Dynaudio Audience 60 Floorstanding Speakers

Dynaudio Audience 60 Floorstanding Speakers 

DESCRIPTION

6.5" Woofer and 1-1/8" Tweeter

USER REVIEWS

Showing 1-10 of 13  
[Mar 10, 2002]
Bill
AudioPhile

Strength:

Outstanding value -- Dynaudio drivers and sound quality for the price of the better mass-market brands at Circuit City, etc.

Weakness:

Vinyl finish nothing special -- but at this price, I''d rather pay for the actual drivers being used.

Top notch sound quality all the way. Basically a neutral speaker that is very sensitive to its partnering equipment. I was originally running a mid-level Yamaha receiver with them (about 80 watts per channel), but the Dynaudios really came to life once I hooked them up to my new separates (about 150 watts per channel into the 4 ohm load). These speakers like to draw current, and when I upgraded from my Monster M-series cables to Monster Z-2 Reference cables, the difference was night and day. The Dynaudio tweeter is superb -- as other posters have noted, it is very detailed without ever really becoming harsh. The bass unit, basically a 6.5 incher, is similarly outstanding, offering good fairly tight bass extension in my listening room; no, it won''t give you that "in the chest" impact of a good sub, but its still impressive for a small floorstander in this price range. Sounds good with rock, classical, jazz; you name it, it can play it. Not quite as "sweet" sounding as my Sennheiser headphones, but probably more accurate sounding. The vinyl finish is nothing special, but it isn''t any worse than any other similar type of finish and it looks better than quite a few others. Real wood would have been nice, but would undoubtedly have added much to the cost, and the boxes seem very solidly constructed. All in all, I feel that these are the best value going.

Similar Products Used:

Boston Acoustics, Energy, Mirage, the ubiquitous B&W, Polk, Infinity, Thiel, Monitor Audio, etc.

OVERALL
RATING
5
VALUE
RATING
5
[May 06, 2000]
BRyAN
Audiophile

Strength:

you can get audiophile quality for the price of an Audience 60. detailed

Weakness:

none for a speaker at this price

I was looking for a pair of speakers for a second system that would be in a room maybe 14x14 that wa converter to my workout room. I didn't want to spend a lot. When I went into the shop I listened to the top of the line Acoustic Energy tower ($699.) & a pair of Thiele (2.2? $2,200. retail) Then the guy brougt in a pair of Audience 50's for $900. & I was amazed. The Dyns killed the previous mentioned speaker. Especially in bass response. I bought the Audience 60's because they were floorstanding. I also litened to Infinit RS series which were cheaper than the above speakers, but sometimes it's worth spendind more in the long run. Satisfaction means a lot to me. When I got the 60's home I hooked them up to my main system to see what they could do. I was amazed again. They were more detailed & faster them the 12" 3-way I was currently using. I didn't want to unhook them. They didn't play as deep as the 12" woofer bt overall the bass wa more accurate. The 60's come with floor spikes & port plugs. I played with the port plugs some. When they are in it decreases the bass response. I guess ou would use themif you had a real small room or had to stick the in a corner. I don'tuse mine. I now also own a pair of Dynaudio contour 2.5's for my main system. The 60's are a great value & a great speaker. My friend has a pair that he loves also. He uses an Arcam alpha 9 to drive them. Sounds nice. I am currently looking for an amp in my 2nd system, but whenthey were hooked up to my Krell they performed great. Once they are broke in they also have tremendous power handling. They remain clear & detailed where others will break up & make your system sound distorted. Excellent value. The 60's are constructed good & have minimal cabinet vibration. This quality is even better on Dyn's upper series.

Similar Products Used:

Thiele, infinity, AE, other Dynaudio, klipsch

OVERALL
RATING
5
VALUE
RATING
5
[Oct 12, 2001]
Lars
Audio Enthusiast

Strength:

damn near uncolored sound, surprisingly deep and fast bass for its size, never harsh or bright

Weakness:

none given the price

I just received these about an hour ago, and I must admit that I am very pleasantly surprised. As someone who has been a loyal Dynaudio fan for years, I just downgraded from a pair of Contour 1.3 mkIIs (yeah that's right, we're deep in a recession), and I really wasn't expecting that much since these come from Dynaudio's budget Audience line. Boy, was I wrong. There is no doubt that the Contours are more detailed, and they better be for twice the price retail, but the sonic character of both is very similar, which is to say that they are both very close to tonally neutral without ever sounding fatiguing or bright. But these image at least as well as the Contours and also play deeper.

Some of the previous reviewers have been critical of the vinyl finish, but I'm not sure I agree. Mine are finished in rosewood vinyl, and they aren't that easily distinguishable from the real rosewood veneer of my Contours unless carefully inspected. The fit and finish of the vinyl is first-rate. And the cabinets that they cover are also remarkably solid and inert for speakers weighing just 38 lbs. each. Another sign of quality construction.

