In addition to the comparison in this video I had the opportunity to compare them live. The Evoke are already good speakers but the SP40 are clearly superior in terms of deep and controlled bass, soundstage spatiality, beautiful mids and highs (thanks to the Esotar 40 tweeter). So I'm a very happy owner of Special Forty! Thanks Dynaudio!
The difference is not as big as I would have expected....the treble/tweeter on the Specials is more refined making the sound more lively and energetic while the Evoke has a darker tone overall but I would be happy to listen to either set of speakers
Speakers are such a personal thing, what one person loves another person might hate. I have had my Special 40's for over 5 years now. I fell in love with them at the Bristol Hi-Fi Show in 2018 and swore to get a pair. I'm super happy with them and do NOT listen to comparisons with other speakers. In fact I don't audition any other speakers as for me the Special 40's are keepers. Get what you like, and then get off the hi-fi merry go round, it will save you lot's of money in the long term. That said, if anybody is giving away a pair of Kef Blades !!!
i detect a higher 3k-6k Hz tuning on the SP40. It creates this feeling of airiness and more micro detail that eh Evoke can't muster. The difference is not night and day but it is clear to hear. Maybe some will prefer the Evoke for longer listening sessions, and others are quite sensitive to this sound spectrum where the SP40 shine. Are the Evokes objectively worse than the SP40? I'd say no, just a different flavour. So what's your day to day setup now GD?
Any chance of doing the Sonus Faber sonetto ii vs Dynaudio special forty? I like them both but can't decide between them. I'm unable to demo them in the same room on the same gear. Also, I have enjoyed all your comparisons so far. They sound better than others that I have listened to through my headphones You must have a great set-up. Cheers.
I really don't like the SF sound signature, so most probably I won't have any of them here. To me, all SF speakers in the low to mid tier price league have way too hot treble. For me, either Dyno or KEF are the ones I liked the most so far.
I was torn between the two and auditioned them in a fully treated room with my amp (at the time Hegel H120). Both were not broken in, brand new from a sealed box opened in front of me. I must say, the difference in real life is much bigger than the audio in this video suggests (not your fault of course George - i enjoy your comparisons). The SP40 were in a completely different league, the air and clarity on top end and mids were nowhere near the Evokes. I went to audition them aaalmost convinced that the SP40 were charging for the fancy finish and was not really prepared to pay 800 euro premium for that alone. Came back home that same day with the SP40. In fact , SP40 was much closer in performance to Contour 20i ( at about 5k euros) than the Evokes.
@@marcusaurelius2988 Evokes sounded warmer, but not in a good way in my opinion. Just more veiled and rolled off in the top end compared to SP40, which is an already slighlty warm speaker, but with much better clarity than the Evokes.
@@Altered.Frequency The Special 40s perform really well at low volumes - mostly due to their airy and finessed treble , far better than the Elac Carina I had before them. But , this is also dependant on the source/amplifier. With the Hegel H120 I had when I got them, they performed really well at low volumes, but after upgrading to Accuphase E380 with a quality external streamer, the clarity went to a whole new level and low volume performance along with it. That being said, please do not pair the 40s with an AVR, they are high quality speakers that require currents and grip to perform. Even the evokes would be bottlenecked by an AVR.. just my 2 cents.
This is a tough one as they both sound really good. I'm sure the difference in person is much more pronounced, but the S40's seem just a slight bit more airy and detailed. On top of that, the S40 looks so much classier than the Evokes, which are quite the lookers themselves.
To my ears, the Evokes wins in terms of soundstage, bass and natural portrayal of the sound. Mind you, I've owned both these speakers and had to return the SP40 back as it lacks a little bit for me. Kept the Evokes and have owned them for 3 years, and now upgrading to the Evoke 50s. BTW we'll done George.
In my room the soundstage of the SP40 is clearly superior, especially in depth. Bass is more from the Evoke, but better defined on the SP40. I absolutely see the appeal of the Evoke, but once properly run in, the SP40 are more 'audiophile' while the Evoke are more 'party'.
I am in the market for the Evoke 50s but I was told to be careful with the room size.The idea is that they need a really large room to shine? How is your experience with the Evoke 50s and the room size?
I was sure I was going to get the Special 40 until I wasn't when I went straight to the Evoke 50. I just couldn't resist that sense of scale. The Evoke in general is an all-rounder, but the Evoke 50 is definitely the gem of the range. Don't bother with the 30 unless you really have a tiny room, if not just go for the 50, you won't regret it.
