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Expected but nonetheless welcome. Rattled by the sheer fortitude which the Focus 340 delivered in the bassment under high levels, I simply had to move in my usual Ascendo and hit repeat. The card-carrying inner hifi macho noted with self-congratulatory glee that more low and loud remained possible still. Phew! On one hand. On the other this direct A/B was a serious lesson in diminishing and meaningful returns not just in bass matters. Whilst switching to the German System F did escalate sonics on nearly all performance points—some of those admittedly were a matter of taste—this wasn’t even close to the 2½ price increase. Enough of that now. Enter tonality. Here the surprises stopped since the Danish brand in general plays it neutral. With the Focus 340 this neutrality approached poster child status in the critical midrange regardless of whether personal proclivities might favor more or less light. The frequency extremes simply bracketed and continued this with linearity. That pretty much covers tonal balance.

Two further observations merit mention however. The entire bass register well into the midrange was fast, dry and even wiry. This supported not only the joie de vivre—drum & e-bass exploits didn’t drone but articulated with finesse—but also high differentiation in the lower midrange. Particularly male vocals, say Giant Sand’s Howe Gelb or Johnny Cash, exhibited a kind of ‘bone-dry’ warmth without any tropical humidity or comfort fill which routinely subtracts from microdynamics and undermines timbral textures. Nothing against a tad more midband juiciness but it’ll simply have to be elsewhere where in the final analysis it always becomes a question of preferring greater warmth or more microdynamic informativeness.

One example was the recurring bass clarinet on Anouar Brahem’s The Astounding Eyes of Rita, say on the opening "Dance with waves". Here a compact speaker like Thiel’s SCS4 plays it warmer and rounder whereas the Dynaudio handled the lower registers with more weight, pressure and differentiation whilst the midband was a tad leaner if also tauter and more solid. I felt the Focus 340 resolved more tonal nuances from the clarinet which was paid for by simultaneously lacking a certain warmth by comparison.

The second observation relates to the treble. It was markedly free of disturbances and hardness. It was pure but well capable of getting insistent with a forceful ride cymbal and also endowed with what usually goes for airiness. That’s the ultra-high shimmer one no longer perceives directly but via exceptionally transparent (even tall) soundstaging or a particular overall silkiness or elasticity. I personally could easily live without this airiness but it’s a ‘nice to have’ bonus. That said, rhythmically taut speakers like the Focus 340 can turn this into very nice since overall wiriness in conjunction with a dry treble can get a bit stiff otherwise. Now airiness adds lubrication as it were. This recalled experiments I made covering up the Neat Ultimatum XL6’s upfiring super tweeters. Dynaudio’s Focus 340 exhibited a similarly conceived excellent balance which sums up beautifully as dry below, silky above.


Conclusion. To be frank, Dynaudio’s Focus 340 blew me away. What’s offered for the price is bloody impressive. This is clearly one of those 'nobody needs more' products. €4.900 aren’t scratch of course. It’s a nice family vacation or fulfillment of another desire. But it’s not stratospheric either and for many still within reach. Dynaudio talks of "the important middle ground of the high-end". Even though that's a slick marketing term, it does point at something very relevant.


Sonically this speaker is far more than middle class. I couldn’t identify any real weakness. I can’t even get specific and recommend it for "predominantly Jazz, Rock, Pop, Rap or classic listeners" as writers do for specialized performers. The Dynaudio Focus 340 is so well balanced that anything goes. Call it an all-around talent par excellence then, key word dynamic expressivity. If you’re in the speaker market and shopping this price range, the new Danish slim tower is a must audition.

Psych profile
  • Very fortuitous overall tonal balance, no emphasis or oversight anywhere in the frequency spectrum.
  • The low end is substantial and given size and price shockingly extended. More importantly this register is very taut and buoyant to serve as a rhythmic foundation.
  • Tonally neutral very transparent vocal range. The character here is equally dry and quick as the bass. This makes for a nicely differentiated finely calibrated transition from upper bass to lower midrange without cozy warmth band where the voicing is instead somewhat strict. The transition to the treble is seamless.
  • The treble is free of artefacts but realistically insistent, i.e. neither soft nor forward. There’s extension into the stratosphere to create airiness whose elasticity or silkiness complements very well the core tenor of PRaT.
  • Dynamic mastery of both the macro and micro. This speaker is ‘wired’, i.e. rhythmically impulsive.
  • Last but not least, the Dynaudio is a staging champ and manages both the grand gestures of broad and deep and the intimate of the individual voice or instrument. Even subliminal quiet details are properly placed and not overpowered by dynamic swings to make for stable unwavering images.
Facts
  • Concept: Passive three-way bass reflex floorstander
  • Dimensions and weight: 221 x 1092 x 325mm (WxHxD), 23.2kg/ea.
  • Nominal impedance: 4 ohm
  • Sensitivity: 87dB/W/m
  • Website
redaktion @ fairaudio.de