Highlights:
High-quality speaker system optimized for wall-mounted installation
Effectively isolated cabinet chamber
Ported cabinet for high-performance bass in a small cabinet
Hybrid tweeter assembly removable and swivelable 90˚
It can be positioned horizontally for center channel use
2 ½ way crossover design
Available in four finishes
Summary: This is a beautifully constructed speaker system available in four finishes. The unique hybrid tweeter assembly uses a soft dome tweeter and a flat ribbon tweeter to deliver smooth, extendable highs and very wide dispersion. The main cabinet chamber features a bass-reflex design (port) and a long-excursion 6.5-inch woofer that delivers convincing, solid bass into the room. Although this speaker is optimized for wall mounting, it can also be used as an bookshelf speaker .
Review
This review is my first time to experience DALI products. The Danish company started out as an audio retailer and turned to design and manufacturing due to customer demand. DANI , as an audio manufacturer, has been manufacturing and selling speakers since 1983.
Fast forward to today and DANI's obsession with music (which is part of their identity) has naturally and organically expanded into the home theater and multi-channel audio markets.
When the opportunity came up to try out the DALI Rubicon LCR speakers, I excitedly agreed. Happily, DALI sent 5 Rubicon LCR speakers for testing as a 5.1 system.
DALI RUBICON series speakers are the sub-flagship series of DALI passive speakers. DALI offers an incredibly rich range of speaker options, including passive and active/wireless solutions at unvented price points. Highly recommend everyone to check out DALI’s website!
I reviewed the specs and design white paper that comes with the DALI RUBICON range and I was impressed by a few things. First I felt the customer-oriented design philosophy, and secondly DALI’s many design innovations. So I'm eagerly looking forward to putting these speakers to the test!
Shipping Day The
speakers arrived via FedEx in five small well printed cardboard boxes. The cardboard boxes appeared to be in good condition, and I moved all five boxes directly to my listening room. When the
is unpacked, the speakers (with grilles attached) are secured between molded Styrofoam end caps. Additionally, each speaker comes wrapped in a soft cloth/foam bag. Also included in the box are the instruction manual and eight small sticky rubber feet. I think the packaging is appropriate for the size and weight of the speaker.
First Impressions
The workmanship and finish of the RUBICON LCR is very refined and I clearly feel that it is a solid and well-built product. The unique hybrid tweeter module is precision machined and installed. The speaker back panel is modular and houses recessed speaker binding posts with two of the largest binding post nuts I've seen on a speaker of this size. Pushing the binding post nut back reveals a wide, oval-shaped through hole that will easily accept bare 10-gauge wire, and might even accept 8-gauge wire if squished a little.
Structure and design The entire cabinet of
is made of sturdy and durable medium density fiberboard . The front panel is 25mm (63/64 inches) and the sides are slightly smaller. The back panel is CNC milled and 18mm (45/64 in) MDF. The channel at the rear will accept 10 gauge wire from the top, bottom or sides. Two sturdy "keyhole" plates are mounted on the rear of the speaker for easy wall-mounting.
has a cross-shaped channel covered by a metal plate on the back, but it does not prevent the speaker from being installed flush on the wall. This design allows enough breathing room on a flat surface even when placed against a wall.
cabinets are available in high-gloss white, high-gloss black, walnut, and red teak solid wood finishes. My review sample was in walnut finish.The
cabinet is so inert and well supported that the only result of the "knock test" was to bruise my poor little finger, but there was no sign of any cavity or ringing. The fabric on the
ABS plastic grille is firmly fixed in place with plug-in buckles. The drivers used in the
RUBICON LCR are all designed and manufactured by DALI and use a unique hybrid tweeter and a 6.5-inch woofer with a wood paper fiber cone. The
hybrid tweeter is equipped with a 29mm soft dome tweeter (3.1kHz and above) and a 17mm x 45mm flat ribbon driver to handle extremely high frequencies (14kHz and above).
The 6.5-inch woofer consists of a wood fiber cone and a DALI-designed motor system suspended in an aluminum base, using DALI's SMC "Linear Drive System" technology. According to Dani, the combination of these technologies results in better response and lower distortion.
The crossover in the RUBICON LCR is described as a 2 and 1/2 way device. The initial crossover of the tweeter module is connected to the dome tweeter at 3,100Hz, and then to the flat ribbon tweeter at 14,000Hz.
