Dynaudio Owner's Thread - Page 614

Naim Nait 5i, Arcam A28, Simaudio 250i, Exposure 2010S, Creek 5350, Musical Fidelity M3i are all units that should be around your price range and should give you great performance for those speakers.

I think it is a lot easier to start with the speaker. IMO the speaker makes the biggest difference. That being said all parts of the system make a difference (including wires). Also take your time. Try to hear as many different things as possible in your price range. Then when you get down to a couple of pieces in home auditions are the best when possible. In fact I brought my old speakers with me to dealers when I was looking for speakers. There were a couple of brands I thought was better but when I compared them side by side I preferred my old ones. The day I heard the C1's my search was over Now when I looked at amps I didn't bring my Bryston with me because what I heard at the dealer didn't seem to be that big of a difference in my price range. Well I'll admit I was wrong. It wasn't until Tyler brought over the Octave V70se to my house that I heard how much better sounding it really was.

That's my story and to date I have not regretted any purchase

Was the Bryston also an integrated tube anp?

Yes it was the B100SST which I had before I found the C1's. Not a bad integrated it just didn't have the 'control' I was looking for (like Sim or Burmester). Octave has the control and I didn't have to take out a second mortgage Plus now I can roll tubes when I want to change up the sound a bit.

I can understand why the Bryston and Octave sound different. One is tube and the other is SS. Also the processing would likely sound different with each.

I think I would like tube rolling since I am constantly wanting to tinker with my systems. Maybe someday.

As far as SS the Sim and Burmester sound quite different. I prefer the Burmester but it comes with a steep price.

Tube rolling is a ball. The different tubes can can also be quite different too. Not that I have any tubes that sound bad but vintage tubes are very different than the current production. Not to mention how expensive some of the vintage tubes can cost.

I have limited knowledge about various tube sounds. I have had dealings with a guy who sells tubes. He has a spare room (maybe 12 x 12) full of tubes. Not sure what kind of pricing he has.

Well I'm always looking. Especially for quads or pairs of Tung Sol 6550 solid black or grey plates. Original Tesla KT88 (prefer white lettering) NOT JJ and Gec KT88's.

Thank you for reading and the compliments. I am still working on it regularly and working to improve the acoustics by treating the first reflection points with Absorption and the other problem areas with diffusion. That said it's a shame the weight of the earthquake is going to hold you back, although I do understand. I would not put mine on a shelf in my rack; I framed and built the bottom of my DIY rack to hold the weight of the 5 channel. Prior to that it was floor "mounted" lol...

I am also working on my amp right now as well. I am taking one channel out at a time and replacing the capacitors for new and higher quality units. I am curious as to what improvements I notice. I think many people fail to realize that electrolytic capacitors fail and break down over time and that just because they are working all is well. In my case I took my amp apart for cleaning and noticed the dome's of the caps were ballooning and one was slightly leaking. Not uncommon for an amp that is almost 10 years old. So for everyone that has an amp that was bought used or has sat for long periods of time not powered up or just in general, it pays to check your gear internally... The best part is that the replacement is pretty simple! I found the parts and am having a local tech. clean and solder on the new ones. The cost will be less than the shipping both ways to the manufacturer and I am getting a better quality part.

OK totally sidetracked and not Dynaudio specific but I suppose at least it is audio nerd talk, you can all get behind that right?

Thank you both for your quick replies, even if they seem to go in the opposite direction!

I will not be playing music at ear-splitting levels, so I don't think maximum power will be a huge issue. I've auditioned the X36 at a room quite larger than mine, and the Rotel seemed to be coping quite well (as far as volume and bass control is concerned). However I suppose (based mostly on internet study) that a more powerful amp would probably control the speakers a bit better. I guess I would feel a bit more comfortable with something at the order of 70-80W (given the budget).

That said, I don't deny that I am drooling over the idea of getting a Naim amp. I am not sure if I will manage to find a shop that has both Naim and Dynaudio at the same time, but I am willing to search around Belgium (and a bit further) if necessary! Then again, isn't 50W a bit on the low side? (I am also pretty sure that comparing these numbers between different brands is useless). Arcam A28 is also something I have in mind and, @75W, sounds a bit closer to target.

