Customer Reviews

Great Option To Have Available

A great way to get your feet wet when searching for a new home speaker system. Nothing beats listening at home. The ability to move from speaker to speaker is awesome. A great system. It has really helped me narrow down my list of candidates. So many to choose from at Crutchfield.

Have questions for
?

Crutchfield response on

Great tool to select speakers

Amazingly easy to use - no drivers, no CODECS, no software: just plug & play. And, the Listening Kit enabled me to select a speaker that I had not even considered - and de-select one that I thought would do fine. Looking forward to the arrival of the shiny new Klipsch speakers!

Have questions for
?

Crutchfield response on

Crutchfield SpeakerCompare Listening Kit Rental

Headphones clarity was amazing. A lot of people commented on not being to preview other music on the website. There is an option to select some of your own music files if you have it saved on your computer or phone.

Have questions for
?

Crutchfield response on

SpeakerCompare Listening Kit

This has been a great way to compare many different speaker options simultaneously. Me and my wife both were able to share the headphones and decide which sound we liked associated with different speakers. Crutchfield also seems to have great deals on pricing and frequent sales/discounts so I look forward to making our first speaker purchase from them.

Have questions for
?

Crutchfield response on

A Great Solution to a Problem

I was reluctant to buy new speakers. I did a lot of looking and comparing specifications and reviews. Then I heard about Crutchfield Compare program. I received the kit and started listening. I found the speakers I thought were the best were not my first choice. I compared 22 different alternatives, then reduced the list and ordered my speakers. I now feel more confident I will like new speakers. It is an amazing well developed program. Thanks to the people who engineered this solution.

Have questions for
?

Crutchfield response on

Good Option

Easy shipping. Easy return. This headphone set is the best option without going to a show room. A wonderful sound experience comparing and listening to many speakers. Crutchfield needs to improve their music comparison list by adding more/varied musical pieces and increasing playing times of each.

Have questions for
?

Crutchfield response on

Crutchfield SpeakerCompare Listening Kit Rental

Great way to get a general idea of the sound differences between speakers. It helped me to remove several speakers I had on my "possible" list so hopefully I will be able to purchase the correct set the first time and not have to worry about returning speakers I don't like. It would have been nice to have access to some of the older, no longer sold, speakers to compare against so I could hear the differences between what I have and what I am looking to purchase using the same equipment.

Have questions for
?

Crutchfield response on

Very clear sound!

The speaker compare rental kit was great! I thought I knew what I wanted to purchase after listening on my own set of headphones. However after listening on the headphones that came in the speaker compare kit my choice has changed. It was so much more clear!

Have questions for
?

Crutchfield response on

So-so experience

Gave it a try. Tried listening to my music only when judging different speakers. Was trying to find floor speakers for living room TV. Some variance between the different speakers, but not a lot IMO. Happy Crutchfield is willing to try this and hope they improve upon it; there just aren't many stores where I can go and check out speakers in first person.

Have questions for
?

Crutchfield response on

Good tool could use some refinement

Unfortunately, I did not find much of a difference in my listening experience. Maybe the speakers were so close in specs that there was really not much of difference. I also found the music sections were too limited for my tastes and would have preferred a longer music clip, The switch from one speaker to another was difficult to get right. As Crutchfield says nothing beats an in person listening experience. I commend Crutchfield for creating this tool. With the limited inventories at retail providers I think this is a a great idea, however, it did not work so great for me.

Have questions for
?

Crutchfield response on

Crutchfield SpeakerCompare Listening Kit Rental

Outstanding service. With the lack of brick and mortar stores, this is the best way to screen your speaker purchase.

Have questions for
?

Crutchfield response on

Good, but with a grain of salt.

(Acquired to buy vehicle speakers.) Great concept. Sounds good. However, how can these give an accurate reproduction versus the speakers actually in the vehicle? So, yes, use them to compare speakers but keeping in mind all the factors that involve choosing speakers from lower quality/price to higher quality/price.

Have questions for
?

Crutchfield response on

Great idea, could be improved.

It's a great concept but could be improved. Switching between speakers is not trouble free. Sometimes a DoubleClick works, sometimes not. Having to then press play disturbs the comparison. Although you have back forward - it would help to be able to compare the same point of the track repeatedly for each speaker set. Being able to save a selection to profile would also be helpful.

