2. speakers
  3. 1263405807

My Line Arrays and Dynaudio monitor - where to go

I’m close to pulling the trigger on a pair of Dynaudio Confidence C1’s but I’m hesitant.

I was at the CES show in Vegas to listen to a variety of speakers. We (wife and I) came away with the feeling that we weren’t getting what we wished for in our current line array speakers. There seems to be an emotional bond to the music that just doesn’t get communicated in some types of music. Some speakers we heard at the CES show had a 3D holographic image that was just mesmerizing. In particular the Dynaudio monitor line and the Opera monitor. Vocals as well were realistic and the image was simply “you are there” quality and this was the line under the Confidence series. Also great were the Silverline Boleros.

The line arrays I have are great and an unbelievable bargain but sometimes feel that the sound staging which is rather flat, vocals which are less than human and overall high frequency energy which is a bit unbalanced IMHO.
A few days before the show I dropped my Oppo BDP83 SE player off with Rick Schultz of Tweakaudio for some additional mods. He offered a solution to the excessive HF energy by felting around all of the tweeter drivers, there are 12 of them. I allowed a few days of break in for the player (caps were involved in the mod) then felted around the drivers. Between the mods which were spellbinding by themselves and the felting (done afterwards), we have some amazing sound coming from the line arrays. These may be the most dynamic speakers I’ve ever heard and I’ve heard a lot of them. Now I seemed to have tamed the HF problem as well. Imaging had greatly improved though not nearly the level of the Dyns or other fine speakers we’ve listened too. Vocal too still aren’t to what I’d wish they be. As well these line arrays are giants, 28 drivers in all and reaching at least 6’ high. But these speakers swing dynamically with bass way down low and highs into the Netherlands.

Reading the reviews on the C1’s they appear to be a world class speaker with amazing bass capabilities given the right amplification. I use Nuforce 9 SEV2 monoblocks (soon to be V3’s) and a Cary SLP05 tube preamp. My amps will register 160 watts with a damping factor of 4000. The perform amazing bass duties on the line arrays, stunning in fact. The Dyn’s from what I’ve read need current. I’m unsure how current equates with the Nuforce’s. I’m unsure in fact in I won’t miss the dynamic capabilities of the line arrays. I thought if I missed the low bass on the C1’s and go locate a HQ sub which, doing double duty as a HT system, wouldn’t be a bad idea anyway.

Just curios what the knowledgeable folks in this forum thought about a speaker change and in particular the Dynaudio C1’s.
128x128desalvo55
Ag insider logo xs@2x
drubin
3,274 posts
 
When I got my C1s, I had Nuforce mono blocks along with some other amps. I did not care for the Nuforce with the Dyns, though I don't recall the specifics. Just seemed "not right." I used GamuT for quite a while and am now using Ayre, but the search continues. I think lots of power and solid state is the way to go, but there are a lot of choices.

Thanks for posting this follow up.
desalvo55's avatar
desalvo55 OP
257 posts
 
I'm taking a hard look at the Plinius line, specifically the 301B (I think). Pass labs wouldn't be out the question and for a lot less money the Odyssey Stratos Mono Extreme's look good. I actually auditioned someone's Stratos in my home and was very suprised how close it sounded to my Nuforce. I had other amps on hand as it was a audio get-to-together, so many were rotated around my line arrays.

I really enjoy my Nuforce's and the company behind them. I don't know how to convince myself that more power is needed other than an audition with a more powerful, equally refined amplifier.
mapman's avatar
mapman
22,087 posts
 
" I think lots of power and solid state is the way to go, but there are a lot of choices. "

No doubt. SS power (and current) is the ticket.
Ag insider logo xs@2x
drubin
3,274 posts
 
Not meaning to hijack the thread, but I'd be curious to hear from anyone who has listened to Dynaudio (especially the Confidence line) with Bryston, Spectron or any of the ICE amps, such as those from Bel Canto or Wyred4Sound.
desalvo55's avatar
desalvo55 OP
257 posts
 
We've been back and forth between the LS6's and the C1's.

With the C1's, half of my music collection which consists of everything from Mozart and Bach, to Porcupine Tree and Radiohead, to Neil Young and Robert Johnson, to Joan Osborne and Jeff Beck, half my music is disappointing in a way. Take B-Tribe. Now I know the C1's will not play B-Tribe. The low bass notes and soaring highs and the space and ambiance just doesn't come through IN COMPARISON with the LS6's. Anything with huge dynamic contrasts strain the little guys. The LS6's simply destroy just about any other speaker I've listened too in this regard and I've listened to a lot. Not just that but they get so deep into the recording and resolve the full spectrum whether you like it or not. The downside is the midrange. The C1's have the edge in vocals and midrange purity. The highs as well won't hurt you like the LS6's can at times. Anyone who owns a pair of LS6's has to felt around the tweeters, all 12 of them. Soundstage goes the C1's in our room, but we had to move the couch forward in order to get depth into the recordings.

It would be nice to keep both sets of speakers, but we simply can't.

Friends outside the audiophile world (casual listeners) prefer, just barely, the C1's but add "you need a subwoofer". A Fathom F113 is on order. They are generally stunned at how music flows from the line arrays. They keep looking for a sub!

So we are spoiled by what these line arrays can do. The Nuforces drive them effortlessly into stadium levels where my wife likes the volume at, and at these levels, they never lose control over the lower registers.

With the C1's there seems be a discontinuity between the bass and the rest of the music. It's as if there simply not enough power. I've read the reviews and this was not a complaint, but it is in my system.

On my radar now is a McCormick DNA 500. I believe this amplifier will drive the C1's just fine. I was worried a bit about the output impedance of my Cary SLP 05 but at 400 Ohms, seems like a good match.

Thanks for your thoughts.
More to discover