For a detailed article and all the speaker reviews come and visit my new website www.pursuitperfectsystem.com/completing-a-bookshelf-speaker-group-mega-test/ I followed up this video with a Live Q&A Video going into more details about more things here ruclips.net/video/4Zm4HSb8u1c/видео.html Al-so dont forget there is a specific review video for every speaker in this group test - make sure you check them out, details in the video description box
Thanks so much for doing this, yes love warfdale high end looking speaker. Though I went with 4 klipsch RP-600M for home theater, along with a pair of dual svs-sb2000. For my center should i go with RP-600C or the bigger version? Room size 19 x 11 x 7. Thanks once again, cheers from Canada 🇨🇦.
@@best_sound Lack of looking is not an excuse - its all here the first playlist on my channels home page ruclips.net/p/PLBxJjnKekAe27rHLKGtMJ2JdwnJL4_hcm
@@dagr8kerek The 600M hasn't a 'big' brother, it is the flagship 'standmount'. The RP6000F is the bigger brother to the RP5000F in the FLOOR stand class and in the middle of the line bested by the RP8000F.. Just a heads up on the Klipsch models in those classes.
Acoustic Energy's wee speakers definitely deserved best small speaker award. Any of the larger speakers deserved top awards but the Evo's would be my choice with the Cabasse a close second. Thanks Terry for this brilliant review. Can you do a sound demo of the Evo's please.
Nice job ! Going to reccomend your Audiolab6000a review when i drop my review 😆 but they like a bright lively speaker ! Layed back speakers not so much !
Bottom line is that speakers at this price point are going to be partnered with £350 to £500 amps, which are a touch prone to brightness...even a touch of harshness. Klipsch ain't going to make you happy unless you only listen to acoustic or folk, whereas the 3030i will temper those characteristics....and the 3050i floorstander fits in the price category
Are KEF not a contender anymore? I had a fantastic pair of floor stand KEF speakers in the 80s that sadly came to a demise in my garage when i was moving. Damp got to them over a pariod of a couple of weeks and wrecked them :(
Congrats again on this completing this massive undertaking. I know many are asking about other speakers in this highly competitive category, but you really nailed it with this excellent line up. I'm looking forward to participating in the live Q&A, which is a great idea, and hopefully you'll learn more too, as you connect with the community. Great work!
If you have come to this Conclusion as a first video please watch the review videos too as I go into serious detail and do comprehensive comparisons :) Thanks
Great comparison. Wharfedale a worthy winner (I assume as I haven't heard them...yet). That mid range driver is a killer feature at this price point. Need a demo soon.
Thanks Terry, well done review. Very good cross section and variety of product, for the category. I picked up a pair of the 4.2's several months ago, and have been watching this series with an open mind - albeit, a slight gut level bias. I LOVE my 4.2's! Being 60 years old, I know MY hearing ain't what it used to be. However, the 4.2's have brought me back to a level of musical enjoyment that I didn't expect. The warmth, richness, texture, and soundstage, they provide, just keep me engaged. They are a pleasure to listen to! Based on my listening room, I had to "play" with the positioning (no more "niggles"), but once I dialed-it-in... Paired with a sub... Ahh! My source is typically streaming - Bluetooth 5.0/LDAC/96 kHz into a Topping D90 DAC, through an FXAUDIO Tube-03, then into an older Onkyo AVR, driving an older 12" Velodyne sub. Pre out into an older Carver M-500t, driving the 4.2's. I sight this information for perspective on source, and using some existing equipment, "tweaked" for the 21st century. Next step - cables and DIRAC??? Thanks again, Cheers! 👍
Same here. EVO 4.2 owner and I kept thinking all the way through this series "How could the 4.2's not win this?". One of the best speaker values I've seen in awhile. Smooth, detailed, transparent. Beautiful speakers that could sell for 2-3 times their price.
This was an excellent series. Detailed information, in depth sound quality reviews, and honest about up and downs of each speaker. A lot of good choices in this group. I agree on your choice of the Wharfedale in the group as, in my opinion (and many other reviews), they do perform well above their price range.
What do you think, truly, about the Bass of the new Eltax pwr vintage 1959, because I have to watch a French (I know very well French, but the audio and the musics are the worst I've ever listen, jazz and other kind of musics I don't hear). I usually use 4 speakers (biggest tower speakers) all in Stereo. The French man used only 2 speakers of Eltax pwr vintage 1959 and the Magnat 1500 and sometimes the JBL 240 TI. And I have lots of doubts, because I use my JBL S-312 (35Hz minimum, 12 inches woofer, 4 inches mids, and 1 inch tweeter), and I can hear exactly what I want from my Pioneer SX-1980 and my Yamaha R-S700, with all bass, treble and Loudness. Rock with heavy bass, modern electric blues, Eisbrecher (the best recording sound ever for the last 32 years), Rammstein, Classic Music, Catholic Church Organ Music, Organ Music, Piano. And I've more than 5,000 cds on that all. The JBL S-312 delivers too very well for any kind of music, even Folk, John Lee Hooker, Germany Ambient Dark, Industrial Germany etc. But I don't know if I buy or not the Eltax pwr vintage 1959 yet. What I know is that the sound of Eltax is little differente than my JBL's (I've 10 of it). What to do, if you know, if you have the opportunity to hear Eltax pwr vintage 1959 with the kind of sound I love. Congratulations for your demonstrations, and for your speach (very well done to hear, differente the French guy -- very low speach). Thanks a lot, and sorry for writing so much. I'm looking for more Bass response, more deep bass, more bass than my JBL's tower speakers.
Revel above the price category. I did contact Elac but they didnt get back to me - as I got actually 11, but 9 in the end Yes from companies very quickly I didn't chase them up about it as that was more than enough
I really appreciate this effort. Other reviewers have been constrained by *not* having the large variety of models in house at the same time. I put much stock in what you have heard and said. For those who listen almost exclusively to acoustic music recorded digitally and streamed, CD mastered, or pressed on vinyl, I of course wish these could be reviewed by comparison with reality rather than just compared to each other. I recognize that it's impossible and impractical, so no complaint.
