Transparency, resolution, coherency, neutrality, and detail
Bass: depth, speed, and articulation
Midrange: Neutral
Treble: non-fatiguing, no harshness, good detail and air

a wee bit of emphasis on sibilants

The Dynaudio 82's are magnificent sounding speakers. I was in the market for speakers and a reviewer had written it's not true fidelity if it doesn't cover the full audible spectrum. This makes sense, if the recording and all other related components are made to replay the full spectrum, shouldn't your speakers do the same? Of course if you have a small room bookshelf speakers are the way to go, but otherwise make sure you can hear the entire audible spectrum. Dynaudio recommends these speakers for medium to large sized rooms.

The 82's are very coherent with a balanced sound top-to-bottom. They have a laid-back sound, but can rock a party if you have current on hand. The 82's can make very good music with high-quality moderately powered amps (50 wpc or more); I am running mine with an Arcam A75+, which is only 50wpc, and have very satisfying results. They do still seem to communicate, "You have no idea what we're capable of doing", so I do intend to upgrade my amplification.

The 82's are very transparent with good resolution and detail. Because of this, low-quality components will be revealed for what they are, but high-quality components will sound better than ever. The 82's are never harsh, but rather invite you to join in the listening event. Bass has good depth, speed, and pitch definition. The midrange is very neutral. Treble is detailed and airy, giving a good sense of ambience in recordings. The only thing I detect as a minor flaw is a bit of emphasis on sibilants ("s" and "ch" sounds). Not harshness, just emphasis.

I preferred the 82's to the Focus 220's b/c the treble seemed airier with more spatial information. A review from a major audiophile magazine did test bench measurements on the Focus 140; sure enough the tweeter had a horizontal dispersion that was somewhat abbreviated. This effect will probably be highly subjective to most listeners; some may even conclude it makes the Focus tweeter sound more refined than the 82's. I personally felt information was missing. I also preferred the 82's true 3-way design to the 220's 2-1/2 way design. The 220's bass was a bit punchier, but not as deep or clean as the 82's IMO.

All Dynaudio speakers are available with real wood veneers, not vinyl anymore! The 82's have detachable grilles which can be placed on the back of the speaker cabinet; this keeps them away from kids and pets if you like to listen with the grilles off; it also keeps the place tidy for the wife. The binding posts are of good quality; you can use speaker wire, pins, spades, and bananas.

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Focal JMlab, KEF XQ, Monitor Audio Gold Series, Martin Logan, Dali, Triangle, Legacy

Absolutely satisfying top-to-bottom sound. No more thinking, just listen and enjoy!!!
Natural timbres of voices and instruments. Nice price for such sophisticated and complete sound. Real wood veneer. EASY TO DRIVE!!

Just the occasional sibilance flaw; largely dependent on recording quality. If you listen to low quality recordings make sure to take them with you for audition to decide if you can live with it. I would also recommend taking a listen to Monitor Audio speakers (Gold Series).

I purchased these speakers about 2 months ago and have been enjoying them immensely. I have listened to countless speakers at a similar price point. None have come close to what the 82's offer for the dollar. The 82's have unbelievable transparency, coherency, detail, and full range sound. These speakers offer the listener the ability to turn their analytical mind off and simply enjoy the music. If you like to be analytical they offer plenty to keep you busy that way too (but I think it's better to just love the whole presentation).

I will share one specific thing that potential buyers may want to know about. The high frequencies are excellent and mostly smooth. The only caveat is on sibilants ("s" and "ch" sounds), where some emphasis/splashiness is detected. It's only harsh if the recording is harsh; otherwise it is a non-fatiguing minor flaw. These are moderately large speakers so make sure to consider room boundaries, the first order crossover can cause the dispersion (which makes for a soundstage w/gorgeous bloom) to interact with the room. Ideally these belong in a mid-size or large room. If you want a treble that is a little more refined, try comparing these w/the more recent Focus 220 floorstanders. After comparison I slightly preferred these b/c I felt the treble had a little more ambience; the Focus 220's treble seemed a little restrained (held back) to my taste, but had better slam w/less bass depth than the 82's. But for a beautiful all-around wood veneer finish and a couple hundred dollars more the Focus is a worthy consideration.

