemed to be less articulate and frankly made be feel like I would get tired of listening fairly quickly. That alone for me is enough to justice the extra cash. As I write this the video was winding down and you kind of became someone else, and it’s quite possible that you could not give 2 shits about my comment, kind of disheartening to hear.
nope, just trying to keep the toxic people out, if anyone is offended by what I say that is there problem, not mine. I review the gear, the assessment is the assessment, not a personal attack, if someone takes my review as a personal attack then yes I don't care about that at all. As far as getting "tired" from the S400 I'm guessing you mean in a bored sense rather than fatigue? Yes that is possible if its not paired up with the right amps, S400 MK2 is fairly neutral if not somewhat relaxed, it will sound best paired up with neutral/analytical amps like Kinki Studio or Buchardts own amplifier. I would not pair the S400 MK2 to a warmer or smoother amp.
Bro you are hilarious! "If you're about to leave a nasty comment, I don't give a F*** what u think!🤣😆
i think it will be my new outro lol
It should be! It’s funny because you come across like you truly don’t care
@@marcusmcmurray77 I truly don't, that's the magic, I started this all for fun, I don't care about making any money on youtube so I can swear and tell people they're cunts lol
The beard is quite wide now lol
i know, time for a trim trim.
Seems pretty spendy. Why
It has never been my goal to justify the price of a product. I'm here to tell you what it sounds like. There are speakers available in every price category if you feel these are too expensive or outside of your budget.