Polk Reserve R500: howl.me/clE8QHGtCgT Wharfedale AURA 2: tinyurl.com/wharfedaleaura2 Wharfedale Linton 85: howl.me/ckfhw91LaKD KEF R3 Meta: tinyurl.com/ymap4wbx MoFi SourcePoint 8: howl.me/cleSP9AdFom Purchases through these links can earn me a small commission - at no additional cost to you - and help me continue to provide the community with free content and reviews. Doesn't matter if it's the speakers linked or anything else (i.e., a TV from Crutchfield, budget speakers from Audio Advice or a pair of socks from Amazon), just use the link above before you make your purchase. Thank you!
Glad to see some coaxials getting attention. Love them when upgrading to a home theater system because you can use a Mofi or KEF on its side for a center channel and it won't sound broken.
I appreciate the technical details, but for me the most important factor in selecting to buy is: which speakers were more emotionally moving? Which ones are more heart-felt and 'real'? I know these are subjective, but you seem to omit that discussion. I'm considering Dynaudio, because they sounded very engaging. Is that even quantifiable? Maybe you could do a video on it. Also I'm considering the LSA Signature 80's, which are a $1200 pair from a small manufacturer. You would do them a huge favor if you could get them in & do a review.
I tested the MoFi Sourcepoint 8s and the KEF R3 Metas in my room for a couple of weeks. For me, the MoFi's won easily. -The MoFi's have a much more expansive soundstage -The MoFi's sound more natural (voices and instruments). -The low end in the MoFi's was much fuller than the KEFs, to my ears. I did play with positioning, and the MoFi's always sounded more full. The MoFi's just feel so visceral. They feel open and powerful, yet very natural and detailed. In comparison, the KEFs felt timid and without soul. One thing the KEFs have going for them is the imaging. Top notch. But the MoFi's only seemed to be a half notch behind in that regard. Better, even, than the KEFs with some songs. The MoFi's still image very well. I feel confident that I chose the better speakers for my ears, as I actually wanted the KEFs to win. The R3 Metas were my dream speakers, and my girlfriend prefers the look of them. Alas, the MoFi's are in my living room, and damn are they good. Can close my eyes and dissappear in the music.
Thanks for the comparison. If you don't mind answering, what amp are you using with the MoFi 8? I'm considering picking up a pair and wanted to hear some individual experiences regarding power needs.
Great list! I’m glad the Lintons made it, they’re such an unbelievable value. Were Philharmonic BMRs close for you? If this was top 10 instead of top 5 would they be on it?
A video i would love is about old gems that can be found on marketplace at low cost. I have a whole set of old Infinity Interludes (early 2000's). I looked everyday for them at decent prices and built my whole 7.1 set of them at a very low cost by looking everyday. Im sure theres a lot of other old gems that i dont know about. Would be great to have your opinion on these.
Wharfedale sure knows how to please the objective crowd on a 'budget', while maintaining that oh so pleasant sound they are known for. Another Wharfedale that does good objectively and subjectively albeit that so-called BBC Dip is the Diamond 12s, that shouldn't be overlooked despite its price. The 12.1s have been measured by Amir and Erin, both had subjectively different opinions, but that great cabinet and pleasant tuning is a great choice for most people. Cant wait for the 12.2s and floorstanding 12.4s to be measured, what the 12.1s do, they do better. Certain Wharfedales are no joke, they certainly perform above their price categories.
What a wonderful video! Erin, you explain things so clearly - and I know this is the kind of ability that only comes from thoroughly understanding your subject.
The ascend acoustic Sierra-1v2 has peaked my interest lately. Would be interesting to find out why it was left off the list. Great video by the way Love your content. Thanks.
Great video. Mofi’s are unfortunately at 3800$ here in France ! While the R3 meta are at 2800$. And the Linton 85 at 1500$… So the hierarchy is very much changed !
Got me a pair of Polk r500's. Honestly for its size, slim profile, and general lush musicality. It's one of my favorites. Also own a pair of Focal Kanta 2, and klipsch RF7 III's. Still shocked at my love for the r500 warmth
Thanks for the work you do for audio enthusiasts Erin. There’s a lot of effort put into these vids. I’m old and on a fixed income or I would definitely be a patreon. Sorry buddy. I will support you by using your links if I make any purchases. Your channel should continue to grow & bloom. Great stuff you’re putting out. Your work is greatly appreciated. One of a handful on RUclips I truly trust for honest, objective data and your personal subjective impressions. 👍🏼🎶😎
Hey, thanks for the feedback. I do put a good bit of time into these videos so I’m glad that it shows. Would suck if someone said it looked like I threw it together. 😂
@@ErinsAudioCorner Yes, it would. You’re welcome sir. Honest, intelligent effort is always rewarded. If I was gonna get any new gear, which I shouldn’t in my circumstances, I would seek out your review of that product. Always let my ears be final judge. I was happy to see you reviewing the Super Dentons. I still want the Lintons, but I don’t need them. I am thinking of saving for a streamer. You know how this audio thing goes. 👊🏽🎶
@@Norman-bone13 If one doesn't like the "bbc dip" there's this magical thing most audiophiles seem allergic to, called EQ! Virtually every system should have EQ, preferably a parametric EQ capable of a good number of bands. This is one reason I'm baffled more people don't use a PC with a good DAC as their primary source, because among other reasons, it is free to have an infinitely powerful and flexible EQ implementation. EQ should also be done in conjunction with taking in-room measurements with a mic and software like REW. EQ is the single most powerful tool for audio that exists, period, and it's effect outweighs many other things people pursue and chase to try and nail the sound they want, by a factor of 10, but they neglect it or think it's not "pure". Sorry but quality DSP EQ implementation (not those old analog 1/3 octave eq boxes from decades ago) has absolutely ZERO negative effects... except to the analog purists enjoying their vinyl with tube amps lol, then it would be blasphemy. People will buy completely different speakers simply because of some aspect of their out-of-the-box frequency response curve.... like, my man, you can change that! You don't go purchasing speakers to change your EQ... you just change your EQ! They'll even buy different speaker wires and interconnects and amplifiers and preamps and dacs all in an effort to affect frequency response... it's dumb.
What about the Buchardt s400 mk2? That speaker measured really well didn't it? And I know this is just your personal list.... Just curious why the s400 didn't make it.
Agreed. I think he really likes concentric speakers. The S400 is a beast in the horizontal but probably doesn't pass his test in the vertical. Different needs.
Nice list of speakers that are attainable for most hard working folks. I've heard them all outside of the Aura 2..& think they are all pretty good. I ran the Linton's for awhile then replaced them with the R700's. The Polk's have a couple issues but the good outweigh the bad for me...plus i use DSP/PEQ.
The r500 are outstanding in their own right. I've got bigger speakers, and more expensive speakers, but there aren't many that can do what the r500 do with their size and profile
@@rasta.j I agree. I enjoyed the sound quality tremendously -- a real bargain for how good they sound, when accompanied by a sub. I did end up trading up one notch to the R600 which I am thrilled with. The R700 would have been just too large for my space, and that's OK because I'm really digging the 600's. Very happy camper!
