Bookshelf Speakers — DALI SONIK 3

The SONIK 3 is the larger of the two stand-mount models in DALI's SONIK range, the Danish manufacturer's mid-priced speaker series. It pairs a 7-inch woofer with a 29mm soft dome tweeter in a compact two-way cabinet, and brings driver technologies developed for DALI's flagship KORE and EPIKORE ranges down to a price of around 650 to 750 euros per pair.

Key specs that matter

The SONIK 3 is a two-way bass-reflex design with a 7-inch (178mm) Clarity Cone woofer and a 29mm low-loss soft dome tweeter with woven fabric diaphragm, crossing over at 2,300Hz. Frequency response is 47Hz to 26kHz +/-3dB, sensitivity is 87dB at 2.83V/1m, nominal impedance is 6 ohms and maximum SPL is 108dB. DALI recommends amplifiers of 25 to 150W. Each speaker measures 350 x 200 x 306mm and weighs 6.5kg, and finishes are Black Ash, White, Walnut and Natural Oak.

Engineering and use context

The Clarity Cone keeps DALI's traditional blend of paper and wood fibre but uses a new cone structure derived from the KORE and EPIKORE models, aimed at controlling resonances and improving the handover from woofer to tweeter. The woofer motor uses DALI's patented SMC Essential system, in which Soft Magnetic Composite material in the voice coil's working zone reduces hysteresis and eddy currents that cause distortion in conventional magnet systems, improving linearity. The tweeter uses an ultra-light low-loss dome behind an aluminium faceplate designed for wide dispersion, so the tonal balance changes little as the listener moves off axis. The cabinet is built for low resonance, with a rear dual-flare bass reflex port tuned to 46Hz, whose flared ends lower air turbulence at high output. DALI designed the speaker to work on stands, shelves or inside furniture and recommends a distance of 5 to 50cm from the back wall. Terminals were developed in-house and accept bare wire, spades or banana plugs.

Pairing

The 6-ohm load and 87dB sensitivity suit most stereo integrated amplifiers and AV receivers in the recommended 25 to 150W range. The speaker is single-wired only, with no bi-wire or bi-amp terminals. In a home cinema it works as a front pair alongside other SONIK models, and the 47Hz extension makes a subwoofer optional rather than essential in rooms of around 15 to 25 m2.

Alternatives

DALI's own SONIK 2 offers a smaller 6.5-inch woofer in a more compact cabinet, while the SONIK 6 adds a second woofer in a floorstanding format.