I fully agree with others who reviewed here that it is best to use "quality" components to send the signal to these speakers but . . .
contrary to what many have said, these speakers present a very easy load to an amplifier (i.e. you don't have to have huge power to drive them). Yes many will pair the 82's w/Krell, Mark Levinson, etc., but I have mine paired with the Arcam A75+ and a Denon disc player (which I do want to upgrade to Arcam). My amp never gets hot, rather, just barely warm, and I will listen at 12 o'clock for several hours. I get more bass than I thought I could ever expect from an Arcam 50-watt/channel amp. I previously purchased Wharfedale Evolution floorstanders that were pretty good w/decent bass, yet my amp ran warmer driving them. I returned them b/c they had some displeasing treble characteristics (surprising since the Diamond series tweeters sound fantastic at their price point). But these 82's have an extra bass driver than those, and should technically require more current to drive them. But these 82's seem to show kindness to my "weak" amp and say "We can do more, but there's plenty here to work with". So please, if you have quality low-powered gear (Arcam, Creek, Naim, even Cambridge Audio), take them to your Dynaudio dealer and see for yourself. You can save serious dough and quit the hi-fi rat race.

When I have a larger place I will probably look at higher powered gear, but that would just be for kicks (I would love to hear these bad boys w/300 watts RMS driving them!). Otherwise, my Arcam can drive these to loud levels that will overload my current room w/decent deep, punchy bass. I know, I didn't think Arcam's played bass frequencies either!!

If you want to know how good they look and sound leave it to a woman. My 50-something mother told me after hearing them, that she was seriously considering buying a pair. What?!

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Mostly the products mentioned in writing.

Produce music with real tear-jerking emotion.

Nothing

Fantastic speakers.
My initial response was to feel impressed by:
1. The subjectively flat frequency response and;
2. The pleasing dynamic range.
Together these 2 factors make the Audience 82s wonderfully transparent - from deep down bass to sweet sweet trebble. When they are required to sound big they swell accordingly, when called on for delicacy the 82s demonstrate a feather touch.
These Dynaudios definitely push anything but the most impressive source and amplification components to their potential - excellent if your source and amplification has great potential; not so great if your kit is substandard budget.

SInce purchasing the Audience 82s several years ago I have made numerous changes to every other part of my hifi setup. I have not once considered changing these speakers.

My current setup is largely Musical Fidelity, together with a Roksan Raduis 5 turntable (Sumiko MC cartridge).

A fantastic hifi product - especially when a good second hand example can be found at a knock down price!

Opening door to highend speakers

matching problem, very high current

I think 82 is an excelent product but if your other component be good. I listened to it with many amps but just it matched with krell. wide dynamic range, detailed mid and airy high with deep and clean bass(it's bass with krell is wonderful). you hear all thing but 82 sound with cheap amps like nad is under standard. if you use it with mcintosh, mark levinson or krell with a cd player over 1000$ you will see it's actual ability to make music.

Everything within human hearing range

No lips and a bit cold in bed, otherwise I would marry them

Like the other reviewers said, these speakers let you hear the strengths and weaknesses in your system. Once you buy them your speaker upgrade are over for sure but the search will begin for components that will do them justice. Upgrading to a better amp will only take you to newer highs, better cables or pre-amp and you will be in a new heaven, but if your equiptment is not up to par they will let you know thats for sure, so please have an amp with some power and components that are worthy. Anyone who rates them anything less than perfect has issues with other components not these speakers.

Neutral and revealing. Lets you hear what your system sounds like. Classic good looks.

NOTHING.

This is a followup review of my Audience 82. I upgraded the interconnects between DAC-preamp and preamp-poweramp, and wow! What a difference! The Dynaudios are no longer lean, but have a very nice balance to them now. Surprisingly, they have also gained transparency. Musical instruments are very very well separated in space, and very clearly focussed without being etched. Voices are truly magnificent, and I am stunned by the revelation I am hearing in my music. These are the best speakers I have ever listened to, and they are far more revealing than I thought they were. I held back in my earlier review about their value, but I think they are worth every penny now. Absolutely stunning.

Neutral, low but controlled bass, scale and weight. Plays loud without compression.

Poor recordings sound rough.