As an example of the above, I have come to live with the RP600M speakers in a quite large room with high ceilings -- driven with 150 watts per channel. These drive the room quite well, achieving 100+ dB SPL's @ 3 meters when asked. They are not true to reality on older recordings, especially classical on vinyl. SO, I have introduced a Schiit Loki between the preamp and amp, and minor adjustments tame the tweeters on old recordings (digital as well). Lows, down to about 20 Hz, are handled by two subs.
@@jimshaw899 sounds like you're doing it right mate the Loki is a good device everybody should have or something equivalent. Curious what settings you have on the Loki when using the klipsch are we talking upper mid-range lower? On a clock face where are your positions of course different material makes a difference but where's your general settings
@@johnsweda2999 My approx. settings for old recordings are: 20Hz noon, 400Hz 10am, 2kHz 10am, 8kHz 9am. The Loki works much better than a tone control. For the powered subs, it is out of the circuit, because the preamp has a separate feed for them that doesn't pass through the Loki. Works for me. I sometimes switch it out on recent digital recordings and vinyl, especially when listening off axis at a distance. I theorize, but don't *know,* that one of my issues is the woofer trying to play at 1500 Hz and mating up with the tweeter playing at 1500 Hz. And with old recordings, mastered to add "presence," playing upwards in the "forward" regime of the tweeter, making strings gritty. This goes a long way toward making a jazz quartet, symphony orchestra, or acoustic guitar sound like they are playing in their room -- thence in my room. I really don't know how Led Zeppelin sounded except via JBL stacks in Madison Square Garden, so it's not my target.
Shame you didn't put the Dentons 85 in there as they fit into this price category and are more like traditional Bookshelf Speakers rather than the larger evo's
Hi awesome review! But which of these 3 speakers do you think is the best for an Audiolab 6000A amp ? Bowers and Wilkins 606 - Fyne Audio F500 - Focal Chora 806 Thx in advance :) (I'm listening bass heavy music like minimal and microhouse)
Well done Terry for the great mega test, I'm not surprised about the Evo 4.2, they were my favourite, I wanted to get them, but the centre channel wouldn't fit in my cabinet by a cm, I love the look of them, I would have got them in white, Instead I bought just last week Arendal 1961 monitors, you should review them Well done again,
I actually demo the AE300 and Q Acoustics having watched your videos which helped me narrow the choices because of there size and I have a small room so funny how you actually put them in the same form factor, I settled for the 3030i because overall sound is, how can I put it .....a speaker for all day listening and for me love the image and that extra bit of base and that base is not in your face but more warm if that makes sense,but these speakers had two benefits for me, first was outstanding price per performance is unequalled and the second reason for now I don't see the need for a subwoofer So this alone saves me money from a cheap prices speaker and no extra cost for a sub, I'm not saying I'll not one day add a sub but for now it's ticking all the boxes,if I could change one thing on 3030i it would be the finish, I would have loved the concept 20s gloss look but this is minor personal taste,my system arcam solo and most people will have better great systems mine is only basic as my original system was stolen,so had to drag my very old system from the attic and that is 15years old, the problem I have I haven't got a clue what I'd replace it with IE CD and Amp, however they do work well together..... question for the author what cables would you advise for 3030i for more clarity and maybe a bit more sonic ability
Thank you so much for taking the time to review all of these speakers. In this day and age, it is difficult to just run to your local shop to have a listen. I depend on great detailed reviews like yours to help me narrow down what I might enjoy in my system. I really like the sound characteristics of the Wharfedales and am anxious to see reviews of the new Diamond 12 series. Hope you have a chance to review them. Thanks again and best wishes...
As I mentioned in a comment to another video, I am brand new to this channel -- and this next bit is a silly thing to say, I mean who cares what I think, really -- but the final conclusion of this video represents a big and important test passed for our host, IMHO. If a reviewer has a speaker shootout narrowed down to two finalists, and one of them is a "listen all day" speaker, and the other is a more "exciting" speaker, and literally everything else is a dead heat, it is nothing short of malpractice to represent the exciting speaker as the better choice. I am a huge fan of Linn speakers, especially paired with either Naim or Arcam electronics, and these are not the assertions of a listen-all-day advocate. But the thing is, it's really hard to be Linn and Naim and Arcam. The design effort that goes into a sound that is at once exciting without being overly sibilant and fatiguing is really just this side of impossible. I sold stereo equipment for a summer in Indianapolis, at a place whose lines included both KEF and Klipsch (interestingly-?). Whenever people narrowed it down to the C80 or the Forte, and really couldn't decide, I always knew whether the speakers would stay sold, or get returned, based on which of them were chosen. Indeed I never, ever, ever had a pair of C80s come back on me -- and we sold a *lot* of them. The Fortes were an E-ticket ride, but there was a moment on the second or third day where you'd just huff out a long exhale and say to the person next to you, "Let's do something else for a while; let's get outside and go the park or somethin'." And that, friends, was always the beginning of the end. Again, this rule only works on an all-other-things-equal basis: We had lots of Fortes stay sold too, and lots of KG4's, which (sacrilege incoming) I actually consider the much superior speaker of that vintage of the Klipsch line. But we never had a sale stick if the person was genuinely torn between the KEF house sound and the Klipsch house sound of that era, and chose the Klipsch. Indeed I only ever sold one pair of K-horns, and they came back a week later: Swapped for a pair of 104/2's that I never saw again. :D
One of the best group speakers test (and generally review) ever, and anywhere! I understand, it must was... an Athlon! 😀 I hope, someday in the future when you ll have the patience, the means, and the time, you could try again something similar.., with any kind of hi fi gear.. (streamer, amplifiers, speakers, whatever).. Thank you very much for the information and the joy you gave us!
I know this review was years ago, but just wantedd to make sure people know you HAVE to break the Wharfedales in for at least 30 hours. They really come to life once you do, so don't judge them right out of the box.
doubt you would bother to reply but I've been watching your channel looking for a better bookshelf speaker. I have acoustic research ps2052 I bought off ebay one blown driver replaced and can't find a reason to replace them, they sound great...but I haven't listened to anything else. Any input? Love your breakdowns!
Thank you Terry for an awesome job. I have been following the series always eagerly waiting for the next one. Now that you've reached the end, I am still left struggling to decide, but that is not your fault as I understand how it is difficult for a single person to come to so many split decisions - I feel your pain :-) Anyway, I will surely keep your videos in mind when it comes to deciding on where to spend my money on a pair of bookshelf speakers .Thank you!
