Buchardt Audio S400 MKII Color Signature Edition
The Buchardt Audio S400 MKII Color Signature Edition delivers deep, confident bass, a remarkably neutral midrange, and punchy dynamics from a compact stand-mount design. newrecordday found its left-to-right soundstage especially expansive, while the adaptable tonal balance lets partnering electronics shape the final flavour. It is a compelling choice for listeners chasing full-scale authority without sacrificing composure.
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Nicely Roasted
Sound Quality
92/100
Build Quality
82/100
Value for Money
85/100
Pros
Deep, natural and convincing bass with impressive slam for a compact stand-mount speaker.
Exceptionally neutral, full-bodied midrange avoids excessive bloom and responds well to system matching.
Phenomenally broad horizontal soundstage and strong dynamic drive.
Cons
Image height and room-enveloping three-dimensionality are good rather than class-leading, and center focus can become diffuse with wider placement.
Requires careful stand height and positioning to achieve its best imaging performance.
Premium pricing may be a consideration for some buyers.
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What Reviewers Are Saying
SOUND QUALITY PERFORMANCE 92/100
The available review finds the S400 exceptionally composed, with deep and natural bass, an unusually neutral midrange, and strong slam. Its broad horizontal presentation is a highlight, although image focus and three-dimensional height are less exceptional than its left-to-right scale.
Bass
93/100
NewRecordDay heard “very deep, confident” bass that remained natural, convincing, and rich in texture. For a compact 6-inch two-way with a passive radiator, the reviewer found its low-end authority and slam unusually impressive.
Mid
95/100
The midrange was described as about as neutral as the reviewer had heard, with enough body to avoid sounding lean. Vocals and instruments were said to have meat on the bones without added bloom or warmth obscuring the recording.
Treble
88/100
The review notes convincing cymbal strikes and natural decay, suggesting a clean and believable upper register. There is less detailed commentary on air, ultimate extension, and long-term treble refinement than on the bass and midrange.
Soundstage Imaging
89/100
The S400 produces a phenomenal horizontal stage, with notably expansive left-to-right scale. The reviewer found the center image somewhat diffuse at one listening position and felt that height and room-envelopment, while good, were surpassed by other speakers.
Dynamics
92/100
The review reports ample pep and says the speakers can really sing with suitable amplification. Bass slam and dynamic drive were singled out as clear strengths, particularly given the stand-mount format.
Assessments of Build Quality, Usability, and Overall Propositions.
Build Quality
82/100
The reviewer did not hear obvious cabinet-related nastiness, but noted that the walls are thinner than expected and that there is no internal bracing. Buchardt’s design rationale is that the enclosure does not require it, though the review offers limited direct evidence about finish quality, terminals, or long-term durability.
Value for Money
85/100
The review calls the speaker not cheap, citing €1,800 for the standard finish and €1,900 for smoked oak; the supplied product listing gives a $2,500 price. It does not directly compare the S400 with similarly priced rivals or reach a firm verdict on whether it represents exceptional value at those prices.
Reviews & Sources
Professional reviews and sources for this product's Watt'n Potatoes analysis.
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Specifications
- Operating principle
- 2-way passive radiator system
- Tweeter
- 1 x 0,74" Custom fine weave soft fabric textile with CDC aluminum waveguide
- Mid / woofer
- 1 x 6" Linear long stroke paper cone
- Passive Radiator
- 1 x 5x8" Long stroke passive radiator
- Impedance
- 4 ohms
- Sensitivity
- 87 dB
- Frequency response
- 33 - 40.000 Hz +/- 3dB (in-room)
- Crossover point
- 1800hz
- Power recommendation
- 40 - 200 W
- Measurements
- 365 x 180 x 280 mm (14.4" x 7" x 11")
- Weight
- 7.5 kg each / 16.7 kg shipped
- Speaker grilles
- Included
- Warranty
- 20 years for the original buyer, 10 years for a secondhand buyer
- Cabinet
- 15mm HDF with internal bracing
Manufacturer's Description — Buchardt Audio
Is the right one for you?
Even though it shares the same appearances as its predecessor, the speakers are actually quite a different experience when you listen to them.
It is a speaker that is all about enjoying the music! Being more engaging, it lets you dive right into your favorite music collections and forgetting all about HiFi equipment for a moment. The physical appearance is both compact and elegant, yet it carries a level of bass performance you would expect from a way larger speaker.
A short summary of the individual parts in relation to the original:
Soundstage
We are experiencing both an enhanced width and especially depth, thus providing a remarkable improvement. It provides a big, spacious 3D experience, and if you close your eyes, it really places you right into the concert hall at the center row! The background is very dark, and you have an amazing instrument separation within the soundstage which is highly addictive! Dynamics tend to really pop out within the sound stage as well.
Tweeter
Although it's the same tweeter as its predecessor, it sounds way different with the new crossover in place. We find it to be very well-balanced between detailed and relaxed. In fact, with the new version, the tweeter is one part that you will more or less forget about, in a good way. This is partially because of a new crossover design with the use of high-end components within the crossover. We did use a great amount of time reviewing different combinations of capacitors and resistors. In the end we settled with using an ultra high-end CU/paper/oil capacitor from Miflex mixed with amazing parts from Jantzen Audio Denmark namely their Cross-caps, baked air core inductors and Superres resistors. The results are an amazingly balanced and neutral presentation.
Midrange
The tonality and balance of how it presents human vocals is quite remarkable, and is one of the things that we have been putting a lot of attention towards in the new design. It should be pretty apparent that human voices have taking a very high priority here.
Bass
As all of our previous speakers, the new version is no slouch either when it comes to bass extension. The new 6" bass driver delivers very deep bass notes both defined, tight and articulate. The big, oversized inductors in the new crossover design are also worth mentioning. The inductors are wound with thick 1,6 mm high-purity copper wire, assuring clean non-distorted sound.
Verified Dealers
Online Dealers
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Authorized dealers for Buchardt Audio S400 MKII Color Signature Edition
- 110Hz — online and in-store — Kielce, Województwo świętokrzyskie, Poland (website)
- All Elite Audio — online and in-store — Perry Hall, Maryland, United States (website)
- Audio Magic - EU — online and in-store — Wola, Województwo mazowieckie, Poland (website)
- HiFi Pilot — in-store — Eisingen, Baden-Württemberg, Germany (website)