Buchardt S400 Speakers – Music is Everywhere

Buchardt S400 Speakers – Music is Everywhere

Buchardt S400 are a pair of speakers made with ingenious marketing and design, and they are sold for 1800 USD at the moment of writing this review. They will be compared with Aurender S5W, Edifier S1000DB, and Audioengine A5+. For driving the S400, we will have pairings with Roksan Caspian M2 Amplifier, driven by a Keces S3 DAC, Cyrus One Cast HD DAC/AMP/Streamer, and a Class D Arylic A50 Receiver / Amplifier.  

 

Introduction

Buchardt is a family company let by Mr. Mads, and they have been designing speakers for a few years now, with the intention of creating that awesome high-end audio we all love, but for affordable prices. The best part about their speakers is that they are all pretty affordable compared to the typical market price, while still offering great quality. They offer worldwide shipping, and you have 45 days to change your mind, which is one of the best policies I’ve seen from an audio company. This being said, Buchardt products are not available elsewhere at the moment of writing this review, and if you want to purchase their products, Amazon and other typical ways are not an option. They offer 10 years of warranty for their speakers, making Buchardt probably the most reliable speaker designer / maker on the market at the moment of writing this full written review. 

From their own page: 

“Buchardt Audio is a Danish based high-end loudspeaker manufacturer. Our goal is to provide state-of-the-art sound at an affordable price. We have succeeded in this task with the help of some of the most talented developers and engineers in the industry. Our speakers are the product of a long and meticulous design process with a focus on compact discrete Nordic designs that perform well over their size category.”

It should be noted that I have absolutely no affiliation with Buchardt, I am not receiving any incentive for this review or to sweeten things out. I’d like to thank Buchardt for providing the sample for this review. Every opinion expressed is mine and I stand by it. The purpose of this review is to help those interested in Buchardt S400 find their next music companion. 

 

Product Link

Official Link: https://buchardtaudio.com/products/s400

You can grab one from www.amazon.com here: https://amzn.to/3zJk8eO

If you’re in the UK, you can grab one from www.amazon.co.uk here: https://amzn.to/3CPSY7P

And if you’re from Europe, you can grab one from www.amazon.de here: https://amzn.to/3EUVXxH

 

Packaging

The package includes the speakers and the grilles at the front. This is actually better than we get with most speakers, and not something to sneer at. In fact, S400 is one of the speakers that comes with a ncer package, which you can repackage and ship around. This is something I noticed because when reviewing other speakers in the past, they came with packages that made it almost impossible to shop them elsewhere, for example take them with you when you move. 

 

Build Quality/Aesthetics

I would like to start by saying that those are some sleek, nice-looking speakers. Even compared to today’s high-end market, there aren’t any speakers around that look so sleek yet simple, elegant yet practical that you can purchase for the money. The cabinets are painted in a matte white, while the speakers have an unusual setup, with the twitter being at the bottom, and the larger woofers at the top. 

Speaking of their unique configuration, almost all speakers at this point have a port / are ported, so they have a bass reflex opening / hole. S400 goes for something different entirely and they have passive bass drivers at the back, which are far larger than the active bass drivers at the front. This is usually a bad thing, because the energy needed to move the passive bass speakers is higher than the energy that the driver at the front outputs, but with S400 in particular it does not seem to be an issue, and the bass actually has a nice natural decay, instead of being lazy, despite the unusual configuration. 

The speakers are lighter than most of the alternatives that exist on the market, and they come with golden plated connectors. I like the fact that there is far less invested in marketing and far more invested in the actual product that you, the end client, receive with S400. 

And speaking of actually using the speakers, they are slightly dark / lush / warm, so usually I would recommend something that sounds brighter as far as amplifiers go, and they are hard to drive by most standards, having 4 OHMs of impedance and 88 dB of SPL. 

The frequency response goes between 33 Hz and 40 kHz, but in my personal experience, you will get bass starting with about 40 Hz, and the treble will be interesting until about 12 kHz, due to their smoother character sounding relaxed and airy, but without strong treble energy. 

The most important aspect about S400, placement, is really really easy. They sound really well regardless of how they are placed. I would recommend a subwoofer if you’re enthusiastic about the bass, but I’ve been able to enjoy them without one. I got excellent results in multiple rooms, regardless of room size, but they sound warmer when the room is smaller, and brighter, more neutral when the room is larger. If they are placed above the listener’s head, they also sound brighter, while they tend to sound darker if they are placed far beneath the listener’s head. They are best placed at the listener’s level.

As far as distance from the wall goes, I did not notice a big difference regardless of whether the speakers were almost glued to the wall behind, or placed properly in the room. They also care very little about room placement, so regardless whether you’re listening off-center, watching movies, or even holding a party, everyone will be hearing amazing music, which is why I decided to name the review this way. You really don’t have to worry much about the placement, or room size with S400, which is unique. Most speakers are extremely picky with room and placement, but S400 is most picky about the amplifier powering them, since they need something that has enough high quality juice for them. 