Fantastic megatest Terry! I only found your channel recently and am definitely subscribed. The way you broke things down and describe them was ‘perfect’. Can’t wait for the next one! :) Keep up the great work!
Guy who designed Wharfedales sadly can't any more hear the upper frequencies. That's why he's not missing them it seems. Can we please have up to £200 speaker test.
Thanks so much. Quite clear. At the end I purchased the Cabasse even though it was a blind purchase as it was not possible to listen them before purchasing. I spent 359 € which is a bit more than 400 USD, and they make me smiling quite often. I trusted your advice and I have no regrets. Thanks!!!! Luca
No I didn't but I think they are a stunning speaker,look great possibly best looking,downside there was a 4week waiting list from our hifi shop as he wouldn't sell his demo,lol so bought alternative speakers
Great video/test Terry, thanks so much for the hard work. I'm setting up an SVS Prime setup for HT, do you think the SVS Bookshelves & Center will be a good idea? I can still change products since I only have 5 SVS Sattelites & SB-1000 Sub. Thanks again!
Well done very informative, but one thing to please consider, use nice soft gloves when fiddling about with speakers under all the lighting before you film (especially black & gloss) the Focals were very distracting due to all the finger prints and skin oil smears.. Soft matte finishes like the Q 3030is were just as noticeable.. Thanks for another very informative well articulated review,..
What a fantastic series of tests and with very sensible sorting methods: small and large and then into cool/crisp to warm. Your methods go some way to explain the apparent contradictions you get in more conventional magazine reviews where I always seem to end up thinking “yes you obviously like it but is it better than xyz?” The only comment I have, and it’s not a criticism, is that now Kef Ls50 has come down so much in price to almost this level how do these fit in? From practically all the reviews I’ve read in print and RUclips these Kefs seem to be a de facto reference standard. Thank you for these tremendous reviews.
@@PursuitPerfectSystem sir, they get my total money, whereas if only made in China then may be 25 to 50 percent! Although I search for alternative like made in Vietnam, Malaysia, Japan or any other country Including my own India !
Just to put things in perspective, here in Canada, the warfedale are 1500$ while i got the 600M on sale at 522$ No way that difference in price is worth it for me specialy that you consider them in the same categorie and not far behind.
You've managed to simultaneously appeal to two generations. Both the Millennial Generation and Gen X. Everyone gets a trophy yet there is really only one winner :) Thanks for this great Muti-Test.
Sweet! I was hoping AE300 scored well. I bought my first AE100 back in 1996 and just loved the sound, but felt that they lacked some in the bass areas for when I wanted to play loud. Now I have had to decide between EVO 4.4 and AE309 and I went with AE309, just because I have heard how sweet AE speakers sound, I really fell in love with the sound, and since they are for both music and film, I got a SVS PB1000 to have on the side when watching movies. ;) Thank you for a "perfect" speaker review, I have subbed and look forward to you upcoming reviews. Best wishes from Norway =)
@@markuspajonk7762 I agree, and I am now preparing to repaint and change the furniture positions in my living-room just to be ready for them when they arrive =P I also have a small stack of CD`s and LP`s ready for testing as soon as the speakers are runned/played in. Do you think 50 hours is enough for them to be ready? Grieg, Clams Casino, Yes, Frank Zappa, Prokofiev and Fink is on my playlist ;)
what's with all this back-patting in the comments. as a reader it's of no use to me. normally the comment section is filled with reactions to specific parts of the video. helpful comments would be expert advice on these speakers, contributing to what the video is offering. (personally I don't know anything about hifi so I can't contribute unfortunately)
Tip top job done. Thanks a lot. The 606 Anniversary are on my list to audition. Shame they came in too late for your test. I came to my current B&W 685 S2 after extended listening to QA Concept 20, Elac Debut 2 5s, Epos K1i, Dali Oberon 1. Very difficult to choose a best from that bunch. Vocal clarity did it in the end, plus separation.
Every speaker has been reviewed individually and in depth so all that info is in their review but I used the same setup to review them all - this video is the conclusion to a massive amount of work and video series. You will also find all that information in the video description box
Hi, excellent chanell, one of the best! It's a long shot but could you get your hands on Dynavoice DM-6 standmounters or DM-8 floorstanders. Really inexpensive but with magnificent specs. I wanted to order the floorstanders but i've got myself together because i dont have a space for those boxes. Please check them. Thank you!
I went down the rabbit hole and ended up on some Klipsch 600 sound demos and ended here and soooo glad i did. Listened to you months ago and subscribed tonight. I have my room pretty dialed in for amazing sound and was looking for a smaller speaker set up for another room possibly. I can really hear the differences with these speakers you are testing. Thus far i have listened to the Klipsch, the Focal and the Wharfedale. If something beats the Wharfedales i will be all ears because these sound amazing on my end(and ears). Sweet
Hi Perfect sound out of all the people I have been listening to you make allot of since. What do you think about xlr y connection cable signal being bi-amp, would you use a y splitter. to keep the signal impedence strong. I need help I just brought a pair of xlr y connection water cables from audioquest and i am bi-amping vertical but it seems to be the signal has gotton weaker would you recommend xlr y connection. pleaes i know your busy but I really need your help. I have two parasound amp A21+ bi amped. if i need a y splitter please recommend a quality one that will not affect my sound quality from the water xlr. thanks John
Somewhat biased review. He liked the warmer speakers and he even bought a very warm speaker. Most people, including audiophiles don't like warm speaker because they color the audio too much.
Maybe check out all the sound demos and you will see why I picked the EVO 4.2 - nothing to do with bias and I bought them to use to compare to any other speakers around this price and to use with entry level amps. My own personal speakers at this time were KEF Reference 3 so a little bit higher than this
I didn't miss them, they was supposed to be included with the Q350 but they didn't have any available due to supply demand and some issues with current times
Did you happen to test out how the Evo 4.2's sound with movies? This speaker seems like they would do well given the three driver design in my room small. I currently sit about 11ft or 2.5 meters away from the my television. Thanks for your hard work!
