Dali Ikon2 speakers

[dali]

Hello Sirs,

I have saved Rs.1,00,000/- for nearly 2 years for buying a stereo setup . I need a CD Player , Amplifier and speakers , cables and interconnects and my maximum budget is 1 lac. I have heard Dali ikon2 speakers in my friends home and i liked the sound , so i am thinking of purchasing the ikon2 speakers . Is it worth buying those speakers or is there any other speakers at that range . And is it possible to buy the amp and CD player for the remaning amount.

Have anyone own these Speakers and how is the sound. i am asking so many questions because i dont want to buy any other system for a long time. Since i have saved this amount for a long time and have many other commitments i want to make this my final purchase.

kindly help in choosing the system.

thankyou
Vijay.

 

[dali]

Hello

Any comments on Dali Ikon2 speakers ? How good are they?

thanks

Vijay.

 

[venkatcr]

Dali, because your handle is Dali, you want to buy Dali? Just joking. I have reassembled your text to see if I can bring some sense to my thought process.

I have heard Dali ikon2 speakers in my friends home and i liked the sound , so i am thinking of purchasing the ikon2 speakers . Is it worth buying those speakers or is there any other speakers at that range .Have anyone own these Speakers and how is the sound.

I have not heard any Dali speakers, so I am not aware of their sound signatures. But I did some quick reading, and here is what I have to say. The Dali Ikon 2 seems to be bookshelf speakers that are part of the Dali HT System. The International prices for the Ikon 2 is about $1100, so I am assuming their prices in India will be around 50 to 60K. This seems to be a bit steep for a pair of bookshelves that don't have an independent standing. You should definitely audition models from other brands such as the following:

• B&W 685 - 39K
• Dynaaudio Audience 52 - 59K
• Epos M12i - 42K
• Mission M33i - 18K
• Monitor Audio Bronze BR5- 38K
• Quad 12L2 - 37K

I dont know what kind of music you listen to. But if you are interested in Western Classical and music that have multiple instruments, see if you can audition a few floor standing speakers. They will provide a larger soundstage, and a deeper bass. They will be available for around the same price.

I have saved Rs.1,00,000/- for nearly 2 years for buying a stereo setup . I need a CD Player , Amplifier and speakers , cables and interconnects and my maximum budget is 1 lac. And is it possible to buy the amp and CD player for the remaning amount.

Assuming you spend 50,000 for speakers, you should set aside another 10,000 for interconnects and speakers cables. So you have 40,000 left for CDP and Amplifier. One of the best combination for that price is the Cambridge Audio Azur 640A, and 640C.

A few other options are:

CD Players:
Marantz CD 5400 - 21K
Marantz CD 5001 - 16K
NAD C521BEE - 18K
NAD C542 - 28K

Amps
Marantz PM7001 - 29K
Maramtz - PM4001 - 20K
NAD C320BEE - 22K
NAD C315BEE - 18K
NAD C352 - 28K
Rotel RA-05 - 37K

I am asking so many questions because i dont want to buy any other system for a long time. Since i have saved this amount for a long time and have many other commitments i want to make this my final purchase.

Since you are, rightly so, worried about the money and the need to use the system for a long time, do not be in a hurry to run out and buy. Take what I say as a starting point, and go out and do some auditioning. Carry your own CDs, and use them again and again to audition CDPs, Amps, and speakers. All dealers today oblige and will play your CDs. Carry one CD from each genre of music you like, If you like Indian music, please carry a few, as they sound dramatically different as compared to western music. I have found most system struggling to play Indian music well.

You should also browse through the forum. There are a number of other threads with similar queries and similar answers.

Happy hunting.

Cheers.

 

[dali]

Dear Venkat

Thank you very much for your reply. I opted for the Iknons since its having the ribbon tweeter and i heard from some friends of mine that these ribbon tweeters are sweeter then normal tweeter. ( is this true? )

Also i have in mind is the Dynaudio Audience 52. How do you compare this speaker with ikon2 . which is better. i listen to classical , country , new age, slow rock , pop , and old hindi music.

i read in some thread that audience 52 needs lot of power to drive them , and many have suggested to go for a power / pre combination. If that is the case can i get a power and pre for 50K or how much should i spend extra , I dont want to go for a floorstanders because i may be shifting the job very soon and the standmount will be easy to carry

thanks

Vijay.

