Short answer: the Audio First Cadentia 3 for better sound quality, the Dynaudio Special Forty for the lower price. The Audio First Cadentia 3 ranks #8 of 130 bookshelf speakers at $7199. The Dynaudio Special Forty ranks #86 at $3600, $3599 cheaper.
What the Audio First Cadentia 3 offers: 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. 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). 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.
What the Dynaudio Special Forty offers: Smooth, “buttery” overall tonal character consistent with Dynaudio’s house sound. Surprisingly precise, focused imaging despite wide horizontal radiation (about ±70°) - atypical, since wide-radiating speakers usually sacrifice some image precision in reflective rooms. Strong output capability: reached 100-101dB average at 3.5 meters with no audible distortion or woofer distress, and compression testing at 102dB shows the cabinet holding up mechanically well at extreme output. Bass reaches a genuine 50Hz (potentially 40Hz) in most rooms from a rear-ported design. Distortion stays below 1% at 86dB and doesn’t cross 3% THD until about 50Hz even at 96dB. Extra weight and impact on snares and percussion around 700-800Hz that the reviewer found appealing on many tracks. Watch for: A glaring, sometimes sibilant quality around 3-4kHz was the most noticeable issue in listening, the one thing the reviewer would want notched out with EQ. Multiple enclosure resonances appear between 500Hz-1kHz across on-axis, listening window, early-reflections, and sound-power measurements, corroborated by independent third-party CSD data showing similar 500-800Hz cabinet resonances. A dip around 1.2kHz traces to a cone-edge-to-surround compliance mismatch in the driver itself (confirmed by testing the bare driver’s impedance) - a known artifact common to many similarly-sized drivers across several manufacturers, contributing to elevated second-order distortion in that region. A somewhat laid-back, recessed 1-2kHz character (sometimes described as a “BBC dip”) gives an overall subdued quality that isn’t overtly problematic but shapes the tonal balance. Impedance drops below 3 ohms in the 100-200Hz region, requiring a genuinely 4-ohm-stable amplifier rather than an AVR. Rear port means it can’t be placed directly against a wall.
Buy the Audio First Cadentia 3 if sound quality matters more than the price. Buy the Dynaudio Special Forty if the price matters more than sound quality.
Want more options? Browse the full Passive Home rankings.
Specifications Side By Side
| Audio First Cadentia 3 | Dynaudio Special Forty | |
|---|---|---|
| Price | $7199 per pair | $3600 per pair |
| Ranked | #8 of 130 in Large Size Bookshelf Speakers | #86 of 130 in Large Size Bookshelf Speakers |
| Bass Extension (-10dB) | 26Hz (measured, Erin's Audio Corner) | 39Hz (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) | 14.1"H x 7.7"W x 12.1"D (358.1 x 195.6 x 307.3 mm) |
| Impedance | 4 ohms nominal (3.1 ohms minimum, measured by Erin's Audio Corner) | 6 ohms nominal (4.9 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 | 5.9" MSP (Magnesium Silicate Polymer) cone woofer, 1" Esotar soft dome tweeter |
| Weight | 45.9 lbs (20.8 kg) each | 17.9 lbs (8.1 kg) each |
| Woofer Cabinet | 3-way, bass reflex | ported |
| Country | United Kingdom (Cambridge) | - |
| Spinorama Preference Score | 7.38 | 3.85 |
| Spinorama Preference Score with Perfect Sub | 8.74 | 5.86 |
Related Speaker Comparisons
More worthwhile head-to-heads for 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
- March Audio Sointuva vs Audio First Cadentia 3
- AsciLab C6B vs Audio First Cadentia 3
Prices on this page were last checked September 16, 2026 at 12:41 AM 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.