Hi Gilbert - I have made some enquires for you, I have been told the best way to help you is if you email me I can put you in touch with the right person at the right dealer for where you live. Please email me at terryellis@pursuitperfectsystem.com Thanks
Well done Terry. I agree the Evo 4.2 fit n finish does look better and SQ, dynamics is good but if the Cabasse Antiqua was not such an ugly duckling it might have won top honors. Looking forward to your next project.
Thanks!, keep up the good job!! i would like to see yoour take on best speakers under US5K and also under US$10K . . .? not an easy task, but i believe you can cut through the clutter at that price point, clearly 2 very critical price points in this industry
Great question, if you check my website its explained but here An Essential Audition Award is granted in recognition of a products high performance but with a certain uniqueness that makes auditioning even more essential. A Serious Bang for Buck Award is granted in recognition of a products stand out high performance being significantly greater than its perceived price point Special Performer Award is Pursuit Perfect Systems highest accolade and is in recognition of exceptional product performance regardless of price
Thanks for the your hard work making this Speaker Mega Test man. It was fun and interesting to hear how all these speakers compared to each other. The frequency response graphs were interesting to see. I have owned the Bowers & Wilkins 606 speakers for about a year now. I love them and that "hot" treble does settle down a bit over time. They sound much more neutral now.
@@PursuitPerfectSystem HaHa 😄 OK fair enough. I love them anyhow. Great speakers and thanks for your great video review. Its the best review on RUclips I have come across.
Thanks Stephen - this is the reviews round up video there is a specific review video and demo video for each individual speaker in this test in my channel
Where is Advance Acoustic in all those bookshelf videos? A friend has the Advance Acoustic Paris KC400 evo and they are absolutely insane! They sound like what i would expect from a 3way with a 10inch woofer.
I didn't know that company even existed you are the only person to mention them from over quarter of a million viewers - you cant include a companies product you don't know exists
Shared this video with some of my buddiess who are also looking to upgrade. For me, I'm curious - for a MIXED Home Theatre and Music system (which already has a Whatsmough Synergy2 subwoofer), would you prefer the B&W 606 (OG version) or the SVS Primes? Cheers
How is the Imaging for the wharfedale 4.4? Can't find any info about the Imaging I heard the Polk Legend l600 and imaging was very good.. do this compare as far as Imaging?
For a detailed article and all the speaker reviews come and visit my new website www.pursuitperfectsystem.com/completing-a-bookshelf-speaker-group-mega-test/
I followed up this video with a Live Q&A Video going into more details about more things here ruclips.net/video/4Zm4HSb8u1c/видео.html
Al-so dont forget there is a specific review video for every speaker in this group test - make sure you check them out, details in the video description box
Thanks so much for doing this, yes love warfdale high end looking speaker. Though I went with 4 klipsch RP-600M for home theater, along with a pair of dual svs-sb2000. For my center should i go with RP-600C or the bigger version? Room size 19 x 11 x 7. Thanks once again, cheers from Canada 🇨🇦.
Whats's the song at 6:34
Site visited. There are also some fairy tales. Loudspeakers did not find any sound tests.
@@best_sound Lack of looking is not an excuse - its all here the first playlist on my channels home page ruclips.net/p/PLBxJjnKekAe27rHLKGtMJ2JdwnJL4_hcm
Superb series - now floorstanders!
haha :)
@@PursuitPerfectSystem FLUANCE.
@@cliffordcostley9798 is thay because of Andrew Robinson review or another reason?
Would love to see a review of the RP6000F's (the big brother to the 600M's). It seams like no one ever talks about them
@@dagr8kerek The 600M hasn't a 'big' brother, it is the flagship 'standmount'. The RP6000F is the bigger brother to the RP5000F in the FLOOR stand class and in the middle of the line bested by the RP8000F.. Just a heads up on the Klipsch models in those classes.
Acoustic Energy's wee speakers definitely deserved best small speaker award. Any of the larger speakers deserved top awards but the Evo's would be my choice with the Cabasse a close second. Thanks Terry for this brilliant review. Can you do a sound demo of the Evo's please.
Nice job ! Going to reccomend your Audiolab6000a review when i drop my review 😆 but they like a bright lively speaker ! Layed back speakers not so much !
Bottom line is that speakers at this price point are going to be partnered with £350 to £500 amps, which are a touch prone to brightness...even a touch of harshness. Klipsch ain't going to make you happy unless you only listen to acoustic or folk, whereas the 3030i will temper those characteristics....and the 3050i floorstander fits in the price category
Are KEF not a contender anymore? I had a fantastic pair of floor stand KEF speakers in the 80s that sadly came to a demise in my garage when i was moving. Damp got to them over a pariod of a couple of weeks and wrecked them :(
The q350 was supposed to be included but they didnt have any available sadly for it
Congrats again on this completing this massive undertaking. I know many are asking about other speakers in this highly competitive category, but you really nailed it with this excellent line up. I'm looking forward to participating in the live Q&A, which is a great idea, and hopefully you'll learn more too, as you connect with the community. Great work!
Great series. But for under 600 pounds I would definitely look the Triangle BRO3, and the Warfdale Denton 85th.
If you have come to this Conclusion as a first video please watch the review videos too as I go into serious detail and do comprehensive comparisons :) Thanks
Great job & what would be the best for movies?
@@HPMIKE55 thanks man you could use them all and depends the type of sound you want same as for hifi.
@@PursuitPerfectSystem thanks & did you get any discounts code for any of those speakers for use? ;-)
@@HPMIKE55 I didnt sorry man its not that kind of arrangement for these
Pursuit Perfect System it’s cool & keep up the great job! 😎👍🏻
Thanks Terry for the Mega Review series. Very well done.
Thanks very much man, really appreciate it :)
Great test, it was worth the wait, thanks.
Next up i would test low cost streamers that is the CCA, Bluesound Node 2i, yamaha, etc, cheers
Thank you so much Terry for these mega tests and comparisons! All reviews are so helpful and enjoyable!!
This has been awesome, enjoyed every single review of this series. I really appreciate the time and effort you've put into this. Thanks!
Thanks Brother, I think I see the Warfdale's in my future...
Out of the 4 speakers I auditioned i bought the 4:2's sweet music, or is it cos I'm older than you?