I sold my Linton 85s for Magnepan .7. I really liked the Lintons but I had to pull them out 3 ft. From the wall in my living room and that didn’t work in my home. The .7Magnepan is a whole different beast for $1,995. I can pick up these dipole speakers and pull them out 6’ into the room and easily pick up these 30 lb. speakers vs the 70 lbs. of the Lintons. Very few reviews are done on Magnepan by youtube reviewers because I assume they aren’t into sending them out for reviews. I did an A -B test of the LRS+ vs the .7s and it wasn’t even close. If you like a detailed, transparent open speaker, it would be hard to beat the .7s. However, you need a powerful amp. I use the Rogue Sphinx v3 integrated amp at 100 watts per channel, so this would be the bare minimum. it
Great list Erin. I've heard the Linton, the sourcepoint 8, and own the R3 meta. All are very good. The main difference to my ears is neutrality and timbre. Lintons being the warmer and smoother on midrange and highs, Sourcepoint 8 is slightly more neutral but still warm with more neutral highs. The R3 metal is by far the most neutral and sharper in the highs. All three need a sub for fuller bass. Thanks for your excellent for excellent sir.
You stated that most floor standers need a sub. Certainly in the sub $2500 price bracket I would agree. But what is the point of having a floor stander if a sub is needed??? I’ve been of the opinion that a floor stander should be able to function without the need for a sub. With regard to bookshelf speakers, aside from large “retro” designs that have large woofers (10”-12”), they should be designed to be paired with matching subs. There are a few examples of this, but very few and I never understood why this is the case.
@@ccdccd8615Bookshelf speakers require good stands, and typically have worse distortion below 200hz at any given SPL. Even if you’re employing a steep THX filter to your mains, you’ll get better bass performance from 80-200hz with a tower that shares a mid-tweet with the same family of bookie. The R7 is going to sound “fuller” than the R3 for example. Bass below 80hz always going to sound best from your subwoofer that can produce those notes with the lowest levels of distortion at high volume.
I got the Elac 403 (well, 403.2) at sub-$2000 and I've been very happy with it. Aesthetics is pertinent to me since I'll be looking at the speakers the whole day and these sure are lookers. R3 Meta is definitely among the top picks but sadly it doesn't fit nearly as well in terms of dimensions (small desk lol). Thank you for the vids!
This are my favorites too. And they are beautiful design. Thank you for the review and the measurements are right on. You are the best very knowledgeable . I'm new at this and I'm learning a lot with it. Thanks Erin👌
Great video. I'm not really a numbers guy, but your interpretation of the data is cool, and helps. I have a horrible (asymmetric) listening space, but I'm a dad with a family, so it is what it is. I think, more than anything, a little flexibility in listening position is moving up the list in order of importance for me. The 'head in a vice' perfect sound, isn't my jam. Actually, if i want spousal support, the adjacent lounge chair thing needs to share the sweet spot. So, horizontal spread is good, except for one lively wall (complete with 6 ft mirror) sort of screws that up. Perfection, thankfully, isn't my goal. Maybe I should have bought the Lintons. Oh sure, i'll save money and buy some little stand-mount, then the stands, then a sub....now i'm back to Linton price, doh!
Wasn't sure where to place this comment, because it's unrelated specifically to any of your videos, but I saw a comment on facebook recommending Caladan OB speakers. I did some looking and found a review at New Record Day, and I believe that the speakers probably sound amazing, but it's hard to take the guy seriously when he's always talking about Danny at GR Research, who is known to promote all kinds of snake oil. I am interested in performance of the OB speakers though. Any way you could do a video on these, or a video on exploring the benefits of OB in general? I'm curious about how they measure.
What would your top 5 be for home theater? A full on 5.x.4 setup with matching speakers, and 9 Mofi source points are a cop out 😂. Atmos could be on-wall like svs elevations, or in ceiling but the caveat is all matching brands, mixing levels of speakers from the same brand is permissible. I would guess a Kef R Meta setup bc of the center channel, but svs center channels hav good dispersion characteristics too. I was just curious after watching this
Nice summary, Erin. So jealous of some of the pricing you get over there compared to Australia; Pretty much double the US prices, but the worst has to be the Mofi 8s ($2200 incl stands?) Try $6300 here in Oz. Ouch!!
Hey Erin, can you please review a GoldenEar product? Either the t66 or the triton reference towers? Very curious regarding their performance in your eyes comparing to other speakers you’ve listened to
This has to be without question, the best most informative video regarding the 2 front speakers I have ever seen/heard!! 🎉. Good info about the particular speakers but even better for what to look for and listen to when shopping for front LR speakers!!! 🎉 thank you buddy! 🎉. Ps. Any chance for a similar style video but maybe for HT heated speakers? 😊🎉
Maybe I'm crazy but i have both the R3 Meta and the Sourcepoint 8s and I think the SCP-8s play deeper than the KEFs. Maybe I'll try and compare them again. I am using a sub but I have them crossed over at 55. The subs that is my preamp doesn't highpass. I'm a little mad because I do like the soundstage on the Mofis a tad better than the KEFs but I wanted to like the KEFs better because they look so sweet in Indigo blue. I'd be more fine with the R3s if I didn't have the SC-8 or they went missing. But with them both in the house, I have to with the 8s in my 2 channel room and moved the R3Ms to the living room. I am thinking about getting a single Sourcepoint 8 from Crutchfield and putting the 3 in my theater but I am not sure what surrounds to use. If I do go that route I can put the R3 Metas back in the music room.
I think the 8's would make a great center channel with that very even dispersion on both axis. But they would be difficult to use a surrounds because of their size and need for space from the walls. Thanks for your views on these two speakers.
@@bearclaw5115 Oh, nooo. I wouldn't use 8s as side surrounds. My theater is too narrow. At the same time, I don't what speakers I could use as side surrounds that would be close to a tonal match to the 8s
Great video. I learned something new, which is why I watch in the first place. Keep it up! My favorite part…“For those of you who are micro-correcting me”.😂😂😂
Can't wait for you to test the Mofi 888. I'm a DIY guy and think most speakers are stupid overpriced, especially any quality or "audiophile" speakers, the margins are just insane. But KEF and Mofi have an argument for their price, even though I believe they're still overpriced, and that's the fact that you couldn't DIY those speakers even if you wanted to, because their drivers are proprietary and to my knowledge there are no coaxial drivers you can buy of that quality. none of the big pro woofers with compression drivers in the center are of the same kind of quality for example. If someone knows of a product that can match Mofi/KEF type quality (bandwidth, dispersion, smooth crossover, spl...) I'm not aware of please do share. But if I was going to waste... I mean spend... 5k on speakers, the Mofi 888 (or their lower models for 2 and 3k respectively) would be it, and are among very few speakers I could ever justify spending that kind of money on vs going DIY. Maybe a few KEF models might justify their price too idk. But if you're just talking about normal driver formats, you can always build a better speaker for less money going DIY... but they've got something special I can't copy.
I want to try a triple 6 with the 6” SB Acoustics coaxial and 2 of the matching 6” woofers. They are not expensive and I’ve loved their drivers so far. Their is also their higher end Satori coaxial 7”.
@@alexw890 thank you, those do look intriguing and I'll have to research them and look for some builds and measurements! That might be a real competitive option.
@@alexw890You may want to find bass drivers that have underhung vc’s, but with extended LF.. That’s one of the ingredients the 888 has that makes it sound extended but w/ low distortion..
