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Buchardt S400 MKII's vs Tyler Acoustics/GR-Research T1 Studio Monitors

Hello, I am in the market for new bookshelf monitors and had these two on my radar.  Both seem to offer a lot of value are within a few hundred USD of each other in price. 

I wanted to see how you guys would think about the purchase if it were you and also knowing that listening before purchasing is not likely.  I understand there are many other speakers to consider but these are the ones I am asking for your thoughts on.  

The rest of my system is a Denafrips Ares II DAC + Denafrips IRIS DDC, Allo USBridge Signature Streamer w/Shanti Power Supply, Paraound A21+ Amp and Schiit Freya+ Preamp.

I think I would be happy with both and below are initial thoughts on each:

Buchardt S400 MKII's

Pros
- Great warranty (10 years) and an awesome 45-day trial (return shipping is only $50 USD)
- Upgraded crossover and enclosure over the original which was very popular
- Well reviewed already and more balanced than the original version (which I am looking for compared to the more V-shaped sound of the original)
- Large customer base worldwide which for gives a little reassurance compared to a lesser known company
- Look great and multiple finish options as well as many matching stand options
- Possible higher resale value as Buchardt is now a mainstream brand

Tyler Acoustics T1 Studio Monitors

Pros
- Designed with Danny at GR-Research who I really like and trust (see his new YouTube video on this speaker for reference - I have always wanted to support Danny but not much time for DIY these days)
- Ty at Tyler Acoustics is known for making some of the best enclosures around (this is probably where I think the value is off the charts on this speaker)
- Top quality parts used in every aspect of the speaker
- Love the idea of supporting a local US-based small companies (Ty essentially is a one-man shop and most know about GR-Research already)
- I like the look and how the unique enclosure is built for better sound (rounded front baffle, offset tweeter, angled front baffle) much like the Buchardt (both also have passive radiators in the rear)
- Ty does offer returns but at a significantly higher cost than Buchardt (totally understandable for a small shop)
deftechfan

Showing 2 responses by jackdcd

jackdcd's avatar
jackdcd
2 posts
 

Just began my listening to Buchardt 400 MK2. Initial impressions: substantially better than original. Now I'm running on an Anthem pre/pro and Emotiva power amps , which was not available for the original go around. 

So, with that being said....wow these are really fine speakers. They sound sweet. The sound is clear, not tentative, no holding back, just a wonderful sound. Do yourself a favor...check these out!

jackdcd's avatar
jackdcd
2 posts
 
Owned the Buchardt S400 and very much enjoyed that speaker. It's a polite and proper speaker. Just beautiful. Now I'm thinking the Mk2 may get a bit nastier...I'll wait and see. I just purchased the T1 monitors. Waiting for them to be built. Now, I'm very excited to hear a speaker that Danny says is a plug and play speaker. He seems like a guy that takes pride in his knowledge of speaker inner workings. 

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