These speakers are a stunning engineering achievement, and the scary part is that they aren't even broken in yet. I can only assume that they will improve with age, and I'm grinning about these speakers as I write this.

Similar Products Used:

Dynaudio Contour 1.3 mkII

OVERALL
RATING
5
VALUE
RATING
5
[Feb 12, 2001]
Ben Lee
Audio Enthusiast

Strength:

Excellent clarity and detail.

Weakness:

Poor finish. Requires power.

These are the best speakers you can get for the $1000 price range. Even though not broken in yet, they sound pretty good. I listened to the B&W CDM 1nts (the new bookshelf, can't quite remember the exact model #) and was really disappointed. Nothing else comes close at this price. The cabinets could be better - and they are on the new Audience 62s.

Similar Products Used:

KEF Reference Model 3, Dynaudio Bookshelf kit from 1992, Dynaudio C220 car audio

OVERALL
RATING
5
VALUE
RATING
5
[Feb 05, 2001]
Darren
Audiophile

Strength:

Incredible detail & resolution. Super accurate bass.

Weakness:

Detail with no mercy. Ruthless taskmasters, the Vince Lombardi of loudspeakers, if your system is not up to snuff you are going to get taken to task by these babies.

I recently tried a pair of Dynaudio Audience 60’s on closeout from my local dealer. They are a quite compact, 6.5” 2-way floor-stander with typical top rate Dynaudio drivers and mediocre cabinets. I have owned some pretty good speakers over the years (KEF, B&W, Paradigm Reference, Vandersteen, ACI ) but these are a real eye-opener.

First things first: the resolution and detail will scare the crap out you when you first hook them up. They are ruthlessly honest, like that Danish houseguest that tells you that you stink as a cook when you invite her over for dinner....... I have recordings that I have listened to dozens of times and it’s literally like I’ve never heard them before. This applies to the whole audio spectrum, not just treble and mids. The bass resolution is amazing, you can hear the strings vibrate on an acoustic bass….. The treble and mids will startle you and you’re apt to think that they will be grating but it never really happens. You will hear vocal layering and shimmering treble detail that’s not annoying.

Now for the bad news…….These are the Vince Lombardi of speakers, great but demanding! They will expose every flaw in your system or CD’s and they like power. I’m driving them with a decent mid-fi system and they have sent my stuff yelping to the corner of the room........

Dynaudio's motto is "Danes don't lie". That's nice but we all know that a few white lies are good in any relationship.

System consists of:
Rotel RCD-971 CD player
Rotel RC-980 Pre
Rotel RB-981 Amp
Various combinations of Audioquest and Kimber

Similar Products Used:

See Review Summary

OVERALL
RATING
4
VALUE
RATING
4
[Mar 16, 1999]
Mike
an Audio Enthusiast

An outstanding speaker! If you listen mostly to acoustic performances (jazz, etc.) or classical music, especially solo piano, you'll love the Audience 60. They really make well-recorded acoustic instruments sound live. The bass is outstanding -- the best I heard in this price range! (vs. Sonus Faber Concertino, Linn Keilidh, Hales Revelation One, Phase Tech PC-2, Paradigm Studio Monitor/60) Solid, deep, but extremely tight -- never boomy or irritating. The treble is extremely extended and razor-sharp. So sharp that it always seems like it's about to become irritating, but it never does. In general, the Audience 60 never becomes fatiguing or irritating. However, its good points are also its main flaws -- the incredible clarity brings out every little flaw on your rock CDs, so that anything but the best recorded discs sound much worse than on other speakers in this price range. Also, fans of vocal music will want to look elsewhere, since althought you'll hear the phlegm in the singer's throat with these speakers, you'll also lose much of the smoothness and beauty of a good vocal recording. You'll also hear every little click and buzz caused by bad studio mixing equipment, but also levels of detail and texture far beyond anything you've ever heard on your CDs before. Imaging is superb and, again, extremely sharp -- much sharper than life, although I personally quite this. These speakers create the impression of a solid wall of sound right in front of them, from which individual instruments can be localized. Thus, the front-to-back imaging is rather poor, but horizontal imaging is superb, and the sound is generally very involving and keeps making you want to listen to more. Combined with suitably powerful amps (Linn Classik, NAD C340), I found the Dynaudios to be excellent speakers, although underpowered amps (e.g. Arcam Alpha 7) should be avoided, as the speakers will sound weak and shrill. The Audience 60's are relatively insensitive to room placement, and will sound basically very good even if they're lackadaisically tossed in the corner. The front port makes them ideal for the small rooms they're intended for, and the floor-standing design also gives the kind of full sound that nearly all $1000 bookshelf models lack. All in all, I very much liked these speakers despite their drawbacks, and would have bought them had a friend not decided to sell me his Sonus Faber Minima Amator's, which list for about $3000. However, certain kinds of music will suffer most from the Dynaudios analytical, somewhat unmusical sound, so it definately depends on your musical tastes. If you love classical or acoustic jazz, I think these speakers are utterly unbeatable for $1200. If you're into rock, these speakers have the kick and excellent dynamics, but they'll bring every little flaw on your rock CD's into irritating razor-sharp focus. If you're into vocals, they're a bad choice, and I suggest you look elsewhere. However, for most people with $1200 to spend, I think the Audience 60's have a lot to offer. Make sure you listen to them with the grilles off!

