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    A Weekend with the Dali Calisto 2C and Dali Sound Hub

     

     

    Dali Calisto 01.jpgAfter reading and watching several of the reviews from 2018, I became very interested in the Dali Callisto 2C wireless speakers.  

     

    There were several clues that these might be special.  One of the first things that caught my eye was the volume control in the speakers at the end analog chain.  One volume control in the whole system with many methods to manage it—Bluetooth remote. Apps, front panel knob on the HUB, touch slider on the tops of the speakers! 

     

    Dali marketing talks up a couple of things, their Class D amp that uses its power selectively.  The dual tweeter system where the ribbon tweeter helps offload the soft dome.  They also discuss their SMC magnet motors in the main drivers.  The White Paper is worth the read (link below).

     

    The Dali Sound HUB makes this a system.  A central control brings multiple inputs together and ships the data wireless to the speakers using their “EQUI” lossless wireless protocol, supporting 7.1 surround. EQUI appears to be a competitor to the WISA system I have seen elsewhere. The HUB has two slots for modules.  The BLUOS module (NPM-2i $499) and their HDMI module are available now.   This system might make for a perfect mid-range surround/2-channel setup. 

     

     

    dali_accessories-npm-2i-module_1.jpg dali_accessories-hdmi-module_u-grill_cam010000.jpg

     

     

     

     

    I immediately used my Puritan Audio Laboratories power cables and distribution when I brought the system home.  The Dali Sound Hub was powered by a Ferrum HYPSOS supply, the best I own. 

     

    Dali Calisto Hub 02.jpgOver the past several months, I have been building and configuring DIY server streamers using systems around the house.  I have mainly been using Logitech Media Server in my designs.  

     

    I am set to listen with the Dali system, my Pi2AES streamer using SPDiF out, and a Raspberry Pi-based file server for music.

     

    I used the same stands for my existing speakers and the Callisto 2c.  A 2 ft x 2ft sheet of MDF under each speaker is on the floor.  The stands have spikes set into Herbies Audio Labs gliders to move the speakers at will.  On top of the stands are four Isoacoustics isolators for the speakers to sit on.

     

    The manual from DALI says that the speakers are designed to be placed a minimum of 8in from the front wall and parallel to it, and I started there.  My friend Rich and I began by playing a couple of familiar tracks:  BT: Artifacture, The Blues Company: If Only I Could.  The upper registers of these speakers have fantastic relaxed clarity to them.  While they do not go as low as my current speakers, they have a nice tight feel.  In the midrange, something was missing.  We felt that it might also have to do with placement.  Over the past couple of days, I have adjusted them in the room and tested them with toe-in.  They like to be a bit further out from the wall in my room, say around 19 inches, and I am still fussing with toe-in.   This location seems to have improved the speakers' presentation in the room.  

     

     

     

    Dali Calisto Hub 01.jpg

     

     

    I have been A/B testing with my Pi2AES streamer using SPDiF into the Dali Sound Hub.  I am impressed at how well the Bluesound system in the Hub sounds vs. my streamer.  With the Ferrum supply on both devices, they are close.  BluOS has been getting better and better.  I had a couple of glitches when the system indexed my rather extensive library.

     

    The Dali Sound Hub can be placed out of sight, and the speakers are generic black box-looking. Yet, set up correctly with some attention paid to A/C power; these speakers are excellent and are well worth a listen if you have the opportunity.  

     


    RJF

     

    One of the great perks of working with a local audio store is that some of them let you borrow equipment for an audition in your home. I want to thank the team at Holm Audio in Woodridge, Il, for their support and the home audition.

     

     

     

    Product Information:

     





    UPDATE MARCH 23, 2022

     

     

    As you have read from the above article, I borrowed a Dali system home for a weekend listen.

     

    It tickled my fancy.  Some wheeling and dealing a few days later, they are now mine!

     

    ***Remember that I have an almost perfect, for me, set of speakers;  my Heavenly SoundWorks 517 actives.  For the good of the community and my C.A.T.S., the 517’s are safely tucked away in the dining room on their stands; WHEW!

