ArneD

Overall Rating
 4 of 5

Value Rating
 5 of 5

Used product for
1 to 3 months

Visitors rate this review
2.33 of 5, 3.00 votes

Price Paid:  $3700.00 from ebay

Summary:
I always wanted the C5 from Dynaudio since I saw them for the first time on the IFA in Berlin 1999. I had a pair of Dynaudio Xennon 3/75 since 1989 and absolutely loved them, which made me curious about the flagship speaker ( I dislike the looks of the Consequence!). Over the years I paired my Xennons with many amplifers and cables continuously improving their performance. By the time I moved from Germany to the U.S. I had a T+A P2000 AC with a T+A A2000 AC, using a T+A DVD 1210 R as my audio source. The sound was beautiful to my ears, but once I had moved the sound in the U.S. was not the same anymore, maybe because of the 110V on 60hz versus the ideal of 220v on 50Hz for the T+A components. So I sold them except for the DVD player and replaced everything with a Krell HTS and a Krell KAV 500. These components almost killed my speakers. Being unhappy again with the lost audiophile pleasure of the past, I decided it was time to pair the high end Krell components with adequate speakers and finally bought my dream speakers-the C5's. The midrange was a dream right away, but compared to my Xennon 3's the mighty ESOTAR tweeter sounded really lame. I am missing the high frequency spectrum of my beloved Xennons. The base is punchy and hard, but the overall sound is comparably cold and sterile. I am frustrated once more, I know these speakers should be perfect and can only asume that Krell components are not the right partner for the C5 if you are looking for the typical warm Dynaudio sound. I will not sell the speakers because I am glad I finally found a nice pair in palisander rosewood, but my quest for the right components seems to continue. If anybody has any tips in regards to the right amplification with native 110Volt equipment, please let me know.

Strengths:
Beautiful speakers with a fantastic sounding mid range.

Weaknesses:
Hard to find the right equipment in order to drive the C5 to its full potential.
I do not recommend the C5 being paired with Krell components. The sound is harsh and brutal, I am missing the right frequency balance, warmth and silkyness that is typical for Dynaudio.

Similar Products Used:
Dynaudio Xennon 3/75, Audience 122, Audience 62, Krell HTS, Krell KAV 500, T+A A 2000 AC, T+A P 2000 AC, T+A DVD 1210R, Straight Wire Rhapsody S speaker cables, Wireworld silver Eclipse XLR's

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Price Paid:  $2500.00 from Private

Summary:
Was für ein gigantisch guter Lautsprecher! ich hatte jahrelang eine Contour 3.3 und war immer zufrieden bis auf eine Überhöhung im oberen Bassbereich, die nicht zu korrigieren war. Nach einer Umstellung meiner Elektronik von einem Accuphase E-406 auf eine Vor/End-Kombi mit C-2400 und P-450 wagte ich den Umstieg auf die Confidence 5 und habe es nie bereut! Im direkten Vergleich wirkt die Contour 3.3 zunächst dynamischer, was sich aber bald als Vordergründigkeit entpuppt. Die C5 ist weitaus differenzierter und offenbart einen Detailreichtum und eine Bühnenabbildung, die zu Tränen rühren. Die Klangfarben sind absolut authentisch (als Musikkritiker weiß ich, wie Instrumente klingen), die Contour wirkt im Vergleich fast etwas geschönt. Der Bass reicht sehr tief herunter, klingt straff und profund, aber niemals aufgebläht und der Frequenzgang ist, im Vergleich zur 3.3 absolut linear. Es gibt Boxen, die "größer" klingen, aber kaum authentischer. Ich habe viel gehört (B&W, Thiel, Martin Logan etc.) aber die C5 ist der beste Lautsprecher, den ich bisher gehört habe. Verarbeitung und Optik sind ein Traum. Fortschritte in der Elektronik reicht die C5 sofort durch. Letzte Woche ersetzte ich meine P-450 durch eine P-650, eine wirklich "große" Endstufe, und Auflösung, Bühne, Dynamik nahmen nochmal deutlich zu. Wer über sehr gute Elektronik verfügt, sollte sich die C5 unbedingt anhören!

Strengths:
Tonalität, Bühnenabbildung, Neutralität, Auflösung.

Weaknesses:
Braucht sehr gute Elektronik und ordentlich Verstärker-Power.

Similar Products Used:
Dynaudio Contour 3.3
Accuphase DP-67
Accuphase C-2400
Accuphase P-650

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Price Paid:  $6300.00 from Taiwan (used)

Summary:
Do not consider these speakers if you just want to buy a fancy decoration. Do not buy it if you could not stand classical music more than 60 min. Do not listen to it if you just need a background music for dinner. In my limited experience, the Confidence 5 may be the best sounding speaker in the world. It will bring you a whole new experinece to enjoy the music from vocal, jazz, chamber music to the fff symphony. But I could not sure whether it will fit special effect or rock music. It will bring you the most elegant string vibrations in the air. It will make you believe that you are in a live concert or a live play in a pub. It will force you to listen all your CD/SACD collections again for all the detail you had lost before. But the drawback is it need high quality equipments (not always high price) to drive, from CD player/DAC to power amplifier. It may be the ultimate speakers that worth to own but be careful if you hear a flat and dead sound from these speakers when your audio gears or the environment not totally compatible with it. My concurrent equipments: Power treatment: PS P500 Source: Krell SACD standard Pre-amp: Sphinx project II MKII, Transcendent Ground Grid and Audio-King Model-9 (Taiwan's local company http://home.kimo.com.tw/audiokin/audioking.htm) Power-amp: Bryston 7BSST and Theta Dreadnaught II Cables: VDH, Acapella, Furutech, IeGo, Bona, ...........

Strengths:
1. Disclose every detail with ease. 2. Excellent spatial sensation. 3. Very easy position. 4. Elegant shape of course.

Weaknesses:
1. Not just need a very good power amplifier but also a very good "high gain" pre-amplifier. 2. Expensive in Taiwan.

Similar Products Used:
B&W M801 MKII.................

Price Paid:  $6700.00

Summary:
These are the best speakers I've heard for two channel use in the my home.

Strengths:
Build Quality A string sound is best quality. Tight Fast Bass

Weaknesses:
Low Sensative

Similar Products Used:
ProAc Response 3

Price Paid:  $10000.00 from 01/09/2002

Summary:
this speaker is the best that i heard so far. but ihave a problem to move the bass of this speaker, and my krell fpb250 mono blocks is not inough, but i love this speakers and i'll try to find more powerfull amp.

Strengths:
midreng

Weaknesses:
83db it's a magor problem=crazy amp

Similar Products Used:
sonus faber amati,sonus faber guarineri wilson pappy 6