Wow! High-End speakers go wireless. Review of SA legend 40 silverback
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- Опубликовано: 15 сен 2024
- My review of the System Audio Legend 40 Silverback system
With the Stereo hub, you don't need a Dac, a preamp or power amp. Best part, you don't even need speaker cables! In this video, I compared the SA Legend 40 to the KEF R700.
For the sound demo, I used
Exasound E28 DAC
Transparent Super interconnects
Amazon Optical cables
Budget XLR cables
Please do check with them regarding the free trial period and there are a few dealers in the States.
#SystemAudio #Legend #hifi #speakers #audiophile #stereo #audioreviews
System Audio SA Legend 40 Product Page:
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I had a conversation with key SA guys and they explained to me that when you use external DAC with an active version (the one you're using Thomas), it produces a double conversion - you send analog signal into the speakers from your DAC (regardless if it's Wireless or Wired connection), then the inner electronics convert the analog signal you sent into a digital one; only then the inner DAC would convert the newly made digital signal into the analog one that you eventually listen to. I've been an SA fan for a long time and now planning to upgrade my passive SA EXPLORER MASTER floorstanders (used to be their flagship model) into the active SILVERBACK 60. And that's exactly the conundrum: if you go active - YOU DON'T NEED AN EXTERNAL DAC. This double conversion might only spoil the sound. It makes sense to either: use the passive version and continue using external electronics, or get an active one and stream the sound right into the speakers via the Hub. What you're doing using your expensive external DAC seems like a redundancy. Cheers and thanks for the video
Yes, I link a video in my description where they explain this. Having said that, I still find it 'smoother' when I use my own DAC. I understand the theory and it makes sense. So perhaps by me losing a bit of fidelity, it makes it sound smoother?
@@ThomasAndStereo Thanks Thomas but in order to know if it really makes it smoother (or it's just a "feeling" that it's smoother :-) we need to run a blind test to find out (similar to what old Linn used to make), otherwise we're all predisposed to some strange placebo effects with Hi-Fi equipment. I think Ole referenced to that in one of his replies :-)
@@seansimms3488
@Thomas & Stereo
Or you could simply record the playback of just one speaker in the middle of the room with the measurement mic no more than 1m distance to the speaker (to minimize the room effects) and compare/analyze the waveforms in a DAW. If you do it right it should correlate to what you are hearing.
I have this speakers and have not regreted that one day! Super sound, easy to use, no need of cables without cables. Plays deep bass, clear to the vocal and a super buy!
Congrats Espen, glad you are enjoying them.
So good to see another excellent review from you Thomas!
I hope you get to check out a set of Meridian active speakers some time and check for that hum you mentioned.
The wired demo sounded like it had a lower noise floor...but who knows for sure going through the internet then a sound card...?
Super cool song for the demo Thomas!
Wise words you laid down there, talking about "the best speaker" toward the end of this video. Great review, Thomas.
Thanks and I wanted to talk about it cause, based on the comments I read, I noticed that some people don't realize that. They will claim whatever speaker they own is the best and everything else is garbage. I hope I have given them something to think about.
Thank you Thomas , Glad you menstioned spending time with Speakers and Audio makes a big difference ! When I reviewed the Emotiva BasX -A-300 amp I based the sound charcter on a warm PreAmp !
Glad i mentioned this in the review even though i was new reviewer at the time.
But now i am about to review the
Emotiva-Stack PT-100/A300 combo
And it sounds completly different !! The amp that is very impressive for the money !
Yes, we have a tendancy to compare to what we like. Instead I think as a reviewer, we should let go of our bias and take the time to understand what does each gear have to offer.
I am talking to Emotiva now, debating what I should get to review.
@@ThomasAndStereo great news about Emotiva! I wrote them atleast 5 emails for them to send Sean something his way😆
I didn't know you was interested also , and yes you get alot for your money with Emotiva ! I would love to see their
Higher priced XPS 2ch Pre-Amp reviewed by you !! I think its 1200.00US
Soon as i get a day off I will drop the overview of the PT100/A300
It's so crazy Thomas how you may not like a certain Amp on your speakers , but soon as you change to a different set of speakers you may be like WOW !
(SYNERGY)
But theres a topic i been wanting to talk about , and its kind of hard to explain but here i go again . Have you ever noticed Thomas that every ampliefier has like that best volume setting ? And on budget gear yes its normally under 10 watts ok say The IOTA-Stack for example between the volume setting 50db to 45db to me it sounds its best and depending on speakers but 47db takes the cake Thomas with the studio 580s Sounds more leveled out to me more insinked with the lower-mid -top end everything just flowing man !
Is there a name for this majic volume setting? 😆
@@tee-jaythestereo-bargainph2120 Ah, for the volume thing, good question and no I have never thought about it. Maybe someone who designs amp can explain?
Emotiva, yeah Sean was the one who introduced me and I had their older XPA5 before as well as some preamp. I thought they were just ok for the money at the time. Perhaps their newer stuff has improved in order to keep up with today's competitive market.