Awesome! Great content! And now everybody wants to know how the Elac Uni-Fi 2.0 UB52 compare!
Any chance of that happening anytime soon :) ?
Thanks Terry, respect the effort and care you've put into the test. Best regards and wishes
Great comparison. Wharfedale a worthy winner (I assume as I haven't heard them...yet). That mid range driver is a killer feature at this price point. Need a demo soon.
Thanks Terry, well done review. Very good cross section and variety of product, for the category. I picked up a pair of the 4.2's several months ago, and have been watching this series with an open mind - albeit, a slight gut level bias. I LOVE my 4.2's! Being 60 years old, I know MY hearing ain't what it used to be. However, the 4.2's have brought me back to a level of musical enjoyment that I didn't expect. The warmth, richness, texture, and soundstage, they provide, just keep me engaged. They are a pleasure to listen to! Based on my listening room, I had to "play" with the positioning (no more "niggles"), but once I dialed-it-in... Paired with a sub... Ahh!
My source is typically streaming - Bluetooth 5.0/LDAC/96 kHz into a Topping D90 DAC, through an FXAUDIO Tube-03, then into an older Onkyo AVR, driving an older 12" Velodyne sub. Pre out into an older Carver M-500t, driving the 4.2's. I sight this information for perspective on source, and using some existing equipment, "tweaked" for the 21st century. Next step - cables and DIRAC???
Thanks again, Cheers! 👍
Same here. EVO 4.2 owner and I kept thinking all the way through this series "How could the 4.2's not win this?". One of the best speaker values I've seen in awhile. Smooth, detailed, transparent. Beautiful speakers that could sell for 2-3 times their price.
Gregory Tessensohn Agreed! I bought my Evo 4.2s a couple of months ago and sold my KEF LS50 speakers...absolutely no regrets. Fantastic speakers 😀
This was an excellent series. Detailed information, in depth sound quality reviews, and honest about up and downs of each speaker. A lot of good choices in this group. I agree on your choice of the Wharfedale in the group as, in my opinion (and many other reviews), they do perform well above their price range.
What do you think, truly, about the Bass of the new Eltax pwr vintage 1959, because I have to watch a French (I know very well French, but the audio and the musics are the worst I've ever listen, jazz and other kind of musics I don't hear). I usually use 4 speakers (biggest tower speakers) all in Stereo. The French man used only 2 speakers of Eltax pwr vintage 1959 and the Magnat 1500 and sometimes the JBL 240 TI. And I have lots of doubts, because I use my JBL S-312 (35Hz minimum, 12 inches woofer, 4 inches mids, and 1 inch tweeter), and I can hear exactly what I want from my Pioneer SX-1980 and my Yamaha R-S700, with all bass, treble and Loudness. Rock with heavy bass, modern electric blues, Eisbrecher (the best recording sound ever for the last 32 years), Rammstein, Classic Music, Catholic Church Organ Music, Organ Music, Piano. And I've more than 5,000 cds on that all. The JBL S-312 delivers too very well for any kind of music, even Folk, John Lee Hooker, Germany Ambient Dark, Industrial Germany etc. But I don't know if I buy or not the Eltax pwr vintage 1959 yet. What I know is that the sound of Eltax is little differente than my JBL's (I've 10 of it). What to do, if you know, if you have the opportunity to hear Eltax pwr vintage 1959 with the kind of sound I love. Congratulations for your demonstrations, and for your speach (very well done to hear, differente the French guy -- very low speach). Thanks a lot, and sorry for writing so much. I'm looking for more Bass response, more deep bass, more bass than my JBL's tower speakers.
if you want more bass get subwoofers then you can control your bass level much more easily
I own EVO’s 4.2 and I do Love them
To bad you couldn't have included Elac and Revel. A lot of food for thought here.
Thank you.
Revel above the price category. I did contact Elac but they didnt get back to me - as I got actually 11, but 9 in the end Yes from companies very quickly I didn't chase them up about it as that was more than enough
I really appreciate this effort. Other reviewers have been constrained by *not* having the large variety of models in house at the same time. I put much stock in what you have heard and said.
For those who listen almost exclusively to acoustic music recorded digitally and streamed, CD mastered, or pressed on vinyl, I of course wish these could be reviewed by comparison with reality rather than just compared to each other. I recognize that it's impossible and impractical, so no complaint.
As an example of the above, I have come to live with the RP600M speakers in a quite large room with high ceilings -- driven with 150 watts per channel. These drive the room quite well, achieving 100+ dB SPL's @ 3 meters when asked. They are not true to reality on older recordings, especially classical on vinyl. SO, I have introduced a Schiit Loki between the preamp and amp, and minor adjustments tame the tweeters on old recordings (digital as well). Lows, down to about 20 Hz, are handled by two subs.
@@jimshaw899 sounds like you're doing it right mate the Loki is a good device everybody should have or something equivalent. Curious what settings you have on the Loki when using the klipsch are we talking upper mid-range lower? On a clock face where are your positions of course different material makes a difference but where's your general settings
@@johnsweda2999 My approx. settings for old recordings are: 20Hz noon, 400Hz 10am, 2kHz 10am, 8kHz 9am. The Loki works much better than a tone control. For the powered subs, it is out of the circuit, because the preamp has a separate feed for them that doesn't pass through the Loki. Works for me. I sometimes switch it out on recent digital recordings and vinyl, especially when listening off axis at a distance.
I theorize, but don't *know,* that one of my issues is the woofer trying to play at 1500 Hz and mating up with the tweeter playing at 1500 Hz. And with old recordings, mastered to add "presence," playing upwards in the "forward" regime of the tweeter, making strings gritty.
This goes a long way toward making a jazz quartet, symphony orchestra, or acoustic guitar sound like they are playing in their room -- thence in my room. I really don't know how Led Zeppelin sounded except via JBL stacks in Madison Square Garden, so it's not my target.
Shame you didn't put the Dentons 85 in there as they fit into this price category and are more like traditional Bookshelf Speakers rather than the larger evo's
Affordable? At 650£ ? Yeah if you have enough money!
Love this and tuning in to your presentation style. If I could subscribe twice I would.
Thanks very much man
Tekton speakers are selling like hot cakes in the USA.
