on the other hand, I'm not buying them if they are italian and don't have leather on it 😂

@@Jayiyagi true true

Special 40's are very good. They image better than the Kef R3's and have a wider soundstage. But the R3's are better on some types of music with greater tonal accuracy. Both speakers benefit hugely with better electronics. The R3's actually sounded smoother and livelier with the Hegel H390. The Special 40's sounded more refined at the lower end. With my NuPrime IDA 16 it was very close. I could be happy with either, but the Special 40's had a bit of bloat in the mid-bass that reminded me of my (now sold) Revel 126be's. I have not heard the Esse's yet.

Yea... I was sitting there looking to see a difference in each aspect... Instead I looked at my notes and said "well... Shit..." And truth be told... I knew the game ended even before writing down my notes

Sent back to Elac. Not a direct A/B but from my memory the high frequency was slightly more beautiful and delicate on the vela... slightly better holographic sound stage with Vela+ Billie amp combo. all other aspect... hands down esse quadro.

I've listened to the graphene 2 and 177. Joseph audio was quite good for a metal based dome woofer and great presentation but sounds slightly thinner than the 177. Dynamically similar but a bit harder to drive. The Esse Quadro 146 may be a bit more comparable to the Joseph's. But the Joseph's come in at 12k Canadian, almost double the 146. Hope this helps.

Also the 177 goes quite a bit lower 33hz vs the pulsar2 at 42hz and Joseph's are rear ported. Build quality of both is top notch.

Different league, however the new Esse Quadro Stratis S1 is a closer competitor to the S400 SE edition which are in a similar price range.

@@egnw0 OK I'll look the Esse Quad up. Thanks for the comment 👍

Personally I don't like the way the KEF R3 sounds compared to the s40, but I that could have been down to the amp or room. What you like could be so different. I'd go listen to them both (and others in that price range) with a good amount of your favourite music and let your ears decide what you like. Even better, figure out what sound signature you like and get a store to try match an amp/speaker combo for you to listen to.

@@SuperNologic I can not :)

Bryan C start researching diy single driver speakers, or look at some higher end studio monitors like the state of the art Genelecs.

Esse quadro destroys the dynaudio the same way it destroys the s400. Thats why I said I didn't go into it but you are right I didn't make that point clear enough

Very high quality crossover. Top of the line binding posts and upgraded internal wiring.

I can answer! I listened to the LS50 nearly everyday for 3 years. Just upgraded to the special 40. After around 100 hours of break in with the Special 40, I can say they're basically in another tier. Their mid bass has much more body. The bass overall is much better too as they can go much deeper. At high volumes I thought the damn LS50 woofer was going to blow.The Special 40 seems to be much much tighter even at high volumes. The highs are just as clear, but less fatiguing/harsh than the LS50. It was really something I didn't know was possible. Overall the special 40 seems a lot more musical because it has all the body and no harshness of the highs (again, just as much detail though). They just seem to hit harder/faster. I found them online as open box on eBay for $2,200. Compared to the $1500 I spent on the LS50 years ago its a no brainer. Now that the LS50 can be had for around 800 open box, it really depends if you have the money. TLDR: The Special 40 is better than the LS50 is just about every possible category.

damping factor cant be just one number, you need a graph to see how it works. and at a minimum the single frequency the damping factor was measured at in what ohm load. looking up my own poweramp, its 2000 at 20hz, then drops to 8 at 20khz.

@@sudd3660 wouldn't you need more control of woofer at lower frequencies, which is where dampening factor is more important?

probably, but how can you tell if hegel won't provide the frequency graph, at least 2 numbers like at 20hz and 200hz or something like that.

Let your ears decide. They are truly great amps.

I had the 705 S2’s and sold them after only a few months as they were too bright... bought the special 40’s and fall more in love with them every listen (and yes they get better with more hours of burn in)

Excellent considering they are $2k for a pair.

I think sonus faber goes for more that wood look which I also love but esse quadro goes for more modern look which is stunning in person... Cameras and pics dont do it justice...

Quadro has more cosmetic defects than the KEF's

@@BrianGarside how so?

@@egnw0 cant remember, been too long since I've seen this. Must of been with my naked eye.

@@BrianGarside If you have a chance I would suggest seeing them in person. I see no defects in my pair. Cheers.

Sopra #1 are a bit on the colder side but also have very good detail retrieval. Not sure if they come with stands or not but the 177s are about half the price right now at the moment and come with stands.

I think either will do you well since both have excellent bass. Watch the reviews on ZeroFidelity he compares these plus individual reviews.

What did you end up getting? I’m looking for good quality bass as well but without a subwoofer. I also listen to a lot of poorly recorded music as well. Certain industrial old alternative and some metal.

I would say Esse Quadro is similar to the TAD ME1. Harbeth 30.1 is too different to even compare... maybe similar beauty in the midrange but thats about it

chris vinicombe they are scanspeak drivers.

@@jayrick5174 yes its obvious because of the markings on the woofer cone. Jay insisted they were seas if I remember correctly. So thought I'd mention the change cus I'm an asshole

@@chrisvinicombe9947 nope I said scan speak

@@Jayiyagi oof yes you did. I must have got confused with something else. I'm being an asshole and a idiot tonight , gonna blame it on Captain Morgan.