Rest assured, I am not buying anything unless I listen to it first, but any extra direction at this early stage is very welcome! (and maybe I can discover a used Naim XS at some point)

I too worried about the 50 wpc but the naim is very powerful and really good bass

Naim power ratings are extremely deceiving. They really deliver a lot more punch than their WPC ratings lead you to think. My first experience with Naim was back in the 80s when the original Naim NAIT at 18 WPC walked all over my McIntosh separates system at some 120 WPC. I sold my entire Mac system within the week, bought a Naim 42.5/HC/140 system and never looked back.

You 've both got me curious now! I definitely need to audition this combination, but first I need to locate it! Oh boy, I wonder where my budget will end up in the end!

I will also agree - the Naim is very deceiving regarding power. Just like Octave and Pass. My vote would be for the XS if it's affordable. Later you can add a p/s which will lower the noise floor and give you a hair more headroom. At least there is an upgrade path without breaking the bank account.

Project downsize has been mostly completed. Sold the McCormack amp today and am still trying to sell the preamp. Been watching the buy/sell everyday and there were only 2 Naim 5i's available, one being 4 hours from me. This morning I noticed a NAP 150x show up so I purchased it and now have it in my system. I had a recent model Marantz receiver sitting around so I'm using that as my pre now. I know I said I was looking for an IA but for some reason I prefer to have separates even if it isn't any better sonically, just like the look of separate boxes. At least I'm honest.

I also know the Marantz isn't the best pre I could be using connected to the Naim but I can live with it for now and I knew I would be making some compromises with the downsizing. Besides, I could be doing a lot worse than I am now.

Been listening to the revised setup for the last couple of hours and can say that I'm still very happy (I'm more about the music) and think I should be able to keep this for a while.

In between the sale and purchase I had to use just the Marantz to power the Dyn's for a short period and I can honestly say, I don't think I would have been able to do that for a long time. Not that it was terrible, it just wasn't great.

On a non-related note....I help setup a HTIB at a friends house on the weekend. They paid $300 on sale for a Pioneer receiver and 6 speakers (5 + sub). As we all know, this doesn't compare to any Dyn system out there but for only $300 I was kind of impressed.

Not that I could do a lot to make it sound amazing but by just helping get things setup properly, doing some basic calibrations (mostly balancing speaker levels) they are now able to listen to movies/music and enjoy it.

For this person, they are very happy, have sound that is 100x better than their TV speakers and has hopefully stepped into the world of HI-FI, even if its with just a baby toe.

I bought a pair of Dynaudio BM12A, it produced a noticeable white noise (mainly from tweeter) ONLY when playing sound. With audio cable unplug there is no such noise. Even plugged in DAC, when not playing music, there is also no such noise.

If the pause the media player, the noise will continue for a few seconds, any idea if this is the problem with the speaker, or something else?

The noise is constant regardless of volume when playing music.


Thanks a bunch.


Edit: I plug the speaker into my mp3 player, the noise is gone. Looks like it is the problem with DAC. Strange my DAC doesn't have this noise issue with my other set of speakers.
Edited by kanonathena - 1/15/13 at 12:21am

the BM12A is an active design, isn't it?
similar problems have been reported before with other DAC/amp combinations. it's an infortunate DAC+amp pairing. not many fixes there. try another DAC if you have the possibility.

Anyone have experience with the Dynaudio confidence signature center?

I currently use the Contour S 5.4 as fronts and they really sound great! In fact they are so good to my ears that I now dream about the C4 signatures.

The bottleneck in my system right now is the current center although not a bad speaker in itself.

So: complete my system with the matching Contour S CX center or save up about twice as much and go for the signature center? I might save in the long run.

Might seem like an easy answer I guess but the C4's, well I could have the money for Them maybe 18-24 months after getting center.

Anyways curious to hear comments on either center :-)

What center are you using right now?

I would say it really depends on what your viewing and listening habits are and how likely are you to upgrade to the C4's?

The SCX is no slouch and I have heard it used with the C1's and C2's with good results; it comes down to personal preference and actual usage though.

