Comments for Dynaudio X16 Bookshelf Speakers at http://www.hometheaterhifi.com , comment 1 to 23 out of 20 comments http://www.hometheaterhifi.com Fri, 10 Feb 2012 01:25:44 +0100 FeedCreator 1.7.3 http://www.hometheaterhifi.com/two-channel-speakers/603-dynaudio-x16-book-shelf-speakers.html#comment-5108 Personally, I have always liked the Pioneer "house sound." Pioneer has traditionally offered a more "musical" presentation as opposed to the more "clinical" sound. However, I have not personally heard the A-A9 so I can't really offer an educated opinion on this specific pairing. Will your local dealer let you do a short in-home demo with the X16s? This is the best way to judge equipment synergy. You could also bring your integrated and SACD player to the store if need be. This would allow you to compare the speakers with your amp/player to some other options. The Stand 4's are very nice stands, though they are not cheap. I kept my review samples and have been using them ever since. Definitely consider filling both tubes with sand or lead shot. I filled mine with sand and noticed an appreciable difference in clarity and bass response. - Tyler S Tue, 01 Nov 2011 07:37:58 +0100 http://www.hometheaterhifi.com/two-channel-speakers/603-dynaudio-x16-book-shelf-speakers.html#comment-5106 Hi, thoroughly enjoyed your review and is now looking at buying a pair of X16 to replace my B&W 685. Are Pioneer A-A9 integrated amp and PD-D6 SACD player (using Chord Company interconnects) a good match for X16 for a 2 channel setup? Thnking of getting the Dynaudio stand 4 as well. Cheers! - KW Tue, 01 Nov 2011 02:19:35 +0100 http://www.hometheaterhifi.com/two-channel-speakers/603-dynaudio-x16-book-shelf-speakers.html#comment-4029 What amp would you be using to drive the X16s? What type of SPL levels do you listen at and how far away will you be sitting from the speakers? - Tyler S Mon, 31 Jan 2011 01:51:36 +0100 http://www.hometheaterhifi.com/two-channel-speakers/603-dynaudio-x16-book-shelf-speakers.html#comment-4026 According to this way of calculating the power needed it shows you need the same amount of power to drive either the x12 or the contour 1.4 which I can assure you is not correct. - Androm Sun, 30 Jan 2011 11:45:41 +0100 http://www.hometheaterhifi.com/two-channel-speakers/603-dynaudio-x16-book-shelf-speakers.html#comment-4025 according to this link http://www.crownaudio.com/apps_htm/designtools/elect-pwr-req.htm posted earlier, and comparing the specs of x12 86db 150w 4 ohm x16 87db 150w 4 ohm => that the x16 are easier to drive than the x12? I have an amplifier rated at 91 w/4ohm channel and I'd like to buy the x16 but I really don't know what to think anymore. Will my amp drive them? I know the amp is good for the x12... - Androm Sun, 30 Jan 2011 11:38:59 +0100 http://www.hometheaterhifi.com/two-channel-speakers/603-dynaudio-x16-book-shelf-speakers.html#comment-4017 Hi Ron, I agree with Tyler. I have listen to both at a Dynaudio dealer. The X16 has an infectious sound. But also very revealing! The X12 sounds "small"You won't go wrong with X16. However, you will need an amp of at least 200 watts, and it will rock to any kind of music. Remy - remy Wed, 26 Jan 2011 19:08:17 +0100 http://www.hometheaterhifi.com/two-channel-speakers/603-dynaudio-x16-book-shelf-speakers.html#comment-3977 I agree, you probably won't go wrong with either one. If I was going without a sub I'd opt for the X16's but the X12's with a sub are hard to beat in fact I prefer small satellites with a sub as opposed to a three way without one. I built monoblocks, each one sitting on top of an X12, with a Klipsch sub for the low end. I've heard a lot of systems but this config is hard to beat in my view. Rob - Rob Mon, 10 Jan 2011 19:42:13 +0100 http://www.hometheaterhifi.com/two-channel-speakers/603-dynaudio-x16-book-shelf-speakers.html#comment-3959 I have not personally heard the X12, so its probably best that I don't venture an opinion. I would do my best to find a Dynaudio dealer with both speakers and do an A/B comparison (on the same amp/source/etc) and see which you prefer. The X12s have been extremely well reviewed, so I don't think you could go wrong with either speaker. Personally, I still prefer to have a more full-bodied sound, so unless the X12s offered a noticeable increase in midrange clarity (unlikely IMHO as the X16s are simply excellent) I would stick with the X16s. - Tyler S Wed, 05 Jan 2011 00:58:37 +0100 http://www.hometheaterhifi.com/two-channel-speakers/603-dynaudio-x16-book-shelf-speakers.html#comment-3957 