 

[mridulgoel]

Dear Venkat

Thank you very much for your reply. I opted for the Iknons since its having the ribbon tweeter and i heard from some friends of mine that these ribbon tweeters are sweeter then normal tweeter. ( is this true? )

Also i have in mind is the Dynaudio Audience 52. How do you compare this speaker with ikon2 . which is better. i listen to classical , country , new age, slow rock , pop , and old hindi music.

i read in some thread that audience 52 needs lot of power to drive them , and many have suggested to go for a power / pre combination. If that is the case can i get a power and pre for 50K or how much should i spend extra , I dont want to go for a floorstanders because i may be shifting the job very soon and the standmount will be easy to carry

thanks

Vijay.

Dear Vijay

Regarding the Dali, no doubt there are damn good....
But, as you are looking for a stereo setup...
What we would like to know, is :
1). your room size...
2). your taste for music...
3). is the setup gonna be used for movies as well.

Anyways, when you are going in for a stereo setup, then prefer Floor Standers, if you dont have any limitations of space for floor standers, as they will serve better sound, and will cover a better area...

Now, coming to the selection...
Even though the IKON series is good, again the point is IKON 2 being the Bookshelfes...
So prefer Dali IKON 6, they are damn good, and if you see its reviews, and ratings they are good world wide...
With that you go in for a good stereo amp, mainly Cambridge Audio or Marantz...

And regarding the CDP, you can go in for Pioneer DV-600 @ Rs.8K approx.
And lastly the cables, you can go in for Usher, Monster or QED... @ Rs.180, 150 & 150 per mtr respectively...

Other good options for the stereo setup will be :
1). Amplifier - Cambridge Audio-840 , Speakers - Mordaunt Short - Avant-906i
2). Amplifier - Marantz - 7002 , Speakers - Mordaunt Short - Mezzo

The reason for suggesting other choices as well, is to get you a idea of the go along packages, and something a bit cheapers.

A hot selling setup for stereo is :
Cambridge Audio - A540/A640 with Mordaunt Short - Avant 906i @ Rs.65,000 to Rs.72,000 approx.
With that CA-540 CDP, Pioneer-DV-600/610 CD/DVD Player..
And Cables...

So audition them and then decide on what you should go in for...

 

[saikat]

I have personally listened to the Dali Ikon 2 speakers and like them very much.

I would rate them better than my BR5's when it comes to top/mid range reproduction. If my music taste included more "top end" I would have gone for them.

2 reasons why I did not go for it:
1) The BR5's ability to go down further generating a little more bass
2) The Ikon 2's would require stands (a min of +5k for them). Look at the effort people put in behind their stands. The additional cost + the Ikon 2 (~33k) put it in the same price bracket as the BR5's.

However, that decision is around 6 months old and in hindsight, like everyone, im wiser...

Check out the Quad L2 actives being discussed elsewhere in the forum (although ~$1300, they will eliminate the need for amps). The passives are also a good option.

Maybe be a KEF (iq 5)? Maybe someone having listened to this set can throw some light.

Happy hunting!

PS: Had this urge to log back in and tell you one more thing. There is nothing fundamentally wrong with a bookshelf. There are some great ones which sound heavenly. Know what you are buying, its strengths and weaknesses, and the associated equipment required to bring it to its full potential.

 

[dali]

Hi Saikat and Mridul

The reason i am going for a stand mount is i will be shifting job in a shorter span of time ( so easy to transport ) and i dont have the space in my current living room , assuming i will not have a big room where i go next.

i also have Dynaudio audience 52 in mind . i have heard the monitor audio speakers but was not impressed. The kef too is not my taste. never heard the quads .

the speakers i have shorlisted are

1. Ikon2
2. Dynaudio Audience 52.
3. Epos M5i

kindly advice.

vijay.

 

[dali]

Dear Vijay

Regarding the Dali, no doubt there are damn good....
But, as you are looking for a stereo setup...
What we would like to know, is :
1). your room size...
2). your taste for music...
3). is the setup gonna be used for movies as well.