Four months back, I heard these speakers at the showroom driven by a second hand Krell 300i. Got hooked by the sound instantly. Instruments like the Piano and the Sax sounded truly realistic. The bass notes of the Piano never sounded so pure on my Monitor Audio bookshelves. Detail retrieval, especially low level details, was impressive. Bass was low, tight and controlled. Highs were smooth on good recordings. However, poor recordings were not tolerated easily with some harshness creeping in. I also tried out the Plinius (8100 I think) and the NAD (370+270s, but the realism was captured only by the Krells. The Danes do need a lot of power and the lesser mortals just could'nt bring out the juice. I bought the speakers and the Krell amp. I expected the same sound at home. On powering the system though, I was a bit dissapointed. The sound was great - but magic was missing. The piano did not have the same weight. The highs were also brighter. The speakers have since run-in for four months and the bass has opened up a bit and there is more weight to the instruments. But no- that mesmerizing sound which I heard at the showroom yet proves elusive. I have realized that the speakers are extremely sensitive to the upstream equipment and the cables. I am planning to check out Transparent IC soon (the same cables used in the showroom.) Also, room acoustics will also be playing a crucial role. But despite the above grouses, the sound is fantastic. The speakers are extremely neutral. Good recording sound great though bad ones sound bad. Imaging is good for floorstanders while soundstage is OK. Voices sound very good (Rebecca Pidgeon's voice on 'Spanish Harlem' is truly sublime). Sax sounds detailed with the air flowing through the reeds being heard clearly. Drums have punch and attack though cymbals do sound bright at times. The speakers are good for all types of music including classical, jazz and rock which IMO is a rarity. Last but not the least, these brutes can play really loud without any hint of compression. Nor do the cabinets induce any artefacts of their own. Whatever the shortcomings of the 82s, at this price, it is a great buy IMO.

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Monitor Audio Bronze 2s.

very small speaker with sound of a great orchestra - detailled - naturally

non

no boom no bang - only the sound from the sources - but! the sound is becoming better and better after a while of using. when it will reach the end? 15 years with french cabasse - very well - but times have changed.

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cabasse eroise, jbl´s, infinity´s, b&w, kef,

Capable of reproducing both large scale sound, and intimate, quiet passages with the same aplomb. Looks great too - you can't tell it's a vinyl finish.

Slightly reserved bass, but could be that I haven't fully broken it in yet.

Capable of reproducing both large scale sound, and intimate, quiet passages with the same aplomb. It behaves like a minimonitor that can deliver real bass (I think that's a real compliment!). The most amazing quality to me is the transparency and truthfulness of the midrange. Voices and solo instruments are intimately conveyed, and let you know that these speakers are quite extraordinary. The bass is clean and coherent (i.e. it's not muddy or smeared), but slightly reserved I feel. Maybe it's because I'm used to bloated bass, but I wish there were just a smidgen more of it in this speaker. Finish is vinyl, but how wonderful it looks! I can't tell from a foot away, and that's all that matters. Even at $2000, it is getting a bit expensive and invites competition from many high-end names. However, I think it is still a good deal for a full-range tower and should definitely be auditioned for people liking both the detail of a minimonitor and the full range of a tower.

Detail, detail, detail. Warm yet airy top end. Liquidy mid-range. Ample bass. Ability to diappear COMPLETELY!

Honestly, none. That's the beautiful thing about this speaker, it doesn't miss a thing!

Hello. Over the past 2 years I have owned, and listened to many speakers. Constantly in the quest to get the perfect speaker for my tastes, without breaking the bank.

The closest to the 82's were the B&W's. I owned CDM, and listened extensively to the Nautilus 804, excellent speakers. CDM is a tremendous line of speakers, and I really enjoyed my time with them. But after listening for hours at a time, my ears would just become numb. That metal tweeter just became fatigueing. A metal tweeter is what it is, and although I think B&W has the best, I just couldn't hear that detail after long periods of listening, everything sounded the same. I really enjoy jazz, and after a while, those horns became overbearing.

Well I heard alot about Dynaudio, and after convincing the wife that I needed to go a different route, and promising it would be my last change, I knew I had to get it right. I found a dealer and went and listened to the 82's. Right off the bat I could tell they were more detailed than the B&W's, or any speaker I'd ever heard for that matter. But what really struck me was how smooth the top end of the 82's was, without losing any detail or airiness that I liked so much with the B&W's. I went and ordered the 82's in black ash and got a GREAT deal.

Got the 82's, and connected them, and right out of the box, they just blew me away! Man, these babies sounded even better in my home. I let them run for a couple hours a day for a few weeks to break in. When I sat down for the critical listen I was just awed. The music just flows so smoothly and effortlessly through the 82's. Listening to Diana Krall's "Stepping Out" is scary. Her magnififcent voice just comes through so clean, airy, and dynamic, that you really get a feel of her presence in the room. Especially track 1 "This Can't Be Love". There is a point in the song, when she goes to town on the piano, and goes off on a little riff, then when the vocals kick back in, the hair on the back of my neck stands up, truly. It is so scary, you look around to see if she's really in there with you. I think to myself, no way these speakers are this good.....

