advertisement


ProAc DT8 / D20R or Dynaudio Evoke Speakers?

Witterings

Witterings
I currently have a pair of Focal Aria 926's which are lovely and very detailed speakers but for me are a tad bright and could do with some more low end / bass. With the setup I have I can't permanently add a sub (did test with one and it made a difference) so am looking at alternatives.

The research I've done it's come down to the choice of the ProAc DT8's / D20R or alternatively Dynuadio Evoke 30's / 50's.

My rooms 15 x 26 feet and reasonably furnished / carpeted and my amp's an Arcam SA30 which is relatively neutral.

I'm really looking for a richer / warmer sound with better lower end which I prefer to be tight / punchy but I also still love detail. As often as not I'm listening to one instrument that might have a particularly strong performance and picking up on things like quiet / subtle bass nuances going on on the background.

If anybody can help me with how any of these speakers fit the charateristics I'm looking for, I'm particularily interested in how the DT8's compare to the D20R's as I think I'm leaning in that direction. Concerns with each would be, I wonder if the Ribbons on the 20's may give a brightness I'm trying to stay away from and have heard the bass on the DT8's can be too much / boomy.

The Dynaudios seem to fit the sound characteristics I'm after but have heard they can be fussier on pairing and placement.

Any insight anyone can offer would be greatly appreciated.
 
I've heard both the DT8's and the D20R, but not the evokes. These were on the end of my Sugden A21 Signature.

Big warning re the DT8's. Do not buy them blind. They are very-very bassy speakers, of many I listened to by a long mile the heaviest on bass (overblown in my opinion) and I can easily see how they'd just overdo a room. I did not like these at all. They look nice and that's it. Sorry to any owners, but they're shite, imo.

D20's are a much more refined speaker. Cleaner deliver, less bass, still quite a bit though. I actually didn't really like either of these ProAc floorstanders all that much. However, the DB1's when I listened. My gosh that is a special speaker. They are small, but do not sound small at all. If I have any hifi regrets not buying them then and there might be one. I will own a set at some point.

It all worked out fantastically well in the end and I bought awesome different speakers.

Anyway, my long-winded point is definitely definitely get a listen, in your room, before you buy either of these ProAcs.
 
If you can, take a look at the Amphion 3LS, the passive radiator really helps with room placement. I have the book shelf version which I moved over from Proac due to room boom issues. Tight punchy and detailed are Amphion strong points. I would still try any speaker at home before you buy as no 2 rooms or systems are alike
 
With your preference for tight and punchy sound in your sized listening room, I'd be heading for a sealed-box speaker.

That said, the entry-level ATC and HARBETH offerings should all be on your radar IMHO.

Matched with your Arcam SA30, you shouldn't have any harshness or power limitation problems.

wv7ljaeolut40gxzx1kw.jpg


1628591987_774_Harbeth-P3ESR-XD-geschlossener-Kompaktlautsprecher-im-Test.jpg
 
To try to reply to all

@Amormusic ... I've seen your other post with the link to Listening Day and am half way through that thread so thank you for that :)

@Muttley2 .... Great username :) I'd never heard of them before but will definitely take a look.

@SONDEKNZ ... Harbeth isn't a name I'd heard of until about a week ago and now I see it everywhere :) .... In another room I have some Elac B5.2 bookshelves and I tried bringing them into the lounge on speakers stands to see what they sounded like and the sound just disappeared and whilst the Elac's are far more budget speakers, my concern is any other bookshelf will do the same and I don't have the option of a sub with this setup.

I'd be interested to hear if others think it's too big an ask for "quality" bookshelves and I don't really like the standmount look, althiough this is more about the sound. I also mentioned it to a retailer as I'd heard good things about Dynaudio Special 40's and he agreed they wouldn't fill the room.
 
I use Proac D2D stand mounts at one end of a 11' by 20' room.

I've had them about 18 months and am now quite settled with them although I was a bit iffy at first.

It seems they need a little time to run in, something I find a bit difficult to find the patience for. They now shine nicely across the range and are an enjoyable listen.

Bass has nice weight and punch while avoiding boom that some other speakers I've tried did.

I don't expect DT8s would work in my room but they might in op's larger space.
 
As an owner of the D20R, I would strongly advise an audition. In that size space, you could well be alright. They are not bright speakers at all, the midrange/treble are very natural, the bass can be amazing or overpowering, depending on the room.

When I auditioned the DT8s, they sounded unrefined in comparison, way boomier bass, but who knows, you might like it.

Dynaudio are a different kind of speaker, they don’t sound as ‘real’, but have a lovely treble and certainly a strong bass. If you prefer a hifi type of sound, could be good for you.

Another suggestion would be Spendor, their floorstanders have outstanding bass power with the control go with it, but maybe too polite for some in the midrange. They don’t image quite as well as the Proacs.

I cannot stress enough, audition at home!
 
Another suggestion would be Spendor, their floorstanders have outstanding bass power with the control go with it, but maybe too polite for some in the midrange. They don’t image quite as well as the Proacs.

I cannot stress enough, audition at home!

I'm certainly picking up VERY strong suggestions about home trial / possibly overpowering bass so will do.

I very briefly auditioned some Spendor A4's, I may have judged them too quickly but a track I use for testing (and love) is Freya Ridings - Lost Without You, teh vocals at the beginning of the track were amazing and then the piano came in and you almost couldn't hear it so just made an instant decision.

I didn't want to "muddy the waters" as I was taking some others for home trial so made a fairly swift decision they were a no .... maybe I was too hasty and should have given them a greater chance.
 
I'm certainly picking up VERY strong suggestions about home trial / possibly overpowering bass so will do.

