Need surrounds for dynaudio 42 setup

 

Bronze Member
Username: Jamesp

Mansfield , TX USA

Post Number: 26
Registered: Apr-04
Looking to get Dynaudio 42 and 42c for the fronts. Due to W.A.F. these were the only other acceptable alternatives other than a micro system. I have Studio 20's V2 for the fronts and was looking at getting the CC-470. Wife would prefer smaller speakers. I am not allowed to hang the 42W on the walls and will have to go in ceiling or in wall. Dyn does not make in ceiling or in wall speakers that I am aware of. Does anyone have suggestions of other brands that might work with the 42's? I was maybe thinking KEF and the dyn dealer suggested speakercraft.
 

Silver Member
Username: Landroval

Post Number: 538
Registered: Feb-04
http://www.dynaudiousa.com/products/inwall/inwall1.htm
 

Bronze Member
Username: Jamesp

Mansfield , TX USA

Post Number: 27
Registered: Apr-04
Funny the dealer did not mention this either. We both must have missed this one. Thanks landroval.
 

Bronze Member
Username: Jamesp

Mansfield , TX USA

Post Number: 28
Registered: Apr-04
The Dynaudio IP 24 is now shipping at $1,799.00 per pair.

Ouch!
 

Silver Member
Username: Landroval

Post Number: 541
Registered: Feb-04
Maybe a little over budjet? :-) I believe it's a Contour class product.

Take a look at B&W offerings:
http://www.bwspeakers.com/index.cfm/fuseaction/products.ranges/label/Range%20In% 20wall%20Series
The CWM650 could be an ok choice with Dyns.
 

Bronze Member
Username: Jamesp

Mansfield , TX USA

Post Number: 29
Registered: Apr-04
Landroval,

I listened to the B&W's and they did sound good. They were neutral sounding but the cymbals sounded a bit tinny IMO but overall still impressive. Unfortunately, I could not listen to the B&W's as surrounds with Dyn's as fronts due to the B&W's placement in the wall as main's.

I asked what the impedance was on the B&W's and the salesman said 8 ohms. I then asked if I would be able to have 8 ohm speakers as surrounds with 4 ohm center and mains. He said manufacturers like Krell and Rotel recommended keeping the same impedance all around. The other salesman told me that I would have to adjust the levels on the surrounds, depending on their sensitivity, much higher in comparison to the 4 ohm speakers.

The PSB stratus series has their mini,silver, gold etc rated at 4 ohms. All of the stratus center channels are 8 ohms. The center channels are more efficient in comparison to the main speakers.

Why would PSB mix their center and main speakers imepedance values if manufacturers such as KRell and Rotel recommend not mixing 4 and 8 ohm speakers?

The Dynaudio 42's are rated 4 ohms at an 86db sensitivity and 42c at 85db. The B&W CWM650's are rate at 89db 8 ohms. This is around the same ballpark as the PSB stratus mains in comparison to their center channels.

This brings on a whole new world of decision making if mixing different impedance speakers is not recommended.

Please help Landroval or anyone with experience using different impedance speakers.
 

Silver Member
Username: Landroval

Post Number: 547
Registered: Feb-04
Different impedance is not a problem. If your amp can drive 4ohm speakers it can of course drive 8ohms. Also differences in sensitivity are no problem, at least if they not too big. 85, 86, 89 you can easily balance with the receiver.
 

Bronze Member
Username: Jamesp

Mansfield , TX USA

Post Number: 30
Registered: Apr-04
I have a NAD T752 so 4ohm speakers should be ok. I am thinking that when I listened to the 650's they may not have been broken in hence the slight tinny sound.

Maybe instead of trying Dyn's with different surrounds I should go all B&W. DM601 S3 mains LCR60 for center channel and CWM650 for surrounds. I will audition them tomorrow.

Do you think the DM601's will sound good with music as well as home theater or do you think I should go the Dyn's? I know only my ears can tell me but what is your opinion on this. It would be greatly appreciated. Your input has been invaluable.
 

Silver Member
Username: Landroval

Post Number: 549
Registered: Feb-04
The tinny sound can be because of the metal dome treble driver, and probably it wont go away in time. If you dont like it you should probably not take it.

In my opinion the Dynaudio42 combo is a better choice than the 601+LCR60. With the 601 you should take the LCR600 so the drivers will remain same in all speakers, but I would still get the Dyns over B&W.

For surrounds you could try Paradigm CS series. They should have a warmer sound than the B&W's.
 

Bronze Member
Username: Jamesp

Mansfield , TX USA

Post Number: 31
Registered: Apr-04
Thanks Landroval! I appreciate the advice. When I get the Dyns I will let you know how they sound. I have cinema 90's right now for surrounds WAF but will be changing to in walls. I believe listening to the Dyn's for a while and then listening to other brands may be a better option. I will use the 90's for the time being.

I have heard NHT and they offer in wall speakers at good prices. They might be a good match to the Dyn's also as well as the paradigms and B&W's.

One thing I am worried about is the 42C. I've been reading through the posts and it seems a lot of people are not satisfied with the 42c including yourself. Maybe I should look at 42's for fronts and 122c for center channel? The 122c goes for twice the price of the 42c.
 

Silver Member
Username: Landroval

Post Number: 552
Registered: Feb-04
The 42C is a better match for 42 than the 122C. With 52 it sounds a little smaller and with 52SE it's just too different. The 122C has an interference/comb-filter problem from the two mid-bass drivers, so with the 42 I would definitely get a 42C.
 

Bronze Member
Username: Jamesp

Mansfield , TX USA

Post Number: 32
Registered: Apr-04
Landroval,

Thanks again for your suggestions !
 

