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Dynaudio Audience 52 vs 52 SE

Has anyone had the chance to compare these two speakers? I really enjoyed listening to the Dynaudio Audience 52 at a dealer, but they did not have an Audience 52 SE for comparison. I have found one review online that seems somewhat troubling:

http://www.audioholics.com/productreviews/loudspeakers/dynaudio52sep1.php

I think this guy is crazy, or perhaps his Onix A120 Mk.II integrated amplifier has a problem. Maybe the volume knob goes to 11! Has anyone heard of strong bass problems with this speaker? When I listened to the 52 in the shop, I played some pretty aggressive rock songs with strong bass and had no problems. I will never listen to hip-hop, so building-destroying bass is not a concern for me. Good, strong, tunefull bass that can handle good rock music (bass guitar, drums, some synthesizer) as well as sound good with jazz string bass and various symphonic instruments is what interests me. The 52 SE seems to have the same mid/bass driver as the 52, but it has a different crossover to accommodate a more sophisticated tweeter. The specs list the 52 SE frequency response as 45 Hz - 26 kHz +- 3 dB, and the normal 52 as having a frequency response of 52 Hz - 24 kHz +- 3 dB.
key_metric

Showing 2 responses by goatwuss

goatwuss
877 posts
 
Key_metric - frankly, that reviewer is full of it, and doesn't know what he's talking about, and clearly doesn't have the skills to make an informed analysis of an audio product.

He says:
For a pro: Excellent bass extension and overall fidelity
But then says as a con: Par midrange performance

That is a contradiction. How can you have exellent overall fidelity with a par midrange performance?

He also has as a pro:
Easy amplifier load

Anyone who knows anything about dynaudio speakers knows that this is far from the truth - Dynaudio is NOT an easy load! They are a 4-ohm speaker and need a lot of current to control the drivers and sound dynamic.

He also says as a pro:
Open and airy highs without overabundant sibilance

What does this mean? No "overabundant" sibilance? Does that mean there is some "under-abundant" sibilance? ANY sibilance is a HORRIBLE thing, and renders any speaker unlistenable. Why would anyone say a "pro" of a speaker is "no overabundant sibilance" ? that implies that there IS sibilance.

He then goes on to review the speakers with a piece of crap for an amplifier, and a piece of crap for a cd player.. He is using a MASS MARKET SONY CD CHANGER!! How can you come up with any meaningful analysis on a high fidelity product with a mass market CD changer?

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00029U13A/ref=pd_sl_aw_alx-jeb-9-1_ce_6508701_14/104-7906435-5495960?n=172282

So Key-metric- Bottom line is... disregard that review. The reviewer is a tool. There are no bass problems with that speaker - the bass that they product is tight and excellent.
goatwuss
877 posts
 
Davt - Typical dynaudios measure like in this chart if the Aud. 80:

http://www.soundstagemagazine.com/measurements/dynaudio_audience80/

80hz - 300hz or so is around or a little under/above 4 ohms. The bass and upper bass in this range places the hardest stress on the amplifier of the freq range. You're right, this isn't the hardest load in the world... but it's certainly not the easiest either. I wouldn't say as a pro of this speaker "easy load" because that is just not true. Relative to apogees - yes. But relative to a speaker that actually does have an easy load like a Zu Druid - no.

http://www.soundstagemagazine.com/measurements/zucable_druid/

Though the dynaudios will work with something like a 40wpc PP tube amp, I have found that they sound their best with high-current amplification like a sim or plinius.

Regardless - not to get caught on a tangent, I think we're on the same page anyway.
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