DYNAUDIO's Focus 30 is the FUTURE of home HI-FI (for Spotify, Apple Music & more)

[@DarkoAudio]

PLEASE READ *before commenting*! 1) All comments here are moderated by a third party 2) Polite comments that advance the conversation are most welcome 3) No URLs, racist/sexist remarks or conspiracy theories, please

[@paleolifer99]

Thank you, John, for spending 60 hrs per week making the videos! I for one really enjoy them!😃

[@PursuitPerfectSystem]

Thanks for including me in your video John it was a pleasure to work with you. Great video as always 👍 Thanks again.

[@DarkoAudio]

Thank YOU for your help, Terry. Hope you're over the sunburn. ☀️

[@doctorbritain9632]

John John John, ignore the silly questions, your reviews are excellent and make sure people listen to your long form podcasts, they're so informative. Thanks for all your effort.

[@DarkoAudio]

I appreciate that!

[@marcusaurelius2988]

Dyanaudio Focus 50 , Buchardt A700 , KEF LS60 , Bang & Olufsen Beolab 28....New era of streaming active speakers. Bang & Olufsen started this like ages ago, and now many brands jump on the bandwagon. Gotta congratulate Bang & Olufsen for being super visionary. Although most audiophiles dislike their products, one gotta appreciate the foresight there.

[@neilburling]

Thanks John, been waiting for this one (Focus 30). Went in to our hi-fi specialist in Perth Australia to listen to a Sennheiser Ambeo soundbar and then heard the Focus 30's..... Unbelievable sound. Even my wife was blown away by the sound and is seriously considering we buy them.

[@SoundsGood07]

John, Love your work. Funny story. I’ve been listening to these Dynaudio in-store over several days, comparing to other hi-fi options around this price point. I must say I was underwhelmed 🫤, high and mid range were good, nice soundstage, bright… but no low end. So I asked for a sub to be connected. Aahhhh 💡 that’s the problem. The high pass filter in the app was still turned on from a demo before mine. With that off finally experienced the full dynamic range. Now were talking. SOLD 😎

[@marcusaurelius2988]

What sub did you hear with?

[@ahmetyavuz8914]

I learned my lesson from the hard way… I need to check the prices before playing the play button…just another dream shattered. Thanks for so immense reviews. You make me live that moment

[@Techthusiasm]

These speakers look just amazing in terms of all the tech they bring together into a packaged audio solution. Running these with an LG OLED all wireless enabling 24/96 sound using an Apple TV with Apple Music connected through the LG would be pretty wild. The icing on the cake is Dirac as well. These are massively compelling for a living room setup.

[@bardust]

I visited a store and got these demoed today. I was definitely impressed! I initially asked for the Evoke 30/50 speaker to go with my Hegel H160 as an upgrade over my current Excite X16's. They didn't have those in for demo, but they hooked up the Focus 30's instead. I was never against active speakers, but never paid them much attention either. This changed today, after the listening session. I will deinitely consider the Focus 10/30 as a future setup, once I get a new place and know what size room I'm dealing with. For reference, I went directly to another store to listen to some Dalis, and got to listen to a Hegel H390 and Dali Rubicon 6 combo, as I have considered the Rubicon 6 as well. I must say the Focus 30's were more impressive!

[@wladimir1512]

But then you should have also listened to the active version of Rubicon 6c or 2c

[@nebulusnebulus6503]

I imagine some pots with synthetic plants or bamboo canes. The plants act as a diffuser and the pot, instead of being filled with substrate and fertilizer, can be filled with acoustic material, forming a bass trap or a resonator if a membrane is installed in the pot. I imagine a ceiling lamp and a floor lamp and some lamps to hang on the walls that have the shape of a diffuser. I imagine a sofa and some armchairs that are stuffed with acoustic material and that act as huge bass traps. I imagine a cabinet for storage that has a membrane resonator located in the part that hits the wall. This would help reconcile family and couple life with audiophilia.

[@astra004]

Competition with KEF LS 50, 60 and Buchardt A500 and A700. Which one to choose and why?

[@chawonytube]

What a great episode! Gotta watch it again. Solid!

