Mini Monitors - Dynaudio and JM Labs


After 11 years with my Thiel CS22 floorstanders, I’m ready to make a change and have decided to try out some mini monitors because of room size 15’x17’x7.5’ and the fact that I have a REL Stadium III to take care of the low end. I’ve narrowed my search down to two brands, Dynaudio and JM Labs. I’m looking at the Micro Utopia Be and either to the three Dynaudio models, Confidence C1, Special 25, or Contour 1.3SE.

I listen to pretty much all types of music but the majority being Jazz, Rock, and Alternative. One thing about the Thiel’s that I have always had a difficult time dealing with was that the listening position was extremely critical. The way that I have my speakers positioned, only one person at a time could truly enjoy the music from my Thiel’s. I’m hoping that I can improve my predicament with the speakers listed above as well as moving a step up in the quest for the absolute sound. I believe I have plenty of power to drive any of the speaker listed. A list of my associated equipment is listed “my system”.

Please, your recommendations or comments are welcome if you have compared or owned any speakers listed above.
islandflyfisher
Washline, wouldn't a semi-colon after 20khz been more appropriate than a comma? While not as clear as breaking it down into 2 sentences; it would have made your sentence, and the point you were trying to make, easier to follow. Don't you think?
What timing here !
I just listened to the Micro Be's and came away quite impressed with tweeter . I had originally gone to audition some Mac stuff and changed my upgrade path !
I did not think that they needed a sub . I even turned up the base , on the Mac pre , and felt that flat was fine .
I have started a thread to find another speaker with this caliber of performance for less money . Does it exist ?

Also , what are you Be owners using for amplification . The Mac stuff , tubed pre & SS amp , sounded pretty good .

Thank You
I've been enjoying a new pair of Micro Be's for about a week now and all I can say is these are AMAZING "little" speakers. It's always a joy when your system takes a big jump towards a deeper more satisfying musical experience. These speakers are in the process (still breaking them in) of doing just that.

A little history...the Micros replaced a pair of B&W N805's that had provided quite a few years of enjoyment during which time I systematically upgraded my entire system from the top on down.

My current system breaks down as follows:
Mark Levinson 390s (fed directly into amp)
McIntosh 501's
Nordost Valkyrja Balanced IC throughout
Revel Ultima Sub30
Audience Au24 Speaker Cable
Focal-JM Labs Micro Utopia Be (on SMU stands)

As musically satisfying speaker the 805's have been over the years I felt that I just wasn't getting everything my components were capable of delivering. Having a few other financial priorities it was going to be a little while longer before making the upgrade as I've been looking at much more expensive options than the Micros.

I've heard a lot of great things about the Micros and was extremely impressed a couple of years back when I heard a pair of Altos. So when a pair of Micros showed up on AG last month at a decent price I thought to myself why not give them a try. At least they could tie me over until I decide on the speakers I really want.

Well, having lived with these babies for just over a week I may have just found what I've been missing. No, they don't have the final word on macrodynamics or overall scale (even with the Sub30), but apart from that that these speakers are truly extraordinary.

The top-end is simply beyond anything I've heard before along with transparency through the mid-band. Soundstaging and imaging are spectacular as well (you'll need to experiment w/ toe-in) and strike a wonderful balance between image focus and spaciousness. Reproduction of instrument placement, timbre and spacial cues on Dave Brubeck's "Time Out" is simply staggering. The speakers disappear completely and what's left is the music suspended in 3D space in front of you. Going through my collection of favorite "diagnostic" cd's (we all have 'em) has revealed a layer of musical detail and texture I've never heard before on my system. Another veil between the music and the listening chair has been lifted.

All in all, these speakers are a magnitude order above my old B&W's in every way. With the Sub30 the experience top to bottom is truly special, but that's another story.

I can't recommend these speakers enough. Happy Listening!!

Al
I've listened, lived and auditioned extensively a few lines of the JM Labs and Dyns over the years & I personally would go for the Dynaudios over the JM Labs.
I find the sound of the JM labs a little bit on the hot side of things. Details in abundance but I find the mids to be a bit thin sounding.While the higher models of the JM labs offer a degree of refinement over the mid range products, I still find it lacking in robustness.

The Dyns are more neutral, more robust mids and the bass is very good. However these needs to be careful placed because they can be quite bass heavy at times.These speakers also crave for lots of good s/s power,.

Currently though I'm more in the PMC, Harbeth, Spendor camp of speakers. While these doesnt have the high's of the JM labs, or the bass of the Dyns, the mids of these speakers truly captivate my listening experience. The midrange is remarkable clear and open, which I felt the JM Labs nor the DYns amissed. Again, everyone is entitled to their own opinion. This just happens to be mine which is subjective to my listening preference and listening room.
Sorry I haven't read through the above responses if I'm repeating anything that's been said already, but as the 9-year owner of CS2.2's myself, I'd suggest maybe also checking out Thiel's latest iteration of the SCS, the SCS4. I haven't heard it yet, and am not even sure whether it has shipped yet, but the concentric tweeter/mid-woofer array will make listening position less critical than a 3-way floorstander like the 2.2 (the original version of the SCS is what turned me on to the Thiel sound in the first place many years ago). Supposed to be priced at around only $2K a pair as well, less than its predecessor despite the addition of an aluminum baffle. (Of course, the best subwoofer match ought to be one of Thiel's own, used with its model-specific crossover module.)