Seems my speaker journey is not over yet :rolleyes: Yes folks, some new speakers have infiltrated technobear towers this week. "What?" I hear you cry! How could such heresy be allowed when the Castle Conway 3's are performing so brilliantly? Well, these new speakers were offered second hand at a very attractive price. People speak very highly of them - particulary for their spellbindingly good midrange, one of many fine qualities they possess. They are small. So small in fact that they are currently perched on top of the Castles as I don't have any stands :D First impression upon plugging them in - well I had to get up off the sofa and make sure I had plugged them in, such was the huge and full bodied sound that emerged. I was expecting something a bit lightweight. I was dissappointed. These babies rock! The quality of the midrange soon made itself known. Absolutely stunning. So natural and clean. The treble is smooth, clean and very detailed. The bass is articulate. Not quite as warm as the Castles and not quite as full, but with the REL bringing up the low end, they certainly achieved enough scale and enough volume to fill my 6m x 4m lounge/dining room. Drums sound superb. Very fast and articulate. They produce a big stable soundstage too. And my sweet spot is now a sweet sofa. I don't have to sit in the middle any more :) Going back to the Castles brought greater warmth and weight but the midrange, while still very good, was a bit congested, less real and a touch resonant by comparison. The treble was a little less obvious too (this is a design trait of the Castles and helps them to be the great all-rounders that they are by not making harsh recordings sound so offensive and also avoiding sibilance). Having said that, the treble on the interlopers, whilst incisive and revealing, is very smooth and also manages to avoid undue sibilance. So what is this new mini-marvel? . . . . . . . . . . <drum roll> :drum: . . . . . . . . . . Dynaudio Contour 1.1 :eek: [IMG]http://www.btinternet.com/~technobear/images/Contour_1.1_Beech.jpg[/IMG] I think they may be here for some time :)