The HS are two leagues above the SP40. Better in every aspect (control of the low- and high band, soundstage, imaging, positioning etc). However, if that is worth twice as much... I mean are the SP40 worth twice as much as the Evoke20? Hard to say. Depends on your wallet.
The Evoke have in some portions a weaker spectrum. As you listen at a old phone speaker. Now i have both and i can say SP40 are more revealing but also a bit harsh.
Perfect George! Just what I've been waiting for. The Evokes are certainly cleaner and more refined, to my ears. But the SP40s maybe have a tad more energy as a result. The argument is that the Evokes are a newer (and therefore better) design, whereas a good portion of the SP40's price is the cabinet itself.
Tbh in reality the Evoke have more highs that give you the impression of clarity first. But in the end, the SP40 have more detail and air, a bigger soundstage in every direction (especially depth) and can create a 3D-sound the Evoke can not match. Where the Evoke's take the cake is the amount of bass and 'size of sound'. They simply sound bigger (because they ARE bigger), thus convey classical music better, giving you a better sense of scale of the orchestra. The bass brings them out on top for electronical music, too. For everything else I like the Special Forty more.
@@georgedomse this is actually a really succinct summary of the differences thats useful to a potential purchaser, because the description of the differences proceeds to how to choose based on the type(s) of music (they) like. ie it's insightful but also practical and actionable. well done. subscribed.
And there we have the same old mistake in thinking again…or another victim of marketing: thinking that a speaker must be better because it’s a later/ newer product. That’s what only greenhorns think!
Hmmm… I think the sp40 has a more refined sound. For classical music lovers, which one do you recommend? Volume doesn’t matter but for the sound quality.
I have a Hegel H390, I wonder which of these two Dynaudio speakers will sound better. evoke I heard uniti nova with us and I liked it very much because it played with midrange and was not tiring, I could listen to it for hours. I listen to aria 948hg every day. but the special 40 ones seem to be good too.
Evokes have a bigger driver and it shows. In bigger rooms, over 25 sqm maybe, Evokes are inevitably superior, it's just physics. In rooms up to 20 sqm SP40 offer the best of both worlds - clearer midrange, better controlled bass. I can't stress this enough - room size is always crucial, the only link in the sound chain that you can't change. There will be always a big difference in SPL between 5,25 -6- 6,5 and 7 inch drivers - and adding a sub to a 5,25 inch stereo set up will not make it suitable for a, say, 25 sqm room. Also, driver membrane material matters - if your ears can't stand metal you'll always hate LS50/R3, no matter what the measurements tell ya.
I did already but decided to not shoot a video. The Contour 20i was just too calm and laid back for me. Really audiophile, but it was like a velvet glove. Every touch is just soft and friendly, even when agressivity would have been necessary. Also, its a damn huge speaker.
That's it...!!!! I'm subscribing rigth now...!!! Hahahaha.... (. I woul love to see you compare the Sonus faber's, in particular the Amatur collection)
Thanks :) Well, I tried some 'cheap' Sonus Fabers, I did not like them. The Amators seem to be pretty highly regarded, but they are expensive a.f. - even the Minima is more expensive then the SP40's. Based on my experience with SF so far, I could not justify their price, yet. (since everything you hear on this channel has been bought with my own money, you know)
@@georgedomse I didn't know you bought the gear... Wow..!!! Now I'm impressed (and jealous.. Hahahaha...). Well George, I still adore the parings you've put togather so far and I'll be on the look-out for the ones than come, this channel has tested precisely the gear I wanted to compare. Thank you so much for your time and effort (moner too).
In this recording only in male vocal track i preferred the special forty. Metal should not be played on audiophile speakers. I think the recording on youtube probably doesn't do the high frequency performance of the forties any good as demonstrated by Keith don't go by Nils Lofgren. I like the Dynaudio sound but am leaning towards Revival Atalante 3 or 4 for my system.
The SP40's should be better than the Evoke 20's and are in ways, but not in every way. Midrange and bass clarity, definition, and upper range harmonic detail go to the Specials, but the Evoke twenties reveal nearly as much detail in a sweeter and more pleasing way to me, in this demo.
thats what I heard. the SP40 sounded REALLLLL airy. Almost B&W kind of air which, after a while can be shrill in the treble and a pain to listen to for a long time. If that is the definition of "audiophile" I am not one.