Have questions for
?

Crutchfield response on

Test drive the Ferraris

This was a really awesome way to hear the minute differences between speakers and brands. Also a great way to test drive both a USB audio chip, and high dollar head phones. In the end it is free as you get a gift certificate equal to the cost of the kit. What an awesome idea. Got a call after it arrived asking if I had any questions and got a return label. Way to go Crutchfield!

Have questions for
?

Crutchfield response on

The listening kit is well worth the $25 rental fee

The listening kit is something you should take advantage of when choosing speakers. Listening to the same passage of music back to back over the different speakers you are considering makes it easy to distinguish the difference in sound between different speakers. I used it with my android tablet and my windows desktop PC and it worked well in both cases.

Have questions for
?

Crutchfield response on

Proceed with caution.

While the concept is cool, from what I've experienced, it is nowhere near accurate. I've listened to speakers on this headset, the Senheiser 280 Pro and my own set of AirPods where are also listed in the listening system and compared a few speakers that I can listen to locally and all 3 way sounded differently by a lot. Speakers through the kit sounded muffled and lacked bass. Speakers listened through my Airpods had plenty of bass but also sounded super muddy. When I listened to the speakers in person, they sounded crisp, clear and quite nice. So now I'm questioning the whole thing. The speakers were Alpine Type S, as a test. At this point I'm no better off than I was before I started this process.

Have questions for
?

Crutchfield response on 3/20/2023

Richard contacted our Customer Support team and set up a return for this rental kit. Purchases from Crutchfield can be returned or exchanged within 60 days.

Very Cool Concept

Very cool concept. Does not replace going and listening in person, but face it not all of us live next to a location with 15 different speakers to try out. I used this to "listen" to several home speakers I was looking at. Ended up removing some from the mix right at the beginning, and others I was surprised at the fullness of the speakers. Ended up purchasing a pair of Klipsch and could not be happier. Would use this again. Really liked that I could change from one speaker to the next with a simply click, made comparison much easier.

Have questions for
?

Crutchfield response on

If your serious about buying , try them

It was helpful , but I wasn't really made aware or noticed it had to be returned and the coupon wasn't included. BUT it was super simple , and rectified as customer support called me the next day way before I even realized what deal was. I can't wait to see how accurate they are as my speakers arrive today.

Have questions for
?

Crutchfield response on

Crutchfield SpeakerCompare Listening Kit Rental

Really like how it can differentiate the sounds from the options of speakers all in one head setup.

Have questions for
?

Crutchfield response on

Great alternative to listening room

I not only used this to review the audio samples they have for different bookshelf speakers I also enjoyed using the headphones for listening to music. As someone just getting into higher fidelity audio it was fun to try the dragonfly DAC and headphones. It is becoming increasingly uncommon to find listening rooms at a local shop to hear and test speakers sounds. This kit rental is an innovative way to solve this problem and allows for testing a larger variety of speakers.

Have questions for
?

Crutchfield response on

Crutchfield SpeakerCompare Listening Kit Rental

System works great for the small sample of speakers available. Easy to return for credit on speaker purchase.

Have questions for
?

Crutchfield response on

Crutchfield SpeakerCompare Listening Kit Rental

wanted 2 compare 2 speaker sysrems that you don't have on your listening system, floor standing Definitive Technology and Loga Martin electrostatics

Have questions for
?

Crutchfield response on 3/1/2022

Euclid, I'm sorry that the models you were looking to compare weren't available! Our team works hard to include as many speakers as possible, but this process does takes time, so not every model we carry has been added yet. If it helps, you can double-check any speakers you're interested on our website here, prior to requesting a listening kit. If you have questions about any set of speakers we carry, don't hesitate to work with one of our expert Product Advisors. They can help point you in the right direction.

