Dynaudio Emit M10 Review (bookshelf speaker)

[MZKM]

Certainly didnt strike me as bright, maybe a little dark even.

Maybe your ears are referencing the 5kHz region as normal, then the 300Hz-2kHz region would sound recessed as well as >9kHz:

 

[jonfitch]

Wow, you wouldn't expect a hole like that in the 2K region with a 5.5" woofer and a speaker with a low 1800hz crossover to the tweeter. They really messed this one up.

 

[thewas]

I meant a lot of folks place such small (bookshelf) speakers very close to a wall or even against it blocking the port.
When a small speaker is close to a wall it tends to sound 'fuller' than when used on a stand but usually not better.
Having a port on the rear may not be the best thing for a true bookshelf speaker is what I meant.

As long as you have around 5cm distance to the wall from the port output it doesn't play a role where it is placed and is a better choice on the rear baffle on a 2-way loudspeaker as it makes radiated mid parasitic sound less audible. Dynaudio markets its loudspeakers to the more experienced audiophile who will anyway rather use stands instead of stuffing them into a shelf which is generally not recommendable for any loudspeaker.

 

[MZKM]

I meant a lot of folks place such small (bookshelf) speakers very close to a wall or even against it blocking the port.
When a small speaker is close to a wall it tends to sound 'fuller' than when used on a stand but usually not better.
Having a port on the rear may not be the best thing for a true bookshelf speaker is what I meant.

Or.. do you mean the small size lacking a stand makes that specific sized speaker a 'bookshelf format' ?

40Hz is about -15dB anechoic, that’s a lot of room gain needed.

 

[MZKM]

Wow, you wouldn't expect a hole like that in the 2K region with a 5.5" woofer and a speaker with a low 1800hz crossover to the tweeter. They really messed this one up.

Looking at my off-axis plots, it’s the vertical directivity that messes it up. They use a 1st order filter, so maybe that plays a role.

What’s odd is that the larger M20 crosses at 2600Hz, and on that they state “1st/2nd order” crossover, no idea what that means for a 2-way speaker.

 

[YSC]

A question for @amirm
Does the Klippel test take into account that when this is supposed to be a bookshelf speaker ?
A port on the rear would be weird though as bookshelf speakers are generally placed close to a wall utilizing some bass boost gained this way.
Would such a speaker be better of not being on a bookshelf ?

I like Dynaudio speakers, very dynamic and clear sounding but IMO need to be the active ones with at least 17cm woofers.

with that said I think the Genelecs are all rear ported, personally I think that properly designed the rear port isn't much of a problem?

 

[solderdude]

It is preferred over front ported but just wondered when it is placed on a shelf very close to a wall if that would change things for the better or worse.
Don't own any rear ported speakers.

 

[YSC]

It is preferred over front ported but just wondered when it is placed on a shelf very close to a wall if that would change things for the better or worse.
Don't own any rear ported speakers.

Not sure for the Dynaudios, but for genelec their minimum clearance is 5cm, so if it's close to that I am pretty sure it won't have negative effects, your cabling etc. would give your that clearance normally.

 

[jonfitch]

It is preferred over front ported but just wondered when it is placed on a shelf very close to a wall if that would change things for the better or worse.
Don't own any rear ported speakers.

I find smaller speakers problematic near walls because of the high air velocity out of the ports. The bigger the speaker generally less cone movement needed (and more internal air volume) so less high speed farting out of the port.

 

[daftcombo]

Hi,
Nice review.
IMO the brighness is not due to lack of low bass (that could be confirmed by comparing with a not-bright speaker where we put a HP filter) but to elevated treble with directivity errors ( so impossible to correct).

 

[restorer-john]

Blue lines? What has happened to ASR?!?

Interestingly enough, my default ASR colours changed from the brown to blue all by themselves. I fixed it here:

 

[mjvbl]

Wow, you wouldn't expect a hole like that in the 2K region with a 5.5" woofer and a speaker with a low 1800hz crossover to the tweeter. They really messed this one up.

To my understanding as a beginner that seems like a reasonable choice of crossover frequency for horizontal directivity matching with these drivers.
Maybe it's the crossover slopes? I guess with 1st order electrical filters they have 2nd order acoustic slopes. But here I'm unsure if it can be blamed also on the broader overlap or just some error in crossover symmetry.

 

[Sancus]

Interestingly enough, my default ASR colours changed from the brown to blue all by themselves.

Hah that is strange, I was referring to the lines on the graphs in the review though. My forum style... has not mysteriously changed..yet...

