How close dynaudio s1.4 to c1

Djiti,
Comparing the 1.4's to the c1's on the basis of percentage points is a rather subjective exercise. Suffice it to say that the c1's are considerably better than the 1.4's in every category. Do the 1.4's go lower in bass? Yes, but I feel the bass is just a bit overdone, to the point of muddying the mids. This is not a glaring problem; just something my ears picked up. That said, the Krell will probably address this the best of the amps you are considering. If you can't afford the c1's now, go for the 1.4's. If you buy used they will hold their value pretty well when you go to sell them on Audiogon.

The 1.4S is an excellent speaker ( much better than the Focus 140 ) but I totally agree on what is mentioned: The C1 belongs to a complete different league..you can not compare both. I also consider the 1.3Se more refined than the 1.4S, however, this last one presents a better soundstage and focus for me. My current speaker is a Special 25..for me it combines the best of both worlds : extremely refined and with an outstanding bass .
Finally, you can buy the 1.4S without any doubt..for sure you will be very happy with it.

Arrrrrgh,tough one!!!!
well,I'm gonna wait, hopefully used one will show soon
Thanks all for ur time to write it out

If a maximum resolution and transparency aren't your priority, stay with S 1.4 and spend the extra money on a high class source and amplification. No illusion, the Krell KAV integrated don't provide as good quality amplification as the Krell separates (Evo I guess?) that You've heard in a Dynaudio dealer's store. IMO Krell 400xi integrated is absolutely a minimum for S1.4, You may also try Pass Int 150, Naim Supernait or Gryphon (Callisto, Attilla..). I'd rather avoid Musical Fidelity, Primare and Creek integrateds. I'm afraid the C1 is even more difficult to drive that the Confidence C1..

IMO C1 would be a choice for an no compromise audiophile. For a normal music lover, the Contour S1.4, with is astonishing balance between musicality and transparency and incredible bass response, may be a choice for years... Certainly, C1 offers a better resolution an more airy highs, but more transparency means less tolerance for older recordings…

Concerning the bass department, lows of C1 may be more extended but bass of S1.4 benefits from a kind of boosting in the midbass and finally the bass of the Contour may be regarded as more punchy, more rhythmic.

Summing up : for vocals and complex music (orchestral), with very good quality of recordings, C1 would be a better choice. For popular music (like rock, hard, blues) I'd stay with the Contour.

PS. It's interesting to read that 1.3 SE is better than S1.4. My opinion is different. With the S1.4 the sound is very smooth, very refined. With 1.3 SE (very good speaker like other Dynaudio Contour series speakers) I've often noticed a hint of grainess or sibilance on some recordings (especially not audiophile quality, popular recordings).

Dj,

Buy a used pair here. You can sell them for what you pay. But you won't sell them. I'm not speaking off the cuff here. I've spent hundreds of hours with them and many other speakers. These are pretty special. I do think the C1s are better, but you will be blown away by how good the S1.4s are.

And I agree with the guy that said putting a percentage on how much better the C1s are is ridiculous. Talk about an over simplification.

As for the old contour SEs being better, all I can say is to each his own. I wonder about how much quality time people with that opinion have spent with the S1.4s.