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Dynavoice Definition DC-5 Spinorama measurements (CTA-2034)

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  • Above average

    Votes: 2 28.6%
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  • Total voters
    7

Ageve

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Here are some measurements of the Dynavoice Definition DC-5 center speaker.

The MSRP is ~225 USD (2490 SEK), and it's still available new.

dynavoice dc-5.jpg



Dynavoice is a brand from Winn Scandinavia, the company behind JWS, Proson, Genexxa, System One and others through the years.

I've tested two other speakers from them, but one was quite old, and the other one was very inexpensive. This one from their current top series, and matches the DM-6 bookshelf, and the DF-8 floorstander.

Specs:

Power handling (RMS): 125 W
Power handling (Max): 180 W
Woofers: 2 x 5.25 inch
Tweeters: Ribbon + soft dome
Frequency response: 36 - 32000 Hz
Sensitivity: 92 dB
Crossover: 1800 / 9000 Hz
Nominal impedance: 8 ohms
Dimensions (BHD): 500 x 185 x 300 mm (19.69 x 7.28 x 11.8 inches)
Weight: 9.8 kg (21.6 lbs)


It has a crossover adjustment jumper at the back. Default setting (0 dB) is with jumper in the right position.

dynavoice dc-5 terminals.jpg



I ended up using +2 dB since it gave the flattest on-axis response. Measurement axis was between the two tweeters (center of the cabinet).

Here's the difference between the settings (normalized to + 2dB):

Dynavoice DC-5 x-change settings normalized.png



My measurements are quasi-anechoic, with nearfield ports+woofers, corrected for baffle edge diffraction, merged with gated measurements at 1m distance. I also did a sweep at 2m, and the response was identical. I forgot to save it though.

I couldn't find any other measurement, but the Swedish magazine Hifi & Musik reviewed the matching DM-6 bookshelf speaker back in 2009 (same drivers). Here's a comparison (their measurement is gated):

Dynavoice DC-5 vs DM-6 Hifi Musik.png



Quite similar. Treble difference is caused by measurement axis. They most likely measured at the ribbon tweeter (I would do that as well with a bookshelf speaker, but with a center, the middle of the baffle makes more sense, and it also gave the flattest response). No information on recommended listening axis is provided by the manufacturer.


CTA-2034:

Dynavoice DC-5 CTA-2034.png



Early reflections:

Dynavoice DC-5 early reflections.png



The CTA-2034 graphs look surprisingly good, but the early reflections are quite messy (MTM design, and it looks like the two tweeters are causing some cancellation as well).

Quasi-anechoic response:

Dynavoice DC-5 quasi anechoic.png


Estimated in-room:

Dynavoice DC-5 estimated in-room response.png



It looks like the +2 dB setting, while good for on-axis response, is a bit too bright in-room.

This is probably not accurate (I just applied the normalized difference between two on-axis measurements), but it might give a clue as to how it would sound with the 0 dB setting:

Dynavoice DC-5 simulated estimated in-room 0 db setting.png


Horizontal directivity:

Dynavoice DC-5 horizontal directivity polar.png


0-90 deg:
Dynavoice DC-5 horizontal directivity lines 0 90 deg.png



Vertical directivity:

Dynavoice DC-5 vertical directivity polar.png


0-90 deg:

Dynavoice DC-5 vertical directivity lines pos 0 90 deg.png


Dynavoice DC-5 vertical directivity lines neg 0 90 deg.png



As expected with MTM, the horizontal directivity is not great. Vertical is better, except for the treble.

Near-field:

Dynavoice DC-5 nearfield.png



Port resonances are quite low, and driver integration looks good, except for the two tweeters. They're overlapping, and it's probably what's causing the messy vertical off-axis response > 5 kHz (cancellation).


Distortion:

Dynavoice DC-5 THD 86dB 1m.png



Dynavoice DC-5 THD 86dB 1m percent.png



Low distortion > 100 Hz. The woofers were moving quite a bit though, so I didn't measure att higher SPL. No audible port noise.


Here's a comparison between my quasi-anechoic measurement and actual response at 1m distance (the same measurement but without gating, and with smoothing applied instead).

The overall response is very similar down to around 150 Hz, where it drops of in-room. That's not a fault with the near-field measurement though. It's just because of the rear-mounted ports, and the speaker being in the middle of my garage (the quasi-anechoic response is more accurate).

