The Finer Things: Speaker Showdown - Bowers & Wilkins vs Martin Logan vs Sony vs Vienna Acoustics

Рет қаралды 31,957

Күн бұрын

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While on quarantine Nick compares four standmount speakers he has at his disposal.
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**In-depth and technical, not for the feint of heart **
Speakers Compared:
Bowers & Wilkins 685S2:
bwgroupsupport.com/downloads/...
MartinLogan Motion 35 XT:
martinlogan.com/en/product/mo...
Sony SS-CS5:
www.sony.com/electronics/spea...
Vienna Acoustics Berg:
www.audioreview.com/product/sp...
Nick's Current System Configuration:
Monster Power HTS-5100 Signature Power Conditioner:
www.bhphotovideo.com/c/produc...
HP Spectre Laptop running Roon
Audioquest Diamond USB-A to USB-B cable:
www.audioquest.com/cables/dig...
Pro-Ject Pre Box S2 Digital DAC/Pre Amp:
www.project-audio.com/en/prod...
Audioquest Mackenzie RCA Interconnects:
www.audioquest.com/cables/ana...
Arcam PA240 Amplifier:
www.arcam.co.uk/product,hda,p...
Audioquest NRGZ3 Power Cable:
www.audioquest.com/ac-power/a...
Analysis Plus Silver Oval Speaker Cables:
analysis.plus/product/silver-...
Bowers & Willkins STAV24BLA Speaker Stands:
www.bowerswilkins.com/accesso...
KEF GFSFD Inert Filler:
us.kef.com/inert-stand-filler...
SolidSteel S3/5 Audio Rack:
solidsteel.it/my-product/s3-5...
REL S/812 Subwoofer pair:
rel.net/shop/powered-subwoofe...
Audioquest NRGY3 Power Cables:
www.audioquest.com/ac-power/a...
Music:
Bensound.com

Пікірлер: 108

@LeoRousseau 3 жыл бұрын

I'm here because of Steve Guttenberg. New subscriber!

@behemothinferno 3 жыл бұрын

Same bro.

@ginopagnani7286 3 жыл бұрын

Same here .

@chrisc7262 3 жыл бұрын

What he said

@petebakke6167 3 жыл бұрын

Ditto..... Steve G mentioned your channel an man am I glad I came to visit .what a awesome articulate comparison I am forsure going to check out Vienna Acoustics .Thank you .an.looking forward to anouther refreshing analysis .

@ericharrelson32 3 жыл бұрын

Nice review. I just seen a video of GR Research evaluation and speaker kit for the Sony SS-CS5, he said these might a unicorn.

@johnmclaughlin4496 2 жыл бұрын

The $75 Sonys do put a smile on my face.

@stevenswall 3 жыл бұрын

More and longer equipment shots please, I'd like seeing what you're talking about or having the default view be the speakers.

@FloridaRaider 3 жыл бұрын

Helpful info. Good luck with your channel.

@jackfrost2180 3 жыл бұрын

I think you would be highly impressed by the B&W 606, excellent sound stage, great tweeter and amazing mid woofer. Currently my fronts are the new B&W 603’s which sound amazing too but in now way can they compete with the 800s which just sound phenomenal and also cost 8k more. What’s crazy is usually as the price increases you get nominal return for your money but in the case of the 800s they really do deliver a an exceptional soundstage that will blow your mind and in my opinion worth $10,000 all day long.

@scottbennett3119 Жыл бұрын

I have seen several reviews of the 35XTi and they were all very positive. I am wondering about the synergy with your gear, and placement etc.

@ufarkingicehole 2 жыл бұрын

You have a lot of nice gear man. I would love to have those rel subs and Arcam amp..

@ajvboston1 3 жыл бұрын

Very good!

@BSabbath 3 жыл бұрын

Steve mentioned your channel. Just subscribed!

@ramondelgado6778 3 жыл бұрын

Great review! Just found you guys on here and subscribed! I could not agree more with you on your review of the Sony speakers. I've been auditioning bookshelf speakers between $500 - $1000 for the last two years, growing tired as I could not find "the ones" that made my ears completely happy. For me to spend that much on speakers, I really have to LOVE them and that just wasn't happening. I came across a bunch of reviews of the Sony cores that were like yours and decided to try them out as the $75 price for the pair was crazy. Well, I am really happy with the Sony bookshelves, and they put a smile on my face every time I listen to them. They are NOT bright, at all, in my opinion. I'm powering them with a Marantz NR1602 (50 W per channel in 2-channel).

