Active 3-way cardioid loudspeaker with built-in subwoofer and streaming

The Dutch & Dutch 6c is an active networked loudspeaker that packs amplification, digital processing, room correction and network playback into a 38 cm tall cabinet. Its cardioid directivity, achieved acoustically, delivers clean bass and a stable stereo image in an ordinary living room, without heavy acoustic treatment. A pair, two power cords, and the system is complete.

A complete system, not a scaled-down 8c

Martijn Mensink, founder of Dutch & Dutch, is clear on this point: the 6c is not a "lite" 8c, but a model in its own right designed in a smaller format. It is aimed at those who wanted the realism of the 8c in a footprint that fits a living room or a normal-sized studio, and it is designed for rooms from 6 to 60 m². Each speaker measures 38 × 22 × 30.8 cm and weighs 14 kg, with 600 W per channel of on-board Class-D amplification featuring power factor correction and hybrid cooling. There is no external amplifier, processor, converter or subwoofer to add.

Acoustic cardioid directivity: the front wall stops being a problem

Unlike solutions that simulate directivity through DSP, the 6c achieves its cardioid pattern acoustically. The built-in 8-inch subwoofer is mounted on the rear of the cabinet and couples to the wall behind it when the speaker sits less than a metre away. At the same time, the midrange driver's rear wave is vented through side slots, cancelling the energy that would otherwise wrap around the cabinet. The result: virtually no reflection off the front wall in the bass and lower midrange. This is the mechanism behind the clean bass and the stable stereo image in real, untreated rooms.

Addressing the room on both sides of the Schroeder frequency

A listening room presents two different problems. Above the Schroeder frequency, typically between 100 and 200 Hz, the issues are reverberant: they depend on what the speaker radiates off-axis. Below it, they are resonant: room modes, peaks and dips tied to the room's dimensions. The 6c addresses both. Above, through controlled directivity and a smooth off-axis response. Below, through the cardioid pattern combined with RoomMatching room correction, DSP processing driven from the Dutch & Dutch app. With RoomMatching Align, calibrating the room and the listening position becomes a guided process anyone can follow.

Drivers and performance

Three ways: a 1-inch aluminium/magnesium alloy dome in a waveguide for the treble, a 6-inch aluminium cone midrange on the front baffle, and a built-in 8-inch aluminium cone subwoofer mounted on the rear of the cabinet. Response spans 50 Hz to 20 kHz ±1 dB, extending to 30 Hz at -6 dB, with a maximum level of 106 dB continuous from 50 Hz upwards. Enough to cover realistic living-room listening levels without compression, including on programme material demanding at the bottom end.

Dutch & Dutch platform, streaming and BACCH 3D

The 6c is built on the Dutch & Dutch software platform, controlled from the Dutch & Dutch app. New features and improvements arrive through wireless over-the-air (OTA) updates: just keep the speakers connected to the internet and confirm the update in the app. This networked loudspeaker has its own built-in streamer (each speaker handles one channel, perfectly synchronised with the other): it is Roon Ready and supports Spotify Connect; Tidal Connect, Qobuz Connect and Audirvana are announced. BACCH 3D spatial processing, developed by Professor Edgar Choueiri at Princeton University, is natively supported (optional plugin). For wired connection, the balanced analogue input is on XLR with a peak level of +24 dBu (+4 dBu setting), a sensitivity switch and a Left / Right / Mono channel switch; it is joined by an AES3/EBU digital input on XLR, an AES3 loop-through to chain the speakers, and DD-Link. The network is available over built-in Wi-Fi as well as Ethernet.

Expandability: the 6s bass module and the Statement 6 system

The 6c can be complemented at any time by a pair of 6s Cardioid Bass Extensions, bass modules that are cardioid as well. Together they form the Statement 6 system: greater scale, deeper bass, more headroom, and an even more effective RoomMatching since the cardioid behaviour extends further down the spectrum. The Statement 6 is designed for rooms from 12 m² to well over 100 m². A pair of 6c is a starting point, not a ceiling.

Available finishes

Black or white, matte or high-gloss, plus three metallic finishes: Metallic Pine, Metallic Cinnamon and Metallic Copper. Price per pair.

Optional speaker stands

Dutch & Dutch offers two official stands designed specifically for the 6c, sold as a pair: the 6c Home Stand (71 cm), for seated listening in a living room, and the 6c Studio Stand (106 cm), for a working position.

Technical specifications

• Type: active 3-way cardioid networked loudspeaker
• HF: 1" aluminium/magnesium alloy dome, waveguide mounted
• MF: 6" aluminium cone, front baffle
• LF: built-in subwoofer, 1 × 8" aluminium cone, rear mounted
• Amplification: 600 W per channel, Class-D, power factor correction (PFC), hybrid cooling
• Frequency response: 50 Hz – 20 kHz ±1 dB, extending to 30 Hz at -6 dB
• Maximum level: 106 dB continuous from 50 Hz upwards
• Analogue input: balanced over XLR, peak level +24 dBu (+4 dBu setting), sensitivity switch, Left / Right / Mono channel switch
• Digital input: AES3/EBU over XLR
• Output: AES3 loop-through over XLR
• DD-Link: yes
• Network: built-in Wi-Fi and Ethernet
• Room correction: RoomMatching (DSP), RoomMatching Align compatible, controlled via the Dutch & Dutch app
• Platform: Dutch & Dutch software platform, wireless OTA updates
• Streaming: Roon Ready, Spotify Connect; Tidal Connect, Qobuz Connect and Audirvana announced
• Spatial audio: BACCH 3D (optional plugin)
• Room size: 6 to 60 m²
• Power supply: 110–230 V AC, 50–60 Hz
• Dimensions (H×W×D): 38 × 22 × 30.8 cm per speaker
• Weight: 14 kg per speaker
• Finishes: matte white, matte black, gloss white, gloss black, Metallic Pine, Metallic Cinnamon, Metallic Copper
• Option: 6s Cardioid Bass Extension, forming the Statement 6 system
• In the box: 2 speakers, 2 IEC power cords, 2 CAT5e network cables, 1 pair of handling gloves, 1 AES terminator, 1 manual