A quick look at the crossover by removing the opening of the hybrid tweeter module (rotating the module so that the center channel is positioned horizontally) reveals a simple and straightforward design. The quality of the crossover components looks very good and proportional to the cost of the speakers, which is to say it's top-notch. Air core inductors, precision resistors and high quality capacitors are welded to the metal feed lines on the phenolic board . The components appear to be connected point-to-point rather than using traces on the bottom of the mounting board (I didn't remove the board to confirm). The type of
crossover is not specified, but if I were to guess from the components used and the layout, I would say it is a 2nd order Linkwitz-Riley, with a crossover point of 3.1kHz, from the bass/midrange to the treble module , the slope per octave is 18dB to 24dB. The second crossover point at 14kHz appears to be a simple LC crossover from the dome tweeter to the flat ribbon "super tweeter", possibly with a soft slope of 4dB to 6dB per octave to achieve both A broad, smooth mix of tweeters.
settings
Although DALI sells these speakers as wall-mounted speakers, the accompanying user manual reveals that these speakers can also be used as speakers on bookshelf or furniture. I installed the DALI RUBICON LCR in my main listening room as a bookshelf speaker.
I replaced my LCR front speakers and side surround speakers with Dali Rubicon LCR speakers. For the speakers on the left and right, I used two Definitive Technology P15 subwoofers (as speaker stands) and these subwoofers /speaker stands in turn sit on two stacked concrete isolation platforms. This allows the RUBICON tweeter module to be exactly as high as my sitting ears.
I removed the hybrid tweeter module from one of the speakers and rotated it 90˚ to make it an center channel speaker . Next, I replaced my reference center channel speaker with a modified Rubicon LCR speaker.
I used the two remaining speakers to replace my regular side surround speakers. I used standard LCR speaker wiring (10 gauge wire x 2 - equivalent to 8 gauge wire). I connected new 14 gauge universal Belden speaker cables to the side surround speakers.
These speakers are paired with two of my Rythmik F18 subwoofers (18 inch 900w RMS). The front left and right speakers are driven by Parasound Halo A21 (400w 4 ohm) amplifiers. My five-channel Parasound Halo A52+ (255w 4 ohm) amplifier powers the center and side surround channels.
The Marantz/Audyssey MuliEQ application calibrates the system by performing an 8-position calibration procedure. I limit the Audyssey effect to 300Hz and below, leaving mid and high frequencies unaffected.
The system was set up as a 5.1 surround sound system in all tests unless explicitly noted as stereo.
Measurement
I assembled my trusty MacBook Pro with a MiniDSP UMIK-1 and measured it using REW Pro to see what I would get. Measuring from my usual listening position and from 1 meter was very easy. The
DALI has a nominal frequency response of 59Hz–34kHz +/- 3dB, a sensitivity of 89dB, 2.83V (2 Watts) @1 meter, and a nominal impedance of 4 ohms.
Initially, I only measured the center speaker at the listening position. Directly in front of the speakers, there are the least distractions in the room. Testing the center channel gave me measurements closer to the nominal low frequency extension of 59Hz +/- 3dB.
I measured it at 1 meter without the subwoofer and only driving the right speaker, and it showed about a 10dB drop at 59hz instead of the nominal +/-3dB. I blame my room for this, as it's not a standard anechoic chamber , let alone an anechoic chamber by any stretch of the imagination. The above measurements show that the bass down to 40Hz is very respectable.
Measurements from below the listening position appear to be worse if the room is taken into account.
As for the nominal high frequency extension to 34kHz, I think that is possible. While my limited measurement equipment prevents me from confirming this, I do see the high frequencies extending in a relatively smooth fashion to where these equipment limitations come into play. Looking at the one meter measurement, notice that it is flat at 20kHz and extends to my operating limit of 24kHz, with a lot of noticeable energy extending outward. What does this extension of
mean? I think it ensures that any frequency that exists in the upper stratosphere and within the audible range will be sent into the room the way it is presented to the speakers. Most recording engineers and most playback media will purposely roll off high frequencies to eliminate the highest frequencies above 18.5kHz. Even modern recording equipment is limited by real-world hardware/software and cannot realistically capture sounds well above 18kHz to 19kHz. So while it's nice to nominally and provide these extremely high frequencies, anything above 20kHz is limited.