Dynavoice quasi anechoic 1m vs in-room 1m bass response.png



I listened to the speaker while writing this, and it actually sounds more than acceptable considering how inexpensive it is. It's a bit bright though, probably because of the lack of bass (-12 dB at 50 Hz). There's also some "tubbiness" in the upper bass, and at times the midrange can sound a bit "resonant" for lack of a better word.

The sound changes when moving from left to right, but it doesn't turn into a "muffled mess" like with some other MTM designs.

I still have the Bowers & Wilkins 686 S2 that I measured a while ago, so I thought a comparison would be interesting. I didn't expect the B&W to sound worse though. I mean in some ways it's better. The slight "tubbiness" is gone, but the midrange in the B&W is very hollow/dull and the treble is annoying.

Anyway, the Dynavoice DC-5 is much better than other speakers I've heard from this manufacturer through the years.
 

Attachments

  • Dyn_DC5_CTA-2034.zip
    80.7 KB · Views: 20
Last edited:
Thank you for another interesting spin, like you say not bad for a MTM design, must say am quite surprised that the summed early reflections (which are similar to the EIR) look as good despite the typical horizontal radiation problems.
 
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Thanks for the measurements, considering how decent this is I am even more intrigued to see how Dynavoice's regular speakers measaure like, if you ever get the chance. I think other speakers in the Definition range are using the same tweeter set up.

It's also really interesting to see how closely they measure in room compared to your quasi anechoic measurements.
 
Thank you for another interesting spin, like you say not bad for a MTM design, must say am quite surprised that the summed early reflections (which are similar to the EIR) look as good despite the typical horizontal radiation problems.

Yep, the crossover point is quite low, 1.8 kHz (dome tweeter). I guess that helps.

Vertical reflections are better, making the average smoother.

Dynavoice DC-5 horizontal ER.png


Dynavoice DC-5 vertical ER.png
 
Here's a teardown.

Kevlar cone with a coating/glue.

woofer.jpg



I was a bit surprised to see cast aluminium baskets in such an inexpensive speaker.

woofer1.jpg



36 mm MDF baffle (two 18 mm boards glued together). The same goes for the back.

Side/top/bottom panels are 18 mm MDF.

baffle.jpg



Tweeters:

tweeters.jpg



Two braces at the front and back.

inside.jpg



Flared ports (on the inside as well):

port.jpg



The tweeters share the same crossover, but with different caps (ribbon tweeter is crossed over at 9 kHz).

crossover2.jpg



Resistors for the "X-change" jumper:

crossover1.jpg




There's really a huge difference compared to older speakers from this company.

It might not seem like anything special, but in Sweden, JWS/Proson/Genexxa weren't really known for high build quality. Quite the opposite to be honest. ;)

The main problem with this speaker is the overlapping tweeters, causing off-axis (vertical) peaks and dips. I think that's part of the reason why it's a bit bright, and the treble can sound a bit "plastic" at times. Other than that, and the slight upper bass "tubbiness", it's surprisingly good for the money.
 
I just noticed something strange with this speaker.

It was brand new, and I only used it for a couple of hours before doing the spin. After using it for a few more hours, I thought the sound was too bright, so I changed the jumper setting to 0 dB. Since then, it has been playing for at least 50 hours, and now it's even brighter.

Thinking I was going insane, I re-measured it, with the same jumper setting as before, +2 dB:

Dynavoice DC-5 possible breakin.png



It's almost identical, except for the ribbon tweeter. It's now 2 dB louder!

This is the same (new) measurement, but with the jumper setting difference applied (0 dB):

Dynavoice DC-5 difference with 0db setting.png



It clearly doesn't match the real measured difference above. The only thing that has changed is the ribbon tweeter response.

To make sure that everything is set up properly, I re-measured my Monitor Audio RX1.



The result is almost identical, and I know why there are small differences (New and improved test stand, and mic stand). The new result is more accurate.

Monitor Audio RX1 2024 vs 2025.png



I'm going to keep using the speaker until the response stops changing, and then I'll probably re-measure it (the whole spin).

What are your thoughts on this? Is break-in a real thing for ribbon tweeters?

