Veeeery long break-in

I completly agre with Don . The speakers are absolutly gorgeus sounding with right equipment .
My system :Marantz DR 17 as transport ,
Perpetual tec. 3A DAC ( try this one it's miracle)
VAC Avatar SE ( if you like tubes - by one . You don't even need audition it .This is by far the most honest product in high-end world , and at 5k a real steal . Magical)
Ortophon 8000 Si inerconect
Ortophon silver loudspeaker cable - if you listen to tubes try to get one . A must with tubes .
I could go on and on about Contour 1.8 MkII but it is all said in previous reviews . Highly , highly recomanded .
If you have any questions - write e-mail dubrovka@aha.ru

Similar Products Used:

ProAc , MagnepanSMG

I have no idea what that last person was referring to - no soundtage, no imaging, detail? HUH?? All I can add is that the Rega electronics probably do not do this speaker justice. I myself would not pair a $600 CD player with $3500 speakers..... Try somehitng from Wadia, Levinson, Naim or BAT, or Meridian before lambasting this speaker. I mean it, they are very revealing of upstream limitations, which I think the last poster had "in-spades."

One other thing - they really require EXTENDED break in, before they sing.

Oh well, I would not allow skippy's last meatheaded remark dissuade you from trying a pair of these glorious sounding speakers. When matched with the appropriate (I mean somehting better than the "just-above-mass-market-crap Rega" stuff, they sing with overall strong performance.

The balance of mys ststem: CD: Naim CDX; amp: ML #335; preamp: Hovland 100; speaker cables: nirvana

Similar Products Used:

totem, proac, thiel

realistic vocal, excellent tweeter and midrange sound, natural transparency, fine bass, and ability to define programme quality.

need room, gotta play it louder!!!

I'm normally don't speak too much but I gotta say something for people who has a 3-4K budget to go listening to Dynaudio Contour 1.8 MKII.

Well, I used Roger LS3/5a for about 9 yrs, and fall in love with their high and mid range sound. Now I got a budget for a new floorstand speaker. Then I's listening Dynaudio Contour 1.8 MKII w/ Mark Levinson: CD+D/A and No.383 at the shop. Suddenly, oh well, I purchased a pair . 'Cuz of high and mid sound that like/or better than my old LS3/5a plus a very fine bass. During that time I thought, maybe because of Mark Levinson!?! So I'm abit nervous that at my own system may not sound like at the shop.

Finally, I got a pair and set it up with my system at home. Guess what? the high vocal of the tweeter and midrange still sound excellent but the bass less than No.383 at the shop. But I think that from my 9w intregate amp. and cd, if I play with LP then I got too much bass that I can tell:) Well for me, 1.8mkII still got a fine bass 'cuz my room's not that big anyway. I think I'm not gonna change them for at least another 10yrs...


My own system uesd:
-Dynaudio Contour 1.8 MKII
-Audio Innovention 300mkII
(only 9w single-end class A!)
-CAL: Delta/Alpha24bit
-Kimber 8TC speaker cable
-AudioQuest Video1 digital interconnect
-Monster M1000i interconnect

Similar Products Used:

Roger LS3/5a w/AB1

When I hear it there is no speakers I can only hear the wonderfull sound they make. Perfect with Meridian.

The weakness is my neiborhoud. I want to play it louder. Bad cd recordings sound worse than on other speakers.

Today it´s my first week with my dynaudio, everything is perfect, the bass is awesome I never hear a distorsion and I am able to focalice very acurately. I love them. I have a Pre power meridian combo that fits perfectly, I also use it for home cinema as my front speakers, sound perfect also with movies.
Now I realice that I have to change my Marrantz cd 63 cd. The cable I use is Van den Hull the first for modulation and "the snowline" to conect the speakers.

Similar Products Used:

Proac response 5, sonus faber concerto, grand piano.

Neutral, transparancy, build quality, definition

It needs an amplifier with enough headroom

This is a great speaker. In it's class there is no other speaker with the same quality in terms of neutrality, transparancy and definition. Period.
The build quility is also very good.

I have used Elipson 1303 speakers for years and searched for replaced for 1 year.
I listened to many brands like KEF, MC, Elipson, B&W, Dali and Magnepan.
Although they were all good to very good, none of them have the level of the Dynaudio's.

