During the Munich show, Dynaudio is planning an interesting showcase of different products that have recently been produced by its engineering and design teams. That includes an area to display the latest studio monitors, including the new Core Reference range, and also a unique car featuring an immersive audio system designed by Dynaudio's automotive division.
In the special pro-audio area of Dynaudio’s demo room at the MOC, there will be a 7.1.4-channel Dolby Atmos configuration using the Core 5 and Core Sub Compact, the newest members of the Core professional studio monitor range. With immersive audio more important than ever in studios that are also getting smaller, the Core 5 and Core Sub Compact are an ideal configuration for these applications.
Understanding how a large proportion of listening is done on the move, Dynaudio will also be showing off its Evidence sound-system in a Yangwang U8 luxury electric off-roader. Its 22 speakers and advanced user-interface place the focus firmly on authenticity and sound that simply feels good. Visitors will be able to sit in the car and hear the system at Dynaudio’s automotive area outside Foyer 3.
Four Temptations
In the hifi and home audio areas, the 2024 High End show will offer an exclusive first-look at four brand-new products: a new member of the Dynaudio Heritage Collection, a new active Confidence model, a super-Contour, and a charming collaboration with a design studio from Japan.
First up is a new member of the Heritage Collection. The new Contour Legacy is a beautiful floor-standing 2.5-way speaker that echoes the look of 2020’s best-selling Heritage Special. It tips a nod to the original Contour speakers from the 1980s and 90s, while bringing everything up to date with Dynaudio’s latest driver know-how and acoustic technology.
It uses Dynaudio’s top-level 28mm Esotar 3 soft-dome tweeter (including the Hexis resonance-defeating inner dome); dual 18cm woofers derived from the classic Evidence range (then tweaked and souped-up); plus a new crossover packed with select premium components. The Contour Legacy is hand-made at Dynaudio’s headquarters in Skanderborg, Denmark. It’s finished in sustainable American Walnut, with each piece of veneer carefully chosen and matched for every individual speaker. The production-run is limited to 1000 pairs worldwide; each comes with its own pair number for posterity.
The new Confidence 20A is an active version of Dynaudio’s flagship Confidence 20 standmount speaker. Designed to be discreet – with the amplifier hidden inside the stand, and the settings-controls on the back, the Confidence 20A features analog and digital connectivity. The amplifiers are provided by Pascal, which also makes the amps in Dynaudio’s Core professional reference speakers. Exploring the built-in DSP, users can configure room-boundary compensation filters, input sensitivity, tonal balance and more.
And since the technology for this new design has been taken directly from professional speakers, Dynaudio wanted to offer the purest possible digital signal path, allowing users to turn sample-rate conversion off for that straight-through path, or on for the best compatibility with digital sources. All added up, it’s a reference-level speaker with studio technology for home audio listening rooms.
Next up is the Contour 20 Black Edition, a super-premium version of the Contour 20i design. Its tweeter has been upgraded to a full-on Esotar 3 driver, also found in the company’s Heritage Collection and its top-of-the-tree Confidence range. The tweeter has an improved motor and spider designs, and its crossover has been given a full makeover. Everything from resistors and capacitors to internal cabling and even wire coils has been given a boost.
The new Contour 20 Black Edition will be available in a mirror-like Black High Gloss finish, which nicely complements the black anodized baffle and the new black powder-coated tweeter front-plate and mid/bass-driver basket.
And finally, there's something completely different. The Bookshelf is a joint project between Dynaudio, Keiji Ashizawa Design of Tokyo and Karimoku of Japan.
"This collaboration explores the aesthetic relationship Denmark has with Japan (you might know it as ‘Japandi’ design, from ‘Japan’ + ‘Scandi’). Both countries share traditions in soft minimalism, respect for honest materials and care when it comes to hand-crafted pieces," Dynaudio explains in the announcement.
The Bookshelf cabinet is made from Japanese oak that’s been sourced sustainably from the beautiful Hokkaido prefecture in the north of the country. The wood is dried and prepared for between three and six months at Karimoku’s facility near Nagoya, before being carefully cut, constructed and finished at the company’s factory in Gifu. The design is tactile and organic, and an optional stand has been created to make the whole ensemble sit right at home in a high-end minimalist living-room.
Up-top, The Bookshelf also uses Dynaudio’s top-tier Esotar 3 tweeter, and the mid/bass driver is the same as the flagship Confidence 20 standmount speaker with a simple Dynaudio crossover. It’s all been tested and tuned at Dynaudio’s HQ in Denmark – including being put through its paces in the world-class Jupiter measuring facility deep in the heart of Dynaudio Labs.
While The Bookshelf isn’t a limited-edition speaker, it will be rare and exclusive: Dynaudio and Karimoku expect only a small quantity to hit the shelves every year.
All four new products on display at the High End show are preview models that will be launched for sale later in 2024.
www.dynaudio.com
