2. speakers
  3. 1261281103

Dynaudio C1 with more impact

I've just auditioned a pair of Dynaudio C1 hooked up to a Cary SLI 80 and I really liked the speakers, and I was actually very surprised by the Cary since it's a pretty low watt amp which seems to go against the suggestions of many around here. I listened to mostly older rock (Beatles, Pink Floyd, Queen, Zeppelin) and I thought they were amazing for this kind of stuff. There was a lot of detail, and every instrument was very well separated. The only "issue" I ran into was when playing metal, which even that sounded really good. The only thing I wish it had was more "impact", for lack of a better word. All the music was there in front of me, and every instrument was clearly audible and while this is good for most times, there are times when I'd actually like to feel the music hit me, if that makes sense. I realize that they're pretty small speakers and the bass on them while extended and went pretty low, it was refined rather than having any impact.

Am I looking at the completely wrong speaker for this? Don't get me wrong I still liked them very much as they were, but I'm wondering if the issue that I'm seeing has to do with the power provided (is a high watt amp really needed for that sort of this, or is that simply for more volume?), room setup, or does it just need a sub in some instances.
jibbonacci

Showing 8 responses by jibbonacci

jibbonacci OP
31 posts
 
I'd consider the C2s on audiogon the only problem is that I live in Canada so I'll most likely get dinged with high shipping plus duty/tax.

To be honest I didn't think my room was that big to need floorstanders so I didn't even consider them but now it looks like I'll have to start researching those too.

Thanks again for everyone's help.
jibbonacci OP
31 posts
 
Thanks Xti16.

My dealer's pretty good and he will let me audition them home I just want to make sure I don't waste his time. I don't have an amp currently either and I was looking at getting the Cary from them as well. The amp was plenty loud to me. I had the volume half way in triode mode and it was lod enough, so that's why i want to make sure that increasing the watts doesn't just increase the volume since I don't need that. Next time I'll go by I'll try a higher power amp to see the difference.

The main I'm asking this now is because when spending this much money there's a whole lot of other speakers to choose from but I don't know which ones would match the C1 in clarity, definition and musicality.
jibbonacci OP
31 posts
 
Toetapfactor: I don't listen to only heavy metal, that's just one of the genres I enjoy listening to, and granted I have quite a few albums. Like i said though I loved the C1s when listening to Pink Floyd and the likes, I was just sitting there enjoying the music and being amazed and the detail I was hearing. Also with heavy metal the drums and cymbals sounded awesome and since the guitar is a midrange instrument it sounded great through the speakers. I mainly wanted to see if there was something I could do to get more "impact" at the odd time I need some. I was thinking maybe a higher power amp would help (note I don't need it any louder), or maybe it's just the room.
jibbonacci OP
31 posts
 
The recommendation to look into floorstanders for more slam or impact makes sense. I haven't considered them because I though they needed a much larger room and they'd be a little harder to place. Another question regarding pressurizing a room even by a floorstander with multiple drivers, wouldn't this still require music to be played really loudly in order to move more air?
jibbonacci OP
31 posts
 
I appreciate the feedback Toetapfactor, and I'm just wondering what you think a speaker needs to do well in order to reproduce rock/metal. My problem is that this isn't the only genre I listen to, that's why I'm looking for something better all around. If it means adding a sub for the C1s to be better rock then sure that would be easy enough.

Also you mentioned the JBLs... I've tried some a long time ago and I found them muddy and boomy, but maybe I've tried the wrong ones. Paradigm has also been recommended to me many times for rock, however I think they're crap (at least the ones I listened to which are Monitor and Signature series). The highs were ear piercing, no detail and I just wanted to turn the music off after half an hour.

One option that was recommended that looks good is the Legacy Focus HD, but it's a huge speaker weigning in at 185 lb and I most likely will need a big room in order for it to sound its best. If you have any other recommendation I would gladly look into it.
jibbonacci OP
31 posts
 
Thanks James. My room is about 19x15x8, so I'm not sure if it's considered medium size. The C1s would cost me about 6000 new with stands.

You mentioned dynamic swings... Is this something that a good power amp would help with, or does it have to so with the speakers more. To me it seems like a good power amp would help more since it would be able to respond better to these changes without bogging down. I could be wrong here since I've just started getting into this hobby more seriously.
jibbonacci OP
31 posts
 
Thanks for all the responses. Sounds like the best thing to do next is to try out a higher power amp. I did try a Simaudio integrated but I wasn't a big fan (it sounded a little too cold or sterile for my taste).

Also I didn't spend too much time in UL mode on the Cary but when I did it just seemed to be a bit louder with a smaller soundstage. If I spent more time with it I might like it more.
jibbonacci OP
31 posts
 
I consider slam exactly how Fix1bxn described it, and it does make sense that volume is needed for that. So I think first I'll try a higher power amp and a bit more volume and see how that is.

The "slam" that Cdc mentioned I totally get from the C1s, on an emotional level they worked really well for me with any type of music which is why I liked them so much.
More to discover