@Artcore103 I've been a DIY speaker enthusiast and builder for many years as well. However, I have also been a cabinet/furniture maker and still have my own fully equipped wood shop. While I 100% agree that you can build an equivalent or better-performing DIY speaker for significantly less than 90% of the commercially available options, the one caveat is usually the quality and actual finish of the cabinets. Building one-off DIY speaker cabinets using high quality materials and high-quality wood veneers and/or painted or stained finishes is NOT inexpensive these days, and it requires a good amount of time and also an investment in proper tools, expendable supplies, and your labor (time is money in some cases). For example, if I was commissioned to build even a basic set of 2-way bookshelf speaker cabinets that I would be willing to attach my name to for a DIY design, my MINIMUM Quote would be AT LEAST $1,200 for materials and labor/time. And even with that, there's very little room for actual profit. Of course, as the size and complexity of the DIY speaker design and cabinet increases, the price will adjust upwards exponentially. To complete a DIY speaker project with a finish to at least the same level as most commercially available speakers selling for ~$2,500 or even half that, one needs to invest a significant amount of money in the proper tools and expendable materials, as well as having the space or place to perform their construction. And not everyone is in the position to do any of this, especially as a one-off project. Yes, building DIY cabinets/enclosures allows you to put more thought and implementation into proper bracing and resonance control as well as custom finishes compared to most commercially available loudspeakers at the same price point. But again, one must possess the tools, space, skill, and time necessary to complete such a project successfully and to acceptable standards. Regarding good "raw" DIY Coaxial Drivers that are readily available to the public, if you aren't averse to using DSP and EQ, I would look into the BMS 5CN162-HE, which is a 5" cone midrange with an integrated coaxial HF compression driver. The HF compression driver obviously has high sensitivity and is incredibly dynamic. The "throat" of the compression driver is very smoothly integrated and transitioned to the midrange cone, which of course acts as the waveguide. Ideally, you keep the 5" midrange High Pass Filter above ~ 250-300Hz in order to minimize cone excursion and potential IMD at higher SPLs. These BMS drivers are reasonably priced as well. Just know that the High Frequency will require significant level matching to the midrange and quite a bit of corrective PEQ to smooth the response, (preferably with a good multi-channel DSP), as well as extra individual amplifier channels to power each driver. I built a custom 3-way active DIY "studio monitor" pair using these BMS concentric drivers combined with the very affordable 10" Ciare HW251N woofers, which offer excellent performance, especially at their price point. It helped that I actually got the idea for this project and this specific driver combination from Erin himself, and actually purchased the first pair of 10" Ciare drivers directly from Erin, as he was formerly using this EXACT combination of drivers in his own high end CAR AUDIO SYSTEM, LOL! You KNOW that a guy is a full-on SQ nut when they use 10" pro audio midbass drivers in custom fabricated front kickpanel pods in their small CAR combined with 5" coaxial midrange/HF compression drivers installed in custom fabricated pods above the dash in custom A-pillars! 😛 Erin's install using these drivers in his car are documented on the DIY Mobile Audio Forums in Erin's 2006 Honda Civic "Neverending Tale" Build Log. This daily driver vehicle was essentially Erin's "Test Mule" and went through many, many system iterations and versions over the years using all types of raw high end home audio and car audio drive units, including Scanspeak 18WU Illuminator midwoofers, Scanspeak Beryllium Tweeters, Dynaudio Esotar2 430 midrange drivers, the KEF Q150 & Q300 concentric midrange/tweeter drivers, and DUAL 15" Acoustic Elegance IB15 subwoofers, as well as the huge multi-channel McIntosh MC4000M car audio amplifier, and much, much more! In my case, my custom 3-way DIY project using the BMS concentric and Ciare midwoofer drivers replaced a pair of very good ATC SCM25A active studio monitors in my home studio with no regrets. And even with the added cost of a multi-channel DSP unit for applying & adjusting custom X/Os, Phase, Levels, PEQ, and Time Alignment (miniDSP C-DSP 8x12 DL), as well as the extra necessary amplifier channels, I still came out way ahead in terms of cost AND performance compared to the ATCs. However, these DIY studio monitors just have a very basic matte black painted finish, as I only intended them to be used in my home studio, so not a lot of $ was spent trying to achieve a high quality finish or WAF aesthetics. All to say that building DIY loudspeakers CAN potentially offer better performance for the money, BUT with some caveats. IF you have the time, workspace, tools, and initiative to complete such projects, DIY is a no-brainer. But for first-time DIY'ers, YMMV. Purchasing a tested and proven DIY loudspeaker design or DIY Kit can help to alleviate any variables and uncertainties for noob DIY'ers. But the majority of Hi-Fi enthusiasts just don't have the time, workspace, skills, or tools necessary to make a DIY project a worthwhile endeavor. And therefore, the MoFi SourcePoint 888 that you mentioned are indeed an incredible value for money and for many. As you also mentioned, for quite a bit less the SourcePoint 8 stand-mount speakers combined with a decent ~ $500 DIY Subwoofer with a plate amp would be an excellent alternative IMO. YMMV
Great information. These are the kinds of reviews that help people decide what kind of speaker they would be happy with based on the characteristics of how they sound, measure, and the room they will be placed in. I'm not a big measurements guy myself, but it's nice to see why a speaker sounds the way it does from a technical perspective. A very important thing that you talked about was the room, and how that affects whatever speaker you have. Sometimes, a speaker with certain poor measurements may sound great in a particular room and vice versa.
When you're telling people how far you recommend to put a speaker from the front wall. You should specify if that's from the back of the speaker or from the front baffle. Fyi, the acoustics center or front baffle should be the one that's used for placement distances.
Sure. Then again, I suggested the KEF R3 Meta be placed about a foot - 12 inches - from the wall. That speaker is just over 13 inches deep. So the only logical conclusion is I am talking about distance from the wall to the back of the speaker. Unless they cut a soffit in the wall. 🤪
When listing the recommended distance that an object should be placed from a wall, myself and all of my HiFi loving friends have ALWAYS thought that recommended distance to be the space between the wall and the boundary of said object that is closest to the wall. To think otherwise is to step off in a direction that almost no one is going to follow.
@@matsudakodo is the back of the speaker the acoustic center? No, the front baffle is, hence why the measurement reference from the front wall to speaker should always be the front baffle.
The real question is what's the difference between Andrew Jones' MoFi & 8" coaxial speakers from long established Tannoy & Fyne? What's his secret sauce? Are there Tannoy or Fyne 8" bargains out there? Inquiring minds need to know.
Hey Erin, could I recommend lowering the threshold on your gate a bit? It seems to be "eating" the end of some of the words and phrases you are speaking, and we lose consonants on your words. Makes it difficult to understand what you're saying sometimes without turning the volume up quite a bit. Just a suggestion :) Thank you as always for putting out great videos like this one!
Yessir. I noticed this when I was editing and tried to fix a few spots. I had moved my mic up a bit and forgot to put it back down toward me which made the gate even more noticeable. But I corrected it last night and I think it should be good now. But thanks for pointing that out.
I bought, unheard, the SP8’s for the following reasons: * benefits of a concentric design * paper drivers (natural sounding?) * off axis response * overwhelming positive reviews I was considering the Tannoy SGM 10’s but with MoFi’s 25% off, generous return policy and 12 equal payments with no interest, Wow. Take my money! 6 months later I’m still in awe of the SP8s. I’m running the MoFi’s with an Emerson Analog DAC/Streamer and a Nait 50 amp. PS. Erin, your speaker reviews are unparalleled for the non audio techs like me. Thanks.
For $2500, I'd get a pair of Yamaha DZR12 or DZR15. (which I am actually planning/saving for) ...from what I've researched, I think they'd be a great poorman's JBL L100 Classic or JBL 4349 (or poorman's Klipsch Forte/Cornwall). If I had the room, and for only $400 more, then a pair of DZR315. ...I bet a poorman's JBL 4367 or JBL M2 or Klipschorn. Can't beat a big-cabinet sound... esp. w/ Yamaha engineering, audio quality, neutral sound and clarity.
