W5

“To say that the W5 blew our minds would be putting it criminally mild…”

Srajan Ebaen, 6moons.com

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Review Boenicke W5 SE+:

“Is dit’s werelds beste mini?”

hifi.nl, nederlands testrapport

“Ist das der beste Minimonitor der Welt?” (mit google übersetzte website)

“Is this the world’s best mini monitor”? (google – translated website)

“There are some other great sounding speakers in this price range, but none I can think of that combine understated style and outsized sound in such a diminutive package…”

Oliver Masciarotte, Audio Key Reviews (page 70)

“…Was ihn von vielen anderen mir bekannten Entwicklern unterscheidet, ist seine Bereitschaft, unkonventionelle Wege zu beschreiten, wobei er in Kauf nimmt, mit einigen Details bei “traditionell” denkenden Ingenieuren, Chemikern oder Physikern anzuecken und dementsprechend zu polarisieren. Ich habe eine ausserordentliche Wertschätzung für diesen Mut und halte ihn für den grössten Innovator im Lautsprecherbau der letzen Jahre…”

Amré Ibrahim, image hifi

“In my office, the Boenicke W5 look fantastic and sound even better than that.”

Scot Hull, Part-Time Audiophile

“Long story short, the unique W5s are the best monitors I’ve had the pleasure of familiarizing myself with thus far…”

David Grzyb, hifiknights.com

“…A pair of enclosures each no bigger than a family box of cornflakes, mounted on what looks like a spindly stand but sounding this good, was one of the biggest surprises of my long involvement with the hi-fi hobby…”

Chris Kelly, HIFI CRITIC

“…I wasn’t paying too much attention when I wandered into the CAD room. I snapped off a few photos and slipped into a seat in the second row and immediately began to enjoy the music. The last few seconds of the unfamiliar jazz track faded away and Leonard Cohen’s familiar voice filled the room, and I mean FILLED the room. But where was it coming from? It couldn’t possibly be from those tiny Boenicke speakers on their spindly stands. It couldn’t be, but it was. I actually laughed out loud; my notes simply say “Boenicke- Bloody Hell”. The soundstage was phenomenal, the depth and clarity unbelievable. How much of this was the CAD electronics, how much was the Boenickes, how much the Quadraspire rack system? I couldn’t say and I didn’t care but I came back to this room five times to make sure I hadn’t imagined it. I did say I wouldn’t rate the rooms but – don’t tell anyone – this one was my favourite.”

John Scott, HiFi Pig.com

“Pero creo que aportarán un cierto placer intangible a sus futuros propietarios.”

Manuel Segarra, amigoshifi.com

…the W5 have already many hours playing and I just want to really congratulate you on a superb set of speakers. Listening to Swiss Radio thru Tidal an a Devialet 200 (nothing super duper) is such a pleasant experience. Bass is there in such a level that you wonder where the subwoofer is. Those little things cannot be making all that sound. Mids and highs are clean and precise. In short a tremendous sound from your little pretty wood boxes!

Many larger speakers cannot compete with these W5. Thanks for selling them to me!!

G.C.

“…If your budget is generous and you have listening space constraints, I highly recommend the Boenicke Audio W5… these are the most impressive small speakers I’ve heard in a long, long while.”

Sujesh Pavithran, audiofi.net

“Sometimes you hear a speaker that redefines what you believed possible: A paradigm shift. How good are the W5SE+? Well, I purchased a pair…”

David Graham, Sales Manager @ Elite Audio UK

“…Really fabulous imaging is what I am getting with loads of detail and texture to the instruments…”

Stuart and Linette Smith, HiFi Pig.com

“…Dabei scheint sich der Lautsprecher vollkommen aus der Wiedergabe zu verabschieden, denn ausser Piano und Keith Jarret ist da einfach nichts…”

Olaf Sturm, hifi & records

“…Was die kleine W5 zeigte, schien wieder einmal die Grenzen von Physik und allgemeinem Verständnis zu sprengen…”

Christian Bayer, image hifi show report Westdeutsche HiFi – Tage 2017

”…With a suitable amplifier and room placement, a pair of W5 SEs do the ”disappearing act” in a way I’ve probably never experienced before…
…The laws of physics can not be bypassed, even with as clever solutions like the W5s have built-in, but if the room is not a hall, the amp is not a flea powered one, the music not for the head banging and the thickness of the wallet not an issue, then here you have a pair of small loudspeakers sounding more than good and big enough to be taken seriously even as a part of first rank systems…”

Jaakko Eräpuu,
Review in Finnish

“Quite simply the most stunning pair of bookshelf speakers we have heard – be prepared to be amazed.”