Disappointing

I really like the idea of being able to compare speakers virtually, but I could discern very little difference between speakers with my ears. I suspect that more expensive equipment would allow one to hear a more significant difference. I did listen to some other music on CDs just to test the DAC and headphones, and I was disappointed in that experience as well. For me, I learned that the $99 Sennheiser HD280 Pro headphones are not for me. I give Crutchfield five stars for offering this SpeakerCompare opportunity and great service that I have experienced for decades. Perhaps if they offered a more expensive rental with higher-fidelity equipment, one could really discern a difference between the speakers (?).

Have questions for
?

Crutchfield response on

Hats off to a great idea

Congatulations on a fantastic idea! I could tell subtle differences between speakers (more than I expected.) I would suggest making " Wish list"selections that are grouped together easier to transfer to your comparison grouping during testing. Otherwise,a great effort from Crutchfield in original thinking.

Have questions for
?

Crutchfield response on

SpeakerCompare

SpeakerCompare is very cool tech. I was able to listen and compare numerous speakers, from satellite to floor to book shelf models, so that I could make a more informed purchasing decision. Also, the Crutchfield speaker articles were very helpful, and the Crutchfield advisors were easy to talk with and had some excellent suggestions and tips.

Have questions for
?

Crutchfield response on

Listen and Compare using headphones

I did not hear the difference in the speaker tone, or sound during my listen and compare experience of floor standing speakers when using these headphones.

Have questions for
?

Crutchfield response on

Excellent resource

Excellent resource to compare car speakers. I used the kit to narrow down my selections and the excellent Sennheisers paired with the A/D converter worked in unison to hear the nuances needed to critical selection. It is a no-lose proposition with the $25 credit voucher towards purchase. The return process was very easy too.

Have questions for
?

Crutchfield response on

Crutchfield SpeakerCompare Listening Kit Rental

It it simple. Now you can hear the difference between the speakers. My wife and I pick 4 the other has the headphones so they do not see the computer. The other switch's between and that is how we narrow down picks

Have questions for
?

Crutchfield response on

Good concept, but not that great overall.

I would say that this is good in concept . This does allow one to hear the distinct differences between speakers in different price ranges ( and presumably different audio "classes"). But when I compared different speakers within the same relative class (in my case, bookshelf speakers in the $500-$600 range) it became much harder to differentiate. Yes, you could tell some subtle differences between speakers. But for me, it was difficult to extrapolate those subtle differences into what I would actually prefer to listen to all the time, and hence to purchase. Also, not all speakers were available to compare.

Have questions for
?

Crutchfield response on

Great if your speakers are listed

Fortunately the speakers I am considering were set up for "listening" and the experience was helpful. On the downside, there were many speakers that were flagged as available for "listening" but actually were not.

Have questions for
?

Crutchfield response on

Crutchfield SpeakerCompare Listening Kit Rental

The Audioquest Dragonfly Black DAC and Sennheiser HD 280 Pro headphones are splendid. The combination gives a crystal clear listening experience. Unfortunately, I am not sure my ears are attuned to discern tonal differences between speakers; hence could not appreciate the Speaker Compare utility. But I believe this is a great initiative by Crutchfield and I hope to utilize it in future.

Have questions for
?

Crutchfield response on

Crutchfield SpeakerCompare Listening Kit Rental

Helped me pick up the slight differences in tweeter materials for car speakers. Was fun being able to use high end dac with headphones.

Have questions for
?

Crutchfield response on

Way to go!

Cannot imagine buying speakers online any other way. Yes, you can tell.

Have questions for
?

Crutchfield response on

Speaker Compare Listening Kit Delivers!

What an innovative way to demo the sound characteristics and tonal qualities of different speakers. I have also enjoyed the experience of improved sound achieved by a dedicated external DAC and pair of higher quality headphones. Once again, Crutchfield has provided a customer experience that is not available elsewhere and meets the needs during these unique times.

Have questions for
?

Crutchfield response on

Limited value.

Can't review powered speakers. The differences among speakers at a particular price point are barely recognizable. Not worth the effort. Doesn't come close to actually listening to speakers in your home environment.

Have questions for
?

Crutchfield response on

Great!!!!

Excellent knowledge and super helpful

Have questions for
?

Crutchfield response on

Crutchfield SpeakerCompare Listening Kit Rental

It's really great, so helpful to get a view into what a speaker will sound like and for the price this is unbeatable.

Have questions for
?