@@ThomasAndStereo The A-300 has been a jewel for its price point ,Pared with the right PreAmp ,yeah its clean and cool with the PT-100 , and yeah I bet alot of subscribers wrote Emotiva 4-u-both, You might like the
Stealth Pro8s powered monitors?
Saw sone good reviews of them.
As usual, an amazing review Thomas. I appreciate the fact that you have an open mind for new types of sound and technologies. That is why I would be very interested to have your opinion/review on the Technics integrated amp, the SU-G700. Thank you.
Thanks JP, now just need to get Technics to send me one!
Unsurprisingly, I prefer the demo of the wireless speaker. I have the Burchardt A500. Love it.
Great video. I would be very happy if you would do a longer video on the matter of how to choose speakers (and amp) that would deliver great detail on LOW VOLUMES.
I think it is more the way the Speaker is. These speaker stood out when it comes to listening at low volume.
Thomas I enjoy your video as always. I leen a bit toward V-shaped curv but on speakers with soft-dome tweeter. Many of us want you reviewing the highend range Rubicon from Dali. R2 and R6
W. H. R
I started watching your videos recently on YT and yes I have subscribed to you. Like your easy style in explaining the details. I am writing from Singapore.
I have recently moved into upgrading my budget stereo system - recently bought a Roksan MK3 Amp replacing my old Yamaha RN -500; music hall mmf 2.2 vinyl player; marantz CD player CD 5005 connected to my Boston Acoustics A 360 speakers ( 10 years old but still running ). 10 years ago I didn't have the budget to buy good speakers but I bought them as they sounded nice. Still they sound good but at low volume the bass takes over the mids but the bass is really good. Recently I bought Blue sound Node 2I and when I connect my Tidal, some of the hi res song sound really terrible at low volumes.
So i am planning to buy speakers and zoomed on B & W 603 ; Dyna Audio Emit M30 : Pro Arc and Dali Rubicon 2, 5, 6 and Dali Opticon 5 . I also had the chance to experience Focal Kanta but at 12k its very high budget for me. What do you propose from you experience? I am more into blues, jazzz and especially prefer more clear vocals. Apologies my musical journey has started so any comments from you will be more appreciated.
I used to study at Singapore and really miss the place. All the speakers you mentioned, I have never heard them so can't really comment on them. If you have not checked my video on what speaker to buy, check it out as it will give you something to think about when you go audition them at Adelphi. Good luck.
Having SA exact wall speakers (800$used)and a aktive 8in sub, makes me very satisfied. Amazing sound for the price. It could the Best danish loudspeakerbrands.
Excellent review Thomas, one of your very best.
I can see comments on price....for a full system like this - floorstanders (not standmount), it's very fair value imo.
I also really appreciated the way you commented on these speakers being suitable for lower volume listening and related that back to people living in apartments (condo's in your words). Extremely, useful into - well thought out.
Hard to know how this set up would compare with the Elac navis floorstands & no clues about price either in the US, but figured likely a fair comparison. That said, I thought the navis standmounts 'better'. Not actually better, but 'better' for what you are getting if that makes sense. Grrrr, I'm not clearly expressing what I'm trying to say. 😂
Thank you. 🎶🎶🎶
Thanks, yeah I heard the Navis at the show and they have very good bass. The Navis top end I think is not as revealing and detail as these SA.
@@ThomasAndStereo Thanks Thomas fair call. 😎 I think if you want really revealing Elac's the Adante are the place to start.
Cheers. 🎶🎶🎶
Great review Thomas , keep up the great work
Glad you enjoyed it.
Beautifully filmed!
A few things I wish reviewers would touch on: vertical height of images, the presence of anything tending toward "'six-foot mouth'", and the weight of a single speaker. My days of rasslin' 35-40 kg speakers are over. Keep on keepin' on.
Thanks, I don't know why but I noticed when tweeters are high up, the singer seems to be like they are standing up. These are not heavy at all.19.4 kgs. I have to cut all those out cause my videos are long as is.
@@ThomasAndStereo Better grey are.
When I was watching you unboxing the speakers, I started to think about your recient hernia... Take care, Thomas!
Apart from the above, I've percived very small, if any, difference between both arranments.
Another great review! Would really like to see you review your Modwright LS 100 preamp.
Thanks. I might review their more current product. That reminds me I have to get in touch with them.
Nice, i was thinking of the Focal wireless.......but this is something to consider when rebuilding my system.
Thanks
Yes, the more we know, the more choices we have.
The sound demo at the end is so nice. I'm trying to see if I can hear a difference. The wired demo sounds a little more full !!
13:24 Thomas rockin out to some "The Main Squeeze"!
♥Thomas & Stereo
I think a lot of low listening level details are lost at the earlier stage of the system chain, especially so in budget systems.
It can be at the output stage of the cdp or preamp stage.
For such integrated system, they can manage the losses because they have control over the matching at the different stages of the chain.
