New Dynaudio Heritage Special..?..!

Not my experience with these or the Excite line I own...probably also system dependent.  I think Dyns like current...

Dynaudio's usually have to be played louder than your average speaker to get the most out of them. It's part of the brand's makeup...unless THESE are the exception to that trend. I got rid of my Contour 30's for that reason.....not good at low-mid listening levels. Have friends who said the same about the confidence line speakers they had. All agreed they sound wonderful at higher volumes.

@bgchui - pretty darn good with low listening levels!  The resolution they have is an asset here.  I generally listen at moderate volumes (I always find dealers do demos way too loud!); when I turn down from there to very soft the music I get still induces toe-tapping.  Lacks a little punch at very low levels, but that is true of speakers in general.  

@wjob, I forgot to ask - how are the Heritage Specials with low listening levels?

I think the American Walnut looks amazing. I had bird's eye maple 1.3SEs back in the day but these look equally as good. 

Im sure they will come out in a different color down the road just like the 40's. That HAS to be an improvement.

The speaker looks awesome. I wouldn't expect any less snooty responses from this crowd. They make coffee snobs look like angels. This entire website needs electroshock therapy. 

@ghasley thanks so much for your personal anecdote, fun read! The more I know what I’m getting into, the better.  I've always been curious about Devores so interesting to see that comparison.

No affiliation to Huff, Dynaudio or anyone else but I was in Denver last month and went by Crescendo, the Wilson Audio and Dynaudio dealer. Demo’d the Heritage Specials driven by DCS front end through Audio Research Ref6se and Ref160m monos. The Heritage Specials are damn good speakers. I presently have Wilsons and Devores at home and the Heritage Specials are an extraordinary achievement. They play in that league for sure and they can fit in the boot of your car.

Now, some may believe that a stand mount speaker shouldn’t cost $7,000 and that’s all fine and well. What these speakers are capable of is quite simply extraordinary though. Who knows how they would sound when not driven by $90,000+ of front end gear, I didn’t ask them to hook them up to another setup. The store personnel however didn’t hesitate to hang them off the end of that rig and everyone in the store stopped what they were doing. They punch waaaay above their weightclass. Another customer was there demoing some Sasha DAW’s and we both looked at each other and just shook our heads at what we were hearing. Heck, the Transparent Ref speaker cables cost more than the Heritage Specials!

Will they change the audio industry? Probably not but to summarily dismiss them would be a mistake. Of course, no deep bass but what was there was really there. The mid and upper bass was quite convincing in a large demo room, the midrange and the upper end was sublime. Go listen, they may not be your cup of tea, they may be at a pricepoint below or above what you are looking to spend but they are absolutely a bargain in my opinion.

@bgchiu  - enjoy the demo!  Be sure to give yourself time - when I first listened to them, I thought "this is different."  The speed makes things sound a little different in a way that is hard to describe at first.  Also, note that I bought the Dynaudio Stand 20s with the speakers.  A natural combination. 

@wjob, thank you for the thorough assessment and breakdown of your experiences with the Heritage Specials.  Your description of each aspect is tipping me over the edge to 'Yes.'  I'm going to schedule an appointment with a local dealer to demo them and will keep you posted!  Enjoy those speakers and please feel free to share how your experience goes!

@bgchiu  - I've heard a good number of monitors - most of the Dynaudio line and several at different price levels from the major brands such as Mission, Elac, and Klipsch.  A few high-end more exclusive brands at dealers that are impressive at first and then...maybe too much of a good thing?  Also several professional powered speakers.

If you want a V-curve, that is not these speakers.  They are basically flat, maybe a little mid-range centric.  Very, very good tone.  Very fast tweeter and woofer - resolution is excellent.  Music that can congest a lesser speaker is well resolved on the Heritage Specials.   Bass is fast; the speakers can give some punch when the track calls for it.  Some music may sound a little thin and you wonder about the bass, then you hear it on the next track.  This makes you realize some of the perceived bass on the previous track was perhaps slower woofers on your old speakers. Treble is not fatiguing - took at least 20 hours to break in though.  These speakers are going to expose what is driving them - if there is harshness in the chain, that is going to come through. The flip side is that if by V-curve you mean you want to hear everything, these will do that without the typical penalty.

