In this review, we will be comparing Contour 30i and Evoke 30, two Passive Floor-standing speakers by Dynaudio.
Let's have a brief look at the main features
of Dynaudio Contour 30i and Dynaudio Evoke 30 first before getting into our more
detailed comparison.
| Key Specs | Dynaudio Contour 30i | Dynaudio Evoke 30 |
|---|
| Brand | Dynaudio
Denmark · founded 1977 | Dynaudio
Denmark · founded 1977 |
|---|
| Design | 3-way | 2-way |
|---|
| Tweeter | 1.1" Soft-Dome | 1.1" |
|---|
| Woofer | 2 x 7" MSP | 2 x 5.5" Magnesium Silicate Polymer |
|---|
| Frequency response | 32-23k Hz | 40-23k Hz |
|---|
| Sensitivity | 87 dB | 88 dB |
|---|
| Impedance | 4 ohms | 4 ohms |
|---|
| Power range | — | up to 200 watts |
|---|
| Weight | 31.40kg / 69.1lbs | 15.50kg / 34.1lbs |
|---|
| Dimensions (H x W x D) | 44-7/8" x 8-7/16" x 14-3/16"
1140.0 x 215.0 x 360.0mm | 36-1/4" x 10-1/2" x 13-1/2"
920.0 x 268.0 x 342.0mm |
|---|
What size room are the Dynaudio Contour 30i and Dynaudio Evoke 30 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 Contour 30i |
Dynaudio Evoke 30 |
| Near-field |
Poor |
Bad |
| Small Room |
Average |
Poor |
| Mid-size Room |
Good |
Good |
| Large Room |
Average |
Good |
| Very Large Room |
Poor |
Poor |
(* 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.
Drivers
One of the fundamental differences between these two speakers is that Contour 30i is a 3-way design whereas the Evoke 30 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 Contour 30iDynaudio Evoke 30
TweeterWoofer
Front view, drawn to scale - cabinets and drivers share one scale, so sizes are directly comparable. Hover a driver for its size.
| Driver |
Dynaudio Contour 30i |
Dynaudio Evoke 30 |
|
Driver Setup
|
3-way
|
2-way
|
|
Tweeter
|
1.1-inch
|
1.1-inch
|
|
Midrange
|
- |
- |
|
Woofer
|
2 x 7-inch
|
2 x 5.5-inch
|
Contour 30i features a 1.1" Esotar 2i Soft-Dome Tweeter and 2 x 7" MSP Woofer with a Crossover frequency at (300)/2200 Hz. On the other hand, the Evoke 30 features a 1.1" Tweeter and 2 x 5.5" Magnesium Silicate Polymer Woofer with a Crossover frequency at 1200Hz and 2300Hz.
Frequency Response
Contour 30i has a frequency range of 32-23k Hz whereas Evoke 30 has a frequency range of 40-23k Hz. With a minimum frequency of 32Hz, the Contour 30i can go significantly deeper on the low side and provide stronger bass compared to the Evoke 30's min frequency of 40Hz.
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
Contour 30i and Evoke 30 have the same Impedance of 4 ohms but where they differ is the sensitivity levels. Contour 30i sensitivity is rated at 87 dB and the Evoke 30's is at 88 dB. This 1 dB difference makes the Dynaudio Evoke 30 a more sensitive speaker compared to Dynaudio Contour 30i, hence will play louder with the same amount of watts.
One thing to keep in mind that the lower impedance speakers, especially the ones that are rated at 4 ohms may put more pressure on the amplifier unit comared to higher impedance speakers especially at high volume levels, so make sure the amp you pair with the Contour 30i and the Contour 30i can provide this impedance level.
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
Contour 30i features Binding post type posts and Evoke 30 has a Binding post type posts. None of these speakers feature bi-amping/bi-wiring.
Dynaudio Evoke 30's Binding post terminals
Cabinet Type and Port Position
Both Contour 30i and Evoke 30 have rear firing ports. Rear ported speakers generally need more room between the backside of the speaker and the wall compared to sealed and front/bottom ported speakers. Placing the speakers too close to the walls may cause the bass to sound boomy.
If you are limited in space and can't get the speakers away from the backwall, check our Speakers with Front Firing Ports page.
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 Contour 30i's and Dynaudio Evoke 30's external dimensions. Dynaudio Contour 30i has external dimensions of 1140.0 x 215.0 x 360.0mm (44-7/8 x 8-7/16 x 14-3/16inch) whereas Dynaudio Evoke 30 has external dimensions of 920.0 x 268.0 x 342.0mm (36-1/2 x 10-5/8 x 13-1/2inch).
Dynaudio Evoke 30 is 220mm shorter and 18mm less deeper than Dynaudio Contour 30i but it is also 53mm wider.
Size, drawn to scale
Both speakers and both views share one scale, so everything here is directly comparable. Hover a box for its dimensions.
One scale for both, standing on the same surface and pushed back to the same wall, so the deeper one visibly sticks out further.
Dynaudio Evoke 30 needs about 18% more floor or shelf area. Dynaudio Contour 30i is 18mm deeper, so it stands that much further out from the wall. Dynaudio Contour 30i is 220mm 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 Contour 30i is approximately 774.0cm2 / 120.0inch2 and base area of the Dynaudio Evoke 30 is approximately 916.6cm2 / 142.1inch2. The Contour 30i requires 16% less surface area than the Evoke 30 which gives it a small advantage on placement in tight spaces.
