I used to own a pair of Contour 1, and listening to the 1.1 in a show room, though smaller in cabinet size, they perform very close to the 1s. They are extremely "true" speaker but in a sense not utterly analytical. Overall, sound of these little ones is like looking at a clear sky after the rain or a sharply focused zeiss lens. Other speakers of the same price range would sound a bit veiled. Their mids are a bit lean but uncoloured and would not give you a euphonic feel, but they are honest and sincere. The highs seems to reach out to the sky with not limit. It is not at all dark sounding as with other speakers nor they are overly bright. The clean and crystal clear sound comes from the renowned D260 tweeter(I like to call it the bird's eye). This true character allows me to distinguish better between different singing styles and recording on different singers, violinists etc. I cannot bear that people so often rave about equipment that give out "sweet" violin sound on absolutely every single recording. I want to hear the slightest differences in different recordings and still enjoys it!!The Contour 1.1 seem to score high on all aspects such as soundstage, imaging(of course), dynamic (both macro and micro) and the list goes on and on. But that don't matter, since it won't be a spectacular speaker if it didn't touch your soul (or hear the soul of the singers without added MSG) and Dyna does the magic with flying colors!
It is so good to own such speakers at the rear end and never worry about finding the right amps to fit. You can just simply rely on Dyna's neutrality. Bear in mind to all Dyna lovers, you need beefy amps (as quoted from Sterophile, watts is cheap nowadays). I had good experience partnering them with YBA3's pre/power,
CJ PV12 and McIntosh MC7300.
Recently, I've bought a pair of Compound 2. Hee hee! it is one big step up from the Contours. Too bad they don't carry them in States and is discontinued in HK.
But for less than a grand, they do more magic! The speaker employ another hiding bass driver inside the cabinet at an 45 deg. to give out a much fuller bass (like what they have in the Confidence Series and Consequence, their flagship which I heard it couple of times, they are simply out of this world). The slight leaness of Contours are overcome completely and it is even more dynamic with the right ancillary equipment!
I'm a Dyna fanatic for almost 7 years. When I first heard the Dynas, I could not but only have my Jaws dropped. It a whole new ball game and I had a whole new realization on definition on HiFi sound. After I purchased the Contour 1, I was tempted many times to change speakers and this thought diminished very quickly as soon as it arises to me that I would be risking myself to change my system to suit certain sonic characters of the other speakers. There are also some good brands around the market, but I still stick to Dyna.
There are very few speaker manufacturers who actually develop speakers from scratch from the cabinet to the drivers and X-over.
I enthusiastically recommend these speakers. If you are going for floor standing speakers, go for the Confidence Series but they are outragiously expensive.. or the artfully designed Facette. OK sorry again, it was discontinued and probably you never see it in the States. So stay with the Contour 1.1 or 1.3 and be happy ever after.. until you hear the higher series from Dynas...

P.S. If you want euphonic, colored, easy to appeal, sugarcoated and sweetsounding(on all recordings) speakers, please disregard this review.

Significant amount of bass for the small cabinet volume. Very fast, excellent imaging, dispersion, soundstage.

Slight sweetening of sound, depending on your tastes. Compare with JM-Reynaud Twins, Trentes, and Dunlavy stuff.

Got these (demo pair) a while back. Hooked up to a Marantz PM-17 integrated(older model, not the SA), and a Marantz 6000OSE CD player. Speakers are on Lovan Imperial Stands, filled with sand.

Right now, soundstage is a bit compressed, because I do not have the room to set these up properly (only about 5 ft apart), but imaging is dead on, and dispersion is huge. Soundstage depth is seemingly unaffected by placement too close to walls/corner loading, although width currently suffers due to suboptimal placement. There can also be complaints about soundstage "size" if not placed properly --(causes people to sound too big, or too small) Sweet spot is not huge, but not annoyingly small, either.

The sound is slightly sweet, airy, quite detailed, but has far less coloration than B&W, or Sonus Faber. It is not bright, but does have airy highs, and sounds warm and dynamic with my setup. The "in the room with you" feeling is there for most things I've listened to (pop, alternative, opera, a little classical). It is difficult to characterize these as necessarily forward, or recessed, since they conform well to what the music desires, but were I to give them a general characterstic, I would say they are suitable forward, though not in-your-face.

