I´am Dynaudio possitive for at last 15 years. It all began with Contour 1.3mkII´s which are great, but can be weary for someone, because of their midrange details over-expose. The next choice was quite hard to find after the 1.3mkII´s high standard, so was the Contour 3.0´s, which is the sound I prefer until today at most. The last ones, I bought as my backup system are the Focus 140´s. All of this speakers have got its own sound character, but its always very high standard in their price range and its always the "dynaudio sound". Yeah, the 1.3mkII´s tweeter is not that sweet as it could be, but I, as many, use them as a high end studio grade monitors, because of their uncompromising portion of detail. Besides of that, they´ve got excelent dynamics, nice bass extension down to 40Hz and they are really well build. One can become really big sound from these relative small speakers. After pairing them well with right amp and cables, they produce dynamic bass, uncolored mid and extremely transparent high. They are ideal for jazz, acoustic, vocal and electronic music, but not the best ones for heavy metal style music. When it goes to 3.0´s, they are much more mature than the 1.3mkII´s. Listening fatigue is non-existing with 3.0´s, what´s the reason, why are they still prefered by many, over the newer dyns, which show a tendency to sound, again, a bit bright. The detail level is unbelievable, but the sound is rather warm, enjoyable, with very natural soundscape and the soundstage rendered just right. They are much more universal for all musical styles (from jazz to heavy metal) than the 1.3mkII´s, which in the direct comparison, sound more like detail magnifiers, other said - working tool. The 3.0´s go down to 30Hz, what´s enough for me. The Focus 140´s are mixed bag from previous both worlds. Though bookshelf/standmount speakers, they sound very natural, with non over-exposed midrange and surprisingly great bass response. The listeners fatigue is non existing and soundstage is well defined. Once properly paired, and burned in, can show greater level of midrange details (they are a bit obscured from the start) and given to their size, relative solid and good defined bass. In contrast to 1.3mkII´s are the 140´s much more universal, when it goes to musical genres from jazz to metal music. Focuses are not so difficult to drive as the 1.3mkII´s are, also you don´t have to have the best possible amp to become pleasing sound. All Dynaudios need its time to burn in, so be prepared to let them on for some 3 weeks, before judging them. They can generally sound a bit better after first 2-3 years. Pls don´t forget, that the Dynaudio bookshelf speakers like heavy damped stands and enough of free space behind them at most. If´s not possible in small rooms, they can be placed tight in a bookshelf with no space around them at all (they will function as a front ported design, with an acceptable sound quality penalty). I don´t have any other chance than to give to all these products their well deserved 5 stars, because everyone of them is great in its own league.

I disagree with the previous review by robbiefest.
Everyone has a different taste, but you can't blame the speakers when you have a very average room and on top of that place them very wrong.
They need to be on good stands, not too close to the back and side walls.

I've been using dynaudio speakers for years in recording studios. The price/performance ratio has always been great.
The same goes for the focus 140.
These are gems.
Neutral and very balanced sounding speakers with good bass... at a very decent price.

They can sound good with an average amplifier, but when using a great one with good current they really shine!
I was asking myself the same question before upgrading my amplifier "how much better can these dynaudios sound with a better amp?"
Well, I can tell you: the difference is huge. The speakers will just open up.

Choosing the right amp is really important.
I'm using a NAD M3 integrated amp and I think it's a nice match. Also tried a musical fidelity M6i and didn't like it. The dynaudios became more agressive sounding with that MF amp. Some people may like that, but I don't.
I prefer refinement.

Keep this in mind when demoing these speakers. Try different amplifiers.

All I can say is that I highly recommend these speakers.

I must be the guy who is living in non aligned, non parallel universe to everyone else who reviewed these speakers. May I say, these are on of the most boring, lackluster, demanding, non responsive speakers I have ever heard. Actually the wharfdale diamond 8.1 probably take that cake. The 140s were already run in when I auditioned them in my home.

I'm a musician, playing acoustic piano, guitar and bass. Many years of live playing experience, live mixing, selling hifi etc etc, etc. Currently I'm looking to replace my 30 year old speakers that are still performing very well. I would just like to take advantage of 21st century technology. My expectation is that there should be some very good speakers out there that can reveal more music in my listening room. I"m looking to be moved and excited by what I hear, as I often am with my current setup, as crude as it is. When I initially heard the focus 140s in a local shop, I thought they were absolutely brilliant. When they brought them to my home they sounded very similar to my current speakers,with the exception of a lot more bass. My comment to them was that I don't hear $3000 difference. I then upgraded all my equipment getting ready for the focus 140s to live in my home permanently. This week I've auditioned them in my home.