Take sound clips, but don't tell people what they are listening to. If they want to "audition" something via: KZfaq, lets see how well they can actually identify whats what - without visual aid.

@@ZeroFidelity Lmaooo

Good idea let's have a game of guess who

I guess the Special 40 aren‘t that special, so you didn‘t really mention them Waiting for your Vela FS and Totem Tribe Tower comparison 🤩

Just been on Ron's channel checking out his game of guess who with the modified rp600m's it's a bit of fun interaction for the community 😄

Wont understand till you hear it properly ! Changes the realism of the music.

@@Jayiyagi Wondering what other speakers have this quality? Short list please.

They are quite big, especially the depth. That's a good point. They are bookshelf but can also be called stand mount as they are more likely to be mounted to stands. They also have a 146 model which is more like a standard sized bookshelf.

The pricing is directly from the seller here in Canada.

Hi, That is the price for the 223 model - 3 way stand mount. Contact Salvatore for the right pricing - that doesn't sound right.

painting is very good but there are little gaps around the ring around the bass on mines ... but only if you look closely. didn't matter for me :)

You cannot make yamaha studio monitors sound like adam s-series using the equalizer )

@@sergev9043 It wasn't what I meant either, but there are some that can also be done with a good EQ system. But of course, no EQ system will make the sound cleaner, but one can get their personal favorite sound frequencies, and personally for me, purity doesn't necessarily have to be everything. Now I'm talking about an extra sophisticated EQ system, which requires education to use it properly. But of course it is also important that the sound is clean. I understand what you mean, but the perfect speaker and amplifier does not exist, and for that reason it is a must for me to use a sophisticated EQ to be 100% satisfied. One factor is clear sound, and the other factor is sound frequencies, which you can also adjust with an EQ system. But yes there are also several factors that affect the sound in other ways, which have to do with how the speaker system is built and what types of materials, the list is long. Otherwise I myself have a relatively expensive system with separate equipment and floor standing speakers, because most often it will be better sound of more expensive equipment. But to clarify what I meant is that I managed to get a little more satisfied with the sound of a cheaper system, by setting the audio frequencies next to a more expensive system that I have not used the EQ system, even though the sound has been cleaner. This with sound is more advanced than just expensive equipment all by itself, And the reason for that is that people have different tastes. But most of it is in higher price ranges, too. For my part, though, Cube Audio is the best speakers I've heard so far, and they're not the most expensive out there either, but personally I don't exactly 100% agree on the audio frequencies, but it's not far away! Some amplifiers also have an EQ system, do they work? yes, but do they work well? no, they get too simple.

no. io non sono

He likes the smell of leather. All his jackets are leather !! 😅 Just kidding ok.

You are getting what you paid for in sound and build but I get it, some of us just need to see the weight and size to justify the price

@Fat Rat Why can't a product look and sound good? Isn't that what most people want?

@Fat Rat Let me give a different perspective for a moment. Those are all good things but think of speakers as not just things that make sound. For example a grand piano in a room is not only an instrument but also a piece of furniture and adds to the decor of the room design/look. We need to stop being selfish and see that other people who are not in the hobby like us may want to enjoy both visual and auditory stimulation. I myself don't like keeping my system to myself and have it playing if I have people over. When it's static, its also out for display so that means it adds another dimension to it being not just audio equipment but a part of the living room's furniture (speakers). Now, in terms of sound, yes it's always good to keep your eyes closed to dedicate one sense for listening enjoyment. I also have other speakers which I don't care about looks because they're active studio monitors and they are there for one purpose - work. I'm just an advocate for having HiFi speakers that have form and function, there are way too many ugly speakers and designs driven by weird audiophiles which look like they were purposely designed to be obscured from public view.

@Fat Rat Fair point! That's why this kind of stuff is subjective, at the end of the day if you're happy you've achieved what you set out to do.

@@Jayiyagi Hard to believe for a 2-way vs KEF's 3-way, with custom drivers vs ScanSpeak which are good, but really? I trust your review but having a hard time believing its that good.

Lol

To much

@@donaldheitger6731 ?

Probably something from REL but dont' really need a sub for them if you power the 177s with a good class AB amp, they extend down to 32Hz. Unless you are a big bass head, then you should be good.

I agreei if you going to spend that kind of money why screw with perfection. something that nice you want clean as could be. If you need a sub buy something else. Thank you for your response.

@@gtric1466 You're welcome!

its ported design, not meant to mate with a subwoofer, and because that it also have all the drawbacks of port.

subs destroy well engineered speakers they are only good for poor speakers or cinema sound

kef reference 1 pls ;p

I briefly did but heres how it all goes down: sonus faber. Focal. Harbeth. Tad. Kef... You name it... All has that classic sound they are going for. Esse quadro is in my opinion one of the most neutral (with slight boost in bass and treble) with detail and smoothness in the midrange that is probably one of the best if not the best in high end bookshelf speakers.

I wish it wasn't a joke... actually it's quite the other way around where I pay them for the gear...

Not to worry Jay. Mist of us, like me, believe in your integrity 👍.

@@eng-lokchua7819 Thanks. I don't think theres any thing wrong with being sponsored as long as I am transparent about it.