[@grommie]

Heared them today. WOW. So small and so big in detailing the stage and depth. I like the neutral setting, and for some digital music the dark setting.

[@tee-jaythestereo-bargainph2120]

Its great to hear Terry helping out with Diract. Been watching Terry for a long while Thanks John -

[@leon23leon]

I love John’s “Mr Whatabout” voice 😂

[@DarkoAudio]

I am channeling my Dad but I think it still needs work. 😆

[@GlennGhouled]

every time I watch your videos my budgie goes into a talking competition with you I don't know why but love it

[@DarkoAudio]

What is your budgie's name?

[@GlennGhouled]

@@DarkoAudio it's Cücük

[@ottohowe]

I am a Dynaudio FOCUS 200 XD GEN 1 Active Speaker User, It still sound amazing ! ! !👍

[@RafaelGrigorian]

Long awaited review, thanks John! Dynaudio is classy as always, they always have their own niche in HiFi world. Focus series are definitely speakers from the future, I admit I have an itch to swap my Special 40 + TDAI1120 for a pair of Focus 10’s and in fact I won’t be surprised if they end up sounding better or at least comparable. The only thing that holds me off is amazing RoomPerfect from Lyngdorf. PS Can’t believe you still don’t have Heritage Specials in your studio.

[@francescodinucci4828]

Of the Dynaudio Focus 30, I appreciate that the connection between the two is via coaxial and not Ethernet

[@cameronsheid3446]

Why?

[@oevereng]

Two coolest guys on youtube in the same video. Awsome 😁

[@CI_4C]

Best part of the vid was seeing the Electronic album vinyl at 6:33 😉

[@geoffreydebrito7934]

I especially liked John getting together with Terry to optimize the Dynaudios.

[@BritInCologne]

Thank you again for a really enjoyable video. I am looking for a for a pair of actives (still torn between the three danes: Buchardt , Dynaudio and System Audio. The reason that I am going for actives is not because of the convenience factor but that the amp is tuned exactly for that speaker. As an owner of a pair of Quad ESL 57’s finding the “right” amp has been a challenge that has lasted a decade 😀

[@KXP70]

I'm forever hoping Mads sends John a pair of A700s

[@DarkoAudio]

You don't have to hope 😉

[@markphaneuf4653]

Great video as per usual John. More of a comment than a question. I am hoping you complete the trifecta by comparing the Buchardt A 700. After your second interview with Mads I am hopeful this will happen. Thanks for what you do. Thanks

[@DarkoAudio]

Great suggestion! 😉

[@greggwebb2394]

YOU REALLY DO A GREAT JOB LOVE Dynaudio 30 wireless

[@neilshirley]

Another interesting and entertaining video. With all the dirac, room perfect (correction) etc devices you are discussing in your videos, have you considered doing a video about what target curves (?) / filters are ideal or what each section does, and what people should look to achieve / can achieve. You often mention flattening out, or reducing, or bumping (excuse my lack of terminology) which sounds great, but for me, I do not really understand what you are doing or trying to achieve or why? Perhaps there are videos on this already out on KZbin, but it might be something others might enjoy, I know I would. Just a thought, and I suspect you already have enough on, so please only take this in the spirit it is intended.

[@rickp6731]

The bigger Dynaudio Focus 50 Active Wireless speakers are the best at any price 🤫

[@orchardroadstudio]

I think you summed it up nicely, the video is what it is, take it for what it's worth, don't try to turn it into something else. You already have the best format, you're not afraid to do the little music bits with the pictures of the gear eye candy. Some audio reviewers think we want to look at their face for 5 minutes. Don't apologize don't genuflect to The Horde in my opinion you're the best on the internet

[@DarkoAudio]

Awww shucks. Thanks. I can't speak for (or about others) but for me, the whole point of reviewing gear in video format is to show off what the product looks like away from the manufacturer's own pro-shot photos and in the context of a music fan's listening space.