This is a Hegel H190. In what term would be an Elex-R bigger? (mind you, I don't like the rega sound, highs are too much for me, even on the Elicit-R that I had here)
exorbitant differences in quality and definition between the speakers...SP40's light years ahead of the Evoke, I was going to buy a pair of Evoke, I'm glad I gave up... if someone didn't notice significant differences between the two or even preferred the Evoke, it's time for this "someone" to change the method/system of listening to demos, or urgently do an audiometry 😂
Hmmm… I think the sp40 has a more refined sound. For classical music lovers, which one do you recommend? Volume doesn’t matter but for the sound quality.
Hmmm… I think the sp40 has a more refined sound. For classical music lovers, which one do you recommend? Volume doesn’t matter but for the sound quality.
In addition to the comparison in this video I had the opportunity to compare them live. The Evoke are already good speakers but the SP40 are clearly superior in terms of deep and controlled bass, soundstage spatiality, beautiful mids and highs (thanks to the Esotar 40 tweeter). So I'm a very happy owner of Special Forty!
Thanks Dynaudio!
The difference is not as big as I would have expected....the treble/tweeter on the Specials is more refined making the sound more lively and energetic while the Evoke has a darker tone overall but I would be happy to listen to either set of speakers
Very useful comparison. Thanks for posting. I have one Dynaudio speaker so far. Sounds very good.
Sounds better with two, in stereo
Speakers are such a personal thing, what one person loves another person might hate. I have had my Special 40's for over 5 years now. I fell in love with them at the Bristol Hi-Fi Show in 2018 and swore to get a pair. I'm super happy with them and do NOT listen to comparisons with other speakers. In fact I don't audition any other speakers as for me the Special 40's are keepers. Get what you like, and then get off the hi-fi merry go round, it will save you lot's of money in the long term. That said, if anybody is giving away a pair of Kef Blades !!!
i detect a higher 3k-6k Hz tuning on the SP40. It creates this feeling of airiness and more micro detail that eh Evoke can't muster. The difference is not night and day but it is clear to hear. Maybe some will prefer the Evoke for longer listening sessions, and others are quite sensitive to this sound spectrum where the SP40 shine. Are the Evokes objectively worse than the SP40? I'd say no, just a different flavour. So what's your day to day setup now GD?
The 40th anniversary is currently in use. I think SP40 is too edgy for a certain band. My ears are so tired ㅠㅠ
The amplifier is Gryphon Attila.
Difference is fantastic!
Any chance of doing the Sonus Faber sonetto ii vs Dynaudio special forty? I like them both but can't decide between them. I'm unable to demo them in the same room on the same gear.
Also, I have enjoyed all your comparisons so far. They sound better than others that I have listened to through my headphones
You must have a great set-up. Cheers.
I really don't like the SF sound signature, so most probably I won't have any of them here. To me, all SF speakers in the low to mid tier price league have way too hot treble. For me, either Dyno or KEF are the ones I liked the most so far.
@George Dömse that's fair enough George. Thanks for the reply and keep up the good work. 👍
@@georgedomseCompared to Dyno, KEFs has a lack of highs on my ear
I was torn between the two and auditioned them in a fully treated room with my amp (at the time Hegel H120). Both were not broken in, brand new from a sealed box opened in front of me.
I must say, the difference in real life is much bigger than the audio in this video suggests (not your fault of course George - i enjoy your comparisons).
The SP40 were in a completely different league, the air and clarity on top end and mids were nowhere near the Evokes.
I went to audition them aaalmost convinced that the SP40 were charging for the fancy finish and was not really prepared to pay 800 euro premium for that alone.
Came back home that same day with the SP40.
In fact , SP40 was much closer in performance to Contour 20i ( at about 5k euros) than the Evokes.
Can't add anything to that. Exactly my experience.
@@georgedomsewhich ones sound warmer , in your opinion?
@@marcusaurelius2988 Evokes sounded warmer, but not in a good way in my opinion. Just more veiled and rolled off in the top end compared to SP40, which is an already slighlty warm speaker, but with much better clarity than the Evokes.
@@s37en_gr how do these perform at low volume and are the s40s and Evokes easy to drive with an average AVR?
@@Altered.Frequency The Special 40s perform really well at low volumes - mostly due to their airy and finessed treble , far better than the Elac Carina I had before them.
But , this is also dependant on the source/amplifier. With the Hegel H120 I had when I got them, they performed really well at low volumes, but after upgrading to Accuphase E380 with a quality external streamer, the clarity went to a whole new level and low volume performance along with it.
That being said, please do not pair the 40s with an AVR, they are high quality speakers that require currents and grip to perform. Even the evokes would be bottlenecked by an AVR.. just my 2 cents.
