In this review, we will be comparing Contour 60i and Contour 30i, two Passive Floor-standing speakers by Dynaudio.
Let's have a brief look at the main features
of Dynaudio Contour 60i and Dynaudio Contour 30i first before getting into our more
detailed comparison.
| Key Specs | Dynaudio Contour 60i | Dynaudio Contour 30i |
|---|
| Brand | Dynaudio
Denmark · founded 1977 | Dynaudio
Denmark · founded 1977 |
|---|
| Design | 3-way | 3-way |
|---|
| Tweeter | 1.1" Soft-Dome | 1.1" Soft-Dome |
|---|
| Midrange | 6" | — |
|---|
| Woofer | 2 x 9" MSP | 2 x 7" MSP |
|---|
| Frequency response | 28-23k Hz | 32-23k Hz |
|---|
| Sensitivity | 88 dB | 87 dB |
|---|
| Impedance | 4 ohms | 4 ohms |
|---|
| Weight | 50.00kg / 110lbs | 31.40kg / 69.1lbs |
|---|
| Dimensions (H x W x D) | 52-3/8" x 10-1/16" x 16-9/16"
1330.0 x 255.0 x 420.0mm | 44-7/8" x 8-7/16" x 14-3/16"
1140.0 x 215.0 x 360.0mm |
|---|
Contour 60i and Contour 30i are members of Dynaudio's Contour i series of speakers. Below you can find the loudspeakers from this series.
Dynaudio Contour i Series
History
What size room are the Dynaudio Contour 60i and Dynaudio Contour 30i 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 60i |
Dynaudio Contour 30i |
| Near-field |
Bad |
Poor |
| Small Room |
Poor |
Average |
| Mid-size Room |
Average |
Good |
| Large Room |
Good |
Average |
| Very Large Room |
Average |
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
Both Contour 60i and Contour 30i are 3-way speakers.
Dynaudio Contour 60iDynaudio Contour 30i
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 Contour 60i |
Dynaudio Contour 30i |
|
Driver Setup
|
3-way
|
3-way
|
|
Tweeter
|
1.1-inch
|
1.1-inch
|
|
Midrange
|
1 x 6-inch |
- |
|
Woofer
|
2 x 9-inch
|
2 x 7-inch
|
Contour 60i features a 1.1" Esotar 2i Soft-Dome Tweeter, a 6" Midrange and 2 x 9" MSP Woofer with a Crossover frequency at 220 Hz / 4.500 Hz. On the other hand, the 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.
Frequency Response
Contour 60i has a frequency range of 28-23k Hz whereas Contour 30i has a frequency range of 32-23k Hz. With a minimum frequency of 28Hz, the Contour 60i can go slightly deeper then the Contour 30i's min frequency of 32Hz.
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 60i and Contour 30i have the same Impedance of 4 ohms but where they differ is the sensitivity levels. Contour 60i sensitivity is rated at 88 dB and the Contour 30i's is at 87 dB. This 1 dB difference makes the Dynaudio Contour 60i 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 60i and the Contour 60i 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 60i features Binding post type posts and Contour 30i has a Binding post type posts. None of these speakers feature bi-amping/bi-wiring.
Cabinet Type and Port Position
Both Contour 60i and Contour 30i 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 60i's and Dynaudio Contour 30i's external dimensions. Dynaudio Contour 60i has external dimensions of 1330.0 x 255.0 x 420.0mm (52-3/8 x 10-1/16 x 16-9/16inch) whereas 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).
Dynaudio Contour 60i is clearly the larger of the two speakers. Its body is 40mm wider, 190mm taller and 60mm deeper than Dynaudio Contour 30i.
