Floorstanding loudspeakers — Dynaudio Contour Legacy

The Contour Legacy is a limited-edition floorstanding loudspeaker in the Heritage Collection of Dynaudio, first presented in Munich at the 2024 High End exhibition. Production is capped at 1,000 pairs worldwide, each pair carrying its own number, and only 52 pairs were allocated to the United Kingdom. The look refers to the Contour 1.8 of the 1990s with its upright rectangular box, but the drivers, crossover and cabinet are new engineering rather than a reissue. Cabinets are made by hand in Skanderborg, Denmark, and covered in sustainable American Walnut veneer. Pair prices are GBP 10,200, EUR 12,000 and USD 14,000.

Key specs that matter

A 28 mm Esotar 3 soft-dome tweeter works with two 18 cm MSP cone drivers in a 2.5-way arrangement. The network crosses over at 400 Hz and 3,400 Hz using first and second order slopes. Dynaudio quotes 42 Hz to 29 kHz within 3 dB, 90 dB at 2.83 V and 1 m, a 4 ohm impedance and 300 W of IEC long-term power handling. The cabinet is 208 mm wide, 995 mm high and 345 mm deep, or 352 mm deep with the grille in place, and a single speaker weighs 32.5 kg.

Engineering and use context

The two cone drivers are modified versions of units from the Evidence Platinum model. In the 2.5-way layout both run in the bass, and the lower unit supports the upper one in that region, which raises sensitivity; Dynaudio says this arrangement required a crossover designed specifically for the Legacy. Parts for that network come from Duelund, Mundorf and Van den Hul, with Duelund capacitors placed in the signal path. The Esotar 3 tweeter, the same generation Dynaudio fits to its Confidence range, includes the Hexis inner dome, which sits behind the diaphragm to break up resonances. The enclosure is joined with precision-cut joints and vented through a pair of flared rear-facing reflex ports, and it rests on a cast-iron base. The rear carries a single terminal pair, which rules out bi-wiring.

Pairing

The high sensitivity means normal listening levels need only moderate power, although a low-impedance speaker is best matched with a transistor amplifier that keeps its output into lower loads. With the ports on the back, a gap to the wall behind is sensible. The slim front and a height just under one metre keep the towers compact enough for a living room of around 20 m2.

Alternatives

The Dynaudio Contour 60i is a three-way floorstander with twin 23 cm woofers in the current Contour i series.