[@AnotherAnonymousMan]

Thanks for the fantastic work, John. I remember when active streaming floorstanders were just a Hi-fi hope, so I really appreciate you taking the time cover this exciting but not so accessible emerging sector. Also, will we ever find out if Olaf turns out to love Red Hot Chilli Peppers or even crazier, thinks music (and every other medium besides videography) is a waste of time?

[@mike4769]

Great review. Can't wait till you can compare all 3 after you review the buchardt a700's.

[@joshmcgowan4]

Loved the video John, been waiting for this review. It’s really great to see more companies making great sounding easy to use solutions.

[@gary27182]

One thing I'd be interested in hearing your opinion on is how the kef and dynaudio fare at lower volumes, as a good deal of my listening is at night. And related, do either offer any sort of loudness compensation, e.g. through Fletcher-Munson style equal-loudness contours?

[@RJ_Chicago]

Hi again, John. I like the Super Duper Sonos analogy. As an audiophile with a 3000 square foot townhome and as an audiophile there are just so many dollars to put into this large a space to have quality sound. So I have decided to concentrate the expenditures in my 2.2 channel separates system in my listening room. But for music in the rest of the home and the televisions I have gone with Sonos. Sonos is a quality product. It is easy to setup and maintain and it works well enough for me for home theatre, because in my opinion (warning: controversy ahead), home theater isn’t about critical listening. So that is why most of my dollars go into my critical listening 2.2 channel system. But Sonos does have great utility for audiophiles because it facilitates my strategy per above without significant compromises in the applications for which I use it. So the Focus 30s are an extension of the Sonos philosophy taken to the next level of quality. It gives me something to think about. Thanks!

[@knaw35]

I have a chance to listen Sonos products few times. Unfortunately, never taken to audio heavens. I think Sonos are great in advertising, designing, but fail in terms of ear service. Just MHO.

[@RJ_Chicago]

@@knaw35 I understand and agree. But the point of my post was that Sonos was *good enough* for the causal listening and home theater applications for which I use it. For critical listening, I use my much more expensive separates system in my listening room. Using Sonos allows me to save money so that, that money can be used in my listening room.

[@przemo2539]

Hi John. Great review and podcast even better! Thanks for sharing it.

[@skumflum3768]

Buchardt A700 seems like a logical next speaker 😀

[@DarkoAudio]

I know, right? 😉

[@qboogie]

Eager to hear how these stack up against Buchardt's A700 and its room correction software, which seems a lot simpler but gives less control.

[@Matasky2010]

That Frame Tv adds so much to the music space, love it. In my very near future.

[@DarkoAudio]

Yeah, it's one of my favourite purchases ever.

[@Ennay_Essaytch]

Good stuff, but the virtual “get off my lawn!” at the end was my favorite bit.

[@clausandersen2856]

Great video and review, John. You are very good at describing things that are hard to describe!

[@bjwal6]

This video is PARTICULARLY good, thanks John

[@shemsureshot]

If your room is small then I’m sat in a broom cupboard! I have to say though, I am liking the idea of these future fi speakers and hope they catch on. I just upgraded to the Arcam AVR21 so I can’t see myself purchasing something like this any time soon though.

[@albertloan7049]

Good to see Camera Conspiracies make an appearance.

[@timburton1080]

I think that also appeal to people looking for a second system for elsewhere in the house. These appeal for my open plan kitchen & dining space.

[@adamswift1747]

60 hours a week? I thought you looked tired. But your videos are worth every second of your sleep deprivation. Well done and keep it up, because soon you will be rewarded for your unwavering diligence.

[@damianzaninovich4900]

Great review. I’m with you on RHCP. I just had a great experience with teens and earlier 20’s waiting on my wife and I at the California Pizza Chicken last night. For a chain(they stay open until 11 not the usual 8-8:30) it was fine and being around college youth made it a blast. Our two kids are in their 20’s and it’s the same vibe. They both use JBL flip or charge Bluetooth speakers. I don’t see how you can do better for $100-150. That’s all they need and it’s not terrible.

