Dayton Audio B652 Air. How good can a $55 Speaker be? Pretty good
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- čas přidán 19. 11. 2020
- #dayton audio #speakerreview
Can a $55 dollar speaker be any good? In a word, yes.
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Thanks for taking the time to review the B652! Keep an eye out for some new Dayton Audio bookshelf speakers coming soon!
New ones release yet?
What's the ETA on them?
Taking the woofer off and filling the enclosure with acoustic stuffing helps smoothen the sound a little. It's a very cheap way to improve the sound.
These look like they would fit my "work at a church, just bought a house, expecting a baby" budget
They actually aren’t bad. They are thin. But they got me through a couple of years.
@@jasonreyes9504 I actually picked up a pair of Boston Acoustic CR65's on FB Marketplace so I'll try those for awhile
@@David-bb7mtahhh. Much better than the Dayton’s. Happy listening.
😂😂😂😂😂
Your impressions are spot on. Props for the honesty and straight forwardness, something we really need more of on YT. I have yet to mount them directly on the wall, but since moving them closer to the wall on my desk and getting angled desk mounts it did improve the sound. I am running these speakers on my desk, now that I got Elac B6’s for the main system. They have very good clarity and resolution but i found them lacking in the lower mids. Just didnt have enough weight to the music and I found myself turning the volume way up to get anything exciting out of them. Agree on them being unbalanced and a bit too tinny in the midrange, that is my biggest complaint with them.
It's tough to get a well balanced speaker at $55. I give them props for getting close. With a real crossover I think they could sound much better. Problem is there are just so many better speakers for just a bit more money. Thanks for the comment. Check out my speaker comparison of speakers under $100. I'll compare these to 3-4 other speakers.
Just picked up a pair of these, pleasantly suprised by their sound.
Been using my pair for ~6y now and all I can say is get them
i've watched this video at least 5 times. I already purchased my first set of HiFi speakers after binge watching half of your channel, and ended up with used pair of Wharfedale Diamond 225 that are braced and have insulation, plus a beefy cross over network and costed me maybe 50% more than these were new and they sound amazing, I started listening to music again, and even though I am extremely impressed and happy with them somehow deepdown inside me I wish I went with these for my first set of speakers and upgraded them down the path
Same, I watched a bunch of cheap audio man "best budget speaker" complations and then ended up with some Wharfedale Diamond 6R's. I'm jealous tho cause the 225's are nicer speakers and I prolly paid a comperable price for my 6R's that you did for yours. Anyways, I wouldn't be too disssapointed if I were you cause you got a great deal!
I was waiting for a detailed review on these and/or their towers! I have a 15 inch HO sub in my SUV and its surprisingly musical. I have to say, for the price, Dayton does very well. Cant wait for the speaker shoot out!
Neither can I. I love the Speaker Saturday Shootout
I decided to get back into music because I lost part of my hearing from a dam virus. What sucks is the tinnitus. A constant buzz in my right ear that sounds like a clipping speaker. So, of all places my first stop was Good Will. I found a Pioneer VSX-602S. Back in the day it cost $600 brand new and I picked it up for a dollar. All the electronics were working. The speakers sound good as well. I added a external Bluetooth device for $20 bucks, which means one of my VCR inputs is now my iPad input wirelessly.
I thought about an old cassette drive but thought this a bit too dated. Then I thought about all these records in a corner of Good Will for a buck a piece. So I went online for a used turntable. I found something called Pro-Ject Debut for $350. Unfortunately the seller thought that there wouldn’t be a problem sending it with the turntable still attached, tone arm unsecured, and no insulation to protect the dust cover. I contacted the seller who was more concerned with filing a claim with USPS then helping me out. The good news is that eBay found in my favor and I was able to send it back. Just for kicks, as I have a degree in electronics, I wanted to know what it would take to repair the unit. The scratches and dings from the corner of the plater was cosmetic however, the bent tone arm would need replacing. I looked online and nothing jumped at me. So, I tried a local distributor and had a talk with them. I told them what had happened and they said it was probably a online scammer working eBay. He had heard of just this scenario happening before. They sell you something that was damaged before shipping, package it up in the worst possible way, and then blame the shipper for the damage. I’m not a vindictive person and tend to be too s trusting of my fellow man. It has cost me money, jobs, wife, but not my soul. The good news was that he had the exact turntable that seemed to hang around his store that he would sell me at cost.
