DALI SPEKTOR 2

Whilst still being a compact speaker, the SPEKTOR 2’s larger inner volume delivers extra bass performance. The increased surface areas of the 5¼” woofer and 25 mm soft dome tweeter increases the overall sound pressure levels, making this the perfect choice for larger rooms that still require a compact speaker. The SPEKTOR 2 will also find itself at home in any surround position, helping you get that fully immersive movie experience.

WOOD FIBRE CONES

Our low-loss drivers uses a mix of low-mass paper cones with wood fibre reinforcement. The embedded wood fibres give the surface an uneven structure, which dramatically minimizes the resonance of the surface. This creates the best possible reproduction of every detail in the audio signal.

AMPLIFIER FRIENDLY

The amplifier friendly design makes the SPEKTOR series a perfect fit for almost any of the amplifiers in its price category. No matter if we look at compact Hi-Fi, stereo amplifiers or surround receivers, SPEKTOR will bring out the best in them, showing you just how good music and movies can sound.

SOFT DOME TWEETER

The dome tweeter offers best-in-class resolution with an extended frequency response, wide dispersion and low coloration. A clear heritage from our high-end series. The tweeter is based on an ultra-lightweight weaved fabric, which weighs less than half of the market standard (0.056 mg/mm2).

LOW SIGNAL LOSS

By using only DALI designed and custom-built drivers, the need for frequency correction in the crossover is eliminated. This enables us to design an exact crossover which together with carefully selected quality components ensures that the signal loss is close to zero.

PRODUCT DETAILS

The DALI SPEKTOR 2 packs a larger inner volume than the SPEKTOR 1 and thereby delivers an extra bass performance. Getting this much Hi-Fi performance from a speaker in this price range not only took all of our experience and knowhow, but also hours and hours spent in the listening room, improving the driver and crossover designs to create the perfect audio performance.

The compact SPEKTOR 2 - and its slightly smaller sibling SPEKTOR 1 - are ideal for wall mounting, shelf or stand positioning in combination with any compact Hi-Fi music system. The SPEKTOR 2 will also find itself at home in any surround position, helping you get that fully immersive movie experience.

The DALI SPEKTOR 2, like all DALI loudspeakers, has been designed in accordance with our fundamental acoustic and electro-acoustic principles, and a strong belief that clarity and an authentic, honest sound reproduction will get you even closer to the full impact of a live music experience.

DALI SPEKTOR 2 SPECS
Product series    SPEKTOR
Frequency Range (+/-3 dB) [Hz]    54 - 26,000 Hz
Sensitivity (2,83 V/1 m) [dB]    84.5 dB
Nominal Impedance [ohms]    6 ohms
Maximum SPL [dB]    105 dB
Recommended Amplifier Power [W]    25 - 100 Watt
Crossover Frequency [Hz]    2,600 Hz
Crossover Principle    2-way
High frequency driver, Quantity    1 x 25 mm
High frequency driver, Diaphragm type    Soft Textile Dome
Low frequency driver, Quantity    1 x 5,25"
Low frequency driver, Diaphragm type    Wood Fibre Cone
Enclosure type    Bass Reflex
Bass Reflex Tuning Frequency [Hz]    51.5 Hz
Connection Input    Single Wire
Recommended Placement    Shelf or stand
On-Wall
Recommended Distance From Wall [cm]    1 - 80 cm
Dimensions (HxWxD) [mm]    292 x 170 x 238 mm
Accessories Included    Rubber Feet
Manual
Wall Bracket
Weight [kg]    4.2 kg

Dali Spektor 2 

What Hi-Fi? Awards 2020 winner. These Dalis offer a degree of entertainment their rivals struggle to match. Tested at £200

By What Hi-Fi? October 08, 2018

OUR VERDICT

The Spektor 2s are excellent speakers, combining Dali’s traditional strengths with a generous dose of entertainment

FOR

• Agile, articulate and expressive sound
• Good detail resolution
• Compact size
• Unfussy nature

AGAINST

• Nothing of note

On paper, there’s little to differentiate Dali’s new Spektor 2s from any of their main rivals. These speakers stick to the classic budget standmounter formula like Superglue sticks to fingers.