Weight Comparison The weight of a loudspeaker can become an important factor if you need to move and reposition the unit often. Weight of a speaker can also "sometimes" be an indicator of the rigidity of the enclosure and the quality of the internal components used. The Dynaudio Contour 30i weighs 31.40kg / 69.1lbs and the Dynaudio Evoke 30 weighs 15.50kg / 34.1lbs. This makes the Contour 30i 103% heavier than the Evoke 30.
Here is a comparison of how Contour 30i and Evoke 30's weights compare with the average, max and min weights in Passive Floor-standing class.
Weight
All Floor-standing Speakers
What's in the Box of Dynaudio Evoke 30?
Here are the items that come with the Evoke 30:
- Floorstanding loudspeaker
- Grille
- 4 Outrigger feet
- 4 Spikes
- 4 Locking nuts
- 8 Washers
- 8 Screws
- Foam port plug
- Hex-key
- Tweeter protection cover (pre-installed)
- Instructions for Use
- Important Safety Instructions
- Warranty Card
 Max Input Power |
300 watts
vs
200 watts
|
Handle more power from your amplifier |
 Driver Setup |
3-way
vs
2-way
|
Have a dedicated mid-range driver |
 Woofer Size |
7 inches
vs
5.5 inches
|
Larger woofer |
|
Low Frequency Response |
32 Hz
vs
40 Hz
|
Generates deeper bass |
 Base Surface Area |
774cm2
vs
916cm2
|
Takes less floor space |
 Sensitivity |
88 dB
vs
87 dB
|
Play louder with same amount of amplification power |
 Height |
920mm
vs
1140mm
|
Easier to fit in smaller spaces |
 Price per pair* |
3500USD
vs
9500USD
|
costs less (*prices may change depending on the seller, location and time) |
| General |
Dynaudio Contour 30i |
Dynaudio Evoke 30 |
| Brand |
Dynaudio |
Dynaudio |
| Speaker Type |
Floor-standing speaker |
Floor-standing speaker |
| Sensitivity |
87 dB |
88 dB |
| Impedance |
4 ohms |
4 ohms |
| Frequency Response |
32-23k Hz |
40-23k Hz |
Drivers |
|
|
| Woofer Quantity |
2 |
2 |
| Woofer Size |
7" |
5.5" |
| Woofer Composition |
MSP |
Magnesium Silicate Polymer |
| Woofer Surround Material |
n/a |
Rubber |
| Tweeter Size |
1.1" |
1.1" |
| Tweeter Type |
Soft-Dome |
n/a |
| Aimable Tweeter |
No |
No |
| Midrange Driver |
No |
No |
| Crossover Frequency |
(300)/2200 Hz |
1200Hz and 2300Hz |
| Firing Direction |
rear |
rear |
Physical Specs |
|
|
| Height |
1140.0mm (44.9") |
920.0mm (36.2") |
| Width |
215.0mm (8.5") |
268.0mm (10.6") |
| Depth |
360.0mm (14.2") |
342.0mm (13.5") |
| Weight |
31.40kg (69.1lbs) |
15.50kg (34.1lbs) |
| Enclosure |
Bass Reflex |
Bass Reflex |
| Finish |
n/a |
MDF/Wood veneer |
| Available Colors |
n/a |
Oak (blonde) |
| Grille |
Yes |
Yes |
| Moisture Resistancy |
No |
No |
Connections |
|
|
| Biamp Inputs |
No |
No |
Other |
|
|
| Parts Warranty |
|
5 Years (8 Years registered) |
| Labor Warranty |
|
5 Years (8 Years registered) |
These sit in different price classes - Dynaudio Contour 30i costs roughly 2.7x what Dynaudio Evoke 30 does. Expect it to lead on paper; the question is whether the gap is audible enough in your room to be worth it.
| Area | Better | Why |
|---|
| Bass | A | Dynaudio Contour 30i digs deeper - 32Hz against 40Hz. A subwoofer would even that out. |
| Amplifier needs | evenly matched | Similar sensitivity (87dB vs 88dB) - both want much the same power. |
| Headroom | A | Dynaudio Contour 30i takes more power (300W vs 200W) - more in hand in a big room. |
| Size | depends | Similar cabinet size - neither is easier to fit. |
| Price | B | Dynaudio Evoke 30 is cheaper - $3,500 against $9,500, about 63% less; arguably a different class. |
A Dynaudio Contour 30i B Dynaudio Evoke 30
depends neither is better in the abstract - it turns on your room, your system or how you will use them. Only specs published for both speakers are judged; anything missing on either side is left out rather than guessed.
Which should you choose?
The usual trade-off: Dynaudio Contour 30i measures better, Dynaudio Evoke 30 costs about about 2.7x the price% less. Whether that gap is worth the money is the call only you can make - and in a normal room it is often smaller than the numbers suggest. If a subwoofer is in your plans, the bass gap largely stops mattering - you would be crossing over above 40Hz anyway, which makes the cheaper Dynaudio Evoke 30 much easier to justify. Match it to your room: we rate Dynaudio Contour 30i the better fit for a small room, and Dynaudio Evoke 30 for a large room.
And remember what a spec sheet cannot show: how each looks in your room and whether the finish suits it, what dealer support and warranty are like where you live, and how they actually sound to you. If you can hear them first - ideally with your own music - that will tell you more than any number above.