Upgradring from my Dali Ikon 6mk2.

[Mats Gausdal]

Hello!

I am currently very tempted at changing my tower speakers.

 

This is my current setup:

• Speakers: Dali Ikon 6 MK2
• Integrated Amp: Marantz PM7000N
• Subwoofer: Arendal 1961 1v

 

My room configuration:

• 6,5m length
• 3,5m width
• 2,35m height

 

How I use the system:

I use it both for movies and music.

• 70% movies
• 30% music

 

I would like to listen to more music than I currently am, also the main reason why I want to upgrade in the first place.

I do listen to a lot of metal/hard rock, and this is where I feel my speakers don’t work as good as I would like them too.

I feel it’s very harsh and it doesn’t make for a good listening experience, especially when upping the volume a bit. It is exhausting to listen to for a longer period of time and when it’s a lot of sounds at the same time, it becomes messy.

Rap and songs with less happening at the same time, sounds great. Same with tv/movies.

 

My questions are:

• Will the 1961 Tower be enough of an upgrade to justify the purchase?
• Will the difference in quality of the speakers in question make a huge difference when it comes to metal/hard rock music?
• Does anyone have any experience having owned/listened to/compared these speakers with my current Dali’s?

 

The 1723 Tower THX is the one I want the most, obviously, but then there is the budget to consider.

My budget leans more towards the pricing of the 1961 Tower, but I really don’t want to regret it after a while. I am willing to stretch the budget if there’s a huge advantage to doing so, with my intended usage in mind.

Also, my room setup might change in the near future as I am looking to move to a bigger home. So I don’t want to be limited if the room size becomes larger.

 

Thanks in advance!

 

[arkmann]

Mats thanks for your questions.  I don’t have any experience with the Dalis but have experience with the 1723 S and 1723 towers.  I would recommend the 1723 S towers based on my experience and the comments you shared.  They are excellent for hard rock/metal music at just under $3,000 US.  The Arendal bass is the best I’ve heard in my listening room and your sub will help.  The 1723 towers are bigger and better but they cost another $800 and you may not need their additional output to meet your needs in your listening room.  One of the benefits of Arendal as you know is you have 60 days to try whatever you choose and keep or return for an upgrade.  Please let us know what you decide.  Enjoy your ongoing musical journey!

[Palmspar]

Or go for the 1723 monitor S, you dont need towers using a subwoofer.

[Lukas]

Hi Mats,

I just wanted to add a few things to the conversation.

Most Metal/Rock productions are heavily compressed, that is what you hear when a lot is going on. It is a problem with the recording not really the speakers. But on the other hand, there is a lot of good stuff out there that sounds mega.
You just have to find a speaker who is not exaggerating that effect and just lets you have fun with the music.

If you have a look at the DALI measurements you see pretty clearly that is not something you want: https://www.stereo.de/hifi-test/produkt/dali-ikon-6-mk-2-89
The “smiley face” curve exaggerates those bad and compressed recordings and gets fatiguing really quickly.
That is why you have a lot of people that either love or hate the DALI speakers, no in-between really.

Our speakers are much more balanced and will perform much better with those recordings. You will still hear that it is a bad recording but it will not get on your nerves that quick. That is true for all our speaker series.
In my opinion, the 1961 Tower will be a great step up, but since you have a subwoofer you have other options.
Like the 1723 Bookshelf S for example. It works really well in smaller rooms.

You should also consider getting an amp with a proper active crossover for the subwoofer and room correction, that will help tailor the sound to your liking.

[Mats Gausdal]

Thank you for such an in depth answer. Your explanation was very informative and helpful. I must admit I have already ordered the 1723 thx towers. 😊

But if I understand you correctly, I might not have the best amp for them?

Do you have any recommendations for amps that are preferably integrated and not too expensive? I would say no more than 1500€.

[Lukas]

Hey Mats.

Okay, the 1723 Tower is of course a big step up:)

The whole amp debate is very subjective. I do not see any problems with the Marantz. It is on the lower side of power, but the 1723 Towers are very efficient. As long as you’re not listening at extremely high volumes you will not need a different amp.

But when it comes to integrating a subwoofer and having room correction, there are other amps that will deliver that. NAD and Lyngdorf are two popular options. They are more flexible with the setup and sound tuning.

[arkmann]

Awesome! let us know how they sound. Hopefully the Marantz works for your setup.