I very briefly auditioned some Spendor A4's, I may have judged them too quickly but a track I use for testing (and love) is Freya Ridings - Lost Without You, teh vocals at the beginning of the track were amazing and then the piano came in and you almost couldn't hear it so just made an instant decision.

I didn't want to "muddy the waters" as I was taking some others for home trial so made a fairly swift decision they were a no .... maybe I was too hasty and should have given them a greater chance.

I understand where you are coming from, I had the D7.2 at home, they really needed to be played loud-ish to come to life, otherwise really did not engage. That will suit some, but others, not so much.

At the dealers, the bass of just about any speaker apart from the DT8 did not ring any alarm bells, but at home, quite a different story, so matching to your room and taste is key.
 
Interested in this post. Dynaudio. Investigating replacing 24 year old Epos es 22s with similar size floorstanders. Could be a tough job. 22s are old classics.
Local dealer has suggested 3 possible contenders. Dynaudio Evoke 30 , Fyne 501sp and Audiovector R3 Signature. All 3 available to demonstrate. They had no Proacs to demo - id mentioned the dt8 and d20r models.
I'll have a listen to the first 3.
 
Interested in this post. Dynaudio. Investigating replacing 24 year old Epos es 22s with similar size floorstanders. Could be a tough job. 22s are old classics.
Local dealer has suggested 3 possible contenders. Dynaudio Evoke 30 , Fyne 501sp and Audiovector R3 Signature. All 3 available to demonstrate. They had no Proacs to demo - id mentioned the dt8 and d20r models.
I'll have a listen to the first 3.

I've become incredibly wary of dealer recommendations .... most of the time they'll only recommend what they have in stock and can make a sale with, absolutely no point in telling you speaker Z is the best if it's on back order for 3 months (their jobs depend on selling items).

The penny only dropped within the last few day, speaking to a big' ish chain where they have the rights/franchise to sell seakers A and B in one store/location and they tell you they're amazing and speakers C/D aren't up to much .... speak to another branch of the same company in a different location where another retailer has the franchise for speakers A/B so they stock C/D and you get completely the opposite story from what's meant to be the same company.

I'm also finding the one's that have been in the industry for 30 years, so you feel they're "informed" and tend to trust them. It's always them that's trying to upsell you speaker cables / interconnects .... and your setup will sound good ...... but you're a discerning customer, has anybody told you how to achieve that mecca your looking for and it'll sound WAAAAAAYYYYY better than your neighbours ........ yeah right.

Don't mean to be too cycnical but hence why I ask in forums for real people with real experience :)
 
I have Evoke 30s in a room a tad smaller than yours, so I’m reasonably sure they would reform fine in yours. Mine are on the end of a Bel Canto C6i, and they go plenty loud.
I have them 40cm from the wall behind them, and for my tastes in my room the bass is lovely and tuneful
 
  • Like
Reactions: mbu
However, the DB1's when I listened. My gosh that is a special speaker. They are small, but do not sound small at all. If I have any hifi regrets not buying them then and there might be one. I will own a set at some point.

Are these effectively the modern versions of Response 1SCs?

I ask because I'm moving to a smaller room (in a bigger house) next week, and I may need to dump my PMC floorstanders....

Also, sorry to be OT.
 
I can’t offer any comparisons but I can tell you just how much I love my D20Rs.

The downward firing bass port makes them relatively unfussy about position although for me they sound best about 18” away from the wall. Not bright and have a wonderful midrange with an airy treble of exceptional clarity. I listened to the regular D20 in a direct comparison and found the ribbon tweeter of the ‘R made a huge difference.

I used to run them with a SuperUniti and a sub. Since switching to a Luxman 505 UX II there has been no need for the sub. It’s like they go an extra octave deeper.

Given the above a home demo is hugely important as who knows how they’ll sound with your kit in your room (and to your ears). But if you enjoy them as much as I do the decision will be an easy one.

Enjoy the search !
 
Are these effectively the modern versions of Response 1SCs?

I ask because I'm moving to a smaller room (in a bigger house) next week, and I may need to dump my PMC floorstanders....

Also, sorry to be OT.

They kind of are, along with the DB3, but DB1 higher up the chain.
 
I have struggled with DT8 in my room with excessive bass and have had a thread running in the past. I have mostly solved the issue by standing them on their spikes onto IKEA bamboo chopping boards under which I superglue 4 sorbothane hemispheres and the result is much improved. I did try them with a loaner Rega Elicit mk5 and that seemed to boost the upper midrange and is a better match than my Nait XS2.

I think that the bass can overwhelm the midrange and be rather unimpressive. They are however great for jazz but not so much for dance etc.

I did listen to the DB1s at the dealer and was very impressed actually but foolishly went for the DT8s as I preferred the look and to be honest seemed like more speaker real estate for the money.

I have now also got some Alchris Audio AR4 which are excellent in my opinion but are slightly bright. A massive contrast to the Proacs but very enjoyable with excellent imaging.

Good luck with your search.
 
I think with the comments in here and doing research elsewhere the DT8's are definitely off the list, the D20r's probably still on.

The Dynaudios, there's so little information about the ones I'm interested in it's hard to draw any real conclusions although I wonder if the bass may be a bit lacking on the 30's.

If anybody has recommendations of other floorstanders I should be looking at, the one thing I really don't want is bright / fatiguing, I love punchy and detail / seperation ... if you can think of anything that ticks those boxes and is generally warm please do throw them into the mix.
 
OK, since we are kind of in the same boat, I will throw in Audio Physic. There are a lot of different models, but something among the Classic range of floorstanders could fit the bill.

Also, in the second hand market, Proac D18. I love that speaker, and in my smaller (5m x 6m) space, prefer it to the D20R. They image superbly, have a big soundstage, and a natural tone, veering slightly on the warm side. They trounced the Dynaudio Special 40 for me, it all comes down to taste.
 


advertisement


Back
Top