 

Youtube Video

 

Sound Quality

Most of today’s sonic parts will be written while listening to S400 via One Cast from Cyrus, but I also used them with Jadis Orchestra, Caspian M2, and Arylic A50. They sound excellent from a Class D Amplifier and I honestly don’t see an improvement when using a full sized All-Tube Class A Amplifier. They do suck some juice and if your amplifier is underpowered, you will hear it, so a strong Class D is better than a more anemic Class A that’s supposedly of a better quality. 

The overall sonics can be described as Buchardt describes them, neutral, but with a touch of warm, dark, lush and smooth. The treble in particular is not bright nor harsh, and it is one of those smoother trebles with an airy and open presentation. I admire the overall soundstage that S400 is able to paint, as well as the precision of that soundstage. Indeed, they are a wide sounding pair of speakers, with excellent instrument separation and placement, all while having a really musical presentation. They are close to perfect if you enjoy a musical signature and want something that’s also clean and clear. 

The bass of S400 is deep and wide, and it never sounds lazy. This being said, they have one of those natural sounding bass, with a longer decay and a more natural body. I admire the way they can convey a double bass accurately without feeling sluggish or rushed. The best thing about the bass of S400 is that it is fairly constant in multiple rooms, and I tested them in both 16m2 and 40 m2 rooms, and the bass stayed the same, clean, clear, deep, rounded, nuanced and fairly fun. If quick and technical are your things, then S400 may not be your thing, as the bass they paint is much more for those who love a nuanced presentation. Speaking of nuance, they keep their cool and clarity even at extremely high SPLs of over 135dB. I mean, the speakers themselves are capable of holding a large party if your amplifier is up to the task, and I managed to scare everyone around the block all without the speakers burning up or dying on me. The amplifier used for this binge ear death eating has been the Cyrus One Cast, which has the push necessary to make them loud easily. 

The midrange of the S400 is clean, clear, slightly warm, smooth and really wide. The best part about the midrange is how detailed it can be all while being smooth and clean. It is a unique presentation, where the sound has the textures it should have, for example during guitar solos, but it is also smooth and non-fatiguing. Soundstage goes both wide and deep, with excellent layering and separation, but it is far less technical than brighter sounding speakers, even like Aurender S5W. Clarity is worlds above speakers like Edifier S1000DB, which are admittedly far less expensive, at 300 USD, but which have been raved heavily by reviewers (including me). I want to paint the fact that if you end up going for something like an S400, you are investing in a sound that will be hard to surpass without spending around 10.000 USD, and that’s pretty nice. 

When it comes to the treble of S400, it is traced, smooth and relaxed. It is not the kind of treble that’s direct and impactful, like hearing a direct cymbal crash, but much more like the kind of treble that is smooth, airy and naturally extended in every direction. 

 

Comparisons 

For the main comparisons part of today’s review, I decided to go with Edifier S1000DB, Audioengine A5+ Wireless, Aurender S5W. For driving S400, I kept using the same Cyrus One Case in the review, so that I can offer the most complete and stable review. I do believe that changing the amplifier while doing the comparisons would not have been productive. AMP – DAC – Speaker pairing can change the sonics quite heavily for stereo systems, so your experience can vary greatly compared to my review, and to my impressions, plus room changes can null my entire observations if you have a very unusual room, but given the nature of S400, I do think and hope that they sound similar enough to themselves that you will find my observations to be true to your own ears’s impressions. 

Buchardt S400 vs Edifier S1000DB (1800 USD vs 500 USD) – Here, we see how a company builds their own downfall. Edifier has been a great starter company before, but lately they’ve been increasing their prices more and more, making speakers that no one would want to purchase, and offering absolutely no warranty, no service and no quality for their speakers, which are made with the cheapest worst quality materials available. This is easily noticeable when we put the S1000DB, which is a nice looking speaker, but cheap, next to the S400 which is a sleek looking speaker, but made well. The sound is much more V-Shaped on S1000DB, with far less detail, less resolution and S400 sounds far more detailed, more textured, more nuanced, less boomy, more controlled, deeper, more airy, with a wider soundstage and better separation. Honestly, S1000DB were a somewhat ok deal around 250 USD, the price they were launched at, a poor deal at around 300 USD, and the worst deal you can get around 500 USD, the price at which they are selling now. I absolutely do not recommend S1000DB at that price, as there are far better options both for music listeners and music producers around 500 USD, and if you’re ready to get serious S400 priced at 1800 USD is happy to deliver a really musical and enjoyable experience to you. 

Buchardt S400 vs Audioengine A5+ Wireless (1800 USD vs 500 USD) – The sound of A5+ is actually extremely accurate, flat and midrange forward, with good bass. This translates to a really good overall clarity and impact, a great speaker for producing music, but a sonic experience that can be a bit fatiguing, and a bit too flat and unengaging. S400 sounds far more musical, more engaging, more dynamic and more punchy, with better extension both in the bass and in the treble. The detail is somewhat equal between them, but the S400 is better at revealing nuance and micro-detail, also textures. Textures are really smooth on A5+ Wireless. I like the A5+ Wireless as a near field monitor, the S400 needs to be pushed farther away from you, but make better listening and enjoyment speakers. 

