Dynaudio X14 Speaker Review

[hardisj]

I really want to know, why do you disagree with them saying this is not a waveguide? We all agree it is short for one, but they say it still has acoustic principles.

What does a waveguide do? Where (in frequency) does it typically do it? Where (in frequency) is this one going to be effective?

My point is that while this might have an influence on the measured response, calling it a waveguide is reaching.

 

[pavuol]

If it is 45°, it is a standard "metal-working" bevel. If it is like 43° or 46°, than it is a special waveguide, ingenuine and carefully engineered, lol

 

[ROOSKIE]

This certainly comports with my reactions to the less expensive Dyn's. And it's not difficult to see why. They make excellent drivers--it was a real downer to the DIY community when they cut off sales to third parties. But once those superior and expensive drivers were placed in a black box, there wasn't a lot of $ left for crossover engineering if the target retail price was to be met. That goes not just for the discontinued Excite series, but also for the current Emit M10 ($800/pr on Amazon). i had a pair of those in for repair, and while the sound is certainly decent, it's a bargain-basement unit in terms of the crossover, which consists of a very cheap cap and a tiny iron core (not even steel laminate) inductor that had fused after some kind of mistreatment by the owner.

This makes the active version, the X14a seem more interesting.
I'd be very curious how differently it measures and performed.
It was on sale/clearance for the longest time for very reasonable $ (relatively to the passive )

Still available in black for $799 a pair.
Might be worth it and better due to the active tech and DSP paired with the nice drivers.
https://www.safeandsoundhq.com/products/dynaudio-excite-x14a-high-end-powered-bookshelf-speakers-pair?variant=19809269841974&utm_medium=cpc&utm_source=google&utm_campaign=Google Shopping&gclid=Cj0KCQiA48j9BRC-ARIsAMQu3WQARVsArBpL2UmLaP0RgT5ruffx3gsLtadahP8NVDiGWh8Mk50UJZwaAgD3EALw_wcB

 

[tvih]

I agree that the C1 was a good speaker (measurements here and here). I also heard it and liked it quite a lot. It was expensive for what it was, though.

True, it wasn't cheap for the full price, that's for sure. It was about as good as you could get for a stand-mounted speaker, upon a time. But even though in my room it can go to maybe 35Hz audibly which is amazing from a speaker element that size, it's still not really a "full-range" speaker, which most would expect to get in that price range. Unfortunately the current line hikes that price point a lot further! Basically +50% MSRP for Confidence 20, and that's after accounting for inflation. But then I reckon they know how to make the best profit with that sort of thing a lot better than me.

 

[tvih]

Still available in black for $799 a pair.
Might be worth it and better due to the active tech paired with the nice drivers.

That seems like a steal. If I was in the US, I probably couldn't resist for upgrading my bedroom set. That's about what they seem to go for used here.

 

[Steve Dallas]

Specs on the Excite series:

 

[Pearljam5000]

Why not:

 

[ctrl]

What does a waveguide do? Where (in frequency) does it typically do it? Where (in frequency) is this one going to be effective?

My point is that while this might have an influence on the sound, calling it a waveguide is reaching.

One very quickly underestimates the effect on the directivity characteristics when the smallest changes are made to the front panel of a tweeter.

Here is a comparison of a flat front panel (such as the 34mm Bliesma has) to a front panel with a 2mm step.

Or even more detailed here:

There is an endlessly long thread about waveguides in a German speaking forum, where many such basics are presented.

In order not to introduce even more technical terms into the audio world, such a small front panel step or sound lens could be called a "waveguide" for the sake of simplicity.

 

[hardisj]

One very quickly underestimates the effect on the directivity characteristics when the smallest changes are made to the front panel of a tweeter.

No. I get it. I still contend that calling it a waveguide, given the standard use today, is reaching. It's an anti-diffraction edge. It's a chamfer. A bevel. There's not a lot of "guiding" going on here. Just mitigating. But "waveguide" sounds cooler. My $0.02.

 

[Pearljam5000]

Th-is is a waveguide

 

[andreasmaaan]

True, it wasn't cheap for the full price, that's for sure. It was about as good as you could get for a stand-mounted speaker, upon a time. But even though in my room it can go to maybe 35Hz audibly which is amazing from a speaker element that size, it's still not really a "full-range" speaker, which most would expect to get in that price range. Unfortunately the current line hikes that price point a lot further! Basically +50% MSRP for Confidence 20, and that's after accounting for inflation. But then I reckon they know how to make the best profit with that sort of thing a lot better than me.