Bronze Member
Username: Spl

Post Number: 14
Registered: Aug-04
James P,

If you haven't bought your speakers yet, let me share with you my first hand experience:

I had B&W 601S3 for fronts and rears, the LCR60 center, and and ASW 300 sub for almsot 2 years. I was very happy with my all B&W setup with my Marantz SR7200 receiver.

I decided to upgrade last month and I ended up with Dynaudio Audience 52 front, 42 rear, and 42 center. My choices were the Sonus Faber Concertino, Usher, and Triangle budget speakers. I liked this the most. I guess it also helped that the Audience 52 was product of the year for 2003 in What HiFi. :-)

I really like my setup now. It is in a different league from the 601s. With these Dyns, the cymbals sound so real and lifelike while the 601s, although very good already, sounded a bit metallic and shrilly. The Audience 42 seems to image better than the 52. The 52 has a bit more body in the mid-range/vocals and has a bit more bass punch. the 42s seem to have more detail by a bit. Maybe becuase it imaged better.

Go with the Dyns rather than the B&Ws.

WARNING: These Dyns are very good speakers and you will enjoy it. BUT, once you hear it with high-end amplification (200W and higher), you won't be able to sleep since you have to save for those amps! With a NAD or 100W+ reciever, it will sound great. But with a dedicated multi-channel amp (Parasound, Aragon, Acurus, Rotel), your jaws will drop!

Good luck in your purchase! If you go with the 601 or Audience, let it break-in for a week or two. Both sounds better in time.
 

Bronze Member
Username: Spl

Post Number: 15
Registered: Aug-04
By the way, I went with Audience 42 surrounds because I listen to a lot of multichannel DVD-audio.

Once you have 5 matching speakers, and you balance it properly with a radio shack SPL meter, and you listen to well-mixed DVD-Audios, you're speakers will disappear! :-)
 

Bronze Member
Username: Frank_abela

Berkshire UK

Post Number: 46
Registered: Sep-04
James

I agree with your dealer - get the Speakercrafts. They make the AIM series (1, 2 and 3) which vary in price from below 42's to above 42's. Get the best you can afford. The reason why the Speakercrafts is a) they're more affordable than the Dyn in-wall option :-) and b) they have an adgustable crossover which lets you adjust their sound depending on the room and main speaker characteristics. I think your dealer was on the right track.

All the other makes of in-wall speakers like B&W and Totem make speakers that sound like those makes. The Speakercrafts are the only ones I've heard of where you can adjust the crossover to suit the environment.

On the Centre speaker front, I have done direct comparisons between the 42c and the 122C. The 122C is so much better than the 42C it's not even funny.

Sorry landroval, in my view the 122C is one of the best centres to be found and it suits a 42-based solution.

James, if you don't believe me, get the salesman to give you a demo - takes 5 seconds to tell the difference.

Regards,
Frank. (who deals in Dynaudio in the UK, so not an interested party to this deal)
 

Bronze Member
Username: Jamesp

Mansfield , TX USA

Post Number: 47
Registered: Apr-04
Myki,

I am glad you are enjoying you're new Dyn setup. Dynaudio are truly remarkable speakers. I got 42's for mains and the 42c. They are not broken in yet but I am already hearing the difference in imaging and detail as compared to the Studio 20 V.2's I was using. The imaging and detail (for sure) are a good deal better IMO than the Studio 20 V2. I have a NAD 752 which is rated at 100 watts when only running 2 speakers in 4/8 ohms or 5X80 4/8 ohms 5 channels driven. I would like to use the NAD as a pre/pro to start out and go maybe parasound or one of the other amps you stated. I could use the NAD 752 later for multi room sound with a speaker switcher box. This is all wishful thinking for now.

Frank,

I am going to give it some time to let my wife start realizing how good the Dyn's sound. She believes she can't tell much of a difference now between my previous set up. Waiting for the Dyn's to break in. She thinks the cinema 90's we have for rears sound good. I will try to sweet talk her into letting me hang some 42W's on the wall. If not I will get some speakercraft in ceiling AIM's. I did listen to the 122C and thought it did sound much better. They had the 42's as mains with this combo. I thought it sounded good but I could not do a side by side comparison. They did not have a demo unit 42C. 42C is good for now since 122C costs twice as much. I have heard many opinions of 42C being a great center channel as well to mate with the 42's. Maybe later down the road I can upgrade.

STill don't have a sub yet, I was thinking of a HSU VTF-2 MK2 in piano black. I might end up going to a velodyne spl -1000 , or rel Q150E WAF comes into play due to the HSU's size.

Thanks guys for all the help. I can see the beginnings of a great set up in progress.
 

Bronze Member
Username: Frank_abela

Berkshire UK

Post Number: 57
Registered: Sep-04
James

If the choice was between a REL Q150 or the velodyne, I'd probably choose the velodyne - and I sell RELs!Frankly speaking you should consider better than the 150 to match 42s. I suggest the new Stampede, which is a smaller box and gives much much better bass, tighter and more accurate. And it's better looking too!

Regards,
Frank.
 

Bronze Member
Username: Jamesp

Mansfield , TX USA

Post Number: 48
Registered: Apr-04
Hi James,

Tonally our In walls are very close to the Dyn's. We voice and pace our inwalls to our various monitors and floorstanders. Many of our units use Dynaudio drivers.

This is obviously the main reason we have a "similar" sound. Although our voicing is different the pace and tonality is very similar. Besides Dynaudio's own units our inwalls are problably the closest alternative.

take care,

TOTEM
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