AXPONA 2026: Dutch & Dutch 15C Speakers

[amirm]

We had a kind invitation to come after the show closed to hear the D&D 15C "properly." And by properly, I mean live sound levels! In a hotel lobby no less!!!

As I have mentioned, these speakers are massive in volume. You don't know how big they are until you stand next to them, or look at the rear dual drivers.

These brought the house down! Nothing remotely in the show was playing at such levels.

Just one word: amazing!

If you have a large space, enjoy playing loud as much as I do, and want accurate sound, and spare change ($> 120K), these are the speakers for you.

Note that these are prototypes, driven by the amps and boxes you see in the middle. They weigh over 300 pounds and took four people to place on the stands.

 

[tineared]

We had a kind invitation to come after the show closed to hear the D&D 15C "properly." And by properly, I mean live sound levels! In a hotel lobby no less!!!
View attachment 526350
As I have mentioned, these speakers are massive in volume. You don't know how big they are until you stand next to them, or look at the rear dual drivers.

These brought the house down! Nothing remotely in the show was playing at such levels.

Just one word: amazing!

If you have a large space, enjoy playing loud as much as I do, and want accurate sound, and spare change ($> 120K), these are the speakers for you.

Note that these are prototypes, driven by the amps and boxes you see in the middle. They weigh over 300 pounds and took four people to place on the stands.

I was with you right up until the "spare change" part

 

[amirm]

Unfortunately, playing loud and deep costs money when it comes to speakers.

 

[PristineSound]

These brought the house down! Nothing remotely in the show was playing at such levels.

I wonder if this will help fix up one's tinnitus.

 

[Somafunk]

If you have a large space, enjoy playing loud as much as I do, and want accurate sound, and spare change ($> 120K), these are the speakers for you.

I was with you right up until the "spare change" part

According to a report I read today on tech bro’s wealth it would take Jeff Bezos 40 to 60 seconds of generated income to afford these………

 

[amirm]

I wonder if this will help fix up one's tinnitus.

Well, I certainly forgot about mine.

 

[amirm]

According to a report I read today on tech bro’s wealth it would take Jeff Bezos 40 to 60 seconds of generated income to afford these………

Well, the other way to look at it is how expensive everything has gotten. Took our Airstream RV Van to Mercedes for routine maintenance. And lane avoidance not working. Otherwise, the Sprinter van was working perfectly. The bill? A cool $6,000! I can just imagine how much they would charge if something was really broken in the darn thing. They charged me $305 per hour while hunting to find the lane avoidance issue! I thought this is what lawyers charged, not car technicians.

 

[Somafunk]

Ouch…….., did they replace the entire system or did they merely pluck a number from the air.

Lane avoidance issues will usually involve a recalibration of the ADAS control system (lane assist/adaptive cruise control/pedestrian safety/emergency braking) and can be either static or dynamically reset and calibrated (or both), a mate offers it in his workshop and depending on the work involved it can be anything from £200 to £800 with regard to the manufacture/model of the vehicle.

To pay $6k is horrific, it’s not that involving to completely reinstall a calibration from scratch as I’ve sat in an Audi RS6 and helped (turned the steering wheel lock to lock) to calibrate after he fitted a complete JRZ suspension upgrade,

 

[pollock0424]

If you that much money to spare then you probably don't have time to sit and listen to music ?

 

[amirm]

did they replace the entire system or did they merely pluck a number from the air.

They replaced an "IRS" module which cost $999. They had done multiple resets, etc. without success. Of course, they charged me $300+/an hour to do it!

 

[EERecordist]

I do not understand how they can be so heavy. Does the weight include a weighted stand? 15" drivers are about 25 pounds each. Class D amplifiers are not heavy. And the cabinet 1" thick would be about 130 pounds (check my math) Our old JBL 4320s were under 100 pounds.

 

[Sokel]

I do not understand how they can be so heavy. Does the weight include a weighted stand? 15" drivers are about 25 pounds each. Class D amplifiers are not heavy. And the cabinet 1" thick would be about 130 pounds (check my math) Our old JBL 4320s were under 100 pounds.

Thicker than 1" probably.
And bracing, such a big volume and broad surfaces cabinet would need lots.

 

[Mart68]

I didn't think they looked that big, they don't look much bigger than my speakers which are 180 litres.

The 15C cabs are 100 x 50 x 70 which works out at 350 litres.

For comparison a Tannoy Lockwood Major cab is about 225 litres.

Tannoy Lockwood Majors, yesterday:



Conclusion: The 15C are a *lot* bigger than they look in the photos.

 

[Joachim Herbert]

Price includes stands?

 

[Joachim Herbert]

The 8361 look like a real bargain.

 

[LTig]

I wonder how the 15C would compare soundwise to the Genelec 1236A. If you have the place ...

 

[Sokel]

I wonder how the 15C would compare soundwise to the Genelec 1236A. If you have the place ...

It would be unfair, 1236A has 4 times (or more, 2 x18" there) of air-pushing capacity.

 

[Pauli]

Their ad claims say that the 8c and the 6c share the same DNA. Well ...

So having a pair of any of them in my living room – will they start reproducing after a while, if I treat them well?

 

[DanielT]

Such speakers are the ones you want to listen to at a Hifi fair. Expensive (not an end in itself), with a lot of SPL capability.
Or as you said Amir, such speakers tend to cost a pretty penny.

I also think horns are fun to listen to at Hifi fairs, and Amir seems to think so too:

AXPONA 2026: Avantgrade Grimm

These massive horns always make an impression. LP. Pops and clicks. Large center vocal (actual album in the picture): Same staging as above. Wonder if it makes everything sound grand this way or just these tracks.

www.audiosciencereview.com

Big ass speakers with high SPL capability at a "reasonable" price, then DIY is probably the only thing.

Or getting some PA speakers. High SPL with maybe or maybe not good (hifi) sound (which can be the same with DIY high SPL speakers)?

By the way, Amir, I like that you put in what songs were played in the different demo rooms you visited.
I'm picking a bunch of them and putting together my own test music list.
(now that I have the ability to quickly switch, AB test speakers, together with custom-made WiiM RoomFit for each. It's fun but quite difficult to decide which ones I prefer.)

 

[mwmkravchenko]

Their ad claims say that the 8c and the 6c share the same DNA. Well ...

So having a pair of any of them in my living room – will they start reproducing after a while, if I treat them well?

Don't you need a Momma and a Pappa for that?