The SCX has the Esotar2 tweeter, so it should be a reasonable tonal match and performer with the S5.4s or the Confidence.

dynfan,

Current one is Sonus Faber Domus center. I upgraded from Dynaudio focus 220's. Was set on the Cremona from Sonus Faber, but after some demo's it didn't impress me enough. Had several C4 demo's. not the new version though, and it always impressed me.

Mostly movies, but upgrading to the Contour S5.4 infused my stereo passion quite a bit since it simply is a lot better than it was with the focus 220's. I just finished upgrading my room with 2 acoustical fabric walls so bass response is REALLY good now, no problem controlling the two 8" in the Contours. I can play quite loud, to the point that it is hard to hear what the other person is saying, but you don't realize it before you try to. At around master volume -5 for instance, it appears to me, that the center is struggling and to my ears it sounds a bit like compression/distortion. I guess I could test with REW for THD, but I haven't done that yet. Although the center I have now sounds really great, when pushed hard it becomes harsh.

One other thing I should perhaps mention is, that I wan't to mount my screen even lower than it already is now. I read that the Confidence center, has a switch for placement "above" or "below". Also, it incorporates the DDC tech. How much this is worth compared to the Contour center, I don't know:)

Likelihood of getting the C4's? Big I suppose, I don't foresee any large expenses over the next couple of years that might spoil my dream speaker project!!

Personal preference and usage? maybe you can expand on that if you have the time:)

Thanks, BM12A is a active design. I contacted the DAC manufacturer, he said the output signal level of the DAC is 4.5 volt RMS, and it seems BM12A doesn't support that output. Any idea what output signal level BM12A or Dynaudio studio monitors in general actually support?

Not sure of the levels but here is a link to the owners manual and it states the level trim switch is either -10db or +4db. Have you tried -10db?
http://dynaudioprofessional.com/media/3936/bm12a_manual_web.pdf

Yes, -10db has the lowest noise level, still audible 1m away though. Another thing, it is normal for these BM12A to have some noise from both tweeter and woofer audible within 30cm with audio cable unplugged? Not loud though, but I can still hear them 50cm away If I try to.

clausdk, What are you using for electronics? Also, how large is your room.? I have C2s and the Contour SCX center. As mentioned above, the Confidence series and the SCX both have Esotar2 tweeter. If you know for a fact that you will eventually get the C4 MkII and your primary activity is movies, then I would consider holding out for the Confidence center. Don't get me wrong, I enjoy my SCX center with my C2s. However, in retrospect, I wish I had waited and bought the Confidence center. Your S5.4s are very nice as well! I've heard them and liked them very much. They do a wonderful job with music.

FYI, to anyone who may be interested. I will be posting an ad to sell my Naim Nait XS "1" integrated amp soon. I am the second owner of this unit and it has been a real joy to own for the last 2 years. It would make a fine pairing with many Dyn model speakers, from the excite range on up to the contour line. About a year ago I had the pleasure of pairing it with C1 mk 1's and it did not disappoint. But I've noticed that this amp has been discussed here a ton so I'm sure everyone is well aware of its reputation hence I will leave more comments to the official ad. Anyways, feel free to pm me if interested.

In addition to the XS, "for the vinyl enthusiast amongst the group," I will also list a Naim Stageline N, which pairs beautifully with the XS!!! This deal will be a steal of a lifetime....I can promise you that!!!

Does your XS have HT Bypass? If this is a XS "1" I think it might be worth noting if it doesn't. I think that the XS2 added that. Otherwise, I believe it is the same as the current model.

But it is a great amp!
Edited by RaceTripper - 1/17/13 at 6:47am

RT, the XS that I own does indeed have the HTBP feature, as that is how I am running it now. I have always been a bit perplexed by this subject, as I have noticed that question a bunch. I may be mistaken but the only thing that I have noticed as a difference between the 1st and 2nd versions (besides internals) is the front fascia being a bit different with the XS "2" having the newer look borrowed from the classic line.

Thanks for the clarification. Perhaps it was the revision to the NAIT 5i that added HTBP, and that is where I was confused.

Dean, the nait 5i did not have a AV Gain, but the 5i (italic) and 5i-2 have an AV gain