First of all thanks for your sharing. I wonder would you be able to add the testing frequency to higher level like 50k because a lot of the speakers can produce above 20k now and for hi-Res classify must able to support above 20k
The audio of this video is a bit of a speaker test in itself. If you can hear the "voice isolation" plug in gate threshold ever so slightly interfering with Erin's dialogue (like at the end of sentences when he starts to get a little quieter), then you have at the very least some decent speakers, set up the right way, in a reasonably good environment. The better your listening situation, the more you'll be able to hear this.
Great video, question for you! Zero’d in on KEF because of their center speaker being better for my space. Do you still recommend the R3 Meta for a home theater application in a fairly large space? I like that it does well near wall. 15 x 23 listening area (8 to 9 foot tall ceilings) where the listening position is about 15 feet from the speakers. Speakers would be about 11 feet a part. The back left side of the room is opened up to another 12 x 12 space. I’m trying to understand when it makes sense to move up to the R7 or R11. I hope you see this comment! Thanks!
Speakers that "require" a sub-woofer just suck in my book. It's a shame that for a decent chunk of change, a pair of decent speakers aren't, in fact decent. They're flawed.
Might I suggest you try the CSS Audio 1-TDX with the upgraded crossovers. I did a quick search on your videos and didn't see any CSS products. I find mine to be amazing and my family that could care less about audio regularly goes "Wow!". I will say that I find their stated numbers on sensitivity to be ambitious. My pair were good with a Yamaha AV receiver but when I put monoblocs on them they just came alive. IMO they destroy my JBL L100s.
How do the Aura 2 compare to the Lintons? In this video the Lintons seem to rate better, may I ask which characteristics moved you to give the Lintons a better rate? I found a nice offer on both and can't make up my mind
Either are a great choice. Objectively, I think the AURA 2 is better. But the overall look and lower price of the Linton is what draws me more to it. If you do wind up buying either, please consider using my affiliate link as it earns me a small commission at no additional cost to you.
Have had that Lintons ,….huuuuuummmmm. I did vind them too veiled , to closed in, as if the sound never really got out of the boxes , Did found the soundstage only fair for the price, not specially wide or deep , Facility of picking two voices or more apart in the soundstage that was indeed very good, beter than average , as was also intelligibility of the same voices , Bass was deep and expansive , it breathes very well , not the fastest one , but very tuneful . But once more for me personally very poor transparency and detail , really to veiled ! Only my opinion of course , I tested them with a few amplifiers , tube and solid state
Hi, thank you for ranking I am happy the mofi von because I am considering them, as well I belive r3 meta is great. What I am suprised is that no one of them was bitten by arendal monitor s thx or txs. Or didint you include tham in ranking because they are customer direct sold and it would be unfair? Or they are simply not as good as mofi and kef?
This channel (and The Scientific Audiophile) makes almost all other "big audience" audiophile reviewers (you know who they are) look like amateur-hour.
Nice to see how the well designed coaxials we finally achieve in this day and age usually take the winning spot. KEF, Genelec, Mofi, KS Digital. I love my KEF Reference 3 Meta, will get a R3 Meta as surrounds soon and be happy ever after.
This is a fantastic list, and great for someone looking into their next upgrade (like me!). Thanks for taking the time to do this. Erin, if you can get your hands on them, I'd love to see a review for the new SVS Ultra Evolution Pinnacle and the Titan (I realize they are out of this price point). I also would love to see MartinLogan F2 and XT F100 stack up. The former is in this price point.
13:15 It would work ok in my room as my current speakers have lots of 40-50Hz reinforcement from the room which I EQ down. But there are also nulls so the KEF would be even less bassy in such regions.
If we dont have a subwoofer, does the KEF R3 win? I might be wrong, but imagine most music only listeners do not use a sub as they are more sold for HT.
Isnt room treatment to reduce the speaker interaction with the room. not to correct the speaker. Basically all rooms have problems, treating the bass, reflections, etc will reduce the room's interaction with your speakers
Kind of smart design from kef for the none audiophile (whichp Most ppl are). Common people like to put their speakers close to the wall and pointed straight in the room. Most modern room have a lot of windows. I think this speaker will do well for many ppl. Thanks for sharing 👍
They’re quite different so there wouldn’t be much overlap. Seriously. They both sound different tonally and spatially. And if you buy both, please consider using my affiliate link. LOL
@@ErinsAudioCorner ahh ok. i got the BMRs for that reason. Really wide room and the dispersion is a great combo to get good audio from living room to kitche. appreciate your perspective
Polk Reserve R500: howl.me/clE8QHGtCgT
Wharfedale AURA 2: tinyurl.com/wharfedaleaura2
Wharfedale Linton 85: howl.me/ckfhw91LaKD
KEF R3 Meta: tinyurl.com/ymap4wbx
MoFi SourcePoint 8: howl.me/cleSP9AdFom
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Glad to see some coaxials getting attention. Love them when upgrading to a home theater system because you can use a Mofi or KEF on its side for a center channel and it won't sound broken.
Surprised to not see the BMR. At a listening event it was the runaway favorite over every speaker, including the R3.
Any subwoofer or pair of sub woofers you can recommend that will integrate well with the scourcepoint 8 under $1500 total?
I appreciate the technical details, but for me the most important factor in selecting to buy is: which speakers were more emotionally moving? Which ones are more heart-felt and 'real'? I know these are subjective, but you seem to omit that discussion. I'm considering Dynaudio, because they sounded very engaging. Is that even quantifiable? Maybe you could do a video on it. Also I'm considering the LSA Signature 80's, which are a $1200 pair from a small manufacturer. You would do them a huge favor if you could get them in & do a review.
Why Polk R500 and not R700?
I tested the MoFi Sourcepoint 8s and the KEF R3 Metas in my room for a couple of weeks. For me, the MoFi's won easily.
-The MoFi's have a much more expansive soundstage
-The MoFi's sound more natural (voices and instruments).
-The low end in the MoFi's was much fuller than the KEFs, to my ears. I did play with positioning, and the MoFi's always sounded more full.
The MoFi's just feel so visceral. They feel open and powerful, yet very natural and detailed. In comparison, the KEFs felt timid and without soul.
One thing the KEFs have going for them is the imaging. Top notch. But the MoFi's only seemed to be a half notch behind in that regard. Better, even, than the KEFs with some songs. The MoFi's still image very well.
I feel confident that I chose the better speakers for my ears, as I actually wanted the KEFs to win. The R3 Metas were my dream speakers, and my girlfriend prefers the look of them. Alas, the MoFi's are in my living room, and damn are they good. Can close my eyes and dissappear in the music.
Appreciate the real-world experience and comparison. And happy that you found the right ones for your preferences and enjoyment. :)
Thanks for the comparison.
If you don't mind answering, what amp are you using with the MoFi 8?
I'm considering picking up a pair and wanted to hear some individual experiences regarding power needs.
Ooh. I wish you made a review of JBL 4309. Got them in my viewfinder with one of the speaker pairs you mentioned in this list.
Great list! I’m glad the Lintons made it, they’re such an unbelievable value.
Were Philharmonic BMRs close for you? If this was top 10 instead of top 5 would they be on it?
Yes, they would be in the top 10.
Hello there.. Great reviews. Have you listened to the Paradigm Founder series of speakers. Thanks
I don't think he has but that's a great recommendation for review
A video i would love is about old gems that can be found on marketplace at low cost. I have a whole set of old Infinity Interludes (early 2000's). I looked everyday for them at decent prices and built my whole 7.1 set of them at a very low cost by looking everyday. Im sure theres a lot of other old gems that i dont know about. Would be great to have your opinion on these.
