Short answer: the Buchardt S400 MKII. It ranks #64 of 131 bookshelf speakers by sound quality, rated 3.8/5, at $2,400; the Dynaudio Special Forty ranks #85, rated 3.5/5, and costs $3,600, so there is not much of a tradeoff to weigh.
The case for the Buchardt S400 MKII: Two-way design with a 3/4” tweeter on a well-implemented aluminum waveguide (compression-driver style, letting the small tweeter cross unusually low at 1800Hz), a 6” SB Acoustics-style mid-woofer, and a tunable 5x8” passive radiator adjustable via rear weights. The tradeoff: Sounds a bit bright and slightly boosted above about 7-8kHz on-axis, even with 30° of toe-out - benefits from about 1 inch of sidewall absorption at the first reflection points to tame it.
What the Dynaudio Special Forty does well: Smooth, “buttery” overall tonal character consistent with Dynaudio’s house sound. The tradeoff: A glaring, sometimes sibilant quality around 3-4kHz was the most noticeable issue in listening, the one thing the reviewer would want notched out with EQ.
Buy the Buchardt S400 MKII. It is rated higher for sound quality than the Dynaudio Special Forty and costs less, so only choose the other one for a particular feature it does better.
Want more options? Browse the full Passive Home rankings.
Specifications Side By Side
| Buchardt S400 MKII | Dynaudio Special Forty | |
|---|---|---|
| Price | $2400 per pair | $3600 per pair |
| Ranked | #64 of 131 in Large Size Bookshelf Speakers | #85 of 131 in Large Size Bookshelf Speakers |
| Bass Extension (-10dB) | 40Hz (measured, Erin’s Audio Corner) | 39Hz (measured, Erin’s Audio Corner) |
| Bass Extension (-3dB) | 59Hz (measured, Erin’s Audio Corner) | 54Hz (measured, Erin’s Audio Corner) |
| Dimensions | 14.4”H x 7”W x 11”D (365.8 x 177.8 x 279.4 mm) | 14.1”H x 7.7”W x 12.1”D (358.1 x 195.6 x 307.3 mm) |
| Impedance | 4 ohms nominal, 3 ohms minimum (measured, Erin’s Audio Corner) | 6 ohms nominal (4.9 ohms minimum above 80Hz, measured, Erin’s Audio Corner) |
| Sensitivity | 84.7dB (measured, Erin’s Audio Corner; 87dB manufacturer specified) | 83.5dB (measured, Erin’s Audio Corner; 86dB manufacturer specified) |
| Drivers | 6.5” aluminum cone woofer, 1” soft dome tweeter | 5.9” MSP (Magnesium Silicate Polymer) cone woofer, 1” Esotar soft dome tweeter |
| Weight | 16.5 lbs (7.5 kg) each | 17.9 lbs (8.1 kg) each |
| Woofer Cabinet | ported | ported |
| Spinorama Preference Score | 5.38 | 4.73 |
| Spinorama Preference Score with Perfect Sub | 7.46 | 6.74 |
| DIY Kit | No | No |
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How Buchardt S400 MKII compares with other leading options:
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- KEF R3 vs Buchardt S400 MKII
- Wharfedale Super Linton vs Buchardt S400 MKII
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The Two Speakers In Full
Buchardt S400 MKII: $2400 per pair Buchardt Audio eBay
Older model: the Buchardt Audio S400 (rated 4.4/5).
Pros: Two-way design with a 3/4” tweeter on a well-implemented aluminum waveguide (compression-driver style, letting the small tweeter cross unusually low at 1800Hz), a 6” SB Acoustics-style mid-woofer, and a tunable 5x8” passive radiator adjustable via rear weights. Exceptionally flat on-axis linearity, within about ±2dB from 80Hz to 16kHz. Wide horizontal radiation for a waveguided design (about ±45-50°), notably broader than a comparable narrow-waveguide rival like the Klipsch Sevens (~±30°). Well-focused, precise imaging, aided by tight pair matching between the two speakers. Takes very well to EQ correction, letting listeners easily dial in the top end or add midrange fullness to taste. Bass extension reaches a genuine 50Hz in-room from a mellow, well-tuned rolloff rather than an artificially boosted one. Measured bass extension of 59Hz (-3dB), with a measured sensitivity of 84.7dB.
Cons: Sounds a bit bright and slightly boosted above about 7-8kHz on-axis, even with 30° of toe-out - benefits from about 1 inch of sidewall absorption at the first reflection points to tame it. A mild dullness noted especially on male vocals, alongside a small dip around 300-600Hz. Vertical positioning is critical and unusually “temperamental” - sitting even slightly toward the tweeter line causes a suckout, while sitting above it adds too much energy; not well suited to multi-height home theater seating. Distortion is fine at 86dB but runs into real issues by 96dB - not a high-output speaker. Some compression-related enhancement appears around 1.2kHz (crossover-region interaction), and the tweeter shows clear compression at 102dB. The woofer can bottom out at extreme low-frequency content played very loud; crossing to a subwoofer below 60Hz caused output problems at high volume, while 80-100Hz worked well. A subwoofer isn’t strictly required to protect the speaker at moderate listening levels (80-85dB at 3 meters), but is still recommended for genuine low-octave extension.
