Testing The Dynaudio Confidence 60 Floorstanding Speakers

Testing The Dynaudio Confidence 60 Floorstanding Speakers

The Danish brand may be familiar to many audio and hi-fi fans. If you buy Dynaudio Confidence 60 high-end, floorstanding speakers, you have to stretch your pocket pretty wide to the price, because they don’t come cheap. This model is truly a premium price range high-end device that not too many can afford, but if we are still so lucky to be able to buy it, we will not be disappointed.

Design and features

The beautifully crafted speaker weighs 66.2 kg, has a sensitivity of 87 decibels and an impedance of 4 Ohms. The frequency response is between 22 Hz and 22 kHz. The Confidence 60 is a three-way bass reflex speaker that is available in several colours: Blonde Wood, Raven Wood High Gloss, Midnight High Gloss, Smoke High Gloss, and Ruby Wood High Gloss finishes. Thanks to the uniquely developed Esotar3 soft dome tweeter, airflow is optimised, which is further enhanced by the larger rear chamber. Unlike its predecessor, which operated with two tweeters, the Confidence 60 uses 1 tweeter. At the Jupiter facility, Dynaudio Directive Control, or DDC speaker technology, was refined.

The company’s design engineers can rightly be proud of the DDC lens they developed, which is actually an aluminium baffle. The MDF baffle used in the previous model has been replaced by a composite baffle, which is both strong and light at the same time. Thanks to the Neo Tec subwoofer and Dynaudio MSP, i.e. magnesium silicate polymer drives, and the new multi-layer fiberglass sound coil, not only has the sound been improved, but the resonances have been reduced to virtually zero. With a stable housing, you don’t have to worry about vibration problems. These newly designed drives further optimise airflow. The Esotar3, a three-way tweeter, is a neodymium magnetic system that also has an internal dome called Hexis to reduce resonance. High-performance neodymium magnets, aluminium and copper sound coils guarantee flawless sound quality. Incidentally, the Confidence series was launched in the 1990s. There are several types of it: the Confidence 20, 30, 50 and the latest, the 60.

It can be said that the Confidence 60 is the most advanced passive speaker of the similar category of products available on the market. Previously, we were lucky enough to test the C60’s predecessor, the Confidence 50, where the upper and lower frequency responses were ideal, with a slight decline at the top of the middle and lower ranges. With the C60, even these small flaws have been eliminated, and the low mid and bass frequencies are henceforth transmitted by the Danish speaker extremely accurately and flawlessly.

Spatial isolation further reduces resonance and improves performance. The speaker stands on a steel plate and comes with metal discs that magnetically stick to the screws and of course the spikes are also worth mounting for greater stability. The largest speaker in the Confidence series is the 60, with a stunningly elegant, eye-catching exterior design. Thanks to the professionally tuned reflex aperture, the speaker is able to transmit all kinds of music content in perfect quality and reproduces low-range sounds flawlessly.

Sound test

We tested the magnificent speakers in a newly built attic apartment featuring a professionally designed home theatre room where acoustic treatment of walls and ceiling was provided, yet not impeccable. The Confidence 60 speakers we tested had Ruby Wood High Gloss finish, and were paired with a Marantz amplifier and a Velodyne subwoofer.

We started our tests with the crime drama movie The Gambling, starring Marc Wahlberg, first in theatres in 2014. To tell the truth, we were curious to hear the sound of the Danish brand’s largest speaker, as we had high expectations. The Dynaudio provided a fair sound, although we quickly assessed issues with spaciousness and details. The deep tones seemed growling at times. After that, we put on the musical Footloose. We were curious not only about the sound of the dialogues, but also about the soundtracks. The dynamics could have been better, and the purity of the basses were not realistic either.

While listening to Tchaikovsky’s 5th Symphony, we found that the middle and high ranges were present nicely and in a balanced way, but unfortunately we found intonation errors in the deep frequencies ones again.

Verdict

The Confidence 60 is a premium quality speaker that stands out as a decorative home accessory in any interior. Not only does the exterior design reveal the maximalism of the designers, the use of components and modern, advanced technologies, all prove that the designers tried to bring out the best of them. Due to its size, we would recommend it mostly for larger or medium rooms. Unfortunately, we identified flaws of sound spaciousness and in connection with three-dimensional sounding, the basses did not always performed perfectly either, but the middle and high ranges were harmonious, clear, distortion-free, even when testing the speakers during screenings or when playing music. Whether you want to use them for a home cinema or listening to music, the speakers cope with the task for both. The stereo sound was adequate. For the sound errors we heard, the not yet fully optimal acoustics are maybe to be blamed for, but frankly, this very expensive and beautiful device did not provide what we have expected from it. The best sound, of course, can only be achieved if the acoustics of the room is properly designed, whether it is used to watch movies or listen to music. Acoustics can be improved with sound-absorbing and diffuser panels.

But of course the price and size of the speakers are conditional of the size of the room, as the speakers are only able to deliver expected performance if matched with the environment and its acoustic abilities. It is clear that Dynaudio has taken nearly 16 years to create the most perfect sound and the most beautiful design.

G.H.

Written by Róbert Polgár