Currently running a marantz av7500 amp, 110w rms, high current. Option to add Rotel 1070 power amp at will. Sitting here not plugged in at the moment. The focus 140s prefered the marantz. Marantz DV9500 SACD player. Audioquest type 4 speaker cables. Audioquest king cobras interconnects. My point in telling all, is to show my gear isn't absolute crap, not absolute best. Good middle of the road system I believe. This is the point where I lose everyone. I have Bose 301 series 1 with a nice 12 inch sub. Contrary to what others say, there is a nice stereo image, speakers are very efficient and play well at ranges from low to very high volume levels. Tone is just ok, a bit crude by today's standards, and that's what I'm wanting to upgrade. They sound very analogue, 1970s. Hence my reason for the audition of the focus 140s. My current sound is very engaging and 3 dimensional with the bose, wide and easy on the ear, believe it or not. Once again, I lose the Bose bashers here. My desire is really to up a huge level, but so far, I haven't found a replacement worthy.

i've been waiting 6 months to get a pair of 140s into my home for a listen and I have them right now. My room is not large, and I have Vogel pivotted brackets on my wall allowing speakers to sit about 2 feet from the wall. This I think is where the issue is with the Focus 140s. I feel they require quite large rooms and space to work well. They also require very high volume levels to really reveal what they are capable of. If you are looking for a speaker to really play at high volume levels these speakers probably wont disappoint. They have huge bass capabilities, probably one of the best on the market for their amazing bass response. However,they are rear ported and in my room, and in my room that means overly bass dominant. They become an uncontrollable speaker. This is due to the fact that they have to sit near the wall. If they were another 1 to 2 feet from the wall I think the story would be very different.

Bass aside, once I managed to tame the bass, they still are a dull speaker. They do not excite. Very laid back top end and a very distinct color, possibly around the crossover point. I just found that aspect of them very annoying and unrealistic. With their lack of zing to the top end, that slight and narrow push in the mid was very prominent. Having said this though, they have a lovely airiness and openenss about them. This to me is one of the winning factors, and an aspect that I would very much desire in a speaker. I am used to a sound that doesn't sound like it's coming from a little box in front of me. This is my preference. I feel the focus 140s really excel in this area. Some will hate this aspect of them and find them inaccurate. To me it's one of the most charming areas of a boring speaker. They are VERY open and that's my taste. I don't want to feel like I'm in a recording studio, I'd like to feel like I'm listening to an organic, life filled musical experience, as though I'm experiencing the music happening with me there. To me, in the right setup I actually think the 140s could do this very well. They are very open and airy. Its in the top end that I felt they lack. It could just very well be my room. They need at least large rooms to work well in.

The previous speaker I trialed a few days ago was a JBL LS40. What a difference. Now that is a speaker. I'll do a review on those too as there currently isn't one. There is virtually no info on the net about them. I believe they excel above the focus 140, As dull as the 140s are, the jbls are bright. I got very sick of hearing hi hats on every recording I listened to. They were so clear and prominant that they took attention away from the rest of the music, a real pity. Once again, in the correct setup they should excel. I'll say no more about them.

End result. I believe the Focus 140s would require extremely high current amps to work at low volume levels. Most likely you'd have to spend twice to tripple the amount on your power amp just to run these speakers. Doesn't quite make economical sense to me when I can currently get a great musical experience with a much less refined and engineered speaker from the later half of the previous century. Surely there must be some nice speakers made in the 21st century that suit my needs. As everyone puts it, any speaker is better than a bose speaker. That too would generally be my expectation, but it seems there are a lot of speakers out there but not necessarily ones that know how to produce real musical pleasure. I know it's all subjective. I've just got to find the right ones. As much as I really wanted to like the 140s, I couldn't listen to them in the end. They just didn't feel alive.

With the right equipment, room and placement, the focus 140s could be a fabulous speaker, but in my very average lounge room, they go back to the shop that very graciously loaned them to me.