@TheFinerThings 3 жыл бұрын

So happy you’re enjoying them! They’re really a special pair of speakers for what they cost.

@ramondelgado6778 3 жыл бұрын

@@TheFinerThings I watched a couple more of your reviews. You guys are great! Earned a sub! Happy New Year to you both!

@ramondelgado6778 3 жыл бұрын

@@TheFinerThings I have a MINT Sony STR-DA555ES in storage that is rated at almost 3 times the power (120 per channel vs 50 of the Marantz NR1602) as my little slimline Marantz receiver. Wondering if I should pull that big guy out with its battery killing touch screen remote and try it out.

@713ahmad 3 жыл бұрын

@@ramondelgado6778 you most definitely should!

@ramondelgado6778 3 жыл бұрын

@@713ahmad Will do, good sir! Hope you are all well!

@alanalain4884 2 жыл бұрын

Hi, you mentioned last year a review of the Arcam SA20 after the unboxing video, but it never came... Anything update and chance to see your review on that ? Thank you.

@nicholastoo858 3 жыл бұрын

If you use minidsp, how close will the sony speakers sound compared to the high end? That would be an interesting experiment, since dsp fixes imbalanced frequencies. What dsp can't do is improve detail. In theory, a cheap speaker that has detail can be made nice / balanced with dsp.

@donjaun540 3 жыл бұрын

I guess if I had to be stranded Nick it would be nice to around so much nice audio. 😁👍🇺🇸

@magneticcinema 2 жыл бұрын

I just subscribed to your channel. I am enjoying the reviews. I also am a Vienna owner/fan of the Mozart Grand. I buy gear because of how it sounds, not measures...but, have you checked out Danny's video from GR RESEARCH about the Vienna measurements???

@williammcenaney1331 3 жыл бұрын

Gee, Nick, the B&Ws look strangely familiar. Did my LS50s replace them? :)

@dejandavkov 3 жыл бұрын

What B&W models or speakers in the past you liked it?

@TheFinerThings 3 жыл бұрын

702’s are rather pleasant, DM600s3 as well, as well as stuff like 803d2 and Nautilus.

@dejandavkov 3 жыл бұрын

@@TheFinerThings im listening on DM 603 S3

@edgardoaleman8586 3 жыл бұрын

I own a pair of the most beautiful bookshelf speaker B&W ever designed: the PM1. Pleasant to look and pleasant to listen to.

@mastervader4444 2 жыл бұрын

i got the sscs5 for $90 and absolutely love them, i was seriously thinking about getting a subwoofer because the bass does need a kick and by chance i saw a brand new tube preamp in a flea market for $25 and went for it, i wasnt sure what to expect and all i can say is that Im completely shocked at the bass response and warmth i got with it, night and day i dont know if thats the usual effect a tube preamp gives but if you have these speakers its worth to check it out.

@todd92371 2 жыл бұрын

Love these speakers and am constantly blown away with their cost.

@nc3419 8 ай бұрын

Good audio on the cheap is good.

@AmericanConstellation Жыл бұрын

I bought the Sony's to add to my speaker collection. I had to buy them, they were 80 dollars and they sound fantastic. For the price if you are on a budget, you'll love the Sony's especially if paired with a sub woofer. These Sony's sound better than some of my six or eight hundred dollar speakers. I rotate my speaker about once a month. If you can, buy a few sets of speakers to play with.

@DrDryce 3 жыл бұрын

What are you thoughts on the B&W 606 S2 anniv.?

@TheFinerThings 3 жыл бұрын

It’s a nice speaker, good bass response and a sharp looking build quality. Not necessarily my top pick to own but I do have a pair of the 603 anniversary on order in that delicious oak finish.

@karimm33 2 жыл бұрын

Going from Klipsch RB-61 II to Martin Logan 15s. Although the MLs are smaller speakers 5.25in vs 6.5in, the sound was comparable with more clear and crisp sound in higher frequencies, with some decent low end bass. I think the small size of my living room affected how the Klipsch sounded, they were very directional, eventhough the horn tweeters have a 90 x 90° dispersion.. the MLs opened up the sound stage and delivered on the higher tones. I have ordered a used pair of 35XTs that I will compare to the 15s. Will see how they compare.