     

     

    Build a System

     

    Let's put a stereo system in my Living Room.   Time to review the details and my inventory to start this project.

     

    WAF: Check!

    The Room: Check.

    Stereo Rack: my re-imagined Victrola record player cabinet.

    AC Power: Puritan, PSM-156, and associated power cables

    Speaker Stands: I dug out some single post 24in stands that need a tweak.

    Isoacostic Orea Bronze isolators

    Interconnect cabling:  one TOSLINK cable for the CD Transport, Check

    Digital Music Storage: Synology NAS, Check!

    Control point hardware:  iPad, iPhone, etc.  Check

     

    New Speakers: Dali Calisto 2C speakers, Dali Sound Hub with BluOS module.

     

    Additional not required but used:

     

    Melco Music Server N1ZH

    Rel T5x Subwoofer

    SPDIF cable for Subwoofer

    Ikea Bamboo Cutting Board

    Four ISO-Pucks for the Subwoofer

     

    1.jpg

     

     

     

    Bob's stand-mount speaker setup process:

     

    Speaker placement requires a series of steps, pre and post-purchase.  Pre-purchase, understand how the speakers are intended to fit in a room and match that to your space.  A room can destroy your sound faster than your credit card cools off from the purchase.  Hint: If at all possible, audition the speakers in your home.

     

    Depending on the speakers, the stand height can be a bit fussy.  Reading the manual for the Calisto 2C, Dali talks about placing the speakers parallel to the front wall and starting by placing them at about 8 inches out from that wall.   There is not much about height, but the flat placement may indicate height. I have the height adjusted to optimize the center of the two tweeters near my seated listening ear height.

     

    The stands I am re-using worked well, but the top plate is too small.  I cut 5/8in MDF into 8in x 12in and screwed it to the top of the stands.  I placed eight Isoacustic Orea Bronze isolators between the speaker stands and the 2C monitors.  In summary, proper height, mass-loading, spike coupling to the floor, Orea isolators under the speakers, and a top plate that will keep the Felines and grandchildren from tipping things over.

     

     

    2.jpg 3.jpg

     

     

     

    Now it is time to test positioning. I use 2ft x 2ft 5/8in MDF panels placed on the floor; I set up the speakers and stands on their spikes and use Herbies Audio Labs glider pucks to re-position the speakers at will.  Once the primary alignment is done, it is simple to plop them in just the right spot.  This sometimes needs more refinement and time.  All part of the SQ game!

     

    With the Calisto 2C speakers, I have located them about 16 inches from the wall and toed in at about 15 degrees.  There is something emotional about the toe-in placement I do not understand. They sound good, and I feel it is pretty optimum for sit-down performance listening and general background music.  I am sure that I will make some adjustments as things progress.  Note that the 517 speakers need more toe-in and about 24 in from the wall.

     

     

    As Hans B. Says “The Hook-up”

     

    I grock where things are going here.  Plug-in power, push a couple of buttons, instant music.  Well, not so fast there, Cowboy; it is more involved today.

     

    If the Dali Sound Hub sounds like something you have seen, you are correct.  A central box to manage the speakers is a prevalent theme.  This one seems better integrated, with a neater set-up that does not require a phone, web browser, etc.    Now, for some of the configurations, such as volume balance, the three buttons on the Dali Sound Hub are functionally overloaded in the UI.  The Dali Sound Hub is not a network device, so there is no option to move past buttons and the volume/control knob.

     

    In the back of the hub are slots for two modules.  Dali has a Bluesound module and an HDMI input module.  I do not need the HDMI module, but I am very interested in the surround sound functionality.  I am thinking about Apple Music and Dolby Atmos!  The feature set provided by this module ups the anti for surround sound!   Bluesound and Dali have two versions of their BluOS hardware. They released the second one late last year.  I will find out about acquiring one for review.

     

     

    My re-introduction to BluOS

     

    I have used Bluesound hardware and software some over the past several years.  This is the only Bluesound device I currently own. The installation and setup of the module using the Bluesound app are pretty straightforward. To start with, I am using wired networking.

