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With them I listened to a lot of different discs. The 260 placed its mark on them all by sounding dynamic, coherent and energetic. There were no cutting sibilants even though recordings with a slightly boosted presence region—even classical efforts like Cecilia Bartoli’s Opera Proibita—were accented by the denser treble energy but not sharpened by it.
Interesting was listening to audio files from a computer played through the exceptional Wyred4Sound DAC-2 via its USB input. It became apparent how hi-res recordings produced an even more palpable natural sound. Although the soundstage of the 260 can get very expansive, it develops in front of the listener in a very convincing impressive way.
High-end audio is an enigmatic category with certain contractual sonic expectations which are almost exclusively associated with high prices. This reflects the nearly unalterable fact that almost everything good is also expensive (whilst expense per se doesn’t guarantee quality). The Focus 260 doesn’t rewrite this interdependence. But listening to them we won’t want to change anything in our system. I’ll put it this way. If I had to choose from between various loudspeakers from this manufacturer, even if my search might ultimately not end with the Focus it would most definitely begin with it. If we haven’t yet listened to this range, we know absolutely nothing about Dyaudio A.D. 2011. As such the Dynaudio Focus 260 receives our Red Fingerprint distinction.
Description: The Focus 260 is part of a new range called simply New Focus or Focus 2011. The basic concept of this model is a three-driver two-way floorstander with rear-firing port. The paralleled 170mm mid/woofers combine single-piece polymer cones with a magnesium silicate layer to be referenced as MSP cones and sport rigid cast baskets with advanced motors and black Kapton voice coils.
The treble is handled by a 28mm silk dome tweeter with a new profile. Initially Dynaudio declared it as the Esotar2 but eventually called it Esotec2. I suspect this is some kind of trick simply to justify the more expensive Dynaudio ranges. The tweeter mounting bracket has a new shape and its Neodymium motor is covered by a damping cap. New is the coating formula which now goes by Precision Coating.
The drivers connect to a new 1st-order crossover tuned over extended listening sessions. This filter network bolts to the back panel and contains polypropylene capacitors from French SRC. As is customary for Dynaudio, there are single-wire terminals of nice gold-plated quality but mounted angled in a recess to be harder to tighten.
The enclosure is quite sophisticated, with side panels slightly converging toward the back and internally reinforced with horizontal braces. The almost invisible plinth is a sandwich of MDF and a metal plate. Standard equipment are two types of spikes, skinny and thick. The latter look better. Finishes include wood veneers and for the first time at this price high-gloss lacquers in black and white. While a grill is included the speaker sounds better without it.
opinia @ highfidelity.pl
Technical data
Efficiency (2.83V/1m): 87dB
Maximum power: >250W
Impedance: 4Ω
Frequency response: 32Hz-25kHz (+/- 3dB)
Weight: 19.1kg
Dimensions (WxHxD): 202 x 992 x 294mm
