Dynaudio Special 40 - WTF!

[goldenears]

I think we need to remember that all those preference ratings are simply for the "average" person. Please show me someone who is average.

I go for the Toole preference rating when buying only because it's hard for me to audition speakers where I live. But if it wasn't, or if returning speakers after auditioning was possible, I'd definitely be listening to different speakers and seeing what works for me.

Likely there are speakers out there that any one of us would prefer that do not have the highest Toole preference rating.

 

[Pikas]

My point above being, what's the point of striving towards Reproducibility if you arent using the same rig? Personal drama aside, Danny glossing over shortcomings for his own gain and obviously wanting to avoid too much scrutiny here, this should be a simple reproduction experiment. Which begs the question, is someone using a better rig? is there a "best" rig out there? Or at least a standard. I'm new to the audio measurement field but is there a standard rig or what?

 

[Grizzly944]

I didn't read that he didn't want you to test them, just that he wouldn't give the mods away. Someone buy it and send it in. Or one the Klipsch speaker kits. Those seem like a great target

 

[Kegemusha]

Wow, coming from Dynaudio and for the price this is a no for me, there seems to be better speaker for less money.

 

[jaykay77]

Good lord
Too many people letting objectivism destroy their listening experiences.
Measurements tell just a part of the story....

 

[akarma]

Measurements tell just a part of the story....

Yes. But if the measurements are bad this is end of the story.

 

[dfuller]

Good lord
Too many people letting objectivism destroy their listening experiences.
Measurements tell just a part of the story....

They tell a lot of the story, but they say nothing about preference, not really. The Olive preference score is not perfectly reliable because it says nothing about headroom or SPL. Maybe you like a wider dispersion speaker than me. Maybe you like something with a steeper downward tilt than I do. The way I see it the measurements tell me whether or not something is obviously broken. This speaker isn't "obviously broken" but it's not particularly far off.

 

[jaykay77]

They tell a lot of the story, but they say nothing about preference, not really. The Olive preference score is not perfectly reliable because it says nothing about headroom or SPL. Maybe you like a wider dispersion speaker than me. Maybe you like something with a steeper downward tilt than I do. The way I see it the measurements tell me whether or not something is obviously broken. This speaker isn't "obviously broken" but it's not particularly far off.

True...but...

My fisher tube amp probably measures despicably with my proacs. Everyone who comes over falls in love with the sound. How could you not?

My schiit/ahb2/revel performa setup measures incredibly...and most would not even notice it's playing...very interesting social experiment....subjective vs. objective...

 

[dfuller]

True...but...

My fisher tube amp probably measures despicably with my proacs. Everyone who comes over falls in love with the sound. How could you not?

My schiit/ahb2/revel performa setup measures incredibly...and most would not even notice it's playing...very interesting social experiment....subjective vs. objective...

Honestly, nothing wrong with liking something better than others. I do audio for work so I don't want my equipment to lie to me, if that makes sense.

 

[jaykay77]

Honestly, nothing wrong with liking something better than others. I do audio for work so I don't want my equipment to lie to me, if that makes sense.

it makes all the sense.

I’m on the other end.

I want my equipment to lie to me and sing to me the way I like to hear it...

I’ve recently learned that I love the “house sound” of the hifi companies I’ve always been fond of.

ASR has done an incredible job of showing me that even the absolute best measuring equipment does not equate to the best listening experience...in fact, perfect measurements can easily take the fun out of listening to music.

 

[richard12511]

it makes all the sense.

I’m on the other end.

I want my equipment to lie to me and sing to me the way I like to hear it...

I’ve recently learned that I love the “house sound” of the hifi companies I’ve always been fond of.

ASR has done an incredible job of showing me that even the absolute best measuring equipment does not equate to the best listening experience...in fact, perfect measurements can easily take the fun out of listening to music.

What speakers are you using?

 

[YSC]

it makes all the sense.

I’m on the other end.

I want my equipment to lie to me and sing to me the way I like to hear it...

I’ve recently learned that I love the “house sound” of the hifi companies I’ve always been fond of.

ASR has done an incredible job of showing me that even the absolute best measuring equipment does not equate to the best listening experience...in fact, perfect measurements can easily take the fun out of listening to music.

I found kind of opposite to your discovery...

personally I have a feeling that the Genelecs were less excited than what I've get used to before getting them, say relatively lighter bass etc. at my previously favorite tracks where I listen to a lot (which makes sense, I like those music because when I first heard it in my old system, that balance suites my taste). But after a few months of getting use to and swapping tracks from Tidal new arrivals, I found that in the old system when certain frequencies are emphasized a lot more tracks would be thrown off balance due to the poorer measuring speaker, the more reference level of the Genelecs can make most tracks sounded right where previous "fun" speakers would make those sound like boom machines masking vocals.

So I personally arrived the conclusions that with myself ran in to the new speakers the preference would change over time, and that most importantly, more neutral and honest speakers would be less likely to throw the tracks way off balance

 

[jaykay77]

What speakers are you using?

Over the last year i've had 3 pairs of revels - all upgrades from one to the next...They're awesome and as you know from this forum, the sound is completely balanced...but I just never ever relished in it...I was never awed or astounded - no matter the amp or source, sub no sub, dsp, room..whatever...didn't matter.

I plugged my dynaudio focus 110's in to my main system the other day and boom - realized that's the sound I'm in love with, it's what stoked the fire for me in this hobby...yeah they're small but the sound is just special to me.

My special 40's get here on Weds...i'll fill you all in.