Got these gems as a Christmas present to myself on December of 2009. They are replacing my front speakers in my 5.0 Dynaudio Audience setup.(Audience 52-front, Audience 42-back, Audience 42c-center).
I am an audiophile at heart but lack deep pockets, thus I had been driving my Audiences with the Marantz SR-5400.(I am not saying that my Marantz is bad, I just think that the Audiences deserve a much better amp.)
Well, as I mentioned above, I replaced my Audience 52s with the Focus 140 and drove them in for more than 200 hours. The sound has changed dramatically from how it sounded right out of the box--everything sounds more balanced now...the bass is now full-bodied yet very defined and satisfyingly present(I feel I can almost take a bite out of it!). The treble and the highs are very revealing compared to the Audience 52s, in reviewer speak, "as if a layer, a veil, has been lifted off of the speakers". This difference is especially obvious when I listen to music with cymbals, it is amazing how real the drums and cymbals sound on the Focus 140s! I have listened to a lot of acoustic drum sets and with these speakers, I can, not only hear but really feel the material(steel) of the vibrating cymbals.
Several reasons why the Focus 140s sound so good compared to the 52s is : 1) naturally because it is a higher grade speaker; but more importantly 2) because it is easier to drive than the Audience. As the Stereophile reviewer put it, it doesn't take an audio village to make the Focus 140 sound great. Even with my current setup, it sounds GREAT! I wonder how GREATER it will sound if I mated it with the top of the line Marantz 8003 amp/preamp separate or some other $3,000+ receiver. I previously had used the Audience 52s in a stereo setup with a better amp and I remember it sounding very very good. With my Marantz SR-5400, it sounds good, but not great with stereo music. In other words, Audience 52s need powerful, high quality components to make it sing, while the Focus 140s can still sound great with regular, non-audiophile consumer-grade gear.

Strength:
Nice balanced sound
Clear and very smooth, realistic sounding treble
Very satisfying voluptous bass
Nice cabinet and finish

Weaknesses:
Long run in time
There is a gap between the protective grill and speaker which allows dust and stuff to settle on the silkdome and speaker components.(I am a neat freak)

Deep fullbodied bass with much detail.
Great midrange, very clear vocals with much detail
very detailed top with much space - almost a bit like Martin Logan electrostatic speakers.

Since I'am a dane and not having spoken english for at long time I feel like I lack the words to express just how good these speakers are. But these speakers just does everything right, given that you like a VERY neutral sound with loads of detail! But they are not boring either.

None so far. More a question of finde the right amp and cd-player to use with them to suit ones taste.

Bought these great sounding speakers about a month ago. At the beginning I had them playing with a Denon AVR 2106 Surround receiver and my Denon DCD-1450 cd-player. Just unpacked there were a huge difference between these speakers and the previous ones, Dali Evidence 470, floorstanding. Although the Dynaudio speakers are much smaller and packs just one bass/midrange driver and a much smaller cabinet they seemed to be playing deeper og much more fullbodies bass. Midrange was clearer and a very detailed top from the tweeter. In other words these speakers played just so well that I was blown away! And that was two hours after having unpacked the speakers! Dynaudio says that the speakers needs to play about 200 hours before they play as promised.

They are standing on the Dynaudio Stand 1, which works great. I use spikes with the VM-tablets and Valhalla rubber feet between the stands and speakers.

At the moment I have changed the amp to the Lyngdorf SDAI 2175 which have improved the sound dramaticly. the bass is just so tight and controlled. really impressive. More than I had expected!! Still with the DCD-1450 cd-player.

My listening room measures aprox. 5x5 meters and the speakers have absolutely no problems playing loud enough. With the Lyngdorf I expect that the speakers would be able to play in much larger rooms.

Great speakers!!

Similar Products Used:

B&W 602 S2 with NAD amp and cd-player
System Audio SA510 with Yamaha surround receiver and NAD 522 cd-player
Dali Evidence 470 with Denon AVR 2106 surround receiver with Denon DCD-1450.

very natural sound
clean and very smooth treble

long run in time...close to 200 hours for me.
positioning - have to be well away from walls - otherwise bass is boomy

Listened to cdm 1nt, n805, cm1, SF concertino/home, SF concerto, Monitor Gold, JM Lab Chorus 800 series, Dyn special 25, focus 110 and own Dyn Audience 42, 52, bw 603s2.
Compared to some of the above, these speakers dont reach out and grab your attention right away....in an audio shop , 1 might tend to dismiss them. But give them a serious extended listen and they Grow on you.
As you listen and listen some more...you realize that they're just so natural sounding. So much so that I have grown addicted to their sound.
compared them extensively to the special 25's....don't think you're giving up much ground at a fraction of the price.
SF always sound sweet...very seductive at first listen...but after a while, they seem to lack detail...and can sound a bit colored.
JM lab can sound tiring because of extended highs.
Audience 52 ...good but I like Audience 42 better! ...very articulate little speaker, very fast! but not as natural as Focus 140 though.