Lastly: tweeter-woofer integration is outstanding. Even with my ear only 2 inches from the loudspeaker, it is very, very difficult to tell what exactly the tweeter is responsible for, and what exactly the woofer is doing. This is the way it should be.

Value: at the price I paid, a complete steal. At $1,700 retail, perhaps a bit much -- try for a discount. $100, $200 should be doable.

Overall: I'm a happy customer. After auditioning SF Concertinos/Concertos/Signums, JM-Reynaud Twins/Trentes, Vienna Acoustics Hadyns, and Dynaudio Audience 50s, as well as these, I have to say that I'm very happy with my purchase. While some of the others are also definitely worth a listen (especially JM-Reynaud stuff, and the Signums), I would personally recommend the 1.1s over its competition.

Dynamics. Bass. No distortion in the middle frequencies

They need some space around them to breath. However, this is not necessarily a weakness.

After a lot of listening to loudspeakers from different (price) categories, I finally made up my mind and took the Contour 1.1’s home.
I do not share mr. Oleg’s opinion about the Contour’s reproduction of strings and piano. Although it’s hard to compare individual perceptions I think mr. Oleg is a bit biased towards the overwhelming presentation of mid and high frequencies. I admit that Martin Logan loudspeakers have a very high resolution, but in my opinion their presentation is too analytical. Electrostatic loudspeakers often sound a bit clinical. I am a frequent attendant of classic concerts and to my opinion the ‘live’ experience is often better translated by a high quality conventional loudspeaker than a electrostatic loudspeaker.
O.k. the Contours do not have the resolution of expensive electrostatics, but have you ever tried to play big orchestral works on average electrostatics. I did, on different brands (Audio Static, Martin Logan, Quad, Final etc.) and I can tell you it’s a joke.
But we have to remind that electrostatics are designed for excellent performance in the high/mid section and thus they are at their best with chamber music, jazz and the like. In the end ‘normal’ loudspeakers are on average better all rounders than electrostatics.
I admit there are certainly loudspeakers which deliver a higher resolution in the middle frequencies and, of course, the Martin Logan will beat the Contours in this respect, as they should for the price. It’s not fair to make this comparison, because of the huge price difference. But the funny thing is that the Contour will beat the Martin Logan in terms of dynamic behaviour. Mr. Oleg is right when he states that the Contours do not deliver the best resolution available. I suggest to listen to the Confidence 5 from Dynaudio for perfect resolution, imaging, dynamics etc.
Besides, speaker characteristics are heavily influenced by ‘hard- and software’, so speaker X may sound very good in a particular setup whereas speaker Y may need other electronics to shine.

I think the Contour 1.1 deserves five stars, because it belongs to the best in its class.

Similar Products Used:

Jamo, Canton, T+A, Backes & Muller, B&W, Dali,

dynamics, speed

congested lower midrange, overwhelming bass

Truth about 1.1s finally revealed.
I have recently put them to a tough test.
CD Meridian 596.24 was used as a front end.
For amplification - Aronov pre-amp + pair of Aronov monoblocks (very heavy, big, powerful and extraorbitally expensive!).
Cabling - custom made (very, very expensive, also tried QED Silver for speakers but those were quickly written off for immediately apparent inferiority).
Recordings - Rachmaninov/Chesky, Esther (XRCD), Chesky demo disk, Paul Grabowsky trio/PG3 etc.
In short words, the electronics were ten-fold price of Dynaudios, at minimum.
As a benchmark speakers a pair of Martin Logan electrostatics were used.
What has been revealed is...
Good bass sometimes serves bad for them.
It overwhelms and contaminates mids. This especially can be heard on piano recordings. Worst of all - piano and double-bass being played in the background in the same channel.
The mids tend to become 'congested' and undistinguished.
A ruthless conclusion: piano and violin, in general - is not 1.1s' forte.
Piano, especially, sounds more bassy and less lifelike than it is. Tried on different recordings - same result, piano is boxy and sounds very recessed and 'canned', which makes for life-less and artificial reproduction of piano sounds. Only piano sounds good when something very energetic is being played with a lot of transients. Then Dyns shine - they ARE dynamic, you can't take this away from 'em!
Then, in general - level of details in mids is not perfect. Violas and violins are hardly distinguishable. Big orchestra with many instruments sometimes blends into single 'string section' sound with no discernable separation of instruments.
Mind you, these conclusions were made in comparison with Martin Logan electrostats, which excel in mid frequences and produce the best piano and violin sound I've ever heard (they're also 4 times more expensive than Dyns).
The strengths of Dyns are:
- absolutely incredible speed and dynamics (the same Rachmaninov concert played on Contours seemed as if it was played in quicker pace than when on MLs!)
- very lifelike highs: cymbal sounds are second to none (beat electrostatics!)
- for their money they give very good performance and when put to test with very high quality electronics, they don't immediately fall their faces into mud, expressing their deficiencies in a much more subtle and graceful way than many competitors.
Having said all that, they are not perfect. I had a big suspicion about piano reproduction from the day one, but I attributed it to the Rotel amp that I use with them.
It turned out to be a Dyn's idiosyncrasy, though.