John Roberts, Midland Audio Exchange

“…Kein Lautsprecher erinnerte uns mehran ein edles Instrument als an ein Industrieprodukt als die supereleganten Konstruktionen von Sven Boenicke…”

Ingo Schulz, Fidelity-Magazin

“There might be quite few people out there being reserved and sceptical about the actual potency of W5 based on their size. Yet, upon first few notes strike things change dramatically…”

Matej Isak, monoandstereo.com

“Oh my God… The W5SE is magic! They produce more, wider, deeper than speakers 10 times bigger and 3 times as expensive. The deep powerful and realistic bass should be physically impossible. Charlie Haden was in my living room today, the same happened with Gene Ammonds. I have just experienced Swiss happiness in a box, and i’m emotionally shaken and just moved to tears…

Thomas Helleland Homme, Norway

“Die W5SE bringen für mich den Klanghimmel auf Erden.
Gänsehaut überkommt mich und Tränen des Berührtseins kullern über meine Wangen, wenn ich mich dem Klang hingebe, den diese Boenicke-Lautsprecher verschenken. Unglaublich. So einen klaren, lichtvollen Klang hatte ich zuvor noch nie gehört.
Ich kann es nicht anders beschreiben: eine neue Dimension der Wahrnehmung hat sich für mich dadurch geöffnet. Dieser Klang berührt alle Sinne. Er schmeckt sogar, nährt und sättigt. Auf genussvolle Weise. Danke für diese Bereicherung.”

Verena Kusstatscher, Wien

“Hence my ode to joy opener…”

Srajan Ebaen on the W5SE, 6moons.com

Fullrange passion Audio community

Review in Korean

…Und nach 15 Minuten sitzt maneinfach nur noch ergriffen und mit geschlossenen Augen vor diesen Wunderwerken und will nie, nie wieder aufhören, Musik zu hören… Was mich immer wieder zum Schwärmen und Schliessen meiner Augen verleitet, ist die unglaubliche Räumlichkeit dieser Lautsprecher und die damit einhergehende Transparenz und Durchhörbarkeit, die insbesondere akustische Instrumente in einer Präsent auf die Bühne zaubert, die ihresgleichen sucht – fast unabhängig vom Preis…

Michael Bruss, HiFi Lautsprecher Test Jahrbuch 2016

“…was ich besonders faszinierend finde: Wie sich Stimmen im Raum materialisieren.
Oft fügt der Eigenklang der Gehäuse den Stimmen ein Volumen zu, das sie nie hatten.
Der Mann wird zum Godzilla, die Frau zur Überamazone.
Hier stehen die Leute fast schon magisch im Raum. Sehr faszinierend.”

Christian Bayer, image hifi

“The W5 is a small wonder… it is a product far beyond typical audiophile phrases and is all about real music playing in your home, therefore it is a life changing product and definitely a big brand giant’s killer!

I wish every music lover had a pair!”

Primoz Hocevar, ART TRADE d.o.o.

Teste 1 Audio

Enthusiastic Review in Portugese

“Started writing a short message to you, turned into a novel: Will send out on the internet as I am so excited by your speakers. As a diehard vinyl enthusiast and hater of digital I am blown away by the speakers ability to play digital. No going back to vinyl.

I have heard lots of speakers over the years with my reference tracks (had Audes Blues 3 way full-range speakers for years, just recently auditioned the Harbeth Super HL5 plus, have listened to Magnepan 20.7s, high efficiency single drivers, horns – to be fair have not heard any Wilson Audio speakers – but have heard some systems in the 6 figure range in fully dedicated rooms). I call my reference tracks – the torture tracks – as they really reveal a system in areas I most prize (have not found a good classical song or heavy metal track to add on the torture rack as I am not familiar enough with what I should be hearing or listening for – only that violin is hard to get right).

Torture Tracks

Neil Young’s – Silver and Gold (close mic’d guitar strings and lots of cymbals): reveals top end clarity. As system components get better the cymbals become fuller and natural sounding (less sizzle and more metallic splash). W5SE speakers – best I ever heard by a lot.

Suzanne Vega – Tom’s Diner (a capella version). The better the components the voice becomes more human and smooth. Again – W5SE best I have ever heard (the closest: a friend’s heavily modded Almarra tube amp – was so smooth it was sticky – but I knew the sound was over sweetened).

Jennifer Warnes – Ballad of the Runaway Horse (track used for the Sumiko Iron Chef speaker setup – highly recommended). There is a standup bass naturally mic’d. As system sound enhances the bass tightens up and produces a clean clear central sound with the note coming from a distinct place (think string vibrating) and also the vocals become less harsh and more of a whispery sound. This one is harder to compare as “best” as it has a lot to do with room placement and room treatments – even just OK systems when properly set up can handle this well (conversely great systems setup poorly completely fail this). This was definitely a first that it accomplished these aspects with just setting them down in the room and hitting play (I feel due to its ability to image and less affected by the room due to its design). I want a proper match with an amp before I judge the bass.

