DALI RUBIKORE 2 LOUDSPEAKERS REVIEW

DALI RUBIKORE 2 loudspeakers are rear-ported standmounts hailing from Denmark and costing £2 299. In his review for HiFi PiG, Michael Fairbairn puts them through their paces.

Danish Audiophile Loudspeaker Industries, or DALI for short, boasts “…four decades of experience and a range of acclaimed products known around the world.”  In addition, they proudly offer, “…products to suit every taste.”  With the relatively recent launch of RUBIKORE, their latest series of loudspeakers, it would certainly appear that they have all the bases covered. This series comprises two floor-standers (the 6 for medium to large rooms and the 8 for larger spaces), the CINEMA for home theatre solutions, and the self-explanatory ON-WALL speaker. Last, but by no means least, is the subject of this review, the compact, “… stand, shelf or furniture-mount loudspeaker”, RUBIKORE 2.  

Each of the new products is said to be inspired by, and incorporate technology derived from, their high-end, flagship DALI KORE floor-stander. At £85,000 per pair that certainly suggests extensive research and development. The company says they are the, “…culmination of everything we’ve learned…” about the design and manufacture of loudspeakers since its inception. At a more modest £2,299 per pair, I was keen to hear how much of that expertise has been translated to this more affordable proposition. 

BUILD QUALITY AND FEATURES OF THE DALI RUBIKORE 2 LOUDSPEAKER 

I received a pair in the natural walnut veneer finish, which is a very handsome look. They are also available in high-gloss black, white, and maroon. Everything about the finish and build quality of the cabinets worked for me. They are a decent size too at 350 x 195 x 335 mm (HWD) and weighing 9.5kg. I sat them on my Solidsteel SS-7 stands. The pairing was very attractive, but I would have been equally comfortable putting these on a piece of furniture or bookshelf. 

The 6.5” trademark Clarity Cone bass/mid driver is made of paper and wood fibres and incorporates DALI’s patented technology for speaker driver magnet material, known as SMC (Soft Magnetic Composite). The purpose is to eliminate distortion or any sort of sound colouration. I certainly found the speakers to be neutral and transparent. 

There is the introduction of a new Low Loss Dome Tweeter, that has been designed to ensure all elements of the musical arrangement can be discerned from the original recordings. I noted that DALI states this is true, even with the volume turned down low. I have to say those were my findings too. 

The rear-firing bass port was extremely effective. I opted to position the speakers close to my back wall, per the guidance in the very handy user manual, (I rarely refer to these, but this one was worth checking out) but also found the bass response to be surprisingly good when brought further forward.  

Around the back, the binding posts are solid and sturdy and are set up for bi-wiring. Up front, the removable grilles attach to the speaker using lugs, as opposed to magnets that seem to have become the norm. 

I should mention the perfect packaging, which was super neat and slimline. The speakers were snug and secure too without any unnecessary waste. I appreciate these considerations. First impressions often count for so much. 

SOUND QUALITY 

It can take a while to acclimatise to new equipment. Once ears get accustomed to a certain sound anything different can require a bit of a reset. Therefore, it was a pleasant surprise to find that these DALI bookshelf loudspeakers sounded instantly familiar and comfortable. That’s not to say they were predictable or nothing out of the ordinary. It was more like welcoming a friend over for a visit and feeling completely at ease in their company. No awkwardness or polite banter until we were reacquainted. Nope, nothing of the sort. Ah, how refreshing. In fact, we got along like a house on fire. Would that first impression be lasting, though, or was it just a quick fling? 

Having also thoroughly enjoyed the RUBIKORE floor-standers at North West Audio Show in June, (Read show report Part 1 here) where they were hooked up to a fully digital setup, I was curious to hear the stand-mounts paired with a tube amp. Lucky for me, I still had the excellent MastersounD Icona amp I recently reviewed.  (Another notable mention for Carlo Marengo at Connecting Music Distribution is more than deserved, as he’s let me hold on to the Icona for quite a while). I do love the sounds it makes with all musical styles. 

Suede performed a superb set when I caught them on the last night of their recent tour, and I was compelled to revisit some of their early recorded classics. The Wild Ones was a real highlight for me at the show, and it was equally wonderful via the Rubikore 2. Brett Anderson’s voice just soared, filling the room with immense presence, and grace. The decay of the reverb is also spine-tingling. Every nuance of his dynamic vocal is faithfully recreated, with the diction of every syllable perfectly audible. Overall, the placement of all instruments had excellent depth. Matt Osman’s bass lines were deliciously fluid and warm, the drums laid back, and I could easily picture the string section laying down their lush parts in the studio. Bernard Butler was a stunning one-man guitar orchestra on the first two Suede albums and every one of those complex intricacies were perfectly balanced in all their glory. 

I was already a fan of Gojira before their dramatic Olympic opening ceremony performance and enjoy testing gear out with their music. I loved how these speakers handled the attack of the drums, the sheer depth of the bass, and the grunt of the guitars and vocals. Lesser speakers may not put forward these qualities quite so well, but the DALIs gave me all of this and more. Their website describes the bass as, ‘surprisingly generous.’ That is underselling it though! Sure, these are stand-mounts, but I was not left wanting for the low-end power in any way, and it was an incredibly defined bass guitar that underpinned the intro pulse of Born For One Thing. Double kick drum work had spot-on timing too. The band’s sound is incredibly atmospheric and it was the sheer scale of the soundscape that was the most impressive element, overall. 

