You make it sound though like that is a bug instead of a feature, while for some people (including myself) that is what they prefer in a speaker. Speakers usually can’t be fatiguing ‘some’ of the time, they are either fatiguing or they aren’t. And for me that usually boils down to how pronounced they are in the treble range, a more pronounced treble demands more attention.
However this is largely related to the directionality of treble tones, so i’d be interested to hear how this works out with speakers that try to reduce the directionality like the LS50 Meta’s do. I don’t rule out at all that with proper technique a more pronounced higher range would be possible without increasing the fatigue too much.
So i’m certainly willing to give them a listen, however in terms of design i wouldn’t be very eager to bring them into my living room…
Didn’t Epos used to recommend you fill the bass ports with drinking straws to absorb unwanted sound from the rear of the driver in their ES14 Speakers more than 20 years ago?
To clarify the purpose: the Meta disc reduces the energy from a number of frequency ranges from 600hz upwards, it’s intended to prevent treble from bouncing of the back of the speaker back through the front driver. Since treble is directional and bass isn’t, the theory behind it is rather solid i think. It has a different goal than filtering frequencies in the rear exhaust, since those are moving away from the front driver anyway.
Dynaudio has what they call a Hexis dome behind the esotar 3 tweeters now. Maybe you simply need to move up to the Confidence speakers Analogmusic. I have not looked up what the Meta tech is actually doing, but a Focus 260 is a mid range speaker, which does not have their top components on-board. My first Dyn speaker was a focus 160, same line as the 260…old tech now.
Thanks litemotiv for the explanation it does sound interesting but for me Meta technology would have to work miracles to make the LS50 into a speaker I’d buy.
Yes, this was a popular solution if you could not stand them far enough away from a wall. The foam bung supplied deadened the sound for me and a bundle of drinking straws was a popular alternative to partially blocking the port with an old sock. I even recall our mentor @Richard.Dane mentioned this in a post back in the day. Of course, nowadays, you probably cannot buy plastic straws and would need to invest in some hifi grade bamboo ones…
Yes, I think that drinking straws cut down and tightly packed in the ports can be a good solution on the ES14s where neither fully open nor bunged up work satisfactorily.
so an update : I managed to (despite all protests from both my wife and daughter) to move my rather big focus 260 to the living room and hey ho, it’s a different speaker now in that room. Moving it alone was also quite an exercise…
I can finally hear what it’s capable of now… given the bigger room and higher volumes it will be used at. And it is sounding like what I had expected when I had purchased it. and what a change from the listening room I normally use.
There is a deep bass which I have not quite heard before coming from the speaker, down to 30 HZ, which makes watching movies a lot more interesting.
I also temporarily solved the big problem of my cat jumping on top of it (and toppling it over) by moving flower vases on top it, which I hope will stop my cat jumping on it now.
Dynaudio really should make outrigger stands available for the older models as it is a big risk for pets and small children.
sonically though … interesting, maybe I will be keeping it…
seems the room is as important than the choice of speaker?
The F260s need room to breathe. What are the sizes of your previous and current audio system rooms?
At first, I wasn’t able to dial in my Focus 260s in my 28m2 (300ft2) room. They were too warm and too lively.
It took three changes to make them work in my space.
282 -> 252
A few strategically positioned tube traps.
Pulling them out further into the room than my previous speakers.
My sense is that #2 would have been less critical in a larger room.
BTW, I have mine mounted on Soundocity outriggers. I use their large footers under the spikes, to which I added 1/2" thick sorbothane pads. It’s worth doing as an incremental tweak, once they are working nicely in the room.
Once dialed in, the F260’s are superb. I personally love the esotar tweeters, which are not too smooth for my ears.
Honestly most of this thread is a couple of people complaining about the price of something they can’t afford or don’t think is worth the price. They really aren’t that expensive, especially compared to other small super speakers. Magico A1, Wilson TuneTot, ProAc K1 , KEF Reference 1 . But just because some think they are over priced doesn’t make it so.
Have read through a lot of this thread which makes for interesting reading. I recently purchased a nova and am now on the market for speakers. My room is odd, part of a kitchen is the best I can get, see photos attached. Due to covid had to our desk in where sofa will go but acoustically it has everything wrong with it possibly. I’m no expert but was thinking of the following speakers
Evoke 50
S40s
Pmc twenty5.24
I can audition all bar the S40s in the shops but not at home so looking for some advice. Size of space is about 17sqm but glass on two sides. Was planning of placing speakers where the existing ones are. Musical taste is electronic and jazz.
You might find the 25.24s a bit much for that room. Perhaps think about 25.23’s if you want a floorstander or 25.21s for a stand mount. I use the 25.21s with a Nova and it is a great combination, easily capable of filling a room of that size. The other speakers on your shortlist are all great so have a listen and enjoy. Good luck!