OVERALL
RATING
4
VALUE
RATING
[Jun 24, 1999]
Sonny Kurniawan
an Audio Enthusiast

I just got my Audience 60 yesterday. I am quite surprised with the size. It is not as big as I thought. It is not heavy. Well, once I received the speakers, I went to Speakerlab and bought the cable for the speaker. I use the Kimber Kable for the speaker. I plug in the speaker and try to listen to music. It is AWESOME. You cannot find a better speaker in this price range. Comparing to the Paradigm Reference Studio 60, Dynaudio produces more clear sound. I use Harman Kardon AVR 75 for the receiver. Overall, I'm very satisfy with this speaker. If you want to play a movie, better get a subwoofer. If you just want to listen to music, it produces enough bass.

OVERALL
RATING
5
VALUE
RATING
[Dec 19, 2000]
Valerio Farias
Audiophile

Strength:

Detail, Control , Clarity, Rhythm, and also a Controlled and Extended Bass.

Weakness:

None.

After listening to Dynaudio's Audience 60 little brother, (Dynaudio Audience 40), i thought that they where very good, detailed speakers even in the lower frequencies, but i noticed that the crossover was responsible for cutting the lower frequencies too soon (notice that the lower frequencies on the 40's r cut at 52Hz), and a little more bass wasn't that bad after all.

Since i had a pair of Mordaunt Short with 2 REAR Bass-Reflex ports, my room suffered from a lot of headroom, and i thought...let me try Dynaudio Audience 60, since they're also floorstanders but with a Front Bass-Reflex Port.

I coupled it with, what is now my system:

Creek 5250 Amplifier
Creek CD43 CD Player
Qed Qudos Silver Speaker Cable

and...last but not least...

Van Den Hul The First Interconnect...JUST FABULOUS...

...Soundstaging, Detail, Power, Accuracy...and so on...
(this speakers deserves 6 stars...)

Let me tell you that the Strong feature on this speakers r indeed the units that make this loudspekers...

I tested this system with the following cd's:

Brothers in Arms - Dire Straits
Chesky Jazz Vol.2
The Eye of the Beholder - Chick Corea & Electric Band
The Final Cut - Pink Floyd

Buy these with cofidence...with this speakers you DO listen to the music, and not some piece of Hi-Fi...

p.s: i could talk more about the other speakers that audictioned but in an overall sum up, i think their sound is a little restrained, sometimes too much upfront...

Thankz

Valério
Portugal


Similar Products Used:

Other Dynaudio's, B&W 603s2, Tannoy M3, Mordaunt Short MS207 and Linn Tukan.

OVERALL
RATING
5
VALUE
RATING
5
[Mar 17, 2001]
Timothy Coughlin
Casual Listener

Strength:

everything; new purchase and couldn't be more pleased

Weakness:

I like the cabinets; they aren't bad!

After shopping for six months, I settled on DynAudios as my speaker system. Can't go wrong.

OVERALL
RATING
5
VALUE
RATING
5
[Oct 02, 1999]
Kari L
an Audio Enthusiast

Listening to my new Dynaudio Audience 60's is still a joy after 2 weeks. Everytime the wonderful imaging with these speakers blows me away. I upgraded to these speakers from JBL LX6 and I don't regret a second. JBLs had a boomy bass and a bit irritating sound. Audience 60's sound is very neutral and very easy to listen. The bass is tight, which makes this speaker good for my little room. I have a B&W ASW 1000 subwoofer, which helps Dynaudios especially in home theater. When listening music a subwoofer is not necessary. I listened to other speakers and B&W CDM 7SE was the second choice, but Dynaudios won them easily. I just liked the overall sound of Dynaudios better. I've listened to all kinds of music from classic to heavy metal and all sounds good. These speakers are quite revealing so badly recorded cds sound bad. But most of them sound good, especially I liked music with good singing like Celine Dion and Nightwish.
In these price range I give them 5 stars. They are very good all around performers. I even think that I don't have to upgrade my speakers anymore.

System:
Yamaha RX-V2095
DynAudio Audience 60 speakers
Taralabs RSC Prime cable
B&W ASW1000 subwoofer

OVERALL
RATING
5
VALUE
RATING
Showing 1-10 of 13  

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