     

    I do not want to get into audio streaming subscription wars, but it would be cool if we could all get together and have one service.  This feels like medicare prescription drug programs.  Every year you have to pick a new one?  REALLY?  So Qobuz it is for now.  My local music should keep me happy, but like Faruka, I want it all.

     

    Speaking of local music, this adds some additional fun to the setup.  Where is the music stored?  What formats is it in?  Is the artwork too big?  Is there artwork?  Bluesound sells another box called the Vault 2i that will help with that more intuitively.  I had one, it works, but not the way I want things to work, and it only has 2TB of non-upgradeable storage.

     

    I can put the music on a USB drive and attach it to the BluOS module, but it does not provide SMB share. I can put the music on a PC or a MAC and keep it running; well, maybe not.  (Hold that thought).  I started by using my Synology NAS, and I am keeping an external SSD on the NAS with my 2.7TB library of around 57K songs.  Some of which are DSD which will not play.  I have re-sampled them to PCM so I can listen to them.  Please do not yell at me over this.  Choices folks, Choices!

     

    Now BluOS can find your network shares on the NAS IF the NAS is set up correctly.  I tried, really I did; Nope will not find it.  Hey, Bluesound, you might want to test with Synology OS 6 or 7, not 4, and get back to me with instructions.  I digress.

     

    Input the shared IP address and path.  Add your username and password, and you are off to the races with BluOS scanning and indexing your files.    

     

    You can see the system scanning the library with the app open.  So I watched it count slowly up.  Somewhere around 11000 tracks, it went back to zero and started counting up again.  I watched and waited.  History repeated itself.    I will not recount all the things I tried to fix the problem independently.   

     

    I started looking to see if there was a log file or something.  There is NO indication in the UI of any failures; it stops and restarts.  I read on the forum that it used to have a logging system, but the powers there say they took it away for privacy reasons.  Hmm, that is not nice.  So I spend some more time, no luck.

     

    Stop and think, Bob!  In the app, I put in a support request.   The system sends info to the Bluesound team, and in 15 min or so, a response came back that there is a music file in my library that the indexer does not like.  There, in the reaction, were log file entries.  WAIT, a LOG file?  The friendly support person says sure to enter the following into your web browser:

     

    http://IPADDRESSOFSOUNDHUB/diag?print=1

     

    Folks, there is a log file, and that is how you get it.  In total, I have six files that the indexer did not like.  I do not yet know why.   

     

    Here is an example of the error:

     

    Quote

    Mar 11 11:44:37 (none) user.info ./ms.pl: main::__ANON__ ./ms.pl (1481) scan failed for /var/mnt/192.168.1.127-usbshare1/My Music/From Others/Rock/Billy Joel/The Essential Billy Joel, Disc 1/03 - Captain Jack.flac: buffer_append_space: alloc 24155389 too large (max 20

     

     

    Delete that file and move on.  I do not see anything wrong with any of the files.  Further investigation is needed. Check your log files, folks.  You might find some interesting things.  Not all of the failures cause the restart loop issue.

     

    I will take some time shortly to see if I can debug this for Bluesound.

     

     

    Over the past couple of weeks, I have been working my way up to listening tests.  Before I head down that path, I want to elaborate on some of the features of this system. 

     

     

     

    I have the BluOS module and TOSLINK from a CD player.  The Dali Sound Hub auto-switches inputs nicely.  I am not trying to determine if any of the inputs sound better, just validating the integration and interoperation.  The two-way Bluetooth remote is an exciting feature, and you get a visual indication on the remote of what input is engaged.  Like some other brands, there is a touch sensor on the top of the speakers for volume control and a row of LEDs on each speaker indicating volume level, along with the display in the center of the volume control of the Dali Sound Hub.    If you double-tap on the speaker's top, it pauses streaming on the BluOS module.

