Short answer: the Dynaudio Special Forty for a smoother tonal character, the Infinity IL10 for budget flatness. The Special Forty has a buttery character matching Dynaudio’s house sound, though a glaring, sometimes sibilant quality around 3-4kHz was the most noticeable issue, the one the reviewer would notch out with EQ. The IL10 is impressively flat for a budget bookshelf, but 600 and 5kHz resonances become distortion spikes at 96dB SPL/1m.
Buy the Dynaudio Special Forty, since the Infinity IL10 is discontinued and only worth hunting down used.
Want more options? Browse the full Passive Home rankings.
Specifications Side By Side
| Infinity IL10 | Dynaudio Special Forty | |
|---|---|---|
| Price | $160 per pair used, Discontinued | $3600 per pair |
| Ranked | #87 of 134 in Large Size Bookshelf Speakers | #88 of 134 in Large Size Bookshelf Speakers |
| Bass Extension (-10dB) | 44Hz (measured, Audio Science Review) | 39Hz (measured, Erin’s Audio Corner) |
| Bass Extension (-3dB) | 59Hz (measured, Audio Science Review) | 54Hz (measured, Erin’s Audio Corner) |
| Impedance | 6 ohms | 6 ohms nominal (4.9 ohms minimum above 80Hz, measured, Erin’s Audio Corner) |
| Sensitivity | 86dB (measured, Audio Science Review) | 83.5dB (measured, Erin’s Audio Corner; 86dB manufacturer specified) |
| Drivers | 6.5” (165mm) woofer | 5.9” MSP (Magnesium Silicate Polymer) cone woofer, 1” Esotar soft dome tweeter |
| Weight | 14.3 lbs (6.5 kg) | 17.9 lbs (8.1 kg) each |
| Dimensions | 15.6”H x 8.5”W x 11.5”D (397.0 x 216.0 x 292.0 mm) | 14.1”H x 7.7”W x 12.1”D (358.1 x 195.6 x 307.3 mm) |
| Woofer Cabinet | ported, rear | ported |
| Spinorama Preference Score | 4.98 (spinorama.org) | 4.73 |
| Spinorama Preference Score with Perfect Sub | 7.34 (spinorama.org) | 6.74 |
| DIY Kit | No | No |
Related Speaker Comparisons
More worthwhile head-to-heads for Infinity IL10:
- Wharfedale Linton 85 vs Infinity IL10
- ELAC Debut 3.0 DB63 vs Infinity IL10
- Infinity Reference R162 vs Infinity IL10
- Klipsch RP-600M II vs Infinity IL10
- Dynaudio Emit 20 vs Infinity IL10
Prices on this page were last checked October 2, 2026 at 10:18 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
Infinity IL10: $160 per pair used Discontinued eBay
Pros: Impressively flat for a budget bookshelf. Predicted in-room response is good aside from a bit of excess energy here and there. Distortion at 96dB SPL/1m stays low and controlled outside two narrow resonance-driven peaks. Measured bass extension of 59Hz (-3dB), with a measured sensitivity of 86dB.
Cons: Resonances at 600 and 5kHz, which show up as distinct distortion spikes at 96dB SPL/1m in the same frequency regions. Discontinued.
Full Infinity IL10 review and specifications →
| Bass Extension (-10dB) | 44Hz (measured, Audio Science Review) |
|---|---|
| Bass Extension (-3dB) | 59Hz (measured, Audio Science Review) |
| DIY Kit | No |
| Dimensions | 15.6”H x 8.5”W x 11.5”D (397.0 x 216.0 x 292.0 mm) |
| Drivers | 6.5” (165mm) woofer |
| Impedance | 6 ohms |
| Sensitivity | 86dB (measured, Audio Science Review) |
| Spinorama Preference Score | 4.98 (spinorama.org) |
| Spinorama Preference Score with Perfect Sub | 7.34 (spinorama.org) |
| Weight | 14.3 lbs (6.5 kg) |
| Woofer Cabinet | ported, rear |
- Reviews, Comparisons and Sound Samples
- Head-to-Head Comparisons
Dynaudio Special Forty: $3600 per pair Safe and Sound HQ 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) |
| DIY Kit | No |
| 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 | 4.73 |
| Spinorama Preference Score with Perfect Sub | 6.74 |
| 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 GR-Research X-LS Encore
- Dynaudio Special Forty vs KEF Q3 Meta
- Dynaudio Special Forty vs Polk Monitor XT20
- Dynaudio Special Forty vs Sonus Faber Lumina II
- Dynaudio Special Forty vs Mission LX-3 MKII
- Dynaudio Special Forty vs XTZ Spirit 4
- See all 55 comparisons