I've never seen any difference with dome tweeters.


edit: Here's a 1m vs 2m measurement, for those who are interested. Almost identical (3 ms window for both, to match the 2m result):

Dynavoice DC-5 1m vs 2m.png



And just for fun, 2m vs 50 cm:

Dynavoice DC-5 2m vs 50 cm.png
 
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Myself haven't seen such big differences till now, maybe different temperature like with Amirs Neumann test in the past?

Nope, just a 1°C difference. At this time of year, I have to run the heater for several hours in my garage before measuring.

edit: Down to 15° (59°F) now, just 1 hour after measuring. ;)

temp.jpg
 
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Here are some measurements of the Dynavoice Definition DC-5 center speaker.

The MSRP is ~225 USD (2490 SEK), and it's still available new.

View attachment 418567


Dynavoice is a brand from Winn Scandinavia, the company behind JWS, Proson, Genexxa, System One and others through the years.

I've tested two other speakers from them, but one was quite old, and the other one was very inexpensive. This one from their current top series, and matches the DM-6 bookshelf, and the DF-8 floorstander.

Specs:

Power handling (RMS): 125 W
Power handling (Max): 180 W
Woofers: 2 x 5.25 inch
Tweeters: Ribbon + soft dome
Frequency response: 36 - 32000 Hz
Sensitivity: 92 dB
Crossover: 1800 / 9000 Hz
Nominal impedance: 8 ohms
Dimensions (BHD): 500 x 185 x 300 mm (19.69 x 7.28 x 11.8 inches)
Weight: 9.8 kg (21.6 lbs)


It has a crossover adjustment jumper at the back. Default setting (0 dB) is with jumper in the right position.

View attachment 418571


I ended up using +2 dB since it gave the flattest on-axis response. Measurement axis was between the two tweeters (center of the cabinet).

Here's the difference between the settings (normalized to + 2dB):

View attachment 418572


My measurements are quasi-anechoic, with nearfield ports+woofers, corrected for baffle edge diffraction, merged with gated measurements at 1m distance. I also did a sweep at 2m, and the response was identical. I forgot to save it though.

I couldn't find any other measurement, but the Swedish magazine Hifi & Musik reviewed the matching DM-6 bookshelf speaker back in 2009 (same drivers). Here's a comparison (their measurement is gated):

View attachment 418573


Quite similar. Treble difference is caused by measurement axis. They most likely measured at the ribbon tweeter (I would do that as well with a bookshelf speaker, but with a center, the middle of the baffle makes more sense, and it also gave the flattest response). No information on recommended listening axis is provided by the manufacturer.


CTA-2034:

View attachment 418574


Early reflections:

View attachment 418575


The CTA-2034 graphs look surprisingly good, but the early reflections are quite messy (MTM design, and it looks like the two tweeters are causing some cancellation as well).

Quasi-anechoic response:

View attachment 418583

Estimated in-room:

View attachment 418576


It looks like the +2 dB setting, while good for on-axis response, is a bit too bright in-room.

This is probably not accurate (I just applied the normalized difference between two on-axis measurements), but it might give a clue as to how it would sound with the 0 dB setting:

View attachment 418578

Horizontal directivity:

View attachment 418585

0-90 deg:
View attachment 418586


Vertical directivity:

View attachment 418587

0-90 deg:

View attachment 418589

View attachment 418590


As expected with MTM, the horizontal directivity is not great. Vertical is better, except for the treble.

Near-field:

View attachment 418592


Port resonances are quite low, and driver integration looks good, except for the two tweeters. They're overlapping, and it's probably what's causing the messy vertical off-axis response > 5 kHz (cancellation).


Distortion:

View attachment 418593


View attachment 418595


Low distortion > 100 Hz. The woofers were moving quite a bit though, so I didn't measure att higher SPL. No audible port noise.


Here's a comparison between my quasi-anechoic measurement and actual response at 1m distance (the same measurement but without gating, and with smoothing applied instead).

The overall response is very similar down to around 150 Hz, where it drops of in-room. That's not a fault with the near-field measurement though. It's just because of the rear-mounted ports, and the speaker being in the middle of my garage (the quasi-anechoic response is more accurate).

View attachment 418607


I listened to the speaker while writing this, and it actually sounds more than acceptable considering how inexpensive it is. It's a bit bright though, probably because of the lack of bass (-12 dB at 50 Hz). There's also some "tubbiness" in the upper bass, and at times the midrange can sound a bit "resonant" for lack of a better word.