Thoroughly enjoyed the review and comments. Can anyone provide some information on the comparison between the X12 and X16 besides that the X16 can go lower? If used with a good amp and sub, would the X12 perform equally well or even better on the midrange? Thanks Ron - Ron Yu Tue, 04 Jan 2011 21:27:49 +0100 http://www.hometheaterhifi.com/two-channel-speakers/603-dynaudio-x16-book-shelf-speakers.html#comment-3808 Tyler, Thank you for your perspectives on the x16. I enjoyed your views very much. I think the debate on efficiency is an interesting one and I remember the same debate back in the late 60’s when Edgar Villchur’s acoustically suspended AR3 took the audio world by nothing less than a storm. I had a pair of the AR3a’s and the amplifier we were using to drive them was the newly designed Dynaco 60 watt transistor amp which was the product of David Hafler’s thinking if I remember correctly. ( You have to remember that push pull tube class AB was the rage back then, now it’s, low efficient, class A). It was quite a speaker and I still have a pair in the basement with a set of surrounds I’m threatening to apply to them at some point! The Hafler amp did drive them well enough but the big stir back then was transients and power, lots of it! David Hafler went on to design the DH500 (mosfet) amp which got great reviews but wasn’t the best amp I ever owned. I thought the Adcom GFA-535 was much more musical at half the power and it ran, and still does, my low efficient Allison CD9’s ( Roy Allison was in on the AR3 project as I recall) very well even in my 26 square foot room with 14 foot ceilings. I did use the Hafler 110 preamp which was much more of a design than the 500 in my view also. A talented man. The point of all of this is that I think power is over rated, not that the Dyna’s can run on a single ended 2a3 at seven or ten watts, it might, but I wouldn’t think the amp would do them justice. In fact I wouldn’t use a tubed power amp to run these speakers, as much as I love tubes. I haven’t tried the x12’s I just acquired with the Adcom yet, I may but I’m working on a new design to run with my Merlyn tube preamp ( you’ll all get to see it in an upcoming Elektor article). My thinking has been, for a longtime now, that tubes in the line are enough to give that glorious tube sound and coupling them with a decent transistor power amp is the best way to go. As a designer I can tell you that the best designers aren’t 'stuck’ on any one tool. If transistors work best they go into the circuit and if tubes work best than that’s what we use. I think the sound of some of the monolithic chips from National Semiconductor sound pretty good and the DYIers are onto something. Right now I’m using the x12’s with my Merlyn preamp and an old SAE Mark III from the seventies which was a valiant attempt to create a tube sound with transistors. It was quite successful and embraced by the audio community. It is very musical for a large powerful amp and drives the x12’s with ease. I think what’s important is how you use these speakers, mine are not in a AV system, as many of you probably realize, they are sitting, at least for the moment, on my computer table in a 5-1/2 foot wide by 12 foot electronics lab with a sub woofer. In this setting they simply shine with everything from Kottke to Vivaldi, and I can’t wait for them to ‘loosen’ up. I’m using them with the two plugs and grills off, by the way. These are simply wonderfully smooth musical speakers that belie their diminutive size. Best, Robert Nance Dee Design Specialties - Robert Fri, 29 Oct 2010 21:18:27 +0100 http://www.hometheaterhifi.com/two-channel-speakers/603-dynaudio-x16-book-shelf-speakers.html#comment-3786 Just wait until the burn-in is complete. The X16's really open up nicely. Also, don't forget to try the speakers without the grilles on (at least for critical listening). As for the amps/pre-amps, I have not personally heard either the Rotel combo or the Arcam integrated. From past experiences, I'd tend to lean towards the Rotel combo. I've always found Rotel to offer great performance and build quality for the money. The RC1580/RB1582 combo has been well-reviewed by other print/online sources. I haven't heard an Arcam integrated for a few years, but Arcam is no slouch when it comes to overall performance. Personally, I generally like a pre-amp/amp combo better, as you can always switch out one component in the future if you wish. The Rotel combo has a significant rated power advantage over even the biggest Arcam (200w vs. 130 at 8 ohm), and the Dynaudios like clean power (they sounded great on my 550w at 8 ohm Wyred4Sound amp). I think the Rotel is also equipped with a good phono stage if you still play vinyl. Any chance you can get a loaner sample of these from your local dealer? That's the best way to figure out what works better in your room and which "house sound" your ears prefer. - Tyler S Sat, 23 Oct 2010 03:02:39 +0100 http://www.hometheaterhifi.com/two-channel-speakers/603-dynaudio-x16-book-shelf-speakers.html#comment-3772 Thanks for your time and effort, most importantly, your promptness in sharing your thoughts. 