Intro
Contents
It was quite a marathon: fourteen bookshelf speakers. Three rounds, four hours of listening, and a total of 28 combinations. It was quite the journey! But a particularly instructive one. We therefore would love to tell you what we learned. We noticed a need for this among our readers and viewers.
First of all a thank you and an expression of respect for everyone who has watched and read everything: thank you very much! It is great to have such a loyal group of followers! It motivates us enormously to create more of these series.
The review articles
Below are links to all the sections. In them we describe each speakers ánd have added measurements.
- Part one of the multitest bookshelf speakers
- Part two of the multitest bookshelf speakers
- Part three of the multitest bookshelf speakers
The Live Videos
A look back on what we experienced
The purpose of this article is not to repeat the review. Nor is it intended to draw a winner. The winner is the speaker that has stuck with you the most and that appeals to you. What we like is irrelevant: you have to live with the speaker. These Live multitests are also not meant to be a competition. It is meant to let you experience what is out there. We describe the qualities and sound. Nothing more.
Therefore, this article is a review of what we experienced. What has stood out? What was striking? Let’s begin.
Thank you for doing this incredible test. I really enjoyed watching it using some good neutral headphones.
Hello Reiner. I’ve tried to e-mail you back two times, but I get the mail returned after a week from T-Online. Please, contact us with a different e-mail if you can. Thanks.
In addition to the agreement regarding the excellence of the Hypex Nilai500DIY poweramp, I note that the new KEF R3 Meta is NOT mentioned in the final list -> I remember my great disappointment during the test
ATC SCM 11 we could not assess them correctly when sounding in mono but I also contemplate them. With Hypex Nilai and closer to the walls (the usual in European rooms).
My winners:
Audio Physic Step 35 (expensive) + Hypex Nilai + subwoofer?
Neat Petite Classic + Pass Labs
-> Money leans towards the Neat Petite Classic with Brittish amplifier sound. Or hybrid like my new (December 2022) Magnat MA 900 in my cheap second audio system (with modded KEF Q100, bass-front bass reflex closed…).
Neither is the Sonos Faber mentioned and we are quite taken with it. I’d like to quote the last sentences, since I somehow suspect they will fail to get noticed:
“So are the speakers not mentioned not great? Or decent? They certainly are good, but in weighing the notes we took and listening back in the livestream, these are the speakers that offer the most on these criteria.”
The shortlists are not the list of winners. I’d like to make that clear. Emphasise it even.