In this review, we will be comparing Special Forty and Heritage Special, two Passive Bookshelf speakers by Dynaudio.
Let's have a brief look at the main features
of Dynaudio Special Forty and Dynaudio Heritage Special first before getting into our more
detailed comparison.
| Key Specs | Dynaudio Special Forty | Dynaudio Heritage Special |
|---|
| Brand | Dynaudio
Denmark · founded 1977 | Dynaudio
Denmark · founded 1977 |
|---|
| Design | 2-way | 2-way |
|---|
| Tweeter | 1.1" Soft-Dome | 1.1" Soft-Dome |
|---|
| Woofer | 6.5" MSP | 7" MSP |
|---|
| Frequency response | 41-23k Hz | 42-23k Hz |
|---|
| Sensitivity | 86 dB | 85 dB |
|---|
| Impedance | 6 ohms | 4 ohms |
|---|
| Weight | 8.10kg / 17.8lbs | 11.00kg / 24.2lbs |
|---|
| 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 | 15-3/16" x 8-3/16" x 12-5/8"
385.0 x 208.0 x 320.0mm |
|---|
What size room are the Dynaudio Special Forty and Dynaudio Heritage Special 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 Heritage Special |
| Near-field |
Good |
Good |
| Small Room |
Good |
Good |
| Mid-size Room |
Average |
Average |
| Large Room |
Poor |
Poor |
| Very Large Room |
No way |
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.
Drivers
Both Special Forty and Heritage Special are 2-way speakers.
Dynaudio Special FortyDynaudio Heritage Special
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 Heritage Special |
|
Driver Setup
|
2-way
|
2-way
|
|
Tweeter
|
1.1-inch
|
1.1-inch
|
|
Midrange
|
- |
- |
|
Woofer
|
1 x 6.5-inch
|
1 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 Heritage Special features a 1.1" Esotar 3 Soft-Dome Tweeter and 1 x 7" MSP Woofer with a Crossover frequency at 2200 Hz.
Frequency Response
Special Forty has a frequency range of 41-23k Hz whereas Heritage Special has a frequency range of 42-23k Hz. With a minimum frequency of 41Hz, the Special Forty can go slightly deeper then the Heritage Special'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 Heritage Special 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 Heritage Special can provide this impedance level.
These two speakers also have different sensitivity levels. Special Forty sensitivity is rated at 86 dB and the Heritage Special's is rated at 85 dB. This 1 dB difference makes the Dynaudio Special Forty a more sensitive speaker compared to Dynaudio Heritage Special, 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.
Dynaudio Heritage Special
Input Type and Bi-Amping / Bi-Wiring
Special Forty features Binding post type posts and Heritage Special has a Binding post type posts. None of these speakers feature bi-amping/bi-wiring.
Cabinet Type and Port Position
Both Special Forty and Heritage Special 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 Heritage Special'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 Heritage Special has external dimensions of 385.0 x 208.0 x 320.0mm (15-3/16 x 8-3/16 x 12-5/8inch).
Dynaudio Heritage Special is clearly the larger of the two speakers. Its body is 10mm wider, 25mm taller and 13mm 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 Heritage Special needs about 9% more floor or shelf area. Dynaudio Heritage Special is 25mm 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 Heritage Special is approximately 665.6cm2 / 103.2inch2. The Special Forty requires 9% less surface area than the Heritage Special 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 Special Forty weighs 8.10kg / 17.8lbs and the Dynaudio Heritage Special weighs 11.00kg / 24.2lbs. This makes the Heritage Special 36% heavier than the Special Forty.
Here is a comparison of how Special Forty and Heritage Special's weights compare with the average, max and min weights in Passive Bookshelf class.
Weight
All Bookshelf Speakers
Dynaudio Heritage Special
 Sensitivity |
86 dB
vs
85 dB
|
Play louder with same amount of amplification power |
 Nominal Impedance |
6 ohms
vs
4 ohms
|
Less selective with amplifiers |
 Low Frequency Response |
41 Hz
vs
42 Hz
|
Generates deeper bass |
 Height |
360mm
vs
385mm
|
Easier to fit in smaller spaces |
 Base Surface Area |
607cm2
vs
665cm2
|
Takes less floor space |
 Price per pair* |
2999USD
vs
7000USD
|
costs less (*prices may change depending on the seller, location and time) |
|
Woofer Size |
7 inches
vs
6.5 inches
|
Larger woofer |
| General |
Dynaudio Special Forty |
Dynaudio Heritage Special |
| Brand |
Dynaudio |
Dynaudio |
| Speaker Type |
Bookshelf speakers |
Bookshelf speakers |
| Sensitivity |
86 dB |
85 dB |
| Impedance |
6 ohms |
4 ohms |
| Frequency Response |
41-23k Hz |
42-23k Hz |
Drivers |
|
|
| Woofer Quantity |
1 |
1 |
| Woofer Size |
6.5" |
7" |
| Woofer Composition |
MSP |
MSP |
| Tweeter Size |
1.1" |
1.1" |
| Tweeter Type |
Soft-Dome |
Soft-Dome |
| Aimable Tweeter |
No |
No |
| Midrange Driver |
No |
No |
| Crossover Frequency |
2000 Hz |
2200 Hz |
| Firing Direction |
rear |
rear |
Physical Specs |
|
|
| Height |
360.0mm (14.2") |
385.0mm (15.2") |
| Width |
198.0mm (7.8") |
208.0mm (8.2") |
| Depth |
307.0mm (12.1") |
320.0mm (12.6") |
| Weight |
8.10kg (17.8lbs) |
11.00kg (24.2lbs) |
| Enclosure |
Bass Reflex |
Bass Reflex |
| Mounting Bracket |
|
|
| Grille |
Yes |
Yes |
| Moisture Resistancy |
No |
No |
Connections |
|
|
| Biamp Inputs |
No |
No |
Other |
|
|
| Parts Warranty |
|
|
| Labor Warranty |
|
|
These sit in different price classes - Dynaudio Heritage Special costs roughly 2.3x what Dynaudio Special Forty 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 | evenly matched | Much the same reach (41Hz vs 42Hz). |
| Amplifier needs | evenly matched | Similar sensitivity (86dB vs 85dB) - both want much the same power. |
| Amplifier match | A | Dynaudio Special Forty is the easier load at 6 ohms; the other is 4 ohms and wants an amplifier rated for it. |
| Headroom | evenly matched | Similar power handling (200W vs 200W). |
| Size | depends | Similar cabinet size - neither is easier to fit. |
| Price | A | Dynaudio Special Forty is cheaper - $2,999 against $7,000, about 57% less; arguably a different class. |
A Dynaudio Special Forty B Dynaudio Heritage Special
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?
Dynaudio Special Forty has the edge on paper, though the margin is not large. The rows marked "depends" may matter more to you than the score does. If your amplifier is modest, vintage or valve-based, Dynaudio Special Forty is the safer partner - the other will want more current or more watts to sound its best. Think about the whole system, not just the speakers: the roughly $4,001 saved by taking the cheaper pair would buy a subwoofer or a better amplifier, and either usually does more for the sound than the difference between these two.
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.