FAQ - S300

1. How much power do I need?

 

In general, we recommend S300 owners to consider amps that are capable of delivering a solid 50wpc (into 8 ohms) or higher.

 

Please note:  We cannot, with absolute certainty, tell you how much power you will need to safely fuel the S300's to your taste.  The answer will hinge on the room that you plan on putting them in along with your general listening habits.  For example:

 

If you intend on using the S300's in a small room and/or listen at low to moderate volumes, then you can get away with as little as 15wpc.  On the flip side, if you have a large, open space to fill and/or if you like to crank the music, then you will an amp that's capable of delivering 100wpc or more. 

 

2. Will the S300 work well with tube amplifiers?

 

Yep!  As mentioned above, the S300 can sound wonderful with as little as 15wpc.  It bears repeating however, that this combo will be most ideal for someone who listens at moderate volumes. 

 

3. What amplifiers brands do we recommend?

 

This is really a question we can’t answer, as it’s a very personal preference of what sound signature you like. Our speakers are tuned to be pretty neutral sounding, meaning that if you like some coloration, may that be to the warm of brighter side, you can mix and match with brands. All our speakers work well with everything we tested, they are not skeptical on amp matching. However, you will be rewarded when using a good quality one!

 

 4. How long does it take to break them in?

 

50 hours will get you most of the way there.

 

Why is this important? S300 uses very large rubber surrounds on the woofer. The rubber is pretty stiff out of the box and needs “massage” to soften up and thereby be easier to drive to simplify it. This will give a better bass performance and makes the integration to the tweeter better as well. You can expect an pretty dramatic change in sound throughout the hours you put in to them.

 

 

What is the best way to break-in my speakers?

 

Use them!  Listen to your music.  Enjoy your movies.  Catch up on your audio books.  Run pink or brown noise through them if that's your thing.  The consistent variable will be play time.  Keep those woofers movin'.

 

 

5. I need to place them close to a wall, will they work?

 

The S300's perform best when you give them room to breathe.  Ideally 2-3 ft (0.6-1m) away from any major piece of furniture or wall boundary. 

 

If you must place them against a wall, there are a few things you can do to control the bass output.  You can use an EQ, a DSP (room correction) to tone down the room gain / room modes. Its simply the side effect of having a speaker that has output in the low frequencies.

 

Alternatively, you can experiment by plugging the rear-ports with foam, a t-shirt, socks or any other soft material, this can actually be very effective!

 

Kick back and enjoy you Buchardt speakers!