Dear Mridul

The system is 100% stereo .
the current room size is roughly 11*13 feet ,
i listen to country , old hindi , new age , slow rock , etc.

regards

vijay

 

[odyssey]

Hi
If you can stretch your budget a bit (slightly) you may be able to accomodate an Usher X-718. You can get to listen to it in Bombay if you like. This is a different league of speaker compared to both the Dali2 and the MA BR5. Except for the very low bottom end, the performance will be far nicer than these above.

www.usheraudio.com

cheers
[email protected]

Dear Vijay

Regarding the Dali, no doubt there are damn good....
But, as you are looking for a stereo setup...
What we would like to know, is :
1). your room size...
2). your taste for music...
3). is the setup gonna be used for movies as well.


Dear Mridul

The system is 100% stereo .
the current room size is roughly 11*13 feet ,
i listen to country , old hindi , new age , slow rock , etc.

regards

vijay

 

[venkatcr]

And regarding the CDP, you can go in for Pioneer DV-600 @ Rs.8K approx.
...

Mridul:

Buying a universal DVD Player for a pure stereo set up does not make any sense to me. I myself use 2 Pioneer DVD players, and I have a lot of respect for them. but their sound output is nowhere near a dedicated CDP. I am sure even the least expensive 340C from CA, can beat a universal DVD player such as the Pioneer 400.

In my mind a universal player should be in addition to a dedicated CDP to handle MP3 playback, SACD/DVD-A, etc. Not in lieu of.

Cheers

 

[mridulgoel]

Mridul:

Buying a universal DVD Player for a pure stereo set up does not make any sense to me. I myself use 2 Pioneer DVD players, and I have a lot of respect for them. but their sound output is nowhere near a dedicated CDP. I am sure even the least expensive 340C from CA, can beat a universal DVD player such as the Pioneer 400.

In my mind a universal player should be in addition to a dedicated CDP to handle MP3 playback, SACD/DVD-A, etc. Not in lieu of.

Cheers

Agree with you Venkat...

The reason why i gave a choice to him earlier is, as i was not sure, that its purely stereo as what he has confirmed now...

Even i prefer CA-540CDP, for pure audio...

 

[mridulgoel]

Dear Vijay

Regarding the Dali, no doubt there are damn good....
But, as you are looking for a stereo setup...
What we would like to know, is :
1). your room size...
2). your taste for music...
3). is the setup gonna be used for movies as well.


Dear Mridul

The system is 100% stereo .
the current room size is roughly 11*13 feet ,
i listen to country , old hindi , new age , slow rock , etc.

regards

vijay

Vijay

When you are considering pure stereo, i would suggest, you audition Cambridge Audio for Integrated Amplifier...

Regarding the speakers, Dali IKON - 2 is your choice...
And yes Usher-718, are good too, but a bit out of budget, and they do come with foldable stands...
So you need not worry about the stands...

You can even call in for KEF...They are good too...

But, as my personal experience avoid Dynaaudio...
Regarding EPOS i dont have any suggestions, as i have not heard that model...

 

[Bass Treble]

Dear Vijay

The Ikon2 is a sweet sounding speakers , and you cant go wrong with a Dynaudio either provided you have a slightly powerful amplifier.

happy Hunting

dev.

 

[dali]

Dali, because your handle is Dali, you want to buy Dali? Just joking. I have reassembled your text to see if I can bring some sense to my thought process.



I have not heard any Dali speakers, so I am not aware of their sound signatures. But I did some quick reading, and here is what I have to say. The Dali Ikon 2 seems to be bookshelf speakers that are part of the Dali HT System. The International prices for the Ikon 2 is about $1100, so I am assuming their prices in India will be around 50 to 60K. This seems to be a bit steep for a pair of bookshelves that don't have an independent standing. You should definitely audition models from other brands such as the following:

• B&W 685 - 39K
• Dynaaudio Audience 52 - 59K
• Epos M12i - 42K
• Mission M33i - 18K
• Monitor Audio Bronze BR5- 38K
• Quad 12L2 - 37K

I dont know what kind of music you listen to. But if you are interested in Western Classical and music that have multiple instruments, see if you can audition a few floor standing speakers. They will provide a larger soundstage, and a deeper bass. They will be available for around the same price.



Assuming you spend 50,000 for speakers, you should set aside another 10,000 for interconnects and speakers cables. So you have 40,000 left for CDP and Amplifier. One of the best combination for that price is the Cambridge Audio Azur 640A, and 640C.