[@zzzztau]

really helpful john! i had the opportunity to listen to both on the same day and decided to go with th kef. focus 30 sounds really good for classical and jazz, very warm mid low range, very fine detail. but when i switch to pop songs i found it's a bit weak especially for female vocal. just not punchy enough. but ls60 was super good for pop and also comparable in terms of details for classical and jazz. in the end also because of the $2k off deal i decided to go with kef😂😂😂

[@imreallysureovereigh]

Same here! Listened to both today and was actually surprised how well the Focus 30 performed and also really liked the highs and upper mids a bit more but the Sound was more emotional with the kefs, the design fits better for me and you can get them for 5000 at the moment so i ordered the kefs. I really can‘t wait for them :)

[@paulbrodeur5485]

Love to see the Electronic album on top of your vinyl box!

[@DJB99]

If you run Roon into the LS60W you can use EQ or even load room correction curves within Roon. Very useful feature that essentially allows you to have something very similar to DIRAC.

[@Nickhifi88]

You can of course do the same with Dynaudio in case you belive Roon’s EQ is better.

[@bhbacon]

Great review, thanks.

[@Kurtlassen]

GREAT Video John, very informative yet fun. Keep up the good work. ;)

[@TheVexed1984]

Hi John, I've said it before, I'll say it again, your videos are my favourite hifi related content. I'm looking forward to the time when you no longer have to qualify yourself repeatedly.

[@DarkoAudio]

You and me both 😉

[@norinradd5920]

Very, very good review John! I enjoyed it.

[@petem7059]

Great video as always. I picked up a pair of LS60s a little while back (I like them very much), knowing that they didn't have 'proper' room correction, but rather assumed that KEF will roll out some sort of solution via an app update inside the next year or so. Fingers crossed. ps: any favoured coffee beans at the mo?

[@isopdt]

a great in depth video - thanks for this one!

[@gregbraczynski7639]

Good and honest review and I am glad there was income from Terry as I follow his channel as well. I disagree with value of Dirac Live. I hear constantly how good is this software however I set it up in my 5,6x4,2mtrs room on Arcam AVR 30 and Monitor Audio speakers for single and multipoint position and I got disappointed despite I was using good quality mic and stand for calibration. Whenever I compared listening to the music or TV show using Dirac or not the sound with Dirac Live off was much better than with it. In Dirac live mode sound moves farther away from listening position towards the speakers and the bass amount is much reduced. I have manually adjusted low frequencies however still original (non Direc) sound is much more favorable giving more wide scene and general quality.

[@Dougeh89]

Another fantastic video John. I have been using dyn excite x44's for years in Aus and love them to bits. Thank you for your transparency and insight into your review process. Entertaining as always, love your work!

[@tormodguldvog8405]

Dynaudio speakers are great. I have the Focus 10 (non-wireless) and they are amazing.

[@truman4956]

I did not grow up with Sonos, but I’m losing the real estate battle for my system.

[@johnpischedda6951]

Hey John, encouraging that you stuck with the WiFi connection between speakers, and didn't resort to the Coaxial connection. Was there any drop outs or audible difference between using both ? I love the versatility this system offers. Thanks again.

[@DarkoAudio]

No drop-outs (otherwise I would have mentioned it in the video).

[@richardsaila8073]

Very good episode. 👍

[@tigertiger1699]

Terry is amazing.., his another great source of education && all important.. context.. for many👍🙏

[@gs10101010]

Awesome that vinyl (right?) came up. I presume the input does an analog to digital conversion, and then gets DSP. Do you feel like Future-Fi is for vinyl too? Or is using Dynaudio (or KEF) for vinyl more a niche application?

[@gavwatts]

Hi John. Another great vid. You say you’d choose the focus 30 as it has Dirac. If it didn’t would you still choose it over the keff ls60’s

[@jo05dk]

I use a set of Dynaudio Xeo2 as desktop speakers for my PC. Love them. For that reason i was curious about these, until i discovered what they cost.

[@dmitryromin483]

that is a very unfair comparison. Its like saying I used to drive Mini Cooper and then I learned about M5 an was shocked about its price. Xeo2 was made in 2014 and it was the very first iteration of the entry level (!) bookshelf (!) wireless speakers from Dynaudio. Focus 30 is the most recent pinnacle of the top level wireless speakers that includes so much more functionality and electronics compare to the 8 years old model.

