danes vs. brits -i need advice [Archive] - Audio & Video Forums

PDA

View Full Version : danes vs. brits -i need advice



nusiclover
02-16-2004, 10:09 PM
Ok, i am willing to spend up to 1500 on a pair of mains. my considerations are between Dynaudio 52se and B&W 705. I reallyyyy do NOT NEED any other recommendations. I only need to be convinced between the Danes or the Brits. I am open to other speakers from eithr company. Thanks a million................also, i am deciding between av receivers. the two so far are Yamaha rx-v1400 and rotel rsx-1055. my main considerations are music 2 channel and then surround dts stuff. unlike speakers, i am open to other av receivers around 1,000. thanks a bunch!

topspeed
02-17-2004, 12:16 AM
To get the best out of either speaker, I'd really recommend you find a way to move to separates. Neither the Danes or B&W's are really going to give you their best until they are hooked up to a pretty good amp. I did notice that the new 705's only dip slightly under 5 ohms now so they appear to be little easier to drive than the CDM 1NT's they supplanted. Easier is always better, right? You might try looking into some used pre/pro's and amps at Audiogon.com. There's always some very cool stuff there.

Of the two receivers you listed I would lean towards the Rotel. It's a little warmer than the Yammie and I think would match better with the characters of the two speakers you like, especially the Dane which can be quite cool and clinical imo. They are both great speakers so it really comes down to what you like and what you listen to. None of us have your ears and since it's your money no one here can (or should) make the decision for you. Buy what YOU like and be content.

Good luck and buy what moves you.

manek
02-17-2004, 12:28 AM
Rotel 1055 is very good...but if you can afford the 1065 please go for that. Its a beauty on multichannel and stereo. Dont know how theve done it but I've heard it myself and believe me 1065 is GOOD!!!!!

between Brits and Danes....I'm a bit in your boat too. Cant decide. I suggest just hear both and take what you like irrespective of what others say.

spacedeckman
02-17-2004, 05:46 PM
at the $2-2.5k arena. The 805s were one of the first to be dropped off my list, leaving me to choose between the Dynaudio 1.3s and another set of Danes. The other Danes won me over, but, having owned B&W CDM1SEs for a SHORT time, and with the comparison of the 805s, I have become a B&W non-believer. Let your ears choose, but I would take the Dynaudios and not look back.

A really good combo with Dynaudio is Arcam. They have a receiver at about $1200, but are supposed to have a really killer unit out at around $2k this spring. Over your budget I imagine, but 'tis a very cool combo nonetheless.

Good Luck on your search.

bturk667
02-18-2004, 10:45 AM
Ok, i am willing to spend up to 1500 on a pair of mains. my considerations are between Dynaudio 52se and B&W 705. I reallyyyy do NOT NEED any other recommendations. I only need to be convinced between the Danes or the Brits. I am open to other speakers from eithr company. Thanks a million................also, i am deciding between av receivers. the two so far are Yamaha rx-v1400 and rotel rsx-1055. my main considerations are music 2 channel and then surround dts stuff. unlike speakers, i am open to other av receivers around 1,000. thanks a bunch!Remember Hemlet? Darn, I forgot that was written by an English man! What was his name again? The Sun never sets on the English empire! I do, however, love a good danish! I have an idea, how about letting your ears decide for you? Now there is a hell of an idea, huh?

Prefuse
02-18-2004, 07:23 PM
I also owned the B&W CDM1SE's for a short period; a purchase I made because I was able to get a good deal on them (used). Absolutely hated the tweeter to the point where I thought they were defective. Integration of the drive units were not seamless at all. Treble has bright, sibilant, and too foward. Listener fatigue after 20 minutes. In the end, I sold the B&W's (resell of B&W's are so high that I even made a profit) and went with a pair of Dynaudio 1.3mkII's. A whole new level of refinement was reached. I don't know how the newer B&W's compare; just my two pennies.

spacedeckman
02-18-2004, 08:32 PM
on the bottom, very open on the top, with good midrange. You've got a winner there. I got sideswiped by a pair of Audiovector M1 Signatures. They don't go as low as the Dynes, and aren't as punchy, but they are smooth, seductive, and unbelievably musical. I've owned them for 5 years and have no interest in replacing them. If I did, the Dynes would be my starting point since they were a close 2nd for me.

I got my CDM1SEs on the cheap too. My bosses stockbroker ended up with them. My opinion is exactly yours, and it seems to go up the line. Integration is a beautiful thing, and I don't like tweeters that call attention to themselves.

Prefuse, you've got good taste.

mtrycraft
02-18-2004, 09:57 PM
Ok, i am willing to spend up to 1500 on a pair of mains. my considerations are between Dynaudio 52se and B&W 705. I reallyyyy do NOT NEED any other recommendations. I only need to be convinced between the Danes or the Brits. I am open to other speakers from eithr company. Thanks a million................also, i am deciding between av receivers. the two so far are Yamaha rx-v1400 and rotel rsx-1055. my main considerations are music 2 channel and then surround dts stuff. unlike speakers, i am open to other av receivers around 1,000. thanks a bunch!


You need to listen and get what pleases you, not someone else.

RGA
02-18-2004, 11:15 PM
The problem with the B&W's pertains to room and set-up and adequate system matching. Their is an upper midrange suck-out and you can hear where the woofer hands the sound off to the driver...It's better with the N805 than the CDM 1NT and Sterephile claims the 705 does not have the problem. But my first experience with B&W was the CDM 1SE and it had no such problem which was why I looked them up when buying a second system and ended up witht he DM 302...a great speaker and a great value in that price range.

