Floorstanding loudspeakers — Dynaudio Contour 30i

The Contour 30i is a Dynaudio floorstander from the Contour i range, listed by the company as a current home audio model. It is built as a 2.5-way design and takes the same revised tweeter, woofer suspension and simplified crossover that define the i generation of the Contour line, which also includes the two-way Contour 20i stand-mount with a single woofer.

Key specs that matter

Up top works a 28 mm Esotar 2i soft dome carrying Hexis, joined by two 18 cm drivers with cones of MSP, the Magnesium Silicate Polymer that Dynaudio makes itself. Crossover points are 300 Hz and 2,200 Hz, both with second-order slopes. Sensitivity is rated at 87 dB at 2.83 V and 1 m, and the rated impedance is 4 ohm. Under the IEC long term method it accepts 300 W. Response extends from 32 Hz to 23 kHz within 3 dB. The cabinet is 215 mm wide, 1,140 mm high and 360 mm deep without feet or grille, and 300 x 1,169 x 403 mm with them fitted, and each speaker weighs 31.4 kg. The baffle is black aluminium, the grille is black and buyers choose among Nordic Silver, Walnut Wood or a Black High Gloss surface. Dynaudio notes that the Hexis inner dome is also used in its Confidence range and in the Core series of professional studio monitors.

Engineering and use context

Two reflex ports open on the back panel. Compared with the Esotar2 that came before it, the Esotar 2i has a larger rear chamber for better damping, and the Hexis part, a second dome placed behind the main one, is aimed at cutting resonances and smoothing the frequency response. Each MSP driver runs a large-diameter, long-throw voice coil wound from aluminium. Dynaudio chose aluminium because it is lighter than copper, which allows a larger coil diameter with more windings for the same moving mass. Behind each cone sits an asymmetric spider made of aramid fibre, with ribs of different widths, intended to give tighter control of excursion. For the i generation the crossover lost its impedance correction circuitry, because the physical properties of the updated drivers now take care of that task.

Pairing

Given its nominal load, the Contour 30i works best with a transistor integrated or power amplifier built to drive low-impedance speakers with steady current, rather than a small valve amplifier.

Alternatives

Within the Dynaudio floorstanding range the Emit 50 is a three-way option with a Cerotar tweeter, an MSP midrange and two MSP woofers.