Dynaudio Contour 1.3

Name: Dynaudio Contour 1.3
Brand: Dynaudio

The Dynaudio Contour 1.3 was a two-way standmount speaker built in Denmark. It was one of the more affordable ways into the high-end Dynaudio range, and it kept the brand's trademark neutrality. In the Contour series it sat above the Contour 1.1 and below the Contour 2.0 and 2.2. Period reviews set it against the ProAc Tablette 50 and the Linn Kan, which were compact British monitors with strong followings.

The drivers were pure Dynaudio. The tweeter was an Esotec 28mm soft dome with a ferrofluid-cooled voice coil. The woofer/midrange was a 170mm MSP (Magnesium Silicate Polymer) unit on a cast aluminum frame with a large magnet. The MSP cone was cast rather than stamped, a construction detail Dynaudio has long emphasized. The crossover was conventional but high quality: second-order (12 dB/octave) at 2500 Hz, with polypropylene capacitors and air-core inductors. The cabinet was bass reflex.

The TNT-Audio review measured a frequency response of 35 Hz - 30 kHz (±3 dB), sensitivity of 84 dB @ 2.8 V/1 m, and 4 ohm nominal impedance. Power handling was rated at ≥150 W minimum IEC long term. Dimensions were 290 x 190 x 280 mm (HxWxD). That sensitivity figure is low, and the 4-ohm load means the speaker wants current. The review was explicit that it rewards good electronics and can sound lean with weak amplification. The impedance can be difficult for some amplifiers to drive.

Reception was positive and honest about the speaker's character. Audio (February 2000, p.61) ran Ken Kessler's review of the Contour 1.3 SE, the later Special Edition variant, and noted the 1.3 series' lineage. TNT-Audio called it very neutral and transparent. It resolved enormous detail without sounding analytical, and its bass was exceptionally well defined for its size, though not particularly deep. What Hi-Fi found it lively and dynamic, with superb timing and rhythm. It also noted the tweeter could sound a little bright with bright-sounding amplifiers, and that the speaker needs a quality stand.

Owner comments line up with the reviews. One Audiokarma user called their pair "keepers" - not the most extended speakers, but very coherent and musical. A DIYAudio commenter warned against pairing it with a cheap class-D amp, which fits the need for decent current delivery.

The record has real gaps. There are no exact production years (forum references call it an "old model" but give no dates), no original price, no weight, and no finish options have surfaced. The TNT-Audio review is the only comprehensive spec source, and no corroboration exists across other references beyond the model name itself.

Type: Two-way bass-reflex standmount
Drivers: Esotec 28mm soft-dome tweeter, 170mm MSP woofer/midrange
Frequency response: 35 Hz – 30 kHz (±3 dB)
Sensitivity: 84 dB @ 2.8 V/1 m
Impedance: 4 ohms nominal
Crossover: 2500 Hz, 2nd order
Dimensions: 290 x 190 x 280 mm (HxWxD)