B&W 705 vs Dynaudio 52 vs 52se

[Bevan]

Hi.

I'm agonizing over this decision and was hoping for a bit of input to push me in either dirrection.

The problem is that the listing rooms at the dealers are vastly different and ill set-up with the B&W's, so I dont really trust my ears.

I listen to most rock, also jazz and well recorded electronic musis(yes there is, check out shpongle you doubters Female vocals and accoustic guitars are important to me, but the speakers must also rock at loud volumes.

a sub may or may not be added.

I have owned B&W Audience 50's and recently B&W 602 s3. I liked them both.

Many thanks for any advice or opinions,

Bevan

 

[corysmith01]

Not sure if the same thing applies here, but maybe you could check the stores return policies. I just bought B&W 601 S3's (admittedly not the level you're looking at), but the store where I bought them has a 30 day return policy...no questions asked, full refund. So, if these two stores offer the same, theoretically you could buy one pair, then take them home and listen to 'em for a week. There's no better test than hearing it in your own environment. Even the most critical set up at a retail store isn't going to mimic what you have at home.

See if they have a return policy, then no more agonizing. Bring 'em home and crank 'em (either pair) and see if they work. If not, return 'em and get the others.

And I agree, a lot of electronic music can really test your speakers...I burned an audition CD that included some when I was researching my speakers... Four Tet, M83, The Books, and others were all on there.

Good luck.

 

[Bevan]

Thanks Cory, but no luck with these shops in Denmark. I'll have to hope someone chips in. Though if I dont hear any comforting words about the Dynaudio 52 se's bottoming-out problem soon, I'll likely go with the 705's

Bevan

 

[gene]

Though if I dont hear any comforting words about the Dynaudio 52 se's bottoming-out problem soon

I found this to be an issue if the speaker is used as fullrange. If you are crossing them over at 80Hz or so, it should be less of a problem. Oddly, Dynaudio is one of the few companies remaining that don't employ methods to avoid this issue with their drivers.

 

[Bevan]

thanks gene. recon i should decide the sub issue first then.

 

[Pat D]

Hi.

I'm agonizing over this decision and was hoping for a bit of input to push me in either dirrection.

The problem is that the listing rooms at the dealers are vastly different and ill set-up with the B&W's, so I dont really trust my ears.

I listen to most rock, also jazz and well recorded electronic musis(yes there is, check out shpongle you doubters Female vocals and accoustic guitars are important to me, but the speakers must also rock at loud volumes.

a sub may or may not be added.

I have owned B&W Audience 50's and recently B&W 602 s3. I liked them both.

Many thanks for any advice or opinions,

Bevan

I've not heard the Dyn's, which have an excellent reputation, but the B & W 705 is a superb loudspeaker, having a very even frequency response and wide dispersion. They did very well on quite a variety of music, mostly classical. The bass is sort of down in level, though 5 dB down at 40 hz isn't bad, and I think they benefit greatly from a subwoofer. We heard them both ways. But, with a subwoofer, you can really end up with first class sound. Here is a link to the measurements John Atkinson performed for his review in Stereophile:

http://stereophile.com/loudspeakerreviews/204bw/index4.html

They are easier to drive than my own PSB Stratus Minis, being about 4 dB more sensitive and having a higher minimum impedance. We bought the Stratus Minis because I thought the somewhat more laid back balance would be more forgiving, but this is a matter of preference. But I think I could easily live with the B & W 705 (though I would need a home trial, of course!).

 

[Lagger]

On the opposite end of the spectrum, I have not listened to the B&W's, but have auditioned both Dynaudio's. Gene's revelation of the 52se bottoming playing full range is correct, however, this level of sound is beyond what anyone would consider "normal" listening levels. And like almost all Dynaudio's, they need to be played loud to perform their best.

The main problem with the SE is it's a hodge-podge, just like the Special 25. The drivers implemented in the SE (old Countour drivers) are not intended to be used in the 52 enclosure. So crossover tweaks are made to compensate for this. What you get is Dynaudio's attempt to sell every last contour driver they have in stock. Just recased in a different cabinet. While this fits some people's budget, it's almost dumb not to step up to the Contour line at this price point.

That being said, I own the 52's. A beautiful speaker in it's price range. Although it might not sound as 'warm' as the 52se's, other things can be done to compensate for this. I think it really depends on what you listen to. The Dynaudio's are good for HT, but they are GREAT for 2ch stereo. Hope this helps. Peace_