In this review, we will be comparing A500 and LSX, two Powered Bookshelf speakers from Buchardt and KEF. Being Powered speakers, they both have built-in amplifiers so you don't need an external power amp or an integrated amp to power them.
Let's have a brief look at the main features
of Buchardt A500 and KEF LSX first before getting into our more
detailed comparison.
Buchardt A500 Key Specs
- 3-way Design
- 450-watt RMS( 1320-watt Peak) Integrated Amplifier
- 0.74" aluminum waveguide Tweeter
- 6" Midrange
- 6" paper Woofer
- 25-40k Hz Frequency Response
- 24-bit Max Depth / 192kHZ Max Sample Rate
- Weight:9.00kg
- Dimensions (H x W x D): 365.0" x 7" x 11"( 365.0 x 180.0 x 280.0mm )
KEF LSX Key Specs
- 2-way Design
- 200-watt RMS Integrated Amplifier
- 0.75" Hard-Dome Tweeter
- 4.5" Magnesium/Aluminium alloy Woofer
- 59-28k Hz Frequency Response
- 24-bit Max Depth / 96 kHz Max Sample Rate
- App Control Feature
- Weight:3.50kg
- Dimensions (H x W x D): 239.7" x 6.125" x 7.1"( 239.7 x 155.6 x 180mm )
In the following sections, we will get into more detail in order to better understand how the Buchardt A500 and KEF LSX compare and hopefully end up with enough arguments to decide which one of these loudspeakers is the better choice for you.
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Drivers
One of the fundamental differences between these two speakers is that A500 is a 3-way design whereas the LSX is a 2-way speaker. 3-way designs utilize a midrange driver in addition to the tweeter and woofer on 2-way designs. Designing a crossover for a 3-way speaker is a complicated process and generally increases the overall cost of the speaker.
| Driver |
Buchardt A500 |
KEF LSX |
|
Driver Setup
|
3-way
|
2-way
|
|
Tweeter
|
0.74-inch
|
0.75-inch
|
|
Midrange
|
1 x 6-inch |
- |
|
Woofer
|
1 x 6-inch
|
1 x 4.5-inch
|
A500 features a 0.74" fine weave soft fabric textile aluminum waveguide Tweeter , a 6" Midrange and 1 x 6" paper Woofer with a Crossover frequency at 150Hz and 1800Hz. On the other hand, the LSX features a 0.75" Aluminum Hard-Dome Tweeter and 1 x 4.5" Magnesium/Aluminium alloy Woofer .
Frequency Response
A500 has a frequency range of 25-40k Hz whereas LSX has a frequency range of 59-28k Hz. With a minimum frequency of 25Hz, the A500 can go significantly deeper on the low side and provide stronger bass compared to the LSX's min frequency of 59Hz.
Below graphs depict how these two speakers compare with the max, min and average values of the Min and Max Frequencies of other speakers in the Bookshelf class in our database.
Low Frequency
Bookshelf Speakers
High Frequency
Bookshelf Speakers
None of these speakers achieves full range experience which is commonly agreed as 20Hz-20kHz. In order to achieve lower lows / deeper bass, we recommend you pair these with a subwoofer. Visit our Powered Subwoofers section to find out more about the available options.
Physical Specs
Size of a speaker can sometimes become an important decision factor due to space constraints or in some cases purely for esthetic reasons. In this section, we are going to compare Buchardt A500's and KEF LSX's external dimensions. Buchardt A500 has external dimensions of 365.0 x 180.0 x 280.0mm ( 14.4 x 7 x 11inch) whereas KEF LSX has external dimensions of 239.7 x 155.6 x 180mm ( 9.4375 x 6.125 x 7.1inch) .
Buchardt A500 is clearly the larger of the two speakers. Its body is 24.4mm wider, 125.3mm taller and 100mm deeper than KEF LSX.
Below you can see the front view size comparison of Buchardt A500 and KEF LSX in scale.
Comparison image of Buchardt A500 and KEF LSX Size and External Dimensions
Base Surface Area Comparison
Base surface area of a loudspeaker may become a determining factor when the space in your room or desk is limited.
The base surface area of the Buchardt A500 is approximately 504.0cm2 / 78.1inch2 and base area of the KEF LSX is approximately 365.7cm2 / 56.7inch2. The A500 requires 38% more surface area than the LSX which gives it a small disadvantage on placement in tight spaces.
Here is an another comparison that shows both speakers on a BDI Octave Media Cabinet, next to a standard size amplifier and turntable in scale:
Size Comparison image of Buchardt A500 and KEF LSX on a Media Console