'A bass junkie', me too. The X36 can't fit into my small room. I truly fell 'in love' with the X32. It has a small foot print, slim and sexy at just about 3' tall. Due to its dual woofer, this too can't fit into my room. The X16 is not only Fantastic, it has an 'infectious' sound. Though i purchased it about a week ago, and have not thoroughly 'burn in' the speakers, its sounds just grasp you by the neck and draw one into the music with goose pumps... I have a question, i am aware that you have not reviewed these amps, from your experience and vast knowledge. 'which of these two amps would be the 'right' amp to drive my X16s, both are new products in the market, the Rotel RC1580/RB 1582, pre and A/B power amp at 200watts and /or the Arcam integrated amp at 100watts..?' thanks Remy - remy Wed, 20 Oct 2010 10:41:16 +0100 http://www.hometheaterhifi.com/two-channel-speakers/603-dynaudio-x16-book-shelf-speakers.html#comment-3765 I'm glad that you had the chance to give the X16's a listen. They really are a fantastic speaker at their price point. As a bass junkie, I'd probably opt for X36s myself, but the X16 is definitely my favorite "bookshelf" speaker under $2000 right now. Granted, I haven't heard everything out there, but the X16s do everything so well that you really need to spend a lot more money to get noticeable improvements. They also look stunning in the new gloss black and white finishes. - Tyler S Tue, 19 Oct 2010 01:14:56 +0100 http://www.hometheaterhifi.com/two-channel-speakers/603-dynaudio-x16-book-shelf-speakers.html#comment-3758 Hi Mr Stripko, Thanks for your honest, professional and comprehensive comments/review about the quality of the Dynaudio's X16 speakers. Armed with your comments, I visited the Dynaudio's agent to give it a listen. Wow... man! it is absolutely fantastic!! I have been waiting for all these years for such a speaker. If I did not chance upon your review, I guess I will still be searching for that 'missing link' Now, I am enjoying it. Thanks! - remy Fri, 15 Oct 2010 19:28:24 +0100 http://www.hometheaterhifi.com/two-channel-speakers/603-dynaudio-x16-book-shelf-speakers.html#comment-1820 Jan, The Excite line was developed for use with "lower priced amplification," i.e. A/V receivers and smaller integrated amps. As such, sensitivity and current draw (as well as things like phase angle) come into play. With the Excites being a 4ohm speaker, this automatically places a higher current draw on a amp. As Secrets' benchtesting of some recent receivers has shown, some of these units have some real problems with 4ohm loads. While 87db sensitivity is not "low," it is still on the low side and puts further stress on an amp. As for the wattage figures, I'm not exactly sure how you are reaching the 6.3 watt figure, but it sounds like you are using a calcuation with the SPL mike about 2 feet (or less) from the speaker (that's some serious near-field listening:) ) All of my measurements were taken at my listening postion, which was roughly 4 meters from the speakers. A great source for information on required power can be found here: http://www.crownaudio.com/amp_htm/amp_info/how_much_power.htm As well as Crown's handy little calculator for figuring out how much power you really need. I used this for years for DJ'ing gigs and found it to be remarkably accurate: http://www.crownaudio.com/apps_htm/designtools/elect-pwr-req.htm If you plug in 4 meters (my measured listening distance), with 95dB of desired output at the listening position, and an 87dB efficiency, you see that 201 watts of power are required. Mind you, this is with only 3dB of "headroom," which is pretty conservative for a music/home theater system. The Marantz SR6003 puts out about 100 watts at 8ohms, so 4 ohm output into only 2 channels is most likely somewhere between 140-170 watts (we didn't bench test the amp section so this is strictly an educated guess on my part). I could start to hear some harshness