Crutchfield response on

Crutchfield SpeakerCompare Listening Kit Rental

Would not buy speakers before trying this "listening kit" out. I picked out and purchased 2 sets of truck speakers after using the headphones. It's amazing the difference in sound that different speaker brands make. I was willing to spend more on speakers but the ones I purchased sounded the best to me.

Have questions for
?

Crutchfield response on

Good Idea!

I tried these because I was in the market for new speakers, due to covid non of my store locations had any stock for me to listen too. Crutchfield has a good idea here.....but not all the speakers on the web site are eligible to be listened to so you are sorda limited. I was treated very well by the customer service folks and tech. support is also top notch. I did purchase my speakers from them.... And I should note I purchased the open box ones and they arrived in perfect condition.

Have questions for
?

Crutchfield response on

Worthwhile effort

And excellent service to distinguish between high end and not so high end speakers. This and Crutchfields 60 day return policy allowing home trial of the selected speaker make this company the go to company for speakers. It took me a few hours of listening both with the earphone kit and the actual speakers but I am very happy with my choice and the process it took to get there.

Have questions for
?

Crutchfield response on

Fun kit

This is a creative way of being able to hear the sound signature off different speakers. It is nowhere near as good as an in person demo, however good luck trying to find that at the moment. You can get an idea of how speakers from one brand sound compared to others, and how bigger speakers sound different to smaller ones from the same family. And that is terrific given today's challenges of trying to find a hifi shop that offers affordable gear that you can demo.

Have questions for
?

Crutchfield response on

Great help

Great idea for helping to decide which speakers to purchase . You really can hear some subtle differences between some speakers . Especially since you really can't go somewhere to hear the differences between the speakers I wanted to compare! I wish Crutchfield was in my neighborhood!!!

Have questions for
?

Crutchfield response on

Crutchfield SpeakerCompare Listening Kit Rental

This was a great way to evaluate speakers during the pandemic. I feel that the speakers that I purchased were fairly represented by the listening kit and lived up to my expectations. I do believe that the associated web pages for comparing speakers could be improved in the following ways (this is why I didn't give the kit 5 stars): * It would be beneficial to be able to compare bookshelf to tower speakers to get a sense of the difference between those speaker types. * The compare section allows you to remove speakers but not add new ones to an existing set. For example if I'm comparing A, B, C, and D and decide I don't like C but want to compare the other three against E, there is no way to just remove C and add E. I have to go back and select A, B, and D all over again. * A blind test option would be great where you picked the speakers to compare but didn't know which was which while listening. Only when you completed the comparison would it tell you which was which. This would help eliminate prejudice involving brand or cost when judging speakers. * It would be helpful if there was an option to pick a musical phrase (a couple of measures) that was automatically played by each of the speakers in turn without the user having to click the play button for each speaker. The music had a variety of loudnesses & pitches thru the pieces and when switching between speakers some of the differences were attributable to the part of the selection that was playing at t

Have questions for
?

Crutchfield response on

Highly recommended

Great fun. I've spent many hours comparing various speakers with this easy to use kit. I especially appreciate being able to listen to my own music. The question still remains as to how my selections would sound in my own house, but this kit has certainly helped me make great progress in narrowing down the field.

Have questions for
?

Crutchfield response on

Crutchfield SpeakerCompare Listening Kit Rental

It was cool to listen to the differences of sound in speakers before buying.

Have questions for
?

Crutchfield response on

Crutchfield SpeakerCompare Listening Kit Rental

The kit arrived quickly. It only took a few minutes to set up. You can compare up to four speakers at a time with clips from various genres or using audio files on your computer. Being able to listen to the various speakers made it much easier to find one I liked. When I was done, I shipped the kit back in the original box with the return label provided. A great idea from Crutchfield!

Have questions for
?

Crutchfield response on

Crutchfield SpeakerCompare Listening Kit Rental

Definitely showed me some different details between speaker sounds so glad I tried it. Showed me the different highs and lows and Definitely the difference in efficiency.

Have questions for
?

Crutchfield response on

SpeakerCompare-Great!

Super great way to test out how speakers will sound if you don't have appropriate headphones

Have questions for
?

