Dynaudio Special 40 -- thoughts or alternatives?

Discussion in 'Audio Hardware' started by DueProcess, May 16, 2019.

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  1. DueProcess

    DueProcess Well-Known Member Thread Starter

    Location:
    Portland
    FYI:
    Some good sales to be found on Stand 6 right now... I finally pulled the trigger -- got a pair for ~$299 from "Safe and Sound HQ", and it looks like you can get them elsewhere from $300-500. I'm not sure how long that's been the case (pretty sure it wasn't a month ago) and obviously have no clue how long it will last, so if you're looking for stands....
     
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  2. Oliver Meyer

    Oliver Meyer In Audio Heaven Up Here

    Location:
    Virginia Beach
    The stands look great you won't be disappointed. Make sure to put filler in them while you put them together. They recommend about half way. I used sand blast material. Very cheap, dry and heavy.
     
    Last edited: Jul 19, 2019
    chipcalzada likes this.
  3. chipcalzada

    chipcalzada Forum Resident

    Location:
    The Philippines
    That’s a good deal. Congratulations the stand 6 is quality, pretty sure you’ll enjoy listening to your 40’s even more with the proper stands. Agree with @Oliver Meyer fill them up halfway and they will sing.
     
  4. TheKevster

    TheKevster Forum Resident

    Location:
    London
    I use Tellurium Q Black II. Great match.
     
  5. Oliver Meyer

    Oliver Meyer In Audio Heaven Up Here

    Location:
    Virginia Beach
    I'm using Silnote interconnects and Audioquest CV-4 speaker cables.
     
  6. mr clean

    mr clean Forum Resident

    Location:
    SW indiana
    I heard a pair at Nashville Hi Fi and they sounded very very good. I don't remember the gear but it was very high end. I would love a pair.
     
  7. SwitcherooU

    SwitcherooU Well-Known Member

    Location:
    MN
    Totally anecdotal, but I’ve seen A LOT of them in used marketplaces over the past few months. Compare that to the number of Focus 160s and Excite 18s you find used (not many), and it doesn’t seem promising.
     
    Oliver Meyer likes this.
  8. bajaed

    bajaed Forum Resident

    Location:
    USA
    I've noticed that as well. I auditioned them with a Cronus Magnum(which I have as well) and thought they sounded very good. Just not a step up from what I have.
     
  9. warp2600

    warp2600 Forum Addict

    Location:
    Hungary
    which is...(?)
     
  10. SirMarc

    SirMarc Forum Resident

    Location:
    Cranford, NJ
    Hey guys, X18 in Rosewood owner here. Do you guys ever get a loud pop when cranking tunes with a lot of complex drum fills?

    I've already sent them in and had the woofers replaced, and after running them in a month or so playing all day while I'm at work at medium levels and general usage, it happened again over the weekend! The crazy thing is, when I say cranked, I mean loud, but not crazy loud, think maybe 95-100 DB peaks.

    I could play my Elac UB5's and Dahlquist DQ20's louder with zero issues, which tells me its not my PS Audio S300 amp.

    Before anybody asks, speaker wire is secure and all connections are solid.

    Thanks

    Marc
     
  11. bajaed

    bajaed Forum Resident

    Location:
    USA
    Vapor Breeze.
     
  12. Oliver Meyer

    Oliver Meyer In Audio Heaven Up Here

    Location:
    Virginia Beach
    Honestly don't know why anyone would buy a pair of speakers for thousands of dollars and turn around and sell them so soon. Especially at such a loss.
    My 40's took a long time to break in and during that period there were highs and lows.
    I guess patience is a virtue.
     
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  13. SwitcherooU

    SwitcherooU Well-Known Member

    Location:
    MN
    Yeah I don’t get it either. I would at least give them four months.

    At any rate, it has definitely colored my perception of them. I get the feeling that they aren’t as immediately likable as most Dyns. And I think that’s one thing a lot of people expect from Dynaudio: very easygoing, very pleasant speakers.

    I have the X18s, btw. My local HiFi place had a pair that weren’t even broken in yet, but they were so far superior to the B&W CM, 686, and Revels (forget which model) when I tested them in-store that I didn’t even question my decision. There was nothing about them I didn’t like. And I’m guessing the Special 40s don’t have that same advantage.
     