Going active on speakers also means that they can tune it electronically rather than stuck with the limitations of passive crossover
Hi Thomas, I love your reviews but what I'd like to hear is your Feeling when you listen to the speakers. You disect their sound into HML's but tell us if you actually like them, are they pleasant and non-fatiguing, foot tapping factor ? You know best that some "poorly" sounding speakers can actually give more fun and emotion than perfectly balanced ones (your review of BC Acoustique amp comes to mind). I would love to have more of those subjective impressions of the gear you review. Thanks and keep it up!
Fair enough!
I personally thought it sounded better wired directly, than wireless. The highs seemed better controlled as well as the bass. The mids seemed a little fuller. Just my 2 cts. Keep up the good work Thomas, I look forward to all your video's.
I noticed the cable does smooth out the highs a bit.
Have you heard SA legend 40 silverback wired compared to wireless?
Audioeeze are you making that statement based on Thomas & Stereo's sound samples at the end of this video or have you in fact heard these speakers in both passive and active configurations? Thanks in advance.
@@LetThereBeSound1 I was only going by my DAC, through a Parasound system. I was responding to what he asked. Sorry, wish I could have been in his room while testing. Cheers!
@@audioeeze8396 No problem. I figured as much. Sadly, using a mic (or mics) to capture airborne sound from these speakers is hardly a barometer to accurately gauge their sound quality. Not to mention that the sound gets compressed by the time it gets uploaded to RUclips. So as long as people understand that, it's cool. The best way is to hear them live (obviously)
Katie Melua! Very Nice!
@Thomas & Stereo
It's great that they perform well at low listening levels. Do they also keep their composure and maintain dynamics & clarity when "cranked up"?
I don't have it hook up anymore to test how loud they can play but I remember they were ok for the few times when I cranked them up BUT I don't listen loud myself.
Thomas, seriously considering picking a Yamaha AS-1100 in the near future, was wondering if you have had an experience with this amp or any of your colleagues can vouch for it -- supposed to have legendary topology and sound. Please get back to me when you can. Thanks
I never heard the AS1100 extensively, my friend has the AS3000 and we did AB test against an audio research + Classe D200 on a pair of Raidho D1 speakers. The AS3000 was able to hold it's own. Going by memory, I was able to hear the instruments clearer. However, I only spent a few hours with it so take my experience as is.
Hi Thomas, have you noticed that these SA active speakers (and smaller version) have someting very similar that upcoming Buchardt A500. Seems that the active part electronic box is idetical, hub is identical, remote is identical. Not big issue but someting what some supplier is doing and providing same parts to these companies
Yes, I noticed that already. I guess if Buchardt also plans to use it, this confirms that it is pretty good. I did not ask who supplies it.
Same supplier, Zane. Different hardware and software. Silverback has been on the market for 2 years, now.
@@OleWitthft Hi, just want to know the difference between the Buchardt A500 and the SA legend 40 silverback. I'm about to purchase one of these but would like to know if there are big difference in term of sound quality. I notice also that the A500 have room correction and more powerful amplifier per speaker.
@@meunierjeanphilippe3615 SA legend 40 silverback is a 4-way floor stander. We also have our own app that includes room correction and other things. The SA legend silverback is furthermore a complete family of speakers that can be used in a 7.1 wireless home theatre if you want.
Thx Thomas!
Hi Thomas. Great review. Thanks. I am still undecided about a floor speaker. I am considering the SA legend 40 (either active or passive), the Focal Chora 826, or Fyne F502. These are all high efficient (above 90dB). The Fyne is manufactured in China which kinda puts a damper on getting it, no offence to China. But that's just how it is, I figure if I really need something and it's made in China (like my cell phone, computer, or car parts) so be it, but do I really need a speaker? I think not. What brand of speaker other than the SA have you come across that sound nice at low volume? But also does equally well at higher volumes? Lastly, I see you some times pair a budget speaker with higher front end gear: Is this advisable? In other words, what is wrong with starting out with a budget speaker and getting some better front end gear with the goal of eventually getting a better speaker to pair with the front end gear? Example: say I get a budget speaker between 1000 to 1500 and a front end gear about 2000 to 3500? What is the protocol for system matching front end to speakers? I imagine the front end gear should price match the price of the speakers? or perhaps be 500 to 1000 more than the speakers? Thanks.
Recently I heard a pair of dynaudio 30 Xeo, very well set up. It was quite impressive. Probably double the price though.
Yeah, those are more expensive and Dynaudio has always been a favorite of mine. I need to get my hands on some Dynaudio again.
LOL.. @ 0:30 .. is this your son? I had to laugh! Such an amazing smile he did into the camera! He seems to be a friendly young man! And, he looks like AANG the AVATAR!
Haha, yes he is my son. Happy kid.
@@ThomasAndStereo So he is after his Father ... Only sad that too less people know that "to be friendly" doesn`t cost a dime ;-)
I like electronic music and alot of bass. I have been thinking about Formation Duo for a while but now These have come to my attension. These SA looks easier to connect and use. Have you tested Formation Duo? If so, who would you reccomend? Regards.
Better with the wireless stero hub, but I would a sub for better bass presence.