I have never heard a component/system nail all three. For example the modded Almarra on custom built single drivers produced sweet vocals on the Vega track but fell apart on the other two (the bass was just mushy and spread across the room). Full range speakers would do great on the Warnes song but fall apart on Neil’s cymbals. No speaker, no system I have ever heard produced the cymbals on Silver and Gold well. I used it as a test, because I know the vinyl version well and on the vinyl it was always more metallic and distinct (but still vague). No digital system had previously even sniffed at the analogue – but somehow the W5SE blows away even the vinyl (my vinyl system had been: rebuilt, replinthed Lenco L75, Cayin KT88 integrated amp, Cartridgeman Air-bearing tonearm, Music Maker III cart, Denon 103, Graham Slee Reflex and 47 labs Phonostages). Completely unexpected.

A true first, and I do not know how it is accomplished, is that tracks I am very familiar with the vocals sound new as there is greater depth to the voice as an instrument (this is even when compared to vinyl version of the same track). It is not to be confused with the extra detail you get on vinyl – shape of the mouth, sound coming from the throat, saliva on a sax reed – it is more of an involvement in the sound taking place. There is no way to get speakers to sound like a live performance, but the only comparison I have to what these speakers do is at live small venue performances when the singers emotion comes through, there is this extra voicing coloration that comes through – this is what makes certain singers special. I have never heard this extra bit on vinyl or digital and can’t really put it into words. I am also surprised I have not heard this mentioned anywhere in reviews as it is so distinct. I have had plenty of goosebump experiences where the singer is right in the room, but this is something different and it comes through track after track. As a diehard vinyl guy this is a hard one to wrap my head around.

Don’t want to make a comparison on the digital vs analogue yet. I had my vinyl system for 10+ years and knew it well. Right now focusing on my digital experiences. These speakers are special and have me enjoying digital more than I thought possible. Not sure who coined it, but it is genius – the toe tap test. With analogue it is so easy to find your toe tapping to the music. With the W5SE speakers I am catching myself and others doing a lot of toe tapping.

Now the truly amazing part is that I am using my PS1 (playstation 1) as source and a severely underpowered amp (mini watt 8ohm – 2.5 watts: combined cost 300euro – so it is not properly gripping the speakers and filling the room: 40+ m2, 3m high ceilings). I have used this system with my Audes Speakers and self built Zigmahornet single drivers and they produced tolerable sound. The W5SE speakers are still breaking in and it is producing this exceptional sound. I have not even spent time properly setting them up in the room and they are sitting on two end tables. My Vinnie Rossi Lio (DAC, Amp) will arrive shortly and I cannot wait. Amazed at what these speakers bring to the table.

So glad I was able to get over the mental block of paying big speaker price for a small speaker. It is the audio equivalent of the Tardis time travel machine.”

Joshua Jacobson, Estonia

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This little beast of a bass driver is capable of 16 mm linear excursion. You have to hear to believe how much punchy bass it can generate from a 2.8 L volume.

Custom-made spring suspension effectively isolates W5 from your desktop, improving midrange lucidity, airiness and distortion figures.

Walk around the speakers and you still get it all: Our miniature ambient tweeter features an excellent off-axis response.

For this reason, the W5 has an excellent polar diagram – which is crucial for breathtaking sound staging capabilities.

Premium class WBT Next Gen binding posts.

TechTalk

Sensitivity: 83-86 dB / watt / m depending on frequency

Nom. impedance: 4 ohms

Weight: 3.5 kg / piece (speaker only)

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Standard Version

5″ long throw (X-max = 9,25mm) bass driver, tuned to 50 Hz, no crossover
3″ widebander made to spec, 1st order high pass filter, unique electromechanical 8-cm parallel spiral resonator installed
Internal wiring orientation-optimised silk-wrapped high-frequency stranded litz
WBT NextGen binding posts
Rear ambient tweeter
Harmonisation included

SE Version

Added 2-cm copper gold electromechanical parallel straight resonator to bass-midrange driver
Mundorf Silver-Gold-Oil capacitor for widebander, added Duelund Tinned Copper Foil 0.01 uF bypass capacitor
Harmonisation included

SE+ Version

2-cm copper / 2-cm copper gold straight resonator combination installed at both widebander and bass driver in series, in addition to the parallel device
Mundorf Silver-Gold-Oil capacitor for widebander, added Duelund Tinned Copper Foil 0.01 uF bypass capacitor
Harmonix RF-5700 tuning bases at widebander’s magnet
Added proprietary acoustic phase linearisation network
Harmonisation included

Trees

Choose from walnut, 4 sorts of oak, ash, core ash and cherry

Photo: Courtesy Vincenzo Picone