Mini Monitors - Dynaudio and JM Labs

Liuhao, I have to disagree that the Micros do not have any bass punch at all. Sure, there are other speakers that are much more extended in the bass, but I have actually found them to be quite punchy in the bottom end. Perhaps your room is too big for them or you're underpowering them. I've run them typically with anywhere between 120W per channel up to 600W per channel and have had no compliants about the bass punch with the Micros. Even at a HiFi Show we put on in November, I had them set up in a decent sized hotel room driven by an all Cary system with the 600W per channel Cary A-306 power amp and no one complained about lack of bass at all. Check out the picture of this system at the show if you want:
http://www.everestaudio.com/hifishow/htmls/everest-audio-show_020.html

Note: There is a Velodyne sub in the picture, but most of the time we did not have it turned on and the Micros bottom end filled the room very well.

Washline, wouldn't a semi-colon after 20khz been more appropriate than a comma? While not as clear as breaking it down into 2 sentences; it would have made your sentence, and the point you were trying to make, easier to follow. Don't you think?

What timing here !
I just listened to the Micro Be's and came away quite impressed with tweeter . I had originally gone to audition some Mac stuff and changed my upgrade path !
I did not think that they needed a sub . I even turned up the base , on the Mac pre , and felt that flat was fine .
I have started a thread to find another speaker with this caliber of performance for less money . Does it exist ?

Also , what are you Be owners using for amplification . The Mac stuff , tubed pre & SS amp , sounded pretty good .

Thank You

I've been enjoying a new pair of Micro Be's for about a week now and all I can say is these are AMAZING "little" speakers. It's always a joy when your system takes a big jump towards a deeper more satisfying musical experience. These speakers are in the process (still breaking them in) of doing just that.

A little history...the Micros replaced a pair of B&W N805's that had provided quite a few years of enjoyment during which time I systematically upgraded my entire system from the top on down.

My current system breaks down as follows:
Mark Levinson 390s (fed directly into amp)
McIntosh 501's
Nordost Valkyrja Balanced IC throughout
Revel Ultima Sub30
Audience Au24 Speaker Cable
Focal-JM Labs Micro Utopia Be (on SMU stands)

As musically satisfying speaker the 805's have been over the years I felt that I just wasn't getting everything my components were capable of delivering. Having a few other financial priorities it was going to be a little while longer before making the upgrade as I've been looking at much more expensive options than the Micros.

I've heard a lot of great things about the Micros and was extremely impressed a couple of years back when I heard a pair of Altos. So when a pair of Micros showed up on AG last month at a decent price I thought to myself why not give them a try. At least they could tie me over until I decide on the speakers I really want.

Well, having lived with these babies for just over a week I may have just found what I've been missing. No, they don't have the final word on macrodynamics or overall scale (even with the Sub30), but apart from that that these speakers are truly extraordinary.

The top-end is simply beyond anything I've heard before along with transparency through the mid-band. Soundstaging and imaging are spectacular as well (you'll need to experiment w/ toe-in) and strike a wonderful balance between image focus and spaciousness. Reproduction of instrument placement, timbre and spacial cues on Dave Brubeck's "Time Out" is simply staggering. The speakers disappear completely and what's left is the music suspended in 3D space in front of you. Going through my collection of favorite "diagnostic" cd's (we all have 'em) has revealed a layer of musical detail and texture I've never heard before on my system. Another veil between the music and the listening chair has been lifted.

All in all, these speakers are a magnitude order above my old B&W's in every way. With the Sub30 the experience top to bottom is truly special, but that's another story.

I can't recommend these speakers enough. Happy Listening!!

Al

I've listened, lived and auditioned extensively a few lines of the JM Labs and Dyns over the years & I personally would go for the Dynaudios over the JM Labs.
I find the sound of the JM labs a little bit on the hot side of things. Details in abundance but I find the mids to be a bit thin sounding.While the higher models of the JM labs offer a degree of refinement over the mid range products, I still find it lacking in robustness.

The Dyns are more neutral, more robust mids and the bass is very good. However these needs to be careful placed because they can be quite bass heavy at times.These speakers also crave for lots of good s/s power,.

Currently though I'm more in the PMC, Harbeth, Spendor camp of speakers. While these doesnt have the high's of the JM labs, or the bass of the Dyns, the mids of these speakers truly captivate my listening experience. The midrange is remarkable clear and open, which I felt the JM Labs nor the DYns amissed. Again, everyone is entitled to their own opinion. This just happens to be mine which is subjective to my listening preference and listening room.