Crutchfield response on

Crutchfield SpeakerCompare Listening Kit Rental

Helpful in selecting my new speakers

Have questions for
?

Crutchfield response on

Family Friendly

The listening kit was perfect for my family. It really got them involved in picking the speakers for our home theater. We went with Klipsch after everyone listened which surprised me because I was leaning towards Polk at the beginning. After getting the Klipsch (RP-4000F, RP-450C, R-41M, R-112SW) we are all very happy with the results.

Have questions for
?

Crutchfield response on

SpeakerCompare - very useful

This speaker compare tool that Crutchfield has allows you to test various brands and models of speakers from your home. I found this system very easy to use and I like that you can use music of your choice. I wish you could test more that four at a time and also have the ability to change out one set while retaining the others would be good also. Currently, when you would like ot change out a set you have to reselect all four speakers. The SpeakerCompare is useful for narrowing down the speakers you like the sound of but the real test is in your home in a real world environment.

Have questions for
?

Crutchfield response on

cool experience ??

Awesome headphone. It allowed me to pick my future speakers. Only con is limits on some speaker samples.

Have questions for
?

Crutchfield response on

Listening kit.....just okay results

The headphones that Crutchfield supplied are great and the rental price is right. But I just didn't find that actually doing various speaker comparisons using those headphones was particularly useful. For me anyway, I found it hard to differentiate all but the most extreme differences between speakers....nothing like an in person listening test in a dedicated listening room. That's just my opinion.

Have questions for
?

Crutchfield response on

Quality Option

I really enjoyed this kit. The rental is a good price. Crutchfield really hit the nail on the head with the sound compare feature, and it takes the guesswork and legwork our of finding stores with the speakers you'd like to demo. Hopefully you guys can do more songs to really get the feel.

Have questions for
?

Crutchfield response on

Crutchfield SpeakerCompare Listening Kit Rental

Great way to compare product attributes from speaker to speaker.

Have questions for
?

Crutchfield response on

Great idea for the most part

This is a very good idea, the dragonfly is a great DAC, but I was not crazy about the headphones. You can compare speakers using this setup to highlight the features that each model or brand has, but it does not relate to how they actually would sound in your room. Maybe it works better for car audio or even headphones. One recommendation I would make is for Crutchfield to add more speakers, in particular floor standing ones like the Klipsch Cornwalls. Best used if listened on same volume to correct for different gains.

Have questions for
?

Crutchfield response on

Crutchfield SpeakerCompare Listening Kit Rental

headphones were delivered quickly, setup was incredibly easy and listening was excellent, great way to purchase online epeakers

Have questions for
?

Crutchfield response on

Well worth the $ and time

After a long time without a good system I decided to get back into 2.0 listening that would keep me much happier than the various wireless speaker systems that have proliferated in my house. It's been long enough that my last good system was stolen from my apartment when I was in graduate school a few decades ago--and I had sourced all of my components from Crutchfield catalogs back then. What I realized right away is that I don't know anything about components now, and in particular speakers. Enter this great listening kit rental which is well worth the $ paid, plus you get a credit back. I had heard a lot about external DACs and the black dragonfly and the Sennheiser phones made the sound really clean in using the SpeakerCompare and hearing the different approaches in design. With a busy household the kit was also useful in letting me get immersed in comparisons without distraction. Some things to know - I had to use the family PC after trying to use my old Samsung android phone that just didn't carry the volume. Also, I'm sure it was in the fine print but I did notice afterwards that the tax charged initially for the rental is based on the replacement value (about $300) rather than the rental fee (maybe it'll be squared up after Crutchfield logs my return but maybe it won't). In any event it's well worth the dollars regardless. Also, Crutchfield makes it super easy to return and as always has great service including a followup phone call after I received it.

Have questions for
?

Crutchfield response on

Compare speakers

Very efficient let's you hear your "speakers " through a comparable sound system.

Have questions for
?

Crutchfield response on

SpeakerCompare Listening Kit

This kit is an awesome way to "try before you buy". I was totally surprised at how much the speaker sound varies from the different manufacturers. Definitely made narrowing down a choice a lot easier. Awesome idea Crutchfield, keep up the great work!

Have questions for
?

