Dynaudio Contour Legacy

[Fsonicsmith]

There were only 1,000 of these speakers made. Granted, that means little in and of itself. 200 came to the US. I was intrigued and located a dealer with a demo pair and one pair left unopened for sale. I drove three hours to the dealer, auditioned them at length with my playlist of tracks, and came home with their one remaining unopened pair.
IMHO, there is something very special going on with it. It diverges from the classic house sound of Dyne. I have heard quite a few others. The manner in which it diverges involves the midrange and upper bass-it is more generous and outgoing than the typical Dynaudio loudspeaker. To look at it, one would never guess. Despite the beautiful veneer and construction, it is outwardly just a plain rectangular box that we have all seen countless times, looking much like a Spendor D7.2 in size and driver configuration.
I don't know how or where the Dynaudio engineers came up with the "special sauce" but there is something very special going on with the sound they produce. Unlike other Dynaudio models using the same tweeter and similar, related mid-bass and bass drivers there is a firmer foundation and better integration of all drivers into one seamless whole.
No one needs to hear my dribble trying to describe the sound further. I will only repeat that I think many experienced listeners would be surprised by the sound.
At $14,000 they are neither inexpensive or expensive by the standards of most on this Board.
I post for this reason; anyone else here have them?

 

[Bob Heinatz]

I don't own a pair but I have heard them and they are really outstanding. Could listen for hours with no fatigue.
Btw I do own it's sibling the Hertiage Specials. Having owned them for almost 4 years it still surprises me how musical and enjoy they sound.

Congratulations on your Contour Legacy's!

 

[Fsonicsmith]

Thank you Bob. Though it is in German (but with easy access to English subtitles) I think the two gentleman in this video do the best job of describing the sound. As you can see my preamp is a Ref 6 and amp is a Ref 150 SE. For me, the four ohm taps are a bit too buttoned down and I prefer the eight, but I still have a lot of breaking in to do.
I said I would avoid the typical audio drivel. But...these things are incredibly atmospheric, precise, and yet with just the right touch of warmth. They also have real punch, utterly surprising punch. I have been in this hobby for a long time and have owned a lot of loudspeakers, and have heard many many more. They sound nothing like one would normally expect from their appearance.

 

[Stevet]

I have spent quite a bit of time listening to these speakers with very good electronics, mostly Burmester, looking for a system for one of my 30 something daughters. They have a very fine, but also very limiting sound. For what they are and no doubt intended to be they are really great. On acoustical jazz, on limited ensemble folk, on ECM type music or classical music these smallish speakers sound great. On individual vocal music they sound great. In a smaller room they sound great. Look wise they integrate well into your room. But they are not for orchestral or large ensemble music. They are not for loud rock n roll. They are not for a large room. They have a limited range. When the music gets big or loud they cannot keep up. So as long as they fit your needs they are great speakers which have a very nice look. But first audition them as you intend to play them on the music and equipment you intend to play them on/with to figure out if they fit you needs. I agree that at $14,000 they are neither inexpensive or expensive. With this speaker you pay for what you get, but make sure that this is what you need/want for your particular situation, room and musical tastes.

 

[Fsonicsmith]

Steve, your assessment is fine with me but not quite what I have observed. They play plenty loud and do great with rock in my room, which admittedly is on the smallier side. But no doubt, they are not large loudspeakers and not intended to energize a very large room.
Though I have not posted often, I have been a member here for years and do lurk almost daily. The only other time I have "crowed" over a product was with the Analysis Plus Silver Apex IC after Fremer started using them in his system and praised them. I have brought up this loudspeaker because imho they present something very rare and special. They are "replacing" a set of DeVore O/93's which I still love and intend to keep.
Last night I noticed as I played some well-worn but favorite vinyl that when my Lyra Etna mounted on a Reed 3P was tracking the grooves between tracks that the surface noise was hovering all around me-in front, behind, and to the sides in a very pleasant "trippy" manner. I believe that Dynaudio somehow engineered a nearly perfect crossover for their drivers in this speaker which in turn results in the palpability and atmospherics they produce. The tweeter is among the best I have ever heard, and it has a solid foundation under it.
I was very up-front in both of my prior posts that this is a very unassuming narrow baffle 2.5 way in outward appearance. For me that is a virtue so long as the sound is large-which I believe it to be. Huge physically imposing and heavy (120 lbs and above) loudspeakers come with their own sets of problems. But no doubt, this loudspeaker will never please everyone, just like any other.