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The Two Speakers In Full
Audio First Cadentia 3: $7199 per pair Audio First Designs 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) |
| 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 | 7.38 |
| Spinorama Preference Score with Perfect Sub | 8.74 |
| 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 AsciLab C6B
- Audio First Cadentia 3 vs March Audio Sointuva
- Audio First Cadentia 3 vs KEF R3 Meta
- Audio First Cadentia 3 vs KEF Q Concerto Meta
- Audio First Cadentia 3 vs GR-Research NX-Studio
- Audio First Cadentia 3 vs Wharfedale Aura 2
- Audio First Cadentia 3 vs KEF Reference 1 Meta
- Audio First Cadentia 3 vs Perlisten S4b
- See all 45 comparisons
Dynaudio Special Forty: $3600 per pair Safeandsoundhq eBay
Pros: Smooth, “buttery” overall tonal character consistent with Dynaudio’s house sound. Surprisingly precise, focused imaging despite wide horizontal radiation (about ±70°) - atypical, since wide-radiating speakers usually sacrifice some image precision in reflective rooms. Strong output capability: reached 100-101dB average at 3.5 meters with no audible distortion or woofer distress, and compression testing at 102dB shows the cabinet holding up mechanically well at extreme output. Bass reaches a genuine 50Hz (potentially 40Hz) in most rooms from a rear-ported design. Distortion stays below 1% at 86dB and doesn’t cross 3% THD until about 50Hz even at 96dB. Extra weight and impact on snares and percussion around 700-800Hz that the reviewer found appealing on many tracks. Measured bass extension of 54Hz (-3dB), with a measured sensitivity of 83.5dB.
Cons: A glaring, sometimes sibilant quality around 3-4kHz was the most noticeable issue in listening, the one thing the reviewer would want notched out with EQ. Multiple enclosure resonances appear between 500Hz-1kHz across on-axis, listening window, early-reflections, and sound-power measurements, corroborated by independent third-party CSD data showing similar 500-800Hz cabinet resonances. A dip around 1.2kHz traces to a cone-edge-to-surround compliance mismatch in the driver itself (confirmed by testing the bare driver’s impedance) - a known artifact common to many similarly-sized drivers across several manufacturers, contributing to elevated second-order distortion in that region. A somewhat laid-back, recessed 1-2kHz character (sometimes described as a “BBC dip”) gives an overall subdued quality that isn’t overtly problematic but shapes the tonal balance. Impedance drops below 3 ohms in the 100-200Hz region, requiring a genuinely 4-ohm-stable amplifier rather than an AVR. Rear port means it can’t be placed directly against a wall.
Full Dynaudio Special Forty review and specifications →
| Bass Extension (-10dB) | 39Hz (measured, Erin's Audio Corner) |
|---|---|
| Bass Extension (-3dB) | 54Hz (measured, Erin's Audio Corner) |
| Dimensions | 14.1"H x 7.7"W x 12.1"D (358.1 x 195.6 x 307.3 mm) |
| Drivers | 5.9" MSP (Magnesium Silicate Polymer) cone woofer, 1" Esotar soft dome tweeter |
| Impedance | 6 ohms nominal (4.9 ohms minimum above 80Hz, measured, Erin's Audio Corner) |
| Sensitivity | 83.5dB (measured, Erin's Audio Corner; 86dB manufacturer specified) |
| Spinorama Preference Score | 3.85 |
| Spinorama Preference Score with Perfect Sub | 5.86 |
| Weight | 17.9 lbs (8.1 kg) each |
| Woofer Cabinet | ported |
- Links
- Reviews, Comparisons and Sound Samples
- Head-to-Head Comparisons
- Dynaudio Special Forty vs ELAC Debut 2.0 B6.2
- Dynaudio Special Forty vs SVS Prime Bookshelf
- Dynaudio Special Forty vs Infinity IL10
- Dynaudio Special Forty vs KEF Q3 Meta
- Dynaudio Special Forty vs GR-Research X-LS Encore
- Dynaudio Special Forty vs Polk Monitor XT20
- Dynaudio Special Forty vs Sonus Faber Lumina II
- Dynaudio Special Forty vs XTZ Spirit 4
- See all 54 comparisons