# Dynaudio MD100 vs. Peerless HDS?



## Candisa (Sep 15, 2007)

Hi everybody,

I live in Belgium, so sorry if my English is not that good. :blush: 

I am reading this board for a while, but now I'll had to register since DIY mobile audio is really starting to interest me more and more.  

I have a question about this review "showthread.php?t=7256", more specific about the Peerless HDS versus Dynaudio MD100. 
Edit: Since I'm new, I can't make a post with a link in it, so you'll have to copy past the part between quotes in a new window behind 'forum/'  

*My set-up:*
Amps:
- Genesis Four Channel powering the subs
- Genesis Dual Mono powering the midbasses
- Genesis Stereo 100 powering the tweeters
Subs:
- Front: 2 oldskool Soundstream SS8 for the higher sub-region (40-80Hz). 1 in each door.
- Rear: not bought yet, but probably this will be a Peerless 12" XXLS Home combined with 2 Peerless 10" 400grams XLS passive radiators in a 60 liter box. (I simulated this in WinISD and this seemed to give a very nice frequency response at the bottom) This sub+PR's will play the bottom-end sub (from about 20Hz to 40Hz)
Midbasses:
- DLS Iridium 6i, playing in about 5 liter closed boxes with a Dynaudio Variovent, on the doors.
Tweeters:
- Dynaudio MD100 in the kicks

Now it's well known a DLS Iridium 6i is quite a good midbass-driver, but not *that* great in a 2-way set-up, since it's lacking a bit detail in the midrange-region. In this review, it seams a Peerless HDS is a better tweeter and can be crossed lower, so is it a good choice to replace the Dynaudio's, so I can keep the crossover point lower?

I read both the Dynaudio and the Peerless are lacking just a bit in the top-end, but I consider getting a pair of compact tweeters that are good in the top-end and use them as silent playing, high crossed ambient tweeters, in the corners of my dashboard, playing towards my interior mirror...

Good plan or bad plan?

Unfortunately, it's hard to find somebody in Belgium who had this Peerless tweeters, so comparing them myself ain't an option  

I listen to various kinds of music:
- gothic: goth-rock, goth-metal, goth-electro... (Evenescence, Within Temptation, Epica, Nightwish, Elis...)
- oldskool hardrock (Judas Priest, AC-DC, older Metallica-songs...
- basic, slow acoustic music (a drum, a guitar, a piano and that's about it) with a high female voice (if you know the song Evanescence - You, that kind of music)
- 60's, 70's, 80's music
- ...
I don't listen to:
- Techno/Trance/Dance...
- R&B
- Rap
- ...

greetz,
Isabelle


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## Algutis (Nov 8, 2006)

first,genesis not as great as many people says especialy on midbass.Midrange and highs it plays quite good maybe better than any budget amp,i have older dual mono too,without crossover ,and my other amp oldschool hifonics boltar VIII 2x200 pushes my scanspeak revelator far more better. So find more suitible amp for midbases like dls.
Second there are tons of better tweeters than Dynaudio MD100


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## Candisa (Sep 15, 2007)

So you say it wasn't a good plan to sell my Steg Q-Mos amps to buy these Genesis Series III amps  
You recommend me to buy a DLS amp for my midbasses, but weren't the older Genesis amps identical to the older DLS Ultimates? A few years ago, these Genesis Series III amps were pretty hot in the Belgian and Dutch SQ-scene, and still a lot of SQ-people play with Genesis amps over here...

I changed my set-up a lot of times, sometimes even without testing it completely, so I reached a point I got tired of changing and I just want to build a nice looking, good sounding install and enjoy it for a long while, since my budget ain't unlimited...
The only reason I'm thinking about changing the tweeters, is because I can buy a pair of brand new Peerless HDS tweeters, for the price I can sell my Dynaudios and I read the Peerless tweeters are better, and the kickpanels are far from finished, so I can do whatever I want with them, without un-doing a lot of work...
So it's worth the try to just order those Peerless HDS tweeters and probably be more satisfied about them?