[@alfredoguadarramam]

Now we need please Buchardt 10 aniverssary active, please!!!

[@nunopimentapaiva]

You are the best John. Totally agree with you on Super Duper Sonos offer. I had for a long time the Dynaudio Xeo 30 and now I moved to System Audio Silverback 7.2 and love them from a wall mount prespective with a high end sound, nevertheless I miss the Dynaudio sound signature. Difficult hobby this one 😅

[@kungula]

Great review John, I would also prefer the focus 30 to the LS 60 for the reasons you mentioned. But I am missing a Hdmi e Arc input on the dynaudio as the they have chosen this wise solution.

[@max-6035]

I think its the side radiating low frequency focused drivers of the kef that require more energy for the same volume as the focus 30 is focused at the listing position thus more efficient in transmitting the same volume of bass. But bass rumble is a physical experience too. If one room resonates more evenly for the same volume at listeners position than the other speaker with just a small portion of the room at that volume you just wont feel it the same. The bass of a good headphone can have a way deeper clean bass than a subwoofer or big towers, yet the experience is something of two different worlds.

[@jmtennapel]

Keep talking about music John 👍

[@mjj841]

Why 2.5 way? When its all DSP controlled, with 3 drivers it would seem to make sense to have a dedicated midrange and dedicated bass. It would appear to be more complex to have two drivers partially overlapping. Maybe im missing something...

[@kcsi1]

Here, the overlapping occurs with deep sounds, so at long wavelengths such a parallax error is not a problem, but both membrane surfaces can contribute to the radiation. The two drivers are identical, low-mid speakers.

[@timothys9288]

DSP controlled crossovers allow for all kinds of magic tricks that analog filtering cannot accomplish without great expense. IMO, ALL speakers that want to be called "high end" today should be using fully digital active crossovers with independent driver amplification because you can make a speaker more perfect at louder SPL outputs at a cheaper price target. The largest expense in high-end speakers are the large, complicated passive crossovers. Digital crossovers with Class-D amplifiers and independent amplification to each individual driver in the speaker allow for pin-point filtering and fine tuning. This gives a speaker manufacturer more money to splurge on the cabinet for materials, cabinet shape, bracing, etc as well as higher quality drivers. You also not only get superior sound at a cheaper price over passive speakers, but you get "free" amplification. You literally don't have to pay for a preamp, sound processor or amplifier. Dynaudio should build and release a "high SPL output" model including a home theater version of these speakers. I think the sky is the limit on what can be done with the Focus series over time.

[@julianfp1952]

I really wish that all TV manufacturers would put lip sync adjustment into their TVs then the issue wouldn't even need to be discussed. More and more external audio systems are doing a lot of DSP that potentially delays the audio. TVs already do so much processing on the video signals now - upscaling, motion smoothing, dynamic contrast etc - so adding a simple slider in the settings that allowed the user to set a delay on the audio output to compensate for whatever delay the DSP in whatever audio system is being used is creating seems like such an easy win to me. (I'm also a Samsung TV owner. Maybe other TV manufacturers do have an audio delay setting so perhaps Samsung deserves to be specifically called out on this?)

[@deiruch]

I'd like that feature as well. But I guess it's considered too costly for such a niche use case. To compensate audio delay, the TV would have to delay the video output. Playing back video with 500ms delay requires approx. 0.8GB memory (4k@60fps@8bit).

[@altairdesouza9368]

Sound quality is a very personal thing. I have a Gradiente Spect BK 65 (Brazil) with Cygnus equalizer and two Lando LA 380 speakers in my office that serve me very well. What people forget is that as you get older your hearing reduces reception quality.

[@uksteve43]

HI John, another great video.... I am wondering whether your take on the bass from the Focus 30 is due to it being a Seal Box design.... I moved over to a sealed box speaker and their was a noticeable difference in bass quality, personally I prefer it some may not.... My Speaker of choice was the atcscm 19s with a Naim sn3.. over the Dynaudio 40's.