I heard those speakers and I liked the overall sound, but especially female voice came a bit too much forward. S-sounds are too easy to hear compared to all other speakers I have heard. But as you said, it's about taste. Everyone should be listening to speakers before they buy, or have a return policy so you can try them out.
Yes, it is a question of taste but most important is to give it a try if you can.
Buchardt also has fully wireless speakers now and the remote looks very similar.
Yeah, even the amp plate behind the speakers look similar.
Buchhardt is a follower (that we respect). At System Audio, we've had Silverback on the market for more than 2 years. Others will follow. No doubt. Keep an eye on WiSA. It's a game changer for High End audio
Hi. Im really interested in these. Would you say that these are a good allrounder (in regards to different music) for $5000?
When you refer to their sounding, can you please express it in more detail? Is it more suited for Katie Melua or Pink Floyd, does it hide/reveal somthings from the music?
Thomas...Are those your boys? Either way, good job getting them involved early
Yes they are. I get them to help me unbox all the time.
Thomas. Thanks for reviewing the SA speakers. I just got a LG OLED and I think it's WISA installed. These speakers with a cool preamp and DAC would be pretty cool and clutter free. But I got to ask: How do you get your music streaming service display on you TV?? My eyes aren't as they were when I was young and what you're doing there in your room, displaying the music track on your TV is Exactly what I want to do...but just plan confused about that. I can just assume it's via HDMI? Optic? The DAC doesn't have to be connected to the TV? Or does it? Stay Safe. Stay Healthy. Peace.
I have a computer connected to my TV via HDMI and then an optical cable going to the WISA wireless unit. Or you can connect an optical cable from your tv to the wireless unit. Message them to confirm, good luck.
Oh! Thanks! Hey I just demoed: Fyne F502 vs Klipsch Forte III and Hersey IV. I went there with a check ready for the Fyne, but Gosh those Klipsch really made a battle. I'm still undecided, I would get both: the Fyne and either Klipsch, but can't do that. You gotta check out the Fyne. I would say it is far more audiophile than the Klipsch, and were darn close to neutral. But man, the Klipsch, especially the Forte were, Mind Blowing. All I heard was beautiful mids and no "harshness" whatsoever...I listened for 2 hours without ear fatigue. least4 to my ears. I think the decision is going to come down to my room ceiling height: it's small, only 6.5ft and the Fyne will be about 42" it might be ok aesthetically, and either of the Klipsch would be far better in height that is.
Hope you and yours are healthy.
Noticed the difference when streamed to my Mcintosh system. Wired was more open and transparent. Wireless sounded more boxed up.
So the difference is significant enough then. Thanks for commenting.
Sorry, you can't evaluate wired against wireless without taking the quality of both into consideration. A wire will always lose signal quality. There's no such things as a lossless cable. The same thing goes for wireless. However, it is possible to design a wireless transmitter and receiver that does´nt compres, color or manipulate the sound. WiSA is such a technology. 100 % of the transmitted signal is being received without any loss of signal. No cable could ever compete with that. But wireless has to be WiSA. It is the only wireless technology that is made for High End sound. Look it up. It's a new world
@@OleWitthft How is 7.1 hub coming alone? Was going to pay you a visit to get Silverback 60 but with Corona have to postpone for now...
@@akosinskiy Surround Hub (7.1 ) still seems to be ready before summer . You're welcome!
@@dednside5229 Go out and compare equipment with your own ears.
For me low volume coherence is a supreme test for a loudspeaker.
In this case, these are very good at that.
Am I being almost fanatical in my views? Yes! I'm an audiophile!
Time to revisit these wonderful speakers (If you still kept the review pair) utilizing SA's new (and FREE!) ROOM SERVICE "Room Correction" App from the App Store. It lends a massive sonic upgrade. Room Service was launched in mid June, FYI.
Ah, too bad as I no longer have them.
@@ThomasAndStereo Aww man. That really is too bad. This new tech is amazing. We just don't know how badly our rooms are affecting our sound until you see the "before and after" plots in the Room Service App. Oh well, perhaps next time if Ole sends you their flagship Legend 60 Silverback w/Stereo Hub. Be well!
Good video Thomas. This is your “new gen” video. But this one has your usual style. Is much more comfortable to watch. The strength of your video is what you are saying, your content.
Thanks, I have to get better at shortening the videos.
Thomas & Stereo it is ok. When you, Sean or Jay rattles away, we just listen. Haha.
Heyyyy... There's little Thomas..
Stay safe from London
Haha, yes! You too stay safe. In Montreal here, the city is in lockdown and the country is taking this Pandemic seriously. I was born in London btw.
@@ThomasAndStereo Thomas, born in London! No way! Where abouts? I'm originally from home counties in Kingston Upon Thames.
@@ThomasAndStereo Is it ALREADY under lockdown?
Here in Spain were into country lockdown near two weeks ago, and we were too late, in my opinion.
@@venturarodriguezvallejo9777 Yes, here we are in lock down mode. Police have been giving out tickets to people. Some one got a ticket of $1000 for having a party at his home.
@@ThomasAndStereo There are idiots everywhere.