The sound changes when moving from left to right, but it doesn't turn into a "muffled mess" like with some other MTM designs.

I still have the Bowers & Wilkins 686 S2 that I measured a while ago, so I thought a comparison would be interesting. I didn't expect the B&W to sound worse though. I mean in some ways it's better. The slight "tubbiness" is gone, but the midrange in the B&W is very hollow/dull and the treble is annoying.

Anyway, the Dynavoice DC-5 is much better than other speakers I've heard from this manufacturer through the years.
Great effort, again!

Here is my take on the EQ.
Please report your findings, positive or negative!

For the score rational your journey starts here
Explanation for the sub score
The following EQs are “anechoic” EQs to get the speaker right before room integration.
If you able to implement these EQs you must add EQ at LF for room integration, that is usually not optional… see hints there.

The raw data with corrected ER and PIR:

Score no EQ: 4.0
With Sub: 6.7

Spinorama with no EQ:
  • 500-600Hz trough?
  • Not horrible
  • "Smiley face" LW
  • Questionable tweeter smoothness
  • Mid recessed because of the driver configuration
Dynavoice Definition DC-5 No EQ Spinorama.png

EQ design:
I have generated two EQs. The APO config files are attached.
  • The first one, labelled, LW is targeted at making the LW flat
  • The second, labelled Score, starts with the first one and adds the score as an optimization variable.
  • The EQs are designed in the context of regular stereo use i.e. domestic environment, no warranty is provided for a near field use in a studio environment although the LW might be better suited for this purpose.
Score EQ LW: 5.5
with sub: 8.1

Score EQ Score: 6.2
with sub: 8.8

Code:
Dynavoice Definition DC-5  APO EQ LW 96000Hz
January142025-144731

Preamp: -3.00 dB

Filter 1: ON HPQ Fc 60.0 Hz Gain 0.00 dB Q 2.05
Filter 2: ON PK Fc 117.3 Hz Gain -7.22 dB Q 0.78
Filter 3: ON PK Fc 498.2 Hz Gain 2.62 dB Q 4.51
Filter 4: ON PK Fc 1583.7 Hz Gain 1.82 dB Q 2.91
Filter 5: ON PK Fc 2869.8 Hz Gain 2.82 dB Q 2.52
Filter 6: ON PK Fc 7946.8 Hz Gain -1.18 dB Q 4.99
Filter 7: ON PK Fc 12704.1 Hz Gain -2.12 dB Q 4.99

Dynavoice Definition DC-5  APO EQ Score 96000Hz
January142025-144731

Preamp: -3.00 dB

Filter 1: ON HPQ Fc 59.1 Hz Gain 0.00 dB Q 1.99
Filter 2: ON PK Fc 119.3 Hz Gain -6.29 dB Q 0.98
Filter 3: ON PK Fc 500.7 Hz Gain 3.29 dB Q 3.97
Filter 4: ON PK Fc 1073.2 Hz Gain 1.16 dB Q 4.98
Filter 5: ON PK Fc 2916.0 Hz Gain 2.03 dB Q 2.92
Filter 6: ON PK Fc 7966.0 Hz Gain -1.47 dB Q 4.93
Filter 7: ON PK Fc 12293.5 Hz Gain -3.20 dB Q 4.99
Dynavoice Definition DC-5 EQ Design.png

Spinorama EQ LW
Dynavoice Definition DC-5 LW EQ Spinorama.png

Spinorama EQ Score
Dynavoice Definition DC-5 Score EQ Spinorama.png

Zoom PIR-LW-ON
Dynavoice Definition DC-5 Zoom.png

Regression - Tonal
Dynavoice Definition DC-5 Regression.png

Radar no EQ vs EQ score
some improvements?
Dynavoice Definition DC-5 Radar.png


Edit Score "All-in"
Dynavoice Definition DC-5 Score All-in Spinorama.png

Dynavoice Definition DC-5 Regression All-in.png
Dynavoice Definition DC-5 Zoom All-in.png
 

Attachments

  • Dynavoice Definition DC-5 APO EQ LW 96000Hz.txt
    429 bytes · Views: 16
  • Dynavoice Definition DC-5 APO EQ Score 96000Hz.txt
    432 bytes · Views: 13
  • Dynavoice Definition DC-5 APO EQ Score All-in 96000Hz.txt
    488 bytes · Views: 14
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