I write this "review" more to complain about how some HiFi equipment is set up and displayed than to say much useful about either of these speakers.
I really like Dynaudio's house sound, at least for their entry level speakers including the Contours. I don't find them overly warm as has been described here, but think of them as more neutral and enticingly punchy when the source material calls for it and amplification is up to the task, and a high bass output to volume quotient.
I was very excited about the 718 BE's when I first learned about them. I got a chance to hear them at a local store recently, and like previous reviews here, the listening situation and experience was unsatisfactory.
They are certainly nice looking boxes with great fit and finish as is the case with all the Usher's I have seen previously. Unfortunately, they were set up in the entry way of the audio shop in one of those awkward standing displays where the space has only one proximal wall, and that is a glass doorway! On top of this, the speakers were being driven by a low-to-mid-grade tube amp and CDP, the brand escapes me, and the sound was just so so. Not bad, but not anything like the advance hype. The mid range was nice and while the bass was surprisingly strong and lifelike, I did not hear the bass bloat noted by another post. But neither did I hear the much talked about high end to die for out of the BE tweeter.
I was left with the impression that the 718 BE's need and probably deserve some really powerful and quality amplification and sources to get the best out of them, and that they have the potential, although it was difficult to be certain, to be a screaming HiFi deal. It would be ideal for you to listen to both speakers in your room with your equipment and then decide - perhaps trying to purchase used and trade out if you are unhappy with the result.
I really like Dynaudio's house sound, at least for their entry level speakers including the Contours. I don't find them overly warm as has been described here, but think of them as more neutral and enticingly punchy when the source material calls for it and amplification is up to the task, and a high bass output to volume quotient.
I was very excited about the 718 BE's when I first learned about them. I got a chance to hear them at a local store recently, and like previous reviews here, the listening situation and experience was unsatisfactory.
They are certainly nice looking boxes with great fit and finish as is the case with all the Usher's I have seen previously. Unfortunately, they were set up in the entry way of the audio shop in one of those awkward standing displays where the space has only one proximal wall, and that is a glass doorway! On top of this, the speakers were being driven by a low-to-mid-grade tube amp and CDP, the brand escapes me, and the sound was just so so. Not bad, but not anything like the advance hype. The mid range was nice and while the bass was surprisingly strong and lifelike, I did not hear the bass bloat noted by another post. But neither did I hear the much talked about high end to die for out of the BE tweeter.
I was left with the impression that the 718 BE's need and probably deserve some really powerful and quality amplification and sources to get the best out of them, and that they have the potential, although it was difficult to be certain, to be a screaming HiFi deal. It would be ideal for you to listen to both speakers in your room with your equipment and then decide - perhaps trying to purchase used and trade out if you are unhappy with the result.