Erin you should review JBL CBT 70J-1
Wharfedale sure knows how to please the objective crowd on a 'budget', while maintaining that oh so pleasant sound they are known for. Another Wharfedale that does good objectively and subjectively albeit that so-called BBC Dip is the Diamond 12s, that shouldn't be overlooked despite its price. The 12.1s have been measured by Amir and Erin, both had subjectively different opinions, but that great cabinet and pleasant tuning is a great choice for most people. Cant wait for the 12.2s and floorstanding 12.4s to be measured, what the 12.1s do, they do better. Certain Wharfedales are no joke, they certainly perform above their price categories.
What a wonderful video! Erin, you explain things so clearly - and I know this is the kind of ability that only comes from thoroughly understanding your subject.
Thank you so much!
Long term Linton owners feeling good right now 😂
Yup doesn't matter if you like them or not if, if Erin doesn't like them we would definitely have to sell
@@Pete.across.the.street Hah!
Bought 3 months ago couldn’t be happier. Sounds good looks awesome too❤
@@Pete.across.the.street I swapped my Lintons with Q-acoustic 5040's. I had to relinquish the audiophile-card I carried, but don't care:)
@@Bob.martenshow different is 5040 to linton?
in terms of tonality and overall performance?
The ascend acoustic Sierra-1v2 has peaked my interest lately. Would be interesting to find out why it was left off the list. Great video by the way Love your content. Thanks.
Those and the Buchardt S400 MK2 should be on this list
Great video. Mofi’s are unfortunately at 3800$ here in France ! While the R3 meta are at 2800$. And the Linton 85 at 1500$… So the hierarchy is very much changed !
Hi Erin, how would rate Wharfedale EVO4.2 against Wharfedale AURA 2? Thanks, Or can you make a video of top five speakers under $1500 MSRP?
Got me a pair of Polk r500's.
Honestly for its size, slim profile, and general lush musicality. It's one of my favorites.
Also own a pair of Focal Kanta 2, and klipsch RF7 III's. Still shocked at my love for the r500 warmth
I loved the R500, when with a sub. Great sound, nice solid cabinet for the money.
Thanks for the work you do for audio enthusiasts Erin. There’s a lot of effort put into these vids. I’m old and on a fixed income or I would definitely be a patreon. Sorry buddy. I will support you by using your links if I make any purchases. Your channel should continue to grow & bloom. Great stuff you’re putting out. Your work is greatly appreciated. One of a handful on RUclips I truly trust for honest, objective data and your personal subjective impressions. 👍🏼🎶😎
Hey, thanks for the feedback. I do put a good bit of time into these videos so I’m glad that it shows. Would suck if someone said it looked like I threw it together. 😂
@@ErinsAudioCorner Yes, it would.
You’re welcome sir. Honest, intelligent effort is always rewarded. If I was gonna get any new gear, which I shouldn’t in my circumstances, I would seek out your review of that product. Always let my ears be final judge. I was happy to see you reviewing the Super Dentons. I still want the Lintons, but I don’t need them. I am thinking of saving for a streamer. You know how this audio thing goes. 👊🏽🎶
@@Norman-bone13 If one doesn't like the "bbc dip" there's this magical thing most audiophiles seem allergic to, called EQ! Virtually every system should have EQ, preferably a parametric EQ capable of a good number of bands. This is one reason I'm baffled more people don't use a PC with a good DAC as their primary source, because among other reasons, it is free to have an infinitely powerful and flexible EQ implementation. EQ should also be done in conjunction with taking in-room measurements with a mic and software like REW. EQ is the single most powerful tool for audio that exists, period, and it's effect outweighs many other things people pursue and chase to try and nail the sound they want, by a factor of 10, but they neglect it or think it's not "pure". Sorry but quality DSP EQ implementation (not those old analog 1/3 octave eq boxes from decades ago) has absolutely ZERO negative effects... except to the analog purists enjoying their vinyl with tube amps lol, then it would be blasphemy. People will buy completely different speakers simply because of some aspect of their out-of-the-box frequency response curve.... like, my man, you can change that! You don't go purchasing speakers to change your EQ... you just change your EQ! They'll even buy different speaker wires and interconnects and amplifiers and preamps and dacs all in an effort to affect frequency response... it's dumb.
I've been eyeballing both those Wharfedals - I like AMTs so leaning AURA. Now I need to find some to listen to.
Thank you Erin!
No I don't need new speakers, I said no Erin. Please stop XD
What about the Buchardt s400 mk2? That speaker measured really well didn't it?
And I know this is just your personal list.... Just curious why the s400 didn't make it.
Agreed. I think he really likes concentric speakers. The S400 is a beast in the horizontal but probably doesn't pass his test in the vertical. Different needs.
Nice list of speakers that are attainable for most hard working folks. I've heard them all outside of the Aura 2..& think they are all pretty good. I ran the Linton's for awhile then replaced them with the R700's. The Polk's have a couple issues but the good outweigh the bad for me...plus i use DSP/PEQ.
My buddy’s got some r3 meta & right away told him I’d be getting myself a pair as well.
Surprised you chose the R500's over the R700's for about $2200/pr. Solid list though, thanks for your content.
I haven’t personally reviewed the R700. Not for a lack of trying, though. I’ve asked many times.
@@ErinsAudioCornerahhh, if they weren't so dang heavy I'd let you borrow mine. Road trip to Colorado? 😂
I’ve got the 700’s, they are “all that” and much more!
The r500 are outstanding in their own right. I've got bigger speakers, and more expensive speakers, but there aren't many that can do what the r500 do with their size and profile
@@rasta.j I agree. I enjoyed the sound quality tremendously -- a real bargain for how good they sound, when accompanied by a sub. I did end up trading up one notch to the R600 which I am thrilled with. The R700 would have been just too large for my space, and that's OK because I'm really digging the 600's. Very happy camper!
I sold my Linton 85s for Magnepan .7. I really liked the Lintons but I had to pull them out 3 ft. From the wall in my living room and that didn’t work in my home. The .7Magnepan is a whole different beast for $1,995. I can pick up these dipole speakers and pull them out 6’ into the room and easily pick up these 30 lb. speakers vs the 70 lbs. of the Lintons. Very few reviews are done on Magnepan by youtube reviewers because I assume they aren’t into sending them out for reviews. I did an A -B test of the LRS+ vs the .7s and it wasn’t even close. If you like a detailed, transparent open speaker, it would be hard to beat the .7s. However, you need a powerful amp. I use the Rogue Sphinx v3 integrated amp at 100 watts per channel, so this would be the bare minimum.
it
I have the 1.7’s and am obsessed with them. I didn’t realize prices had gone up so much, I got my pair for $1995 from an AD about 5 years ago.
Great list Erin. I've heard the Linton, the sourcepoint 8, and own the R3 meta. All are very good. The main difference to my ears is neutrality and timbre. Lintons being the warmer and smoother on midrange and highs, Sourcepoint 8 is slightly more neutral but still warm with more neutral highs. The R3 metal is by far the most neutral and sharper in the highs. All three need a sub for fuller bass. Thanks for your excellent for excellent sir.
Thanks for sharing with everyone. The more opinions the better.
You stated that most floor standers need a sub. Certainly in the sub $2500 price bracket I would agree. But what is the point of having a floor stander if a sub is needed??? I’ve been of the opinion that a floor stander should be able to function without the need for a sub. With regard to bookshelf speakers, aside from large “retro” designs that have large woofers (10”-12”), they should be designed to be paired with matching subs. There are a few examples of this, but very few and I never understood why this is the case.