They are extremely addictive with the speed and tone - you just want to keep listening.  Driver coherence is excellent as well. Really, it is the 'just one more song' addictive nature to these speakers that is special. I've had them long enough now to know this is not just novelty but are just really satisfying.

I just placed them in my big room system tonight - they've been in my office system.  In the big room (20'x30') they play loud enough and imaging is great - and this without me playing much with placement.  Just put them where my other speakers go and wow, it just works. Speakers disappear with the right track and soundstage extends beyond the speakers.

If you like Dynaudios, I suspect you will like these.  For me they are perfect.

I was at a dealer who has had this line f speakers for many many years.  I told him that they were never on my wish list.  He told me that they have now come out with an "i" version of their lineup and he felt that they would sound excellent.  I did not get the opportunity to hear them but they are supposed to be a complete change from the other models and not just an upgraded product for what it is worth.

@wjob, I'm considering purchasing the Heritage Specials.  You mentioned that these are the best monitors you've ever heard.  What monitors have you experienced prior (owning or testing)?

How would you describe the tonality of the upper midrange and the bass? I love a little of the V curve (tilted up in treble and bass) but mostly desire neutral tone. 

Would you say the speakers work well with most types of music especially orchestral pieces?  My hope is that it has great soundstage that extends beyond the boxes from sided to side and back and front.  Imaging is important to me as well although it doesn't have to etch out and place each instrument or musician in its place.  Could you speak to how the Heritage Specials do with soundstage and imaging?   

Thanks for all your help...your assessment will be super helpful!

@kenjit probably not actual wood- mdf ; easier to route and less variance run to run on CNC machines; Based on volume buys I bet raw BOM cost for these handsome cabinets is about 1k;  Add in the NRE of engineering design to get that BOM, COGs just sky rockets; 
Inflation is here btw;  
Try buying 2x4's and sheets of plywood; Crazy town

Seems like this thread is turning into a make fun of Steve Huff thread.

As an owner of the Heritage Specials, if anyone has any specific questions I can answer, please ask.

Roxy...Exactly!    Ianrmack missed his raving about the PassINT25 and how its better than the VinnieRossi.  Lost all cred right there. Then he said he thinks he's done and the 250INT shows up.  Cant wait for THAT review.  Its like a Pump and Dump Carnival barker.

It's hard to make a judgement about anything based on what Steve Huff says. He seems to be sincere, but I don't think he realizes yet his own pattern of being in love with being in love with components he reviews, and then proclaiming them to be the best ever...until the next one comes along.

Funny, I'd prefer the Heritage Specials in the Special 40 box...all a matter of taste ;)

Better parts, better sound...the still new to me Heritage Specials are just great.  If you are inclined, get them...

Re. Steve Huff: not so sure he’s a real credible source. I’m sure he’s a nice guy and is well-intentioned. But, in the short 2 months that I have been aware of his “reviewers”:

- he said there is no reason to ever use anything more than a Bluesound Node 2i. Now he has a Lumin U1 mini.

- he said the chord m scaler was the thing that made his rig so good. Then Sold it on audiogon.

- he listens to weird music...😉😂

- his Vinnie Rossi $18k in amp was the best ever...until 2 weeks later he has a Pass 250.

he’s passionate and engaging, but hardly a reference source of objective reviews. He’s just like anyone here- a hobbyist with a keyboard and an internet connection.

that said, I have S40s and am really intrigued the the heritage specials. Basically same size as S40s but better looks and parts.
love that,

Of course, Huff makes his money on camera reviews, not audio reviews (and is very open about this).  To equate him with Uncle Kevvy at Upscale is a bit much!  I would say Steve is giving his honest impressions - you can choose whether those impressions match up well with your tastes.