@krystiankoson2218 Жыл бұрын

I am curious about your conclusions after comparing the two models. Can you write something about it?

@nc3419 Жыл бұрын

What are the comparisons between the two? Thanks.

@karimm33 Жыл бұрын

The 35XTs are in a different class compared to the 15s. It was a considerable upgrade. The bass is the obvious thing you notice going to a 6.5in woofer, with deeper, low end frequencies. I feel the Klipsch had more noticeable bass compared to even the 35XT, especially when listening to music in stereo. Where the MLs shine is in the overall sound detail. Just more clean and precise sound. No listening fatigue. I listen to hip hop, rock, trance, you name it.. the MLs just sounded better. But going back to 35XT vs 15s. The 35XTs were louder, didn't distort as easily. I even ran them bi-amped and they got LOUD with little to no distortion. I did feel, though, that I needed my subwoofer to really get all the frequencies. Overall, If you can afford the bigger 35XTs, it is worth the upgrade over the smaller 15s in my experience.

@nc3419 Жыл бұрын

@@karimm33 Thanks, that helps. Better sensitivity on the larger speaker too. I think 3 dB more than the 15i in tests, but both lower than ML states. I heard the older 15s and know what you mean by distort as the smaller cone did that at louder volumes. Would you say which has more depth, or which is more 3D sounding, I know other factors come into play but some speakers are too 2D. Thanks again.

@marvinmurakami8828 11 ай бұрын

I bought the Sonys a couple years ago for 73 dollars for the pair. They sound great throughout its range. If I had to nitpick I'd say they sound slightly thin with the vocals. I also got a pair of BIC Venturi dv62si speakers about 5 years ago for a little over 100 dollars for the pair. In comparison to the Sonys, the BICs sound fuller with deeper bass and can play louder. The treble is a bit bright but I tend to like it that way. If prices are close, I'd spring for the BICs. They are a good deal larger than the Sonys if that makes a difference to you.

@mrpedrodrodriguezsr7628 2 жыл бұрын

Adding a brace to the SONY's and GR research dampening will change the sound to the better . Try it.

@ChrisPapas100 3 жыл бұрын

Interesting presentation, but I’m not sure why the Sony speakers were included in the comparison as they are in a totally different price bracket

@TheFinerThings 3 жыл бұрын

Because regardless of the cost they competed with the Martin Logan speakers among others.

@spider5895 3 жыл бұрын

Just subscribed. Do u think a pair of 2A3 Class A (mono block - self-made) could drive the Sony SS-CS5 at 87dB efficiency? I currently do not have a pair of speaker. Thanks.

@TheFinerThings 3 жыл бұрын

As long as the output is high current I think you’ll have a great experience with little mono blocks like that!

@spider5895 3 жыл бұрын

@@TheFinerThings Thank you.

@richardgivher835 2 жыл бұрын

So this is what the main character of "The Sandlot" grew up to do. I've always what happened to him. Just f@cking with you. Good video.

@russellmcquaid9950 2 жыл бұрын

The Sony speakers are fun, as they sound good and are cheap. But something in your system is not performing well if the 35XT don't sound better to you. Or not enough run time on them.

@scottbennett3119 Жыл бұрын

I agree!

@jctai100 3 жыл бұрын

With that Sony, there's definitely economy of scale at play. More to our benefit as consumers though.

@stonefree1911 3 жыл бұрын

Huh, I've been running 35XT's for a couple of years and have never had any high freq glare or sibilance or fatigue. Maybe it's equipment. Also, your reference speakers are Vienna Acoustics and the speaker you liked the best here is.........Vienna Acoustics. Interesting.

@TheFinerThings 3 жыл бұрын

The Martin Logan’s are just extremely thin sounding speakers to us. Even the $75 Sonys are superior in many ways.

@cgambarrotti 3 жыл бұрын

@@TheFinerThings it’s not that they sound they’re so thin. It’s just that they lack some midrange warm and weight so they sound clear but un involving. I own the LX16. In the beginning I thought they sounded great but then I listened to my NHT Superone speakers and although they were not as transparent the midrange sounds a lot warm and much more involving.