I paid for it online and drove to the other side of to pick it up at “Houston Audio”. I new nothing about there business but had high hopes. I ended up driving to a very wealthy side of town. Keep in mind that there aren’t any zoning laws so you will see million dollar homes next to a ratty convenient store or laundromat (and Starbucks). A few blocks off of the freeway was an area of old warehouses. There with a bashed in brick front was the store. I was wondering if I had made a mistake. The sign on the outside said “ By Appointment only - call number”. Well, I had an appointment and was there at the right time. I called and a lady answered the phone. She knew who I was and said to look at the brick wall. I did and she began to tell me about the cars that had hit the front a few nights prior. She then said that to come around to another door. Someone would greet me there. I did and the guy who sold me the turntable had it right there for me to pick up. He also asked if I would like to come in and look around. I said sure. Upon entering I had no idea what was there. You see, this wasn’t just any store. This was a hidden treasure with stereo systems, speakers, turntables, all costing into the thousands. A football player for Houston was there buying a unit including a TV which filled an entire wall. His turntable cost in the thousands. It made the one I was buying look like a toy. I was impressed just by looking at these 5 foot speakers until they turned up the volume. My tinnitus fell away was the music fell over my eardrums like a warm blanket on a cold night.
Finding out how well speakers helped me encourage a search for obtaining good speakers. I wasn’t going to be able to afford high-end. However, I thought about building my own. I looked at some of the kits from “Parts-Express”. They seem to sell components made by “Dayton”. So, are they any good? I see there cases are just okay but what about their speaker components? How do they stand up to the units I saw and heard for thousands?
I got these Dayton Audio speakers on Amazon for $59 and was amazed how good they sound for that price. True the finish isn't that great but they sound awesome on the wall at ear level. Had them first on the dresser and when playing load they actually started to move a lot even with the pads on the bottom. These are only good on the wall. Definitely need a sub woofer with these.
I was new to speakers when I bought these and I could not believe how much better they sounded once I got them off my desk.
It never occurred to me that was a thing lmfao. You figure stuff like that out and it kinda feels like you found money on the ground or something lol
You Rock dude. Thanks for you're reviews...
Yea i was thinking exactly the same. A fun project, buy these speaker & build new sturdier enclosures for them maybe @ 30% bigger so it will improve the bass and of course an upgraded crossover
I love this guy's honesty
Great little speakers, that hit way above their price point! The CHEAPEST (and simplest) MOD you can do to these for even better sound, is the ELMER'S GLUE ALL mod. I kid you not. This mod will add instant structural rigidity to the speaker, and seal off any air leaks where the back of the speaker meets the sides. Place the speakers face down on a soft, level surface, then fill the back surface area completely with Elmer's Glue All, and let completely dry for a few days. Pour just enough glue so that none spills over the sides. When the glue hardens completely, your speaker will have much improved rigidity, and leak-proof air isolation, and sound tighter and punchier! You're welcome.
The shitty poly cone 6.5 that dayton recommends working best in a .40 cubic feet enclosure that they shoved in the b652's .15 cubic feet enclosure is the problem. Swap that out with silverflute 6.5s or dayton audio classic 6.5s and the speaker becomes a different league.
I tried the elmer glue mod, and they sound better! Much tighter and stronger bass and better highs for sure!
@@Jeffdachefz Fill with poly batting to make that .15 cu ft enclosure perform more like a .3 cu ft enclosure, deepens the bass. Add a volume control to the back in-line with the tweeter before the filter cap, then you can tune down the treble a bit just like some 70s-80s speaker brands.
I replaced the crossover with a 2nd order one from parts express, and swapped out the woofers for a better one. Next change is to rebuild the cabinets and add a port. $50 becomes a $350 speaker pair that sounds great!
Crossover frequency? This is exactly what I wanna try.
I can't wait to see you do a review on their T652 AIR tower speakers!
I actually own 4 pairs of these. I also own several other sets of cheap speakers. ($250 and lower) I compare every other speaker to these, and sure, there are better speakers in this price range. But nothing that just completely blows them away. Like Randy says, they're a great entry level speaker. Well worth the money.
They're awesome for the money.
What would be the better speakers in this price range???
Thanks for the spot in review. How about the T652 tower speakers?
Yea, I think these win my search, maybe add a crossover later. Thanks!
In the Netherlands they are availble too, now, since some weeks, I bought 1 set. Not this type but the B652 . Just a try out, unfortunaly the price is some more highter because of the tax and custom costs. But, oh boy, I was surprised about the sound...wow, awsome....I know, I will buy another set too, and then I want to have this one you are reviewing. I also bought some 3" drivers for my just bought new Bamboo cabs. Oh man, that sounded awsome. To be honest, better then my JBL speakers and these are already top! (small speakers too) today I connected these Bamboos at my computer, use a DAC of Aiyima and an amp from fosi, the 10 model. And oh, boys and girls, unbelievable. Its a good choise to buy Daytone.
