Dynaudio Focus XD

Matt,

Have you heard the xd first hand? The way I imagine they sound is the Dynaudio is big, bold, bassy and easy to listen to. Kef would be very detailed, leaner sound than the Dyns, possibly fatiguing after some time. Like I said this is just from listening to other products from both these companies in the past. 

I’d go dyn’s all day.  I had LS50w, my brother and 2 of my friends have them as well, all based on my recommendations.  I’ll go into more detail later but I had Xeo’s and overall, preferred them over the LS50w.  I’ll explain more later

The idea of a full range active is very appealling like the 60xd. Seems you can get lightly loved ones for 5-6k. Just wonder how they would sound compared to the higher end Contours and Confidence speakers with good amplification. The Active ATCs look nice but they want a lot for them even the older ones. 

The Kefs are super finicky and feel like they could, and they can, break at any time.  They do sound amazing and look beautiful but that app is crap and the 1 year warranty on the electronics is scary.  The Dyns have a much better warranty and they feel like they won’t break.  They sound really good too!  I’d take Xeo 20’s over the LS50W.  The XD’s would be even better.  The idea of buying a hub and then linking Xeo’s 2 in other parts of your home is a would be cool too.    
I preferred my Xeo 5’s over the LS50w just based on the remote control, build quality and the way they connect.  I never had one issue with the Dyn’s but the LS50’s had quite a few...

I have a pair of XD400. Very pleased with their performance. The sound signature is low bass and powerful sound, easy to listen to. I had  XEO 4, 5 and 6 before. They sound pleasing but miss the power and drive of the XD series. 
I also have a costly set up with Dynaudio Sapphires. Their sound is based on the clarity of the midrange. They will give you more insight into a big orchestra and their individual instruments. They don‘t have the slam of the 400XD. 
The 400 XD can get lost in bigger rooms, you would need the 600XD or 60XD.

Yes the XD is costly but it comes with powerful amplification and you can save the preamplifier and the DAC and cables. No more upgrading  and trying to match components. 

I was considering swapping the Sapphires for 600XD but they are very special speakers, limited edition and outstanding quality.

The Quality of the XD is also Dynaudio like. I use COAX cables to transmit the signal. I found wireless not very reliable.

Conclusion: Active speakers is the way to go these days. For AV I use Sonos.