 

[Glasvegas]

I loved my little emit M20s when i had them. Certainly didnt strike me as bright, maybe a little dark even.

I agree.

Everbody’s ears are different. I auditioned many speakers before buying Emit 10s. They were probably the least bright speaker I listened to. The worst were B & W - they were the audio equivalent of fingernails across a chalkboard.

In fact, after recently using Dirac, I realised that in my room, placed close to the wall, they were very bass heavy - now adjusted, of course.

My ears are very sensitive to sibilance and the Emits really seemed to cure this. I wonder if there is anything in the measurement which would explain that.

 

[thewas]

Dynaudio Emit M10 Listening Tests
My impression of the M10 was that it was bright. I tried to develop an EQ to fill in the wholes and pull down the highs but after 15 minutes, I gave up. It continues to sound bright making some of my reference clips unlistenable. I *think* this may be due to lack of deep bass which is screwing up the balance.

Dynamic capability was superb. Despite being a small speaker, it could play very loud with no hint of bottoming out.

Conclusion
Objectively the Emit M10 deviates from targets we have. The deviation is not huge though but what is there had me stomped in listening tests. As I noted above, I usually expect bookshelf speakers to produce a good experience stand-alone and these come short. The overall tonality is that of brightness but not nastiness. I know, this is not making much sense. But this is all I have for you. You have the data, you decide.

Like you write it is interesting how individual perception behaves as when comparing its predicted in room response to the one KRK Rokit 5 you just reviewed before

it has neither more treble, nor less deep bass and even more upper bass, the only region where it has less level are the upper mids from 300 to 700 Hz.

 

[Hephaestus]

Your opinion is spot on, at least to my ears.

I also have an emit 10s pair. They´re not even my main speakers... but I know them well and find them clear and sweet, not bright at all...

If anything, they are a little bass heavy when placed against the wall...so...I guess everyone ears different, and that´s why specs are important, BUT they don´t tell you the whole story. The rest of the gear, placement and room, are also VERY important...

This thread is for new members like you:

https://www.audiosciencereview.com/...iles-posting-at-asr-for-the-first-time.17598/


P.s. Been there...

EDIT:
Sorry for being a moron.

 

[Hephaestus]

Why like me ? I don´t consider myself an audiophile, or to have golden ears...

Just because It´s my first post, with a different opinion ?

This is the place where measurements and peer reviewed research matters.

If you take a deep dive you are going to find plenty of simiar posts here. Disappointing measurements and new fellow posting their first post to defend the product they own with typical audiophoolery jargon like measurements dont tell all etc.

Right set of measurements tells exactly what we need to know.

EDIT:
Sorry for being a moron.

 

[Joao Paulo]

Right set of measurements tells exactly what we need to know.

No it doesn´t.
This is a close minded opinion...not much different from close minded audiophiles that only trust their ears...
So I guess either you are on the objective group or the subjective group ? no middle term ?
I am a member for almost a year, just never had posted before, and only posted because found the review to be very different from what I have heard from these speakers...
Anyway to me this is "over and out".

 

[restorer-john]

I meant a lot of folks place such small (bookshelf) speakers very close to a wall or even against it blocking the port.
When a small speaker is close to a wall it tends to sound 'fuller' than when used on a stand but usually not better.
Having a port on the rear may not be the best thing for a true bookshelf speaker is what I meant.

We have had decades of compact, bookshelf speakers specifically designed to be placed close to the rear wall, in order to achieve the designed response. Many speakers to this day, come with detailed instructions on close-to-wall placement for optimum performance.

Take the starter of them all, the Wharfedale Diamond. Here's the Diamond III, a rear ported speaker of course:

Note. Not more than 6" from the rear wall.

Here's a recent Dali Zensor 1, another rear ported and well reviewed mini speaker:

Stereophile: https://www.stereophile.com/content/dali-zensor-1-loudspeaker-measurements

I have to admit, the Diamond III sounds better away from the wall and to place a Zensor 1 flush with the wall just seems ridiculous, but it sounds good.

 

[PuX]

Kind of expected after Excite 14 was measured and wasn't great either.
But I really hope someone has recent Contour or Focus or Confidence models to loan for measurements. From my listening impressions, they are way ahead of lower models.

Not sure for the Dynaudios, but for genelec their minimum clearance is 5cm, so if it's close to that I am pretty sure it won't have negative effects, your cabling etc. would give your that clearance normally.

Dynaudio recommends something like >50 cm from the walls in all directions (back and side). And >2 meters to listener. Classic setup for hi-fi really.