Reloaded : Dynaudio Special 40 vs Dali Rubicon 2 (with a more powerful amp)

[@mykeldg]

Reloaded - a new take to see if a more powerful amp (NAD, 220W @ 4 ohms) can have some advantages. Jazz 1 : S40 0:00 , Rubicon 0:48 Bass/Vocals : S40 1:44 , Rubicon 2:47 Jazz 2 : S40 3:49 , Rubicon 4:31 Live/Indie : S40 5:12 , Rubicon 6:23

[@MrVoayer]

With more power both of these speakers really shine ! From what I hear Dalis still sound more 3D, more spacious, more engaging. But Dynaudios are seriously good sounding speakers !

[@benjaminlasserre2781]

Again SP40 is more pleasant to listen for my taste. Specially the way it reproduce low ends and mids and the general tone. The rubicon 2 are also very good for someone who like a clearer presentation

[@stanislavbakov6005]

I bought rubicon 2 because i like your opinion of them. I will now support them with the Rel t7x subwoofer.

[@mykeldg]

how do you like them so far?

[@stanislavbakov6005]

@@mykeldg I had an excite x18 I was thinking of buying a special 40 or buchardt s400, but I decided to take the Rubicon 2 and I like it more than the excite x18

[@mykeldg]

@@stanislavbakov6005 glad you liked them. I like the Rubicon 2 more than the S40 (personal preference). Compared to the x18, s40 has a bit fuller mids and slightly deeper bass, smoother but more prominent highs.

[@sebastiannegrus9007]

@@mykeldg hi myke...another victim of your influence here....:)....I listened your new camparison...I own a pair of Rubicon 2 too...it seems that Rubicon 2 it's like a shadow for you...again and again back to them, it hounts you, I thought that you gave up for good ,you said that you can't afford both, for me in this video S40 sound good, but R2 ...oh boy...they move my soul, I like them more, I don't now exactly why...may be that leyering, more clear sound overall and better integration of all frequency. I'm still looking for a good match amp for my R2, Nad brings you what you have missed for R2?...meaning stroger bass and a little more accent on mids? what is the model of Nad?

[@mykeldg]

@@sebastiannegrus9007 the s40s are great! I guess I just prefer the sound sig of the Dali. (which I've sold and bought back 4-5 times now). The Dali ironically has more mids presence than the s40 and it is rounder in the upper mids -- this is one realization I did not realize back then. It sounds more cohesive to me in the mid section while having more layers, agility and nimbleness. Not heard in the demo, the Dali also has a smoother rhythm (despite being brighter). S40 on the other hand is warm but very neutral -- the midrange seems thicker but this thickness is from the upper bass. The actual midrange is dry and not as fleshed out as the Dali. On the bass, Dali again more agile and S40 is more about punch and thickness. Soundstage, I feel like Dali is more 3 dimensional. S40 is wide but flat - almost sounding compressed in comparison.

[@gokhanersan8561]

You have to checkout the Rubikore speakers. Rubicon’s sound fantastic, kore sounds unbelievable.

[@mykeldg]

@@gokhanersan8561 would love to!

[@vasyapupkin3300]

With this amplifier, the Dali sounds better than with the ONKYO a 9150. The sound is more dynamic and lively with excellent bass control.

[@darrenlomax1283]

Get Katie melua on the Rubicon's, she'll blow your mind

[@lukasbd4]

Thanks for the video! I owned B&W 606 S2 and they were very fatiguing, then I got Polk R600 and they were quite the opposite, as in lacking excitement, so now I'm looking for something in between and both speakers in the video seem really great!

[@mykeldg]

try kef r3 meta, dali rubicon 5. the dynes are great but its not my taste

[@anlemcsa132]

@@mykeldg where is the comparison with epicon 2 =D but how many i understand have you heard it and it is a bit better? What do you say about Rubicon 5?

[@russellparker4568]

Im still saving for the rubicons. Meanwhile I bought a better amp to go with my quad s2s. I was using a audiolab 6000a play with 50wpc. The new amp, arcam sa30 has 120wpc, it’s made a huge difference to the performance of the quads, so much so that I’m not desperate to change them anymore. I’m still learning in hifi, only been into it a couple of years. Two things I’ll always consider now are - Always have an amp with plenty of power And If you have access to something like Dirac live, make use of it because it can do incredible things to the sound. I’m saving for the rubicon 2 because of your videos btw, your doing some great demos. 👍🏻

[@russellparker4568]

I’ve actually pinched a few of your demo tracks too for my own test purposes 😆, great music choices.

[@mykeldg]

Great choice! Actually im selling the dynaudio special 40 to buy the rubicons again. That’s how great i think they are. ( not that the S40 is not great - they are objectively the superior speaker -- just not to my taste). If you have access to tone controls or dirac i highly recommend it, the rubicons just need a little bump it the bass to sound perfect.