Buchardt S400 vs Aurender S5W (1800 USD vs 3000 USD) – This is the most expensive comparison I have, and even with most entry-level amplifiers, S5W is more expensive than the pairing, but still, the sound is amazing, enough for them to warrant the pricing. Now, the sound of A5W is actually more detailed, wider, but also has less instrument separation. S5W sounds sweeter, more delicate, and better textured, but at the same time S400 has far more bass, more body to music, goes much lower in the bass, and while both sound good regardless of placement, S5W could stand in the corner of your room and still create a good image of your music, while S400 needs to be placed somewhat at left and right, and somewhat in front of your for a good sound. S5W clearly wins if you need a really detailed, small sized speaker with good overall sonic performance and a great design, but if you want a more realistic sound, with far better overall realism, and more body, more warmth, and something that is more musical, then S400 will be your choice. 

 

Recommended Pairings

The main pairings for this review will be with Keces S3 and Roksan Caspian M2, Cyrus One Cast HD, and Arylic A50. This should cover a wider range of setups you guys have, since I usually go for Class D and affordability when it comes to speakers, as high-end Class A amplifiers can cost an arm and a leg. 

Buchardt S 400 + Keces S3 + Roksan Caspian M2 (1800 USD + 1300 USD + 2000 USD) – This pairing is really musical, drawing the advantage of both the musical siggy of S3, and the overall width and detailing of M2. There’s more than enough power at maximum volume, there’s a good sense of space in music, and the pairing stays as well controlled as it can go. 

Buchardt S400 + Cyrus One Cast (1800 USD + 2500 USD) – If you want to hear S400 but in a more neutral fashion, One Cast has a more neutral tuning and gives S400 the widest soundstage of all the pairings I heard so far. It also has the least bass. This translates to the most neutral, most balanced signature I heard from S400, but this also makes it the most aggressive one. I love the overall detail and separation, soundstage size and overall clarity of the pairing. Would not recommend it if you want to go for the most musical pairing possible. 

Buchardt S400 + Arylic A50 (1800 USD + 200 USD) – While I was not expecting this, while making the video review of A50, I connected S400 to it, and was really impressed by the result. There’s enough power, enough punch, and the A50 does not change the signature of the S400 much, instead focusing the sound to be less wide, but more focused and forward. The pairing has excellent control, even extremely loud, no distortions at maximum volume, and overall if you need a cheapo and affordable AMP, A50 is the best I heard thus far. 

 

Value and Conclusion

Buchardt S400 is not cheap, it is quite pricey, but in the end it has a fairly good overall value, and they do offer good performance for what you’re paying. It is impossible to find perfect speakers unless you pay over 10.000 USD, but Buchardt S400 are really easy to place, easy to use, and they easily sound good.

This has been a huge issue for all music lovers for ages, as writing a good review is almost impossible without always obsessing about room and acoustic treatment. Buchardt somehow solved things by using some high dispersion drivers that don’t need precise placement and good room acoustics to sound coherent. My room has always had zero treatment, and always sounded quite bad with speakers, because I never had the chance to pimp my place, as until now I lived on rent…

Anyways, S400 has been awesome, they don’t need effort to be great, and I do think that this matters more than anything else. They have good value relative to what else you can buy, and this is enough reason for me to add them to Audiophile-Heaven’s Hall Of Fame. 

At the end of today’s review, if you’re looking for one of the easiest to palace speakers, a warm, smooth signature, musical one, but which has good detail and clarity, Buchardt s400 is a great option. 

 

Product Link

Official Link: https://buchardtaudio.com/products/s400

You can grab one from www.amazon.com here: https://amzn.to/3zJk8eO

If you’re in the UK, you can grab one from www.amazon.co.uk here: https://amzn.to/3CPSY7P

And if you’re from Europe, you can grab one from www.amazon.de here: https://amzn.to/3EUVXxH

---

--- Please remember to stay safe, and always have fun while listening to music!---

 - If you have a dime to spare, please donate, and help us! It would make the day brighter for me and my wife- 

---

Full Playlist used for this review

We listened to more songs than those named in this playlist, but those are excellent for identifying a sonic signature.  I recommend trying most of the songs from this playlist, especially if you’re searching for new music! The playlists are different for Spotify, Tidal and Youtube, and based on the songs I enjoy and are available on each!

https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL_cjBXGmwSHSdGcwuc_bKbBDGHL4QvYBu

https://open.spotify.com/playlist/5J3oloz8Riy9LxEGenOjQ0?si=979ba4f082414be7

https://tidal.com/browse/playlist/330fd544-8e5b-4839-bd35-676b2edbb3d5

--- Contact Us ---

---