I've heard the Special 40s - these are clearly speakers voiced for a bit of fun - I can see why Huff likes them as he also has some Klipsch Heresy's.  Both have a fun sound.  The Heritage Specials are much more of an audiophile speaker and on a whole different level the S40s...speed of great drivers and first-order crossovers with great parts.  So much to like!

Yea but Mr Huff said the Special 40's compete with 10K Speakers....so these must be worth 20K.  Nothing but Hyperbole as always. Enjoy his reviews but he is right up there with Upscale Audio's reviews...take em with a grain of salt.

I’d like to see a Spinorama of the Heritage Special.

The Special 40s had pretty bad measurements, to the point even Danny Richie at GR Research felt the need to re-do the crossover (altogether his design simply trades off a 1K peak for a 3K peak).

Just got in a pair myself...hands down the best monitors I have heard.  Speed, transparency, coherence -- there is just something addictive about listening to them...one more song...the Steve Huff video is spot on.  If this is your cup of tea, you need not look further.

I have a pair in for audition now, along with the Audiovector R1s. My current speakers are the Special 40s, which are a phenomenal speaker. The Heritage is on a completely different planet by comparison however. Best monitor I have ever heard hands down. I have put the R1s in and out several times and there is just no comparison, Heritage hit the entire spectrum of sound with a fluidity, balance and transparency I have never heard on a speaker like this. 

I get it, $7k is alot of money, but they compete at that level without question. Looks may not be for you, but honestly who cares at the end of the day, it's about the music and sound, you get over it pretty quickly. And to be honest the build quality is up there with anything Magico is doing, but won't slice your face off like Magico. 

Hello all.  These cannot be compared to the Contour. These are essentially a re-issue of the late 90's Crafft near field monitor with some minor updates. The Crafft shared components with the Confidence line.  Some may not like the looks but the construction is amazing and hand made in Denmark. The Craffts I own will go down to 38Hz,  produce 120 db, and fill a room like you wouldn't believe.  Transparent is the word Guttenberg used for them.  You should check them out. BTW, mine were also sold as the Confidence 1 in my neck of the woods and cost me $4000 in 1999 so I don't think the price on the Heritage is too far out of line based on inflation. 

Hi-fi+ has a teaser at the back of the current issue, that they will be doing an "exclusive" review of the hs in the next issue. I should have looked to see what issue the current one was, but it should be available in about a month.

Steve Huff just wrote a review on these speakers.  Extremely positive review.

Congratulations Toddycat. The Heritage Special does look good. Good to know they have lived up to the expectations.
 

I just picked up my HS on the 23rd and set them up a few night ago. They’re so good I’ve been skipping meals and not leaving my house much.

I was talking to 3 people on other forums who have been listening.  One of them said they put him on his a$$ and the other fellow said they are way better than SP40, considerably better than the contour 20 and he prefers them to the confidence 20.   This fellow professed to work at the oldest Dynaudio dealer in Europe for many years and said that these are very comparable to Confidence 3 and they absolutely destroy Special 25’s.  I’m only familiar with SP40’s (my go to bookshelves at the moment). If this fellow is credible and has a good ear what are thoughts on his?  I’m considering upgrading to these for my bookshelves but I will not be able to have an audition.  

How can these be overpriced if you haven't heard them yet?  

I loved the original Special Twenty- Five...these meh.

I'd be interested to see how these compare to the $7400 Magico A1.

Battle of the $7k Monitors!

I’d pick up a pair of these used for $4,500 tops.
I get that the best components from Evidence series were basically put into the old Contour form factor from the 90’s.

That appeals to me.
$7k...?...not so much.

I’d pick up a pair of these used for $4,500 tops.
I get that the best components from Evidence series were basically put into the old Contour form factor from the 90’s.

