Dynaudio Contour S1.4 LE Review
I believe all readers are very familiar with Dynaudio from Denmark. Their speakers are famous because of their unique and beautiful design and the clear, natural, and transparent sound, giving people a very deep impression. Many enthusiasts who have used Dynaudio said that Dynaudio is their favorite speaker company. And in this post, I am going to review the Dynaudio Dynaudio Contour S1.4 LE speaker.
As early as 2003, Dynaudio launched a new Contour series based on the driver technology developed by the top speakers of the Evidence and Confidence series. The Contour series adopted the latest technology and redesigned at that time, continuing the design style that Dynaudio insists on to make this series of popular and most cost-effective audiophile products. Dynaudio has continued to introduce new products in the past decades.
The S1.4 is a bookshelf speaker of the Dynaudio Contour series. S1.4 has been launched for a long time. Why are the old models of products still have popularity? It turns out that this pair of bookshelf speakers is a limited upgrade version of Contour S1.4. The Contour S1.4 LE limited edition has the same appearance as the old one, but its tweeter, crossover, internal wiring, and exterior decorations are all from Dynaudio’s new designs.
Design
Contour LE has a Danish hand-made cabinet exterior and elegant cabinet design. The series has two new speaker models, Contour S3.4 LE floor-standing speaker, and Contour S1.4 LE bookshelf speaker. The appearance of Contour S1.4 is inherited from the design of Contour S1.3, and the protagonists S1.4 LE and S1.4 have not changed based on the appearance design.
Contour S 1.4 LE bookshelf loudspeaker has four finishes: Bubinga piano lacquer, oiled Walnut, Mocca piano lacquer, and Black piano lacquer, available for your choice. But these are not available in S1.4. The S1.4 LE has a lacquer design, a smooth texture, and a comfortable feel, which adds a touch of elegance to the room.
The Dynaudio Contour S1.4LE’s metal front baffle and the cast aluminum woofer frame are both matt black. The metal front panel of the glossy black piano lacquer version is made of stainless steel. There is a unique structure between the panel and the cabinet, making the front look exceptional. The front panel comprises three layers of different materials, including a damping material and a heavy metal plate. This structure effectively reduces the resonance of the cabinet.
The cabinet adopts a bass reflective port design. The basshole is at the back of the cabinet, and there is a 30mm thick MDF base at the bottom of the cabinet. The binding posts and crossover are all installed in this base.
In addition, to improve the sound performance, Dynaudio also provides a Stand 6 stand and a special S1.4 connecting circuit board. Stand 6 has high rigidity and low resonance structure, which can perfectly match the design and body shape of Countour. But it needs to be purchased separately.
The exquisiteness of the speakers is not only reflected in the appearance. The Contour S1.4LE has also been further upgraded in technology. Dynaudio Contour S1.4LE bookshelf speaker continues to adopt a two-way design, equipped with a 28mm tweeter and a 170mm mid-woofer unit. The tweeter installed on the front panel is arranged below the mid-woofer unit to ensure that it can be heard in the listening position with a sound that is precise and consistent in time.
Dynaudio Contour S1.4LE Speaker’s woofer unit incorporates Dynaudio’s superior technology, combined with lightweight, high rigidity, and excellent internal resistance. The woofer is fixed on a solid low-resonance cast aluminum frame. The diaphragm is made with high-sensitivity magnesium silicate polymer (MSP) material.
Besides, S1.4 LE uses a soft dome tweeter with unique coating technology. Not only is the design unique, but it is also rigorous and precise during the tuning process. It is hoped that the potential of the silk diagram unit will be maximized. It has better natural expressiveness in music.
The internal wiring of the S1.4 LE speaker adopts high-quality OFC copper wire. The crossover circuit uses the first-order frequency division circuit design. The frequency division point is 1900Hz, and the high-frequency part of the crossover uses a particular thin-film resistor. The precision of the thin film resistance can be achieved by one ten-thousandth. The change varied with temperature is minimal, and the resistance is highly stable and reliable.
The crossover using this kind of resistance can significantly increase the precise performance of the frequency divider and bring unparalleled precise high-frequency performance. This particular thin-film resistor was used on the flagship floor-standing speaker series. It can be seen that Dynaudio considers excellent importance to this limited-edition speaker and has injected many superior technologies into this speaker.
Sound Performance
Sound field performance is the first impression while doing the testing.so I first played “Tchaikovsky Violin Concerto in D Minor“. Although the listening room is small, it does not hinder the performance of this pair of speakers. The entire symphony orchestra has been reproduced as soon as the S1.4 LE sounded. Typically the bookshelf speaker will shrink the sound field when playing this record, but Dynaudio S1.4 LE does not compress the sound and sound field but restores it perfectly. The sound field is slightly rearward, but it is open and expansive, and the image is very clear.
When listening, the sound is thunderous. From the weak beginning to the later large dynamic section, the sound field did not appear any distortion, especially in the large dynamic environment.
The low-frequency power of S1.4 LE is very satisfactory. Sitting in the sweet spot position, I can feel that the base unit of S1.4 LE vibrates rapidly under some big dynamic music. The excellent sense of volume makes me very satisfied. I admire the technology that Dynaudio applied to the unit. If it is a typical driver unit, it may have been distorted at such a high volume. But S1.4 LE To the limit, I can also have more volume and more dynamics.
The low-frequency performance of Contour S 1.4 LE bookshelf loudspeaker does not have a muddy feeling, and it can be retracted and released freely. That is a good experience when playing the piano music of Schumann – Kinderszenen Op.15, “Scenes from Childhood.” Many audiophiles like to use the piano sound to evaluate the system. S1.4 LE is suitable for those who like to listen to the piano. S1.4 LE’s overtones are very rich, and the keys are well-arranged, whether it is the fullness of the mid-range or the aftertaste of the low-frequency.
The sound of S1.4 LE is very clean. High frequency is excellent, transparent, and delicate. The high definition is its major feature. What impresses me most is the vocal. Come to the first song, “Alejate,” from Josh Groban. The chorus of the male singers shows extraordinary charm, and the replay is positioned correctly and accurately. The voice is not muddy, and the male voice is very clear.
Lady Gaga’s “I’ll Never Love Again” (from A Star Is Born). The vocals are very pure when replayed by S1.4 LE. If you are not careful, you will think that Lady Gaga and the accompanying music have also come to the scene. Lady Gaga’s voice is very delicate, and her voice is very charming. Good sound with a good music system is fascinating.
Conclusion
Undoubtedly, Dynaudio Contour S1.4LE Speaker is excellent in performance. It is not easy to drive with a sensitivity of 85dB, so it is recommended to consider a high-power and high-current amplifier. You can also choose some amplifiers with a warmer tone and full sound.
Dynaudio Contour S1.4 LE Specs
- Sensitivity: 85 dB (2,83 V/1 m)
- IEC Power Handling: 160 W
- Impedance: 4 Ohms
- Frequency Response: 41 Hz – 25 kHz (± 3 dB)
- Box Principle: Bass Reflex Rear Ported
- Crossover: 2 way
- Specification sheet for Contour S part 1
- Crossover Frequency: 1900 Hz
- Crossover Slope: 6 dB/Octave
- Woofer: 17 cm MSP
- Tweeter: 28 mm soft dome
- Weight: 12.6 kg / 28 lbs
- Dimensions (W x H x D): 188 x 404 x 360 mm7.4 x 15.9 x 14.2″
