@kcpellethead I think your main system is very good and there is no reason to think the active speakers can do the same. I have heard Dutch and Dutch at shows and liked them. We have to ask ourselves can a built in amp match these other electronics? Your first system is very well matched. Give the D and D time but I doubt it will be as good.
Help . . . I’m dumber than my active speakers!
Bought a pair of Dutch & Dutch 8C because I was curious about active speakers. Have read many great reviews and comments, so my expectations were high. Set them up with their app, inputting their distance from the front wall, sidewalls, and listening chair. They are a Roon endpoint, so the source is a Roon Nucleus on my network. They cannot touch my main system and I think I’m doing something wrong. They are not as dynamic as I expected. They have great bass. I’ve read that they have a wide soundstage, but these do not. In fact, they lack dimensionality in my opinion. I’ve never used REW, but I’m thinking I should get a microphone and give it a try. Any thoughts?
The digital side of my main system is:
dCS Bartök Apex
Audio Research Ref 6SE into
Parasound JC1 monoblocks
Wilson Yvette loudspeakers
Transparent Ultra Gen 6 balanced interconnects and speaker cables
Nordost Red Dawn power cords
Carpeted floor over concrete with no other room treatments