# Swans D1010MKII vs Swans M10



## aakaash (Apr 8, 2016)

*Brief intro:* I bought the the Swans d1010mkii 2.0 and had them for a week. But unfortunately I had to return them due to technical issues and finally bought the Swans M10 2.1 speaker system. I have had the m10's for one week today- the same time I had the d1010mkii's for, so I think I can now give a decent comparison between them.

*Look and feel:* Looks wise, I like the d1010mkii's rosewood finish and overall solid build quality. I don't have any issue with the build of the m10's(they too are made of MDF). The only thing that bothers me is that the blue LED on the front of the woofer is too bright for me. The knobs on both the speakers are well build, however the bass knob on the d1010miii was a bit stiff on my unit. Size wise, the d1010mkii's are quite big in comparison to the satellite speakers on the m10. But the m10's also have a woofer module due to which they end up taking up more space. Besides, you *have to put the woofer on the desk* for optimum sound quality. So d1010mkii's have the advantage in this department.

*i.imgur.com/ZKwEkay.jpg
*i.imgur.com/or0l5wB.jpg

*Sound quality:* Both the speakers have excellent mids and highs, a rarity in this price segment. If I were to pick up among these based on the mids alone, I would go for the d1010mkii's. The d1010mkii's have stereo bass, which means that the bass in not always coming from the same direction as is the case with the m10's. Speaking of bass quality, the m10's  definitely have the edge due to the additional woofer. But quantity wise, both are equals- do note that the m10's are a 31W system compared to the 34W d1010mkii. The pure stereo effect on the d1010mkii's is total musical bliss while the m10's are more of an all rounder(losing out only on the stereo bass). 

*Issues:* I think I have alread written about the popping issue, having talked to the nice people at HifiNage(authorized dealer of Swans in India). They say that this is due to the class AB amplifier used in all the Swans speakers(whcih by the way are very good) and is not going the harm the speaker in any way. To avoid any damage they recommend turning all the knobs to the minimum before switching the speakers on/off or removing the 3.5 mm cable. Between the two I would like to point out that the popping on the d1010mkii's were louder than that on the m10's. Besides, that the amount of heat generated on the d1010mkii's was in my opinion a bit too much. I could hardly touch the back panel of the active speaker after around ~5 hrs of usage(I am a very heavy listener). Similar usage of the m10's hardly generated any noticeable heat(This is one of the reasons why I returned the d1010mkii's). It did become warm to the touch, which is reasonable in terms of the heavy usage. So from the issues point of view, the m10's is the clear winner. 

*Final thoughts:* I like the sound signature of the m10's, now having got used to them. Listening to music is a very peaceful experience and movies are a delight to watch. I would highly recommend these speakers to anyone who want an all round entry level audiophile grade and want maximum bang for their buck.


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## shreeux (Apr 8, 2016)

Did you have experience in Logitech Z-623-2.1?


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## aakaash (Apr 8, 2016)

shreeux said:


> Did you have experience in Logitech Z-623-2.1?



Nope, initially was considering that one but chose the Swans over it later on. It is a very popular speaker and I hope some owners may help you  with your queries.


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## shreeux (Apr 8, 2016)

aakaash said:


> Nope, initially was considering that one but chose the Swans over it later on. It is a very popular speaker and I hope some owners may help you  with your queries.



 @Minion he also suggested *here*


Did you watch any Action or War Movies in Swans D1010MKII & Swans M10 any difference you find out?


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## aakaash (Apr 8, 2016)

shreeux said:


> @Minion he also suggested *here*
> 
> 
> Did you watch any Action or War Movies in Swans D1010MKII & Swans M10 any difference you find out?



Of course the swans are under powered compared to the z623's. But one thing to keep in mind is that more power does not necessarily translate into better audio quality. Period. My m10's deliver enough power to keep me happy and I seldom go above the 50% mark. The z623's might win the bass game but the swans will thrash them when it comes to sound quality 24x7. But it must also be considered that both the swans and the logitech are targeted to different set of customers. If you want pure sound quality go for the swans but if bass and power is only requirement(read: bassheads) go for the z623s. Anyway as someone in the forums has rightly pointed out, if anyone is debating on swans vs logitech, he is sure to like the logitech over the swans. 

I have watched a lot of movies on the m10's and they deliver a satisfying experience. The performance is better than the d1010mkii due to the extra bass module. Hope this helps.


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## shreeux (Apr 8, 2016)

aakaash said:


> Of course the swans are under powered compared to the z623's. But one thing to keep in mind is that more power does not necessarily translate into better audio quality. Period. My m10's deliver enough power to keep me happy and I seldom go above the 50% mark. The z623's might win the bass game but the swans will thrash them when it comes to sound quality 24x7. But it must also be considered that both the swans and the logitech are targeted to different set of customers. If you want pure sound quality go for the swans but if bass and power is only requirement(read: bassheads) go for the z623s. Anyway as someone in the forums has rightly pointed out, if anyone is debating on swans vs logitech, he is sure to like the logitech over the swans.
> 
> I have watched a lot of movies on the m10's and they deliver a satisfying experience. The performance is better than the d1010mkii due to the extra bass module. Hope this helps.