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 Contour 60i needs about 38% more floor or shelf area. Dynaudio Contour 60i is 60mm deeper, so it stands that much further out from the wall. Dynaudio Contour 60i is 190mm 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 60i is approximately 1071.0cm2 / 166.0inch2 and base area of the Dynaudio Contour 30i is approximately 774.0cm2 / 120.0inch2. The Contour 60i requires 38% more surface area than the Contour 30i which gives it a small disadvantage 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 60i weighs 50.00kg / 110lbs and the Dynaudio Contour 30i weighs 31.40kg / 69.1lbs. This makes the Contour 60i 59% heavier than the Contour 30i.
Here is a comparison of how Contour 60i and Contour 30i's weights compare with the average, max and min weights in Passive Floor-standing class.
Weight
All Floor-standing Speakers
 Max Input Power |
390 watts
vs
300 watts
|
Handle more power from your amplifier |
 Sensitivity |
88 dB
vs
87 dB
|
Play louder with same amount of amplification power |
 Woofer Size |
9 inches
vs
7 inches
|
Larger woofer |
|
Low Frequency Response |
28 Hz
vs
32 Hz
|
Generates deeper bass |
 Height |
1140mm
vs
1330mm
|
Easier to fit in smaller spaces |
 Base Surface Area |
774cm2
vs
1071cm2
|
Takes less floor space |
 Price per pair* |
9500USD
vs
12000USD
|
costs less (*prices may change depending on the seller, location and time) |
| General |
Dynaudio Contour 60i |
Dynaudio Contour 30i |
| Brand |
Dynaudio |
Dynaudio |
| Speaker Type |
Floor-standing speaker |
Floor-standing speaker |
| Sensitivity |
88 dB |
87 dB |
| Impedance |
4 ohms |
4 ohms |
| Frequency Response |
28-23k Hz |
32-23k Hz |
Drivers |
|
|
| Woofer Quantity |
2 |
2 |
| Woofer Size |
9" |
7" |
| Woofer Composition |
MSP |
MSP |
| Tweeter Size |
1.1" |
1.1" |
| Tweeter Type |
Soft-Dome |
Soft-Dome |
| Aimable Tweeter |
No |
No |
| Midrange Driver |
6" |
No |
| Crossover Frequency |
220 Hz / 4.500 Hz |
(300)/2200 Hz |
| Firing Direction |
rear |
rear |
Physical Specs |
|
|
| Height |
1330.0mm (52.4") |
1140.0mm (44.9") |
| Width |
255.0mm (10") |
215.0mm (8.5") |
| Depth |
420.0mm (16.5") |
360.0mm (14.2") |
| Weight |
50.00kg (110lbs) |
31.40kg (69.1lbs) |
| Enclosure |
Bass Reflex |
Bass Reflex |
| Grille |
Yes |
Yes |
| Moisture Resistancy |
No |
No |
Connections |
|
|
| Biamp Inputs |
No |
No |
Other |
|
|
| Parts Warranty |
|
|
| Labor Warranty |
|
|
Siblings in Dynaudio's Contour i series, so they share a family sound. It comes down to size, output and price.
| Area | Better | Why |
|---|
| Bass | A | Dynaudio Contour 60i digs deeper - 28Hz against 32Hz. A subwoofer would even that out. |
| Amplifier needs | evenly matched | Similar sensitivity (88dB vs 87dB) - both want much the same power. |
| Headroom | A | Dynaudio Contour 60i takes more power (390W vs 300W) - more in hand in a big room. |
| Size | depends | Dynaudio Contour 30i is easier to place; Dynaudio Contour 60i is bigger, which usually goes with fuller bass. Your room decides. |
| Price | B | Dynaudio Contour 30i is cheaper - $9,500 against $12,000, about 21% less. |
A Dynaudio Contour 60i B Dynaudio Contour 30i
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 60i measures better, Dynaudio Contour 30i costs about about 26% more% 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. Match it to your room: we rate Dynaudio Contour 60i the better fit for a large room and a very large room, and Dynaudio Contour 30i for a small room and a mid-size room. In a large or open-plan room, Dynaudio Contour 60i has the cabinet volume to fill it more easily; in a small room, near a wall or at desk distance, Dynaudio Contour 30i is the easier speaker to get right.
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.