Hi awesome review! But which of these 3 speakers do you think is the best for an Audiolab 6000A amp ?
Bowers and Wilkins 606 - Fyne Audio F500 - Focal Chora 806
Thx in advance :) (I'm listening bass heavy music like minimal and microhouse)
Probably the Focal but bass will be dependent on how you set up any speaker, do bear that in mind :)
Well done Terry for the great mega test, I'm not surprised about the Evo 4.2, they were my favourite, I wanted to get them, but the centre channel wouldn't fit in my cabinet by a cm, I love the look of them, I would have got them in white, Instead I bought just last week Arendal 1961 monitors, you should review them
Well done again,
Arendal 1961 is a wonderful choice.. Hope you are happy with them..
@@rajakumarparuchuri327 very happy so far
I actually demo the AE300 and Q Acoustics having watched your videos which helped me narrow the choices because of there size and I have a small room so funny how you actually put them in the same form factor, I settled for the 3030i because overall sound is, how can I put it .....a speaker for all day listening and for me love the image and that extra bit of base and that base is not in your face but more warm if that makes sense,but these speakers had two benefits for me, first was outstanding price per performance is unequalled and the second reason for now I don't see the need for a subwoofer So this alone saves me money from a cheap prices speaker and no extra cost for a sub, I'm not saying I'll not one day add a sub but for now it's ticking all the boxes,if I could change one thing on 3030i it would be the finish, I would have loved the concept 20s gloss look but this is minor personal taste,my system arcam solo and most people will have better great systems mine is only basic as my original system was stolen,so had to drag my very old system from the attic and that is 15years old, the problem I have I haven't got a clue what I'd replace it with IE CD and Amp, however they do work well together..... question for the author what cables would you advise for 3030i for more clarity and maybe a bit more sonic ability
Sorry if my spelling above as I'm dyslexic and use Google speech to text,just hope you understand what I put above,sorry
comments were great John man dont worry
1 minor little question that might be important to a few people along the way. Is he quoting the individual price for a speaker or the pair?.
Always for a pair
@@PursuitPerfectSystem thank you very much for responding.
Thank you so much for taking the time to review all of these speakers. In this day and age, it is difficult to just run to your local shop to have a listen. I depend on great detailed reviews like yours to help me narrow down what I might enjoy in my system. I really like the sound characteristics of the Wharfedales and am anxious to see reviews of the new Diamond 12 series. Hope you have a chance to review them. Thanks again and best wishes...
If Klipsch would get rid of the copper look like they did on their active speakers I would be in.
Those actives are beautiful
Congratulations Terry nice job mate. Lots of work by you. Well done.
As I mentioned in a comment to another video, I am brand new to this channel -- and this next bit is a silly thing to say, I mean who cares what I think, really -- but the final conclusion of this video represents a big and important test passed for our host, IMHO.
If a reviewer has a speaker shootout narrowed down to two finalists, and one of them is a "listen all day" speaker, and the other is a more "exciting" speaker, and literally everything else is a dead heat, it is nothing short of malpractice to represent the exciting speaker as the better choice. I am a huge fan of Linn speakers, especially paired with either Naim or Arcam electronics, and these are not the assertions of a listen-all-day advocate. But the thing is, it's really hard to be Linn and Naim and Arcam. The design effort that goes into a sound that is at once exciting without being overly sibilant and fatiguing is really just this side of impossible.
I sold stereo equipment for a summer in Indianapolis, at a place whose lines included both KEF and Klipsch (interestingly-?). Whenever people narrowed it down to the C80 or the Forte, and really couldn't decide, I always knew whether the speakers would stay sold, or get returned, based on which of them were chosen. Indeed I never, ever, ever had a pair of C80s come back on me -- and we sold a *lot* of them. The Fortes were an E-ticket ride, but there was a moment on the second or third day where you'd just huff out a long exhale and say to the person next to you, "Let's do something else for a while; let's get outside and go the park or somethin'." And that, friends, was always the beginning of the end.
Again, this rule only works on an all-other-things-equal basis: We had lots of Fortes stay sold too, and lots of KG4's, which (sacrilege incoming) I actually consider the much superior speaker of that vintage of the Klipsch line. But we never had a sale stick if the person was genuinely torn between the KEF house sound and the Klipsch house sound of that era, and chose the Klipsch. Indeed I only ever sold one pair of K-horns, and they came back a week later: Swapped for a pair of 104/2's that I never saw again. :D
Bought the Wharfedale Evo 4.2. Lovely.
Nice mate nice
Thoroughly enjoyed this speaker mega-test Terry. Well done for all your hard work in this series.
One of the best group speakers test (and generally review) ever, and anywhere!
I understand, it must was... an Athlon! 😀
I hope, someday in the future when you ll have the patience, the means, and the time, you could try again something similar.., with any kind of hi fi gear.. (streamer, amplifiers, speakers, whatever).. Thank you very much for the information and the joy you gave us!
Thanks for the breakdown Terry, I never knew there was so much choice. Back in the day it was JBL for me.
People have complained I didn't cover enough options
I know this review was years ago, but just wantedd to make sure people know you HAVE to break the Wharfedales in for at least 30 hours. They really come to life once you do, so don't judge them right out of the box.
doubt you would bother to reply but I've been watching your channel looking for a better bookshelf speaker. I have acoustic research ps2052 I bought off ebay one blown driver replaced and can't find a reason to replace them, they sound great...but I haven't listened to anything else. Any input? Love your breakdowns!
Thank you Terry for an awesome job. I have been following the series always eagerly waiting for the next one. Now that you've reached the end, I am still left struggling to decide, but that is not your fault as I understand how it is difficult for a single person to come to so many split decisions - I feel your pain :-) Anyway, I will surely keep your videos in mind when it comes to deciding on where to spend my money on a pair of bookshelf speakers .Thank you!
Fantastic megatest Terry! I only found your channel recently and am definitely subscribed. The way you broke things down and describe them was ‘perfect’. Can’t wait for the next one! :) Keep up the great work!
Very good reviews and movies! I like to watch and a lot of useful information! THX a lot.
I'm using some vintage Infinity 1000s which are 2 way & excellent but now want 3 way fidelity. Any suggestions?