Summing up.
For rock/pop/high energy classical works it is difficult to better them in their price range and size.
For acoustic jazz and classical/chamber music - look more carefully.
As a compromise - one size suits all - they are very hard to beat.

Similar Products Used:

Martin Logans

overall a good minimonitor with clear highs and mids.

needs good(expensive) solid-state amp. Not musically. Bass extension.

Dynaudio's clear highs and mids make this speaker sounds analytical and cool. I don't need such a high detailed speaker. I want listening to beautiful music, not good/bad recoding. It's a race car, not Ferrari.
Overall it's a good speaker. If you need much bass, go for contour 1.3MKII. But I feel 1.1 is a little sweet than 1.3. Drive it with a high current/quality Amp (warmer sound), this baby would be a magic. Otherwise, avoid this, there are many good sounding minimonitors at this price range.(ProAc, B&W, PMC, Spendor...)
It's very expensive in Taiwan. Also a good Amp costs very much.

Imaging,uncolored midrange and deep bass for such tiny speakers.Quality built and superb drivers.Great value

A "reviewer" who claims congested midrange and a clown who cant spell who pretends the Contour 1.1's are NOT MUSICAL...pure BS.

As an owner of many speakers and having these speakers since several years I cant imagine anybody compaining about a congested midrange! The poster has no idea what he is talking about.

Congested midrange! At this price he calls it congested!

What a clown

Now the poster from Taiwan says the Contour 1.1 is not musical! Ha more BS

The Contour 1.1 is incolored and does not add any fake "bloom" to sound like many overrated speakers and tube amps.

Go listen and you will hear who tells the truth Dynaudio or two anti Dynaudio posers.

Similar Products Used:

B&W Nutilus 805,Dynaudio Contour 1.3SE,ProAc Response 1,Totem Model One Signature,Reference 3A(a few monitors)...

They have no specific weaknesses. They do what they should do within their limitations, producing a natural sound.

