Dynaudio active speakers- the primary high end audio system form factor of the future

[DaveC]

Part of the issue is everyone has their own preferences and wants to be able to build their own system and tweak it to perfection. That's part of the hobby for many people and full active speakers take that away for the most part. Active bass makes sense because good bass is good bass, it's critical to get it right but there's not nearly as much subjective difference in opinion on what good bass sounds like. Also, an active bass speaker relieves the mid/high amp from having to drive the bass so choices for amplification can be broader and the amp can be much smaller. It makes a lot of sense imo while full active really does not, at least for a lot of folks.

 

[amirm]

I haven't heard the Kii3 or the Goldmunds, but I've heard pro audio active monitor/sub combinations, even without DSP, that are better than many full-range audiophile systems at many multiples of their cost.

One reason for their lowest cost is the sales channel. Pro equipment is sold at much lower margin than luxury audio to start, and dealers discount them to death in commercial bids for them. For those reason the end retail price tends to be a lot lower. Of course that comes with little to no hand holding of the customer. You need to know what you want and buy it. No fancy showroom playing Jazz music .

 

[JackD201]

I agree totally. However the dealer / distribution guy who I deal with says most folks with money want a neat attractive solution and sound quality is lower on thier list of priorities.

Least we forget the hobbyists is not the driving force for hi end audio anymore.

the sad thing is the company's know the market they sell into don't prioritise sound so they won't either. It's flashy adds and insane copy bs and a great paint job.

I think everyone wants a neat, attractive solution. I know I do.

One thing not mentioned much about powered and/or wireless speakers is that while the need for signal cables may be reduced, the need for power cables for the speakers is something usually not encountered. Having a cluster of gear sharing a power strip is something most people are used to. Having a convenience outlet (CO) where you need them for each speaker without looking messy is not so easy. MOst of the time we people just have to play the hands we are dealt. That's life.

 

[DaveC]

I agree with the neat, though I don't care. My priority is the music.
Not sure about this, if your spending tens of thousands on active set up having a few new mains sockets put in is a non issue. If I was selling these hi end actives I would make sure the customer was left without these kind of concerns.

You could even put them in the floor.

It's true... having to plug in a speaker is a downside for a lot of people and about as far as you ca go from a totally passive design before it freaks them out and they won't consider it.

Also, I agree somewhat with your previous post and looks are as much or a greater priority than sound quality for many speakers.

 

[JackD201]

It's an electrician you'd need not a dealer

 

[c1ferrari]

If anyone's heard these, please convey your impressions.

http://www.grimmaudio.com/hifi-products/loudspeakers/ls1/

 

[Blizzard]

If anyone's heard these, please convey your impressions.

http://www.grimmaudio.com/hifi-products/loudspeakers/ls1/

Keith has heard them, and sells them.

 

[c1ferrari]

Keith has heard them, and sells them.

I visited Keith's website...thanks!

 

[sarto]

Another interesting and similar new product introduction at the NAMM show, targetted at the pro audio crowd but interesting to see they have adopted some other digital input standards (dante/Ravenna), with wireless coming soon. My only concern with some of these is that the latence makes it unsuitable for tracking or editing, not a problem for audiophiles tho.http://www.hedd.audio

 

[Blizzard]

No, interesting driver.. Looks similar to the ones in my old proac d15.

It's the 7" Seas magnesium coned Excel mid bass. Extremely detailed and transparent, but has a nasty breakup resonance peak, as is common with hard coned drivers. This makes it very appropriate for active designs as very sharp slopes can be used to attenuate the peak, without a pile of passive components in the signal path.

http://www.seas.no/index.php?option...8s-w18ex001&catid=49:excel-woofers&Itemid=359

 

[Blizzard]

I visited Keith's website...thanks!

No problem!

 

[JackD201]

One knows the other shock. Dealer has close relationship with electrician so can get clients sorted out without fuss. Dealer has own plaster and painter so he can get clients sorted out without a fuss.

Dealer has some photos of jobs done to this end in a form of a glossy catalogue so clients feel safe and trust the process of moving sockets etc.

Revolution?

I need an Advil

 

[Audiophile Bill]

If anyone's heard these, please convey your impressions.

http://www.grimmaudio.com/hifi-products/loudspeakers/ls1/

I heard these in Munich. Spent a long time listening mainly to stereo as they also had a mch. There was much to like about what I heard on their material. Soundstage was a little flat and tonality was reasonable. When they played a couple of my CDs, it sounded nowhere near as good. The recordings they played were very audiophile selected (as you would probably expect).

Would I buy them? No - left me a bit meh.

 

[treitz3]

Good morning, gentlemen. Is there even a tweeter on that Grimmaudio speaker?

Tom

 

[Blizzard]

Good morning, gentlemen. Is there even a tweeter on that Grimmaudio speaker?

Tom

Yep:

http://www.seas.no/index.php?option...=99:h1499-06-27tbcdgb-dxt&catid=45&Itemid=462

 

[Blizzard]

I heard these in Munich. Spent a long time listening mainly to stereo as they also had a mch. There was much to like about what I heard on their material. Soundstage was a little flat and tonality was reasonable. When they played a couple of my CDs, it sounded nowhere near as good. The recordings they played were very audiophile selected (as you would probably expect).

Would I buy them? No - left me a bit meh.

They are a speaker you would need much more time with to appreciate. This is because they are designed for pure accuracy, and most people need to get used to accuracy to appreciate it.

 

[DaveC]

They are a speaker you would need much more time with to appreciate. This is because they are designed for pure accuracy, and most people need to get used to accuracy to appreciate it.

Do you know why almost every speaker manufacturer does not DSP their speakers to death? Because it ends up sounding like crap. The result is truncated reverb and loss of fine detail, it takes away a lot of the listeners connection with the music because spatial cues and fine details are missing. Just about every mfg'er I know has tried it, and it makes for a speaker that measures better but sounds worse.

 

[Audiophile Bill]

They are a speaker you would need much more time with to appreciate. This is because they are designed for pure accuracy, and most people need to get used to accuracy to appreciate it.

My reference is not how a hifi system sounds. My reference is how real musical instruments sound having played all my life and grown up surrounded by them. A system either sounds enjoyable and/or a reasonable facsimile to me or not. I won't need endless time to deduce these things.

 

[Audiophile Bill]

My reference is not how a hifi system sounds. My reference is how real musical instruments sound having played all my life and grown up surrounded by them. A system either sounds enjoyable and/or a reasonable facsimile to me or not. I won't need endless time to deduce these things.

Also it is impossible to know how it would have sounded in the recorded venue / studio unless you were there.

 

[Blizzard]

Also it is impossible to know how it would have sounded in the recorded venue / studio unless you were there.

It's the studio guys who rave about these speakers the most. The guys who are there. It's a much more popular speaker with these guys.