DALI claims that the wide dispersion of RUBICON LCR is due to its unique hybrid tweeter module. I wanted to verify this claim as much as my equipment would allow. With a protractor in hand, I measured the on-axis and off-axis response at one meter. I first measured the on-axis response, then moved the microphone to positions 30° and 60° off the central axis. The results are as follows
Take a look at the image above, which indeed confirms Dani’s claims of excellent off-axis response! This wide dispersion is easily tested by walking around the speakers while listening. The sound is consistent and can be heard approximately 50˚ on either side of the central axis!
DALI takes the low distortion levels of their speakers very seriously. DALI highlighted several factors: a simpler mechanical motor system, tighter tolerances, lower hysteresis losses, less competition between the generated magnetic electromagnetic field and the material of the woofer base (aluminum), among other factors. In most cases, lower distortion levels are always a good thing. In fact, the measurement results of DALI speaker are very good, as shown in the picture below.
The following is the harmonic distortion diagram generated by REW for reference. Additionally, a harmonic distortion plot of my GoldenEar Triton One.R speakers is included as a basis for comparison. Looking at these two charts, you can see that the distortion levels of the DALI RUBICON LCR are excellent and (mostly) good compared to the more expensive Triton One.R.
Listening experience
DANI positions itself as a "music first" speaker company. Their motto is "Music Respects". With this in mind, I started listening to a lot of music, both in stereo and multi-channel. And, since DALI provided five speakers, I decided to test these speakers as a home theater system as well.
I am not entirely convinced of the necessity of component break-in. That being said, many speakers do benefit from a break-in period. The speakers provided to me were review prototypes, so mechanical break-in shouldn't be an issue.
I believe that the speaker form that really needs to be broken in is between the ears.Before doing any critical listening, I kept using the speakers for a full week, listening to both my standard sources and an array of source material to get used to my ears.
I put together a collection of music material called The Usual Suspects and started listening to it. I started listening with the subwoofer turned off and the speakers cranked up to their maximum range to get a feel for how the speakers worked independently. The sound without a subwoofer is engaging but a bit thin. I decided that, unless otherwise noted, all subsequent listening would be with the subwoofer in the mix.
music
Before I listened to stereo, I started listening to 5.1 multi-channel sound.
is first of all a selection of "Somewhere to Elsewhere" from the CD released by Kansas in 2000. The first track "Icarus II" is outstanding. Rubicon LCR presents the sound of progressive rock in an edgy and detailed way. The center imaging is rock solid and the soundstage is great.
I was immediately struck by the very coherent, substantial and enjoyable drum sound the speakers delivered. The snare drum has kick and weight, and the cymbal has the right amount of sizzle and crispness without any hint of harshness. Vocals are clear and emerge clearly from the mix as needed. Vocals had good weight but no hint of the dullness that some speakers impart to male vocals.
Next, I listened to a CD from Dave Grusin and Lee Ritenour, the 1985 release Harlequin. I like the sound of this CD recording. With the right speakers, the soundstage can be rich, open, and airy.
Through the DALI RUBICON LCR speakers, this potentially rich soundscape was presented in a slightly softer, tighter way. That’s not to say there’s anything wrong with the projected auditory image! Just not what I expected.
As before, the percussion sounds and Ivan Lins's vocals are performed very well. Additionally, Dave Grusin's piano has a very organic, warm sound that's very enjoyable. Lee Ritenour's guitar has an amazingly warm and captivating sound from start to finish.
Windham Hill's 1987 "new electronic music" CD compilation Soul of the Machine presented the genre in an open, airy and rich studio soundscape. I listened to Mitchel Forman's "Rizzo" and Fred Simon's "Time and the River" (tracks 1 and 2). The
RUBICON LCR speakers showcased this music, and despite a slightly cramped soundstage, the sound was warm, inviting and captivating.
In order to understand the performance of RUBICON LCR in classical music, I dug out the best CD works of Frederic Chopin performed by the Slovak Philharmonic Orchestra in 1999 under the conductor of Libor Pesek. This all-digital recording came out very well on the DALI speakers, with excellent space and detail. Sonorous passages are more convincing, and the piano is reproduced with appropriate weight and a very natural timbre when played. Wooden instruments are medium-toned but rich in detail.
