Home / Audio / Speakers

A Renowned Audiophile Brand Just Reimagined Its Signature Bookshelf Speakers

The company claims it’s a new chapter for one of its most important speakers.

Close-up of a black speaker cone mounted in a wooden speaker cabinet with a plant blurred in the background.Buchardt Audio
Add Gear Patrol as a Preferred Source on Google

By Tucker Bowe

Published

·

If you buy from a link, we may earn a commission. Learn more

Buchardt Audio is a Danish hi-fi manufacturer that specializes in audiophile-grade bookshelf speakers that sound way bigger and better than they should. And because it ships them directly to consumers, they cost less than they should, too. (Albeit, they’re still pricey.)

The S400 is one of the brand’s signature high-end models. The passive bookshelf speakers were first released in 2019, but then the company introduced second-generation (or MK2) models, which looked the same but featured updated components and an improved crossover, in 2021.

Now, Buchardt Audio has introduced third-generation (or MK3) models of its S400 bookshelf speakers. But unlike before, the brand is calling them a complete redesign.

Black rectangular speaker with two drivers and a detached grille leaning on a wooden surface next to a potted plant and a toy car.
Compared to their predecessors, the S400 MK3 feature a larger cabinet and new drivers, and promise a far superior sound.
Buchardt Audio

Bigger cabinets

That’s right, with the S400 MK3, Buchardt Audio claims that almost everything about the bookshelf speakers is new and that the only component that isn’t new is the binding posts.

The most noticeable difference from its predecessors is that the S400 MK3 is a bigger speaker. The cabinet volume of each speaker has been increased by 18 percent, which the company says allowed them to “push the performance envelope further while maintaining the elegant proportions of the original design.”

Wooden speaker cabinet with two black speaker drivers, one large and one smaller, in natural light.
The cabinet volume of the MK13 is 18 percent larger than the previous MK2 speakers.
Buchardt Audio
White rectangular speaker with large black drivers on a shelf next to a plant.
The MK3 in white.
Buchardt Audio

Driver upgrades

Buchardt Audio has given the speakers new drivers, too.

They feature a larger 7.5-inch woofer that offers 65.5 percent greater displacement headroom than the MK2. According to the brand, this allows them to “play louder, cleaner and with greater authority.”

This woofer features a paper-cone driver with a neodymium motor, which Buchardt Audio says provides a slight increase in sensitivity, thus making the MK3 easier to drive and more compatible with a wider range of amplifiers.

Wooden speaker with metal back panel and two black knobs on a light-colored table near a potted plant and toy car.
Unlike their predecessors, the MK3 have been redesigned as a bass reflex system.
Buchardt Audio
Close-up of Buchardt Audio S400 MK3 speaker terminals on a brushed metal panel.
The binding posts are the only component that the MK3 and MK2 have in common.
Buchardt Audio

The tweeter is larger and has been redesigned, too.

The MK3 speakers feature a 26 mm ultra-light aluminum dome tweeter powered by a neodymium motor (similar to the woofer) that is bonded directly into the newly developed 7.5-inch aluminum waveguide.

According to the brand, this allows the tweeter to deliver “the speed and transient precision of a hard dome while maintaining the smooth, fatigue-free presentation that S400 owners have always appreciated.”

Rectangular wooden speaker with two large black circular speaker covers, placed on a black tripod stand.
Buchardt includes black fabric grilles.
Buchardt Audio
Close-up of a wooden speaker cabinet showing a black tweeter and part of a woofer with sunlight casting shadows.
The S400 MK3 with natural wood veneer.
Buchardt Audio

Port in the back

Additionally, the larger cabinet and new drivers convince Buchardt Audio to transition the S400 MK3 from a passive-radiator design to a bass-reflex system. That’s right, there’s a rear-mounted port.

This design change promises to help the speakers deliver deeper and better controlled bass.

Wooden speaker cabinet with two black speaker cones, one large and one smaller, with a plant in the background.
The S400 MK3 with a real walnut veneer.
Buchardt Audio

Availability and pricing

The Buchardt Audio S400 MK3 speakers are available to preorder now and are expected to start shipping in late summer 2026.

As for finishes, you’ve got four options. The speakers are available in two colors (black or white) at $2,400/pair. Or you can choose two options of real wood veneers (walnut or natural), which cost about $150 extra.

Wooden bookshelf speaker with black cone drivers on a black tripod stand.Buchardt Audio

Buchardt Audio S400 MK3

Buchardt Audio’s S400 MK3 is the third-generation of the Danish company’s S400 bookshelf speakers. And almost everything about the bookshelf speakers is new, except the binding posts. The S400 MK3 speakers are 18 percent bigger, feature new drivers, and have transitioned from a passive-radiator design to a bass-reflex system. Buchardt Audio says these upgrades allowed them to “push the performance envelope further while maintaining the elegant proportions of the original design.”
About the Author: Tucker Bowe has been on Gear Patrol’s editorial team since 2014. With a passion for consumer tech and hi-fi, he tracks everything from headphones and turntables to smartphones and wearables. If it lights up or makes noise, he probably covers it.

Read More

Want to stay up to date on the latest product news and releases? Add Gear Patrol as a preferred source to ensure our independent journalism makes it to the top of your Google search results.

add as a preferred source on google
,