This is the Dynaudio Excite X12, the 28.5cm tall baby of an all-new five-strong range from the Danish speaker company launched at the Munich High End Show.
Other models extend to a larger standmount, two floorstanding designs and a centre speaker, and the range has been designed to offer high-quality sound without placing huge demands on the amplification with which the speakers are used.
The Excite speakers, designed as the successors to the acclaimed Audience range, use established Dynaudio technologies such as magnesium silicate polymer cones, aluminium chassis and voice-coils along with improved magnets, better voice-coils and coated 27mm soft-dome tweeters.
All the models use low-resonance MDF cabinets with 25mm baffles, and have reflex-loadinf ports which can be tuned with bungs supplied.
The little £599/pr X12 combines the tweeter with a 14.5cm mid/bass driver, and offers bass extension down to 50Hz, 86dB/W/m sensitivity and 150W power handling, while the £890/pr X16's 18cm mid/bass unit gives it slightly higher sensitivity, of 87dB/W/m, and an extra 10Hz of bass extension.
The smaller of the two floorstanders, the £1590/pr X32 (seen below), uses twin 14.5cm drivers to get the bass down to 37Hz, and offers 200W power handling, while the largest model, the £2000/pr X36, gains an extra couple of Hz and can be used with amps of up to 250W.
The matching £475 X22 Center speaker uses a pair of 11cm mid/bass units straddling that 27mm tweeter, and like the other speakers in the range is available in a choice of four real-wood finishes: maple, cherry, rosewood and black ash.