Full Buchardt S400 MKII review and specifications →
| Bass Extension (-10dB) | 40Hz (measured, Erin’s Audio Corner) |
|---|---|
| Bass Extension (-3dB) | 59Hz (measured, Erin’s Audio Corner) |
| DIY Kit | No |
| Dimensions | 14.4”H x 7”W x 11”D (365.8 x 177.8 x 279.4 mm) |
| Drivers | 6.5” aluminum cone woofer, 1” soft dome tweeter |
| Impedance | 4 ohms nominal, 3 ohms minimum (measured, Erin’s Audio Corner) |
| Sensitivity | 84.7dB (measured, Erin’s Audio Corner; 87dB manufacturer specified) |
| Spinorama Preference Score | 5.38 |
| Spinorama Preference Score with Perfect Sub | 7.46 |
| Weight | 16.5 lbs (7.5 kg) each |
| Woofer Cabinet | ported |
- Links
- Reviews, Comparisons and Sound Samples
- Head-to-Head Comparisons
- Buchardt S400 MKII vs Klipsch RP-600M II
- Buchardt S400 MKII vs ELAC DBR62
- Buchardt S400 MKII vs Dynaudio Emit 20
- Buchardt S400 MKII vs Philharmonic BMR Monitor
- Buchardt S400 MKII vs ELAC Debut 3.0 DB63
- Buchardt S400 MKII vs KEF Q3 Meta
- Buchardt S400 MKII vs Sonus Faber Lumina II
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Dynaudio Special Forty: $3600 per pair Safe and Sound HQ eBay
Pros: Smooth, “buttery” overall tonal character consistent with Dynaudio’s house sound. Surprisingly precise, focused imaging despite wide horizontal radiation (about ±70°) - atypical, since wide-radiating speakers usually sacrifice some image precision in reflective rooms. Strong output capability: reached 100-101dB average at 3.5 meters with no audible distortion or woofer distress, and compression testing at 102dB shows the cabinet holding up mechanically well at extreme output. Bass reaches a genuine 50Hz (potentially 40Hz) in most rooms from a rear-ported design. Distortion stays below 1% at 86dB and doesn’t cross 3% THD until about 50Hz even at 96dB. Extra weight and impact on snares and percussion around 700-800Hz that the reviewer found appealing on many tracks. Measured bass extension of 54Hz (-3dB), with a measured sensitivity of 83.5dB.
Cons: A glaring, sometimes sibilant quality around 3-4kHz was the most noticeable issue in listening, the one thing the reviewer would want notched out with EQ. Multiple enclosure resonances appear between 500Hz-1kHz across on-axis, listening window, early-reflections, and sound-power measurements, corroborated by independent third-party CSD data showing similar 500-800Hz cabinet resonances. A dip around 1.2kHz traces to a cone-edge-to-surround compliance mismatch in the driver itself (confirmed by testing the bare driver’s impedance) - a known artifact common to many similarly-sized drivers across several manufacturers, contributing to elevated second-order distortion in that region. A somewhat laid-back, recessed 1-2kHz character (sometimes described as a “BBC dip”) gives an overall subdued quality that isn’t overtly problematic but shapes the tonal balance. Impedance drops below 3 ohms in the 100-200Hz region, requiring a genuinely 4-ohm-stable amplifier rather than an AVR. Rear port means it can’t be placed directly against a wall.
Full Dynaudio Special Forty review and specifications →
| Bass Extension (-10dB) | 39Hz (measured, Erin’s Audio Corner) |
|---|---|
| Bass Extension (-3dB) | 54Hz (measured, Erin’s Audio Corner) |
| DIY Kit | No |
| Dimensions | 14.1”H x 7.7”W x 12.1”D (358.1 x 195.6 x 307.3 mm) |
| Drivers | 5.9” MSP (Magnesium Silicate Polymer) cone woofer, 1” Esotar soft dome tweeter |
| Impedance | 6 ohms nominal (4.9 ohms minimum above 80Hz, measured, Erin’s Audio Corner) |
| Sensitivity | 83.5dB (measured, Erin’s Audio Corner; 86dB manufacturer specified) |
| Spinorama Preference Score | 4.73 |
| Spinorama Preference Score with Perfect Sub | 6.74 |
| Weight | 17.9 lbs (8.1 kg) each |
| Woofer Cabinet | ported |
- Links
- Reviews, Comparisons and Sound Samples
- Head-to-Head Comparisons
- Dynaudio Special Forty vs ELAC Debut 2.0 B6.2
- Dynaudio Special Forty vs Infinity IL10
- Dynaudio Special Forty vs SVS Prime Bookshelf
- Dynaudio Special Forty vs GR-Research X-LS Encore
- Dynaudio Special Forty vs KEF Q3 Meta
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