Updated ProAc Response D30DS and D30RS Speakers

Chag... posted:

Thanks Badlands. Good to know, staying with domes may sometimes be the conservative but still the wise decision.  

Chag -

Personally, I prefer the dome to the ribbon too.

I used my Ex-demo D30R  pair for a month and these are my findings:

• They are still far way from broken in despite I run them for 10 hours a day.
• The display pair I auditioned in the dealer were also far from broken in.
• The improvement from day 1 to now was so huge.
• In my taste, Proac is a better match to Naim, comparing to B&W and PMC.

Hope you find these information useful.

Getting the upgrade itch again I is .... currently have a nait 5si with a cd5si singing through proac studio 148s... thinking super nait ... *wipes drool*

Would a 5si struggle to power a set of D30S's? 

I don't think a 5si would struggle to power the D30S, but it most likely won't be able to control and keep the lower part of the spectrum tight. Whatever could be the improvement made to the D30S, I am afraid you will still need a 250, maybe a 200, to drive them. 

Chag -

Derelict posted:

Getting the upgrade itch again I is .... currently have a nait 5si with a cd5si singing through proac studio 148s... thinking super nait ... *wipes drool*

Would a 5si struggle to power a set of D30S's? 

The 148 is very likely already too much for that system. Once you have a CDX2/XPSDR and 282/Hicap/250 the D30 might make sense. 

I agree with HH.
I have used 148 for two years , before my current atc 19. My first amplifier with those speakers was a unitilite. And they were simply too much for this nice little all in one. They started to come to life, once i upgraded to xs2. But only the SN2 made them really sing. I know quite well proac D30s too : pairing them with a 5si would be an absolute mullet , and i strongly suspect that a SN2 would have a hard time too driving them properly. Those speakers are really asking for a 300.

Thanks for the replies! I agree, sometimes I feel more power is needed at higher levels although at the moment the 5si seems to be doing okay. Beautiful sound. Sensitivity being high at 91db. Looks like my upgrade path will have to be separates.  Im only just getting started, loving the 5si and cd5si!

Those speakers are really asking for a 300.

i start driving my D30R with 200, then 250.2 and have now a 300. i'd say that a 200 is needed, a 250.2 is welcome but a 300 is not too much

FDIOP, do you think SN2 would be a good match for the D30s?

Thanks!

I have owned and listened to many Proac models. I have also heard them driven by low wattage SE tube amps that put out less than 20 watts, and they have always sounded excellent.

The D30's are tremendous sounding speakers and deserve the highest quality amp that you can afford, the SN2 would have no problem driving them to very high levels. Of course the 300 would be an improvement, but the SN2 is no slouch, especially when paired with the HiCap DR.

Evlampi posted:

FDIOP, do you think SN2 would be a good match for the D30s?

Thanks!

hum, with the SN2 (or 202/200) you'll get beautiful musique, from now...and, in addition, your D30's will go along with your futurs upgrades

I guess what Fdiop is saying, is that a SN2 or a 200 are enough, to let you see the great potential of the D30s, and with a 300, you will realize it. It is probably worth adding that a 252/NDS/555DR will also help here. Am I correct, Fdiop ?

Might be auditioning a SN2 then. More headroom for future speakers. I am addicted

Chag... posted:

You may not know yet that ProAc has just updated the D30 to D30S. It is still available in a dome or ribbon tweeter - Response D30DS and D30RS respectively.

ProAc claims having developed a new 17.5 cm bass driver using a cone made from pulp and Mica, similar to the one used in their D48, to replace the 16.5 cm carbon fiber cone speaker of the original D30 for a flatter response. Note that the cabinet dimensions will stay the same.

Hopefully they have solved the issue of a little too warm of a bass response with the D30R.

Chag -

Re. The Proac D30. How many versions of this speaker are currently available? It's all quite confusing.

1) D30 - is this the original model?

2) D30S - is this the one that comes with the carbon fibre cone?

3) D30RS - is this the latest model with the pulp mica cone?

4) D30DS - this is basically the D30RS but with the dome tweeter instead of ribbon tweeter

Lastly, is there a significant difference between the D30S and D30RS, or the D30RS and D30DS ?

I agree Proac decided on a very poor nomenclature to distinguish among the D30 line. It's confusing especially when folks tend to add an 's' to the speaker designation when talking about a pair. First off, an 'R' in the name will mean a ribbon tweeter and a second 'D' in the name means a dome tweeter. The 'S' designation at the end of the names refers to the newest version with updated drivers and x-overs. From Proac's website "ProAc have updated the D30 to a D30S. Still available in a dome or ribbon tweeter - Response D30DS and D30RS respectively". Best to look directly at Proac's site when considering any particular speaker in the D30 line then look at the specs. Better yet, have a listen to the particular model you're interested in .

I had the D20R home and was impressed with the ribbon tweeter for its balance, resolution and horizontal axis of dispersion. My question is whether the D20 line is next up for an 'S' version update?

 

I had the D20R home and was impressed with the ribbon tweeter for its balance, resolution and horizontal axis of dispersion. My question is whether the D20 line is next up for an 'S' version update?

I doubt we will see a D20 update. The D20R is a great and well positioned speaker, or appears to be recognized as such. The D30 pair was facing some fatness in the lows hence the update.

Chag -

Interesting comment Chag. I read on other fora where users found the D30R had better articulated bass than the D20R. Of course these things are room dependent and I found in my room the D20R was as big as I wanted to go for bass response. I guess if Proac is sitting pat with the current D20R they feel they've got things right.

Stringerbell posted:

yes they didn't last very long ( very strange) , if it is true. Is there a link somewhere, that confirms that information ?

They are no longer shown on their website!!! Of course I did give you this info months ago.

You were right badlands . My dealer confirmed too. Two new models should be added to the range to fill  the void, he also told me.

Interesting thread. Having owned D20Rs paired with SuperUniti for two years, I can confirm this as a terrific match. The bass, in a 6m x 5m room, is beautifully controlled, tight and very quick.

When discussing upgrades with my dealer, I expressed interest in D30 or D48, paired with 272 and D300DR. His immediate response was 'don't'! His experience in his demo room, quite a bit larger than my lounge, was that the D30s, even when paired with the D30s, were almost uncontrollable in the bass department, the D48s even more so. As recounted elsewhere, I've ended up going for K6s, which, paired with 250DR, 272 and 555PS, work beautifully in my room. I know it sounds strange, but the extreme jump really has worked, whereas to have gone for either the 30s or 48s would have required a house move!!