@@ccdccd8615
If you want to hear/feel the entire frequency range of your music every speaker needs a sub or 2.
@@ccdccd8615Bookshelf speakers require good stands, and typically have worse distortion below 200hz at any given SPL. Even if you’re employing a steep THX filter to your mains, you’ll get better bass performance from 80-200hz with a tower that shares a mid-tweet with the same family of bookie. The R7 is going to sound “fuller” than the R3 for example. Bass below 80hz always going to sound best from your subwoofer that can produce those notes with the lowest levels of distortion at high volume.
Any plans to review more ascend acoustics offerings with the RAAL tweeters? They seem , from measurements, to perform similarly to Philharmonic BMRs
Out of curiosity, where do the Ascend Acoustics fit in your top X list. Especially with a sub?
I got the Elac 403 (well, 403.2) at sub-$2000 and I've been very happy with it. Aesthetics is pertinent to me since I'll be looking at the speakers the whole day and these sure are lookers. R3 Meta is definitely among the top picks but sadly it doesn't fit nearly as well in terms of dimensions (small desk lol). Thank you for the vids!
This are my favorites too. And they are beautiful design. Thank you for the review and the measurements are right on. You are the best very knowledgeable . I'm new at this and I'm learning a lot with it. Thanks Erin👌
Hi Erin
What is your opinion of the Polk R700? Comparing this models for a living room.
I haven’t heard that one yet. I’ve been trying to get a pair in full review but so far no luck.
Will you try to review the Elipson Eritage XLS 15? Wold like your opinion about them.
Thanks for this video.
I was hoping for 1 wharfedsle and that the morel avyra might make the list .. overall we have such great options available in this budget range.
Picked up the 8s a few weeks back. Love em. They are fun and make it easier for me to turn my brain off hifi.
Great video. I'm not really a numbers guy, but your interpretation of the data is cool, and helps. I have a horrible (asymmetric) listening space, but I'm a dad with a family, so it is what it is. I think, more than anything, a little flexibility in listening position is moving up the list in order of importance for me. The 'head in a vice' perfect sound, isn't my jam. Actually, if i want spousal support, the adjacent lounge chair thing needs to share the sweet spot. So, horizontal spread is good, except for one lively wall (complete with 6 ft mirror) sort of screws that up. Perfection, thankfully, isn't my goal. Maybe I should have bought the Lintons. Oh sure, i'll save money and buy some little stand-mount, then the stands, then a sub....now i'm back to Linton price, doh!
Hello there.. Have you heard any of the speakers from the Paradigm Founder series.. Thanks.
Very happy that Wharfedale not in made it in there, but made it in there twice!!
Wasn't sure where to place this comment, because it's unrelated specifically to any of your videos, but I saw a comment on facebook recommending Caladan OB speakers. I did some looking and found a review at New Record Day, and I believe that the speakers probably sound amazing, but it's hard to take the guy seriously when he's always talking about Danny at GR Research, who is known to promote all kinds of snake oil. I am interested in performance of the OB speakers though. Any way you could do a video on these, or a video on exploring the benefits of OB in general? I'm curious about how they measure.
What would your top 5 be for home theater? A full on 5.x.4 setup with matching speakers, and 9 Mofi source points are a cop out 😂. Atmos could be on-wall like svs elevations, or in ceiling but the caveat is all matching brands, mixing levels of speakers from the same brand is permissible.
I would guess a Kef R Meta setup bc of the center channel, but svs center channels hav good dispersion characteristics too. I was just curious after watching this
When you mention distance from the wall - you mean the back of the speaker?
Yes.
Nice summary, Erin. So jealous of some of the pricing you get over there compared to Australia;
Pretty much double the US prices, but the worst has to be the Mofi 8s ($2200 incl stands?) Try $6300 here in Oz. Ouch!!
Hey Erin, can you please review a GoldenEar product? Either the t66 or the triton reference towers? Very curious regarding their performance in your eyes comparing to other speakers you’ve listened to
Looking forward to a review of the Sourcepoint 888
I bought the R3 but not the matching stands. The price on those is nuts. The Linton's is way more reasonable and practical.
This has to be without question, the best most informative video regarding the 2 front speakers I have ever seen/heard!! 🎉. Good info about the particular speakers but even better for what to look for and listen to when shopping for front LR speakers!!! 🎉 thank you buddy! 🎉. Ps. Any chance for a similar style video but maybe for HT heated speakers? 😊🎉
Thanks for keeping this succinct!
Excellent list! Personally a huge Wharfedale fan so I'm smiling! Haven't heard the mofi stuff but hopefully someday. Cheers!
Maybe I'm crazy but i have both the R3 Meta and the Sourcepoint 8s and I think the SCP-8s play deeper than the KEFs. Maybe I'll try and compare them again. I am using a sub but I have them crossed over at 55. The subs that is my preamp doesn't highpass.
I'm a little mad because I do like the soundstage on the Mofis a tad better than the KEFs but I wanted to like the KEFs better because they look so sweet in Indigo blue. I'd be more fine with the R3s if I didn't have the SC-8 or they went missing. But with them both in the house, I have to with the 8s in my 2 channel room and moved the R3Ms to the living room.
I am thinking about getting a single Sourcepoint 8 from Crutchfield and putting the 3 in my theater but I am not sure what surrounds to use. If I do go that route I can put the R3 Metas back in the music room.
I think the 8's would make a great center channel with that very even dispersion on both axis. But they would be difficult to use a surrounds because of their size and need for space from the walls.
Thanks for your views on these two speakers.
@@bearclaw5115 Oh, nooo. I wouldn't use 8s as side surrounds. My theater is too narrow. At the same time, I don't what speakers I could use as side surrounds that would be close to a tonal match to the 8s
Great video. I learned something new, which is why I watch in the first place. Keep it up!
My favorite part…“For those of you who are micro-correcting me”.😂😂😂
It seems you get a lot better speakers, with a lot less compromises, going up to $4000-5000.
C'mon man! When are you going to test and review the Polk R700?
Can't wait for you to test the Mofi 888. I'm a DIY guy and think most speakers are stupid overpriced, especially any quality or "audiophile" speakers, the margins are just insane. But KEF and Mofi have an argument for their price, even though I believe they're still overpriced, and that's the fact that you couldn't DIY those speakers even if you wanted to, because their drivers are proprietary and to my knowledge there are no coaxial drivers you can buy of that quality. none of the big pro woofers with compression drivers in the center are of the same kind of quality for example. If someone knows of a product that can match Mofi/KEF type quality (bandwidth, dispersion, smooth crossover, spl...) I'm not aware of please do share. But if I was going to waste... I mean spend... 5k on speakers, the Mofi 888 (or their lower models for 2 and 3k respectively) would be it, and are among very few speakers I could ever justify spending that kind of money on vs going DIY. Maybe a few KEF models might justify their price too idk. But if you're just talking about normal driver formats, you can always build a better speaker for less money going DIY... but they've got something special I can't copy.
I want to try a triple 6 with the 6” SB Acoustics coaxial and 2 of the matching 6” woofers. They are not expensive and I’ve loved their drivers so far. Their is also their higher end Satori coaxial 7”.
@@alexw890 thank you, those do look intriguing and I'll have to research them and look for some builds and measurements! That might be a real competitive option.
@@Artcore103 I will eventually design a pair. I just need someone to commission them.
@@alexw890You may want to find bass drivers that have underhung vc’s, but with extended LF.. That’s one of the ingredients the 888 has that makes it sound extended but w/ low distortion..
@Artcore103
I've been a DIY speaker enthusiast and builder for many years as well. However, I have also been a cabinet/furniture maker and still have my own fully equipped wood shop.
