Short answer: the Neumi BS5. It ranks #38 of 179 medium bookshelf speakers at $139.99, the Silk 4 ranks #58 at $199.99, and Erin’s Audio Corner measurements back up the gap.
The cheaper BS5 actually measures the deeper, more efficient speaker. Erin’s Audio Corner put its bass rolloff at F3 64Hz and F10 41Hz, ahead of the Silk 4’s F3 83Hz and F10 55Hz, and its sensitivity measured around 84dB against the Silk 4’s 82.6dB, which Erin’s review flags as too low for large rooms, far-field listening, or high volume. The BS5 also holds on-axis linearity to roughly plus or minus 1.5dB through most of the mid and treble.
The Silk 4 does have real strengths that don’t show up in the ranking. Its distortion stays below 1% up to about 120Hz and below 3% above roughly 50 to 60Hz at 86dB, and Erin’s review calls its high-frequency compression surprisingly good, better than some speakers costing two to three times as much. It also earns a specific reviewer-provided EQ fix, a notch around 650Hz with a Q of about 6, that cleans up its main resonance. But it carries its own tradeoffs: a resonance around 650Hz that adds audible midrange thickness, horizontal radiation narrowed to about plus or minus 50 degrees by its waveguide, and a diffraction dip around 5kHz if placed on a desk below ear level.
Buy the Neumi BS5. It ranks higher for sound quality than the Neumi Silk 4, measures deeper bass and higher sensitivity, and costs less, so the Silk 4 has little left to offer at its price.
Still deciding? The full Passive Home rankings cover every ranked option.
Measured Differences
- Bass depth: the Neumi BS5 reaches 41 Hz (10 dB down) against 55 Hz for the Neumi Silk 4, about half an octave deeper. You hear more of the lowest bass notes and kick drums.
- Tonal accuracy above the bass: with a subwoofer taking the low end, the Neumi Silk 4 scores 7.1 against 6.1 for the Neumi BS5 on the Spinorama preference scale. Its frequency response and off-axis sound are smoother, so voices and instruments sound closer to the recording.
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Specifications Side By Side
| Neumi BS5 | Neumi Silk 4 | |
|---|---|---|
| Price | $139.99 per pair | $199.99 per pair |
| Ranked | #38 of 179 in Medium Size Bookshelf Speakers | #58 of 179 in Medium Size Bookshelf Speakers |
| Bass Extension (-3dB) | 64Hz (measured, Erin’s Audio Corner) | 83Hz (measured, Erin’s Audio Corner) |
| Bass Extension (-10dB) | 41.0Hz (measured, Erin’s Audio Corner) | 55Hz (measured, Erin’s Audio Corner) |
| Sensitivity | Approximately 84dB/2.83V/1m (measured, Erin’s Audio Corner) | 82.6dB (measured, Erin’s Audio Corner) |
| Impedance | 4.6 ohms minimum; approximately 6 ohms nominal (measured, Erin’s Audio Corner) | 6 ohms nominal, 5.7 ohms minimum (measured, Erin’s Audio Corner) |
| Drivers | 1” silk-dome tweeter; 5” fiberglass woofer | 4” treated paper cone, rubber surround, cast aluminum basket, vented pole woofer, 1” silk dome, dispersion-optimized waveguide, neodymium magnet tweeter |
| Woofer Cabinet | ported, front | ported, rear |
| Spinorama Preference Score | 3.60 | 4.44 |
| Spinorama Preference Score with Perfect Sub | 6.12 | 7.10 |
| Dimensions | 10.6”H x 7.2”W x 8.5”D (269.2 x 182.9 x 215.9 mm) | 8.9”H x 5.5”W x 8.2”D (226.1 x 139.7 x 208.3 mm) |
| Weight | 7.1 lbs (3.2 kg) each | 6.2 lbs (2.8 kg) each |
| DIY Kit | No | No |
Where the Ratings Come From
- Neumi BS5: Spinorama.org measurements and reviews by Erin’s Audio Corner.
- Neumi Silk 4: Spinorama.org measurements and reviews by Erin’s Audio Corner.
This comparison is generated from the ratings, specifications and measurements on each product’s own page, and it updates when that data changes. How we rank explains how each rating is decided.
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