     

     

    Tweaks on Tweaks

     

    I want to talk about powering the Dali Sound Hub by stepping back a bit.  I started with the wall-wart provided by Dali.  It works, and the speakers sound good.  But it limits the potential.  I have tested with three other external supplies, and while all of them made a difference, the Ferrum HYPSOS ticks all the boxes.  This doubles the cost of the Dali Sound Hub.  You do not NEED it, yet there is a nice upgrade path here.  Setting up the speakers with the stands and isolation further improves their ability. Floor Spikes and IsoPucks together work very nicely.  I am also using upgraded AC power cords on the speakers and the HYPSOS.  The speakers have enough improvement to warrant the $400 pair of 3M long cables.

     

    I have a WIFI access point in the same room as the system!  Bog, standard Xfinity third-generation Xfi with a second-generation xPod on the second floor.  It appears that this is interfering with the Dali Wireless system.  Hang on to learn how I am resolving this issue.

     

     

    Time for a Listening Report

     

    There has not been enough time to do a full A/B speaker listening test.  Moving stands in and out, and setting up another streamer/server is not quick.  I have had a year and two versions of the 517 three-way stand-mount active speakers in my living room.  My ears are very used to their sound.  In 50 years of listening to music, I have not found anything like them….

     

      There is a spark in the Dali Calisto 2c speakers—some clarity, detail, and smoothness in the upper registers that is special. I heard it right away, and they continue to impress.  The midrange is neat and clean, and while the bottom end is limited, it is pretty tight.  Not for head-banging, but just fine to tell you that the kettle drum is right over there in the orchestra.

     

    I am very used to speakers that are very robust sounding; they punch into the room with a wall of sound; the Calisto speakers sneak into the room and wedge the music into your ears in a delightful way.  Are they better, no, different; yes.  I guess I am not here to tell you what to buy or even suggest you think about what I am playing with.  I only want you to open your mind to change.   Embrace new things to find out if they are better, different, or more fun.  Listen to more music. It is good for your soul.

     

    The Dali Calisto 2C speakers with the Dali Sound Hub are parts of a revolution in music reproduction in your home.

     

     

    Writing and re-writing over time.

     

    Three Changes

     

     

    I have been updating and growing this report as I go along.  At some point, I have to publish it.   Just one more section, and I will pause.  I guess I Tinker with words too.

     

    One of my ongoing issues is music storage.  I have a unique solution for this today.  Several years ago, I acquired a broken Melco N1ZH; it had a bad hard drive and was missing some parts, and was left partially disassembled.  Instead of the spinning drives, I put two new SSDs, and the Melco is back into service.  In this case, it is now the NAS and ethernet filter/bridge for the Bluesound module in the Dali Sound Hub.  I would not suggest that someone buy a Melco for this use case, but if you happen to have one,  and you are not using it?

     

     

    4.jpg

     

     

     

    Next, I have been fighting is what appears to be RF interference from the wireless backhaul radios in the Xfinity/Plume WiFi system I WAS using.   Xfinity has removed the ability to run wired-backhaul from their Plume hardware.  I just put the xFi modem router into bridge mode and built up a TP-Link Omada network with two Access Points, their controller, and a 605 router.  I will make a broad statement that may haunt me:  “Do not use Wireless Backhaul around the Calisto Sound Hub!”  Thanks to @austinpop for the help.

     

    5.jpg

     

     

     

    Yes, I rebuilt a core network for two households because of indicated potential RF interference in the STEREO.

     

    The final item on the list is the bass response of the 2C speakers.   It is not what I am used to, so I am working to enhance it.  The Dali Sound Hub has an LFE Subwoofer output and does the crossover for you.  I have always liked robust bass, Kii BXT, etc. I purchased a REL T5x Subwoofer and have started using it in the system.  I am still tweaking it, and I have no conclusion about its need.  This is a WANT to TEST.  Down the road, I will have more to say.  What the heck? It was on sale for $50 off.  The T5x does not seem to have an auto power down to sleep, and since it is class A/B, I have put a KASA switch on it I can control from my phone.