I really liked your honest review.I have these speakers and I like them, but I agree on the treble part being a little harsh on some songs. I'm considering buying the T652-air. Would the T652-air be a worthy upgrade over the B652-air paired with a subwoofer?
I bought these (Amazon - $49.00/pr sale) for my garage workshop. Paired with an unused Panasonic AV receiver. Honestly, they're the best garage speakers I've ever had. Well, OK...they're the only garage speakers I've ever had, but they're way better than the FM radio I used to have. On occasion I've brought them indoors and put them in my office. Rolled off the treble a bit. Bottom line, for me...totally worth what Parts Express or Amazon is selling them for...provided you're not looking for high-end speakers in your life. I enjoy them
I’ve been watching many of your speakers reviews and I’m looking to build a small garage system. Would the Dayton audio 2.1 mini amp pair well with these?
thanks..I have some Daytons with the tweeter and dual 6 1/2 speakers..i have not unwrapped them yet..
I have a pair of these for rear surrounds. Work very well for that!
To improve these speakers: buy a 5 way binding post with a round mounting cup. Drill right through the speakers cheap push in connection plate with the correct size hole saw. Use a good solen capacitor about 8uf. Stuff the box with home wall insulation. Total cost for this improvement about $20ish.
thanks for the review. I was wondering why this set is cheap.
Love Dayton Audio!
I'm curious on buying all the drivers and etc, and building my own enclosures, in the attempt to make a decent surround sound system at a low cost.??
You care about the build quality and the sound quality. Thank you for this honest review. Do you have recommendations around $100/pair to$150/pair?
Sony SSCS5 when they're on sale, Elac BS41, Jamo S803 (their 5 channel set can often be had for less than $200 amzn.to/3tpx9de
Sounds like an excellent speaker for experimenting with a do-it-yourself crossover.
I'm 58 years old. Years ago I had some budget floor standing Radio Shack speakers with a similar crossover design (a tweeter capacitor). One evening I was in the backyard barbequing and had the volume up (amp = Sansui 9090) so I could hear them outside. It wasn't long before one of the woofers failed. The next day I opened up the failed speaker and that's when I discovered there was no real crossover. I also saw how cheap the woofers were. I ordered a pair of economical but decent woofers and second order crossovers from what was then MCM Electronics. What a world of difference that made. I thought the speakers sounded pretty good stock. I had no idea how much better they could sound. I suspect these speakers would improve just as much. In addition to the crossover I'd see if I could slip in a port as well. 70 Hz. seems a little high as the low end of the frequency response for a speaker with a 6.5" woofer. A port could extend that down to something more typical like 50 or 55.
Good foray into audio tinkering! I grabbed a new pair of these B652-Airs for $56.50 (shipped w/ tax) recently, to disassemble and use in my truck. Cheaper than buying the AMT tweeters and 6.5 woofers separately... frees up the tuning budget :)
Spent a few hours in WinISD plugging in values, poring over frequency response charts. No matter how you set crossovers, the AMT and 6.5" struggle to reach each other in the midrange. They're crossed at 4.5khz with a 6db slope from factory. That's really as low as the AMT will go before losing major SPL, -10db from 5500k-4khz before introducing a crossover. The 6.5" woofer runs out of steam well before the lowpass point. Beaming, phase stuff, weirdness above 1.5khz. This results in exceptionally sloppy off-axis performance from 1k-4k.
Upgrading the crossover to 2nd order would allow you to clean up some of the phasing, but you'd be left with an even bigger hole in mid-range frequency response that'd have to be fixed with EQ.
My idea- I've got a couple 2.5" wideband drivers that'd fit the bill for the mid-range hole. With a Linkwitz-Riley 4th order bandpass (24db slope) from 950hz/7600hz. We'll see how it goes. All in theory, bahahahah.
Got these today. They are shouty and the bass is meh, but I tried them out in my living room. These were bought to live in the garage gym where they have to compete with a large 60dB fan. Out there these will do great with my BT20A.
I have these without the "air". They are OK. I am thinking of replacing them, but I can't decide because I have analysis paralysis. I am thinking about building a parts express kit. When I listen to different speakers, I have a hard time deciding which ones sounds better, only that they sound different.
I know what you mean. When I was younger and working at RadioShack, I was really into comparing speakers. I often picked louder ones, or one with more bass, unless they had that poor sounding upper-bass hump, I never liked that. As I got older, I started leaning to wanting speakers to be more even across the spectrum. I still have a hard time specifically listening for detail.
