KEF blades 2 or Dynaudio C4?

In my experience of spending countless hours infront of REF 1/3/5 and Blade/2, plus many other brands, as mentioned the REF’s are truly outstanding in every aspect, build quality, design,sound reproduction and also hand built here in the good old UK. I was lucky enough to be invited to the factory back in 2015 for a tour, including the workshops and labs. Everyone I met from designer, to builder, to floor sweeper to tea maker, was dedicated and all loved, were passionate about and believed in the products, with most having worked there for years (some 30+ years) now that’s dedication . 

Everything I heard and loved regarding the REF’s was taken to the next level and then some when I heard Blade & Blade 2 (and th n the Muon) No other way to put it really, And this is saying something as the REF’s are more than any one would really need, but the Blades just did everything better, cleaner. Also don’t forget they are, in my opinion, jaw droppingly stunning in design. Every show I ever attended people flocked around them.

the REF 5 are a truly amazing piece of kit, but the Blade 2 is just that bit more, and so it should be, it was designed to be just that, the best it could be for the budget they had to develop it, and Dr Oclee and his team did an amazing job, the guy is a genius and a nice bloke as well. Demo them and take your time with this, what ever you go for your going to be a happy chap. Good luck 

I was so excited to hear the blades when first released, then the blade 2.   I heard them at one of the audio shows, and on several occasions.   Being a fan of concentric drivers, and looking at the cabinet design, I thought they would have been ideal.   However I didn't hear anything in them that had the realism ( or any of the other sonic quality) of the TAD concentric drivers in the CR1'S.  

I've owned C2's an C4's.  Both require higher volume to sound their best... so I'd take Dynaudio out of consideration if you prefer listening at low volume.  I moved on to Harbeth M-40.1's and never looked back.   The 40.1's perform well at low to medium volume, but lack the modern aesthetics of the C4's and KEF Blades.  I'd add Verity, Acoustic Zen and Sonus Faber to your list of speaker brands to consider.

@pdreher were your C2/4's the originals? I ask because I had the original C1's and later upgraded to the Signatures. The Originals did really need to be very loud to sound the best. The MKII/Sig's on the other hand sounded the best at mid levels. Still sounded great loud but also found the Sig's didn't play quite as loud. I had 2 friends that also had C4 Sig's and they sounded great at mid levels unlike the originals. Never heard the Platinums but heard from some that owned all of them say the Platinums sounded a bit tipped up in the highs.

Dynaudio should be shipping the new Confidence series by the end of the year. I heard they are dropping the Evidence with the new Confidence taking its place. BTW I think the S40's are killer for the money and hope the new Confidence are S40's on steroids. If so Dyn will have some great speakers.

That said everyone has their own tastes and expectations when it comes to SQ. I heard the Blades (not blade2) at 2017 Axpona driven by Hegel. To me the highs were ear piercing. I think we all know rooms at shows are less than ideal. I was with a group of 4. Me and one other person couldn't tolerate the highs. One said they were OK and he was a former C4 Sig owner. The last liked them a lot and he is a current C4 Sig owner. IMO the Dyn's are laid back where the Blades were more dynamic - forward and tipped up. I preferred the Dyn's. As a previous Dyn lover and owner I now have Raidho.  Went from the Dyn C1 Sig to the Raidho D1 then D2 then D2.1 and now the D3.1. I did have a 10 day in home demo of the original Dyn C2's and liked the C1's better in my room.

BTW my room is 14' X 26 1/2' with speakers on the long wall.

xti16... yes my C2's and C4's where the original version.