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Buchardt Audio S400

617

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That's a cool video. I had no idea the cabinets were made out of cast metal.

Ron, you might be interested in the cabinet design portion of this KEF whitepaper published for the LS50
https://www.kefdirect.com/pub/media/wysiwyg/documents/ls50/ls50_white_paper.pdf

Cabinet performance has historically been difficult to characterize - building heavy and rigid is probably not a bad thing but the KEF paper points to some interesting alternatives such as lossy elastomeric substances between braces. They also brace woofer basket which strikes me as a pretty good idea.
 

Ron Texas

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Ron, you might be interested in the cabinet design portion of this KEF whitepaper published for the LS50
https://www.kefdirect.com/pub/media/wysiwyg/documents/ls50/ls50_white_paper.pdf

Cabinet performance has historically been difficult to characterize - building heavy and rigid is probably not a bad thing but the KEF paper points to some interesting alternatives such as lossy elastomeric substances between braces. They also brace woofer basket which strikes me as a pretty good idea.

I have LS50's They seem to be exceptionally solid.
 

andreasmaaan

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It wouldn't be Kimmo Saunisto's website would it? What I'm looking for is a measured design using a reasonably normal hifi type driver. Really interested more in cardioid for 100-500hz more than anything.

Honestly can’t recall, sorry. Was ages ago I saw it. Was specifically focused on the lower midrange IIRC. Anyway, will scratch around when I’m back home this evening :)
 
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kaka89

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So LS50 and LS 3/5a are both pretty narrow but not so smooth.

(Note the graph starts at 200Hz.. they all have a different scale and hiding lower frequency measurement, this is misleading if not careful)

ls50_white_paper_pdf.png


ls50_white_paper_pdf.png
 

Aprude51

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Although I don’t have anything to add regarding some of the questions posed about the S400s (e.g. cabinet design, relative importance of polar response), I wanted to mention that I’ve experienced excellent customer service and communication when dealing with Buchardt. I preordered a pair of S400 and Mads (who appears to answer all emails himself!?!?!) has been super responsive and helpful throughout the process.

its great to see a consumer audiophile brand that combines a direct-to-consumer model and an evidence based approach to product design generate a lot of interest within the audiophile community (well at least among online reviewers).
 

Daverz

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Saw these on youtube in the usual subjective review and was surprised to see ASR when I googled them. And pleased to see measurements on the manufacturer's website.

About the same price as the Revel M106 (passive) and the Elac Navis ARB-51 (non-DSP active).
 
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MSNWatch

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If the s700a stays at the 5000 Euro pricepoint and delivers full range sound it has the potential to be the best bargain in audio! Any release date for this one?
 

badboygolf16v

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SB19 dome: $20
Sb oblong passive radiator: $34
SB17 aluminum woofer: $70

$248 worth of transducers for $1900. Perhaps that just speaks to the quality of inexpensive speaker drivers these days. SB Acoustics and Wavecor have really changed the game.

Great speaker but just reminds me why I got into diy. The sb19 works well in a waveguide although I'd bet the new sb20 ring radiator would be a great match too.

For the average person with no DIY experience, this is just a silly thing to say.

How much would all the machinery cost to make the cabinets? Then how much would you spend on cabinet material because you keep f**king it up? How many days/months/years to design a crossover?
 

Daverz

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Just pulled the trigger on these. Hope I don't have to send them back.
 

maty

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Just pulled the trigger on these. Hope I don't have to send them back.

Remember the manufacture's advice: "This speaker will work best in room sizes up to 60 sqm".

I guess they will need quite a separation to the three walls, as it happens with the KEF LS50 - which many have not taken into account: 90 cm, if I am not wrong. Being a passive speaker and not a rear bass-reflex, I have no idea of the rear distance in the S400.

Perhaps the manufacturer could indicate what distances are advisable and the height of the speaker stand. If it is on the web, I have not seen it.
 

Cortes

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Remember the manufacture's advice: "This speaker will work best in room sizes up to 60 sqm".

I guess they will need quite a separation to the three walls, as it happens with the KEF LS50 - which many have not taken into account: 90 cm, if I am not wrong. Being a passive speaker and not a rear bass-reflex, I have no idea of the rear distance in the S400.

Perhaps the manufacturer could indicate what distances are advisable and the height of the speaker stand. If it is on the web, I have not seen it.
Remember the manufacture's advice: "This speaker will work best in room sizes up to 60 sqm".

I guess they will need quite a separation to the three walls, as it happens with the KEF LS50 - which many have not taken into account: 90 cm, if I am not wrong. Being a passive speaker and not a rear bass-reflex, I have no idea of the rear distance in the S400.

Perhaps the manufacturer could indicate what distances are advisable and the height of the speaker stand. If it is on the web, I have not seen it.
Hola Maty,

seemingly, near the walls is fine. But, as always, no manufacturer will decrease the sales stating their speakers are picky with respect to location.