Would this be good for rear speakers
How do these compare to the Edifier R1280T Powered Bookshelf Speakers? What would be a better option for computer near field listening?
budget minded?...JBL 305s or Klispch 2.1 Promedia
Bigger budget....Mackie 624
I've heard those ones are mostly used in home theater config
will these speakers be an upgrade over my current Logitech Z333's?
These are on sale for 38 as a renewed stock. Is it worth a gamble?
What about the - Dayton Audio HTA100BT Hybrid Stereo Tube Amplifier ??? Have you reviewed one of these ? Would you ??? I hear good things , but not from you . Wuzup ?
nice budget speakers, close to the Micca ones
Miccas fit and finish are way better but should be for the difference in price. Thanks for watching. Much appreciated.
@@cheapaudioman always, I am your regular
Hey, I can get these or the Moukey m20-1 (you only ever refered to them as the Moukey passive speaker :) ) for the same price. Which would you go for?
Looking at upgrading to an Atmos system, and these seem perfect to fit in the exposed basement joists for that purpose. Not looking to spend a whole lot for overhead speakers.
@@moniack sounds good 👍 dont blow em up lol
Thinking of getting 4 of these for my dolby atmos speakers. Messing with home theater since the early 90's I'm convinced you don't need super high quality or matching model/brand speakers for surround channel information.
Anyway, I read somewhere on the interwebs that reversing the polarity of the tweeter makes these sound much better. Might be fun to mod these like this and dynamat and foam stuff this speaker enclosure and see what they sound like.
I got these and set them up for dolby atmos speakers and they sound great. Lined the inside with dynamat type material and foam stuffing. Crossed over on my denon at 100hz and they are crisp. Nice detail relaying surround information. Very happy with them.
can you fill me in on exactly what you did to them, as far as which crossover you installed, & where to get them, & the dynamat material etc?
@@AlexWheely-bx7pk Didnt touch the crossover. Just added sound deadening to the inside panels. Do not even have to cover the whole panel. Did this and added a handful of acoustic foam (Poly Fill) to each speaker.
The information that sent over the Atmo's channels isnt full range. Just have to have a speaker thats relatively efficient and wont rattle or anything.
hi for music production what £200 speaker do u recommend
i just ordered a pair i didnt get them yet but i kinda wish i didnt anyway what mods can i do? Does anyone have a recommendations on cross crossovers
Its funny i bought these speakers specifically because i was poor (and my ear wasnt that refined).
Now my ear is better but im still poor and i am scrounging the bottom of the barrel for a cheap sub for them cus man you are right the low end is rough. I had them flat on the desk for so long and i couldn't believe how much they improved once i hung them last week.
Running them through a 15 dollar Amp, 60 dollar dac and NGL they actually sound kinda good. Maybe $250 good at best, but hey i think im somehow only $90 in on this system.
Boutta slap a $20 craigslist sub on them and call it a day.
I still wish i had me some dac money tho
Call Randy I love you man I tell you you are so accurately nervous on camera in these old videos right now at parts Express you can buy a pair of these for $59 delivered which means you can buy 12 pairs 24 to fill up your basement with a little bit of sound for under 600 bucks and that's in November of 2023 so if you just need some sound to occupy your brain will you working on something in the basement 600 bucks 12 pair of speakers 24 speakers total that is going to make a wonderful 😊😊 wall of sound. In fact for about 1200 bucks you could fill 2 walls opposing each other basically into a true wall of sound really cheap I pay and bought headphones that cost more than 48 of of these speakers wow weight of steel if you ask me if you want to fill your basement with one large sound of...
Just picked up a pair for rears for 35
I’ve watched a ton of your videos now and the biggest thing we are missing is binaural sound. So far I haven’t actually seen any reviews with a demo.
Awesomeee
ribbons tweeter are directional. Superior speaker but they don't work if you are slightly to the side.
How about introducing a port to the rear side of the enclosure?
Some folks have talked about doing Ports snd it’s reported that it does give kne better bass
Are Dayton comparable to Acoustic Audio products?
I haven't heard the acoustic audio products unfortunately
@@cheapaudioman Acoustic Audio is made by Goldwood.
Also I know you were and have been focusing on book shelf speakers but I'm looking for powered 10" subwoofer in the not bust the bank $150 range. These are some I found but would love if you could grab a couple beverages open up a big pit and do a subwoofer shootout?