That appeals to me.
$7k...?...not so much.

They are overpriced for sure but for a lot of people thats part of the elure. Besides as a company if you did whatever kind of research on pricing these and you can get that number of course you will. I do think they probably sound fantastic but I would wait to pick up a used pair. Wonder how they would compare to a C1 platinum that you can get lightly loved 4-5k. 

The old Contour range was fantastic, but needed serious gear to come alive (which I very much doubt many tried it with) and could punch well above its weight.

If these fulfil their potential they could be lovely little speakers. Looks promising.

Although I’m not sure how limited 2,500 pairs is?

......I lurk here daily because I often learn from people with more audio experience and knowledge than I.  For that, I give you all my thanks. That said, it's clearly (and painfully) obvious that this kenjit1 fellow is working on issues (non-audio) far beyond the capabilities of any of the others, and this forum's moderators do their content providers a disservice by allowing him to continually hijack threads. His nonsense also "spooks" those less confident audiophiles from ever contributing which can not be good. Just saying.....

They are for a very different audience. 

If you are going to spend $7000 on Dynaudio save $1000 and get a pair of the 59's.

https://www.sweetwater.com/store/detail/Core59--dynaudio-core-59-3-way-powered-studio-monitor-black

Similar price to some Joseph Audios, no?  That's a good comparison. 

People on here seem to forget raw Dynaudio drivers are really expensive

No they are not unless they are made of pure gold and diamonds.

I hope Dynaudio goes back to building speakers that look like the Heritage.  Much better than all of their current designs.  My favorite  monitors that I owned from them are Craffts, Confidence 3, and Contour 1.3SE.  I stopped buying them after the C1s came out (they are imho one of the ugliest speakers I have ever seen).  People on here seem to forget raw Dynaudio drivers are really expensive.  The Heritage uses the drivers from the Evidence line, which I own.  Although $7K isn't pocket change, it can be considered a bargain compared to some other speakers out there.  

Did some research. These will sell for about 3x the price of a pair of similar size Ohm Ls in 1978, adjusted for inflation.

Ohm provides full upgrades for every speaker they have ever made. You could upgrade a pair of Ohm Ls today for just a few hundred dollars and have something at least somewhat similar.

Just saying.....

I do have a partially upgraded pair of Ls that were one of my first good speakers I owned in 1978. They were my favorites at Tech HIFi back then at least among speakers reasonably sized that would fit in a dorm room. I preferred them over JBL, Advent, Infinity, and other popular brands of the day sold there. 

Will not judge until some reviews are in.
I had similar in appearance Contours for a number of years. They were a lot of bang for the buck, very well crafted, and superb all around. So we will see. Different sound but Dynaudios compete very well with Harbeth and the like in general at various price points.  Have they ever made a bad value speaker?

They better sound wonderful! From pure cosmetics perspective, they do not look special. Boring actually. Rectangular box, veneer matches in originality. Given their price I have a hunch they sound amazing though and that’s why Dynaudio felt it was the right number. Hey, whatever pushes the technology envelope. Eventually lower Dynaudio lines will benefit from trickle down tech so all Dynaudio owners can enjoy whatever secret sauce went into these. 
And I agree with others - don’t judge people who will buy them just because you can’t afford it or can’t justify the cost. 

kenjit...BecuAse I’m feeling charitable, let me break down the economics...approximately.

$7,000 is customer msrp
$4,200 is ~ dealer cost.
$3,500 is distributor cost

there for $3500 GROSS profit to Dynaudio 

$1,000 in marketing and sales costs
$500 in G&A costs.
$500 in cost of goods

$1,500 in ~ net profit or 20% net margins.

doesn’t count R&D either. 

in western civilization, we do not begrudge those who seek to make a fair profit.

Which is exactly what the devious speaker companies take advantage of!
They must be laughing at people like you who think $7k is a fair profit

I have to say when I this "Special Offer" I thought "Some idiots will
jump on this"