Considering their price: none

This is my second review on the Contour 1.1. After 6 months of pure enjoyment, I decided to sell my original 1.1’s, which I bought second hand, and buy a new pair…
Why? Because my Contour 1.1’s were finished in Walnut and I discovered that I preferred Cherry.
I agree with Euan that these little miracles call for high quality electronics. As is the case with all Dynaudio loudspeakers a high current amp is a must to get the best out of them. Power amps like Bryston 4B ST, Electrocompaniet AW-180 and 250, Rotel RB 991, 1070 and 1090, power amps from Accuphase, Chord, Parasound, Plinius, Mc Intosch or the (older) Mark Levinsons will make a fine match, depending on your budget.
If you prefer an integrated amp I would advise Musical Fidelity A300, Plinius 8100 or 8200, NAD 319/370, Rotel RA 980/1070, Accuphase 2- and 4-series.
Like the rest of the Contour series the 1.1 is a very natural and clean sounding loudspeaker even the smallest changes in electronics or cables are noticeable. I even prefer the Contour 1.1 over the 1.3 MK II because the latter is more sensitive to correct placement. Moreover I think the 1.3 MKII has a even more ‘high end character’ than the 1.1 (which sounds more musical), due to differences in filtering and drivers resulting in a more revealing and sometimes ‘clinical’ sound. The Contour 1.1’s are probably the best alrounders in their price range (and beyond). By this, I mean that they do not excel in one or more specific aspects (or sorts of music). Upon first listen, compared to the B&W CDM 1 NT, the Contour 1.1 will not impress with an overwhelming ‘in your face’ type of sound. In the long run most people will appreciate it’s neutral but also musical character, which guarantees long listening hours without fatigue. The best thing about the 1.1’s is probably the fact that they lack the typical drawbacks small loudspeakers usually suffer from. There is hardly any coloration of the signal they receive don’t have a typical sound. One word about the term musicality. Some people consider hifi musical if it sounds nice to them. Musicality in my opinion means a natural reproduction of the audio signal with a minimum amount of colouration.
I am music minded in the first place. So I refuse to only buy music that has been recorded to audiophile standards, because most I think a lot of such music is terribly boring. I prefer listening to pure music that has been written and recorded with heart and soul instead of the mind, even though this often means ending up with inferior record engineering. To give an example: Mark Knopfler (lead singer and songwriter for ‘Dire Straits’ is very popular among many audiophiles, because he is famous for some excellent produced records. Now if I compare his latest effort called ‘Sailing to Philadelphia’ to the work of another ‘Musical Mark’, namely Mark Linkous aka ‘Sparklehorse’, imho Knoflers songs sound like ‘Rock artist in need of cash’. One uninspired pieces of crap, but in the end ‘beauty is in the ear of the listener’. To give you a impression of my musical preferences I drop some names:
Pop: Eels, Metallica, Beatles, R.E.M., Mercury Rev, Spiritualized, Radiohead, I am Kloot, David Bowie, Iggy Pop, Rammstein, Neu, Badly Drawn Boy, Weezer, Pulp, The Pixies, , Mogwai, Belle and Sebastian, Nick Drake, Leonard Cohen, Björk, The Flaming Lips, Talk Talk, Grandaddy.
Ambiënt/Dance/Electro/Triphop: Plaid, Aphex Twin, Autechre, Kraftwerk, LFO, Future Sound of London, the Orb, Orbital, Underworld, Portishead, Lamb, Mouse on Mars, Brian Eno, Klaus Schulze, Biosphere.
Classical/Avantgarde: Shostakovitsch, Fauré, Bach, Arvo Pärt, Belà Bartók, Gorècki, Tchaikovski , Wagner, Godspeed you Black Emperor, Sibelius.
Back to the review: I listen to a wide variety of music with different levels of recording quality, even a lot of lofi stuff like Grandaddy and Sparklehorse. Depending on your electronics the Contours will supply both the highest level of musical information and enjoyment, also deficiencies in record engineering. Which may be very charming. Track one from Aphex Twin’s highly acclaimed Selected Ambient Works ’85-92 is of a terribly quality due to original ‘mastering’ on analog cassette tape and afterwards a mangling job by a cat. In my brothers’ set up which contains the legendary Musical Fidelity A1 amplifier and some older Mission loudspeakers the hiss in the recording just sounds like noise. When played on my Rotel/Sony/Dynaudio setup suddenly all kinds of sounds can be distinguished in this tape hiss thanks to the high resolving capabilities of the D28F tweeter and the excellent two-way crossover of the 1.1’s. As mentioned by other reviewers: depth, width, micro- and macro dynamics, a it’s all there, provided your electronics are able to supply a high quality signal.