These are just my opinions though. Everyone has different tastes, so just give them a good listen and draw your own conclusions.

Happy Hunting :)

Similar Products Used:

dyn audience 42, 52, special 25, focus 110, evidence tempation
jm lab chorus
b&w 603s2, 602s3, cdm 1 nt, n805, 802d
SF concertino/home, concerto
watt puppy 7

simply wont find anything close to this at this range

would like it to be a little heavier

I have had the audience 42 for years as front speakers and I was more than pleased with them. I was reffered to dynaudio years ago from an other enthusiastic quality ear. I bought a maranz sorround amph ( 1500$) last year and I couldnt wait to get my ears on a focus 140 for the front to replace the 42 which would go and serve as back monitors. I came home yesterday finaly with the 140 and I didnt really go to sleep. They are outstanding I truly believe after years of putting my ears to hundreds of set ups that at this price range there is none better. None will perform at this level. My speakers are broken in at least 100 hours as I was keepingn touch with the dealer over the months. Tell everyone that 140 outperforms with ease any given speaker at this range. Needless to say Dynaudio as home theather ear monitors is a dangerous competitor to any other system. I will get the centers in a few months too. Hail Dynaudio!

Similar Products Used:

dynaudio a 42

Full rich natural sounding midrange
Great bass for monitors, approaches floorstanders
Detailed, smooth, but non fatiging highs
Good construction
Perform better when turned up (still good at low levels)
Pricely, but still a great price for their performance level

Need good high current power (I recommend 80 or more high current watts up if using solid state Amps)
Perform better when turned up (also a strength if thats the way uh huh you like it)
Mediocre veneer compared to other high end similarly priced speakers - but not bad overall except for the pair I took back. I recommend that you inspect them at the dealer.

Wonderful sound that easily bests the B&W 805s in my opinion. They have a dynamic rich and more natural sounding midrange, more bass, and are not inclined toward harsh sibilance like the B&W 805s. They play classical, jazz, and rock all quit well.

They like power and to be turned up to sound their best so plan on driving them solid state with at least 80 watts of high current per channel. They still sound great at low levels but really shine when turned up.

A minor but relevant quibble about the appearance and quality of the veneer:
Although they are well constructed, the veneer is just average as far as other equally priced high end speakers. Unfortunatley, although Danes may not lie, they obviously do embelish. The deep grained quality mirrored bookend veneer in their brochure and on their exhibit demos, is rarely put onto the everyday Focus 140 speakers sold. Although the grain is decent, it is just not in the same catagory quality wise as the Dalis or Onix Reference speakers. The veneer on the Focus series is closer to that on the B&W series which may be slightly better. It is sad Dynaudio couldn't spend another $100 per pair and do it right for the price you are paying. I sent back a pair of maple veneer Focus 140 speakers with veneer that approaced the quality seen on sheet of plywood. It irked me that a bookcase at Coppenhagen selling for $150 had far better maple on it.

One can only guess that this is by design, as the Focus line might outsell the Contour line with drivers which by my ear emulate them. However, the weird gray alien face inspired faceplates of the other Dynaudio lines make the Focus overall a better looking speaker to me. I found the Rosewood veneer to be the most attractive by my tastes - although with the pair I got there was a very slight blemish in minor missing stain right on the edge where the veneer angles around the corner on top. Can only be seen from very close up with a discerning eye.

However the drivers and the sound are gold. These are my favorite monitors overall. However, I think for instrumentals and vocals and classical perhaps the Merlins may be a tad better and more efficient at lower listening levels, but they don't offer the same dynamics playing " turn it up" rock and roll as the dynaudios do by my ear. However, I have heard the new Merlin MMes are even better than the pair of mms I had.

I have read the Focus take 200 hours to break in. I found them great out of the box. I can't imagine them getting better!