[@mykeldg]

regarding power -- that's right. I also only discovered this recently. Previously only using 30W onkyo and 20W schiit Aegir. Trying out with a bit more power now with the NAD was an eye opener, the sound has legit force and the woofers sound like they are always in control with less smearing. the sound doesn't change when you push the volume -- it just gets bigger and bigger without being forward.

[@mykeldg]

BTW the quads are quite different to the rubicons -- they are a bit closer tonally to the s40 than the Dali according to a friend who has both s40 and s2.

[@russellparker4568]

@@mykeldg thanks for the info I didn’t know that. I’ve heard the dalis at a dealer and was blown away with their detail and imaging , love that kind of sound it’s just so much more engaging. But yeah when you work out how to really make Dirac perform well it just allows you to really fine tune slight imperfections so the speakers sound spot on. My quads had a tremendous amount of treble energy which was very fatiguing and I’ve managed to get them to sound so detailed and transparent without any fatigue. But yeah, thanks for all your content it’s helped me loads with my hifi journey

[@forgotnick]

I have Rubicon 2 and sometimes feel it is hard to follow voices on TV. Maybe highs distract a bit. Did you experience something similar and how Dynaudio compared for regular TV watching?

[@mykeldg]

Hmm are they near the wall? The rubicons have more forward voices than Dynaudio. but they need space or else there is a suckout in midrange.

[@mykeldg]

I prefer Dalis more clear midrange than the DYnaudio. more clear and closer to you type of presentation. But this is after years of finding perfect positioning. when I remove the pillows I have in the corner, the Dali may sound bright and thin. try to pull them further from wall or add pillows in cornder

[@mykeldg]

see my comparison below before and after putting a pillow : kzbin.info/www/bejne/jJXIi6mHlrOrobc

[@forgotnick]

@@mykeldg Thanks! I have them close to the rear wall and can't bring out more, maybe a few cm. Running on Lyngdorf TDAI-1120 with room correction so it helps a little but I thought maybe another type of speakers would suit my setup better.

[@mykhailoskachkov5946]

@@forgotnick is Rubicons2 and TDAI a good combination?

[@swiss889]

Amazing demo, both sound good, maybe the Dali's sound a little recessed compared to the sp40's but hard to tell on KZbin 👌

[@mykeldg]

Yes the S40 is very flat and even sounding. Dali has some character in its presentation that some may love and some may not.

[@jshim100]

Similar bass, sp40 smoother, more natural, Dali more defined highs and brighter and therefore more airy. Always liked sp40 and how it looked but on a blind sound, prefer Dali.

[@jari121]

I liked Dali's more natural sound. Your daughter is getting older and shy 🙂.

[@bradkasten1018]

Which microphones did you use for the recording and where did you place them ? I own a pair of Dynaudio Foccus ( a DIY-Kit from the 90ies before these were renamed to Focus) and from what i can say, the comparison here is absolutely right. Danish PRO sound with slightly different interpretations. I love the tweeter from Dynaudio, it brings out transients and elegance at ease.

[@mykeldg]

just using an iphone hehehe but it has bunairal mic which captures the soundstage

[@RennieAsh]

You could try the Musician Knight speaker, similar to Dynaudio but cheaper. Supposedly sounds pretty good. The bright red wood veneer would certainly stand out lol

[@mykeldg]

would love to try should I get my hands on it!

[@vladburdyak9300]

Clear and define soundstage from Daili far better that Dynaudio. Listening now on B&W 703 S3 with 250W amp and separate DAC. Come on, i was confused on those Dali, too good for the price, even with less punch.

[@mykeldg]

Love them . Still cant find anything better for the price to replace them

[@michaelwatkins5500]

which would you say has the quicker, airier presentation? i'm a percussionist, so speed in dynamics is important

[@mykeldg]

i used to be a drummer, and i personally prefer the dali much more. they have much more attack and presence. but dynes have their own appeal being uber balanced and refined.

[@David-lv1ol]

Rubicon sounds more mid forward to me. Ever think about doing a crossovers upgrade from GR research? I think he has done some for similar models.

[@mykeldg]

yes that's right -- it has a clearer more fleshed out midrange with more space, depth and layering. s40 has a more neutral balance.

[@praetor47]

@@mykeldg just ignore GR "research". he's a cunning salesman, but nothing he sells is an improvement

[@mykeldg]

@@praetor47 hehehe. i dont mind him but am also wary. I guess his work has some bit of scientific merit. But yes it will change the sound sig of the original speaker which the designer intended. maybe its only recommended for entry level speakers which really do need help with replacing cheap XO parts and cabinetry.

