Dali Epicon 6, questions from home audition

[McIantosh]

At the SSI show in Montreal last weekend, the Dali Rubicon 6s paired with an April Aura Note amplifier caught my attention. The sound was liquid, music, and involving. Art Dudley from Stereophile appeared to be also suitably impressed.

I have been looking to replace my (close to vintage) Energy Veritas 1.8 speakers for some time. I have heard a lot of speakers at shows and dealers in the past few years that frankly, have convinced me the Veritas are going to be very tough to beat at a price point below 15K. A local dealer had a pair of Dali Epicon 6s on the floor, so based on what I heard at the show, I thought these worthwhile to audition at home. My system is all comprised of McIntosh gear, MC402, C500T, and MCD1100.

I have given these quite a good listen since Thursday night. The Epicon 6s are coming up short in the lower to mid-bass relative to what I prize in the Veritas. The latter are a full 3 way, with a pair of 6-1/2" woofers crossed over at 400 kHz and offer a lot more body and weight to male vocals, the lower register of the piano, etc. I suspect that the Veritas may have bit of mid-bass hump that add some roundness to this region as well but I don't know that for sure.

Since yesterday, I have experimented quite a bit in the position of the 6s in the room to relatively little avail (at least the positions I can live with). The speakers start to come alive (bass wise) at 20-40W but below this, they sound a little anemic relative to the tonal balance I am accustomed to (and prefer). This is a rather high volume level and unfortunately one that does't cut it in my household (read WAF).

As a result, I won't be keeping the 6s but I do wonder if the Epicon 8s might be closer to what I seek. The living room in which I have my system is a decent sized one (12.5W x 28L x 8H minus a 4W x 8L entry) which adjoins a dining room (10W x 12.5L) adjacent the left speaker in an L shape configuration. All told, this is between roughly 320 ft2 to 450 ft2 (2550 ft3 to 3450 ft3) of space to fill for which the Epicons 6s might not be up the task. The lower to mid-bass aside, the remainder of the spectrum best the Veritas. Imaging is a bit of a toss-up.

Does anyone have experience with the Dali Epicons to comment on whether the tonal balance of the 8s is tilted in favour of a more prominent mid and lower bass compared to the 6? I'm assuming (possibly incorrectly) that the larger twin 8" drivers would also be a factor in bringing out the lower frequencies given my room size.

The local dealer has been very accommodating in giving me the opportunity to audition the 6s, so before moving on, I thought it worthwhile to inquire here as to whether the 8s are worth investigating. Unfortunately, my local dealer does not have these on the floor so there would likely have to be a leap of faith here.

[audio bill]

It's hard to predict whether the Epicon 8s would provide the additional weight in the midbass that you're looking for, but they do have a fuller sound as well as better bass extension and 'power'. There is currently a pair in piano black finish listed as near mint on US Audio Mart for only $8,450. I have no affiliation or experience with the seller, but that is a great price so if they didn't work out for you it's likely you could resell them at little or no loss. I guess that depends on whether you'd consider buying them used. Good luck!

[McIantosh]

Originally Posted by audio bill

There is currently a pair in piano black finish listed as near mint on US Audio Mart for only $8,450. I have no affiliation or experience with the seller, but that is a great price so if they didn't work out for you it's likely you could resell them at little or no loss. I guess that depends on whether you'd consider buying them used. Good luck!

Audio Bill, I saw them and this was exactly my thinking. The seller is only 7 hours south of me. In my case, there would an unfavourable exchange rate and Canadian duties to fend with, but it is certainly lower risk than purchasing new. From what I understand, Dali exited the Canadian market some years ago when their Canadian distributor closed-up shop. Their current distributor is working hard to bring back the brand but for the moment, at this price point, takers would likely be few. I am hoping to get some additional insight before I leap!

[sircharles]

McIantosh.... I have owned both the Dali Helicon 400MKII and currently the Dali Epicon 6's. I had great success feeding the 400MKII's with Luxman Class A power amplifier. and EVEN GREATER success currently with the ASR Emitter II amplifier. My current room dimensions are 18L by 14L by 8H and i can confidently tell you the Epicon's are up to the task. The Epicon 8's need a much bigger room. I would advise that maybe you try a different source and amplifier from your dealer and see if things change. The Epicon 6's are capable of a great sound, just like you experienced at the Montreal show. Like most speakers and components its comes down to finding the right pairing that suits your taste/preference.

[McIantosh]

sircharles... Thanks. My listening space is slightly larger than yours but I have to agree that the Epicon 6s can certainly play loud to fill the room. Dali claim their driver designs favour low distortion and based on my experience, I certainly won't discount this. I just wonder if the Epicon 8s might not have a warmer presentation than the 6s, in part due to their use of dedicated larger twin 8" woofers. Source wise, my McIntosh gear is here to stay so in my case, it is more about matching the speakers to the suit the source (and the room) and not the other way around.

[Glisse]

The Epicon 8 are wonderful speakers. They can overpower a smaller room, whilst your room is narrow, it is long and has open areas off it, if I understood correctly. So should be fine Relative to the 8, the 6 sounds lean and suits a smaller room with more bass gain.

I think the 8s will give you everything you are looking for. The speaker/room interface is indeed much more important than the electronics. I have listened to the Epicon 8 with both Chord and Electrocompaniet power amps. Very different amps, but with both, the Epi 8 is big, powerful, warm. It is my favourite speaker in that price range.

[John49]

Originally Posted by Glisse

The Epicon 8 are wonderful speakers. They can overpower a smaller room, whilst your room is narrow, it is long and has open areas off it, if I understood correctly. So should be fine Relative to the 8, the 6 sounds lean and suits a smaller room with more bass gain. I think the 8s will give you everything you are looking for. The speaker/room interface is indeed much more important than the electronics. I have listened to the Epicon 8 with both Chord and Electrocompaniet power amps. Very different amps, but with both, the Epi 8 is big, powerful, warm. It is my favourite speaker in that price range.

My friendly dealer recommended the Epicon 8 to me a month or so ago. Maybe I should take him a little more seriously!

[Glisse]

Originally Posted by John49

My friendly dealer recommended the Epicon 8 to me a month or so ago. Maybe I should take him a little more seriously!

Worth a listen John

If I couldn't have ponied up for the SF Amati Futura (which I find a bit more neutral and transparent than the 8s), I would be very happy with the big Dali. They play in a similar league.

The Tiger ebony finish looks pretty amazing, too.

[audio bill]

Tiger Ebony from DALI? I think that would be an available finish from PMC. The Epicons to my knowledge are available in gloss black, white, walnut, or ruby macassar finishes.

[Glisse]

Macassar is a species of ebony, tiger just means striped rather than solid black. Dali use a red tint.