In short, I think your gear would be a GREAT match for the Contour 20 based on my having lived with the 20i for 2 years and put a gazillion hours on them (I drive mine with all tube gear...120W Quicksilver monoblocs and Audible Illusions M3B tube pre). The 20i and 20 use the Esotar 2 (20) and Esotar 2i (20i) tweeter, which are very similar, with the crossover point and bass driver being identical. The Esotar tweeter is 100% smooth in my system (cymbals, sibilants, etc are very natural), and so I have to respectfully disagree with the earlier post that this is a grainy tweeter...it is not. Keep in mind, though, that the Contour 20 and 20i do have a very slightly elevated area between 6-8K (See the Low Beats magazine measurements comparing both speakers along with sound clips of each), with the 20 actually measuring a bit smoother. On "hot" recordings, I actually will EQ my 20i's down about 2 db down in this area, and they are absolute heaven. They also have an addictive ability to play anything with complete ease, no matter the level...they like to be pushed a bit, and wow, they can ROCK when you ask them! I say go for the 20s; I think you'll be incredibly pleased.
PMC Twenty 22 standmount (discontinued) vs Dynaudio Contour 20 standmount (discontinued)
Hey all,
I currently have the PMC Twenty 22 bookshelf (standmount) speakers and these are discontinued older model. I’m wondering how these would compare to the Dynaudio Contour 20 bookshelf (discontinued model). I’m thinking to trade in my PMC for a used pair of the Dynaudio Contour 20 bookshelf (also a discontinued model). Are the Contour 20 smoother sounding than my PMC? I like the PMC but I wish they are a tad smoother in the upper registers (upper frequency). They aren’t harsh or bright but definitely aren’t smooth. And they are a bit too neutral for my taste. I’m already using a full bodied warm sounding speaker cables and interconnects throughout my setup.
My components are the following :
I have 2 different power amps that I alternate every now and then. They are the Modwright KWA 100SE solid state class AB MOSFET design amp and the Cary Audio SA 200.2 ES solid state class AB amp. My preamp is a Classe CP 800 stereo pre. My source components are : Cary Audio CD 306 SACD player / DAC. I use this for both CD & SACD playbacks and as a standalone DAC. My streamer is a Lumin U1, which is only a digital transport and has no DAC. I use an AES EBU digital cable to connect the Lumin to the Cary DAC.
Do you think the Dynaudio Contour 20 would be a good match or pairing with the rest of my electronics? Has anyone compared the Dynaudio Contour 20 to the PMC Twenty 22 by any chance?
Thank you in advance folks. Any advise, opinions and thoughts would be greatly appreciated.