Dynaudio launches Xeo 4 and 6 wireless speakers, plus new accessories
By Joe Cox
There's a bookshelf and a new standmount speaker in the new Xeo range, which now supports high-res audio, plus a Xeo Hub, Extender and Link
Dynaudio has added new products to its Xeo range of high-end wireless speakers, while upgrading the components and functionality, including support for high-res audio.
There are two new speakers, the bookshelf Xeo 4 and the floorstanding Xeo 6, plus a Xeo Hub wireless transmitter, Xeo Extender to boost your wireless range, and a Xeo Link for adding extra components, such as a sub or headphone amp, to your Xeo system.
Promising "the next revolution in wireless high-end audio", the new products support high-resolution music files up to 24-bit/96kHz, and claim upgraded amplification, improvements to DSP performance, the sound tuning and the build and finish.
The second-generation Xeo products join the existing Dynaudio Xeo 3, which was launched back in 2012 alongside the Xeo 5.
The Xeo 4 speakers stand just over 28cm tall, claim 50-watts of power through both the tweeter and mid/bass drivers and weigh around 6.4kg. The Xeo 6 is the same width and depth but has a cabinet that stands 85cm tall, with an overall weight of 14.7kg.
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Both claim improvements to sound performance thanks to upgraded components and mirror the aesthetics of the Dynaudio Excite range, with discrete screws, smooth satin lacquer finishes and magnetically attached grilles.
New multi-band technology aims to deliver a more stable wireless connection, with the option of 2.4, 5.2 or 5.8 GHz wireless bands. There's also a new Speaker Position EQ setting on the speakers, which promises to optimise the audio performance according to the speakers' position in your room.
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Also new is Auto Play, which will auto-detect connected sources, while a new Interface Display atop the speakers allows you to see and control volume and input selection from the speakers. If you'd rather use the remote, that's been updated, too.
The Xeo Hub allows you to connect pretty much any audio source to a wireless Xeo system. The Hub has optical, coaxial and USB digital inputs, all of which support 24/96 files, plus stereo RCA and minijack analogue inputs.
Promising a range of around 50 metres from Hub to Xeo speakers in a typical home (up to 100m across open space), this distance can be extended using the Xeo Extender or the Xeo Link (above), the latter offering analogue and digital connections for connecting further products.
The new Xeo models are going in to production at Dynaudio's Danish HQ next month (June), so expect the new speakers on sale some time soon after – and we'll be first with a review.
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Joe is Content Director for T3 and What Hi-Fi?, having previously been the Global Editor-in-Chief of What Hi-Fi?. He has worked on What Hi-Fi? across the print magazine and website for more than 15 years, writing news, reviews and features on everything from turntables to TVs, headphones to hi-fi separates. He has covered product launch events across the world, from Apple to Technics, Sony and Samsung; reported from CES, the Bristol Show, and Munich High End for many years; and written for sites such as the BBC, Stuff, and the Guardian. In his spare time, he enjoys expanding his vinyl collection and cycling (not at the same time).