They do so many things right that it's really difficult to fault them.
When testing a speaker, I listen for a number of things:
- How well does it image?
- How clean are the vocals?
- Can I hear anything I haven't heard before?
- How full is the sound?
I then have to assess whether or not any of the above qualities impact negatively on anything else.
For example, in a two-way design such as the Rubicon 2, when there are passages of heavy bass attack, does it take away from the mid-range?
The answer is resounding no.
Dali are a brand that were established in the early 1980's by Peter Lyngdorf.
They have a rich history of developing excellent quality loudspeakers, most of which being manufactured in their Danish factory.
For those of you living in Australia, you may recognise the brand from a trip into your local JB Hi-Fi.
For many years JB have stocked the entry model ranges from Dali (currently the Chinese manufactured Zensor series).
During my own tenure there, the Dali Concept Series was always my 'go-to' speaker range as I found that they significantly outperformed everything else we had on hand at the time.
The Rubicon range from Dali sit just below their current top of the line Epicon series of speakers.
The Rubicon's share some trickled down technology from their more costly sibling, namely the SMC magnet system originally developed for Epicon, and like it's more upmarket family, the Rubicon's too go sans hybrid tweeter until you get into their larger, floorstanding range.
The Rubicon's are handmade in Dali's Danish factory and the finish shows the sheer workmanship that has gone into them.
The walnut veneer of my review sample looked seamless, with a stunning curve to both the front and rear baffles. They feature excellent quality binding posts and there wasn't an imperfection to be seen as the attached photo's show.
The Rubicon 2's image far and wide and as is the way with other Dali designs, they are meant to be positioned parallel with the front wall i.e. No toe-in required, a feature I simply adore.
Once positioned correctly, vocals dangled front and centre and there seemed to be no end to the depth and width of the soundstage. This was most definitely a case of the box disappearing into the room, more so than any speaker I've yet heard at this pricepoint.
I tested the speakers in two different rooms I'm familiar with and I found that they produce the best sound roughly 30cm - 40cm from the front wall where that rear facing reflex port can be put to good use.
This helps to reinforce the bass and give the speakers a greater sense of scale.
The Rubicon 2's weren't particularly fussy with partnering equipment either.
I ran them using the Rotel RA-1570 as well as a Denon AVR-4520CI and the results on both occasions were excellent, though there was a slight dip in bottom end performance through the Denon.
A track that really stood out during my testing was 'Everybody Hurts' from REM's Automatic for the People. Perhaps it had been too long since I had heard it, or perhaps I didn't remember just how good the production was, or perhaps these Rubicon 2 speakers just played it so much better than I had previously heard, but this one really hit me.
I ran through all my usual test tracks as per my 'High Fidelity' Deezer Elite playlist, I also dusted off a number of my old SACD's and gave them a spin.
Again, the Rubicon 2's revealed intricacies that had previously been washed over. Toto's 'Africa' from 'IV' had a magical whimsy to it, I felt like I was six all over again.
The Rubicon 2's seemed to reveal more midrange detail than the KEF R500's, yet I wouldn't describe them as having a forward midrange like the LS50's.
They are just a very balanced sounding speaker.
The Rubicon 2's had a smooth, clean, polished sound and had no qualms about being pushed.
The way they resolved vocals was incredibly sharp too, i.e. I find some speakers almost carry a slight lisp to them, not the Rubicon 2's.
My only gripe (if at all) with the Rubicon 2's would be that when conducting the 'knock test', they sounded a touch more hollow than that of the KEF R500 speakers indicating that perhaps the cabinet wasn't quite as solid, however, if it did have a negative sonic effect, it wasn't evident in any of my listening.
The Rubicon 2's really are some impressive sounding standmount speakers and well worth adding to your audition list if shopping around the $3K mark.
For further information on the new range of Dali Rubicon speakers, please contact:
Dali Distribution Australia
www.dali.com.au
03 9873 7707
sales@dali.com.au
Associated Equipment:
Rotel RA-1570
Cambridge Audio 851C
Sonos Connect
Denon DBT-3313UD
Denon AVR-4520CI
Chord Anthem Tuned ARAY Coaxial Cable
Chord Rumour 2 Speaker Cable
Chord Odyssey 2 Speaker Cable
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