Mr y.h probably has listened to a set up with analytical electronics (Krell, etc.) or cables (Tara Labs, Transparent, Monster etc.). Besides Dynaudio loudspeakers need a lot of time before they really begin to shine (over 100 hours). Unfortunately stores do not always take this long burn in period in account or match them with wrong electronics or cables. One guy used a Plinius 8150 amp, which should make an excellent match to every Dynaudio loudspeaker from the Contour range. Unfortunately he connected his Arcam CD player (which in itself is certainly not a bad choice) to his amp with a Monster interlink cable. Wrong!!! Monster is often synonymous for harsh and bright. I have once listened to my Rotel amp and my Sony CDP, connected with Monster interlink and loudspeaker cable. It was almost unbearable, the highs got rough edges and the mids became grainy. I am sure that older British Hifi (Quad electronics for instance) could benefit from high resolution cable and electronics to pick some detail out of the bath of warm mud, but otherwise it will be overkill.
None of the mini monitors mr y.h mentions (B&W, ProAc, Spendor) have the neutral, uncoloured sound of 1.1’s. Some people may prefer a slightly coloured sound (like I did a few years ago), but when you are after the closest reproduction of the recording (whether good or bad) the 1.1’s should be on your shortlist.
As goes for the electronics, I would advice to use electronics and cable that add a touch of warmth or are neutral like Cardas, Kimber or Nordost. This is not because the Contour itself has a bright/harsh character, it’s just that if overly analytic or bright sounding equipment is used, you may end up with a very clinical/bright sound which, for most people, is unpleasant to listen to in the long run.
In contrast to nearly all other mini monitors up to US$ 2000 a pair the Contours 1.1 are able to deliver a high quality low end (although obviously not the frequencies underneath 45-50 Hz due to the diminutive cabinet size), uncoloured mid’s (wich is unique in this class) and detailed and airy high’s without any harshness.
Combined with correct amplification, for instance from one of the brands mentioned above, and a suitable source the Contours will easily beat a lot of floorstanders, both in terms of musicality as in ‘power handling’. Dynaudio drivers are made to extremely high standards, as a result of which they can be pushed very hard. Although they are not very efficient, the impedance never drops below 3 Ohms. I have never found a similar loudspeaker in this category that could also be driven to very high volumes without any sign of stress. In articles about hifi low efficiency is often considered as a drawback. Bear in mind that nearly all high quality loudspeakers are in a way difficult to drive due to low sensitivity or instable impedance behaviour, or, in the worst case both. If you look closely at an average Dynaudio driver, you’ll understand why they need some punch to get alive. Why refuses BMW to put four-cylinder engines in their 7-series?
A warning: I strongly discourage trying to play difficult music (orchestral works or heavy rock) at high volumes with a low power amp, this may cause serious damage as the amp reaches its clipping point. So be careful with smaller tube amps. I think 50Watts of high quality power is the absolute minimum to let them shine. The NAD 319 or 370 integrated amp delivers 120 Watt per channel at 8 Ohms at a reasonable price. Although a Bryston BRI-60 (60 watt quality integrated amp) will probably do the job as long as you don’t try to push them to concert hall levels. Ever thought about the reasons why this low power Bryston still costs about 50 % more than the NAD? As mentioned before, better equipment will be rewarded.
Apart from the sonic qualities the Contour 1.1 has a unique quality feel due to the fine craftsmanship of the people with Dynaudio. Although the designs are not spectacular (why should they be?) their construction and finish are extraordinary. Just look at the way the structure of the veneer is perfectly matched. Before it is mounted every driver in a Dynaudio Contour loudspeaker undergoes 85 quality checks. The specifications of every individual driver are stored in a computer. If you ever need a replacement component, it will be built according to this specifications.
I’ll probably keep my 1.1’s forever and focus on upgrading my electronics to a higher level. I hope this review will help people in their search for high quality audio products. Do not hesitate to send me an e-mail if you have questions or would like to exchange thoughts.

Similar Products Used:

B&W Nautilus series (800, 801, 802, 805), CDM 1, 7 and 9 NT, 600 series, Pro AC, Sonus Faber Concertino, Monitor Audio, Chario, Mission 780 series, Tannoy R1, 2 and 3, Kef, Avantgarde, Apogee, Final, Martin Logan, Avalon, Cabasse, JM Lab, Linn etc.

They have no specific weaknesses. They do what they should do within their limitations, producing a natural sound.

Considering their price: none

This is a improved version of my earlier review.