Crutchfield response on

Crutchfield SpeakerCompare Listening Kit Rental

Sounded just like the speakers that I have. Allowed me to pick a set that I liked without actually hearing them.

Have questions for
?

Crutchfield response on

Crutchfield SpeakerCompare Listening Kit Rental

This is a great idea. It definitely highlights different aspects of the various speakers. It's fairly easy to use. It would be really cool if there was a way that you could use music that you were used to listening to. I don't usually use headphones so I am not sure how that will affect my perceptions. I'm looking forward to choosing some speakers and giving them a try "in the flesh".

Have questions for
?

Crutchfield response on

Crutchfield SpeakerCompare Listening Kit Rental

Oh My Goodness. Supreme way of sampling speakers. I cannot recommend this more! Of course we all like talking with the great Crutchfield Technicians, but it always boils down to "they don't have my ears"! One can review specs forever, but one has to hear the speakers.......This kit gives the customer the ability to sample speakers, without traveling to Crutchfield HQ in Charlottesville. After using the kit, I was able to find my speakers of choice, and the resemblance to what I heard with the listening kit so accurate it was uncanny. I am purchasing WITH CONFIDENCE the speakers I love, from CRUTCHFIELD!

Have questions for
?

Crutchfield response on

Crutchfield SpeakerCompare Listening Kit Rental

Great idea..let's you test hundreds of speakers at home. Helped me greatly with my decision making process.

Have questions for
?

Crutchfield response on

Crutchfield SpeakerCompare Listening Kit Rental

This kit takes the guess work out of the speaker comparison. I have never used anything like it before.

Have questions for
?

Crutchfield response on

Crutchfield SpeakerCompare Listening Kit Rental

The headphone listening kit was a very effective way to allow me to compare speakers in the privacy of my home and at my convenience.

Have questions for
?

Crutchfield response on

Great technology for speaker shopping

The listening kit works great- hardware choice is ideal. The subtleties of sound characteristics are evident when using speaker compare. The efficiency ratings also become noticeable when same power is selected. This is a great advancement in technology for speaker shopping.

Have questions for
?

Crutchfield response on

Wonderful Feature!

Speaker Compare is an excellent idea! I have been able to compare the sonic characteristics of numerous floorstanding speakers and really narrow my search. Fortunately, the speakers I currently own are available on speaker compare, so I can evaluate speakers against the speakers I currently own. What a great idea this is!

Have questions for
?

Crutchfield response on

Crutchfield SpeakerCompare Listening Kit Rental

A very useful tool! I was able to hear the subtle differences in treble and bass.

Have questions for
?

Crutchfield response on

Buying speakers online? Don't do it without this technology.

This technology is simply amazing. I'm in the market for floor standing front speakers, and I was skeptical about how they could realistically reproduce variations between speakers, but it truly works. And surprisingly, many times I found that speakers in the lower price ranges sounded better to my ear than speakers from well-known brands that costs hundreds of dollars more per unit. The ability to virtually sample dozens of models within most of the brands they carry is well worth the $25 rental price because I know that once I make my final decision, I won't be second guessing if I got the speakers that sound best within my budget.

Have questions for
?

Crutchfield response on

SpeakerCompare

I have to give this 5 stars for the ingenuity alone. While you are not listening to the actual speakers due to listening through a pair of headphones. You do get to listen and compare by brand, price, speaker construction, style, etc. you will be surprised at how radically different speakers of the same size, construction method and price will sound. Some are clear and bright while others are softer and some even muted. Compare by power or by volume. Listen close and let your ear hear the differences. What I thought I would like based upon brand or reputation I know of was not the speakers of choice for me after doing the speaker compare. If you don't have a stereo shop with a good sound room available this is a most useful tool. I highly recommend it. Besides with the certificate the net cost for buying a set of speakers is zero.

Have questions for
?

Crutchfield response on

Listening Kit Works

Worked nicely. Great to be able to hear the differences before getting the speakers home. Really helps narrow things down.

Have questions for
?

Crutchfield response on

Crutchfield SpeakerCompare Listening Kit Rental

I really just ordered the kit to try out the Dragonfly DAC with my Sennheiser headphones and was very pleased with it. Will be buying one.

