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Dynaudio focus 360

I recently acquired a pair of Dynaudio focus 360's and hope there are folks here that have had these or similar Dynaudio's that can shed some light.

My system currently consist's of a Rega p6 and auralic vega1 into a  McIntosh mx110,to a adcom gfa5452 out to the focus 360's.

First off I know these speakers like a lot of power and currant,and I have plans to get a amp with 350 watts per channel.

Here is what is going on.

If I listen below 70% of my maximum listing volume,the sound falls flat on its face and sounds like a cheap radio with 4 inch speakers in it.

If I turn up to 80%,things sound much better,at least modern quality recordings.

Tunn up to 90%,things sound real good,until the singer backs off for a softer vocal delivery.Bam.The vocals fall way way back and way to low.

Same thing with electric guitar.As long as its playing lead up front in the mix it sounds good,but the rhythm guitar just melds into mush.No tight loud crunch where it normally is.

The vocals only sound clear and good when it is a sparse mix,with few instruments competing for space.

Then the vocals sound very very good.

One example:Alison Krauss Baby now that I Found You.

Stunning,I mean it sounded like she had walked up to me and was singing 3 feet from my face.

Please assure me these drop outs in mid-range and vocals will go away with big power and currant.

These speakers sound fantastic with acoustic instruments and drums.

They just can't reproduce electric instruments with the required oomph on my classic rock recordings.

They come close when I crank it to 100% of my listening volume,but still the krang of a Marshall stack is missing.

It is strange how when ever the vocals are just a little bit reserved the volume drops a lot and looses all body,even on the intro of a song.

I'am going to wait until I try these with the more powerful amp before I make my final judgement,just hoping I can get some encouragement here that all will be well.

Thanks

 

 

I a

twangy57
zarf
53 posts
 

I do not miss tone controls, but I understand that there's an appeal. I've had them with certain integrateds in the past. The 17LS2 does have push-button volume control, which did take some getting used to. There's clicking, rather than the turn of a knob.

twangy57 OP
221 posts
 
zarf

Yes,I have seen that,having a left and right volume would take the place of a balance I'am assuming.

I think I would miss the tone controls as a lot of older stuff I listen to has to be eq'd just to make it tolerable.

Thanks for the response. 

knownothing
1,695 posts
 

@twangy57 wondering how your system as configured with the new amp and speakers is working out for you.  Did you get the sound you were hoping for?

kn

twangy57 OP
221 posts
 

knownothing

Yes and no.

First off,the amplifier made a huge difference in the clarity and bass response.

I was still getting a less than stellar mid range performance on Rock music.

I ended up going direct from my Auralic streamer to the CJ amp.

I was amazed at the way the mid range opened up and  revealed a lot more musical information.

The crunchy rhythm guitars were now heard clearly.

Gentle female vocals were made even more life like.

Sounds great doesn’t it.

Well along with the newfound clarity came a annoying abundance of harsh treble on some recordings,with no way to turn it down.

There are some tone settings on the auralic but they were not up to the task.

I know I will hear about this on here,but I put a 31 band dbx EQ between the streamer and the power amp to tame the treble and the over powering bass..

It worked very well.

Now I have to learn how to leave it alone,and not get up 5 times per song to fine tune it.

Then I realized they I could no longer play my vinyl with out the pre-amp.

So I put it back in and was greeted with some muddy midrange.

I was able to dial most of it out but still think things could be improved with a better pre-amp and or phono stage.

I had switched out the last 2 JJ’s in the macintosh pre-amp with telefunken’s hoping that would clearer things up.

No such luck.

It is a really good pre-amp for instrumental music and jazz and blues IMHO.

I will be on the look out for another pre-amp in the future.

The Dynaudio’s sound very good,they are the best sounding speakers I have had any experience with.

I don.’t think they excel at classic rock though.

When there is to much information in the mid range they kind of just get blurry.

I put my old Polk monitor 10’s back in to see what was what.

They sounded just like I remembered,pretty good but not near the detail or the vast sound stage the the Dynaudio’s can have on occasion.

But you know what,when I crank the Who,Pete’s guitar comes through loud and clear.

I can hear all the strings,and all the noise that comes with that.

I love the Dynaudio’s and have began to listen to so many new artists’s and styles since I got them,they are going nowhere for the conceivable future.They are fantastic for prog,and folk as well as any pop from the 70's on up.They have me listening to more Jazz then ever before.Miles Davis Bitches Brew was just fantastic through them.

I think I will just get some JBL’s or Klipsch’s for a dedicated classic rock speaker when I need to go all in..

Thanks

 

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