[@jimbrunsman1011]

Another valuable video. This is the future of hi fi so we better learn to like it. I'd love to hear them.

[@timafken2297]

Ah…… Camera Conspiracy. Love it!

[@tronalddump404]

Please do the Focus 10 vs Buchardt A500!

[@DarkoAudio]

Nope. Sorry. Not going to happen.

[@tronalddump404]

@@DarkoAudio on the base of your love for the A500s in 2 of your video's, that would be the active monitor standoff of the year imo. Can you say something about it from your experience with the Focus 30? For instance about Dirac vs Buchardt room correction? PS thank you for your video's, I watch them all with great pleasure!

[@johndoe-vb9sm]

I keep going. I havnt seen or heard alot of speakers and amps as viewers on here. My main 2ch is Technics Sug700 and Paradigm Monitor11v7. Also switch between Technics and SMSL DA9 amp just for fun because they sound different. Also have Sennheisser Ambeo. It sounds amazing as well on music, very spacious if you want or not..I use a simple Topping BC3 so I can blue tooth digital to Technics because it doesnt have BT....sounds great. Its just fun yall. I get it though. Thanks John. Good vid again

[@ibringyoumore]

Hello John, I am not interested in Dynaudio Focus 30, but I ended up with watching this film until the end. Your reviewing and talking skills are incredible and its big fun to watch your reviews. I enjoy it very much. I hope we can expect comparison with Buchardt A700. Thanks for your great work.

[@rsolsjo]

I'm looking for a good pair of wifi "bookshelf speakers" (or similar), looked up the Focus 10, they look great but..$5000 for a pair of bookshelf speakers? 😔 That stings.

[@dmitryromin483]

But then good bookshelfs would start at least $2.5-3k. Add 4 DACs and 4 amps. Lets make it simpler, add a good DAC ($2k) + a good amp ($2k). Wait, we forgot about cables 😁. And that would still not sound better than active wireless. Because in actives cross-overs sit before amps. Plus time alignment that is done by active Dynos will be very difficult to beat by most separates in that price range.

[@MrGorpm]

I had a lip sync problem with my LG system when I was sending a signal to a soundbar which drove me nuts! I don't know about your Samsung TV, but there is a menu in the settings of most modern LG sets to advance/retard the audio in milliseconds, which does help a lot. I thought I would drop this information in case anyone else had an issue.

[@christopherfox735]

I think the Focus 30’s & KEF appeal to certain demographic of people that want something better than Sonus or wireless speaker systems but don’t want or can’t have a separates system. They may have a large room but don’t want all the cables & equipment that goes with traditional HiFi. It’s like Kalax-fi but in some way is part of the furniture. Spouse friendly even? It appeals to ordinary people rather audiophiles, perhaps it’s the 2020’s equivalent of 1970’s stack system but looks and sounds better.

[@christopherfox735]

Absolutely not. I’m looking at this from a perspective of growing up in the 60’s & 70’s when most people had a stackable system in a unit from one of the big Japanese HiFi brands. I’m not against active systems which can be very good if you want a minimalist approach (they weren’t so in the 70’s, 80’s, 90’s or early this century). What streaming with DSP has done in systems such as the KEF & Dynaudio have made them user friendly and more acceptable in a domestic environment. This the key approach for these types of devices, it’s about a level of sound quality above the norm that pleases people who aren’t audiophiles who just want to listen to the music. I have a separates system built over many decades but if I’m honest if I was starting out now perhaps I would go this route, the only thing that would stop me is that on these types of devices no matter the cost there’s no easy way to upgrade or if you have a problem with the amplifier in a speaker you have to send the whole speaker back. If this is the future the dacs and amplifiers need to modular so you can easily send back for repair and upgrade. If manufacturers start making modular HiFi like these products they’ll be on to a winner. Otherwise for some people may look at these systems as dead end products that have a finite shelf-life and not be prepared to pay £3-6K.