To give you an idea of my taste of sound: at home, I have a pair of 1973 B&W DM2a, I used to power them with a 2004 Marantz PM-7200 K.I. Signature, but it sounded just way to warm and bassy, now I use a 1976 Technics SA-5460 Tuner/Receiver to power them, and I like it a lot better, way less bass-pressure, but still going as deep as with the Marantz, with A LOT more detail and a 'fresher' sound... Most of the time, I listen at very moderate volume levels, in the evening, sometimes I just fall asleep and don't wake-up because of the music...

greetz,
Isabelle


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## Fellippe (Sep 15, 2006)

Go with a Morel MT-23 tweeter....perhaps one of the best drivers Morel makes.

I mention it because of similarities to Dynaudio...


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## c0mpl3x (Nov 30, 2005)

You will be very pleased with the Peerless HDS tweeters. They will outperform the Dyns in every way. Although we are comparing large format to compact in which case a large format tweeter will almost always outperform compact tweeters.


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## Candisa (Sep 15, 2007)

Felippe: Morel is a brand that I'd also consider, but I'd go for large format, home-audio tweeters, that can play pretty low and fit in my budget, like the DMS or MDT-series (except for the MDT-33, since this one is over budget). 
That's the main reason I thought about the Peerless HDS tweeters, I want to cross lower, like in 2kHz;24dB/oct;Linkwitz-Riley (since the DLS Iridium midbasses are very good drivers in the lower regions, but not that great in the higher regions), without getting a distorted, harsh sound. The Dynaudios go pretty low, crossing at 2.5kHz still gives a superb sound, but when you try to go lower, that superb sound changes in to a harsh, distorted sound very fast...
How loud it can go, doesn't interest me in any ways, otherwise I wouldn't have bought an amplifier that only gives 380W RMS to the XXLS and 2x80W RMS to the SS8's (according to the birth sheet of the Four Channel). I just want to get the tweeters lower, a bit smoother, but still very detailed.

Ow yeah: I don't care if the tweeters rolls of a bit at the very top end, since I'm planning to put a pair of tweeters that are good at the top end in the corners of my dashboard as ambient tweeters. These tweeters should play very silent, just enough to raise the outer corners of the stage a bit and give just a little bit 'sparkle'. I was thinking about high passing the tweeters in the kicks at about 2kHz (no low pass), and build a passive filter to high pass the ambient tweeters on my dashboard at about 12kHz or maybe even a bit higher, powered by the same amp that powers the regular tweeters.

All suggestions are welcome. Since I live in Belgium, I'm planning on buying the tweeters @ bmm-electronics.com. This is a webshop in The Netherlands. The brands that make tweeters they sell: Beyma, Celeritas, Davis, Eton, Fountek, Monacor, Morel, Peerless (and Peerless v-line), ScanSpeak, Seas, Stage-Line, Thiel&Partner, and Visaton... A lot of choice, but the budget is limiting the choice a bit. I'm planning on spending max. 200 Euro (incl. vat) a pair (the prices on bmm-electronics are for 1 piece)...

greetz,
Isabelle


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## Candisa (Sep 15, 2007)

Okay, I've googled a while, and these are the options:
- Keeping my Dynaudio MD100's
- Going for a pair of Peerless HDS 810921
- Going for a pair of Morel MDT-30S

I will build my install with the materials I've got (so with the Dynaudio's), and when that is done, try to find people who want to borrow their tweeters and compare them in my car. I've already found someone in The Netherlands that has a pair of Peerless HDS 810921's in his DIY home speakers and he's willing to let me listen to them in my car, but how about the Morel MDT-30S?

I want to mount the tweeters in the kicks, pointing to the middle of the roof (best chances on a good center), so slightly off-axis. Since installing the tweeters this way results most of the time in a wide, well-centered, but 'rainbow' shaped stage, I'm planning to install a pair of compact budget tweeters in the corners of the dash, high pass crossed @ 12kHz, to raise the left and right of the stage a bit. (Ambient tweeters) Any sugestions what I can use for that? 
Since the ambient tweeters will be barely playing (just enough to raise the stage a bit), they don't have to be that great, they just have to match with the 'normal' tweeters, go high and be budget-priced.

greetz,
Isabelle


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## BTA (Nov 5, 2005)

I have a pair of HDS tweets in my home towers (with the Scan 18W revs), they are crossed over at 2k.