Since lockdown begun, there have been here more than 500 big fees and jail penalties because parties, fake "home assistants", a guy loaning their to dogs to others to be "walked" (10€ half an hour per dog), even some people trying to attack police forces.
It's a mad World.
Thomas, but the on-axis curve shows a 2-3 db increase in the 6 to10+ khz range. So it is tilted up.
I see, I did not know 2 db is enough to consider tilted up.
@@ThomasAndStereo One has to keep in mind that every 3 db equals twice as loud.
Sound Elevation actually it takes 10 db to perceive twice as loud. It takes twice the power to increase 3 db.
@@jayrick5174 Sound intensity (acoustic energy) is doubled with 3 db gain. My correction
Hello Thomas,
did you try the Dynaudio Focus Series?
I own the Focus 20 XD and im thinking of a switch back to floorstanders.
Do you think these are a step up or can you recommend me some other Active Speakers in that Range? :)
Best regards from Germany,
David
No I have not. I had the Focus 160 but that was passive. I made a video on it already.
Good review, thanks. But just to be clear...you can't connect a different brand of subwoofer to the Stereo Hub unless it's System Audios own wireless subwoofer, right? If you already have a good subwoofer, say a SVS SB 200 Pro, that subwoofer must be connected to a separate DAC/preamp?
I don't know since I had it a long time ago, just email and ask them.
@@ThomasAndStereo thank you
Nice review. Don't really understand what the difference would be between a Digital amp and a class D. Would it be the power supply? Switching, non-switching?
ruclips.net/video/LEZYgBSn7f4/видео.html
ruclips.net/video/5VDQwQ0n3pU/видео.html
A digital amp is a DAC that drives a loudspeaker
1:38 That's not a screwdriver... That's a screwdriver.
Yes, that is my favorite screwdriver :)
Crocodile Dundee. Good onya.
A long long Screwdriver helps you to stay as far away from work as possible lol!
Thanks for the video Thomas! How do you think about B & W 800 series?
I only spent time extensively with 803D and have not with the newer ones. It sounds pretty good with the diamond tweeter but I heard it when hooked up with a $100k+ frontend so it is not really 'fair'.
@@ThomasAndStereo hi Thomas, I know it's a bit silly to ask the following question. I was wondering if you could recommend any floor standing speakers that fit best for classical music? my budget is $5k-8k/pair. I would listen them in my living room. I live in US. Thank you in advance!
Silverback, that's what my ex called me, among other things. Nice review, cheers.
hahahahaha
20 - 25kHz with +/- 1.5db? Min. 70W amplifier rating for SA40? Woah. I realised the stereo hub is also from SA, does that means it can only pair with SA's silverback speaker? I am not sure if there are other speaker brands with WiSA connections though.
Anyway Just wanna take this chance to share, few days back when i went to a dealer's place to collect my Tellurium Q Black-II speaker cable and stayed to listen to a pair of small sized, rather plain looking floorstanders. Within few seconds and wife commented "alot better than the one in our house!" (KEF R7 x Hegel H190 x Qutest). I know it is better, the BIG sound stage, its musicality, and non-fatiguing with volume peaks over 80db. But is it that muucch better?! The truth got easier to swallow after i learnt that the speaker was from a UK brand called "Living Voice" and is the second-top tier in the series, costing 2.7x the R7's. But the build quality seems to not warrant its pricing though. I comforted myself thinking it could be the bigger office space and better electronics. And that got me thinking about future upgrade, seems like i really have to invest at least 3x more (US$10k-15k ) for a audible upgrade, and not necessarily for a bigger cabinet or more drivers. But also not bookshelf, maybe a small sized floorstanders is a better fit for normal living room size! Should i also sacrifice the visual aspect is also another factor...
Thanks for sharing your experience. Looking at your system, yeah you have to spend quite a lot more to hear a noticeable difference. Of course, the room might have been part of the factor that it sounded so good. Kef R7, what to upgrade to? Hmm...tough one. I heard the R11 and those speakers, you need a lot of space.
@@ThomasAndStereo My initial plan was to wait until KEF upgrade their reference line. Btw they just introduced a new finish 2 months ago, but i still prefer all piano black! Thanks.
We are more than 60 members of WiSA. Our equipment is inter-connectable. I'm sure that brands like Mark Levinson, Martin Logan, Klipsch, Harman, JBL rings a bell. They are WiSA members. WiSA is going to be huge. KEF and B&W have simply chosen the wrong wireless path. Visit WiSA here: www.wisaassociation.org/
@@OleWitthft wow. Thanks for the information! Will look into this technology.
Can you demo the legend 5 silverback? It uses the same wisa hub with room correction the Buchardt A500 are using.
They will have to send me one, I don't have any access to one over here.
How does Throbbing Gristle sound on them?
The English band? Have to try it.
@ Mikro....lmao....whilst I have some vinyl of theirs, I doubt many are gonna take out some industrial music to test out these speakers.
Classic comment....in all my years in audio, first time I've ever heard somebody mention Throbbing Gristle. 😂
wait, Thomas, when you use a DAC into the stereo hub, then wireless to the speakers, it means that the analog sound from the dac goes into the hub, there it is transformed into digital, it kinda doesn't make sense; so is there a difference in sound when used without the dac in the front end ?
