Short answer: the Audio First Cadentia 3 if sound quality matters most, the Dynaudio Emit 20 if price matters most. The Audio First Cadentia 3 ranks #7 of 216 bookshelf speakers, rated 4.7/5, at $7,199. The Dynaudio Emit 20 ranks #129, rated 3.6/5, at $1,049, $6,150 cheaper.
The Audio First Cadentia 3 is the more accurate, deeper-bass choice. Near-textbook measurements: excellent on-axis linearity, listening window, and directivity, with only minor deviations. Its measured preference score, a predictor of how neutral it sounds, is 7.55 against 4.22 for the Dynaudio Emit 20. Its bass reaches about 43Hz before falling 3dB, against 54Hz for the Dynaudio Emit 20. Watch for: A mild scoop through the upper midrange/lower treble slightly softens the attack of snares, hand claps, and sibilants: fixable with a single-band EQ (2.5kHz, +1dB, Q~1).
What the Dynaudio Emit 20 does well: Two-way design with a 28mm Esotar soft dome tweeter (Hexis-damped) and an 18cm mid-woofer, using a first-order crossover on the tweeter and second-order on the woofer. The tradeoff: A resonance around 600-800Hz gives snares and similar percussion a muffled, flat quality lacking impact: confirmed as originating in the woofer itself (isolated via measurements of the raw driver out of the cabinet), and attempts at constrained-layer damping didn’t resolve it.
Buy the Audio First Cadentia 3 if sound quality is the priority over the price, or the Dynaudio Emit 20 if the price is the priority over sound quality.
Looking for alternatives? See the complete Passive Home rankings.
Specifications Side By Side
| Audio First Cadentia 3 | Dynaudio Emit 20 | |
|---|---|---|
| Price | $7199 per pair | $1,049.00 per pair |
| Ranked | #7 of 216 in Large Size Bookshelf Speakers | #129 of 216 in Large Size Bookshelf Speakers |
| Bass Extension (-10dB) | 26Hz (measured, Erin’s Audio Corner) | 33Hz (measured, Erin’s Audio Corner) |
| Bass Extension (-3dB) | 43Hz (measured, Erin’s Audio Corner) | 54Hz (measured, Erin’s Audio Corner) |
| Dimensions | 23.2” x 11.8” x 17” (590 x 300 x 433 mm) | 14.6”H x 8.1”W x 12.3”D (370.0 x 205.0 x 312.0 mm) |
| Impedance | 4 ohms nominal (3.1 ohms minimum, measured by Erin’s Audio Corner) | 6 ohms nominal (5.5 ohms minimum above 80Hz, measured, Erin’s Audio Corner) |
| Sensitivity | 86.4dB (2.83V/1m, measured by Erin’s Audio Corner) | 83.5dB (measured, Erin’s Audio Corner; 86dB manufacturer specified) |
| Drivers | 1.1” tweeter, 4.5” midrange, 9” woofer | 7.1” Magnesium Silicate Polymer woofer, 1.1” Cerotar soft dome with Hexis tweeter |
| Weight | 45.9 lbs (20.8 kg) each | 12.8 lbs (5.8 kg) |
| Woofer Cabinet | 3-way, bass reflex | ported, rear |
| Country | United Kingdom (Cambridge) | - |
| Spinorama Preference Score | 7.55 | 4.22 |
| Spinorama Preference Score with Perfect Sub | 8.91 | 5.92 |
| DIY Kit | No | No |
Frequency Response Compared
Both speakers’ spinorama measurements, overlaid. A flatter line is more neutral: peaks sound forward or harsh, dips sound recessed. Each curve is shifted so its average from 300 Hz to 3 kHz sits at 0 dB, so loudness differences between the two are removed and only the shape is compared. The two were measured by different sources, so small differences, especially in the bass, can come from the measurement setup rather than the speakers.
Measurement data: Audio First Cadentia 3 (measured by the manufacturer) and Dynaudio Emit 20 (measured by Erin’s Audio Corner), via spinorama.org.
Related Speaker Comparisons
More top alternatives to Audio First Cadentia 3:
- Perlisten S4b vs Audio First Cadentia 3
- Audio First Cadentia 3 vs KEF Reference 1 Meta
- Audio First Cadentia 3 vs GR-Research NX-Studio
- AsciLab C6B vs Audio First Cadentia 3
- March Audio Sointuva vs Audio First Cadentia 3
Prices on this page were last checked October 12, 2026 at 4:13 PM UTC. Product prices and availability are accurate as of that date/time and are subject to change; the price and availability shown on Amazon at the time of purchase will apply to the purchase of this product.
As an eBay Partner, we may be compensated if you make a purchase.
The Two Speakers In Full
Audio First Cadentia 3: $7199 per pair Audio First Designs $7199 eBay
Pros: Near-textbook measurements: excellent on-axis linearity, listening window, and directivity, with only minor deviations. Extremely low distortion and compression, holding steady even at 102dB with barely any loss. Very wide, consistent horizontal dispersion (~70 degrees) gives a big, enveloping soundstage with strong image specificity outside the speaker boundaries. Strong bass extension for a bookshelf (F3 43Hz, F10 26Hz) with a punchy, guttural mid-bass. Measured bass extension of 43Hz (-3dB), with a measured sensitivity of 86.4dB.
Cons: A mild scoop through the upper midrange/lower treble slightly softens the attack of snares, hand claps, and sibilants: fixable with a single-band EQ (2.5kHz, +1dB, Q~1). High-frequency dispersion narrows quickly above about 4kHz, so off-axis listeners lose some air and detail. Very high asking price for a bookshelf-class speaker, and the complete (finished) version has a long lead time; the loaner kit version ships as an unfinished cabinet you assemble and finish yourself.