This is my second review on the Contour 1.1. After 6 months of pure enjoyment, I decided to sell my original 1.1’s, which I bought second hand, and buy a new pair…
Why? Because my Contour 1.1’s were finished in Walnut and I discovered that I preferred Cherry.
I agree with Euan that these little miracles call for high quality electronics. As is the case with all Dynaudio loudspeakers a high current amp is a must to get the best out of them. Power amps like Bryston 4B ST, Electrocompaniet AW-180 and 250, Rotel RB 991, 1070 and 1090, power amps from Accuphase, Chord, Parasound, Plinius, Mc Intosch or the (older) Mark Levinsons will make a fine match, depending on your budget.
If you prefer an integrated amp I would advise Musical Fidelity A300, Plinius 8100 or 8200, NAD 319/370, Rotel RA 980/1070, Accuphase 2- and 4-series.
Like the rest of the Contour series the 1.1 is a very natural and clean sounding loudspeaker even the smallest changes in electronics or cables are noticeable. For two reasons I even prefer the Contour 1.1 over the 1.3 MK II. First of all I found the latter to be more sensitive to correct placement (they need more space to breath). Moreover, in several comparisons between the two of them it appeared to me the 1.3 MKII sometimes sounds too clinical and can also be too revealing on bad recordings. I clearly preferred the 1.1’s i.e. when listening to older rock music (Velvet Underground, Iggy Pop, Joy Division) or electronic music, simply because their somewhat less revealing sound is more enjoyable. But when you’re after discovering even the most subtle details in music, you should opt for the 1.3 MK II, or, if you can afford them, buy the 1.3 SE, which is clearly superior to the MkII and probably the best speaker from the Contour range. In my opinion the 1.1’s are a perfect compromise between a natural/realistic reproduction of sound and enjoyment. The Contour 1.1’s are probably the best alrounders in their price range (and beyond).
Upon first listen, the Contour 1.1 will not impress with an overwhelming ‘in your face’ type of sound. In the long run, most people will appreciate it’s neutral, peaceful character, which guarantees long listening hours without fatigue. The best thing about the 1.1’s is probably the fact that they lack the typical drawbacks small loudspeakers usually suffer from, like the typical booming in the upper low and lower mid frequencies. There is hardly any coloration of the signal they receive, so they do not have a typical character. In contrast to nearly all other mini monitors up to US$ 2000 a pair the Contours 1.1 are able to deliver a high quality low end, although obviously not the frequencies underneath 45-50 Hz due to the diminutive cabinet size.
One word about the term musicality. Some people consider hifi gear musical if it sounds nice to them. Musicality in my opinion means a natural (realistic) reproduction of the audio signal with a minimum amount of colouration.
I am music minded in the first place. So I refuse to only buy music that has been recorded to audiophile standards, because most I think a lot of such music is terribly boring. I prefer listening to pure music that has been written and recorded with heart and soul instead of the mind, even though this often means ending up with inferior record engineering. To give an example: Mark Knopfler (lead singer and songwriter for ‘Dire Straits’) is very popular among many audiophiles, because he is famous for some excellent produced records. Now if I compare his latest effort called ‘Sailing to Philadelphia’ to the work of another ‘Musical Mark’, namely Mark Linkous aka ‘Sparklehorse’, imho Knofler gives me the impression that he has become a ‘rock artist in need of cash’. Despite contribution of some respectable musicians and perfect engineering, this album remains an uninspired piece of crap. But in the end: ‘beauty is in the ear of the listener’. To give you a impression of my musical preferences, I drop some names:
Pop:
Eels, Joy Division, Metallica, Beatles, R.E.M., Mercury Rev, Spiritualized, Radiohead, I am Kloot, David Bowie, Iggy Pop, Rammstein, Neu, Badly Drawn Boy, Weezer, Pulp, The Pixies, Mogwai, Belle and Sebastian, Nick Drake, Leonard Cohen, Björk, The Flaming Lips, Talk Talk, Grandaddy, Elliot Smith, Depeche Mode.

Ambient/Dance/Electro/Triphop:
Plaid, Aphex Twin, Autechre, Kraftwerk, LFO, Future Sound of London, the Orb, Orbital, Underworld, Portishead, Lamb, Air, Mouse on Mars, Brian Eno, Klaus Schulze, Biosphere, Lamb, Hooverphonic.

Classical/Avantgarde:
Shostakovitsch, Fauré, Bach, Arvo Pärt, Belà Bartók, Gorècki, Tchaikovski , Wagner, Mahler, Godspeed you Black Emperor, Sibelius, Steve Reich, Preisner, Current 93.

Back to the review: As you have noticed, I listen to a wide variety of music (from excellent recorded jazz and classical to alternative lofi popmusic) with different levels of recording quality. Once again: depending on your electronics the Contours will supply both a high level of musical information and enjoyment. As mentioned above, the 1.1 also reveals deficiencies in record engineering (although not to the extent of the 1.3 MKII). Which sometimes may be very charming. Track one from Aphex Twin’s highly acclaimed Selected Ambient Works ’85-92 is of a terribly quality due to original ‘mastering’ on analog cassette tape and afterwards a mangling job by a cat. In my brothers’ set up which contains the legendary Musical Fidelity A1 amplifier and some older Mission loudspeakers the hiss in the recording just sounds like noise. When played on my Rotel/Sony/Dynaudio setup suddenly all kinds of strange sounds can be distinguished in this tape hiss, thanks to the high resolving capabilities of the D260 tweeter and the excellent two-way crossover filter of the 1.1’s. As mentioned by other reviewers: depth, width, micro- and macro dynamics, it’s all there, provided your electronics allow it.