Yeah, in theory using an external hub makes no sense since at the end, it still goes thru the digital amp. However, I do hear a difference. Originally I even recorded a sound demo but did not put in the video due to not wanting to make the video any longer.
I can tell the difference between the two. The wireless sounds a bit compressed. Less dynamic compared to the wired. Had to listen 3 times to tell though. Easiest part to pick is at the start of vocal.
Yes, in this demo, I was able to hear a difference too. In our testing before this recording, we did use different cables and higher res format and the difference was more subtle.
noticed exactly the same
Uhhh unless System Audio is quoting you different pricing that what I have in my own SA Dealer Price list, I do believe you are about 1k off when saying these can be had for $5,000 US. The real price is closer to $6,000 US. I should know, I am probably the longest selling authorized System Audio dealer in the USA. I've been selling System Audio for 15 years and counting!
Another thing, in order to fully unleash the full 24/192k HD Audio (aka Hi-Res) quality via WISA you most certainly need to tie in your Legend 40 Silverback loudspeakers and Stereo Hub to your home's WiFi. If you have not done it this way, all you are doing is listening wirelessly using Bluetooth. Which by the way, it doesn't suck. It is the best sounding speaker I've ever heard when using run of the mill Bluetooth. However, things get much, much better when using WISA via your WiFi.
Other than those two small details, great job on this overview. I strongly encourage running these speakers for a minimum of 100 hours break-in for them to loosen up and sound their best.
If anyone here in the USA would like to try out a pair, I can easily make that happen through my shop Let There Be Sound, L.L.C. I am based in Florida and I can say with a high degree of confidence that no one in the USA knows SA better than I.
All my best,
Oswaldo Martinez
President
Let There Be Sound, L.L.C.
(954) 465-5040
vinylrules@aol.com
www.lettherebesound.com
Thanks for mentioning. I actually used the optical cable from my computer to the stereo hub. I don't use bluetooth myself. I was looking at the price on SA website and took the currency listed there and converted it to USD. I guess I made a mistake cause I remember seeing $6k when I first received it in Jan. I thought maybe with the US$ going up, with the conversion, it is $5k now. Let me put in top description letting people know of my mistake.
The one I got is a demo unit and Ole told me they are broken in.
@@ThomasAndStereo No problem. Yeah for sure the US price is in fact closer to $6100 if you want the number rounded up. That's in fact almost $500 dollars cheaper than when they were first introduced in 2018 when I used to retail them @ $6,500/pr. Still though, tremendous value for the dollar when considering their excellent performance, attractive looks, and relatively compact form factor.
So just to clarify, when it comes to wireless streaming off a mobile phone, laptop or tablet, the user most definitely will want to tie into their home's WiFi network to unleash the very finest streaming performance. This gets done using WiSa technology and Google Home. Streaming at full 24-bit/192k HD Audio is a true "game changer" and no other loudspeaker company getting into the "wireless" game that I am aware off (as of the last time I checked) is doing wireless as well as System Audio. Either they're not using WiSa technology, so only Bluetooth, or their DACs are only capable of 96k, not 192k like SA.
Not to mention that WiSa yields performance that's 29x better quality than Bluetooth. It is not clear from your review whether you streamed only using Bluetooth or whether you set the Legend 40 Silverback and Stereo Hub through your WiFi network. If you didn't set them up using Google home you really owe it to yourself to have another listen and be prepared to get your brain blown!
All my best,
Oswaldo
LTBS
Let There Be Sound! WiSa only goes up to 96k. Unless Ole was able to make another miracle here.
@@akosinskiy According to the specs these speakers, or rather, the DAC they're using handles up to 192k. Perhaps Mr. Ole can shed some light.
@@LetThereBeSound1 There is nothing to shed light on here. Of course any DAC these days is 192k and up. But WiSa can only get to DAC 96k - this is the standard. Please research before misleading others.
The best "Bluetooth" Boombox 😁
No, it uses WiSA, something like 29x better than bluetooth.
So. These or the Buchardt A700. They look really similar...
Never heard the A700
Seriously what's with 15/4 & 15/6 sizes of drivers? System audio is crazy.. Can't they just mention driver sizes like every other brand on earth?
WIth cables Highs are more prominent, soundstage is deeper , sound is more holographic . Wireless has deeper base but sounds not as clear. At least with my headphones.
Yup, people seems to be able to hear a difference with the sound demo. I did my test with flac and also different cables so I wonder if that maybe why I did not hear a big difference.
@@ThomasAndStereo On april fools do sound demo but don't change a thing :D
Lol
I have a possibility to buy either saxo 30 or wharfedale emerald mkII
Which one is the better speaker
Sorry, never heard them so no idea.
Hey Thomas. What do you think of the Dynaudio Emit m20?
Never heard it.
It sounds better with cables !
which also means separate amplifiers
Sad sad day Thomas. This is where you and I say good bye and others who know. Best wishes
??