After listening to several other tracks from various artists with a similar stereo effect, I turned to my small collection of multichannel sounds on SACD.
I started with one of my goto SACDs, the 2004 release of Brain by cult keyboard guru Hiromi. I've selected two songs from this well-recorded album, including "Kung-Fu World Champion" and the title track "Brain." Every track played through the DALI speakers was a great reflection of the range and energy of Hiromi and her excellent backing vocalists Tony Gray (bass) and Martin Valihora (drums). The piano and drums once again perform exceptionally well. Additionally, the synth section of 's particularly stands out and is well represented in the speakers. All five RUBICON LCRs worked together with this excellent multi-channel recording, presenting a very powerful and coherent soundstage.
Starting with the avid Hiromi Uehara, I moved on to Norah Jones for the more laid back style. Her 2002 debut solo album " Come Away with Me" has endured for a long time, and countless "audiophiles" still refer to this benchmark recording. The DALI speakers nicely showcased Jones' breathy and nuanced vocals on "Don't Know Why" and "Cold Cold Heart."The drums have all the great detail I've come to expect, and the bass has a natural, round, woody tone. In this case, the 5.1 surround is more ambient than SFX, and the surround speakers add a very natural openness and presence throughout the recording.
Finally, I returned to my favorite multi-channel SACD, the 2011 remix and release of Pink Floyd’s 1975 classic Wish You Were Here. The side channels got a proper workout in this mix, and the RUBICON LCR speakers proved they were up to the job. The
speakers played the complex and powerful effects of "Welcome to the Machine" loudly and with great momentum. Every " burp, burst and lash" is delivered with clarity, force and balance. Throughout the recording there was an excellent tight connection between the bass , the synths and the kick drums.
Music summary
I really enjoy listening to music with DALI RUBICON LCR speakers. After getting used to DALI speakers, I began to appreciate their warm and transparent mid-range, as well as their very clear and smooth high-frequency extension. Additionally, the rendition of acoustic instruments, especially drums/ percussion , and the notoriously difficult to reproduce full-range piano sound are reproduced very well.
Home Theater Sound
About two years ago I gave up on cable/satellite TV in favor of physical and streaming media to solve my video/home theater problems. I run the DALI speakers as a 5.1 system with great results, only adding the Sky speakers when watching the new Free Guy release on Apple TV/iTunes.
I watched several different movies and TV shows while using the DALI Rubicon LCR speakers. Below is a short list and comments.
I started with Apple TV+ and watched the first two seasons of "Foundation". As a young man who was just discovering science fiction in the 1960s, I was very fond of Isaac Asimov's series of novels "Foundation", "Foundation and Empire" and "Second Foundation". The producers of this series have great momentum and I hope the series continues down this path.
has great production values, offering great visuals and great sound in Dolby ATMOS. While I didn't use ATMOS sound while watching Foundation, the DALI speakers performed admirably in the 5.1 setup I chose. DALI speakers closely link auditory cues with on-screen visuals. The dialogue presented through the DALI RUBICON LCR as a center speaker was almost perfect, clear and focused. The male voice delivers power when needed but is never overblown or pretentious. Female voices sound natural.
to Disney+, I listened to "Star Wars Saga, Rogue One". Watching the first 30 minutes of the movie in 5.1 surround gave the impression of solid, well-connected sound.
Sticking with Disney+ and jumping over to the Marvel Universe, I watched Guardians of the Galaxy (Part One) in its entirety. Likewise, sound and special effects remain closely tied to visuals. Dialogue is again well presented with clarity and focus.
Watching YouTube videos can sometimes be a negative experience, and this of course also depends on the quality of certain channels. With the RUBICON LCR, YouTubers sound great, whether they are male or female, and sound natural.
music videos generally have good balance and sound. Of course, speakers do little to help with poorly recorded content. In fact, no speaker can do this.