 

[YSC]

Over the last year i've had 3 pairs of revels - all upgrades from one to the next...They're awesome and as you know from this forum, the sound is completely balanced...but I just never ever relished in it...I was never awed or astounded - no matter the amp or source, sub no sub, dsp, room..whatever...didn't matter.

I plugged my dynaudio focus 110's in to my main system the other day and boom - realized that's the sound I'm in love with, it's what stoked the fire for me in this hobby...yeah they're small but the sound is just special to me.

My special 40's get here on Weds...i'll fill you all in.

If so that's absolutely perfect for your use case. but may I ask did you try DSP them to be in room flat or with certain preference target curve? or maybe even try to mimic the Focus 110 on the Revels using DSP and try to compare? somehow I understand the boosted bass in the typical bat shaped curve might sound lovelier in specific genre of music and if that is welcomed, as one usually listen to 1 or 2 types of genres mostly there's no wonder why different tunings are preferred

 

[jaykay77]

If so that's absolutely perfect for your use case. but may I ask did you try DSP them to be in room flat or with certain preference target curve? or maybe even try to mimic the Focus 110 on the Revels using DSP and try to compare? somehow I understand the boosted bass in the typical bat shaped curve might sound lovelier in specific genre of music and if that is welcomed, as one usually listen to 1 or 2 types of genres mostly there's no wonder why different tunings are preferred

Yes...I have latest version of audyssey, and i've fooled with different curves on Audyssey and on Roon. Boosting the bass on the f208's was crucial...and actually those speakers were incredible for home theater...the seamless integration of the drivers and overall balance of sound is very evident.

When it comes to 2 channel, i love the way my little dyns image and disappear and soundstage...incredibly they have better bass than any of the revels i've had. Over anything, my favorite way to listen is without any dsp, using a denon poa 2000rg, the little benchmark ahb2. streaming into a cheap schiit dac.

 

[77SunsetStrip]

If anybody thinks the 40+ year old debate how a speaker sounds can be settled by testing a sample of one, they are delusional. Besides, a sample of one is meaningless in the world of statistics, engineering, and science.

No, an impartial listener or panel is not going to move the needle. Likely just intensify the debate. In this thread alone there are individuals that hear a problem with the speaker in question and those that do not.

Measurements, no matter who does the work, are valuable information about speakers. If that is all you personally require, fine. If you require measurements and listening, fine.

 

[jaykay77]

Just finding this. I have special 40's...traded my Revel performa F208's for them. I've never been happier. This was my lesson on why measurements only get you so far. I've had probably 30 pairs of speakers over the years and these are one of the few pairs i'll never sell. Trade, maybe for the next step up the dynaudio line but that's it. They're incredible speakers.

I'm open to the fact these might sound terrible to someone. I just happen to prefer the dynaudio house sound.

Re: the guy on youtube trying to sell you his upgrade solutions for speakers - are you all really buying that?

I trust the the Danish speaker maker who've been doing this for over 40 years, all the while making drivers almost every other manufacturer desires.

 

[Toto77]

Just finding this. I have special 40's...traded my Revel performa F208's for them. I've never been happier. This was my lesson on why measurements only get you so far. I've had probably 30 pairs of speakers over the years and these are one of the few pairs i'll never sell. Trade, maybe for the next step up the dynaudio line but that's it. They're incredible speakers.

I'm open to the fact these might sound terrible to someone. I just happen to prefer the dynaudio house sound.

Re: the guy on youtube trying to sell you his upgrade solutions for speakers - are you all really buying that?

I trust the the Danish speaker maker who've been doing this for over 40 years, all the while making drivers almost every other manufacturer desires.

Thinking of getting the special 40s. Could you describe the lower midrange and treble for me? I tend to like warmer signatures with smoothed out treble. I also like a healthy bump in the upper bass and a thick midrange. Don't mind if voices sound chesty. I don't understand a thing other audiophile review sites say about these things and the video mentioned in this thread hes just trying to make the speaker measure super flat.

 

[jaykay77]

Thinking of getting the special 40s. Could you describe the lower midrange and treble for me? I tend to like warmer signatures with smoothed out treble. I also like a healthy bump in the upper bass and a thick midrange. Don't mind if voices sound chesty. I don't understand a thing other audiophile review sites say about these things and the video mentioned in this thread hes just trying to make the speaker measure super flat.

I think these are what you're looking for, because the things you mentioned are what I've always loved about dyns and the sp 40's are exceptional at delivering the dynaudio signature sound. They're warm, yet the treble isn't tipped off. The mids and upper bass are thick but no - they're not "chesty" like proacs or harbeths if that's what you're looking for - they are more dynamic acrsoss the board. They use less power than my little focus 110's (get these if you're on a budget they are awesome). You should get them you'll be very happy. If not, sell them it won't be difficult.

 

[Toto77]

I think these are what you're looking for, because the things you mentioned are what I've always loved about dyns and the sp 40's are exceptional at delivering the dynaudio signature sound. They're warm, yet the treble isn't tipped off. The mids and upper bass are thick but no - they're not "chesty" like proacs or harbeths if that's what you're looking for - they are more dynamic acrsoss the board. They use less power than my little focus 110's (get these if you're on a budget they are awesome). You should get them you'll be very happy. If not, sell them it won't be difficult.

Thanks so much for the response. I have one more question. How do acoustic guitars sound on this speaker? Especially when theyre with other instruments in a band? I listen to alot of live albums and am worried that they might sound washed out or have no weight/body/punch? For example on my jbl 305p, listening to john mayer free fallin, I can barely hear the acoustic guitars when Mayer is singing.