In this review, we will be comparing two different types of speakers by Dynaudio. Dynaudio Confidence 30 is a Floor-standing speaker whereas the Confidence 20 is a Bookshelf speaker.
Let's have a brief look at the main features
of Dynaudio Confidence 30 and Dynaudio Confidence 20 first before getting into our more
detailed comparison.
| Key Specs | Dynaudio Confidence 30 | Dynaudio Confidence 20 |
|---|
| Design | 3-way | 2-way |
|---|
| Tweeter | 1.1" Soft-Dome | 1.1" Soft-Dome |
|---|
| Midrange | 6" | — |
|---|
| Woofer | 2 x 7" MSP | 7" MSP |
|---|
| Frequency response | 38-22k Hz | 42-22k Hz |
|---|
| Sensitivity | 88 dB | 87 dB |
|---|
| Impedance | 4 ohms | 6 ohms |
|---|
| Weight | 44.20kg / 97.2lbs | 27.00kg / 59.4lbs |
|---|
| Dimensions (H x W x D) | 52-5/8" x 8-3/4" x 15-11/16"
1337.0 x 222.0 x 399.0mm | 20-1/2" x 9-3/16" x 16-5/16"
520.0 x 233.0 x 414.0mm |
|---|
Confidence 30 and Confidence 20 are members of Dynaudio's Confidence series of speakers. Below you can find the loudspeakers from this series.
Dynaudio Confidence Series
History
What size room are the Dynaudio Confidence 30 and Dynaudio Confidence 20 speakers good for?
The size of the room in which you are planning to use these loudspeakers is an important decision
factor. Here we have compared their suitability to various sizes of environments considering their size
and max power parameters:
| Listening Environment* |
Dynaudio Confidence 30 |
Dynaudio Confidence 20 |
| Near-field |
Bad |
Good |
| Small Room |
Poor |
Good |
| Mid-size Room |
Average |
Average |
| Large Room |
Good |
Poor |
| Very Large Room |
Average |
No way |
(* Approximate Room sizes: Small < 100sq. ft / 9 m2,
Mid-size: 100-220 sq. ft / 9-20 m2, Large 220-400 sq. ft / 20-36 m2, Very Large: >
400 sq. ft / 36 m2.
Average Floor Height: 9" / 2.7m. Typical room sizes differ from country to country, and the actual
listening experience changes depending on floor height, room shape, surface materials, listening
position, speaker locations, etc.)
The sections below take each area in turn: drivers, frequency response, physical size and what you get in the box.
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Drivers
One of the fundamental differences between these two speakers is that Confidence 30 is a 3-way design whereas the Confidence 20 is a 2-way speaker. 3-way designs utilize a midrange driver in addition to the tweeter and woofer on 2-way designs. Designing a crossover for a 3-way speaker is a complicated process and generally increases the overall cost of the speaker.
Dynaudio Confidence 30Dynaudio Confidence 20
TweeterMidrangeWoofer
Front view, drawn to scale - cabinets and drivers share one scale, so sizes are directly comparable. Hover a driver for its size.
| Driver |
Dynaudio Confidence 30 |
Dynaudio Confidence 20 |
|
Driver Setup
|
3-way
|
2-way
|
|
Tweeter
|
1.1-inch
|
1.1-inch
|
|
Midrange
|
1 x 6-inch |
- |
|
Woofer
|
2 x 7-inch
|
1 x 7-inch
|
Confidence 30 features a 1.1" Esotar 3 Soft-Dome Tweeter, a 6" Midrange and 2 x 7" MSP Woofer with a Crossover frequency at 290/3700 Hz. On the other hand, the Confidence 20 features a 1.1" Esotar 3 Soft-Dome Tweeter and 1 x 7" MSP Woofer with a Crossover frequency at 2325 Hz.
Frequency Response
Confidence 30 has a frequency range of 38-22k Hz whereas Confidence 20 has a frequency range of 42-22k Hz. With a minimum frequency of 38Hz, the Confidence 30 can go slightly deeper then the Confidence 20's min frequency of 42Hz.
The graph below depicts how these two speakers compare with the max, min and average Low Frequency values of other speakers in the Floor-standing class in our database.
Low Frequency
Floor-standing Speakers
Neither pair reaches down to 20Hz, the usual definition of full-range, which is normal for speakers of this size. If you want the bottom octave for movies or bass-heavy music, add a subwoofer to whichever you choose. Visit our Powered Subwoofers section to find out more about the available options.
Impedance and Sensitivity
Confidence 30 is a 4 ohms speaker compared to the Confidence 20 which has a nominal impedance of 6 ohms. Lower impedance speakers, especially the ones that are rated at 4 ohms may put more pressure on the amplifier unit especially when played at high volume levels, so make sure the amp you pair with the Confidence 30 can provide this impedance level.
These two speakers also have different sensitivity levels. Confidence 30 sensitivity is rated at 88 dB and the Confidence 20's is rated at 87 dB. This 1 dB difference makes the Dynaudio Confidence 30 a more sensitive speaker compared to Dynaudio Confidence 20, hence will play louder with the same amount of watts.
Sensitivity
Floor-standing Speakers
Which plays louder on your amplifier?
Starting with a popular amplifier — change it to the one you own, or any you are
considering, and watch both numbers move.
Input Type and Bi-Amping / Bi-Wiring
Confidence 30 features Binding post type posts and Confidence 20 has a Binding post type posts. None of these speakers feature bi-amping/bi-wiring.
Cabinet Type and Port Position
Both Confidence 30 and Confidence 20 have down firing ports.
Physical Specs
The size of a speaker can sometimes be an important decision factor due to space constraints or in some cases purely for esthetic reasons. In this section, we are going to compare Dynaudio Confidence 30's and Dynaudio Confidence 20's external dimensions. Dynaudio Confidence 30 has external dimensions of 1337.0 x 222.0 x 399.0mm (52-5/8 x 8-3/4 x 15-11/16inch) whereas Dynaudio Confidence 20 has external dimensions of 520.0 x 233.0 x 414.0mm (20-1/2 x 9-3/16 x 16-5/16inch).
Dynaudio Confidence 30 is 11mm narrower and 15mm less deeper than Dynaudio Confidence 20 but it is also 817mm taller.
Base Surface Area Comparison
Base surface area of a loudspeaker may become a determining factor when the space in your room or desk is limited.
The base surface area of the Dynaudio Confidence 30 is approximately 885.8cm2 / 137.3inch2 and base area of the Dynaudio Confidence 20 is approximately 964.6cm2 / 149.5inch2. The Confidence 30 requires 8% less surface area than the Confidence 20 which gives it a small advantage on placement in tight spaces.