 

[Stevet]

Steve, your assessment is fine with me but not quite what I have observed. They play plenty loud and do great with rock in my room, which admittedly is on the smallier side. But no doubt, they are not large loudspeakers and not intended to energize a very large room...

With all due respect I do stand by my analysis of these Dynaudio speakers. My background, among other things, is in sound reinforcement for rock bands in Small, Medium and Large halls. I know how and at what volumes this music is intended to be played if you want the full experience. These speakers simply cannot play rock music at anywhere near the level it is recorded or played live and so cannot give that full experience. That is not a knock on these speakers at all as they are truly great for what they are, as long as they stay in their lane. There is no way a speaker this small with drivers this small with a cabinet this small could play rock music at the level it is intended to be played, at least by the musicians who make the music. And they certainly cannot reproduce the kick drum as it is intended to be heard. Anyone interested in these speakers should spend some time with them listening to the music you mostly play at the sound levels you play in a room about the same size as you have and make your own decision. If they offer what you are looking for and you can afford them, then they should be at the top of your list for this type of speaker with this speaker's capabilities as I agree they are great little speakers. But they are what they are. Perhaps it is a matter of experience and perspective. From my perspective 120 lbs is no longer a huge physically imposing speaker. Many speakers in the 44" tall range (something I would consider a medium sized speaker) now weigh more, some significantly more, than 200 lbs. For example the Magico M3 is 48" and 320 lbs, the Magico S3 is 44" and 222 lbs, the Wilson Sasha V is 45" and 245 lbs, the YG Vantage 3 is 44" and 187 lbs, the Von Schweiker VR.thirty is 41" and 190 lbs and the Stenheim Alumine Five is 47" and 220 lbs, all of these speakers being in the middle to lower end of each of these manufacturers' speaker lineups. The huge and physically imposing speakers are these days significantly bigger and weigh significantly more, but if you can afford them they certainly give you many more options in terms of the music they will play at realistic levels with the right amps. So I am not knocking your speakers in any way (again I consider them great speakers for what they are - think Mazda Miata, not Porsche 911 GT3), but anyone interested in them needs to be realistic about their capabilities.

 

[Fsonicsmith]

Perhaps it is a matter of experience and perspective. From my perspective 120 lbs is no longer a huge physically imposing speaker. Many speakers in the 44" tall range (something I would consider a medium sized speaker) now weigh more, some significantly more, than 200 lbs. For example the Magico M3 is 48" and 320 lbs, the Magico S3 is 44" and 222 lbs, the Wilson Sasha V is 45" and 245 lbs, the YG Vantage 3 is 44" and 187 lbs, the Von Schweiker VR.thirty is 41" and 190 lbs and the Stenheim Alumine Five is 47" and 220 lbs, all of these speakers being in the middle to lower end of each of these manufacturers' speaker lineups. The huge and physically imposing speakers are these days significantly bigger and weigh significantly more, but if you can afford them they certainly give you many more options in terms of the music they will play at realistic levels with the right amps. So I am not knocking your speakers in any way (again I consider them great speakers for what they are - think Mazda Miata, not Porsche 911 GT3), but anyone interested in them needs to be realistic about their capabilities.

Aren't you quite the interesting one!
I stand by my opinion that there is something very special about these speakers.
There is no loudspeaker known to mankind for everyone and for every need and taste.
But to state that because of YOUR EXPERIENCE "with sound reinforcement for rock bands" (pretty vague though please, spare me your details) you know better than I do is a bridge too far.
It is "Von Schweickert" and not "Von Schweiker" so I can see that you are far from perfect already.
The speakers you name are are all formidable, all have vastly different strengths and weaknesses (I have heard them all) and are not to my taste nor suitable for my room.
Please don't pee in my direction-I would try windward in your case-any more. I never proclaimed them to. be "the best" even among those directly at its price point and of the same basic type and configuration. I was careful instead to speak of my own personal impressions, and I am not alone.
Do you still go to live rock shows (it's a rhetorical question as it might be best if you ignore this thread from hereon out)? I do. Most musicians I know who go to see others play have ear protection in place. Occupational hazard. Why would any sane grown man over the age of thirty care to hear rock at live levels in their living room? That would be insane.
May I humbly ask; "Please move along".

 

[Fsonicsmith]

Let me clarify something; look at my system. I posted a photo. It is a middlin' system compared to most on this Board and I don't pretend for a single second otherwise. My post was not meant to brag, not meant to proclaim, not meant to claim anything other than that I find this effort by Dynaudio to be a remarkable one. I remarked.