Go Rik! Time for me to post a question on their page I think…
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yes I think thats a fair conclusion. if only the Dynaudio 200 XD were cheaper…
No one is denying the sound quality; reliability on the other hand…
New Facebook accounts are easily created…but it looks like they are approving every post now so not really a Facebook group, just advertising.
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Yes, that’s a very recent change.
I’ve always found Dynaudio website to be kind of confusing. No prices and not clear what and when you need the extra boxes etc.
I spent 6 years living in Europe before moving back to the states. I was fine ther but got promoted and sent to Phoenix. Took one look around there and moved to Southern California. 
They have actual consumer protections there unlike in the states. Hence the two year warranty in Europe.
try the Dynaudio Special 40s with a bluesound powernode. it’s a bit more money, but you can probably get the combo for ~$3,300 if you shop around.
Interesting. Appreciate you wouldn’t have had the chance to A/B them with the LS50W’s but what, from memory, would you say the differences are SQ wise?
I’ve read about this speakers but I do like active speakers and I don’t think Bluesound node would do those speakers justice.
Thank you for the suggestion. It is certainly a lot of money compared to the LS50W and I would need an amp (I was thinking more in a NAD than a Bluesound). I’ll do my research but I’m not sure I can afford that.
IMO, the Dynaudios are a better speaker, and capable of much greater performance with quality electronics. it comes at a price however.
the powernode/Special 40 combo is nearly as compact as the KEFs, and it’s just one power cord. moreover, they don’t require ethernet for Roon, and provide access to a wider range of music services (deezer, qobuz, etc) than do the KEFs.
i find the Dyna/PN to be more open, smoother, more natural, and with superior bass (tighter). they’re just easier to listen to.
The Xeo 4’s look to be closest in price to the Kef’s.
I forgot the Powernode does Roon and also MQA. I just didn’t think they had the power for something like the Special 40’s?
It is a really interesting idea.
Well folks. I had the ‘flashy light’ systrm failure error twice within a few hours of each other. So I would estimate that this has happened 8 times in just over a week. It never happened on my previous LS50Ws.
So I’ve made the decision to return this pair and get a refund. I am going to buy a Bluesound Powernode 2 and use it with an old pair of Monitor Audio GS10 standmounts and the Rel T7i sub. Im going to see how I get on with that setup. I had intended to stick with active monitors but there is nothing on the market that fits my needs/budget. I will be keeping an eye out for an ex-demo, second hand pair of Dynaudio 200 XDs.
I will continue to contribute where I can to the Kef discussions as I’ve invested enough that I want to see how things pan out.
just collected my powernode 2 and the dealer informed me - quite excitedly - that they can be configured as mono channels Hence one powernode per speaker. Interesting… that gets me back to the dual mono design of the kefs (I think each powernode can feed the LF and HF separately).
So more power and what else?
@Rik_Carter interesting. Before buying the KEFs I considered a Powernode and some nice monitors like Amphion or B&W. However, the Best Buy guys were emphatic that the BS powernode2 could not match the KEFs (or at the time, even the BlueSound soundbar) in terms of SQ or output. (They all agreed, separately and immediately; seemed convincing to me). Not sure how much dual-mono would change that scenario other than of course offering more power. I found it interesting they thought even a lowly soundbar would be better in terms of SQ etc. and that put me off the powernode2.
In terms of my own goal of reducing the amount of hardware and cables, the Powernodes would have still been an acceptable compromise as they could easily be hidden away and are still basically an almost-all-in-one system. Altho as I’ve said elsewhere I’m thrilled with the KEF’s truly all-in-one solution at the moment, and fortunately haven’t experienced h/w problems (which would be super disappointing!).
Seems easy enough to give it a test run, and I’d sure be interested in your conclusion, particularly in terms of SQ.
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As it happens my local dealer is arranging for me a dual mono powernode 2 demo with a pair of KEF LS50’s and KEF R300’s. I’m also going to take along my ancient Monitor Audio GS10’s which are currently being powered by a single powernode.
I would say that I’ve had 300+ hrs listening to the LS50W’s. I know their sound pretty damn well and so it’s going to be interesting to see how the above set-ups compare.
Incidentally, now that I’ve got the Powernode setup properly (MA GS10’s and a Rel T7I sub) I have to say that its surprisingly good. It doesn’t match the slam and transparency of the LS50W’s but neither is it an unpleasant sound either. In fact, it has a smoother treble and I’d forgotten how much I missed that. The LS50W’s - to my ears anyway - are a touch more clinical.
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@Rik_Carter that should be very cool. Maybe I’ll try to get my local Magnolia guys to do that for me with the B&W monitors I was lusting over last I was there. Still, doubt I’d trade in the KEFs unless the difference was mind-blowing. Still really liking them and they look great. Agreed, a tad clinical/inorganic.
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