bobfa Posted March 10, 2022 Share Posted March 10, 2022 View full article My Audio Systems Link to comment
The Computer Audiophile Posted March 10, 2022 Share Posted March 10, 2022 Thanks for this article @bobfa. This is a cool system and can be taken to a different place with the BluOS module. Founder of Audiophile Style | My Audio Systems Link to comment
bobfa Posted March 10, 2022 Author Share Posted March 10, 2022 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 The Computer Audiophile 1 My Audio Systems Link to comment
Rexp Posted March 11, 2022 Share Posted March 11, 2022 I heard these speakers and thought they sounded good but my expectation bias prevented me from giving them the credit they probably deserved. Link to comment
bobfa Posted March 11, 2022 Author Share Posted March 11, 2022 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. My Audio Systems Link to comment
austinpop Posted March 11, 2022 Share Posted March 11, 2022 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. My Audio Setup Link to comment
bobfa Posted March 11, 2022 Author Share Posted March 11, 2022 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. My Audio Systems Link to comment
grinner Posted March 12, 2022 Share Posted March 12, 2022 Does the price shown for the hub ($899) include the BluOS module? Link to comment
bobfa Posted March 12, 2022 Author Share Posted March 12, 2022 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. My Audio Systems Link to comment
grinner Posted March 12, 2022 Share Posted March 12, 2022 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. Link to comment
austinpop Posted March 13, 2022 Share Posted March 13, 2022 @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? My Audio Setup Link to comment
grinner Posted March 13, 2022 Share Posted March 13, 2022 I think the price shown for the speakers ($1249) is for 1 speaker not a pair. Link to comment
bobfa Posted March 14, 2022 Author Share Posted March 14, 2022 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 The Computer Audiophile 1 My Audio Systems Link to comment
The Computer Audiophile Posted March 23, 2022 Share Posted March 23, 2022 Bob has just updated this article with a bunch more info. I love the real cats Bob!! Founder of Audiophile Style | My Audio Systems Link to comment
austinpop Posted March 23, 2022 Share Posted March 23, 2022 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. My Audio Setup Link to comment
firedog Posted March 23, 2022 Share Posted March 23, 2022 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. The Computer Audiophile 1 Main listening (small home office): Main setup: Surge protectors +>Isol-8 Mini sub Axis Power Strip/Protection>QuietPC Low Noise Server>Roon (Audiolense DRC)>Stack Audio Link II>Kii Control>Kii Three BXT (on their own electric circuit) >GIK Room Treatments. Secondary Path: Server with Audiolense RC>RPi4 or analog>Cayin iDAC6 MKII (tube mode) (XLR)>Kii Three BXT Bedroom: SBTouch to Cambridge Soundworks Desktop Setup. Living Room/Kitchen: Ropieee (RPi3b+ with touchscreen) + Schiit Modi3E to a pair of Morel Hogtalare. All absolute statements about audio are false Link to comment
The Computer Audiophile Posted March 23, 2022 Share Posted March 23, 2022 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! Founder of Audiophile Style | My Audio Systems Link to comment
The Computer Audiophile Posted March 23, 2022 Share Posted March 23, 2022 16 minutes ago, austinpop said: 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 That's a great document, especially from an audio company. Founder of Audiophile Style | My Audio Systems Link to comment
austinpop Posted March 23, 2022 Share Posted March 23, 2022 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! My Audio Setup Link to comment
bobfa Posted March 23, 2022 Author Share Posted March 23, 2022 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. My Audio Systems Link to comment
The Computer Audiophile Posted March 23, 2022 Share Posted March 23, 2022 Speaking of networking, I just picked up a Netgear M4250 series switch. This series is engineered for AV over IP. Some cool features that none of us really needs. But, it's cool to have the capabilities. I'll use it with Ravenna audio. https://www.netgear.com/business/wired/switches/fully-managed/m4250/ Founder of Audiophile Style | My Audio Systems Link to comment
grinner Posted March 29, 2022 Share Posted March 29, 2022 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 :-) Link to comment
bobfa Posted March 29, 2022 Author Share Posted March 29, 2022 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 My Audio Systems Link to comment
grinner Posted March 30, 2022 Share Posted March 30, 2022 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. Link to comment
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