No port = More forgiving of wall-boundary placement! Go ahead and place em' near a wall if that's what you have to do!
https://www.buchardtaudio.com/s400-detailed-description
 

Daverz

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Their speaker stand is 70 cm (not quite 28 inches), so I assume that's the right height. The stands are a bit pricey, so I was thinking of getting some Pangea stands instead.

The drivers are supposed to be time aligned, so it's odd that they don't say much about listening height.

They do give some advice about room boundaries in their FAQ:

"The S400's perform best when you give them room to breathe. Ideally 2-3 ft (0.6-1m) away from any major piece of furniture or wall boundary."

I have no problem getting the speakers 1 meter from any room boundaries. The room is an open common room with about 25 square meters of floor space, but with no real axis of symmetry and very little continuous wall space to place speakers against, so I am worried that they might not have enough bass reinforcement.
 

maty

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Well, you will tell us how they sound compared to others you have heard in the same room. By measurements, those loudspeakers are very interesting, it is undeniable.

I hope you not only hear modern commercial music, so badly recorded and with very low bass DR. And do not end up kidnapped by the TV and the family. :eek:
 

Head_Unit

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...the speaker I'm building this weekend is very similar, albeit with (slightly) higher end drivers:
http://www.visaton.de/sites/default/files/dd_product/waveguidewg148r.pdf
https://rhythmaudiodesign.com/collections/rival-acoustics/products/r176-p-08-carbon-pulp
Tweeter tbd - Dayton RST28a or SB26STAC frontrunners. Could also use the tweeter designed for that waveguide from Visaton.
...Baltic birch flat back cabinets will be available for sale through the guy who is making them from me...180
Woofers: 190 (Rival acoustics carbon pulp, 176mm). Tweeters: 100 (. Crossover components and port tubes and terminals: 120 - could be much less. Waveguides: $40 from Mouser [total]~630
What did you ever decide about the tweeter? And can you spill more information about the cabinets (size, plywood or veneer, etc) and the cabinet guy? I'd be quite interested to do a tower version for a friend.
 

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What did you ever decide about the tweeter? And can you spill more information about the cabinets (size, plywood or veneer, etc) and the cabinet guy? I'd be quite interested to do a tower version for a friend.

The cabinets are the same size as the part's express .56 cubic feet cabinets, so 8" wide, 11" deep and 16" tall. 3/4" ply with one big brace. I'm using bituminous damping, mostly as an experiment, and it does make the cabinet sound duller. I can send you drawings if you wish.

The tweeter is attached to the waveguide by means of a 3d printed adapter which replaces the existing faceplate and makes a smooth transition from the WG to the dome.

See post #94 on for my tests:
http://techtalk.parts-express.com/forum/tech-talk-forum/1396240-rst28f-in-a-visaton-waveguide/page7

This is the STL file.
https://www.dropbox.com/s/07l7k8wjnz6cipr/rst28f v1.stl?dl=0
You can get this printed for about 15 dollars apiece at https://print.all3dp.com/

I'm leaning towards the RST28f, but they are out of stock for the moment. When I can get them again I'll remeasure and finish the design.

The cabinets were made for me by Leland at speakerhardware. They're baltic birch and pretty good quality. but not furniture grade. After a lot of careful finishing mine look nice enough.

You could buy the PE .56 cubic foot cabinet, or the 1.3cu ft. cabinet and have just the baffles cut. If I made this a floorstander I'd lean towards a 2.5 way configuration but that's a more complex crossover. I'm porting mine, but you might be able to use the same PR that our friends here do. I'll probably stuff the ports and run them sealed since I have two big subs in my room.

The beauty of the waveguide two way is that due to the matched directivity between drivers around Fc, crossover slope and point matter less - the tweeter's low end is boosted and distortion falls dramatically, so you can use the tweeter lower if you desire, or you can raise the Fc if you see fit. Low crossover slopes, which can be helpful blending different sized drivers, can be used, but are not necessary, so you can do an LR4 and it will still be smooth off axis.

This is very much a DIY effort, and I haven't really designed the speaker yet since the tweeter is not available right now. However, it should be pretty nice when it's done, and from the measurements I've taken, crossover should be fairly easy.
 

Ron Texas

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60 sqm is a huge room. Does any 2-way bookshelf with a single 6" woofer have enough output for that?
 

Soniclife

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60 sqm is a huge room. Does any 2-way bookshelf with a single 6" woofer have enough output for that?
Probably depends how far away you sit, but I don't have a huge room to test the idea in.
 

Ron Texas

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Probably depends how far away you sit, but I don't have a huge room to test the idea in.

How far away you sit is a factor. There is also ceiling height, how live the room is and whether the room opens to other areas. Large rooms are becoming prevalent here due to a preference for open plans and generally large home size in this area.
 
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