[@praetor47]

@@mykeldg nah man, his work has exactly 0 scientific merit. there's nothing wrong with cheap XO parts. they do their intended job. who knows what are the myriad aberrations he's introducing (introducing more resonances? cone breakup modes? maybe more and nobody's measuring...) by actually changing the XO. most times it's also probably not doing anything audible (you are NOT going to hear a higher quality XO part). you could try doing his "mods" by simply doing them at the DSP level to see (hear! :P) if the changes are audible and an improvement (don't forget to do the comparison blind! have your little one help you out ;)) i don't think it's really recommended for any speaker, particularly not entry level as his kits cost quite a bit of money, which would've allowed you to buy a better speaker in the first place he's only sliiiightly better than the con mans like every other cable salesman because he's at least measuring the FR... but then again, he's also selling the cable kult as if it were true so maybe not :) anyway, both speakers sound really good (as much as can be heard from a yt video :P) and i'd have a hard time picking between them but if forced, i think i'd go with the Rubicon due to the slightly more emphasized midrange (i listen to a lot of metal :P)

[@mykeldg]

@@praetor47 all true, man! also if you are into buy & sell, modding the XO will significantly affect the market value of the speakers.

[@thevintagehifiambassador8524]

fantastic video, funny kid :-) Dynaudio wins less clearly now but Dali more refined and more dynamic for short listenings, but with this Amp the Rubicons are amazing, so hmm do I really prefer the SP40?s ? Just to have a change from my forward sounding speakers, perhaps and to hear a piano playing neutral. Dalis with better amp sound less bright, wow, wow.

[@mykeldg]

I found the S40 more fatiguing for me in the long run despite the smoother character, it feels 2-dimensional. I just find the Dali to form instruments better with more space and unforced, rounder details. Its just the bass may leave others wanting and the Dynaudios have tons of those. Most people who find the Dalis bright have them too close to the corner or wall. in my previous videos, I it was not as optimally placed and dampened. The Dalis will sound thin in the middle if poorly placed.

[@thevintagehifiambassador8524]

for 3 weeks O have the Dali Menuet Se. First Cambridge Audio A500 sounds wonderful but not perfect for 4 Ohm speakers and it warms up. Then A500 preout to Rotel RB-980 BX, sounds good too, but less good than before and Rotel and Cambridge get hot.Then Rotel RC-990 pre with power amp sounds less good but stays cold, very neutral, not colored enough. Waiting for my Exposure 3010 s2d pre and curious how it sounds with the Power amp. Then connecting Sudgen A21 SE Signature for perfect sound but gets damn hot, so perhaps ordering an Exposure 2025 integrated amp. Dalis have now 25 hours, too hot here to listen to it. When I get SP40 I‘ll order an Atoll IN 200 or I take the 3010 s2d and give it a Musical Fidelity power amp, which also heats up a lot, but for winter it will be ok.

[@mykeldg]

@@thevintagehifiambassador8524 both Atoll IN 200 or 3010 s2 are great amps I wish I could try as myself. im sure it will be amazing on either speakers. im also curious if I was not feeding the s40 with league-appropriate amp. feel free to keep me posted on your journey!

[@thevintagehifiambassador8524]

@@mykeldg very often wrong amp does not give the best of a speaker. Dynaudio needs high current, not so high power (apparently) and apparently Atoll IN 200 works with Dynaudio SP40, but Naim Supernait 2 is not strong enough, Naim works but does not extract all of the SP40's (I bought it from him, so I can some day try it out) so I suppose Atoll is the very limit. Exposure pre and Musical Fidelity power amp is the best ever according to a friend searching for 30 years for this sound with the SP40. So I try to go in this direction. Will get the same Exposure preamp in some days, only need the SP 40 's and the MF power amp :-))) and SP40's apparently never sound fatiguing we read everywhere, so ?

[@whitelotus_zero]

It's funny how Dali has been flying under the radar for so many and so long. Nothing particularly wrong with Dynaudio, they are well rounded but not as alive or interesting to listen to.

[@mykeldg]

yes!

[@chokdeesuphakiatibunchorn158]

👍👍👍👍👍

[@matimati469]

Dali !!

[@skavcic]

SP40 sounds better.

[@pasqualefarinacci8444]

Dali much better, deeper bass, more brilliant, more live sound.

[@fredsanke8710]

Denmark VS. Denmark..... DynAudio clearer and natural...

[@williammiebach1798]

I think Dali has improvrd the Rubicons. I still prefer tha Special 40's for slightly more detail, refinement and lifelike presence, but the Rubicon 2s are pretty enjoyable sounding. I think your little dancer is not in the mood this time 🙂.

[@legion2252]

это NAD 375?

[@martinmbokazi8372]

Its a NAD C356 ( 80w x 2 @ 8 ohms and 220w @ 4 ohms )