I understand, best of luck and stay safe.
It is not the first time I see this. I guess some people enjoy more videos on things they can afford. That is part of the reason I spend a lot of time talking about budget gear in my more recent videos.
@@ThomasAndStereo I've said this before, but as a budget audiophile I also enjoy your videos on the really expensive gear. I think it gives us an idea of the kind of high end experience to hope for when getting bang for the buck. Some of the expensive gear sets the bar, and its interesting to see how close we can get at a lower price. Maybe this guy was just turned off by the wireless all in one type of solution offered here? Not audiophile enough, perhaps.
@@JonCurcioi don’t understand how someone can review budget speakers without knowing what high end speakers sounds.
First glance thought you got Diamonds 11.5 lol
wired connection provided better highs and wider soundstage I feel
nope.
Funny kid. Thanks for new product idea!
Eisa awards 2021-2022
Thomas, I think it's time to replace your PC/case. It looks out of place :)
I was looking at a few options, even thought of changing the whole computer to a mini one but I need the sound card in it for Coax and optical out.
These or Dynaudio Focus XD, I wonder ...
I own the Dynaudio Focus 20XD and Wonder if these would be a step up or not. In Germany there aren't too many dealers for both of them 😅
I like smiley face myself.
How many wires in reality
1power cable to each speaker and 1 power to the stereo hub.
Wired wins.
What music is playing at 10:13 ?
ruclips.net/video/7IRIP-hSfJ0/видео.html&start_radio=1
Thank you (-:
You have musical tastes similar to mine, I can't wait to see your end game 2020, maybe the Supra 2 with Mcintosh ...
Do you have a playlist with Tidal than you can share ?
@@davidpilon9433 I don't have a Tidal playlist. I do occasionally use the playlist from Yannick. ( Friend who did the Zu video with me)
When sopras sir? 😁
Will be a while.
Wow that were a big difference.
Wires all day long. The wireless robbed the speakers all of their hi-fi qualities.
That was a shame in my opinion.
Clutter is apparently hi-fi and nice and clutter free is according to the sound non hi-fi but nice looking and not for a Audiophile in this system.
Fair enough, you heard a big difference. I was wondering if it was because of the budget RCA to XLR cable cause I find it "smoothed" out the sound a bit with the cables..
@@ThomasAndStereo I needed to listen again to be reminded.
And for sure there is a big difference. Why I do not know. The first sound clip (wireless) is sounding like the sound is not coming from my stereo system. It sounds like it lack body (midrange) and lacking micro details like reverberation that they have added. The latter with cables less so. The whole frequency band got more even and filled out the void. The sound stage got little bigger or to say from little to some/descent (for this electronic music). The finger snapping got to the middle of the soundstage. You could hear more micro details and room queues (wrong spelling..).
And it sounded as it should like a compressed over RUclips song that it is. And enjoyable for what it is.
But the first wireless took out all the fun of it.
And I believe I could hear a difference between them in a AB test.
It is hard to describe sound but I gave it a try anyway..
Thanks for the video!
What did you hear in the room?
@@AmazonasBiotop I wonder if it is the song that amplifies the difference. When I did the test with Mr Kanta, we were using audiophile FLAC recording as opposed to the youtube compressed music so perhaps we did not notice the big difference.
When I was recording the song, I noticed there was a slight difference but did not pay attention to it as I was focused on recording.
@@ThomasAndStereo It is hard to pinpoint we listen after different things and have different preferences.
The funny thing is that now when I have been working from home and sit much further away from the speakers than the sweet spot I noticed another energy in the bass and the imaging is also not severely effected.
Yes I know that bass will be different in different distances because the nulls and peaks.
Interesting!
Were not expecting that imaging were still this good 9 meters away. To be able to pick up this.
But you can play the sound clips from RUclips yourself and hear what we all are listening to. And come back with your impressions?
That is a fun exercise!
@@AmazonasBiotop Yeah, I noticed that with bass energy too. It changes depending on how far you are from the speakers. My sofa can move forward and backward to get the best sound. I need to find a better recording than that youtube video but hard to find copyright free content with vocals.
Wood floors and audio don't mix well. Carpets are the first tweek.
I have carpets but took them out for the photos.
Thomas, Please remove that vintage PC from your Hi-FI Rack, its a huge "out of the track" element in all your videos. Otherwise all rest is thumbs up
I have been shopping for a case for a long time. I found nothing I like so far.
@@ThomasAndStereo Hi Thomas, considering the simplicity and aesthetics involved, i found this :www.thermaltake.com/core-v31.html
or something similar ;), take care.
@@ThomasAndStereo I find the Streacom FC-9 to be one of the prettiest cases around. It's also passively cooled
@@HaraldSangvik Wow, it is BEAUTIFUL. Expensive but looks great. Too bad I can't find them selling anywhere in Canada.
@@ThomasAndStereo Hi Thomas, hope you doing ok, i was looking for some cases to DIY amplificators and i found something really worth looking, i think it will fit very well in your rack, its a HIFI case sold in this shop: www.audiophonics.fr/en/aluminium-boxes-cases/hifi-2000-htpc-modu-md11-case-black-p-1497.html
Hope you like this one the most ;)
take care.