     

    6.jpg

     

     

    Two months on, I think it is time:  As Bilbo Baggings said at the end of his 111th birthday party: “This is the End, Goodbye.” He then slipped on The One Ring and disappeared.  Not the end of the story but a great time to take a break.

     

     

    Bob

     

     

    Footnote: Please take precautions as noted below

     

    Hello, my name is Bob, and I have  C.A.T.S. Cronic Audiophile Tinker Syndrome.  This is not Audiophile Disease, but it is under review as a precursor.

     

    I sometimes feel that writing about audio activates my C.A.T.S.  Also, note that Kitaro and Tomita activate my household felines and can encourage them to take great interest in the sounds from the speakers.

     

    Here are some still images to guide you in observing the feline activation process for your reference.  Note that typically this transition process is absolutely silent and devastatingly fast.

     

     

    7.jpg

     

    Male Feline in the Non-Activated State.

     

     

     

    8.jpg 9.jpg

     

    Female Feline Activation Process in Action

     

     

     

     

     

     




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    Chris,

     

    Thanks for the note.  I have a lot more to write about as I have dug into BluOS a bit more.   This system might just be the real intro to surround sound for me.  I have a lot to learn.  There is a new BluOS module called the NPM-2i that is "better" and has Airplay 2.    It looks like Dali will have their own room at Axpona so I will visit with them soon!

     

     

    I have some notes to finish up and will get them in a choerent form shortly.

     

    Bob

     

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    I heard these speakers and thought they sounded good but my expectation bias prevented me from giving them the credit they probably deserved.

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    I took them home for the weekend and had my friend Rich come over and listen.  We spent the afternoon getting them placed, and running through a bunch of music to see how they felt.  We both were really impressed with what the tweeter system does with images, sibilance, and more.  The low end is a bit better than I expected. Now I normally listen to a system with 10K speakers on about $1200 of stands and isolation.  My Heavenly Soundworks 517 speakers are a really sweet spot.  

     

    I have a rather long follow-up to this I am working on.  Hope to have it done over the weekend.  There is more to the story.

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    Hi Bob @bobfa

     

    I remember discussing the Dali kit with you in early 2020 just when the pandemic was starting. I'm glad to see you have had a chance to review this system! I had heard the Callisto 2c at RMAF 2018 and then AXPONA 2019, and been really impressed with the system's sound and value for money.

     

    As I had mentioned to you, a friend of mine in the Chicagoland area, who came to AXPONA 2019 with me, was so taken with the Dali system, that he bought the larger Rubicon 6C system, and coincidentally, from the same dealer you mentioned — Holm Audio? 

     

    He wanted an elegant-looking, yet great sounding system for his living room with a high WAF, and it seems to have worked out well in that regard. His primary chain is:

    ZENith MkIII > Roon > Dali Sound Hub (BluOS NPM-1) > Rubicon 6C.

     

    If you like, I can put you in touch with him. I will get to check it out next month if I visit for AXPONA.

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    Please do put us in contact.  I have some interesting things to talk about.  I have to get a lot more of my work written down.

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    Does the price shown for the hub ($899) include the BluOS module?

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    The BlueOS module is $499.  There are two models the NPM-1 original model and the NPM-2i which came out last year.  I do not understand all the differences.  I am working to get a -2i module to see what it does different.

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    1 hour ago, bobfa said:

    The BlueOS module is $499.  There are two models the NPM-1 original model and the NPM-2i which came out last year.  I do not understand all the differences.  I am working to get a -2i module to see what it does different.

    Thank you for the answer. I'll wait for your full review. I would really like a wireless system like this as it would really suit my living situation. 

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    @bobfa

     

    Did you find that replacing the PSU on the Sound Hub from the stock SMPS to the Ferrum Hypos to be notable in SQ terms?

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    I think the price shown for the speakers ($1249) is for 1 speaker not a pair. 

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    I have asked Chris to do a couple of updates to the main article on the pricing.  Thanks for the info.