Yeh, when I heard it I thought it was one of the best passive standmount speakers I'd heard. At the time, though, it cost about as much as most of the floorstanders I'd listened to. If you got it at a significant discount, I'm sure it was a good buy

 

[Matias]

Hold my beer, THIS is a waveguide!

http://web.tiscali.it/royaldevice/custom3.htm

 

[hardisj]

Hold my beer, THIS is a waveguide!

http://web.tiscali.it/royaldevice/custom3.htm

 

[Count Arthur]

And what about our own inbuilt waveguides?

 

[tvih]

Yeh, when I heard it I thought it was one of the best passive standmount speakers I'd heard. At the time, though, it cost about as much as most of the floorstanders I'd listened to. If you got it at a significant discount, I'm sure it was a good buy

Yeah, mine was 3200€ for a demo pair of speakers + stand if I remember correctly, when at the time time the MSRP was ~5000€ without stands. Although these were with a special walnut finish that added something crazy like 2000€ to the MSRP here (not sure why, for example Stereophile specs lists them at a "mere" +$500). Yikes.

Why not: [BM5 MK3]

Also proficient speakers from what I've heard, and once upon a time I did seriously consider them for a desktop setup, but ended up using the existing Audience 42s with a neat Topping TP30 tripath amp instead. I can't say how the BM5 would compare to X14A, especially being studio monitors rather than consumer speakers, but the X14A is originally from a higher price point, which makes them more lucrative at a glance when priced the same as B5M. Of course price isn't everything so the B5M could well beat them. It'd be subjective in the end, generally consumer speaker lines are designed differently on purpose - designed for very different listening environments as well the whole thing about subjective tastes and enjoyment over extreme technical accuracy. Some enjoy that neutral accuracy, some don't.

Anyway I guess I'm kinda being off topic here at this point. As far as the whole X14 waveguide thing, in the end y'all arguing about semantics on that one. If they wanted a super-directional waveguide, they would've done that. Doesn't mean they didn't given any consideration to it or that even a small waveguide isn't still a waveguide.

 

[q3cpma]

One very quickly underestimates the effect on the directivity characteristics when the smallest changes are made to the front panel of a tweeter.

Here is a comparison of a flat front panel (such as the 34mm Bliesma has) to a front panel with a 2mm step.
View attachment 93935


Or even more detailed here:
View attachment 93938

There is an endlessly long thread about waveguides in a German speaking forum, where many such basics are presented.

In order not to introduce even more technical terms into the audio world, such a small front panel step or sound lens could be called a "waveguide" for the sake of simplicity.

Even the 8 mm doesn't seem to control directivity at usual tweeter crossover frequencies. Agree with Erin, it's not what I'd call a waveguide, personally.

 

[celroid]

Is it just me or does this measure similarly to the DBR62? In fact in the DBR62 there even seem to be some worse dips that the Dynaudio does not have, but the overall curve seems similar @amirm.

Dynaudio X14:

DBR62:

Strange that amirm did not EQ this as like the Dynaudio

 

[q3cpma]

Th-is is a waveguide
View attachment 93949

Sorry if derailing a little, but I just noticed: is this a multiple entry horn mated to that compression driver? That'd be quite cool.

 

[DDF]

Wow, I guess the titanium domes in my 30 year old JBLs have a "waveguide" too!

So did the very first pair of tweeters I ever bought (Philips polycarbonate domes, redefining nasty!) in 1978! The flared trousers of tweeter tech!

 

[BYRTT]

Is it just me or does this measure similarly to the DBR62? In fact in the DBR62 there even seem to be some worse dips that the Dynaudio does not have, but the overall curve seems similar @amirm.

Dynaudio X14:View attachment 93994
DBR62:
View attachment 93997
Strange that amirm did not EQ this as like the Dynaudio

Maybe at first glance but DBR62 directivity is a less brutal handover to tweeter and if not noticed i can repeat when MZKM post the normalized directivity patterns, notice x14 is very bad in that 4kHz area and EQ cant help much there..