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Proac Response D30 DS

I currently own Proac Studio 140MKII which I’m very satisfiedwith ,sound is detailed and punchy soundstage is vast and dynamic are terrific I run it with McIntosh pre / power system with good results .
In the past I considered upgrading to Response D48R but realized that my listening room is relatively small and maybe I will have to upgrade to better McIntosh power amp to move them properly so decided that the D48R is really not for me.
I am considering now an upgrade to the Proac D30 DS( the dome tweeter version because I understood that dome tweeters last longer than Ribbon ones ) but no chance to make a demo in my country. I guess the overall sound wil be improved-more transparency,details and better soundstage- but I am afraid that moving from 2.5 speakers to 2 way ones will reduce the dynamics and bass I already have with my current Studio 140 MKII ? Is the the D30 a substantial step up over the 140 MKII ?
itzhak1969

Showing 11 responses by itzhak1969

itzhak1969 OP
515 posts
 
My room is 13 X 10.
My amplification is McIntosh MC152 and D100.
I think in terms of power and room size the D30 is the right choice but I am afraid although in terms of transparency and details it’s much better than mine 140 MKII the D30 won’t have the earthquake  dynamics and bottom end of the 140MKII but it’s only a guess I am not sure about it.Unfortunately dealers at my country don’t have the D30 in stock and can make special order for me without deno.

itzhak1969 OP
515 posts
 
@carmenc
Yes my room is definitely too small for the D48 it’s not an option for me at all the bass will be too excessive and the soundstage will be probably out of control.

@milpai
How do you find the bottom end of the D30 ? Is there a big difference between the D30 to the D48 ?
itzhak1969 OP
515 posts
 
Just now noticed the drivers of the new D30 RS made of pulp which I heard before in the Studio 148 (Proac stop to sell this model last year) and didn’t like at all it lacks the delicacy,clarity and transparency of the carbon fiber drivers which I currently have with mine Studio 140MKII and were implemented in the previous generation the D30 R too. The D30 RS are not for me I guess...
I will stick to the 140MKII , really love them and they are ideal to my room size.
itzhak1969 OP
515 posts
 
I decided to be open minded , still considering to buy the new Proac D30 RS once the funds allow to .The D48R is not suitable to my limited space the D30 will be probably fine .
Last week I heard the D20 at my dealer show room and completely loved this speakers effortless and natural sound . it’s much better than my Proac Studio 140MKII and the D30 will be probably much better than both of them.
itzhak1969 OP
515 posts
 
Listened to the D18,D20,DT8,Studio 148 and from my experience:
Mine 140MKII are punchy,detailed with excellent bass but lacks the musicality,sweetness and effortless of the D18 and D20.The D18 is laid back and lacks the wonderful Ribbon tweeters of the D20 .I found the Studio 148 aggresive and blur defently  the worst Proac speaker ever listened to however the new Response DT8 is fine project huge soundstage and details but not at the same league as the D20 which I realy loved.Unfortunately didn't have the opportunity to listen to the D30 neither the D48 which I can buy on special order only from my dealer.

itzhak1969 OP
515 posts
 
I had the chance listening to the B&W 804D and Proac DT8 side by side it was a big surprise that the modest 2.5 way DT8 didn’t embarrass the bigger 3 way B&W double bass drivers at all they were very close in any aspect with minor advantage to the 804D.
The bigger suprise was that the 2 way D20 with only 1 driver was much better than the 804D with its 3 drivers !
that shows you how great Proac speakers are .
itzhak1969 OP
515 posts
 
If I have the space I definitely buy the D48R so I think will compromise with the D30 SR .With room size of 16x24 you should be OK with the D48.what is your amplification?
itzhak1969 OP
515 posts
 
My D30SR’s just arrived yesterday they sound very promising and look lovely in Cherry finish,I will write a review soon.
itzhak1969 OP
515 posts
 
Yes I bought the Ribon twitters version.
So far they sound much better than the dome twitters .
I replaced the stock jumpers with my Tellurium Ultra Black ones the improvement is huge .
itzhak1969 OP
515 posts
 
This is only first impressions because the D30SR’s are still breaking in :
The build quality of the speakers are exceptional compared to the old model (D30R) the pulp & mika mid-bass driver looks like a substantial step up it build like a jeep tire very rigid and flexible it helps the speakers to be effortless even at the most demanding parts, the sound is very natural and the soundstage is huge and lifelike you can place every instrument in its place and every instrument has its own space to breath.The D30’s go very low almost to subwoofer territory it’s a remarkable achievement from a 2 way speakers design.The Ribbon twitters are great they are sweet and natural and every small naunce come to life in a delicate nature ,Integration between the twitter to the driver is breathtaking.
So far this speakers exceed my expectations by far by their strong dynamics,musicality,effortless and natural nature.
itzhak1969 OP
515 posts
 
@milpai,I played many different kind of music and I was overwhelmed by their unfussy nature they just play everything effortlessly in the most faithful and natural way.
The D30’s performance come  close to much more expensive speakers I had heard before .
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