There’s everything we would expect from a typical £200 box here, from two-way driver configuration and ported bass tuning right the way through to the 25mm dome tweeter and 13cm mid/bass driver.

But as with any dish, culinary or (in this case) acoustic, the list of ingredients only tells you so much - and those familiar with Dali will know it has something of a talent for budget boxes.

So it proves with the Spektor 2s.

Build

Take them out of the packaging and the first impression is good. They’re nicely made, without quite giving off the quality feel of a pair of similarly priced Q Acoustics 3020s. Still, the panels line up well and general fit and attention to detail is good.

There are two options for the finish: the walnut of our review sample or black ash. Both look smart. The Spektor 2s are pretty compact at just 29cm high and shouldn’t dominate a room, even if mounted (as they really should be) on some sturdy stands.

Let them run in over a couple of days and supply them with a good system (we use Marantz’s CD6006 CD Player and Rega’s Brio amplifier alongside our usual reference Naim NDS/555PS and Gamut pre/power combination) and these speakers sparkle.

Their rated sensitivity is a little on the low side - just over 84dB/W/m - and nominal impedance is 6ohms, so it wouldn’t hurt to partner them with an amplifier packing a decent amount of poke.

Our usual recommendations of Onkyo’s A-9010 (£200), the Marantz PM6006 (£280) or Rega’s Brio (£600) will all work well.

MORE: How to build the perfect hi-fi system

Mounted on solid stands – Atacama’s Moseco 6 are recommended – these speakers display a breadth of talent few similarly priced alternatives can match.

The big hitters in this part of the market are the £160 Mission LX2s and the aforementioned Q Acoustics’ 3020s (£200).

Both are superb performers – the Missions excel at clarity and precision, while the 3020s offer an enviable combination of refinement and build quality.

These Dalis tread the middle path between these rivals brilliantly, while adding greater verve and involvement to the proceedings.

MORE: How to buy speakers and set them up for the best sound

Sound

Play Aretha Franklin’s (You Make Me Feel Like) A Natural Woman and the Spektors excel with her distinctive and powerful vocals. They’re delivered with nuance and passion, each word crisply defined with no room for doubt as to the emotion behind the lyrics.

We like the cohesive way these speakers handle the instrumental backdrop too - they deliver the music with considerable finesse, precision and energy.

Moving to Tchaikovsky’s 1812 Overture shows the Spektors are capable of high volume levels and a decent degree of composure when pushed.

There’s a pleasing level of resolution here, along with the ability to organise that information into an involving and musical whole.

The way these speakers handle dynamics is impressive. They’re fluid and expressive, handling both large-scale swings and low-level subtleties with equal skill.

The result is these Dalis have the ability to draw the listener into the music in a way that eludes even the best of their price-comparable rivals.

We position the Dalis just a little out from the rear wall and fire them straight ahead, just as the company recommends.

This results in an expansive and stable soundstage - but when it comes to scale and authority, the likes of Mission’s LX2s are capable of a little better.

MORE: Best hi-fi speakers 2018

Tonally, the Spektor 2s have a full-bodied yet balanced presentation. There isn’t much sign of the over-enthusiastic treble we’ve been subjected to in some previous generations of budget Dalis.

This means the 2s are easy to partner ,and less fussy about poor or aggressive recordings. They’re not far off the sophisticated Q Acoustics 3020s in this regard.

We finish with Bruce Springsteen’s Radio Nowhere and these boxes respond superbly. They deliver the song’s hard-charging rhythm with glee, lacking little in the way of drive, punch or power.

This is a dense production, but these speakers have enough by way of insight and control to keep everything in check.

MORE: How to build the perfect speaker

Verdict

f you’re looking for a top-class pair of budget standmounters, your choice just got bigger.

The likes of the Mission and Q Acoustics remain strong options, but these Dalis offer a degree of entertainment even these talented performers struggle to match. They're highly recommended.