For the sound demo, point is, do you hear a BIG difference between wireless and wired? Turns out I do hear a difference now, I was using a different setup when I AB tested before.
Info on digital amps
ruclips.net/video/LEZYgBSn7f4/видео.html
ruclips.net/video/5VDQwQ0n3pU/видео.html
For those of you who prefer to use class AB amps, take a look at their passive version.
system-audio.com/product/sa-legend-40-silverback/
Stay safe everyone.
Tough to tell, maybe second spunds smoother but thats probably bias. It seems a bit of a bright recording as well.
I feel the same.
I thought the wireless sounded a bit more sibilant in the highs, but also a bit more open. The wired sound was a bit fuller and smoother but also more congested.
Hello Thomas, j'ai vu dans ta vidéo que tu possèdes des légendes 40 de Système Audio.. j'ai un ensemble 7.1 de chez SYSTÈME AUDIO avec des légendes 60 en front , connais tu les légendes 60 ? Tu devrais faire un test je te garantie une grosse surprise, c'est encore 2 fois plus fabuleux que les légendes 40, avec une réserve de basse incroyable, et une puissance inépuisable, essais vraiment tu ne pas dessus...
Merci, peut-être un jour.
pay more is not they same as getting more!!!!
Like everything in life but most of the time, you pay you get.
Please let these sweet kids listen to music on their cellphones.Dont teach them audiophile stuff.Is tiktok high res through your denefrips.
lol. Tiktok? I don't use it so no idea.
Why do wireless, powered speakers make me lose faith in the existence of a loving God?
What do you mean exactly? :D
@@davidz6576 I'm being incredibly hyperbolic for comedic effect.
@@trekjudas Me as German Potato does not get that joke. 😂
@@davidz6576 S'alright!
Why is it that the idea of wireless high-end speakers makes me want to VOMIT?!!!
Embrace change! Who knows, maybe in 20 years, cables will be a thing of the past like cassettes.
Thomas & Stereo I have a tube amp and a record player! I am religiously old school!
@@trekjudas I think we get this notion in our head that all wireless is something like bluetooth, but as you know this isn't. This is really good. Think of your whole system as being stuffed inside each speaker and you are Airplaying music to it, it's pretty cool. It really is a great thing and hope this is where the future is going.
@@sean_heisler Bluetooth is the tool of the devil!!
@@trekjudas Definitely agree with you!
I like the information in these videos, but jeez you are so wordy. I find myself fast forwarding most of it and not missing anything at all. Either that or I just play them at 2x speed.
You always seem to say the same thing in 3 different ways... You even talk about what you're gonna talk about! Maybe we don't need to hear about how you got the speakers from a friend, their job, other gear and life story?
Maybe write a script and edit it to half the length... then half it again.
Watch a video from the channel MuteFPV... take notes.
Yup, it is something I am working on, making it short and straight to the point.
@@ThomasAndStereo I don't agree Thomas, I enjoy your style! Don't change! It's like having a great one-sided conversation with an audiophile friend and I have no audiophile friends, they only exist on Reddit. Hahaha
@@chrisselner5005 Thanks, trying to find a balance.
Thomas, It’s your channel, it’s your show, your decision. My take on it: don’t change anything. You’re doing fine. ✌🏻 plus i have trouble adapting to change lately 😎
Recession is here and will exasperate further who dares to dish out 5 grand to buy a pair of Hi-Fi speakers? Most audio consumers will just keep their old set of speakers for the time being. DIY audio industry may continue even though it will also diminish in the total sales.
Personally, I won't bother to view this video even though there is nothing wrong with this review, it is not personal.
I understand and thanks taking the time to comment. Think of it as entertainment during this lockdown period. I purposely structured it so that everyone have something to take away from this video.
@@ThomasAndStereo Many people are AFRAID/FEARFUL from both ends Covid19 and unemployment and or regular income to support themselves, spending $5,000 is NOT necessary, it does not mean you cannot review these speakers as part of ENTERTAINMENT for those staying at home like me, but I don't buy $5,000 equipment I am a DIYer.
I have an audio hobbyist for many years, different equipment just means different types of sound reproduction and ones taste changes as years go by, there is no sound perfection just different, there is no sound nirvana. Unless one is really loaded what is the point of spending 1000's.
Anyway, you enjoy your reviews and lots of followers from your subscriber base.
@@yttean98 I think the world is vast and there are a lot of different people out there. I never imposed my standards on others. As such, one thing I learn is never to decide for others how they should spend their money. Everyone's income situation is different and what everyone can afford is different. Some people in the world don't even make $500 a month, it does not mean I should stop talking about $500 speakers on my channel.
That is why I never care about price when I make my videos. I respect the fact everyone has different means and that is why you see me giving the same respect when reviewing $500 speakers or $50k speakers.
@@ThomasAndStereo Part 1 is based on facts.
Part 2 is my opinion, anyone can disagree it is a free world. I am not pushing it, you can take or leave it.