My later auditions with B&W were good until my last one with the CDM 1NT when I noted this flaw...it's not there all the time but it's there...it's there with most speakers using metal drivers and certainly with all the other speakers I've heard in the same price band. Though the CDM1NT is slightly more pronounced in this regard it's actual tweeter isn't the problem...it may actually be with the kevlar.

The Dane 52 is much darker and a less extended sounding tweeter - basically laid back. These are two good speakers this price range and it is going to be totally a taste issue. If the 705 is indeed much improved and no longer has any trace of this problem then it would be my choice because it's more open sounding. But that's a big IF considering it appears to be very similar to the CDM 1NT.

Frankly I would not close yourself off to these two brands...IMO they're beatable in this price range - and certainly beatable if we go up the line because there is a LOT more "GOOD to GREAT" competition above 2k than there is in budget land.

Why not look at 3-4 year old speakers with partial warranty...you may find a real bargain and something that wil stomp both of these speakers.

Mr Peabody
02-19-2004, 08:08 PM
Most of the B&W I have heard has been the Nautilus series. I found I could spend half as much money and have a better sounding speaker than the Nautilus with a Dynaudio Contour series. I find B&W's sound lifeless. Dynaudio is a very dynamic speaker when driven by decent equipment. I DO NOT think you will find a better value for your price range than the 52's. If you can afford the extra $300. the 52se is more than worth every penny. You should hear the Dyn's have more bass accuracy and authority than most others, they will be neutral and the highs are extended. I heard a direct comparison of the 52's against a $2,200. Thiele and a $700. AE tower and the 52's ruled. I would like to hear the speaker that "stomps" on a Dyn. Not likely!

I tend to agree that Yamaha wouldn't do much for either of your choices. They are like B&W, overrated. I put Yamaha with Pioneer or Kenwood, no better. The $1,200. Arcam is very good sounding but doesn't have a lot of the bells & whistles of mass market receivers. I seen one drive all Martin Logan speakers, so I know they can drive a tough load but if you like loud, it may still fall a little short. If I had to have a receiver though the Arcam would be my choice. I don't know the cost but you might also take a look at the Integra stuff as another option. It would at least offer a high current amp section that would easily drive an Audience or B&W. I honestly haven't heard the Rotel. I am not a fan of NAD but since you have the CD player you might give a listen to what they offer, you would then have synergy on your side.

spacedeckman
02-20-2004, 08:50 AM
Equating Yamaha with Pioneer and Kenwood is a low blow, especially when you put Integra on some type of pedestal. You have been out of the receiver loop for the better part of the past decade. The Integra stuff is a bit lame, and Denon, to my ears and many of my other tweak-head buddies (mostly tubes and vinyl crowd, you know, C-J, Sonic Frontiers upper end stuff, Some Rowland, Red Rose, etc), is a sonic far cry from whatever you could get from Yamaha. It is every bit as "high current" as an Integra, and maybe more so, only vastly superior on the reliability, design, and build fronts. My two considerations when I finally get around to the HT thing will probably be the new Arcam that is supposed to be out this spring, or a Yamaha as a second choice. Since I don't need a lot of features, and the potentially better sonics, the Arcam is the list topper.

Next time you are in MFP, remind the guys that "all things that glow don't blow".

Later,

musicman1999
02-20-2004, 08:30 PM
i assume you have a reason for narrowing your search,but if you don't RGA is correct
you can certainly do better in this price range.I have not heard the danes myself,but have heard they are decent but not special.the b&w were on my audition list(603's) but while quite decent were a clear loser to my current jm labs setup.Spend months if you have to,it will be worth it,listen close and make the right choice.

Mr Peabody
02-21-2004, 09:24 PM
I only speak from experience. I have an Onkyo 2 channel receiver rated at 48 wpc that walked a pair of Infinity Kappa 7's around the room. Keep in mind Integra is Onkyo's higher line. My brother owns Denon and now has those same Infinity speakers. The Denon has that little 2 channel beat slightly on sound quality, and that's subjective, because it don't slam those Infinity's like the Onkyo did. Denon is not high current, that is from experience and expressed from a Denon dealer and I have never seen Denon claim to be. Onkyo is most certainly high current and the best power section than any mass market receiver out there. I would bet the Integra could run either speaker he chose with ease. I would agree that clarity wise the Denon or Marantz are probably the best of the mass market receivers. I have owned Yamaha before. I had a nice integrated at one point and at one time their top of the line processor with built in amp. Yamaha has almost no detail in the bass frequencies. I was not happy with either of my pieces nor any Yamaha I've heard since. I tried to use that Yamaha processor with a Krell integrated amp for HT and the contrast in sound showed how horrible the Yamaha was. Of course, Yamaha isn't in Krell's league, but this was Yamaha's top of the line and I was at least hoping for tolarable until I could come up with something different. Yamaha isn't any better than any other bottom feeder you will find at Best Buy. If your high end buds like Denon so well why would Yamaha be your 2nd choice? I find Denon's sound unbalanced. Their high frequencies seem to be more pronounced than the rest of the bandwidth. I wouldn't think tube fans would enjoy that characteristic much.

nusiclover
03-13-2004, 01:28 AM
no text

koop
03-13-2004, 07:52 PM
I can recommend the Yamaha RX-V3300 as a receiver for you to think about. I auditioned many differnent products and can easily say that the Yahama smoked any Pioneer or Kenwood I listened to. The others I considered were the Denon 3803 and the NAD 762 which were also both very strong. I just felt the 3300 gave the best bang for the buck of the three. The NAD maybe sounded a little cleaner but had no bells and whistles. IMO the Yamaha is not as bright as some say.