Full Audio First Cadentia 3 review and specifications →
| Bass Extension (-10dB) | 26Hz (measured, Erin’s Audio Corner) |
|---|---|
| Bass Extension (-3dB) | 43Hz (measured, Erin’s Audio Corner) |
| Country | United Kingdom (Cambridge) |
| DIY Kit | No |
| Dimensions | 23.2” x 11.8” x 17” (590 x 300 x 433 mm) |
| Drivers | 1.1” tweeter, 4.5” midrange, 9” woofer |
| Impedance | 4 ohms nominal (3.1 ohms minimum, measured by Erin’s Audio Corner) |
| Sensitivity | 86.4dB (2.83V/1m, measured by Erin’s Audio Corner) |
| Spinorama Preference Score | 7.55 |
| Spinorama Preference Score with Perfect Sub | 8.91 |
| Weight | 45.9 lbs (20.8 kg) each |
| Woofer Cabinet | 3-way, bass reflex |
- Links
- Reviews, Comparisons and Sound Samples
- Head-to-Head Comparisons
- Audio First Cadentia 3 vs March Audio Sointuva
- Audio First Cadentia 3 vs AsciLab C6B
- Audio First Cadentia 3 vs KEF R3 Meta
- Audio First Cadentia 3 vs GR-Research NX-Studio
- Audio First Cadentia 3 vs KEF Q Concerto Meta
- Audio First Cadentia 3 vs KEF Reference 1 Meta
- Audio First Cadentia 3 vs Perlisten S4b
- Audio First Cadentia 3 vs Wharfedale Aura 2
- See all 48 comparisons
Dynaudio Emit 20: $1,049.00 per pair Amazon $1,049.00 eBay
Same family: the Dynaudio Emit 10 (smaller bookshelf, estimated 3.2/5), the Dynaudio Emit 30 (smaller floorstanding, rated 3.9/5), the Dynaudio Emit 50 (larger floorstanding, estimated 4.2/5) and the Dynaudio Emit 25C (center, estimated 3.7/5). See every Dynaudio Emit generation.
Pros: Two-way design with a 28mm Esotar soft dome tweeter (Hexis-damped) and an 18cm mid-woofer, using a first-order crossover on the tweeter and second-order on the woofer. Exceptional bass extension for a bookshelf speaker: reaches a clean, authoritative 40Hz in-room, rare enough that the reviewer says most listeners could skip a subwoofer for typical music. Very low distortion across the board, staying below 1% THD down to 40Hz at 86dB and below 3% even at 96dB: unusually clean bass performance where most two-way bookshelf speakers start rising in distortion around 80Hz. Wide, remarkably consistent horizontal directivity (about ±50-60°) that holds steady up to roughly 13kHz: rare for a speaker in this format, thanks to a beveled tweeter edge that acts as a mild waveguide. Excellent compression and dynamic-range linearity at the frequency extremes, actually showing slight bass enhancement rather than the sharp low-end compression common in similarly-sized bookshelf speakers. Measured bass extension of 54Hz (-3dB), with a measured sensitivity of 83.5dB.
Cons: A resonance around 600-800Hz gives snares and similar percussion a muffled, flat quality lacking impact: confirmed as originating in the woofer itself (isolated via measurements of the raw driver out of the cabinet), and attempts at constrained-layer damping didn’t resolve it. A peak around 4kHz adds a sharp, edgy quality to some male vocals. A roughly 5dB boost above 10kHz gives cymbals and hi-hats excess shimmer that can sound unnatural, especially pointed directly on-axis. Vertical dispersion shows two separate crossover-related notches (above and below the tweeter reference line around 5kHz) rather than the usual single one, a direct consequence of the shallow crossover slopes used on both drivers. Multitone distortion is elevated in the midrange, possibly due to the woofer’s magnet structure lacking a shorting ring. Best aimed slightly off-axis (about 10-15° of toe-out) to tame the excess high-frequency shimmer, rather than pointed straight at the listener.
Full Dynaudio Emit 20 review and specifications →
| Released | Dec 2019 (6 years ago) |
|---|---|
| Bass Extension (-10dB) | 33Hz (measured, Erin’s Audio Corner) |
| Bass Extension (-3dB) | 54Hz (measured, Erin’s Audio Corner) |
| DIY Kit | No |
| Dimensions | 14.6”H x 8.1”W x 12.3”D (370.0 x 205.0 x 312.0 mm) |
| Drivers | 7.1” Magnesium Silicate Polymer woofer, 1.1” Cerotar soft dome with Hexis tweeter |
| Impedance | 6 ohms nominal (5.5 ohms minimum above 80Hz, measured, Erin’s Audio Corner) |
| Sensitivity | 83.5dB (measured, Erin’s Audio Corner; 86dB manufacturer specified) |
| Spinorama Preference Score | 4.22 |
| Spinorama Preference Score with Perfect Sub | 5.92 |
| Weight | 12.8 lbs (5.8 kg) |
| Woofer Cabinet | ported, rear |
- Links
- Reviews, Comparisons and Sound Samples
- Head-to-Head Comparisons
- Dynaudio Emit 20 vs Philharmonic BMR Monitor
- Dynaudio Emit 20 vs JBL Studio 630
- Dynaudio Emit 20 vs Behringer B2030P
- Dynaudio Emit 20 vs Mission LX-3 MKII
- Dynaudio Emit 20 vs Klipsch RP-600M II
- Dynaudio Emit 20 vs GR-Research X-LS Encore
- Dynaudio Emit 20 vs Polk Signature Elite ES20
- Dynaudio Emit 20 vs Infinity IL10
- See all 70 comparisons