Sound amazing to me. I'm planning to use them in my next car install.


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## Candisa (Sep 15, 2007)

Good to know they work fine crossed @ 2kHz, I'm planning on crossing them @2kHz;24dB/oct;Linkwitz-Riley

greetz,
Isabelle


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## Fellippe (Sep 15, 2006)

Candisa said:


> Okay, I've googled a while, and these are the options:
> - Keeping my Dynaudio MD100's
> - Going for a pair of Peerless HDS 810921
> - Going for a pair of Morel MDT-30S
> ...



I'm a Morel fan, but the large format Supremo tweeter is a bit bright for my taste. The only other large format tweeter I've heard before (that sounded awesome) is the Nakamichi SP-10. Unfortunately that is no longer for sale and tracking one down is doable but hard.

Being that you're a woman, I'd take brightness into account since females are more sensitive in those high frequencies than men.


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## Candisa (Sep 15, 2007)

Well, I like a bright sound, but not too bright, it just has to be bright enough to here all the details, but not so bright that it sounds screemy...

Ever heard a Morel MDT series tweeter before?

greetz,
Isabelle


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## CBRworm (Sep 1, 2006)

I am also very impressed with the HDS Tweeters, I (also) have them in my home main speakers and think they are great. 

I would put them in my car in a heartbeat if I had room. 

I have not found a good substitute yet for the HDS, and I have a very wide selection of tweeters here that I have tested. I have not heard the Morels or any new Dynaudio. My best pick so far is the DLS iridium tweeter, sounds kind of like a large format tweeter, but it is smaller. It does not sound as good to me as the HDS, but better than the others I have tried.


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## Fellippe (Sep 15, 2006)

Candisa said:


> Well, I like a bright sound, but not too bright, it just has to be bright enough to here all the details, but not so bright that it sounds screemy...
> 
> Ever heard a Morel MDT series tweeter before?
> 
> ...


If you really do like bright, then I feel a lot of the newer tweeters out there will work for you. That's probably the biggest overall difference in tweeters now vs. early to mid '90s in car audio.

I'd say the MDT series if its similar to the Supremo will work fine for you. If that doesn't work out, try the Focal Audiom TLR or Utopia Be...metal as you know is brighter than silk. 

BTW, on a personal note, I do not equate high frequency response with detail. When I turn the treble up I don't hear more detail, I usually hear more "tsssss".


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## Candisa (Sep 15, 2007)

Well, don't misunderstand me, I don't like a tweeter that plays a lot of 'tsss', that's what disturbing me a bit about de MD100's, they sound quite sharp on my previous amps (Steg QM series), but not *that* detailed. I like a tweeter that gives a lot of detail, but still sounds smooth enough to listen to it for a long time. I search for a tweeter that gives a lot of detail on very quiet volume levels, without getting harsh and screamy when I wan't to turn the volume up... The Dynaudio's play very well at low volumes, but when you push the volume, they sound unpleasant...

I don't know yet if the Genesis amps will sound warmer than the Steg QM's, but I'm quite sure it will be far from an Audison Sedici or something (wich is in my ears a perfect amp for a Dynaudio MD100 or MD140, but way over my budget)...

greetz,
Isabelle


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## Arezump (Jan 6, 2010)

Algutis said:


> first,genesis not as great as many people says especialy on midbass.Midrange and highs it plays quite good maybe better than any budget amp,i have older dual mono too,without crossover ,and my other amp oldschool hifonics boltar VIII 2x200 pushes my scanspeak revelator far more better. So find more suitible amp for midbases like dls.
> Second there are tons of better tweeters than Dynaudio MD100


Agreed with your statement on that Dyn tweeter, there should be better options out there. But, i am least to agree on "Genesis not as great as many people says especialy on midbass" statement. but well, its actually up to your self-preferences & taste. Am now running a Genesis dual mono for my 7 inch Scan revelator..hell yeah, the sound coming from them are just fine & am lovin' it! & another gud news from my installer is, my midbass performance can be improve from the current i have now!


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