Mark Craven enlists the help of Ozzy Osbourne to put Dynaudio’s mid-tier wireless multiroom speaker – the Music 3 – through its paces. Read our DYNAUDIO MUSIC 3 Review.
AV INFO
PRODUCT: Premium portable wireless multiroom speaker
Position: Below Dynaudio’s non-portable Music 5 and Music 7 models
PEERS: Bluesound Pulse 2; Denon HEOS 7
AT THE RISK of upsetting those who were actually alive in the late 1960s/early ’70s, my favourite Black Sabbath track is God is Dead?, a rolling, philosophical blues/metal epic found on the band’s final album, 2013’s 13. I mention this because it was during a fulsome, energetic and accomplished presentation of that track by Dynaudio’s Music 3 speaker that I began toying with the idea of buying one.
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That figure, when you look at the rest of the wireless, multiroom speaker market, is very premium for what is a relatively small unit, and one that’s two rungs off the top of Dynaudio’s Music series ladder. Yet the Music 3 certainly has the performance and style to carry it off. An angular, fabric-wrapped model measuring 40cm across, the speaker is better suited to a worktop or office than the gigantic, HDMI- equipped Music 7. It’s also less tech-savvy, making do with twin tweeters and a 5in woofer, a claimed 3 x 40W power plant, and just 3.5mm by way of a physical input (okay, there’s also a USB for music playback from iOS devices). Like all Music models, it offers Bluetooth and Wi-Fi connection, the ability to set presets (which could be a ‘net radio station, playlist or artist), compatibility with Dynaudio’s Music app, and NoiseAdapt and RoomAdapt EQ modes. Unlike the Music 7 and Music 5, this smaller model also packs an onboard battery, for portable use.
The Music app uses a playful Q&A-style walk-through process and an excellent system of building up your Music profile. Select a favourite band/artist from its initial list, and the list repopulates with myriad related options. This then uses the app’s integrated streaming services (currently only Tidal – you get a free nine-month trial) to create a continuous playlist based on your preferences. It’s a neat feature, backed up by a smart algorithm that doesn’t throw up too many odd choices.
I did come a cropper when trying to pair the app to the Music 3 speaker, though. Even with the Wi-Fi setup light blinking (and after resetting a few times), the app couldn’t locate it. Nor did the in-app troubleshooting help;
I had to go online to find out how to manually assign the Music 3 to my own Wi-Fi network.
Dark grey, light grey and red finishes are also available
Once done, I was ready to (rock ‘n’) roll, but did still experience some app shutdowns/ freezes. Maybe my Android ‘phone isn’t posh enough…
DYNAUDIO MUSIC 3 Review: Deliciously deep
As you’d expect from the asking price, the Music 3’s performance is a cut above much of the wireless speaker market, something that’s rammed home by its nuanced low-frequency delivery. While more basic models often sound thick and unsubtle, this unit showcases an assured grip of the fluid basslines of Creedence Clearwater Revival’s Susie Q, and drops deliciously deep when faced with Nelly’s rap classic Country Grammar.
Bass has weight and believability, and the RoomAdapt feature is excellent here at reducing any unwanted boominess caused by less-than-optimal speaker placement.
Additionally, the Music 3 is transparent enough to convey the intricacies of recordings, such as the way John Fogerty’s second-verse vocal in Susie Q appears to have been recorded from inside a tiny box. Creedence’s Run Through the Jungle highlights the compact speaker’s stereo field, with handclaps and percussion staged noticeably left and right.
Above all, this speaker pleases with its balance and good dynamics. The percussive drama of Dire Straits’ Telegraph Road is delivered with purposeful impact, while the track’s varied instrumentation poses it no problems. The opening keyboards have an eerie resonance; Knopfler’s trademark Fender sound rings clear during the climactic solo. Only if pushed very loud does the Music 3 have trouble retaining its smoothness and clarity.
App niggles aside, it’s highly impressive.
DYNAUDIO MUSIC 3 Review: VERDICT
Superb sound quality and a stylish (portable) design make this one to audition - unless you're put off by the price.
9/10
[DYNAUDIO MUSIC 3 Review: SPECIFICATIONS
DRIVERS: 2 x 1in tweeters; 1 x 5in woofer AMPLIFICATION (CLAIMED): 120W CONNECTIONS: USB input; 3.5mm input AUDIO FORMAT SUPPORT: FLAC, WAV, AIFF, AAC, MP3 DIMENSIONS: 405(w) x 220(h) x 143(d)mm WEIGHT: 3.7kg
FEATURES: Rechargeable battery (rated eight hours); RoomAdapt mode; NoiseAdapt mode; Bluetooth; Wi-Fi; remote control; control via Music app; Tidal integration; presets; Movie/Music/Speech EQ