Guy who designed Wharfedales sadly can't any more hear the upper frequencies. That's why he's not missing them it seems. Can we please have up to £200 speaker test.
This is the fourth time I have watched this video, Great !!
Haha thanks Andrew this is only one video from a massive series I put together with video and demos for all the speakers innthe group test :)
Thanks so much. Quite clear. At the end I purchased the Cabasse even though it was a blind purchase as it was not possible to listen them before purchasing. I spent 359 € which is a bit more than 400 USD, and they make me smiling quite often. I trusted your advice and I have no regrets. Thanks!!!! Luca
Thumbs up if you new wharfedale would win 👍
haha -
No I didn't but I think they are a stunning speaker,look great possibly best looking,downside there was a 4week waiting list from our hifi shop as he wouldn't sell his demo,lol so bought alternative speakers
Really nice roundup, have you heard the elac debut reference or triangle br03s?
No I haven't heard those 2 speakers yet
Great video/test Terry, thanks so much for the hard work. I'm setting up an SVS Prime setup for HT, do you think the SVS Bookshelves & Center will be a good idea? I can still change products since I only have 5 SVS Sattelites & SB-1000 Sub.
Thanks again!
2 pairs of leak sandwich 600's work for me. Drive them with a sansui AU 717
Excelente video, muy buenas recomendaciones, saludos desde México.
Hey, if something's named Cabasse you should expect some nice bass out of it, don't you? :-)
Well done very informative, but one thing to please consider, use nice soft gloves when fiddling about with speakers under all the lighting before you film (especially black & gloss) the Focals were very distracting due to all the finger prints and skin oil smears.. Soft matte finishes like the Q 3030is were just as noticeable..
Thanks for another very informative well articulated review,..
The focal came to me like that sadly nothing I could do about them but yes I agree it does matter
What a fantastic series of tests and with very sensible sorting methods: small and large and then into cool/crisp to warm. Your methods go some way to explain the apparent contradictions you get in more conventional magazine reviews where I always seem to end up thinking “yes you obviously like it but is it better than xyz?”
The only comment I have, and it’s not a criticism, is that now Kef Ls50 has come down so much in price to almost this level how do these fit in? From practically all the reviews I’ve read in print and RUclips these Kefs seem to be a de facto reference standard. Thank you for these tremendous reviews.
GREAT overall review. Thank you for your time. Very nice channel 👍🏾👍🏾
I won't consider Chinese companies, they are out of my list. However your review is very informative and detailed.
That means you wont buy about 2/3 of things for sale for everything, its not just HiFi made in China
@@PursuitPerfectSystem sir, I am talking about Chinese owned companies !
@@RP-ms7lu what is the difference? Your money still goes to them?
@@PursuitPerfectSystem sir, they get my total money, whereas if only made in China then may be 25 to 50 percent! Although I search for alternative like made in Vietnam, Malaysia, Japan or any other country Including my own India !
@@RP-ms7lu ok fair play
Just to put things in perspective, here in Canada, the warfedale are 1500$ while i got the 600M on sale at 522$ No way that difference in price is worth it for me specialy that you consider them in the same categorie and not far behind.
Interesting pricing difference, here in the UK the price of the EVO 4.2 is still the same £599 the RP600M II now cost more at £729.
You've managed to simultaneously appeal to two generations. Both the Millennial Generation and Gen X. Everyone gets a trophy yet there is really only one winner :) Thanks for this great Muti-Test.
Thanks man there is genuinely 2 winners though because not everyone will want a big speaker when shopping for stand mounts :) thanks though man
@@PursuitPerfectSystem Oh yes, I should have said two winners. Have a great day.
Sweet! I was hoping AE300 scored well. I bought my first AE100 back in 1996 and just loved the sound, but felt that they lacked some in the bass areas for when I wanted to play loud.
Now I have had to decide between EVO 4.4 and AE309 and I went with AE309, just because I have heard how sweet AE speakers sound, I really fell in love with the sound, and since they are for both music and film,
I got a SVS PB1000 to have on the side when watching movies. ;)
Thank you for a "perfect" speaker review, I have subbed and look forward to you upcoming reviews.
Best wishes from Norway =)
Enjoy your AE 309s. ! AE is a decision "for life".
@@markuspajonk7762 I agree, and I am now preparing to repaint and change the furniture positions in my living-room just to be ready for them when they arrive =P
I also have a small stack of CD`s and LP`s ready for testing as soon as the speakers are runned/played in. Do you think 50 hours is enough for them to be ready?
Grieg, Clams Casino, Yes, Frank Zappa, Prokofiev and Fink is on my playlist ;)
@@TooLF8th Have fun & enjoy!
what's with all this back-patting in the comments. as a reader it's of no use to me. normally the comment section is filled with reactions to specific parts of the video. helpful comments would be expert advice on these speakers, contributing to what the video is offering.
(personally I don't know anything about hifi so I can't contribute unfortunately)
most people realise that this is just one video in a series of 18 and they appreciated the effort to do it all
Tip top job done. Thanks a lot. The 606 Anniversary are on my list to audition. Shame they came in too late for your test. I came to my current B&W 685 S2 after extended listening to QA Concept 20, Elac Debut 2 5s, Epos K1i, Dali Oberon 1. Very difficult to choose a best from that bunch. Vocal clarity did it in the end, plus separation.
The bowers have fantastic crispness to their sound, its a fast and clean sound but on the leaner side
Best reviews in a while! Maybe the acoustic energy is my next speaker🤔 will replace unifi ub5.
You should mention the amplifier for these speakers
Every speaker has been reviewed individually and in depth so all that info is in their review but I used the same setup to review them all - this video is the conclusion to a massive amount of work and video series. You will also find all that information in the video description box
Are the Wharfedale’s good for listening at low levels?
Terry. Can you please test the quad s2 and compare against these others
Great rundown. Surprised the KEF Q350 didn’t come to the lineup. Some awesome speakers I hadn’t heard before I really enjoyed your demos with.
The Q350 was supposed to be in the group they didn't have any available
Excellent work sir ! Thank you very much.
It helped me a lot to choose a speaker.
Thanks for the information.