     

    This journey started about a month ago and I decided to acquire the dealer demo Calisto 2C speakers and hub.  They have been in-house for a while and I have almost completed a full report on them.  This was very unexpected for me.  I will try to finish the update today or tomorrow and get it posted.

     

    Bob

     

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    Quote

    Next, I have been fighting is what appears to be RF interference from the wireless backhaul radios in the Xfinity/Plume WiFi system I WAS using.   Xfinity has removed the ability to run wired-backhaul from their Plume hardware.  I just put the xFi modem router into bridge mode and built up a TP-Link Omada network with two Access Points, their controller, and a 605 router.  I will make a broad statement that may haunt me:  “Do not use Wireless Backhaul around the Calisto Sound Hub!”  Thanks to @austinpop for the help.

     

    @bobfa

     

    My friend in Chicago with the Rubicon 6C ran into this interference issue as well, and I helped him troubleshoot it remotely. We quickly discovered it was WiFi interference, but we were having no joy changing either 2.4GHz or 5GHz channels on his Orbi router. It was only when we hardwired the backhaul link from his Orbi satellite to the main router, that we found it (wireless backhaul) was the cause of the issue. It appears the Dali uses adjacent channels in the 5GHz range to mesh routers, and the problem is exacerbated by the fact that neither the Dali UI nor the mesh UI (in this case, Orbi) enable any tweaking of channels.

     

    More recently, this guide from Dali that I found in the great Google-in-the-sky seems to confirm the issue: https://media-dali.azureedge.net/6829/sound-hub-compact-in-shop-guide.pdf

     

    Bottom line: if you use mesh routers, hardwire the satellite(s) to the primary router.

     

     

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    Bob-

     I would never do what you do with all the tinkering, but I admire your curiosity and determination to try things and see them through till you get them how you like them. 

    This system seems like quite a nice one for the price of the basic components. I bet there will be some people who try the Dali's b/c of your article. 

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    10 minutes ago, austinpop said:

    ... (wireless backhaul) was the cause of the issue.

     

     

    Bottom line: if you use mesh routers, hardwire the satellite(s) to the primary router.

     

     

    x100!

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    Just now, The Computer Audiophile said:

     

    That's a great document, especially from an audio company. 

     

    Yeah, it's very helpful. I wish we had had it when we were troubleshooting the issue 18 months ago! 

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    I wish I had seen it a couple of weeks ago...  Xfi would have been removed sooner.  Note I testing with TP-Link Omada system.  I am liking it.  

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    Thank you very much for the review. 

     

    Do you have any feel for how the Dali's compare with some of the other speakers in the powered wireless space? 

     

    Such as the Elac Navis ARB-51, Dynaudio XEO 20, Buchardt A500 (which I think you owned at some point) and the Kef LS50 Wireless II. 

     

    I'm definitely in that market as I am downsizing and compacting for retirement :-)

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    It is really hard to compare.  I have had the A500 and the ARB-51 in my home.  I have heard the LS50 II wireless in another home.  This was all over a 18 months ago.  

     

    You have dozens of options.  I was listening today to a pair of Dali monitors on a Hifi ROSE integrated that was really nice.  Very small scale.  Used wires.....

     

    I have had some issues with the Dali Wireless and a mesh network.  The A500 hub was weird software wise.  All of this is a blur in a way.  

     

    Sorry.  You can look around at some comparisons on YouTube, say John Darko?  

     

    RJF

     

     

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    17 hours ago, bobfa said:

    It is really hard to compare.  I have had the A500 and the ARB-51 in my home.  I have heard the LS50 II wireless in another home.  This was all over a 18 months ago.  

     

    You have dozens of options.  I was listening today to a pair of Dali monitors on a Hifi ROSE integrated that was really nice.  Very small scale.  Used wires.....

     

    I have had some issues with the Dali Wireless and a mesh network.  The A500 hub was weird software wise.  All of this is a blur in a way.  

     

    Sorry.  You can look around at some comparisons on YouTube, say John Darko?  

     

    RJF

     

     

     

     

    Thank you for the comments. Darko does have a nice review also of the Dalis. Good luck with your new speakers. 

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