Dutch & Dutch 8c Active Speakers

The Dutch & Dutch 8c isn’t just another speaker. It’s a complete high-end audio system designed to work with your room – not against it.

For too long, audiophiles have been upgrading amps, DACs and cables, chasing clarity and realism, while the biggest variable of all – the room – goes unaddressed. The 8c changes that. It delivers reference-level sound quality in real-world rooms by combining cardioid dispersion, built-in room calibration and perfectly integrated bass.

Whether you’re building a reference listening room, upgrading your main stereo, or simply want to hear your music exactly as it was intended, the 8c makes it possible – without needing racks of equipment or acoustic treatment.

Why choose the 8c?

You’ve upgraded your source. You’ve replaced your amplifier. You’ve fine-tuned your system to within an inch of its life — and yet you’re still fighting the room.

The Dutch & Dutch 8c addresses the problem at the source. With cardioid dispersion that dramatically reduces wall reflections, and onboard processing that tailors the output to your exact space, it doesn’t just sound better — it works better. You hear the music, not the room.

You also get clarity, punch and presence that few loudspeakers at any price can match. And because everything is built in — DAC, preamp, DSP, power amps and streaming — setup is simple, elegant and compact.

This is what a modern hi-fi system should be. If you’re ready to hear exactly what your music really sounds like – without fighting your room or chasing your tail with endless upgrades – the Dutch & Dutch 8c is the answer.

Contact us to arrange a demo or discuss your room and system in more detail.

What our customers say

“The 8c is the best speaker I’ve ever heard in my home. Total clarity, effortless bass, and none of the room issues I had before. Game-changing.”
– Stephen, Cheshire

“Finally a speaker that delivers what it promises. Clean, clear, powerful sound that adapts to the room. They’ve replaced four boxes in my system.”
– Rob, Manchester

Features

• Fully active, DSP-controlled loudspeaker system
• 3-way design with cardioid midrange and boundary-coupled bass for minimal room interaction
• Built-in DAC, DSP, preamp and networking – no external components required
• Roon Ready and Spotify Connect streaming support
• AES/EBU and balanced analogue XLR inputs
• Sub-bass extension down to 20Hz without the need for a subwoofer
• Built-in calibration tools
• Exceptional phase linearity and time alignment
• Made in the Netherlands

Frequently Asked Questions

What else do I need?

Basic installation

You will need a router, switch, wireless mesh node or power line adapter nearby to provide wired connections to your home network and the Internet. These can be temporary connections if you just want to configure the speakers for use with an external source, but you will need to leave the speakers connected if you plan to stream music from Roon or Spotify. The speakers come with a pair of 5m long Ethernet cables, but longer or shorter cables can be provided on request.

Each speaker needs a mains power connection. A pair of 2m cables are included, but we can provide longer or shorter cables request.

You will need a pair of speaker stands which are sized to closely match the speakers. There are four small rubber feet on the base of each speaker which need to be properly supported. We have a number of options available from Dutch & Dutch and Custom Design which are sized to perfectly match the 8c.

You can get 90% of the 8c’s peak performance simply by measuring the distances from each speaker to the wall behind and the nearest side wall. Enter these distances into the Ascend companion app and each speaker will adjust its output accordingly.

Advanced calibration

For the best possible experience, you can also measure the room acoustics using a miniDSP UMIK-1, UMIK-2 or other suitable measurement microphone and free Room EQ Wizard (REW) software. Using these measurements, you can create a set of EQ filters to mitigate the worst acoustic effects of your room. Of course, if you buy your 8c speakers from Strictly Stereo, we will take care of all this for you, or if you prefer, show you how to do it yourself.

Built-in streaming

Once connected and configured, you can stream music directly to the speakers from a Roon Nucleus or other Roon server, or from the Spotify app using its Spotify Connect feature.

External source

You also have the option to connect an external analogue or digital source. This could be a music streamer, phono stage, CD player or any other line level analogue or digital source. You can also use 8c speakers like conventional active speakers with an analogue preamplifier. If you need multiple analogue and digital inputs then audio processors like the miniDSP Flex and SHD provide a great alternative to traditional preamplifiers.

8c speakers are equipped with XLR inputs, but these can easily be adapted to analogue or digital cables fitted with RCA connectors. Please contact us if you would like to know more about how you can integrate Dutch & Dutch 8c speakers with your existing equipment.