Dynaudio Emit 30 Review
Dynaudio can build speakers that don’t cost a fortune – but sound like an expensive speaker. Who would have thought?
A successful combination of openness, balance, and detail. Surprisingly powerful bass. A lot of speaker for the money.
Not the hottest in explosive dynamics. Prefers an amplifier with muscle.
I wasn’t quite sure what to expect. The last time I tested a speaker from Dynaudio. These cost a fraction of that. In fact, most of the speakers I’ve tested from Dynaudio have been in higher price ranges, but that’s not because Dynaudio doesn’t make cheaper speakers.
They just haven’t launched anything new in the lower price ranges for a very long time.
But now they have. The new Emit series was introduced this summer, and of the series’ five models, we tested the second largest floorstander, Emit 30. A compact, slim, and stylish floorstanding speaker.
Emit 30 is in the same price range as the Klipsch RP-8000F and DALI Oberon 7, but the Dynaudios are clearly the smallest and most easily placed in terms of size.
They come in black and white lacquer and, like our review sample, with walnut veneer top and side panels.
Dynaudio says the new Emit series – two floorstanding speakers, a center speaker, and two bookshelf speakers – are designed and developed by them. In Denmark. The advanced measuring rig called Jupiter has been used for both the costly Confidence series and Emit.
Naturally, the materials and drivers are of a completely different quality in a pair of Emit 30, but the goal has been for the speakers to be recognizable as a pair of Dynaudio speakers.
HOW EMIT 30 IS BUILT
After attaching the included feet under the speakers, I let them play for 60 hours. Mostly to be on the safe side. My experience with Dynaudio, among others, is that it doesn’t hurt to break in speakers a bit.
This gave me plenty of time to study the literature and construction. Which revealed that Emit 30 has the Cerotar tweeter from the Evoke series that was launched a few years ago and is in the premium class. We have very good experiences from tests, Evoke 20 even won a group test of premium bookshelf speakers.
This bodes well for the test, I thought, and studied the two bass/midrange drivers. They are 14 cm in diameter and overlap slightly. One plays between 44 and 1000 Hz, the other from 1000 to 3550 Hz. The rest is the Cerotar tweeter’s domain.
The two drivers have Dynaudio’s well-known MSP cones (Magnesium Silicate Polymer) and two ferrite magnets containing strontium carbonate, as well as a lighter voice coil with copper-plated aluminum wiring.
All this is housed in a compact bass reflex cabinet made of 18 mm thick MDF panels, with ports on the back and the aforementioned feet underneath. A grill that attaches with magnets is included.
HOW THEY SOUND
They are a bit more power-hungry than I had hoped. A sensitivity of 87 decibels and a nominal impedance of 4 ohms require a bit more from the amplifier than an old receiver usually provides. A small Rotel amplifier with 40 watts, or even better a Hegel H95/H190, has no problems bringing a pair of Emit 30 to life.
Then you can, like me, have a real revelation. I didn’t think the small speakers could play so tough and loud. At least not with two 14 cm woofers where one is a pure midrange. Normally, speakers that look like Emit 30 play nicely, with enough bass but never with much depth or dynamics to speak of.
I can’t say the same about Emit 30. They play louder than you think, and there is actually plenty of both bass and dynamics here. It doesn’t sparkle from the music in the same way as from a pair of Klipsch speakers, but the sound is more refined, polished, and pleasant in the long run if you play loudly.
The recording from Leonard Cohen’s concert at the O2 Arena in London is far from perfect, but the speakers easily convey the atmosphere. You get closer to the stage and easily hear the nuances in the chorus of Tower of Song. The equally relaxing My Foolish Heart, interpreted by Al Jarreau, sounds more like a performance in a salon where the furniture is covered in velour, so now you might understand where I’m going: The speakers are great at conveying the mood of the music.
Vocals are quite overused in hi-fi contexts, but the recording on Kari Bremnes’ album is still endlessly good. The weight the drums have in the bass exceeded my expectations of what a pair of 14 cm drivers can achieve in such a small box. When the bass becomes physical, you know the construction isn’t a failure.
Nuances, details, and timbres come beautifully in the soundstage from Emit 30. Which sounds open, balanced, and very natural and pleasant. Even when you’re in the mood to play loudly.
It is perhaps then that the limitations show themselves. For they don’t hit as hard or dynamically as their more expensive relatives. There is a bit more sparkle in the dynamics of the DALI Oberon series, but they may not be as refined and polished as a pair of Emit 30.
Verdict
The slim, floorstanding Emit 30 are very easy to like. Don’t place them too far from the back wall, but not too close either, and be prepared for them to sound much bigger and tougher than you had imagined. Maybe not our first choice for live recordings with a hefty death metal band, but they play nicely balanced and refined with everything else. These are the ones you should choose if you have a broad taste in music and limited space, and you actually care more about playing music than playing with hi-fi.
Specs
Type: two and a half way bass reflex floorstanding loudspeaker
Drive units: 28mm soft-dome Cerotar tweeter, 140mm MSP mid/woofer, 140mm MSP woofer
Frequency Response: 44Hz-25kHz (±3dB)
Sensitivity: 87dB (2.83V/1 m)
Impedance: 4Q
IEC power handling: 180W
Crossover topology: 1st Order (tweeter)/2nd Order (mid-woofer)
Crossover frequencies: 1 kHz, 3.55kHz
Finish: Black, White, Walnut
Dimensions (WxHxD):
26.8 x 94.7 x 33.5cm
(incl. grilles and feet)
Weight: 15.53kg
Manufacturer: Dynaudio
URL: dynaudio.com
UK Distributor: Dynaudio UK
URL: dynaudio.com
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I have a pair and am happy. I’m wondering what amplifiers you tested them with and what worked best for you?
I’m beyond impressed with these. Almost floored. I’m driving them with an Cambridge Audio CXA81 with no issues, even driving them a little loud.