Dynaudio C-4 or Revel Salon 2


I'm thinking of getting either one of these speakers to use in my current system which includes Innersound Ref 500 (500 watt amp) and Innersound ref preamp. The Innersound components aren't all that well known but I ultimately chose them over my Parasound JC-1/Ayre K1x combo so I feel like my electronics are up to the task. I have a Nottingham Dais table and MHDT Paradisea + DAC fed from a mac mini music server. Cables will likely be addressed after the speakers are chosen.

My room is huge 26x19 and opens into a kitchen and upstairs so needless to say getting overwhelmed with bass won't likely be a problem. Auditioning these in home is out of the question so I'm going to be taking a leap of faith here.

I have had Von Schweikert VR 4SRs, Dunlavy 4s and currently have Dynaudio S3.4 in this room. I've had various other smaller speakers as well. The bass was the best with the Von Schweikerts.

I want a speaker that hits hard and can rock the house. I listen to all kinds of music and even some (gasp) mp3s even. Most listening is not done seated in the sweet spot but just sort of playing music all the time that I am home. So the sound out of the sweet spot is very important not to be dull or lifeless.

I think I have a pretty good grasp on the Dynaudio house sound. I have a set of Audience 42 speakers in my bedroom hooked to a Creek Destiny integrated and the punch I get from those speakers in my bedroom is what I want in my big room. I hear the Dynaudio as slightly laid back. I have bought a set of Revel M20s to see if that might help me get a grip on the Revel sound a little before I take the plunge on one of the two brands.

I have read quite a bit about how the C-4s can overwhelm a room with bass. I don't think this will be a problem for me and is one reason I am thinking of them. But will they do rock good? I really like the looks of the C-4 over the Revel but I have a feeling that the Revel might just be a little more of what I am looking for. Basically a speaker that can put out some big bass, will rock and sounds pretty darn good on anything else too.

If anyone has some opinions on these speakers against each other I'd greatly appreciate it.

Thanks, Ryan Stratton
128x128ejlif
Dynaudio C-4 would be my choice. Metal drivers are hard to control (ringing will be evident on any waterfall). Nevertheless the Salon2 is world class.
I can't compare them, but I'm an avid Dynaudio fan, and had the C4's for a while and absolutely loved them. I had them in a 20x40 "room" that opened into the rest of a very contemporary house, so they had plenty of room to breathe.

They absolutely can rock - Dream Theater, Tool, live Led Zeppelin - driven with quality and ample amplification, they had stunning dynamics. They were definitely the biggest speaker I've ever owned, and that was the only time I've been able to set up in a space that large, so maybe there is a whole next tier I've never experienced, but they really taught me what realistic scale and dynamics sounded like, as well as that you really have to have the physics in place (gear and room) to make it work.

I owned the C2's for a while as well - both the C2 and C4 have the DDC technology, which give them incredible imaging for larger speakers. The C2's in the same physical environment did not fill up the space adequately - very nice in the sweet spot, but not as nice walking around the whole area. The C4's had no problem sounding great throughout, though the whole DDC thing coupled with your comment that you would mostly not be in the sweet spot would be the only thing that might cause me to temper my strong recommendation.

All that said, the Salon2's have been incredibly well reviewed, so I doubt you can go wrong. I just happen to be a long-time Dyn fan, and the C4's are a classic.
The C4s are the winner for me in this shootout.Ive listen to the Salon numerous times,very non involving/ almost sterile and certainly the case compared to the Dyn C4s IMO.If you already like the "Dyn house sound"which BTW I dont think that exists then its a no brainer ..Confidence C4s!!!
Sorry, I've never understood the attraction to Dynaudio. What else is on your list? Seriously? There are many speakers to consider. Eggleston, Thiel CS5i or CS7.2, Sonus Faber, Verity, Genesis, JM Labs, Bigger Von Schweikert, Talon, Dali, Aerial Acoustics, etc. You have a nice size room, so you need a speaker that likes space.
For listening in a variety of locations in a large open area, larger omnis like mbl 111 used or larger OHM 300Series3, 4000, 5000 or 5Series3 new for less than half the cost of the big Dyns are worth considering.

I have large and smaller OHMs and Dynaudio monitors off my system and they all are keepers.