Short answer: the Technics SB-C700, because the Emit 20 has a driver-level fault. The Dynaudio Emit 20’s resonance around 600-800Hz gives snares a muffled, flat quality lacking impact, and the source traces it to the woofer itself, with constrained-layer damping failing to fix it. The Technics counters with a 1.9cm tweeter at the acoustic center of a 16cm flat-diaphragm woofer, though its 85dB sensitivity and 4-ohm impedance need a capable amplifier.
Buy the Technics SB-C700. It is rated higher for sound quality, and the $650 you would save on the Dynaudio Emit 20 does not close the gap.
Want more options? Browse the full Passive Home rankings.
Specifications Side By Side
| Technics SB-C700 | Dynaudio Emit 20 | |
|---|---|---|
| Price | $1,699.00 per pair | $1,049.00 per pair |
| Ranked | #60 of 134 in Large Size Bookshelf Speakers | #77 of 134 in Large Size Bookshelf Speakers |
| Bass Extension (-10dB) | 40.5Hz (measured, spinorama.org) | 33Hz (measured, Erin’s Audio Corner) |
| Bass Extension (-3dB) | 85.0Hz (measured, spinorama.org) | 54Hz (measured, Erin’s Audio Corner) |
| Dimensions | 8.7” x 13.2” x 11.3” (220 x 336 x 286 mm) each | 14.6”H x 8.1”W x 12.3”D (370.0 x 205.0 x 312.0 mm) |
| Impedance | 4 ohms | 6 ohms nominal (5.5 ohms minimum above 80Hz, measured, Erin’s Audio Corner) |
| Sensitivity | 85dB (2.83V/1m) | 83.5dB (measured, Erin’s Audio Corner; 86dB manufacturer specified) |
| Drivers | Coaxial “Phase Precision Driver”: 1.9cm dome tweeter + 16cm flat-diaphragm woofer | 7.1” Magnesium Silicate Polymer woofer, 1.1” Cerotar soft dome with Hexis tweeter |
| Weight | 18.7 lbs (8.5 kg) each | 12.8 lbs (5.8 kg) |
| Woofer Cabinet | Bass reflex | ported, rear |
| Spinorama Preference Score | 5.11 | 4.22 |
| Spinorama Preference Score with Perfect Sub | 7.25 | 5.92 |
| DIY Kit | No | No |
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The Two Speakers In Full
Technics SB-C700: $1,699.00 per pair Value Electronics USA Tube Audio eBay
Pros: Distinctive coincident “Phase Precision Driver”: a 1.9cm dome tweeter mounted at the exact acoustic center of a 16cm flat-diaphragm carbon-fiber/honeycomb-sandwich woofer, giving true point-source geometry. Directivity is unusually symmetric front-to-back and top-to-bottom (both horizontal and vertical average exactly 60°) and off axis sound tracks the on axis response unusually consistently for a large bookshelf speaker. Die-cast aluminum chassis and a high-gloss convex “Entasis form” cabinet with side panels up to 42mm thick for extra rigidity. Measured bass extension of 85.0Hz (-3dB).
Cons: 85dB sensitivity paired with a 4-ohm nominal impedance wants a fairly capable amplifier. Bass extension is shallow relative to its 6.5”-class woofer at -3dB (85.0Hz), though it reaches a more usable 40.5Hz at -10dB: a fairly steep low-end rolloff shape once past the reference band. At $1699/pair, some in the ASR community have questioned the value proposition against similarly-measuring alternatives at lower prices.
Full Technics SB-C700 review and specifications →
| Bass Extension (-10dB) | 40.5Hz (measured, spinorama.org) |
|---|---|
| Bass Extension (-3dB) | 85.0Hz (measured, spinorama.org) |
| DIY Kit | No |
| Dimensions | 8.7” x 13.2” x 11.3” (220 x 336 x 286 mm) each |
| Drivers | Coaxial “Phase Precision Driver”: 1.9cm dome tweeter + 16cm flat-diaphragm woofer |
| Impedance | 4 ohms |
| Sensitivity | 85dB (2.83V/1m) |
| Spinorama Preference Score | 5.11 |
| Spinorama Preference Score with Perfect Sub | 7.25 |
| Weight | 18.7 lbs (8.5 kg) each |
| Woofer Cabinet | Bass reflex |
- Links
- Reviews, Comparisons and Sound Samples
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Dynaudio Emit 20: $1,049.00 per pair Amazon eBay
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 →
| 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 |
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- Reviews, Comparisons and Sound Samples
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