Dynaudio Audience 52SE vs. Contour S1.4

Doesn't the 52SE have similar drivers (and crossover?) as the S1.4?

These are both great speakers. I have listened to the 52SE some, and to the S1.4 critically. The difference I would note is that the S1.4 has a greater tendency to disappear in the room, and the cabinet adds less color to the overall presentation, i.e. the Contours get out of the way of the music better than the 52SE's. The S1.4 also has slightly more palpable bass response as well as I recall. Good stands and breathing room from boundaries are a must in either case.

Hope that helps.

Thank you very much.

I compared the two models when looking for a set of monitors for my analog setup. I was able to pick up the 52SE & Stand4 stands fo $1100 - the selling point for me. To get the Contours and stands would have been twice as much. I did not hear much difference between the two speakers.

Kenneth,

Dyn dealer here. As good as the 52se is, it in no way compares to the S1.4. The S1.4 is the better. The S1.4 requires more current to get the most out of the speaker, however, it will reward you for doing so. The S1.4 has the better bass if you like a fuller sound. Our customers often find it very hard to decide between the Focus 220 towers and the S1.4 monitors. They are priced the same and have the similar bass response. However, the tweeter in the Contour edges out the Focus easily. The 52Se has the old Contour tweeter. The S1.4 also has it's own custom stand, which I really like.

Hope that helps. Let us know what you decide.

The 52SE is a great speaker.

With that being said, the Contour S1.4 is much, MUCH better. I used to own the S1.4, and swapped A/B back to the 52SE in extensive auditions, same systems, when I was deciding.

What you will get with the S1.4 is much deeper and tighter bass with more output and a bigger, more dynamic sound overall with a larger stage. The cabinet is significant better in the S1.4, and the ability to mount the speakers right on the stands comes in handy too.

What I would suggest is trying to get a pair of S1.4 in house to try them out. If I was going to guess, and assuming you have the room to support them (no dyns like small rooms), then I think it will take about 10 seconds of listening to make your decision.