While I 100% agree that you can build an equivalent or better-performing DIY speaker for significantly less than 90% of the commercially available options, the one caveat is usually the quality and actual finish of the cabinets.
Building one-off DIY speaker cabinets using high quality materials and high-quality wood veneers and/or painted or stained finishes is NOT inexpensive these days, and it requires a good amount of time and also an investment in proper tools, expendable supplies, and your labor (time is money in some cases).
For example, if I was commissioned to build even a basic set of 2-way bookshelf speaker cabinets that I would be willing to attach my name to for a DIY design, my MINIMUM Quote would be AT LEAST $1,200 for materials and labor/time. And even with that, there's very little room for actual profit.
Of course, as the size and complexity of the DIY speaker design and cabinet increases, the price will adjust upwards exponentially.
To complete a DIY speaker project with a finish to at least the same level as most commercially available speakers selling for ~$2,500 or even half that, one needs to invest a significant amount of money in the proper tools and expendable materials, as well as having the space or place to perform their construction. And not everyone is in the position to do any of this, especially as a one-off project.
Yes, building DIY cabinets/enclosures allows you to put more thought and implementation into proper bracing and resonance control as well as custom finishes compared to most commercially available loudspeakers at the same price point.
But again, one must possess the tools, space, skill, and time necessary to complete such a project successfully and to acceptable standards.
Regarding good "raw" DIY Coaxial Drivers that are readily available to the public, if you aren't averse to using DSP and EQ, I would look into the BMS 5CN162-HE, which is a 5" cone midrange with an integrated coaxial HF compression driver.
The HF compression driver obviously has high sensitivity and is incredibly dynamic. The "throat" of the compression driver is very smoothly integrated and transitioned to the midrange cone, which of course acts as the waveguide.
Ideally, you keep the 5" midrange High Pass Filter above ~ 250-300Hz in order to minimize cone excursion and potential IMD at higher SPLs.
These BMS drivers are reasonably priced as well. Just know that the High Frequency will require significant level matching to the midrange and quite a bit of corrective PEQ to smooth the response, (preferably with a good multi-channel DSP), as well as extra individual amplifier channels to power each driver.
I built a custom 3-way active DIY "studio monitor" pair using these BMS concentric drivers combined with the very affordable 10" Ciare HW251N woofers, which offer excellent performance, especially at their price point.
It helped that I actually got the idea for this project and this specific driver combination from Erin himself, and actually purchased the first pair of 10" Ciare drivers directly from Erin, as he was formerly using this EXACT combination of drivers in his own high end CAR AUDIO SYSTEM, LOL!
You KNOW that a guy is a full-on SQ nut when they use 10" pro audio midbass drivers in custom fabricated front kickpanel pods in their small CAR combined with 5" coaxial midrange/HF compression drivers installed in custom fabricated pods above the dash in custom A-pillars! 😛
Erin's install using these drivers in his car are documented on the DIY Mobile Audio Forums in Erin's 2006 Honda Civic "Neverending Tale" Build Log.
This daily driver vehicle was essentially Erin's "Test Mule" and went through many, many system iterations and versions over the years using all types of raw high end home audio and car audio drive units, including Scanspeak 18WU Illuminator midwoofers, Scanspeak Beryllium Tweeters, Dynaudio Esotar2 430 midrange drivers, the KEF Q150 & Q300 concentric midrange/tweeter drivers, and DUAL 15" Acoustic Elegance IB15 subwoofers, as well as the huge multi-channel McIntosh MC4000M car audio amplifier, and much, much more!
In my case, my custom 3-way DIY project using the BMS concentric and Ciare midwoofer drivers replaced a pair of very good ATC SCM25A active studio monitors in my home studio with no regrets.
And even with the added cost of a multi-channel DSP unit for applying & adjusting custom X/Os, Phase, Levels, PEQ, and Time Alignment (miniDSP C-DSP 8x12 DL), as well as the extra necessary amplifier channels, I still came out way ahead in terms of cost AND performance compared to the ATCs.
However, these DIY studio monitors just have a very basic matte black painted finish, as I only intended them to be used in my home studio, so not a lot of $ was spent trying to achieve a high quality finish or WAF aesthetics.
All to say that building DIY loudspeakers CAN potentially offer better performance for the money, BUT with some caveats.
IF you have the time, workspace, tools, and initiative to complete such projects, DIY is a no-brainer. But for first-time DIY'ers, YMMV. Purchasing a tested and proven DIY loudspeaker design or DIY Kit can help to alleviate any variables and uncertainties for noob DIY'ers.
But the majority of Hi-Fi enthusiasts just don't have the time, workspace, skills, or tools necessary to make a DIY project a worthwhile endeavor.
And therefore, the MoFi SourcePoint 888 that you mentioned are indeed an incredible value for money and for many. As you also mentioned, for quite a bit less the SourcePoint 8 stand-mount speakers combined with a decent ~ $500 DIY Subwoofer with a plate amp would be an excellent alternative IMO.
YMMV
Great information. These are the kinds of reviews that help people decide what kind of speaker they would be happy with based on the characteristics of how they sound, measure, and the room they will be placed in. I'm not a big measurements guy myself, but it's nice to see why a speaker sounds the way it does from a technical perspective. A very important thing that you talked about was the room, and how that affects whatever speaker you have. Sometimes, a speaker with certain poor measurements may sound great in a particular room and vice versa.
When you're telling people how far you recommend to put a speaker from the front wall. You should specify if that's from the back of the speaker or from the front baffle. Fyi, the acoustics center or front baffle should be the one that's used for placement distances.
Sure. Then again, I suggested the KEF R3 Meta be placed about a foot - 12 inches - from the wall. That speaker is just over 13 inches deep. So the only logical conclusion is I am talking about distance from the wall to the back of the speaker. Unless they cut a soffit in the wall. 🤪
@@ErinsAudioCorner 😂
When listing the recommended distance that an object should be placed from a wall, myself and all of my HiFi loving friends have ALWAYS thought that recommended distance to be the space between the wall and the boundary of said object that is closest to the wall. To think otherwise is to step off in a direction that almost no one is going to follow.
Back of the speaker...
@@matsudakodo is the back of the speaker the acoustic center? No, the front baffle is, hence why the measurement reference from the front wall to speaker should always be the front baffle.
Love these kinds of videos especially with measurements! Thanks
Glad you like them!
I would add one more for a top six, which is the Ascend Acoustics Sierra-1 V2.
It’s a good one.
Why would you add it because you own it or because you have heard all the speakers in the top 5?
The real question is what's the difference between Andrew Jones' MoFi & 8" coaxial speakers from long established Tannoy & Fyne? What's his secret sauce? Are there Tannoy or Fyne 8" bargains out there? Inquiring minds need to know.
Are there Tannoy or Fyne 8" coaxial in the same price range?
Your explanation for the R3 wall placement was very helpful. Thanks for sharing that insight.
Does the Mo-fi do high SPL?
Fantastic review, Thanks Erin
Awesome sharing especially for those who are looking to buy speakers.
Would really like to see you review the Totem Bison Twin Towers if possible.
Who the fuck is spending that money on speakers these days?
Hey Erin, could I recommend lowering the threshold on your gate a bit? It seems to be "eating" the end of some of the words and phrases you are speaking, and we lose consonants on your words. Makes it difficult to understand what you're saying sometimes without turning the volume up quite a bit.
Just a suggestion :)
Thank you as always for putting out great videos like this one!
Yessir. I noticed this when I was editing and tried to fix a few spots.