Going to Apple TV 4K/iTunes, I played my latest purchase Ryan Reynolds's "Free Guy". The film is presented in Dolby Atmos. To get the full effect, I re-enabled my overhead sky speakers (4 Polk PC-6 sky speakers) and my two rear channel speakers for a 7.2.4 system configuration. This enjoyable comedy film has a great soundtrack, full of LFEs and effects that move around the speakers. Sky speakers add ambience and overhead information. RUBICON LCR blends perfectly with the added speakers to consistently deliver the most harmonious and perfect results.
I watched the third part of Foundation again. In the third episode of Foundation's new series, I utilize a Dolby ATMOS soundtrack to expand the soundstage using my overhead and rear speakers. Just like Free Guy, the RUBICON LCR blends perfectly with the ambience created by the overhead and rear speakers.
Viewing Summary
RUBICON LCR impressed me very much at reproducing dialogue, especially spoken language. Vocals, both male and female, were reproduced with clarity and focus, and in most cases lacked (although there are recording quality issues :-) boxiness. The
DALI speakers paired perfectly with my Rythmik F18 subwoofer and provided plenty of punch across the entire audio spectrum when needed. The speakers performed flawlessly at any volume, never feeling stressed or nervous.
Summary and conclusion
DALI RUBICON LCR is undoubtedly an excellent speaker. Their sound is neutral and natural, and they are exceptionally good at reproducing acoustic instruments. Piano and percussion feature prominently in the well-recorded music, and the acoustic guitar plays cleanly but takes on a warm, woodsy feel. I can totally understand why DALI claims that their speakers are "made for music" or music first.
The compact RUBICON LCR is naturally a bit shy in terms of bass. They, like any other speakers, are limited by cabinet size and woofer surface area. DALI Technologies has made valiant efforts to overcome these limitations, but the physical properties remain a huge limitation. If you are curious about this technology, I strongly recommend you to read the white paper on DALI’s official website.
Although the bass from a single small woofer can be a bit lacking. This problem is easily solved with one or two (or three or four...) subwoofers. The same unit does deliver a very smooth and easy to listen midrange.
However, something magical happens above 3.1kHz. Of course, this is where the speaker shines, the unique hybrid tweeter module. The combination of the soft dome tweeter and the flat ribbon tweeter is truly inspiring. It combines a silky dome tweeter with a flat ribbon super tweeter that gently crosses at 14kHz. The speaker's high frequencies are smooth, crisp, and extend beyond actual listening or recording capabilities. Additionally, the very wide dispersion capabilities and beautiful high-frequency rendering add a lot of air and presence to the composition.
On the other hand, the soundstage depth and width may be a bit lacking. But there are a thousand Hamlets in the eyes of a thousand people, it depends on your personal feelings.
As the core of my home theater system, the DALI RUBICON LCR speakers perform exceptionally well. I watched several popular video demo clips from AppleTV+, YouTube, iTunes, NetFlix, and Disney+, and the speakers never once came up short. Effects track well and stay closely connected to the action on screen. The potential oversupply issue with my Rythmik F18 subwoofer never came up either. When used with my other speakers, the Rubicon LCR blended in well and never significantly stood out or interfered with the aural imaging.
As I mentioned before, I thoroughly enjoyed my time with the DALI RUBICON LCR speakers. This little speaker has adapted well to the role I've given it. It handles many types of music and home theater with ease.Moreover, RUBICON LCR also looks beautiful!
Even I wonder, how will the larger DALI speakers perform? If performance is directly proportional to price and size, then the effect of large speakers is undoubtedly more exciting!
DALI RUBICON LCR speaker specifications:
Frequency response : 59Hz-34,000Hz
Sensitivity: 89dB 2.83V (2 watts) / 1 meter
Nominal impedance: 4 ohms
Maximum sound pressure: 109dB
Frequency division principle: 2-way and ½-way
Crossover frequency : 3.1kHz/14kHz
Hybrid tweeter: 1×29mm soft dome silk membrane; 1x17x45mm aluminum ribbon
Bass/midrange: 1×6.5” wood fiber
Cabinet type: Bass reflex
bass Port Tuning Frequency: 49Hz
Connection Type: 5-Way Binding Post
Magnetic Shielding: No
Recommended Placement: Wall Mount or Freestanding
Dimensions: 18.31" x 10.95" x 5.59" (465mm x 278mm x 142mm)
Included Accessories: Instruction manual, microfiber cloth, rubber feet
Weight: 17.64 lbs (8 kg)