Mr y.h probably has listened to a set up with analytical electronics or cables (Tara Labs, Transparent, Monster etc.). Besides Dynaudio loudspeakers need a lot of time before they really begin to shine (over 100 hours). Unfortunately stores do not always take this long burn in period in account or match them with wrong electronics or cables. One guy used a Plinius 8150 amp, which should make an excellent match to every Dynaudio loudspeaker from the Contour range. Unfortunately he connected his Arcam CD player (which in itself is certainly not a bad choice) to his amp with a Monster interlink cable. Wrong!!! Monster is often synonymous for harsh and bright. I have listened to my Rotel amp and my Sony CDP, connected with Monster interlink and loudspeaker cable. It was almost unbearable, the highs got rough edges and the mids became grainy. I am sure that older British Hifi (Quad electronics for instance) could benefit from high resolution cable and electronics to pick some detail out of the bath of warm mud, but otherwise it will be overkill.
None of the similar priced mini monitors mr y.h mentions (B&W, ProAc, Spendor) offer the neutral, uncoloured sound of 1.1’s. Some people may prefer a slightly coloured sound (like I did a few years ago), but when you are after the closest reproduction of the recording (whether good or bad) the 1.1’s should be on your shortlist.
As goes for the electronics, I would advice to use electronics and cable that add a touch of warmth or are neutral like Cardas, Kimber or Nordost. This is not because the Contour itself has a bright/harsh character, it’s just that if overly analytic or bright sounding equipment is used, you may end up with a very clinical/bright sound which, for most people (myself included), is unpleasant to listen to in the long run.
Combined with correct amplification, for instance from one of the brands mentioned above, and a suitable source the Contours will easily beat a lot of floorstanders, both in terms of imaging as in ‘power handling’. Dynaudio drivers are made to extremely high standards, as a result of which they can be pushed very hard. Although they are not very efficient, the impedance never drops below 3 Ohms. I have never found a similar loudspeaker in this category that could also be driven to very high volumes without any sign of stress. In articles about hifi low efficiency is often considered as a drawback. Bear in mind that nearly all high quality loudspeakers are in a way difficult to drive due to low sensitivity or instable impedance behaviour, or, in the worst case both. If you look closely at an average Dynaudio driver, you’ll understand why they need some punch to get alive. Why refuses BMW to put four-cylinder engines in their 7-series?
A warning: I strongly discourage trying to play difficult music (orchestral works or heavy rock) at high volumes with a low power amp, this may cause serious damage as the amp reaches its clipping point. So be careful with smaller tube amps. I think 50Watts of high quality power is the absolute minimum to let them shine. The NAD 319 or 370 integrated amp delivers 120 Watt per channel at 8 Ohms at a reasonable price. A Bryston BRI-60 (60 watt quality integrated amp) will probably serve very well, as long as you don’t try to push them to concert hall levels. Ever thought about the reasons why this relatively low powered Bryston still costs about 50 % more than the NAD?
Apart from the sonic qualities the Contour 1.1 has a unique quality feel due to the fine craftsmanship of the people from Dynaudio. Although the cabinet designs are not spectacular (why should they be?) their construction and finish are extraordinary. Just look at the way the structure of the veneer is perfectly matched. Before it is mounted, every driver of a Dynaudio Contour loudspeaker undergoes 85 quality checks. The specifications of every individual driver are stored in a computer. If you ever need a replacement component, it will be built according to this specifications.
I’ll probably keep my 1.1’s forever and focus on upgrading my electronics to a higher level. I hope this review will help people in their search for high quality audio products. Do not hesitate to send me an e-mail if you have questions or would like to exchange thoughts.

Similar Products Used:

B&W Nautilus series (800, 801, 802, 805), CDM 1, 7 and 9 NT, 600 series, Pro AC, Sonus Faber Concertino, Monitor Audio, Chario, Mission 780 series, Tannoy R1, 2 and 3, Kef, Avantgarde, Apogee, Final, Martin Logan, Avalon, Cabasse, JM Lab, Linn etc.

neutrality and resolution, best stand-mount bass money can buy.

neutrality and resolution.
power-hungry: love expensive hi-quality and powerful solid-state amps
only "wake up" and excel on medium to high levels, at low levels sound ordinary.