Listening to Miles Davis' "Kind of Blue" track 1 , "So What" quite literally makes my eyes water. I dim the lights, and turn up the volume a bit, and just get that feeling that jazz conveys. The horns come through so lifelike and airy, yet are never tizzy, bright, or harsh. That's what is so amazing about the Danes, they bring those brass instruments right into the room, but you can listen to that sweet sound of the horn or sax for hours and hours and it has such a smooth, refined sound, that you never tire of it. With the lights out completely, I just kick back, with a good brew in my hand (Harpoon Winter Warmer maybe?) and just get completely lost in the music. It is all around me, and inside me, I can feel the soulfulness of Coltrane's "My Favorite Things". You don't just hear it, you feel it, experience it, taste it. Jazz is a mood, a feeling, and through the Danes, you get the best of what jazz is all about. I realize I'm getting pretty deep here in describing these speakers, but this is how the Dynaudio's have affected my music listening. I am buying and listening to cd's I' never would have even considered before. I have an audiophile recording of "Jazz at the Pawnshop" recommended to me by a fellow Dynaudio lover. It is a live recording from The Pawnshop which is a jazz club in Sweden. You hear people talking, clapping, glasses clanging, throughout the cd in the background. Bell's ringing, cash registers ringing up sales. It is amazing. And through the Danes, you get the feeling of what it was like to be there. Close your eyes, turn out the lights, and just drift off into the music.......you ARE there........

I also listen to some hard rock, AC/DC, Rush, it all sounds great. These speakers can rock and roll with the best of them, yet can handle the jazz and the soft stuff with such grace, poise, and ease. You hear the phrase "disappear" to describe speakers so often. I have never had this experience until now with the Dynaudio's. If you didn't see the speakers, you would say no way can a pair of speakers just remove themselves so completely from the experience. But that is what the Dynaudio's do. Muisc just flows all around the room, there is no real sweet spot so to speak. With the B&W's the music sort of jumped out and grabbed you, through the Dynaudio's it just oozes out, and surrounds you, and draws you in.

The Danes just bring out the subtleist of detail. A vocalists lips smacking, the sax player breathe in just before he blows into the sax (Dave Brubeck's Take Five is a prime example of this). You hear the slightest screech of the strings as the guitar players hands pluck the strings on the guitar as he strums away. It is amazing. David Sanborn's "Spooky" from the "Songs From the Night Before" cd, is a great demo tune. There is so much going on, but the sound of the bongos just sound and feel like they are coming right through the speaker. Like you can reach out and touch them. This is a very complex tune, and nothing is ever drowned out, or missing. The sax just gives you goosebumps.

The only drawback is that now when I fire up the system, I can't leave the room. I can't bring myself to get up while the system is playing. I can't even listen to a friend's system anymore. I have been so spoiled, that I can't listen to anything else without comparing it to the Danes. Now I really understand when Dynaudio states "We Know, Do You?" You truly have to live with these speakers to understand what they can do. Sometimes words just don't do them justice. Hopefully I was able to give a taste of what these speakers can do. I have finally found "my" speakers. I do not believe you can get better performance without a significant jump in cost.

Here is my complete system:
Denon AVR4800 (soon to be replaced with Outlaw model 950) - preamp.
Rotel RMB1095 - 5 channel amp, a great match with the Danes,
Transparent MusicLink Plus interconnects between the Denon and Rotel.
Onkyo Integra DPS-5 - dvd player
Pioneer PD-F908 - 101 disc cd player
Panasonic 51 inch rptv
JVC S3800U - super vcr
Dynaudio Audience 82 - mains,
Transparent MusicWave Plus speaker cable used.
Dynaudio Audience 122C - center,
Transparent MusicWave Plus speaker cable used.
Dynaudio Audience 52 - rears,
Esoteric in-wall speaker cable used.
Dual SVS 20-C9CS with Samson Amp - subs
Monster HTS2000 power conditioner/surge protector.

Hope this helps, and please feel free to email.

Have a great day!

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Used and auditioned many. B&W CDM 1NT, CDM 9NT. Nautilus 804. Paradigm Monitor and Studio. PSB Image and Stratus. Various offerings from Definitive Technology.