Any budding audiophile looking for high-fidelity audio reproduction has almost certainly worked their way through numerous sets of speakers looking for that ‘one’ system that surpasses all others. Much like most 21st century gadgetry, the cycle moves onwards and new products come and go vowing the latest and greatest in consumer performance, among a myriad of other promises. It can be, admittedly, a difficult task trawling through this haze; the promises, the warranties, the decibels and the sales jargon. That is, until we happened upon the Xeo 5 floor-standing speaker system from Dynaudio.
Sublimely packaged with a nod to older floor-standing systems, Dynaudio has struck the nail on the head, providing the perfect balance of craftsmanship and sound performance. Just connect the wireless transmitter to any audio source: your phone, mp3, computer, television, anything and you’re good to go. The speakers only require connecting the power cord to an outlet and you have unparalleled sound quality straight at your fingertips. This, compounded by the fact that it allows for more speakers to be added, means numerous pairs of Dynaudio Xeos can be added in to expand the breadth of the sound around your home.
Dynaudio Xeo Transmitter:
The transmitter itself is a bold, solid piece of engineering. It requires no expertise to install and generates its own 2.4GHz A-to-B connection. In the absence of needing software to configure the transmitter, this in itself is a truly refreshing experience and one that should be credited highly seeing as the majority of consumer electrical goods are plagued by complex installations and basic setup problems. The connections on the transmitter allow for various sources to be attached, as it offers mini USB input and a standardized optical fiber connection (Toslink). In addition to this, you are provided with a stereo mini jack for all your day-to-day gadgets and a series of RCA stereo connections permitting connection to your current Hi-Fi systems.
Without going into too many specifics, the Xeo Transmitter converts a pristine wireless, digital signal, transmitting at (16 bit, 48 kHz) – full CD quality – even capacitating files up to 24 bit/48kHz. In fashion with its easy-to-use philosophy, Dynaudio provide a remote control that functions to alter volume, select input and turning the speakers on and off. Simplicity is key here and Dynaudio can pride themselves on making the nucleus of this system exceptionally easy to use.
Unfortunately with the system we received the remote refused to function even after changing the battery multiple times. This also restricted us to the USB sound-card source as without a functioning remote we couldn’t switch between the different options. For me also the remote felt a little cheap in comparison to the other components which is something I would like to see improved.
Dynaudio Xeo 5 Speakers:
As for the speakers, they look and sound astonishing. In fact, having been parted from them for only a few days now, I confess there is undoubtedly something amiss when attempting to listen to my computer monitors mumble out Futureboogie’s latest offerings. This, of course, can only be a positive thing. I tried and tested multiple genres of music on this system, returning as always to my preferred selection of house and techy stuff.
The wireless connection is wrought in steel and I experienced no drop-outs or delays whatsoever when flicking between songs or rewinding to that favoured part of the song. The ease with which the volume surges is unmatched in my experience and the speakers pump rhythm into your eardrums while delivering a hefty whack in the more bass orientated songs. This does not come at a price. The clarity and consistency of the vocals remained intact regardless of how loud the sound and the finesse with which Morrisey’s vocals oozed over the Xeo 5s was a testament to the speakers’ internal amplification and general craftsmanship. In a relatively spacious bedroom with several metres of spare room, these speakers at 20% set the walls and furniture trembling, so envisioning a sound five-fold on this is at once brilliant and disturbing.