Just thought I’d give my view on the Dynaudio DM 2 7 and the Excite x16 as I‘ve just purchased both.
- Paired up to Cambridge Audio 640v2 and an old Technics CD player or ipod (old ipod mind you, hooked up to cheap analogue interconnects)
I never heard of Dynaudio until I contacted a closing down store that had these in stock as well as other high end products such as Focals, Naim, Proac, Spendor, Vienna to name a few.To be honest I’m the type of person that would not like to spend more than £400 on a pair of speakers, as much as I love music. But if there’s a bargain then I’m tempted… My original requirement was to buy some B&Ws (685s, 684s or CM1s), since they offer very good value for money but the sale they had in the closing down store brought the Dynaudios below the B&W prices.I even considered Bose at one point, which offers respectable sound quality, but in my opinion poor value for money.
The music I listen to varies from rock, reggae, soul, certain hip hop, classical, Indian and traditional Mauritian.
Anyway, compared to the Bose, the DM2 7s are an amazing pair of speakers.Very good paired to both cheap and expensive amps (I’ve only tried the former more extensively).The Excites offer more detail and a better frequency response, but also pick up nuances in poor sound recordings, and amp limitations therefore spoiling the enjoyment sometimes.The bass in the DMs is well extended and more pronounced than the Excites at lower volume levels, yet don’t extend as well at higher volume levels, especially for tracks that emphasise bass a lot.(example tracks include Lee Scratch Perry and Mad Professor, Salmonella Dub, Shabba Ranks, Black Seeds, Bruce Springsteen, ‘Putumayo presents’ and certain Chill Out House music to name a small selection).
More natural sounding Bass tracks are such Dire Straits, Morcheeba are played well on both sets of speakers, the Excites providing a deal more clarity in the lows, midrange and highs, but nothing that upsets the DMs too greatly.If anything, because of their extended bass frequency, the Excites are less pronounced in bass at lower volume levels, but that I presume in down to their better frequency handling therefore making the lowest notes more detailed and less distorted.It kind of reminds me of a comparison between some cheap Technics FP880 headphones and Sennheisser HD497s and Grado SR60is.The Technics are so much more spacious at articulating the sound better than the Sennheissers and Grados, but because of the huge drivers, I end up, the bass is less pronounced (yet better handled) analysing the music rather than just enjoying.Having said that I still prefer the Technics. Sorry if this part doesn't sound clear...
After long listening periods, I do find the Excites somewhat lacking in treble yet I can listen to them for longer than the DMs.Overall therefore, despite my more favourable comments on the DMs, I do think as an overall package that the Excites are much better.Worth an extra £400 or so more ?hmmmm, not sure about that…
All I need now is a better CD player and amp.
Just to let you know, I much prefer the sound of the Cambridge Audio amp to a Marantz PM7004 I recently purchased.Either the Marantz was disappointing, even if it is much more expensive and offers a Midrange tone control, or the Cambridge amp is really that good.Ironically before I bought the new Dynaudios, I really did not like the Cambridge amp much, mainly because it cut out frequently at high volume levels.Anyway now, the Cambridge I find allows both Dynaudios to show off their soundstage, so the user know very little of where the sound is coming from.The Marantz, although warmer sounding and still musical are a bit more linear.Then again I should give the Marantz’s a fair chance and allow them to break in.
One last thing to note… I don’t know why the Graphic Equaliser has been killed off…. I suggest bring it back please… Okay I know the argument is that they do allow for extra losses in sound quality and will alter the sound from what the artist originally wanted… but surely purchasing different amp models will also provide different sounds.My Dynaudios really shine when my old Technics graphic equaliser (that I recovered from my old system) was hooked up.Because my system is not expensive and my taste in music varies between poor and excellent recordings, the equaliser allows me to tweak the music to how I want.
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Hi
Just thought I’d give my view on the Dynaudio DM 2 7 and the Excite x16 as I‘ve just purchased both.
- Paired up to Cambridge Audio 640v2 and an old Technics CD player or ipod (old ipod mind you, hooked up to cheap analogue interconnects)
I never heard of Dynaudio until I contacted a closing down store that had these in stock as well as other high end products such as Focals, Naim, Proac, Spendor, Vienna to name a few. To be honest I’m the type of person that would not like to spend more than £400 on a pair of speakers, as much as I love music. But if there’s a bargain then I’m tempted… My original requirement was to buy some B&Ws (685s, 684s or CM1s), since they offer very good value for money but the sale they had in the closing down store brought the Dynaudios below the B&W prices. I even considered Bose at one point, which offers respectable sound quality, but in my opinion poor value for money.
The music I listen to varies from rock, reggae, soul, certain hip hop, classical, Indian and traditional Mauritian.
Anyway, compared to the Bose, the DM2 7s are an amazing pair of speakers. Very good paired to both cheap and expensive amps (I’ve only tried the former more extensively). The Excites offer more detail and a better frequency response, but also pick up nuances in poor sound recordings, and amp limitations therefore spoiling the enjoyment sometimes. The bass in the DMs is well extended and more pronounced than the Excites at lower volume levels, yet don’t extend as well at higher volume levels, especially for tracks that emphasise bass a lot. (example tracks include Lee Scratch Perry and Mad Professor, Salmonella Dub, Shabba Ranks, Black Seeds, Bruce Springsteen, ‘Putumayo presents’ and certain Chill Out House music to name a small selection).
More natural sounding Bass tracks are such Dire Straits, Morcheeba are played well on both sets of speakers, the Excites providing a deal more clarity in the lows, midrange and highs, but nothing that upsets the DMs too greatly. If anything, because of their extended bass frequency, the Excites are less pronounced in bass at lower volume levels, but that I presume in down to their better frequency handling therefore making the lowest notes more detailed and less distorted. It kind of reminds me of a comparison between some cheap Technics FP880 headphones and Sennheisser HD497s and Grado SR60is. The Technics are so much more spacious at articulating the sound better than the Sennheissers and Grados, but because of the huge drivers, I end up, the bass is less pronounced (yet better handled) analysing the music rather than just enjoying. Having said that I still prefer the Technics. Sorry if this part doesn't sound clear...
After long listening periods, I do find the Excites somewhat lacking in treble yet I can listen to them for longer than the DMs. Overall therefore, despite my more favourable comments on the DMs, I do think as an overall package that the Excites are much better. Worth an extra £400 or so more ? hmmmm, not sure about that…
All I need now is a better CD player and amp.
Just to let you know, I much prefer the sound of the Cambridge Audio amp to a Marantz PM7004 I recently purchased. Either the Marantz was disappointing, even if it is much more expensive and offers a Midrange tone control, or the Cambridge amp is really that good. Ironically before I bought the new Dynaudios, I really did not like the Cambridge amp much, mainly because it cut out frequently at high volume levels. Anyway now, the Cambridge I find allows both Dynaudios to show off their soundstage, so the user know very little of where the sound is coming from. The Marantz, although warmer sounding and still musical are a bit more linear. Then again I should give the Marantz’s a fair chance and allow them to break in.
One last thing to note… I don’t know why the Graphic Equaliser has been killed off…. I suggest bring it back please… Okay I know the argument is that they do allow for extra losses in sound quality and will alter the sound from what the artist originally wanted… but surely purchasing different amp models will also provide different sounds. My Dynaudios really shine when my old Technics graphic equaliser (that I recovered from my old system) was hooked up. Because my system is not expensive and my taste in music varies between poor and excellent recordings, the equaliser allows me to tweak the music to how I want.
Any comments welcome J
The Dynaudio Excite X12 vs. the Dynaudio DM 2/7, which one is the best speaker?