[@frankminne8911]

Hi John, Thank you for this very nice review. I am very convinced that the Focus 30 is a very good loudspeaker. I went now already several times to the a dealer to hear the Focus 30 and the Focus 50. Both are superb. But when I play for instance “Koyaanisqatsi” of Philip Glass, I hear that the Focus 30 is not able to reproduce the very deep tones. The Focus 50 can reproduce them. It is very logic to me that the Focus 50 can go deeper, so that is no surprise. But I have been listening in quit big rooms, and the room where I would use those speakers is only 3,7m x 3,6m, so it is a small room. Would in such a small room, the Focus 50 be too big? Or is Dirac able to reduce the “too much” base correctly. Keep up the good work, Frank.

[@dudemastermaster8944]

Too big, indeed

[@joonlee8510]

The Focus 30 are sealed, I believe. As such, the bass will not be as deep as, say, ported speakers.

[@DigitalPhilosophers]

Dear John, I would like to ask you which speaker in this comparison sounds more natural. Wooden instruments more like wooden, metallic instruments, voices, trumpets etc. How did you experience the difference in “tonal naturalness“ ?

[@tfelbo]

how does it compare to buchardt A700?

[@qboogie]

Also interested in knowing John's thoughts on this. I have the A700, but the app and platin hub are a bit underwhelming and oversimplified. Using DIRAC seems to give superior control over more characteristics

[@timothys9288]

With digital crossovers and independent driver amplification along with room tuning and finally with custom tone controls, it should be a perfect speaker. It all comes down to peak SPL output within audible distortion limits to determine what you really get. I like to use THX Cinema 105db SPL as a reference point for music as well because that is the peak SPL output that the human ear can tolerate in short measures with no hearing damage and a solid 94db SPL average should be the loudest average someone should use for music, with 85db SPL average being the cinema standard. I wish reviewers would tell the audience what their room size is in cubic feet and the average/peak SPL is at the listening position. That gives viewers a better understanding of what you're really hearing from these speakers. Can they 'hit'? Are they truly dynamic?

[@KeenAesthetic1]

Dynaudio Focus.... at freakin' last! Been waiting for this since the Dali Callisto times. And big up for Siriusmo! And Pursuit Perfect - What a Trifecta!

[@markloughtonUK]

When I lived in Germany in the 80s the Germans would have labeled these "Super Stark". That reminds me i must get my Falco LPs out of the loft :)

[@DarkoAudio]

Falco was Austrian, no? ("Viennaaaa Caaaaalling")

[@markloughtonUK]

@@DarkoAudio Indeed but I purchased them in my youth whilst living in Osnabrück. I wonder if the heat of a loft affects LPs ? Does anyone remember a German song called 'Everything has an end but the sausage has two' ?

[@nacarp2000]

@@markloughtonUK Lofts are very bad, get them out.

[@ultrawhitestar]

On the topic of Dirac Live, I found that the stock curve that DL provides is a terrible choice to push on the user in the first place. A linear (although sloping) frequency response is a dated concept for the ideal audio reproduction. It omits most of the understanding how humans perceive sound as enjoyable. DL applied to my Martin Logan Source speakers cleaned up the bass and gave great focus and detailing to the sound BUT it also pushed the performers between the loudspeakers with little depth perception. It sounded clean but somehow boring, maybe like watching a model behind glas, seeing all the details but not being able to touch them. I fixed this by enhancing certain frequencies with a modified target curve which not only brings back the bass but also enhances the depth perception. Now singers and instrumentalists have their place back slightly in front of my speakers and the music has gained "excitement". Search for "Blauert Bands" and how humans perceive distances in audio reproduction. I found the results stunning but my target curve does not look flat at all! DL is a great tool but out of the box I feel it does as much harm as it does good. One has to experiment with it and forget about "ideals" that are pushed by the industry and/or media outlets.

[@Kurtlassen]

Yes, that´s why you can design your own target curves in Dirac. I have used it for years with Dynaudio Focus200 XD. Great combination ;)

[@klaverro]

Very good review John. I wonder if these Focus serie as sealed box with DSP and Dirac are less fussy about placement? At my dealer I noticed that the Kef LS60's needed quite a bit of space around them to perform well. (p.s.: I think your room is medium sized, regarding to European standards...🙂). Ronald

[@goatspeed]

Thanks for the review. I'd be curious for a comparison vs the Elac Navis flooorstanders. They don't have all of the digital features, but they are active. I do wish these had xlr in as the Navis do.