creeping into the sound starting at about 93-94dB, which fits in perfectly with the 201 watts (for 95dB) calculated above, as the SR6003 was driven steadily towards clipping. - Tyler Stripko Fri, 01 May 2009 10:05:07 +0100 http://www.hometheaterhifi.com/two-channel-speakers/603-dynaudio-x16-book-shelf-speakers.html#comment-1817 You write, "At 87dB efficient at 4ohms, the X16s aren’t the most sensitive speaker and will require a lot of amp power to crest the 95dB+ point." It's actually pretty easy to calculate exactly how much amp power these speakers will require to reach 95 dB. The answer is 6.3 watts. I don't think your receiver was clipping. A sensitivity of 87 dB is pretty common for a speaker of this size. - Jan Thu, 30 Apr 2009 12:37:45 +0100 http://www.hometheaterhifi.com/two-channel-speakers/603-dynaudio-x16-book-shelf-speakers.html#comment-1801 Just writing to say how much I enjoy the reviews on your site. It's refreshing to see AV reviewers actually testing the gear they write about! :) I thought Jaina's question was a bit silly as you clearly stated that these Dyn's compare excellently with both bookshelves and floorstanders at their price point. If you are highly recommending that, at $1600, these are worth a "thorough listen" then obviously they are going to compare very well against similarly priced and cheaper alternatives from Paradigm and others. :) Your response to the above question was also very enlightening, thank you. - SJ Sun, 26 Apr 2009 01:20:24 +0100 http://www.hometheaterhifi.com/two-channel-speakers/603-dynaudio-x16-book-shelf-speakers.html#comment-1795 Getus, Being that both the X12 and X16 are rear-ported speakers, neither one is really ideal for wall mounting. What you could do is pick up a wall mount bracket like the B-Tech BT-77, which will give you at least a few inches of clearance between the rear port and the back wall. Your bass might get a little "boomy," but you could then use the included foam plugs to help alleviate that. If you really need to mount speakers flat up against a wall, I would search for a true "on-wall" speaker. A good pair of speaker stands is always a great idea for a bookshelf speaker, but you don't need to go with the matching Dynaudio ones (though they are very nice). There are many other brands of stands (Sanus and Target come to mind) that may fit your budget/aesthetics better. I prefer a stand that can be filled with sand or lead shot, as this cuts down on resonances and also makes the stand/speaker much less prone to tipping over. - Tyler Stripko Thu, 23 Apr 2009 05:29:12 +0100 http://www.hometheaterhifi.com/two-channel-speakers/603-dynaudio-x16-book-shelf-speakers.html#comment-1790 Mr Stripko, Thanks you for your reply. It is much appriciated! I want to mount the speakers to the wall because of space limitasions. With that in mind will i be better of with the x12 or the x16? Or is the stand you mentioned really necessary for the optimal sound experience? Thanks! - Getus Wed, 22 Apr 2009 16:43:00 +0100 http://www.hometheaterhifi.com/two-channel-speakers/603-dynaudio-x16-book-shelf-speakers.html#comment-1782 Since I haven't personally heard either of those model subs, I am hesistant to say which would mate better. Just going by specs, the SVS will probably offer deeper extension and higher output levels as it is a noticeably larger subwoofer with a bigger driver and amplifier than the 250 Dynaudio. Technically, the Dynaudio Sub500 would be a better comparison with the SVS pb-12plus. One of our other reviewers is currently working on a review of a full Excite surround system with the Sub500, so you may want to wait for that review. As for amps, this is a very personal preference. My Wyred4Sound ICEpower amp sounded very good with the X16s, but I'm sure that almost any quality Class A/B amp will work as well, such as Emotiva. Knowing Rotel's typical "house sound," I'm pretty confident that a Rotel/Dynaudio combo would be musically satisfying as well. As always, I recommend trying to demo the units together at a good dealer or better yet, in your home. As for power, due to the X16's rather low sensitivity, I would look for an amp that can put out a minimum of about 150 clean watts at 4ohms. 200 clean watts would be better, particularly if you have a larger room. Just keep in mind that the X16 is still a bookshelf with only a 6.5" mid-woofer, so you won't be able to drive these to 110+dB levels, even with 500 watts of power. With a good sub, they can crank pretty loud though! - Tyler Stripko Tue, 21 Apr 2009 02:09:18 +0100