Rafael G Posted April 19, 2021 Share Posted April 19, 2021 Hey folks! Which option would you choose for a 5m x 5m room. Dynaudio Focus 20XD actives or Dynaudio Special 40 paired with Lyngdorf TDAI-1120 amplifier And why would you choose one over another? Thanks for the replies. Link to comment
Popular Post firedog Posted April 19, 2021 Popular Post Share Posted April 19, 2021 Actives. In general I prefer them. Less cabling, less mess. The manufacturer has made sure that the amps and drivers are perfectly suited. We know this is true with Dynaudio. They specifically say that if they have the same speaker in active and passive, the active sounds better. Dyna sometimes provides firmware updates that actually improve the actives, so your speakers get better. Of course if you hear both and decide you like the Special 40 better, that's a different story. botrytis, GregWormald and Rafael G 2 1 Main listening (small home office): Main setup: Surge protector +>Isol-8 Mini sub Axis Power Strip/Isolation>QuietPC Low Noise Server>Roon (Audiolense DRC)>Stack Audio Link II>Kii Control>Kii Three (on their own electric circuit) >GIK Room Treatments. Secondary Path: Server with Audiolense RC>RPi4 or analog>Cayin iDAC6 MKII (tube mode) (XLR)>Kii Three . Bedroom: SBTouch to Cambridge Soundworks Desktop Setup. Living Room/Kitchen: Ropieee (RPi3b+ with touchscreen) + Schiit Modi3E to a pair of Morel Hogtalare. All absolute statements about audio are false Link to comment
botrytis Posted April 19, 2021 Share Posted April 19, 2021 I know it is hard in these times, but if you can, listen before buying. Rafael G 1 Current: Daphile on an AMD A10-9500 with 16 GB RAM DAC - TEAC UD-501 DAC Pre-amp - Rotel RC-1590 Amplification - Benchmark AHB2 amplifier Speakers - Revel M126Be with 2 REL 7/ti subwoofers Cables - Tara Labs RSC Reference and Blue Jean Cable Balanced Interconnects Link to comment
CatManDo Posted April 19, 2021 Share Posted April 19, 2021 In this case, it's not just about active vs passive. The Focus 20 XD has analogue inputs, but also includes DACs that accept a wired or a wireless connection. So it's worth checking if these additional features fit into your configuration and plans. The wireless connection could give you new possibilities for the placement of your sources. Personally, I'm a bit reluctant to buy speakers with built-in DACs, because I tend to keep speakers for 10 years and more, and it's not sure the DACs and the connectivity will still be up to date then. For example, the wireless connection of the Focus 20 XD is limited to 24/96 PCM signals. The digital input accepts PCM only, not DSD. After some years, the speaker software may become limited, with no update available. But at least here there is the analogue input fall back solution in case the DACs become too limited. Rafael G 1 Claude Link to comment
Rafael G Posted April 20, 2021 Author Share Posted April 20, 2021 On 4/19/2021 at 9:55 AM, CatManDo said: In this case, it's not just about active vs passive. The Focus 20 XD has analogue inputs, but also includes DACs that accept a wired or a wireless connection. So it's worth checking if these additional features fit into your configuration and plans. The wireless connection could give you new possibilities for the placement of your sources. Personally, I'm a bit reluctant to buy speakers with built-in DACs, because I tend to keep speakers for 10 years and more, and it's not sure the DACs and the connectivity will still be up to date then. For example, the wireless connection of the Focus 20 XD is limited to 24/96 PCM signals. The digital input accepts PCM only, not DSD. After some years, the speaker software may become limited, with no update available. But at least here there is the analogue input fall back solution in case the DACs become too limited. Thanks for your input! And how do you think they compare in terms of sound quality? Link to comment
CatManDo Posted April 21, 2021 Share Posted April 21, 2021 Sorry Rafael, I can't help you with that. I'm a big fan of Dynaudio (I have a pair of Confidence C2), but I haven't heard any of the newer models. You'll have to take account of the amp you have or are planning on buying when comparing the passive and active versions. Since your room is of quadratic shape, there is the risk of standing waves, which lead to boomy bass. This could be better corrected with active speakers that have bass level controls, whereas most amps today no longer have tone controls. Claude Link to comment
Recommended Posts
Create an account or sign in to comment
You need to be a member in order to leave a comment
Create an account
Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!
Register a new accountSign in
Already have an account? Sign in here.
Sign In Now