@russellmcquaid9950 2 жыл бұрын

@@TheFinerThings you have to gear match the 35XT. They are "finer things" The sonys dont compare at all'. I own both of these speakers . Sonys are great for the money but no 35XT lol.

@twocooleetoh3128 Жыл бұрын

@@russellmcquaid9950 ignore the amateurs

@nc3419 8 ай бұрын

I concur. But fun with movie soundtracks and a sub. Decent enough for music but really needs a 3-4 dB lift between 200 through 800 Hz. @@cgambarrotti

@AB-yd5gl 3 жыл бұрын

I thought he was going to tell us about his “upstate New York apartment” every minute. Brought to you from my upper Midwest mid century rach style urban house.

@TheFinerThings 3 жыл бұрын

😂

@dextermorgan1 Жыл бұрын

That's a common problem amongst New Yorkers in general. Hey, how do you know if someone's from New York? Don't worry, they'll tell you! 😂

@SuperJapierdole 6 ай бұрын

Interesting video and good try. Check Martin Logan sales now. Seems a cleanup was going on. Got 60xti for equivalent of 2300usd a pair. Not bright at all. Airy. Monitor audio i had where brighter. But. MLs. Has a sound signature and calmness of ML high end models.

@scottbennett3119 11 ай бұрын

I have Motion 15i speakers, and they are great sounding speakers. I also tried the Polk R100; EMOTIVA B1+; Elac DBR62 and Unifi 2.0; Wharfedale 12.1; Triangle BRO2. The 15i was the best sounding in all respects.

@nc3419 8 ай бұрын

Have these as well. Finding it difficult to spend more to get however marginal performance in a smaller, similarly sized speaker, especially with a sub. Checks alot of boxes, easy to drive, airy, resolving with just enough detail. It suffers a bit in the low mids from say 200 to about 800 Hz relative to the rest of the frequency curve, and has a bit of a 100 to 120 Hz hump, but in spite of that at low to moderate volumes in a mid sized room, these work. Great for movie soundtracks and decent for enough music I listen to. Tradeoffs but good for the discounted price. Nice looking too. Don't think I would buy at retail but good at closeout.

@scottbennett3119 8 ай бұрын

@@nc3419 Yes, mine have the same issues. I experimented with placement, that helps. Great for the money, nothing else I tried near this price came close.

@nc3419 8 ай бұрын

I've looked at alot of speakers and their pros and cons. One choice was the Revel M105 which uses Al drivers as well. There's a polish site that graphs alot of speakers including the ML 15i and the revel M105 so I printed out the frequency charts and superimposed them to see the differences. They track very similarly with the biggest difference to me is in the low mids which are better filled in by the Revels, which are a bigger speaker and more expensive btw. The Revels are said to be a bit laid back perhaps due to Al tweeter, or just voiced that way. Probably a bit fuller sounding with a bit more bass but without the hump of the ML15i. Maybe the Revels are a bit better for music? Enough to justify spending 2.5X more...don't know. So for the now discounted price plus the Amazon reward bucks, the set cost me 483. So it would be 3X the price to find out. It would have to be a whole lot better to justify, not just a somewhat fuller sound. For the use I get out of listening, its a nice small lifestyle speaker. @@scottbennett3119

@scottbennett3119 8 ай бұрын

The Revells have dome tweeters. I have never been satisfied with dome tweeters for long. Motion tweeters image and stage so well for so little. If I were to go to the next level in cost, I want performance to be next level. Keep me posted.

@nc3419 8 ай бұрын

Next level is supposedly ribbon but it can be tricky to implement especially at reasonable costs, There's one I have an eye on but hesitant as I am enjoying the little 15i. I'll let you know if I buy up and if it was worth it. Domes can be good though. Like the Dali Opticon1 on a desktop.@@scottbennett3119

@peterbaugh51 Жыл бұрын

No Elac Reference? I prefer them over all these. And I had CM5's. Just not a fan of newer B&W lower priced speakers. To each his own.

@glennjones6574 2 жыл бұрын

Now I would love to see scientific proof that Vienna's plastic performs better than everyone else's "advanced" plastic....

@donalddeorio2237 Жыл бұрын

Picked up a pair of the Sony's for my desktop system to replace my Polk t15 speakers. I was very impressed with the sound of them. Powered with a Fossi audio BT10a amplifier with an Aiyima dac a2.

