In this review, we will be comparing two different types of speakers by Dynaudio. Dynaudio Special Forty is a Bookshelf speaker whereas the Contour Legacy is a Floor-standing speaker.
Let's have a brief look at the main features
of Dynaudio Special Forty and Dynaudio Contour Legacy first before getting into our more
detailed comparison.
| Key Specs | Dynaudio Special Forty | Dynaudio Contour Legacy |
|---|
| Brand | Dynaudio
Denmark · founded 1977 | Dynaudio
Denmark · founded 1977 |
|---|
| Design | 2-way | 3-way |
|---|
| Tweeter | 1.1" Soft-Dome | 1.1" Soft-Dome |
|---|
| Woofer | 6.5" MSP | 2 x 7" MSP |
|---|
| Frequency response | 41-23k Hz | 42-29k Hz |
|---|
| Sensitivity | 86 dB | 90 dB |
|---|
| Impedance | 6 ohms | 4 ohms |
|---|
| Weight | 8.10kg / 17.8lbs | 32.50kg / 71.5lbs |
|---|
| Dimensions (H x W x D) | 14-3/16" x 7-13/16" x 12-1/16"
360.0 x 198.0 x 307.0mm | 39-3/16" x 8-3/16" x 13-9/16"
995.0 x 208.0 x 345.0mm |
|---|
What size room are the Dynaudio Special Forty and Dynaudio Contour Legacy 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 Special Forty |
Dynaudio Contour Legacy |
| Near-field |
Good |
Poor |
| Small Room |
Good |
Average |
| Mid-size Room |
Average |
Good |
| Large Room |
Poor |
Average |
| Very Large Room |
No way |
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 Special Forty is a 2-way design whereas the Contour Legacy is a 3-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 Special FortyDynaudio Contour Legacy
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 Special Forty |
Dynaudio Contour Legacy |
|
Driver Setup
|
2-way
|
3-way
|
|
Tweeter
|
1.1-inch
|
1.1-inch
|
|
Midrange
|
- |
- |
|
Woofer
|
1 x 6.5-inch
|
2 x 7-inch
|
Special Forty features a 1.1" Esotar Forty Soft-Dome Tweeter and 1 x 6.5" MSP Woofer with a Crossover frequency at 2000 Hz. On the other hand, the Contour Legacy features a 1.1" Esotar 3 Soft-Dome Tweeter and 2 x 7" MSP Woofer with a Crossover frequency at 3400 Hz.
Frequency Response
Special Forty has a frequency range of 41-23k Hz whereas Contour Legacy has a frequency range of 42-29k Hz. With a minimum frequency of 41Hz, the Special Forty can go slightly deeper then the Contour Legacy'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 Bookshelf class in our database.
Low Frequency
Bookshelf 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
Special Forty is a 6 ohms speaker compared to the Contour Legacy which has a nominal impedance of 4 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 Contour Legacy can provide this impedance level.
These two speakers also have different sensitivity levels. Special Forty sensitivity is rated at 86 dB and the Contour Legacy's is rated at 90 dB. This 4 dB difference makes the Dynaudio Contour Legacy a more sensitive speaker compared to Dynaudio Special Forty, hence will play louder with the same amount of watts.
Sensitivity
Bookshelf 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
Special Forty features Binding post type posts and Contour Legacy has a Binding post type posts. None of these speakers feature bi-amping/bi-wiring.
Cabinet Type and Port Position
Both Special Forty and Contour Legacy 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 Special Forty's and Dynaudio Contour Legacy's external dimensions. Dynaudio Special Forty has external dimensions of 360.0 x 198.0 x 307.0mm (14-3/16 x 7-13/16 x 12-1/16inch) whereas Dynaudio Contour Legacy has external dimensions of 995.0 x 208.0 x 345.0mm (39-3/16 x 8-3/16 x 13-9/16inch).
Dynaudio Contour Legacy is clearly the larger of the two speakers. Its body is 10mm wider, 635mm taller and 38mm deeper than Dynaudio Special Forty.
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 Legacy needs about 18% more floor or shelf area. Dynaudio Contour Legacy is 38mm deeper, so it stands that much further out from the wall. Dynaudio Contour Legacy is 635mm 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 Special Forty is approximately 607.9cm2 / 94.2inch2 and base area of the Dynaudio Contour Legacy is approximately 717.6cm2 / 111.2inch2. The Special Forty requires 15% less surface area than the Contour Legacy which gives it a small advantage on placement in tight spaces.