I had moved my mic up a bit and forgot to put it back down toward me which made the gate even more noticeable. But I corrected it last night and I think it should be good now. But thanks for pointing that out.
@@ErinsAudioCorner Awesome - no problem! Always happy to offer constructive feedback :)
Why do you say the 1 kHz dip in the Lintons is intentional?
AURA 2 stands are $500 each? Lol.
I bought, unheard, the SP8’s for the following reasons:
* benefits of a concentric design
* paper drivers (natural sounding?)
* off axis response
* overwhelming positive reviews
I was considering the Tannoy SGM 10’s but with MoFi’s 25% off, generous return policy and 12 equal payments with no interest, Wow. Take my money!
6 months later I’m still in awe of the SP8s.
I’m running the MoFi’s with an Emerson Analog DAC/Streamer and a Nait 50 amp.
PS. Erin, your speaker reviews are unparalleled for the non audio techs like me.
Thanks.
For $2500, I'd get a pair of Yamaha DZR12 or DZR15. (which I am actually planning/saving for)
...from what I've researched, I think they'd be a great poorman's JBL L100 Classic or JBL 4349 (or poorman's Klipsch Forte/Cornwall).
If I had the room, and for only $400 more, then a pair of DZR315.
...I bet a poorman's JBL 4367 or JBL M2 or Klipschorn.
Can't beat a big-cabinet sound... esp. w/ Yamaha engineering, audio quality, neutral sound and clarity.
Thank you for another great video.
Nicely done…..like your top 3
First of all thanks for your sharing. I wonder would you be able to add the testing frequency to higher level like 50k because a lot of the speakers can produce above 20k now and for hi-Res classify must able to support above 20k
Thanks Erin.. Love this type of video from you.. cant wait till you start doing more Home Theater Centric speaker reviews.. including Atmos!
The audio of this video is a bit of a speaker test in itself. If you can hear the "voice isolation" plug in gate threshold ever so slightly interfering with Erin's dialogue (like at the end of sentences when he starts to get a little quieter), then you have at the very least some decent speakers, set up the right way, in a reasonably good environment. The better your listening situation, the more you'll be able to hear this.
Great video, question for you! Zero’d in on KEF because of their center speaker being better for my space. Do you still recommend the R3 Meta for a home theater application in a fairly large space? I like that it does well near wall. 15 x 23 listening area (8 to 9 foot tall ceilings) where the listening position is about 15 feet from the speakers. Speakers would be about 11 feet a part. The back left side of the room is opened up to another 12 x 12 space. I’m trying to understand when it makes sense to move up to the R7 or R11. I hope you see this comment! Thanks!
Speakers that "require" a sub-woofer just suck in my book. It's a shame that for a decent chunk of change, a pair of decent speakers aren't, in fact decent. They're flawed.
Bummed that the Morels didn't make it.
Might I suggest you try the CSS Audio 1-TDX with the upgraded crossovers. I did a quick search on your videos and didn't see any CSS products. I find mine to be amazing and my family that could care less about audio regularly goes "Wow!". I will say that I find their stated numbers on sensitivity to be ambitious. My pair were good with a Yamaha AV receiver but when I put monoblocs on them they just came alive. IMO they destroy my JBL L100s.
How do the Aura 2 compare to the Lintons? In this video the Lintons seem to rate better, may I ask which characteristics moved you to give the Lintons a better rate?
I found a nice offer on both and can't make up my mind
Either are a great choice. Objectively, I think the AURA 2 is better. But the overall look and lower price of the Linton is what draws me more to it.
If you do wind up buying either, please consider using my affiliate link as it earns me a small commission at no additional cost to you.
@@ErinsAudioCorner Would you consider it a "no brainer" to get the aura 2 for 1500€?
Yes@@SylviaVanderlay
@@ErinsAudioCorner thanks for your answer
Have had that Lintons ,….huuuuuummmmm.
I did vind them too veiled , to closed in, as if the sound never really got out of the boxes ,
Did found the soundstage only fair for the price, not specially wide or deep ,
Facility of picking two voices or more apart in the soundstage that was indeed very good, beter than average , as was also intelligibility of the same voices ,
Bass was deep and expansive , it breathes very well , not the fastest one , but very tuneful .
But once more for me personally very poor transparency and detail , really to veiled !
Only my opinion of course ,
I tested them with a few amplifiers , tube and solid state
After watching your review of the Morel Avyra 633 and hearing them at Axpona I’m surprised they weren’t on your list???
Hi, thank you for ranking I am happy the mofi von because I am considering them, as well I belive r3 meta is great. What I am suprised is that no one of them was bitten by arendal monitor s thx or txs. Or didint you include tham in ranking because they are customer direct sold and it would be unfair? Or they are simply not as good as mofi and kef?
This channel (and The Scientific Audiophile) makes almost all other "big audience" audiophile reviewers (you know who they are) look like amateur-hour.
Nice to see how the well designed coaxials we finally achieve in this day and age usually take the winning spot. KEF, Genelec, Mofi, KS Digital. I love my KEF Reference 3 Meta, will get a R3 Meta as surrounds soon and be happy ever after.
This is a fantastic list, and great for someone looking into their next upgrade (like me!). Thanks for taking the time to do this.
Erin, if you can get your hands on them, I'd love to see a review for the new SVS Ultra Evolution Pinnacle and the Titan (I realize they are out of this price point).
I also would love to see MartinLogan F2 and XT F100 stack up. The former is in this price point.
Give me one speaker 1000 and under. That will fill a room, at moderate volume, with great sound. Please.
I cant see the polk out performing the svs ultra towers and they cost the same. Thanks for the video and information.
Thanks, nice list
Thank you for your work man!
Great video as always!
Thanks again!
How do the Polk r500 compare to Arendal 1961 tower? I can get a used Arendal for 700$.
13:15 It would work ok in my room as my current speakers have lots of 40-50Hz reinforcement from the room which I EQ down. But there are also nulls so the KEF would be even less bassy in such regions.
If we dont have a subwoofer, does the KEF R3 win? I might be wrong, but imagine most music only listeners do not use a sub as they are more sold for HT.
Good info! No BS!
Isnt room treatment to reduce the speaker interaction with the room. not to correct the speaker. Basically all rooms have problems, treating the bass, reflections, etc will reduce the room's interaction with your speakers
Kind of smart design from kef for the none audiophile (whichp
Most ppl are). Common people like to put their speakers close to the wall and pointed straight in the room. Most modern room have a lot of windows. I think this speaker will do well for many ppl. Thanks for sharing 👍
Does it makes sense to own both the Lintons and the Sourcepoint 8? Or is that too much of the same?
They’re quite different so there wouldn’t be much overlap. Seriously. They both sound different tonally and spatially.
And if you buy both, please consider using my affiliate link. LOL
@@ErinsAudioCorner I would, were it not that I live in Belgium.😁
surprised the BMR monitors didnt make this list. Any reason in particular you left it off @erin?
Just a bit too wide and radiation for me. They tended to sound diffuse in my room because of this. YMMV.
@@ErinsAudioCorner ahh ok. i got the BMRs for that reason. Really wide room and the dispersion is a great combo to get good audio from living room to kitche. appreciate your perspective
Those Mo-Fi must have had a price drop, on looks alone I go with Kef.
No elac vela 403 ¿🤔😳🙄
Great video idea!
Cabinet edge Diffraction…Is that what you’re referring to Erin?
I just couldn't dial in the Polks to get good imaging. I ended up sending them back.
No point in adding to the list you took the time to prepare
I believe I could live with any of these permanently if I were in market for some speakers