A few other options are:

CD Players:
Marantz CD 5400 - 21K
Marantz CD 5001 - 16K
NAD C521BEE - 18K
NAD C542 - 28K

Amps
Marantz PM7001 - 29K
Maramtz - PM4001 - 20K
NAD C320BEE - 22K
NAD C315BEE - 18K
NAD C352 - 28K
Rotel RA-05 - 37K



Since you are, rightly so, worried about the money and the need to use the system for a long time, do not be in a hurry to run out and buy. Take what I say as a starting point, and go out and do some auditioning. Carry your own CDs, and use them again and again to audition CDPs, Amps, and speakers. All dealers today oblige and will play your CDs. Carry one CD from each genre of music you like, If you like Indian music, please carry a few, as they sound dramatically different as compared to western music. I have found most system struggling to play Indian music well.

You should also browse through the forum. There are a number of other threads with similar queries and similar answers.

Happy hunting.

Cheers.

Dear Mr.Venkat

Thank you very much for the suggestions , Now i have ordered the Marantz CD 5001 from Bass Treble , i would like to go for a amplifier and a speaker ( dali ikon 2 or dynaudio audience 52 or epos m5i )

I auditioned the kef , monitor audio , Polk audio , B&W . But wasnt satisfied with the performance.

Help me choosing between the dalis , dynaudios and epos. or should i consider few other speakers .

dear sridhar : where to audition usher speakers in Mumbai or Pune.

thank you all

vijay

 

[mridulgoel]

Dear Mr.Venkat

Thank you very much for the suggestions , Now i have ordered the Marantz CD 5001 from Bass Treble , i would like to go for a amplifier and a speaker ( dali ikon 2 or dynaudio audience 52 or epos m5i )

I auditioned the kef , monitor audio , Polk audio , B&W . But wasnt satisfied with the performance.

Help me choosing between the dalis , dynaudios and epos. or should i consider few other speakers .

dear sridhar : where to audition usher speakers in Mumbai or Pune.

thank you all

vijay

Buddy

Then Dali IKON-2 is much prefered, with Either Marantz or Cambridge Audio Integrated Amplfiers...

 

[dali]

Dear Mridul

Do you have any idea of the pricing of Ikon2 ?

thanks
vijay.

 

[mridulgoel]

Dear Mridul

Do you have any idea of the pricing of Ikon2 ?

thanks
vijay.

Its Rs.52,500 approx...

But you can get it for Rs.48K approx...

 

[abhijit15]

Dali IKON-2 is much prefered and very sweet you can check it in boomarang in Boriwali,mumbai.from 1st Nov.prises may increse by 15% .now its price on 46k withot octry actual price is 53k. you can call 09820194171 Mr.Vinay

 

[dali]

Dali IKON-2 is much prefered and very sweet you can check it in boomarang in Boriwali,mumbai.from 1st Nov.prises may increse by 15% .now its price on 46k withot octry actual price is 53k. you can call 09820194171 Mr.Vinay

Thanks abhijit for the information, i will check with the boomarang . And thanks Mridul.

vijay.

 

[Sidharth Trehan]

Hi Vijay,
I am a Dali user or an ardent fan of the product rather (with due respect to all other brilliant brands).

You have guided best till now from rest of the friends, but kindly do get your ears to Dali IKON 1 as well. Shall save you a few thousand rupees and the difference is pretty minimal. Considering your requirements you could very well keep IKON1 in your choice.

As been said already ..they are musical, sweet to the ears and yes ribbon tweeter is a brilliant add on to Dali pieces. It sounds quite different than other sharp n piercing tweeters. Hence making it sound sweeter, but some ears may find the sound damp than feeling the sweetness. Thats a personal taste & preference.

If you get to hear any of the demo pieces of Ikon.. you will find them better and little more vibrant in highs/lows compared to a fresh piece, thats cause you shall have to wait till your fresh ones run for a few hours (80-100hrs) ..before they can reach their optimum performance levels.

I have a Dali setup but for the sub-woofer for my HT with an integrated Marantz amplifier & CDP. You have to listen to Dali with Marantz before you finalize.

All the best and do take a look at Ikon 1.


Best wishes.