Bass definition is very good, midrange is absolutily astounding and treble is smooth.
Some people complain about the lack of slam with this speaker.
The speaker needs a good (very good) amp with enough headroom. Although it not slams your stomach at your seat, you can rock with them.

There are better speakers (Avalon, Proac), but they cost a lot more.

I drive the Dyn's with a Bryston 3B. This will be a Classe soon.
My frontend is a passive pre-amp and a Meridian 206 cd-player.I use Van Den Hul cables.

Value rating: 5 stars, although they are not cheap.
But quality has it's price.
Overall rating: 4 stars, because there are better ( and more expensive) speakers

Similar Products Used:

MC, Elipson, KEF, B&W

midrange clarity, bass and pure misicality

Nothing at this price.

I am at the local dealer to listen to Audience 70. the 70 is quite nice (Awarded by What Hifi)in term of musicallity and wonderful imaging. Not until I have heard the Contour 1.8 (although twice the price), I am convinced to take the contour than the 70. Contour is much better to 70 in clarity, pure vocal and dynamic. And better real wood finish.

Audience 70 is a very good speaker for the price, but not a match to Contour 1.8 at twice the price if you can afford the extra dime.
Dynaudio doing magic to music.

Similar Products Used:

Dynaudio 70, B&W

terrific sound

My earlier review stated Yamaha integrated gear w/ zip cables were sufficient to enjoy these beauties. Wrong. The list of my new gear below has increased their performance by a quantum leap: detail, size of soundstage, ease of listening.

Rotel RB-1080 200 w/c
Rotel RC-995 pre
Rotel RT-940 tuner
Yamaha CD-575 cd (good as the expensive ones I heard)
Rotel RR-939 remote
Synergistic / Alpha interconnects
Synergistic / Alpha speaker cable

great for $2400, expensive at $3500

smooth,open,detail,real,amazing highs so much open,mid so much wide & big,excellent.

small rooms .

this speaker is the most detail i ever heard,
tweeter in one word a m a z i n g !!!!!
the mid wide and smooth.
the bass sounds beeter in medium-large places.
i'm using it with my tag mclaren amp that gave his contribution to the smooth open and detail sound.
they play well even with not very big amp.
recommended in any way.

Similar Products Used:

dynaudio 1.3se,3.0 ,grand piano.

Dynamic, realistic vocal, excellent image and wide soundstage, detail & sweet high, nice woodwork

Too detail to make historical recording at times sound less enjoyable.
When they are not fully run-in, they can be really bad. Sometimes make you think they require more powerful amp, in fact they are not so power hungry.

I have been searching for compact floorstand speaker upgrade for a year and finally shorted-list two candidates for serious audition: ProAc Response 1.5 and Dynaudio 1.8MkII

I first tried ProAc Response 1.5 driven by BAT & Sonic Frontiers electronics, the mid-to-high is impressive but not as refined as Response 2.5. The most problematic area is its bass, it just doesn't extend adequate enough to reproduce true cello sound. Some good bookshelf speaker can be better.

I next turned to Contour 1.8MkII driven by Meridian electronics, first impression: awesome bass, unbelievable punchy and deep for its size. Cello reproduction has the tuneful and focus to mimic realistic. Human voice is detail and actual too. Image and soundstage is superb. Although violin is not as sweet as ProAc, I think it is more actual and has more top end energy.

In short, if you have a small room and want to experience full range speaker. You should give Contour 1.8MkII a serious listen.

BTW, 1.8 is very reasonable priced in Hong Kong, at only US$2000 (cherry)!

Similar Products Used:

ProAc Tablette 50 Signature, ProAc Response 1.5, ProAc Response 2.5, Epos ES11

i think the midrange, I cant compare that to anything I ever heard

my living room is too small, thats the only weakness so far

8 years ago I was 16 and looking for a new amp for my small audio system. More by the way I listened first time to Dynaudios, cant remember what modell. That was a moment I wont forget in my life. This was a goal.
Now I am able to buy some real ones, not only a kit.
They are so wonderful, unbelievable; just my dream.
But I notice my old Acoustic Research 07 amp is no longer sufficiently. Dont know what try, Marantz or NAD, we will see.
5 stars for the overall. Thats not enough.
Only 4 stars for the value, hm, retroactive it was much money, but I think they will fit for the next, let me say 8 years.
After that maybe Confidence 5, I never heard them but my trust in that brand is iron now.

Similar Products Used:

Dynaudio Gemini Kit, Quadral 402 Sat/Sub