Have questions for
?

Crutchfield response on

A 5-Star rating that could be better!

SpeakerCompare is an excellent idea. In fact as a technological feat it merits five stars. However, as a means of comparing speakers it needs to feature different music for me to make an effective judgment about which speakers I might consider for my home audio system. So, it is not quite a five in terms of getting me to a decision. While I listen to some of the musical genres you provide - some of which I listen to from time to time - the majority of my music is classical orchestral, opera, voice, world music, pops and Broadway. So until those options appear in some future version of SpeakerCompare, I will probably hold off on auditioning/selecting new equipment. However, as a result of using the kit for a couple of weeks, with the earphones you rented to me, I discovered, and bought from you, the Sennheiser HD 280 Pro headphones. While these are definitely "old school" large, noise-canceling phones, they have incredible fidelity, great articulation of instruments, provide me with great privacy, and already have been a source of much pleasure. So, thank you Crutchfield, for your great products and wonderful service. I have spoken with a couple of your staff and also conducted a very informative chat with another. You have really nice people dealing with the public, a great company, and I will call on you again as my audio needs dictate. And don't forget, I want to hear from you once SpeakerCompare adds more music genres.

Have questions for
?

Crutchfield response on

Crutchfield SpeakerCompare Listening Kit Rental

I enjoyed sampling the speakers, although I enjoyed the Fire Fly amp the most. It really enhanced the sound of my Beats Studio Wireless headphones.

Have questions for
?

Crutchfield response on

Crutchfield SpeakerCompare Listening Kit Rental

Reviewing the many choices for a replacement speakershas been a struggle without having a listening room to compare. But the new "speaker compare" has allowed me to evaluate the differrences. Thank goodness for them, I would be still be frustraed trying to decide.

Have questions for
?

Crutchfield response on

Crutchfield SpeakerCompare Listening Kit Rental

Not a substitute for listening in person, but I got an idea of overall characteristics of different speakers. The headphones are just OK; I like my Sony 7506 better. The real revelation was how awesome the Dragonfly DAC makes the headphones sound. I ordered one after sending the kit back.

Have questions for
?

Crutchfield response on

One step in the correct direction.

It's a great concept! First time that I try the AudioQuest DragonFly Black DAC with my iPhone. The change in sound quality is impressive! There are no audiophile music tracks that are commonly use to test speakers. I was hoping to test Focal Chorus, Revel Performa and Kef R but they are not available. Innovative tool that requires improvements. Thanks Crutchfield for taking the initiative! Keep working on it.

Have questions for
?

Crutchfield response on

Nice try

It's a fantastic idea, being able to try out speakers without having them in your home. In theory it's supposed to revolutionize the way you can try speakers. In my opinion, it just doesn't work out that way. Yes, you can hear subtle differences between speakers using the kit. But, it just isn't the same thing as listening in your home. The sonics are not the same and it's not much of a help in deciding which speakers to purchase. Nevertheless, thank you Crutchfield for trying.

Have questions for
?

Crutchfield response on

Worth a try -- keep working on it

This is a very exciting technology and I hope it can continue to be improved. My had some difficulty detecting differences using the included Sennheiser headphones. I own a pair of Audio-Technica ATH-M40x Professional Studio Monitor headphones and I could easily begin to hear differences. The Sennheiser may be more musical but the Audio-Technica ATH-M40x lent itself for an analytical analysis of the sound. As is this technology is no substitute for live auditioning of speakers as you are not going to hear what the each speaker sounds like but rather you can hear some differences in their overall presentation or balance of the sound e.g., harsh, smooth, bassy, etc. My recommendation would be for Crutchfield to offer an option for the ATH-M40x or other headphones with a good flat response as an option for this kit. I also would love to see Crutchfield continue research and development into this technology as much as possible. The idea of using one speaker to listen to how a different speaker sounds will obviously have limitations but the better the mathematical model of each speaker's response frequency and sound as well as a precise model of the headphones being used can only help advance the effectiveness of this effort. I gave it four stars instead of five primarily because I think different headphones would be better and I would like to see them include the AudioQuest JitterBug in the kit as well.

Have questions for
?

Crutchfield response on