Dynaudio Evoke 20: Confident and compact speakers from Denmark

The Dynaudio Evoke 20 use adapted technology from the senior Contour and Confidence series. Evoke is the latest triumph of the team of experts from Dynaudio Labs, a new state-of-the-art research and development center located in the company’s...

Dynaudio Evoke 20
Dynaudio Evoke 20

The Dynaudio Evoke 20 use adapted technology from the senior Contour and Confidence series. Evoke is the latest triumph of the team of experts from Dynaudio Labs, a new state-of-the-art research and development center located in the company’s headquarters in Denmark. The design process took the team to new heights of technology and required in-depth analysis in the unique Jupiter measurement complex … not to mention many hours of listening to prototypes in an old-fashioned way.

All models of the Evoke series use the Cerotar tweeter, based on tweeters from the top Confidence and Special Forty lines. For this 28-mm tweeter, a new Hexis inner dome was developed, which is located behind a soft, impregnated outer dome. The inner dome is specially concave and physically replaces the felt ring behind the tweeter membrane. This system, borrowed from the Confidence line, allows for optimized airflow and reduced resonances, and the tweeter itself is ready to reproduce frequencies above 20 kHz without distortion. A piece of foam was placed behind the dome – without it, according to Dynaudio, distortions would still occur. This system also managed to reduce the tweeter’s resonant frequency to 700 Hz, making it easier to adjust the matching of the HF and other speakers, since the developers have more control over the tweeter in the frequency intersection range.

dynaudio_evoke_family_black_02.jpg

The range consists of two bookshelf speakers (Evoke 10 and Evoke 20), two floorstanding models (Evoke 30 and Evoke 50) and a dedicated centre channel speaker (Evoke 25C) that turns the family into a fully-fledged home cinema system. The

new Esotec+ woofers feature Dynaudio’s signature MSP (Magnesium Silicate Polymer) cones – just like all Dynaudio home, professional and car speakers for decades. The 14cm versions in the Evoke 10, 30 and 25C feature new surrounds and improved Ferrite+ magnet systems to extend their excursion, improve response and improve low-frequency dynamics, while maintaining superb midrange reproduction. The 18cm drivers in the Evoke 20 and 50 borrow technology from the Contour and Confidence series to deliver stunning low-frequency dynamics and time-coherence. The midrange driver in the Evoke 50 is taken directly from the Contour 60. The driver uses a powerful neodymium magnet and lightweight materials, including an aluminium voice coil. The driver is specifically optimised for midrange reproduction. All Evoke speakers feature high-quality crossovers, using select components to achieve the best performance.

Dynaudio Evoke 20 11.jpg

Each of the elegant cabinets, the result of many months of painstaking prototyping, refining and improving, is available in four finishes: Black High Gloss, White High Gloss, Walnut Wood and Blonde Wood. New lacquer coating techniques create a glass-like finish, while real wood versions offer the warmth of exposed wood veneer.

Features

The Dynaudio Evoke 20 is the larger of the two Evoke standmount speakers. This two-way model features a 28mm Cerotar tweeter with a Hexis inner dome and an 18cm long-throw woofer/midrange driver. Similar drivers are used in the larger Evoke 50 floorstanding model. The Evoke 20 bookshelf monitors are larger than their smaller 10-series siblings in all respects – height, weight and main driver size. Even the sensitivity has increased – 86 dB versus 84 dB in Evoke 10.

The main design changes affected the midrange/low-frequency driver, the size of the diffuser of which has increased to 180 mm, while the coil is still wound with aluminum wire laid on the edge. The diffuser is still made of a single sheet of patented polymer material MSP.

Dynaudio Evoke 20 1.jpg

An inexperienced observer might think that the slots around the dust cap are through, but this is not the case – the cap is formed from the same sheet as the entire diffuser, and forms a single unit with it. The speaker’s magnetic system uses ferrite with the addition of strontium carbonate. The Cerotar tweeter with Hexis insert and damping pad is the same as in the rest of the new series speakers.

The cabinet is covered with black piano lacquer, this is one of four finishes available for the Evoke series speakers. The bass reflex port is located on the rear panel, where the terminals for connecting cables from the amplifier are also located.

Dynaudio Evoke 20 7.jpg

Bigger case – bigger sound! That’s how I’d like to characterize these monitors. Compared to the younger Evoke 10, they sound definitely more powerful and voluminous, your hand automatically reaches for the volume knob. At the same time, it cannot be said that the character of the sound of the older bookshelf speakers has changed much, it has simply become more weighty and solid, it has acquired more regularity. Sensitivity to the replacement of electronic components remained just as high, the monitors reacted vividly to the replacement of any element in the system, even passive. In general, there was a slight tilt towards the density and assertiveness of the sound compared to the younger ones, perhaps a little to the detriment of emotionality and mobility. Nevertheless, this did not affect the verisimilitude of the timbres in any way, they are just as recognizable and detailed.

Dynaudio Evoke 20 Specifications

Sensitivity: 86 dB (2.83 V/1 m)
Impedance: 6 ohms
Frequency response (± 3dB): 40 Hz – 23 kHz
Crossover: 2-way
Crossover frequency: 3200 Hz
Crossover topology: 2nd order
Woofer: 18 cm. MSP cone
Tweeter: 28 mm Cerotar
Dimensions (W x H x D): 215 x 380 x 307 mm
Weight: 9.9 kg