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  14. Oliver Meyer

    Oliver Meyer In Audio Heaven Up Here

    Location:
    Virginia Beach
    When I first heard the 40's I new they were something special. So did the 50 or so people at the event. It's all anyone talked about at the end. The dealer sold 4 pairs from that night.
    I was told by the dynaudio rep that there would be a break in period so I knew what I was getting in to.
    400 hours is a significant amount of time. That could be 600 albums worth of listening.
    Any way it paid off. I love them.
     
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  15. SirMarc

    SirMarc Forum Resident

    Location:
    Cranford, NJ
    Neither of you guys have had your speakers pop at loud volumes? It almost sounds like a small fire cracker. This is driving me nuts.
     
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  16. Oliver Meyer

    Oliver Meyer In Audio Heaven Up Here

    Location:
    Virginia Beach
    No I've never had that problem
     
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  17. SirMarc

    SirMarc Forum Resident

    Location:
    Cranford, NJ
    I guess the one silver lining with this horror story is my wife gave me permission to get the Special 40's in a few months, and we'll move the Rosewood X18's to the living room system because she thinks they're pretty,. We'll never play them loud enough to make it happen down there
     
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  18. DueProcess

    DueProcess Well-Known Member Thread Starter

    Location:
    Portland
    I've never had that issue, either, and I've had a couple days I pushed them really hard (as they were new-ish, and I was interested), in and beyond the 95-100 range.

    Maybe it's an issue with a crossover or something? It looks like they'd be harder to drive than your other speakers, albeit not by too much. That being said, you've got more power on hand than I do, too...

    EDIT: you are actually talking about the X18s, right? I think I thought you were talking about the S40s, so my experience doesn't really have any relevance, lol. Sorry!

    Also, when talking to my dealer, they were upfront and asked about whether I was planning on giving them a real chance -- i.e. was serious about buying. Apparently, buying, trying, and returning with customers who never had an intent to keep the product at all is a bit of an epidemic in hifi. Not sure if that's relevant here or not, but they are expensive for standmounts... it's also possible people were looking for a "bigger" sound, as opposed to the more "intimate" one you get from a lot of smaller monitors and were disappointed? Obviously sound is subjective, and no speaker is for everyone, I guess... Who knows.
     
    Last edited: Jul 22, 2019
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  19. SirMarc

    SirMarc Forum Resident

    Location:
    Cranford, NJ
    Thanks for the reply. They're actually easier to drive than either strangely enough. The Dahlquists especially are notoriously hard to drive, and I can shake the walls with the 300 wpc PS Audio amp.

    Its weird, I'm listening to Porcupine Tree Signify pretty damned loud right now and its fine. I don't get it. I guess we'll know for sure when I get the Special 40's in a few months ...
     
  20. SirMarc

    SirMarc Forum Resident

    Location:
    Cranford, NJ
    Yup, X18's. Figured they're similar, same sized drivers, so maybe you guys had run into this. Ugh, just another case of my schiitty luck I guess...
     
  21. DueProcess

    DueProcess Well-Known Member Thread Starter

    Location:
    Portland
    Whelp... sounds like you're due for a good turn! Ha! The 40s have a unique crossover, and they don't share drivers with the X18s (the drivers are also unique -- I believe a predecessor to the ones used in the C1s?), so outside of manufacturer preferences re: sound, they should be completely different than the X18s.
     
  22. SirMarc

    SirMarc Forum Resident

    Location:
    Cranford, NJ
    Oh, I know they're not the same drivers, just the same size and 'similar' design lol.

    I've heard fully broken in Special 40's on the same Parasound rig I auditioned my X18's on and they share a house sound, but were a little better and more refined in every way. Really looking forward to getting them in a few months...
     
  23. Oliver Meyer

    Oliver Meyer In Audio Heaven Up Here

    Location:
    Virginia Beach
    Some good deals on audigon at the moment
     
  24. Helom

    Helom Forum member

    Location:
    U.S.
    The more likely culprit is bad caps in your amplifier.
     
  25. SirMarc

    SirMarc Forum Resident

    Location:
    Cranford, NJ
    The amp's only 7 months old, and before I sent the speakers back to Dynaudio, I was able to replicate the issue with a different amp...
     
    Yamahaha likes this.
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