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Dynaudio Focus 60 XD - whats the next step up? suggestions?

bamhamer

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hey there,

i am an owner of a pair of Dynaudio focus 600 XD upgraded to the 60 XD firmware for a couple of years now.

Now I'm wondering what would be the next step up in active high fidelity?

any suggestion what to check out and listen to?

thought about a 2.2 set of LS50 Wireless 2 and 2 KC62 but i'm not sure that would really be an upgrade besides build in connectivity...

thanks in advance!
 

al2002

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Just curious, what is the difference between the 600 and 60 firmware? Are any new functions added in the later firmware?
 
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FeddyLost

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Now I'm wondering what would be the next step up in active high fidelity?
Multi-subwoofer setup with proper DRC and room treatment.
It will cost a lot (including efforts), but correct bass when achieved it's like correct black and focus in movie.
 
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bamhamer

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Just curious, what is the difference between the 600 and 60 firmware? Are any new functions added in the later firmware?
no new functions just an reworked sound profile
 

MAB

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Perhaps a pair of Genelec 8361A plus a W371A woofer system.

While I have never heard your Dynaudios, I am pretty sure this Genelec system will sound as good as anything on the planet. And with GLM you can tune many of the problems in your room.
 

Jaxjax

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I would say what you have is going to hard to beat but.....if I were in your shoes & had the $ to go there it would be big ATC.
I run Dynaudio active also..
 

al2002

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no new functions just an reworked sound profile
Thanks for the reply. When you say reworked sound profile, do you mean a different FR?
Does either version of the firmware allow you to load REW generated or similar filters into the DSP to take care of room modes?
 
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astcal

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I have had Dynaudio BM series active monitors and subwoofers for quite some time. Then I switched to Neumann KH 80 + KH 750 and never looked back. You should go with either Neumann or Genenlec for active monitors + subs. They are on a different league.
 

Absolute

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Those Dynaudios are really good, they are what sparked my interest for active speakers back before I purchased Kii Threes without listening to them.
Forget about random "buy Genelec" posts that you see everywhere you go on this site. While excellent speakers most of them, if you want a step up in sound quality you need to start taking the listening area into consideration.

How does your room look? What are you using the system for? Dedicated room or living room? How much space do you have available and can you treat it acoustically in any way? What specifically do you want to achieve, more clarity, better soundstage, change in tonality, more punch etc?

In my experience the room and how the speaker interacts with it is the determining factor of the potential-ceiling. A few percentage better speaker linearity makes little impact to overall sound quality when the room has placed the bar too low.
 

Absolute

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Oh, and my boy @mitchco did an excellent review of these speakers back in the day when we were all young and beautiful;

 

MAB

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Forget about random "buy Genelec" posts that you see everywhere you go on this site.
Good advice but not random. I own, and have specific reasons for recommending.
While excellent speakers most of them, if you want a step up in sound quality you need to start taking the listening area into consideration.
Totally agreed, with caveats... I have room treatment, including multiple Helmholtz resonators to tame room modes. I used to randomly say "room treatment";) since it does have such a big impact and is potentially cheap but... Effective room treatment in my experience is not compatible with most home décor unless you build the room around the treatment like Sarumbear's home theater, or are like me and enjoy the look of a studio! I see some audiophile treatment solutions on the market, but they look dubious and costly... Even with that, I have easily several thousand in room treatment and that doesn't include the cost of construction. And, I do think you need resonators to really do the trick and get the bass right, and they need to have substantial enclosed volume to do this.

Also DSP is a must since I have never been in a room that was treated to the point where the speaker interaction was perfect!
Also, if you have a room with perfectly controlled modes then a pair of good tower speakers with good bass will sound really great, except for the wavelengths that are multiples of the distance from the speakers to the wall, causing a comb filter. DSP and room treatment cannot recover the cancelled bass frequencies. Bass reproduction just requires subwoofers to get everything right both from a room placement as well as a tuneability perspective.

So, given the OP's question;
Now I'm wondering what would be the next step up in active high fidelity?
Yes, Genelec ones with the controlled directivity woofers would really be nice and would address most conceivable issues, expect room.
So would adding subwoofers and DSP to the Focus 60 XD.
And, yes room treatment would help any system.
 

Absolute

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Good advice but not random. I own, and have specific reasons for recommending.

So, given the OP's question;

Yes, Genelec ones with the controlled directivity woofers would really be nice and would address most conceivable issues, expect room.
So would adding subwoofers and DSP to the Focus 60 XD.
And, yes room treatment would help any system.
Recommending a system costing tenfolds of what the OP is contemplating isn't relevant. Especially not knowing anything about the room or how it's going to be used.

Do you own the W371? If so, can you show me in-room measurements with and without it and its functions? I'm really curious about the effect.
 

MAB

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Recommending a system costing tenfolds of what the OP is contemplating isn't relevant. Especially not knowing anything about the room or how it's going to be used.
Somewhat fair, but the OP did ask for what is the next step up from an active Dynaudio home hifi which is super expensive and also likely sounds really good! So going from ~$10k of Dynaudio to ~$30k of Genelec isn't too crazy. Especially since you would get another octave and a nice DSP ecosystem to work in.
I would be just as eager to recommend Dynaudio studio gear, but I only have passing experience otherwise...
I just imagine it is hard to actually upgrade from the Focus 60 without spending lots of cash!
Again, your comments about room treatment are super valid, and should be considered no matter what.
Do you own the W371? If so, can you show me in-room measurements with and without it and its functions? I'm really curious about the effect.
I do not have the W371, I have the 8631A with four subwoofers.
My brother has the 8631A and the W371 in his studio. I am sure I can get them from him.
He regrets the cost of the W371, but I remind him the four subs, and the darn resonators etc...
His system was set up in an afternoon, I moved subs around and REWed myself blue for a month to get satisfied.;)

I do visit other studios, and I see a range of rooms, treatments, and speakers. And from time to time I hear friend's HiFi gear. And I usually come away thinking that they could get better sound with a nice Meyer Sound Amie, or Genelec Ones, Neumann etc... All of these gear come from the factory admitting they will be dumped into less than ideal rooms in a range of placements, with settings and DSP to address that specifically. And I compare that to the standard HiFi gear which has little or no ability to adjust to the room. Makes it easy to recommend something like the Genelec Ones.
 
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