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Where do you go after a Dynaudio C1 ?

I have been scouting for a pair of speakers to replace my Dynaudio C1, which after many years of enjoyment I now find voiced to relaxed for my taste. I am looking for speakers that comes as close as possible to the raw sound and timbre of voices and instruments with minimal house coloration, speakers that energize a room to give an electrifying feel of presence, speakers that convey both refined subtlety and explosive dynamics with effortlessness. This have to be smallish, either a standmount or small footprint floorstander, must work in condo-type living room, and synergize with high power rowland amp I use.

Two speakers I have listened to and consider top candidates are the Magico V2 and Focal Utopia Diablo. These seem to possess the attributes I seek. Given my parameters, what other speakers do you think I should consider? Buying new with budget $15,000 max, less the better. Please note purchase will be in the Philippines, where most small specialty brands are not available.
noelpastor
mike60
275 posts
 
Pani, how long did it take you to audition 70 speakers? That is a lot of speakers!
Ag insider logo xs@2x
drubin
3,274 posts
 
Thanks Xtil6.

And if you are going to audition ATC, you might want to also look at PMC.
pani
1,219 posts
 
Mike I did it over a period of 3 weeks. It was a continuous spree. I tried to listen to every possible speaker in the range of $2k to $8k which available with the dealers around my country and neighbouring countries. In the process I also listened to many more expensive speakers but nothing could do what the ATC could.

PMC is said to be from the school as ATC but I am sorry but they are far too coloured to be even compared to ATC. Dyns are much more neutral than PMC.
noelpastor OP
60 posts
 
I have actually auditioned the new C1 Mark II, though not in my system. While the comment that this new version sounds clearer and more open at low to moderate volume, I doubt it will give me the raw uncolored tonality I now seek. I really want to go a different direction, I have heard Sonus Fabre, Spendor and Harbeth top line models (own P3 myself), while these speakers have strengths, this is NOT what I seek.

Hessec, your comments reinforced the V2 as one of my top candidate. Raidho, ATC, Vapor Cirrus all not available where I am, and I prefer to purchase something that has local support. Tidal is another brand that came up in my search, but again no local reseller. So it is still the V2 and Diablo in the running.
pani
1,219 posts
 
You are right Noelpastor, I could not even like a Evidence Temptation when I went through the same situation as you.

I could suggest you another approach in the absence of an ATC demo. You can buy a simple SCM11 from the used market for about $1.2k and listen to it. I preferred it to the C1. With ATC the sonic qualities remains the same whether you buy their entry level speaker or their top end speaker, only the scale, depth and bass extension improves. So if you do not like their entry level speakers you will not like even their highest end speaker and on the contrary if you like their high end speakers you will almost equally like their entry level models. Actually with ATC there is no "entry level", they are just meant for different room sizes and purpose (near field, mid field etc). Their drivers are not made to match a price point (unlike most other driver brands), rather they just build a driver for a certain application using all their knowledge. So, if you do not mind doing this simple exercise of getting a SCM11 (preowned) you will know exactly if it matches your taste.
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