The Super Deluxe Edition (Remastered 2023) of the Synchronicity album by The Police came out while I was doing this review, and I was delighted to find that it is a wonderful treatment of the original. The ultra-slick Hugh Padgham production shines with the DALIs. Everything was extremely tight, clean, and crisp. The power of the lean three-piece machine came across effortlessly, underpinned by Stewart Copeland’s frenetic drumming. I was in awe of the way every one of his deft hits was faithfully preserved. The timing from the loudspeakers with Sting’s insistent bass was stunning too. They more than kept up with this pair, which would be no mean feat, and every drop of their expert performances was eked out. Atop the low and midrange frequencies, Andy Summers’ tasteful guitars just shimmered and were a delight. As far as I’m concerned, he really defined the sound of the band and these loudspeakers showed off all the gorgeous, expansive sounds he made. It was such an engaging listen that brought a very satisfied smile to my face. I must admit to having lost interest in the band, quite some time ago, but I enjoyed revisiting this this album so much that I ended up renewing my appreciation for many of the tracks across their catalogue. Job well done, DALI. Thanks. 

You Could Be Mine by Guns N’ Roses has a production that can easily become muddled and cluttered when the system isn’t quite up to the challenge. Not so here. The DALIs held their own in every respect and weren’t phased. I’ve heard the distinctive opening drum pattern lack-lustre, but it really grabbed me this time. Every tom and snare hit was accurately delivered with a very natural, acoustic sound. As the various rhythm and lead guitar parts were introduced, they were very well-positioned and not stomping on each other. It allowed that forward propulsion to cut through the layered orchestration. Duff McKagan’s signature, chorus-laden bass guitar sound was full-bodied, with the cool bass runs never lost in the mix.  

I’ve listened to The Fine Art of Self Destruction by Jesse Malin many times and have seen him perform on countless occasions. Solitaire is always a real highlight. His plaintive vocal enthrals every time, which the DALI only further succeeded in preserving as an experience. They projected extremely well. Especially, when he really digs deep and belts out everything he’s got. The immediacy of his delivery here was almost tangible, while the pared-down acoustic guitar, single voice, and keyboard/piano arrangement sounded vast and open. I just had to play this one again, several more times in a row.  

QUIBBLES 

I can’t fault the actual loudspeakers and key components in any way, but I did find the removable grilles to look a bit old-school. I would liken the tan/light brown cloth to a slightly drab piece of old furniture. Typically, I wouldn’t leave these on any speakers anyway, so it’s a bit of a moot point. Also, the colour and fabric of the grilles for the other cabinet finishes in the range look to be on the more neutral side. I suppose this just comes down to a simple matter of taste. I’m just a bit fussy. 

CONCLUSION 

The DALI RUBIKORE 2 sound absolutely filled my listening space, which tends to be better suited to floor-standers. There was very little compromise in low-end response and I could absolutely live with this profusion of bass. They were lively, super clear, and didn’t force any kind of their own personality on the music. Some may find that to be a negative if they prefer a certain type of sound. I just want the gear to get out of the way when I am enjoying the tracks and the DALI afforded me exactly that experience.  

AT A GLANCE 

Build Quality And Features: 

Very well built and the sleek finish is contemporary and of superior quality 

DALI have packed in several new and upgraded components, featuring their innovative, state-of-the-art technologies 

I really appreciate that the Danish company have driven everything in-house; from the development right through to the hand-built workmanship and assembly of the finished products 

Sound Quality: 

Excellent spacing of instrumentation on dense arrangements, and no shortage of definition in the low-end frequencies 

Wonderfully comfortable listen, with nothing extreme to cause any kind of listening fatigue 

Natural and transparent, faithfully presenting original recordings with little to none of their own colouration 

Value For Money:   

Given the extensive background of the company, what you get for your money is more than just this excellent product. They represent years of design know-how and skill.  I believe the price tag to be very fair. In fact, I’d have expected to pay a bit more for them. Ultimately, the RUBIKORE 2 are more than worthy of your investment, if you’re in the market for a pair of compact loudspeakers. 

We Loved: 

The speakers handled everything I threw at them with real aplomb.  

No lack of bass extension here for a stand-mount / bookshelf loudspeaker 

We Didn’t Love So Much: 

The removable grilles had a bit of an old-fashioned look, in comparison to the beautifully finished and classy look of all other elements. A minor detail though and certainly no deal breaker at all. 

Elevator Pitch Review: These were instantly enjoyable. It wasn’t some overhyped first impression either. They continued to delight with each listening session and ticked all the boxes for me. If it weren’t for the fact that I recently committed to buying a pair of floor-standers, I’d have gladly given these house room. Plenty of bass presence and precision, for my tastes. 

Price: £2,299 

Michael Fairbairn 

SUPPLIED BY DALI

SUPPLIED SPECIFICATION 

Frequency Range [+/- 3] dB [Hz] – 50 – 26,000 

Sensitivity [2.83V/1m] [dB] – 87 

Nominal Impedance [ohms] – 4 

Maximum SPL [dB] – 107 

Crossover Frequencies [Hz] – 2,800 

Crossover Principle – 2-way 

Recommended Amp. Power [Watts] – 40 – 150 

High Frequency Driver – 1 x 29 mm soft dome 

Low Frequency/Midrange Driver(s) – 1 x 6½”