Thanks for quick reply,

In my home TV (KDL-32W670A) & System (HP Pavilion 23CW) in different room...Every time swapping of my speakers headache for me. So choose to buy 2 sets 2.0 & 2.1. one by one.

For 2.1 choosed Logitech Z-623-2.1 

For 2.0 little bit confused...Swans D1010MKII-2.0 (or) Swans D1080-IV -2.0 ?


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## aakaash (Apr 8, 2016)

shreeux said:


> Thanks for quick reply,
> 
> For 2.0 little bit confused...Swans D1010MKII-2.0 (or) Swans D1080-IV -2.0 ?



If you have the money go for the Swans D1080-IV, they are much better than the D1010MKII.


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## shreeux (Apr 8, 2016)

aakaash said:


> If you have the money go for the Swans D1080-IV, they are much better than the D1010MKII.



I am using Intel DP45SG motherboard, now currently discontinued, No more driver updates.
My doubt is PC output ok or Enhance the Output to add on Soundcard (Internal+External)

What about TV Audio output...Playing Movies through USB only 1080p content only.


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## aakaash (Apr 8, 2016)

shreeux said:


> I am using Intel DP45SG motherboard, now currently discontinued, No more driver updates.
> My doubt is PC output ok or Enhance the Output to add on Soundcard (Internal+External).



External sound card/DAC will definitely improve the overall audio output but in my opinion you will not get that much improvement over the on-board audio for entry level speakers. Instead use the money to get a good set of speakers.



> What about TV Audio output...Playing Movies through USB only 1080p content only



No idea dude.


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## shreeux (Apr 9, 2016)

aakaash said:


> External sound card/DAC will definitely improve the overall audio output but in my opinion you will not get that much improvement over the on-board audio for entry level speakers. Instead use the money to get a good set of speakers.
> 
> 
> 
> No idea dude.



Yes..If i get Swans D1080-IV then look for Sound card/DAC..


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## anirbandd (Apr 10, 2016)

if you have the monies, then definitely D1080 IV.. 

As for the soundcard/DAC, yes there will be a very good improvement over the onboard audio. the difference will be audible right away. 
and dont forget to use foobar with WASAPI Output support.

can you explain about the TV output? i did not get what you wanted to mean..


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## Deleted member 118788 (Apr 10, 2016)

anirbandd said:


> if you have the monies, then definitely D1080 IV..
> 
> As for the soundcard/DAC, yes there will be a very good improvement over the onboard audio. the difference will be audible right away.
> and dont forget to use foobar with WASAPI Output support.
> ...



I am getting the D1080 IV. Do I need a soundcard or an external DAC? I am not an audiophile and I think my new motherboard does have a good audio chipset. These are the specs for audio chipset. Let me know your thoughts on this. 

ROG SupremeFX 2015 8-Channel High Definition Audio CODEC
- Supports : Jack-detection, Multi-streaming, Front Panel Jack-retasking
- SupremeFX Shielding Technology
*- ESS® ES9023P*
- TI RC4580 2VRMS audio OP AMP(s)

ROG MAXIMUS VIII HERO ALPHA | Motherboards | ASUS India


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## shreeux (Apr 10, 2016)

anirbandd said:


> if you have the monies, then definitely D1080 IV..
> 
> As for the soundcard/DAC, yes there will be a very good improvement over the onboard audio. the difference will be audible right away.
> and dont forget to use foobar with WASAPI Output support.
> ...



*Intel Desktop Board DP45SG*

*Sony KDL-32W674A*


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## anirbandd (Apr 10, 2016)

Geek-With-Lens said:


> I am getting the D1080 IV. Do I need a soundcard or an external DAC? I am not an audiophile and I think my new motherboard does have a good audio chipset. These are the specs for audio chipset. Let me know your thoughts on this.
> 
> ROG SupremeFX 2015 8-Channel High Definition Audio CODEC
> - Supports : Jack-detection, Multi-streaming, Front Panel Jack-retasking
> ...



looks good! you can skip the sound card.

- - - Updated - - -



shreeux said:


> *Intel Desktop Board DP45SG*
> 
> *Sony KDL-32W674A*



what do you want to do with it?


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## shreeux (Apr 10, 2016)

anirbandd said:


> l
> what do you want to do with it?



May need Souncard/DAC  or Can i skip?


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## anirbandd (Apr 10, 2016)

shreeux said:


> May need Souncard/DAC  or Can i skip?



what do you want to connect?

PC to TV, with seperate speakers?


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## shreeux (Apr 10, 2016)

anirbandd said:


> what do you want to connect?
> 
> PC to TV, with seperate speakers?



In my home TV (KDL-32W670A) & System (HP Pavilion 23CW) in different room..When ever watching movies, I swap the speaker system accordingly.

So, I need to use multipurpose only, i like buy external Soundcard or DAC?


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## anirbandd (Apr 11, 2016)

so if they are in different rooms, do you physically shift the speakers each time you move from the TV to the PC or vice versa?


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## shreeux (Apr 11, 2016)

anirbandd said:


> so if they are in different rooms, do you physically shift the speakers each time you move from the TV to the PC or vice versa?



Yes for time being, until i get 2nd set. That's why planning to buy (2.0+2.1)


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