Dynaudio Audience 72 Tower Speaker

Dynaudio is one of the few speaker manufacturers to have ever supplied drivers to other, competing high-end speaker manufacturers. That’s pretty amazing, and even in these price-competitive times, Dynaudio still builds all of its tweeters, midrange drivers and woofers as well as complete speakers in its factories in Denmark.

Features

The Audience 72s’ dual 6.5-inch magnesium silicate polymer mid/woofers employ different roll-offs to minimize distortion. If the woofers produce a little too much bass in your room, simply insert the provided foam plug into the speaker’s front port.

The 1.1-inch soft dome tweeter features a specially damped rear chamber to better reduce internal reflections that would adversely affect its sound. The Audience 72’s hand-built cabinet features real wood veneers on its sides top and rear panels; the front baffle is finished in a textured dark metallic grey paint. The Audience 72’s styling is timeless in its elegance.

Sonic Character

It’s a small floorstander, so it’s not going to reach as low into the bass as some of the heftier towers I’ve heard, but the Audience 72’s grip on the lower octaves is secure, and the mid and upper bass is never less than solid. The Audience 72’s tonal consistency and low distortion flatters all sorts of music. Don’t let the speaker’s stature throw you; this bantam weight tower can boogie.

Musical Examples

The Audience 72 did just that (threw me) when I cranked The Libertines debut CD Up The Bracket [Rough Trade]. Gawd, these guys had a Clash-like intensity, but the tunes were more melodic. This is the sort of punk/pop music that can sound like noise on lesser speakers, but the Audience 72s effortlessly sorted out the band’s barely controlled chaos.

The Audience 72 decodes textures like a champ and had me delving deep into my collection of trance and electronica CDs. The speakers seemed to disappear as I listened to processed vocals and muscular bass rumbles on the Scape But Then Again sampler CD, but the Audience 72’s ability to move a lot of air in a hurry was below par. Bigger speakers have the edge when it comes to dynamic impact.

On the upside, the Audience 72 shined during late night listening sessions; the detail and involvement were exceptionally good, even when the volume was quite low.

Audiophile recordings like Mike Garson’s Jazz Hat CD (Reference Recordings), sounded terrific, with gobs of space and ambiance surrounding each instrument.

Bottom Line

The Audience 72’s clean lines and understated demeanor will appeal to those with sophisticated tastes, but the svelte speaker isn’t afraid to kick out the jams. It serves up oodles of resolution and detail, nearly rivaling electrostatic panel speakers in those areas.