@xsamitt Жыл бұрын

The sony's are 330 here in canada!!!

@steveee2511 17 күн бұрын

i woud get the martin logans

@glennjones6574 2 жыл бұрын

The Sony's shocked me with their lack of brightness...

@Appicon 2 жыл бұрын

I know this guy

@kdomster9141 3 жыл бұрын

My 686s2 with Cardas Hexlink cable of high purity copper connected even to a Sony 1060 receiver sound very full and balanced not bright at all. Huge soundstage and ton of timbre, harmonics and detail thru the tweeter. Secret maybe a warm sounding Cardas cable and..... the only cap in the crossover upgraded to a Mundorf Supreme with Silver Gold Oil bypass. It really opened up transparency and clarity . If you can I highly recommned swapping a cap in the crossover. Even 14usd Clarity Cap will yield huge upgrade over generic poly cap in stock crossover. I would never use Silver or silver plated cable with B&Ws hard dome tweeter , it is not a good combo It maybe great for your Vienna Acoustic warm and inoffensive sound. Also Vienna speakers use super cheap electrolitics in the croosover and quality of parts maybe worst than 75usd Sonys....at least Sony has poly caps not electrolitics ! Quite mind blowing considering 75usd vs 3500usd !!!

@lazzer408 3 жыл бұрын

Get an RTA. Post results.

@713ahmad 3 жыл бұрын

Objective measurements aren’t really what we do, maybe one day but there are many others ways to evaluate speakers than physical measurements.

@lazzer408 3 жыл бұрын

@@713ahmad Looks? The thing that matters is the frequency response but that comes second to phase coherence, which no one talks about. Get those two things correct and you'll enjoy what you hear.

@lazzer408 3 жыл бұрын

@@713ahmad My issue is opinions. Everyone has one and they're all different. It's like asking a guitarist which amp sounds best. Everyone is different. Know what isn't different? Science and measurement. The issue here is that we're not measuring the right things. This is why subjectivists argue that measurements are worthless. It is, but that's the marketing departments at work.

@713ahmad 3 жыл бұрын

@lazzer408 Or just listen and enjoy, that’s what I do!

@crazymetallian 3 жыл бұрын

quit the crap, find some technics SB-F3, restore them and compare the sound from (equivalent) 2000USD then vs the crap those brands sells you today

@TheFinerThings 3 жыл бұрын

Will definitely look into this!

@johnnorris7289 3 жыл бұрын

Ha, Technics! Kabuki low end low fi.

@crazymetallian 3 жыл бұрын

@@johnnorris7289 i mean... technics from the 70's ;)

@johnnorris7289 3 жыл бұрын

@@crazymetallian Doesn't matter, no Japanese electronics company ever made a speaker worth a damn.

@crazymetallian 3 жыл бұрын

@@johnnorris7289 thanks to people like you, one can find great speakers at garbage prices ;)

@adjiw8408 Жыл бұрын

Oh man i dont know why you can say b&w 685 not good-bright .... and sony is outstanding.... lol... My man... if you talk about sound quality, you talk about speaker material (woofer/tweeter/bla bla bla), if you talk about speaker material you talk about the price.... period. And you know, until now b&w 685 is still become a basic standart sound quality for $400 speakers man... Speakers like elac debut b6.2, monitor audio bronze 2, dali zensor 2, q acoustics 3030i etc, is still under b&w 685 in term of sound quality man... but what you say sony is better...? My God.... Maybe you should learn much more man....

@onefastbob 2 жыл бұрын

Meh...

@TheFinerThings 2 жыл бұрын

@onefastbob 2 жыл бұрын

@@TheFinerThings meh EXCLAMATION expressing a lack of interest or enthusiasm. "Meh. I'm not impressed so far" ADJECTIVE uninspiring; unexceptional. "a lot of his movies are … meh"

@TheFinerThings 2 жыл бұрын

Lmao, cool man

@donalddeorio2237 Жыл бұрын

I thought his reviews were very critical and I didn't agree with his assessment of the Sony's. I paid $75 and for that price you couldn't beat them

@marcc482 Жыл бұрын

LOL.... Audio Science Review is completely wrong if they think they can take “scientific” measurements and then assess speakers without listening to them ... useless to even look into what they have to say ... and the proof is that what you experienced what totally different than what they said about the Sony speakers !!!