6,179 plates of herring in Copenhagen to be precise.
Bang & Olufsen raised a few eyebrows with the release of the $115,000 BeoLab 90 loudspeakers — but the DALI KORE at $110,000 USD are more likely to pass the proverbial smell test. That’s not a fish joke. Maybe it is.
The Danish manufacturer is widely respected in Europe and Asia and it might shock some audiophiles to learn that DALI is the second largest manufacturer of loudspeaker cabinets in the world. Klipsch still holds that title.
Their audiophile loudspeaker line ranges from $500 to $25,000 pair, so its rather shocking to see the company throw the kitchen sink into a state-of-the-art loudspeaker.
Lenbrook Americas, a distributor of high-performance and high-value audio components, is showing the DALI KORE flagship speakers at the 2022 Toronto AudioFest. Attendees are the first in North America to hear the DALI KORE.
Tip: Toronto Audio Fest Program
A Little Background
DALI first announced the KORE in September 2022, and represents what can be developed when no limits are placed on the product team. The acoustic engineering and industrial design enunciate subtle musical detail, rich dynamics, and lifelike imaging that is unexpected. The KORE is assembed in Nørager, Denmark.
According to Lars Worre, CEO of DALI: “There is so much to be proud of in this speaker…We set out to test the limits of what our product team could do, and the process was utterly revealing in that not only could we see all that was possible, but it also told us where we needed partnerships to realize our ambitions.”
Core Features (not a pun!)
The KORE incorporates two 11-inch woofers and a 7-inch mid-range driver, produced with the brand’s signature wood fibre cones and honeycomb sandwich paper-pulp diaphragm. This is designed to balance stiffness with nuanced movement for optimal frequency and dynamic response.
High frequencies are handled by an all-new EVO-K hybrid 35mm dome and soft fabric ribbon tweeter, tuned to deliver the high-frequency octaves between 15 and 30kHz with the dome tweeter elegantly crossing over to the midrange driver.
The drivers are controlled by a patented dual voice coil design with next-generation SMC (Soft Magnetic Compound) material that prevents electromagnetic forces from interfering with the circuitry that precisely regulates coil movements.
In addition to its sonic quality, DALI has also made sure that the KORE’s design is visually pleasing. The KORE comes with an Ammara Ebony finish, featuring elegant golden veining through a rich and warm ebony wood.
The cabinet features 17 layers of birch wood veneer, with each layer oriented so the wood grain is perpendicular to the one below it. The layers are adhered together by a glossy lacquer that creates a very stiff and low-resonance cabinet that can withstand the daily wear and tear of residential furniture.
The KORE’s cabinet is further reinforced with a 34 kg concrete base, a die-cast aluminum mid-range and tweeter baffle assembly, and strategically placed woofers. The KORE features optimized horizontal and vertical dispersion without distortion from standing waves or crosstalk.
From Krestian Pedersen, DALI Head of Product Management: “DALI KORE is the culmination of everything we have learned about speaker design and manufacture since 198…Each pair takes us a week to produce, with a combination of hand-crafted care and precision tools, and none leave our premises without thorough testing for what we hope is life-long musical enjoyment.”
DALI KORE Specifications
| Frequency Range (+/- 3 dB) |
26 Hz – 34 kHz |
| Sensitivity | 88 dB @ 2.83 volts |
| Nominal Impedance | 4 Ohm |
| Minimum Impedance | 3.2 Ohm @ 72 Hz |
| Recommended Amplifier Power | 50 – 1,000 watts |
| Maximum SPL | 118 dB |
| Bass Drivers | 2 × 11-1⁄2 inch Balanced Drive SMC |
| Midrange Driver | 7 inch Balanced Drive SMC |
| Hybrid High Frequency Driver | 35 mm (1.4″) soſt textile dome |
| Hybrid Super High Frequency Driver | 10 × 55 mm (2.2″) ribbon |
| Crossover Frequencies | 390/2,100/12,000 Hz |
| Low Frequency Enclosure Type | 2 × 72 litre reflex loaded |
| Reflex Tuning Frequency | 22 Hz |
| Midrange Frequency Enclosure Type | Aenuated open back line |
| Enclosure Construction | Curved 28 mm birch laminate composite with aluminium die-cast, thermoset resin and cast composite structural elements |
| Enclosure Finishes | Gloss Lacquer Ammara Ebony veneer with contrasting textured finishes |
| Connections | Custom designed, machined and gold-plated terminals suitable for bare wires, spade terminals and 4 mm plugs. Bi-wire/Bi-amp capable |
| Dimensions (H × W × D) |
1,675 x 448 x 593 mm (66 × 17.6 × 23.3 inches) |
| Weight | 148 kg (326 lbs) |
| Shipping Dimensions (H × W × D) |
1,950 × 800 × 1,200 mm (76.7 × 31.4 × 47.2 inches) |
| Shipping Weight | 246 kg (542 lbs) |
According to Jason Zidle, DALI Brand Manager Lenbrook Americas: “While the brand has wide acclaim in other parts of the world, it is our hope that DALI KORE makes a gutsy statement for the brand in Canada and the United States…Combined with the artisanal nature of their production, only retailers who are capable of reinforcing the exceptional level of design and manufacture that DALI KORE represents will be allowed to carry the product.”
Availability and Pricing
DALI KORE will begin arriving at very select North American dealers in November 2022, starting with Soundlux in Miami, FL, and followed by Simply Stereo in Chicago, IL, and Origin HiFi in Austin, TX, in early 2023. It is expected to retail for $110,000 a pair (US).
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