Buchardt S400 MKII Review: Ranked #70 of 141

Last updated: October 5, 2026

The Buchardt S400 MKII ranks #70 out of 141 total Large Size Bookshelf Speakers for sound quality. See all Passive Home rankings for every top pick.

Brand: Buchardt

Prices on this page were last checked October 4, 2026 at 9:58 PM UTC. Product prices and availability are accurate as of that date/time and are subject to change; the price and availability shown on Amazon at the time of purchase will apply to the purchase of this product.

As an eBay Partner, we may be compensated if you make a purchase.

Buchardt S400 MKII - ranked #70 of 141 Large Size Bookshelf Speakers · Editor's rating 3.8/5
Check price at Buchardt Audio ($2400 per pair Discontinued) →

#70 Buchardt S400 MKII: $2400 per pair Discontinued Buchardt Audio eBay

Newer model: the Buchardt S400 MK3, ranked higher, estimated 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. Discontinued.

Related speakers: Buchardt S400 MK3.

How it compares: Just above it: Monolith Encore B6 - $2040 cheaper, 0.6Hz higher bass extension (-3dB). Just below it: Infinity Reference R162 - $1900 cheaper, 2.3Hz higher bass extension (-3dB).

Bass Extension (-10dB)40Hz (measured, Erin’s Audio Corner)
Bass Extension (-3dB)59Hz (measured, Erin’s Audio Corner)
DIY KitNo
Dimensions14.4”H x 7”W x 11”D (365.8 x 177.8 x 279.4 mm)
Drivers6.5” aluminum cone woofer, 1” soft dome tweeter
Impedance4 ohms nominal, 3 ohms minimum (measured, Erin’s Audio Corner)
Sensitivity84.7dB (measured, Erin’s Audio Corner; 87dB manufacturer specified)
Spinorama Preference Score5.38
Spinorama Preference Score with Perfect Sub7.46
Weight16.5 lbs (7.5 kg) each
Woofer Cabinetported
Check current price at Buchardt Audio ($2400) →Search eBay for Buchardt S400 MKII →

Head-to-Head Comparisons

19 comparisons

More Buchardt speakers →