This is a tough one as they both sound really good. I'm sure the difference in person is much more pronounced, but the S40's seem just a slight bit more airy and detailed. On top of that, the S40 looks so much classier than the Evokes, which are quite the lookers themselves.
Good comparison. What amp you are using and what is good for dynaudio speakers, low sensivity and ohm.
To my ears, the Evokes wins in terms of soundstage, bass and natural portrayal of the sound. Mind you, I've owned both these speakers and had to return the SP40 back as it lacks a little bit for me. Kept the Evokes and have owned them for 3 years, and now upgrading to the Evoke 50s. BTW we'll done George.
In my room the soundstage of the SP40 is clearly superior, especially in depth. Bass is more from the Evoke, but better defined on the SP40. I absolutely see the appeal of the Evoke, but once properly run in, the SP40 are more 'audiophile' while the Evoke are more 'party'.
Today I compared these acoustic systems... I agree with you completely. Evoke is warmer, more natural and more pleasant. For me, the winner is Evoke.
I am in the market for the Evoke 50s but I was told to be careful with the room size.The idea is that they need a really large room to shine? How is your experience with the Evoke 50s and the room size?
I was sure I was going to get the Special 40 until I wasn't when I went straight to the Evoke 50. I just couldn't resist that sense of scale. The Evoke in general is an all-rounder, but the Evoke 50 is definitely the gem of the range. Don't bother with the 30 unless you really have a tiny room, if not just go for the 50, you won't regret it.
@@marcusaurelius2988 No, not unless you live in a matchbox, if not is not an issue. I love my Evoke 50, you just can't beat that sense of scale.
Yes.
Nice video man!. Hove you compare the Evoke vs the Ls50 Meta ?
Not side-by-side, no. Very different sound though - even more different than what you hear in my other video (SP40 vs LS50 Meta).
ua-cam.com/video/xy3ZDdE3V4g/v-deo.html
@@higobatman yepp, but that's the Evoke10 - I guess Mario was curious about the Evoke20's vs the Meta.
@@georgedomse What is the difference between the Evoke 10 and 20?
George, have you heard the Evoke 50s? Do they need a really large room to shine?@@georgedomse
I hear that the heritage is better yet than the SP40s and the HS are worth double price. Anyone has any experience to confirm?
The HS are two leagues above the SP40. Better in every aspect (control of the low- and high band, soundstage, imaging, positioning etc). However, if that is worth twice as much... I mean are the SP40 worth twice as much as the Evoke20? Hard to say. Depends on your wallet.
It’s clear from the first tract that the Evoke 20 has a rolled off treble. It’s like they put a veil over it.
thanks for making this video. the movie part could have been a bit more exciting to compare :D
Special Forty on electro ❤❤❤❤
The Evoke have in some portions a weaker spectrum. As you listen at a old phone speaker.
Now i have both and i can say SP40 are more revealing but also a bit harsh.
Perfect George! Just what I've been waiting for. The Evokes are certainly cleaner and more refined, to my ears. But the SP40s maybe have a tad more energy as a result. The argument is that the Evokes are a newer (and therefore better) design, whereas a good portion of the SP40's price is the cabinet itself.
Tbh in reality the Evoke have more highs that give you the impression of clarity first. But in the end, the SP40 have more detail and air, a bigger soundstage in every direction (especially depth) and can create a 3D-sound the Evoke can not match.
Where the Evoke's take the cake is the amount of bass and 'size of sound'. They simply sound bigger (because they ARE bigger), thus convey classical music better, giving you a better sense of scale of the orchestra. The bass brings them out on top for electronical music, too. For everything else I like the Special Forty more.
@@georgedomse going to audition both of these tomorrow, what a coincidence. Did you ever try the S40 with a sub?
@@georgedomse this is actually a really succinct summary of the differences thats useful to a potential purchaser, because the description of the differences proceeds to how to choose based on the type(s) of music (they) like. ie it's insightful but also practical and actionable. well done. subscribed.
@@Doughny thanks and no. My room is really small (10sqm max), a sub may be overkill here. But I heard others doing it to great effect.
And there we have the same old mistake in thinking again…or another victim of marketing: thinking that a speaker must be better because it’s a later/ newer product. That’s what only greenhorns think!
Hmmm… I think the sp40 has a more refined sound. For classical music lovers, which one do you recommend? Volume doesn’t matter but for the sound quality.