I join my voice to thank Dynaudio for this excellent speaker.
However, beware, as many people previously mentioned, this speaker strikes right across the line which divides different phylosophies of many an audio enthusiast.
Some like their sound reproduced in not necessarily the same way as it's been recorded, as long as a speaker makes them feel and hear (regardless of means) what they call "emotion" and "soul of music".
To me this means one thing - coloration, i.e. painting the reproduced music to make it look (in metaphorical sense) better than it was recorded or performed.
And I don't say this is always a bad thing, I can see the point - for some recordings this is exactly what a doctor ordered.
It's a question though whether you need this "medicine" for ALL recordings, another words taking a medicine by a healthy person can make harm by itself.
The other bunch of us sticks to the rule that audio equipment is as good as it can reproduce the music as close to the original recording as possible, be it a bad recording or a good one. If there is any soul in a particular piece music, some say, true fidelity reproduction won't ever kill it, whatever the quality of the recording is like.

Contour 1.1 certainly abides by the latter ideology.
This means - they won't ever try to fix, "paint" or embelish anything, which speakers adhering to the first "euphonic-by-all-means" category might actually be able to do quite successfully (for exactly that they're loved after all). At the same time they are not "clynical" either.
But if by any chance you feed 1.1's with anything which is not perfect by at least one of the criteria - recording quality or outstanding performance, they'll make you feel all the misery of imperfection. Some might argue - what's the point to have such ordinary music in the collection anyway. They are probably right, but I regret throwing my less than perfect CDs out of the window anyway.
This equally applies to a selected source and amplification: Contours will not tolerate mediocrity or -worse still - bad quality.

So, decide for yourself what you like more and what your levels of tolerance are.

One more thing that I noticed that others don't seem to have mentioned. These speakers only excel when you feed them with not only good quality signal but also with the one of proper voltage.
I mean they don't sound good at low volume levels - it may be a concern for some people who have grumpy neighbours or small kids. Feed them with enough watts, ampers and volts - whatever have you - and they'll shine like diamonds right up to the ear-piercing levels. The dinamic range is incredible!

Otherwise, they're perfect. They won't be scared of electronics of any price. I audiotened them in a system costing 10 times of their price - they just sounded better than with a system in their price league, emphasizing better quality electronics but not displaying any of the imperfections of their own as one might've expected.
So the rule - quality of a system is determined by the quality of its cheapest (presumably worst) component just does not apply to them.
I have a dream to try them with Aronov artillery one day.
The thing is - they won't work with lower-powered tube stuff, no way, but something meaty, like Aronov or a hybrid amp might do the trick.
My personal problem is that I am not strictly in any of the above-mentioned camps.
So, sometimes I won't mind to have a bit of coloration (take a filter on a photo-lense as an analogy) to emphasize thinks that I particularly like and save pieces where they have been accidentally lost, but not to the extremes, and without sacrificing dynamics and bass. Hence my Aronov and hybrid aspirations.
I'll tell you then.
For now - bye.
Enjoy your dyn-audio-technica!

Similar Products Used:

Audiotioned against:
Dyn: Audience 40,50, KEF: Q's, various Castle's, Mission: 781/2, B&W: CDM NT*, B&W: 60* S2, M/Audio: Bronze, Studio 20SE, Epos: E11, Elac(?), Ruark: Prologue 1, AE: AE1 etc.

balance, big soundstage, deep bass for its size, smoothness, cabinet, finish, .

none at all!!

These speakers are great! They have at very balanced soundstage where nothing gets in your face (unless it's surpose to). I think Dynaudio make their magic in their crossovers which is both phase and impedans corrected.

Compared to the above mentioned speakers the 1.1s have very low distortion making contrasts larger and dynamics bigger, since the background is allways black and "quiet". Like the 1.1's even better than the 3.0 and 3.3, which are too bass heavy even in rooms around 30 m2.

Love the Confidence 5, but I only have 2x75 watt in my BOW ZZ-One amp, and the Confidence 5 requires a lot more to sing, so since i couldn't get my hands on a pair of Gemini's i bought these wonderfull speakers for the low price of $400.

I've only had them for a week now, but I finally remember why the Geminis were so loveable - Dynaudio does something that no other manufacturer can do.

I highly recommend the Dynaudio Contour 1.1

Regards
David

Similar Products Used:

Dynaudio Gemini, Chario Ref. 100, Spendor 3/1, Audiotechnology Exeed, System Audio 2K, DIY with Scan Speak Revelator 5½" Woofer and 2905/900000 Tweeter, Qln Signature, Qln Signature HD, Qln Signature 2000,