[@giovanniassanto6786]

Thank you for the exciting review and your dedication towards the audio world. I look forward every week for your review. One more thought, I would like to know your opinion about how speakers like these (which i really like) change vynil playback. In other words, with dsp, analog playback is "less different" from digital playback or it still retains its own nuances? thank you

[@customerbf]

Love the work you put into your work. Learned so much. Question: how do you manage all the packing material that comes with the equipment you put into your space?

[@DarkoAudio]

It all lives in my cellar.

[@anonymoso]

Dear John (sorry), I've really been looking forward to this review, as I'm seriously considering swapping my...12 box (?) "two channel" system for a two box "FutureFi" system. I had a chance to hear the LS60s this weekend and came away very impressed. I also heard the JBL 4305P. Only a stand mount monitor...but WOW! What a bang for the 2200 bucks! I've been trying to find a dealer to demo the Focus 50s (or even 30s) but haven't found any yet. I know that Piega has a similar offering (Piega Ace 50 and Piega Premium 701). Have you identified other FutureFi speakers (active speakers with integrated DACs & streamers)?

[@Alexcustominstall]

Pipeline by Monolake. Kudos 👍

[@-El-Gringo-]

Hi John, once again, great review ; many thanks ! here are a few questions for your forecoming FAQ : - one of the big limitation of my current system is clearly my listening room , thus the question : what about placement ? does/can Dirac help compensating for a not so ideal placement of the speakers realive to back and side walls, but also shape of the room ? - your last video on future of hifi was great, but I am also wondering : As I understand and amongst other things, active speakers have the advantages of (1) enabling crossover to be implemented digitally (thus normally much more precise than what is feasible with traditionnal analog components) and (2) enabling each individual speaker to have their own dedicated power stage. As such, it seems to me that benefits brought by that active architecture will grow 'exponentially' with the number of speakers composing the loudspeaker. is that correct ? - bonus question : I am currently a proud dynaudio audience 72 owner, which i own since 2006 ; and I can feel the gear acquisition syndrome reaching me again, especially with those Focus 30 or 10 ... and that active speaker architecture that concentrates everything I am looking for, including the user experience. These audience 72, are paired with a musical fidelity A3.2 amplifier and a rotel RDD-1580 for streaming qobuz, not to mention the big fat cables .... And I am still taking a looooot of pleasure from it. It represents something like a 5.2k investment in constant euros. Due to the past time (16+ years !) and price differnece (2.5k), would you recommend the switch ? especially, do more recent hardware and digital native ones like these dynaudio improve hires file playback ? (I will not skip a few visits to nearby auditoriums of course, but I am wondering ...) thanks !

[@adrianroberts7478]

Great review of an interesting product, thanks. I think a key feature of Future-Fi should be auto input switching (otherwise the family just don't bother streaming to the stereo). Do the Focus speakers have it? Cheers.

[@deiruch]

Yes, they do.

[@foldspacenavigator6011]

Thank you John. I am split as I use both an active class D system and a more traditional passive with separates AB system. Cloud based and/or component modularity options are expanding choices, quality and experience these days. Based on your engagement with industry leaders, do you have any further insight or speculation on the future evolution, direction and impact of advanced class D, wireless and audio technology like this?

[@lorenzocriscuolo7869]

Excellent review as always. I’ve only recently started to learn about Dirac live and I’m wondering if the software is worth the price of admission at $349. I’m currently using Linn’s own software (Space optimization) since it’s integrated with the Linn Exakt Akudoriks,but you only enter room measurements (no microphone) and no room acoustics. Any thoughts? Thanks.

[@dennerik36911]

Good comment. The licence should be free; when paying 7500 euro for the speakers

[@Icy_Igloo]

Just discovered this channel, and love it. Thank you for all the time you put into this. In trying to understand your last tongue in cheek comment...I take it that you aren't a Red Hot Chilli Peppers fan? :)