Similar Products Used:

Merlin mm
B&W 805
Dali Helicons

Spacial, rich natural sounding midrange
Wonderful full bass without being muddy unless you put them against the wall
The bass comes close to floorstanders
Sooth and detailed but non fatiging treble
Attractive Veneer without the peculair gray faceplate style of their other series
Great Imaging
Sound and drivers that emulate their Contour line
By my taste, the Rosewood veneer is the most attractive.

Good, but not great veneer as far as quality of grain - althougth well applied:

I don't know of any weaknesses except for the miner quibble that although their sales brochures and demos at exhibits show the highest quality heartwood bookend veneer, the veneer on the typical speaker sold, although good, is rarely the highest grade of veneer that you will see on the Dalis or the Onix Reference Speakers (or the Focus 140s shown in the Dynaudio Brochure again for that matter). My guess is Dynaudio felt since the drivers (bay my ear) are on the same level as their Contour line, that they couldn't make the veneer exactly the same without outselling the contour line (which don't look attractive at all with the gray face plates in my opinion).

Considering how beautiful the sound is, I feel ever so slightly shorted after seeing the other better veneered speakers mentioned. But don't misunderstand, the veneer is still very nice and high quality - just not on a par with the luscious book end veneer of some other high end audiophile speakers mentioned. I would have liked to see Dynaudio charge another $100 per pair and do it right and be truthful to the images shown in their brocures.

Danes may not lie, but they sure can embelish in that their brocure models show bookend the highest grade heartwood veneer, but I haven't seen it sold in several pair of their Focus speakers. In fact, I saw one pair of Maple Focus 140 speakers (I took them back), with veneer cheaper than that on a $150 maple veneer bookcase I saw at Coppenhagen furniture.

These speakers bested my Dali Helicons and B&W 805 monitors previously owned. They have a broader and more dynamic soundstate than both of these other monitors. The bass is deep and the trebles detailed without fatiging like the B&W 805s.

They play both Jazz, Rock, Vocals, and Instrumentals very well. Very Dynamic. They can play Fleetwood Mac plays like it was meant to be heard with a full bass (but not muddy) and the midrange and highs sound deep and rich. Or they can paly Mozart with distinction also.

By my ears the Focus 140s are one of the best monitor speakers out there and for the price, there are non better. The construction is good, although the veneer is good, it is also somewhat plain in that it seems they don't actually provide you with the bookend highest woodgrain veneer like you will see in the Dalis. However, they make up for that with extraordinary sound. I heard they stink until they are broken in, but mine have impressed right out of the box. I can't imagine how they can get much better. However, If you look a little more detail and slightly less bass, the Merlins may sound better to you. But now we are talking about personal preference in musical presentation. Many people have told me they like the Merlins better than the Dyns for their taste, but I think the Dynaudios win out slightly for me with their Dynamic sound as I occasional like to crank it up with that "gold old Rock and Roll" and the Dynaudios shine in that regard.

Which brings me to another point. They perform good at low levels but shine at higher volumes and need high current power to perform well. For solid state amps, I recommend at least 80 watts of high current power or to get another amp for these babies. By the way, my under rated Harman Kardon $250 2 channel amp at 120 watts sounded great with these speakers so you don't need the most expensive amp out there.

If you want a rich midrange and deep bass from a monitor with articulate yet non fatiging highs this is your speaker. For the price, they are without pier.

Similar Products Used:

B&W 805
Dali Helicon
Merlin mm

Build quality, sound, sound, sound.

None that I know of, but I don't know how they would sound with cheap electronic.

These speakers are stunning. The enclosure is very good, and has non-parallel sides. The crossover is a high quality 6 db/octave. But what makes them special is the quality of the midbass (thin, gorgeous cast frame and 75mm moving coil!) and the quality of the tweeter (its ancestor, the D28AF, was already the best on the planet 20 years ago).
And THE SOUND! These speakers are incredibly good. These bookshelves are able to fill my huge living room (~7000 cubic feet) with a symphonic orchestra!
Deep bass, not fatiguing, detailed, excellent soundstage, neutral, dynamic.....
Better than any bookshelf I listened to, including my own B&W Nautilus 805.
To be fair, I must say that they are driven by a Conrad-Johnson MF2250A, more expensive than the speakers themselves.....

Similar Products Used:

B&W, Seas, JM Lab, NHT, Tannoy, Polk Audio, Meadowlark, etc.