Overkill for small room


Hello all - long time lurker, first time poster. I've enjoyed reading so many of these posts, and I feel like I'm learning so much from you guys. Thank you for that.

I am strongly considering a pair of Dynaudio 20i - I am aware they require serious amplification - but I suspect that they'll be too much for a small room

Room specs: (11 wide by 14 long, normal ceiling height with acoustical tile, carpet tile covering one entire wall, wall-to-wall carpet on top of cement slab, no basement).

Am I nuts? 

Thank you in advance.

letshearit

Sounds like a great choice. DynAudio speakers are excellent. Particularly if you have control of the room you can really dial them in. There is plenty of room to pull them in from the walls and back. You can easily make a ~6 -7 foot triangle with the speakers and seat, with lots of room behind for a deep soundstage .

I just helped a friend set up a set of full sized Wilson Watt Puppies in a room about that size. They sound great from a whisper to head banging volumes. They are set up along the short wall with the equipment rack off to the side (amp in between ((Audio Research VSi80). Not putting the equipment in between the speakers was important. The speaker wall had tall windows which we covered with cushions behind curtains, deadening the window reflections.

Wow, this a wellspring of helpful info.

One question about damping: is this a function of the amp or the speaker?

If I understand 'good' damping correctly, it involves quickly stopping the woofer's motion when no bass signal is present. Do I have that correct? This would be especially important with larger diameter woofs and subs, no?

@letshearit no worries, thanks for the clarification!

I think they are fantastic speakers. You are right that they would be a better fit for a bigger room. I have the Evoke 20s for a room similar size with 1 sub, and they are awesome. The moment I can afford a pair of used Contours, I will buy them! I heard them many times at a local dealer and I love them.  

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Here is a good explanation of damping factor

https://us.kef.com/blogs/news/damping-factor-explained#:~:text=Damping%20factor%20is%20a%20specification,quick%20tutorial%20is%20in%20order.

It is a combination of the amp and speaker and it applies regardless of woofer size. I believe you have the correct general understanding.  I’m no expert on it though. Others here might have better insight.