I have a Hegel H390, I wonder which of these two Dynaudio speakers will sound better. evoke I heard uniti nova with us and I liked it very much because it played with midrange and was not tiring, I could listen to it for hours. I listen to aria 948hg every day. but the special 40 ones seem to be good too.
Evokes have a bigger driver and it shows. In bigger rooms, over 25 sqm maybe, Evokes are inevitably superior, it's just physics. In rooms up to 20 sqm SP40 offer the best of both worlds - clearer midrange, better controlled bass.
I can't stress this enough - room size is always crucial, the only link in the sound chain that you can't change. There will be always a big difference in SPL between 5,25 -6- 6,5 and 7 inch drivers - and adding a sub to a 5,25 inch stereo set up will not make it suitable for a, say, 25 sqm room. Also, driver membrane material matters - if your ears can't stand metal you'll always hate LS50/R3, no matter what the measurements tell ya.
Evokes don't have a bigger driver.
@@skavcic The Evokes have a 7 inch midwoofer, while SP40 have a 6.5 inch one.
Have you a way test contour vs sp40 :)
I did already but decided to not shoot a video. The Contour 20i was just too calm and laid back for me. Really audiophile, but it was like a velvet glove. Every touch is just soft and friendly, even when agressivity would have been necessary. Also, its a damn huge speaker.
That's it...!!!! I'm subscribing rigth now...!!! Hahahaha.... (. I woul love to see you compare the Sonus faber's, in particular the Amatur collection)
Thanks :) Well, I tried some 'cheap' Sonus Fabers, I did not like them. The Amators seem to be pretty highly regarded, but they are expensive a.f. - even the Minima is more expensive then the SP40's. Based on my experience with SF so far, I could not justify their price, yet. (since everything you hear on this channel has been bought with my own money, you know)
@@georgedomse I didn't know you bought the gear... Wow..!!! Now I'm impressed (and jealous.. Hahahaha...). Well George, I still adore the parings you've put togather so far and I'll be on the look-out for the ones than come, this channel has tested precisely the gear I wanted to compare. Thank you so much for your time and effort (moner too).
I own the Evokes and I'm very happy with them but the SP40 are better and worth the extra money for sure!
In this recording only in male vocal track i preferred the special forty. Metal should not be played on audiophile speakers. I think the recording on youtube probably doesn't do the high frequency performance of the forties any good as demonstrated by Keith don't go by Nils Lofgren. I like the Dynaudio sound but am leaning towards Revival Atalante 3 or 4 for my system.
Very difficult to see a different for me. both sounds good S40 is on the more classic side and a bit more refined for me for my ears!!!!.
What's the different
Size, construction, drivers, binding posts, cabling, crossover and sound.
Basically averything.
+1 for evoke
looool
Forty has it, the evoke better on metal..
Happy with either, is it worth the extra ? For me and money no probs - yes .
Great recording on my phones ..
SP40 sounds much better than Evoke. Driver quality is much better in SP40.
The SP40's should be better than the Evoke 20's and are in ways, but not in every way. Midrange and bass clarity, definition, and upper range harmonic detail go to the Specials, but the Evoke twenties reveal nearly as much detail in a sweeter and more pleasing way to me, in this demo.
Супер
The Evoke sounded better and was more crisp
A nice finish never made any audio product special! But understand that eyes may be more important than ears for some. Thanks for your comparisons.
Evoke has a safer, rolled-off sound.
Evoke 20 sounds more natural
thats what I heard. the SP40 sounded REALLLLL airy. Almost B&W kind of air which, after a while can be shrill in the treble and a pain to listen to for a long time. If that is the definition of "audiophile" I am not one.
Evoke 20 is good enough chess 😉
SP40. Clear, natural. The Evoke pales in comparison to the SP40. Try a larger (minimum Elex-R) Rega amp for the Dynaudio. 👍
This is a Hegel H190. In what term would be an Elex-R bigger? (mind you, I don't like the rega sound, highs are too much for me, even on the Elicit-R that I had here)
No....😊
exorbitant differences in quality and definition between the speakers...SP40's light years ahead of the Evoke, I was going to buy a pair of Evoke, I'm glad I gave up... if someone didn't notice significant differences between the two or even preferred the Evoke, it's time for this "someone" to change the method/system of listening to demos, or urgently do an audiometry 😂
Nope !
Hmmm… I think the sp40 has a more refined sound. For classical music lovers, which one do you recommend? Volume doesn’t matter but for the sound quality.
Yes.
Hmmm… I think the sp40 has a more refined sound. For classical music lovers, which one do you recommend? Volume doesn’t matter but for the sound quality.