Very good job! Thanks a lot for your passion the way you do it 🙂
Pursuit perfect system have u tried the new b&w 606s2 anniversary edition
Not yet mate no sorry
Hey pursuit perfect system how good is rel subs especially the 7i t 9i and even the ht1205 would u take those instead of svs
Hi, excellent chanell, one of the best! It's a long shot but could you get your hands on Dynavoice DM-6 standmounters or DM-8 floorstanders. Really inexpensive but with magnificent specs. I wanted to order the floorstanders but i've got myself together because i dont have a space for those boxes. Please check them. Thank you!
Totally agree. Dynavoice dm-6 are really great bookshelf speakers for money!
I went down the rabbit hole and ended up on some Klipsch 600 sound demos and ended here and soooo glad i did. Listened to you months ago and subscribed tonight. I have my room pretty dialed in for amazing sound and was looking for a smaller speaker set up for another room possibly. I can really hear the differences with these speakers you are testing. Thus far i have listened to the Klipsch, the Focal and the Wharfedale. If something beats the Wharfedales i will be all ears because these sound amazing on my end(and ears). Sweet
what did you choose in the end?
@@dedpxl Nothing as of yet.
How can i reach for a query about the focal chora 806 that which reciver will drive them the best
Best to speak to your dealer about that, that is their job
Hi Perfect sound out of all the people I have been listening to you make allot of since. What do you think about xlr y connection cable signal being bi-amp, would you use a y splitter. to keep the signal impedence strong. I need help I just brought a pair of xlr y connection water cables from audioquest and i am bi-amping vertical but it seems to be the signal has gotton weaker would you recommend xlr y connection. pleaes i know your busy but I really need your help. I have two parasound amp A21+ bi amped. if i need a y splitter please recommend a quality one that will not affect my sound quality from the water xlr. thanks John
I am sorry I really dont know I have never done that before. Your probably best to ask parasound about it as they will likely be best to help you
Somewhat biased review. He liked the warmer speakers and he even bought a very warm speaker. Most people, including audiophiles don't like warm speaker because they color the audio too much.
Maybe check out all the sound demos and you will see why I picked the EVO 4.2 - nothing to do with bias and I bought them to use to compare to any other speakers around this price and to use with entry level amps. My own personal speakers at this time were KEF Reference 3 so a little bit higher than this
Audiovector QR1's? Made in Denmark unlike all others made in China and they sound phenomenal especially considering the price.
They cost £1150 so twice what all these do
I think you missed one brand kef. This brand also very good for listeners.
I didn't miss them, they was supposed to be included with the Q350 but they didn't have any available due to supply demand and some issues with current times
Great great great great vedio . Thanks a lot
Did you happen to test out how the Evo 4.2's sound with movies? This speaker seems like they would do well given the three driver design in my room small. I currently sit about 11ft or 2.5 meters away from the my television.
Thanks for your hard work!
Sorry man I only tested for HiFi and music
@@PursuitPerfectSystem No problem. I really enjoyed all the videos, now I just got find a place in USA to audition these EVO's.
No ELAC? This is a first for RUclips.
It's pretty hard to find an online Uk dealer for the Cabasse Antigua MC170...anyone got a purchase link for it?
Hi Gilbert - I have made some enquires for you, I have been told the best way to help you is if you email me I can put you in touch with the right person at the right dealer for where you live. Please email me at terryellis@pursuitperfectsystem.com Thanks
Well done Terry. I agree the Evo 4.2 fit n finish does look better and SQ, dynamics is good but if the Cabasse Antiqua was not such an ugly duckling it might have won top honors. Looking forward to your next project.
A convex shaped grille might help.
Thanks!, keep up the good job!! i would like to see yoour take on best speakers under US5K and also under US$10K . . .? not an easy task, but i believe you can cut through the clutter at that price point, clearly 2 very critical price points in this industry
Sorry I am Italian and I don't really understand the ranking serious performer is lower or higher the mandatory audition?
Great question, if you check my website its explained but here
An Essential Audition Award is granted in recognition of a products high performance but with a certain uniqueness that makes auditioning even more essential.
A Serious Bang for Buck Award is granted in recognition of a products stand out high performance being significantly greater than its perceived price point
Special Performer Award is Pursuit Perfect Systems highest accolade and is in recognition of exceptional product performance regardless of price
I wish more people would review like you do. You're honest, get to the point and describe things in an easy to convey manner.
Thanks I really appreciate it :)
Great thorough and honest review!
Should I get bookshelf speakers or studio monitors for my desktop
What is the difference?
Great Comparison Video.Thank you
Thanks man there is indepth reviews for all the speakers and demos for them all if you want to know more about them specifically and invidivually
Where is jbl stage A 130
Thanks for the your hard work making this Speaker Mega Test man. It was fun and interesting to hear how all these speakers compared to each other. The frequency response graphs were interesting to see. I have owned the Bowers & Wilkins 606 speakers for about a year now. I love them and that "hot" treble does settle down a bit over time. They sound much more neutral now.
The treble rise is a designed in thing common on a lot of Bowers speakers, that doesn't settle down your ears do haha :)
@@PursuitPerfectSystem HaHa 😄 OK fair enough. I love them anyhow. Great speakers and thanks for your great video review. Its the best review on RUclips I have come across.
Vs Polk Lsim703?
And here I just bought two speakers from the 80s Bose 501 IV and added to my surround sound. smh
Excellent, clear and useful review! Thank you.
Thanks Stephen - this is the reviews round up video there is a specific review video and demo video for each individual speaker in this test in my channel
Jak skopletowac fainy spszet hai fi
Where is Advance Acoustic in all those bookshelf videos?
A friend has the Advance Acoustic Paris KC400 evo and they are absolutely insane! They sound like what i would expect from a 3way with a 10inch woofer.
I didn't know that company even existed you are the only person to mention them from over quarter of a million viewers - you cant include a companies product you don't know exists
@@PursuitPerfectSystem Oh well.. yea that's unfortunate.
Shared this video with some of my buddiess who are also looking to upgrade.
For me, I'm curious - for a MIXED Home Theatre and Music system (which already has a Whatsmough Synergy2 subwoofer), would you prefer the B&W 606 (OG version) or the SVS Primes? Cheers
How is the Imaging for the wharfedale 4.4? Can't find any info about the Imaging I heard the Polk Legend l600 and imaging was very good.. do this compare as far as Imaging?