Dynaudio has officially launched a new pair of high-end active standmount loudspeakers, the Confidence 20A, marking what the Danish audio specialist boldly claims as "the biggest upgrade in active hi-fi in over a decade."
Building upon the foundation of the passive Confidence 20 speakers, this new active version integrates professional-grade amplification directly into custom stands, eliminating the need for separate amplifiers, while promising enhanced performance and simplicity in the process.
The Confidence 20A retains the driver configuration of its passive sibling – the 28mm Esotar 3 soft-dome tweeter and 18cm NeoTec MSP mid/bass driver – but replaces the traditional passive crossover with DSP-based signal processing, borrowed from Dynaudio's professional Core reference speakers.
Each driver receives dedicated amplification from Danish amplifier specialist Pascal, with the tweeter powered by a 150W amplifier and the mid/bass driver receiving a substantial 400W. This active approach enables more precise control over driver performance, with Dynaudio claiming that the system is engineered to prevent distortion even at extremely high volumes.
Rather than being crammed inside the speaker cabinets, the amp and electronics are instead cleverly integrated into the custom aluminium stands (which, incidentally, also double as heatsinks), and contribute to the downward-firing bass port system. The latter is designed with what Dynaudio calls an "Exponentially Shaped Dual Flared" (ESDF) port, which reportedly significantly reduces port noise while improving bass clarity and impact.
The end result? While the passive Confidence 20 reaches low-frequency levels down to 42Hz (-3dB), the active version extends this to 33Hz, potentially eliminating the need for a subwoofer in many listening environments. Given that we found the passive Confidence 20 speakers to serve up “terrific bass punch and power for their size,” in our review, we have high hopes for the low-end on this new active setup.
Round the back, the rear panel’s comprehensive gubbins include balanced analogue and AES3 digital XLR connections, left/right placement settings, and room position compensation (with Wall, Corner and Free placement modes all on offer).
The speakers also feature sound-balance filters in the form of Dark, Neutral, and Bright, sample-rate conversion controls, and even adjustable LED logo brightness for those who like as distraction-free a setup as possible. The speakers are available in two finishes, Space High Gloss and Snow High Gloss, while the stands are black in both options.
The Confidence 20A represents a premium offering in Dynaudio's lineup, with pricing set at £18,500 / $24,000 per pair. While this places it at twice the price of the passive Confidence 20 (which reviewed at £9000 / $11,999 nearly five years ago), the integrated amplification eliminates the need for separate amplifiers, making for a tempting one-stop-shop solution for those looking for convenience.
MORE:
Read our Dynaudio Confidence 20 review
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