Thanks love the channel from another person that doesn't think you have to sell an organ to listen to a good sounding system.
www.amazon.com/dp/B0764NV2ZD/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_fabc_rDp3FbGF9XTWH
www.amazon.com/dp/B07FFCQ2FF/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_fabc_XOp3FbD5G512B?_encoding=UTF8&psc=1
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Add better woofer or midbass driver reinforce cabinet add real xover net work and good speaker connections and then a good subwoofer & amp
A simple series resistor pretty much cures the "shoutiness" -- that AMT is simply voiced 3-4 dB too "hot." In a 2.1 setup with a modest sub, they're OK for TV watching, but IMO not for sustained music listening. As for the surround role -- IMO no, they're distractingly "boxy" sounding for that job if your front speakers are any good at all -- nothing brings out a mediocre speaker's shortcomings like the company of decent speakers.
It already has a 3 ohm series resistor, I read a 6 ohm would get it about right and my obsrvation of the cap is it is too high - 6.8 should be changed for 4uF and the woofer could do with a 0.3mH coil
@@vaughntonkin539 -- Probably true, but just as probably not worth the time and money considering the dubious performance of the woofer and the inadequately stuffed, thin-walled enclosure. The resistor I put in is in series with the one that's already there BTW -- that and making sure the tweeter's electrical polarity reversed with reference to the woofer's (early ones weren't, current ones are) are IMO the only worthwhile measures to take for such a cheap and cheaply made product.
@@editorjuno Mine are the reversed polarity update, the coil tamed down the upper mids
I just recently moved into a new "apartment" and my neighbors below me do not like my JBL 306P's at all. I have the boundary EQ set to -3db and they still constantly text me and ask me to turn my music down. Extremely obnoxious and since I've moved in I only listen to music with headphones since I have to be extremely conscious of how much bass there is. These interest me since they have less bass, which should annoy my neighbors less and allow me to not have to wear headphones every single time I want to listen to music. However, I know the tweeter is way better than the driver (which I'm guessing why you say they're so shouty), so I was reading that people swap the driver for the Dayton DC160 and fill it with polyfill to improve the sound and flatten the response a little. But I don't know if this will be better than just buying a pair of speakers around the $120 price point.
At any rate, I need something with less bass than these JBL's as these things dig fairly deep for a 6.5" monitor. I'd prefer to keep the same off axis flexibility if possible, which is why the AMT tweeter seems like it'd be a decent replacement for the tweeter on the JBL.
Sony sacs5’s are good and don’t have really slamming bass and they are normally around $120
@@cheapaudioman Thanks very much. I'll give them a listen over at the local best buy and determine if the bass is light enough that I won't get a text as soon as I run sound through them.
I had that same issue when I was in an apartment, listening in my office on speakers with 4" woofers. I solved it by getting some cheap acoustic foam, the stuff I found was only $15 for 8 of the 6 inch squares one inch thick. I put two of those under each speaker on my desk. The noise complains from the neighbor went away. What was happening is the vibration of the speaker moving from enclosure, through wood desk, through the thin carpet (carpet and pad compress under weight of desk), then vibrating the floor/ceiling going right into the neighbors downstairs. The foam does a decent job blocking these vibrations.
@@javaman2883 these people complained if a mouse farted but fortunately I've since moved! Haha
I'm not sure if there's a speaker out there that wouldn't have had those people up in arms, they even complained when I used my bluetooth speaker!
I did get some foam though and I have them under the JBL's now and I can listen to them again.
You really get what you pay for. I bought them because they were praised as the best speaker for this price, and I expected $200 range sound. Oh boy was I disappointed from my own excessive expectation. It sounds muddy and lacks clarity to me but neither is full and rich, similar to many other sub 100 speakers
These cost 100 euros now, so they've gone up in price. are they still good value for money at that price?
You can get them as renewed stock on parts express for 38 usd now. Basically free.
I wanted to like them. But I just couldnt. They are just too cheap. Definitely need a crossover and a much better enclosure. The drivers are ok. With the price of upgrades required. When the Sonys go on sale. Kinda hard to beat for someones first audiophile speakers. Its very difficult to live with and recommend anything cheaper then the Sonys on sale.
Just realized these are not ported. Interesting.
I paid $39✌️
nice
@@cheapaudioman I was curious about them. They're good enough for most, and great for a garage or workshop.
For under $100, or $55 for that matter, and if I was an audiophile on a shoestring budget, I'd look to craigslist or ebay. As I might've mentioned, not too long ago a picked up a pair of like new Infinty Primus P163 for $40. Like a pair of baby Revels if you ask me.
@@pkdude5334 nice
@@pkdude5334 Wow! Great deal!
for the price of $55 IMO you won't find anything better
Good thing I put them against the wall.....
this speaker is very bad dont not buy