Today we review the DALI Epikore 3 bookshelf speakers which are selling for €9,998 Euro per pair.
Disclaimer: DALI provided the Epikore 3 speakers and their corresponding Epikore stands for this review. Headfonia and DALI are in no way related.
DALI
Danish Audiophile Loudspeaker Industries is, just as the name spoils, a loudspeaker company from Denmark.
In 1980, Peter Lyngdorf started HiFi Klubben in Scandinavia. This is basically an association of dealers spread in Denmark, Norway and Sweden. Three years after HiFi Klubben was founded, Peter Lyngdorf launched DALI to meet the demands for excellent value speakers by the audiophile community.
Soon after DALI was born, their DALI 2 was the most popular speaker in Denmark. Due to the high demand for their speakers, DALI had to move their production facilities out of Lyngdorf’s home into a bigger factory in Norager, Denmark. Since then, the factory has been enhanced multiple times.
DALI has pushed a couple of innovations throughout their history. They were the first to release a speaker with a hybrid tweeter setup, where they combined a magnetostatic and a classic tweeter in 1990. They did not only look at driver setup, but they have also developed their own cabinet material mix and their own wooden screws.
Since 2011 DALI is also producing their own crossovers, covered with a special material blend called SMC (Soft Magnetic Compound). This is said to cause better performance when it comes to blocking interference and distortion.
SMC is a coated granular material that offers very high magnetic permeability and very low electrical conductivity. It can be molded into any shape or form DALI needs, and can also be applied on many different surfaces, like their driver magnets. Where it also enhances the diver’s performance and enables lower distortions.
At DALI everyone takes also pride in their classy and elegant designs, which can be seen throughout their entire product range.
Today we will check out their latest bookshelf speakers!
DALI Epikore 3
The Epikore 3 is a three-way bookshelf speaker design, that uses a seven-inch paper and wood-fibre bass/mid driver and a combination of a 35mm soft dome and a 10x55mm planar magnetic tweeter. DALI has incorporated this hybrid tweeter design in many of their speakers in the past.
The 7-inch bass/mids driver is a newly developed design, that is equipped with an exceptionally large and powerful magnet, which features DALI’s SMC technology. DALI also implemented their EVO-K hybrid tweeter array, which was previously designed for their KORE speaker. The dual tweeters are powered by a neodymium magnet motor system and are said to deliver crystal clear highs at any volume.
The rated maximum sound pressure level is 108dB. DALI’s tech sheet tells us that the Epikore 3 has a measured nominal impedance of six ohms and a sensitivity of 85 decibels. This makes them a little less efficient to drive speakers compared to other stand-mount speakers.
DALI recommends amplifiers between 40 and 250 Watts for the Epikore 3. The crossover frequencies are set at 2,800 Hz and 12,500 Hertz.
The Epikore 3 is available in three beautiful high gloss finishes. Piano black (as pictured), walnut and maroon. Each Epikore is built by hand in Denmark and can be purchased through DALI’s dealer network around the world for 9,998€/15,000$ per pair. The matching stands are available in satin black only and will set you back 1,998€. What I particularly love about the stands, apart from being custom tailored to the Epikore 3, is the padded top plate. This is something I was missing from all other stands in the past and I am glad DALI has thought the same.
Build Quality
DALI’s build quality has never disappointed me in the past and the Epikore 3 is of course no exception today. It is beautifully finished and flawless in construction. Yes, they are a little bigger than your normal bookshelf speakers, but that is given due to the three separate drivers.
The design of the Epikore 3 is a bit special to be honest. I think the looks of the Epikore 3 are quite futuristic. My fiancée describes them as spaceship-like and I can see where she’s coming from.
On the back of the unit, you will find two pairs of binding posts without any bridges. DALI provides bridging cables in the accessory set. You can of course use your own jumper cables as well, should you have some. The binding posts themselves are of top-notch quality, and you can connect banana plugs, spades and naked wires to them. Sitting above the speaker posts is the bass reflex port, which is not directed straight back, but rather up top. DALI calls that the continuous flare bass reflex port.
In the package of the Epikore 3 you will find a pair of magnetically attachable speaker grills. You will also get a manual for your new speakers plus the jumper cables.
The only issue with them I am having is their high gloss piano finish. It’s impossible to take photos of it without any reflections in them. For anyone who doesn’t need to take photos of them for a publication, should be fine though.
There are no signs or traces of glue on the Epikore 3 anywhere, just like it should be with a speaker of their caliber.
Sound
During the past weeks I have placed the Epikore 3 in my living room stereo setup. It was connected to my PS Audio M700 mono blocks, which in turn were fed by the HoloAudio Serene KTE pre-amplifier. The Chord Electronics Hugo TT2 and Eversolo DMP-A8 took over D/A and streaming duties. All my gear is hooked up to the Audioquest PowerQuest 707 power conditioner.
The Epikore 3 is a masterfully rich and organic speaker, that fully delivers realism and micro-detail retrieval. It has a life-like low end, with beautiful body and weight, a lush and emotional midrange and delicate treble. The DALI is a master of any genre and has regularly put a wide smile on my face when listening to my favorite albums.
Let’s explore them in more detail.
The Epikore 3 has an impactful, fast and supremely precise low end that has excellent body and weight. It reaches deep into the sub-bass region and delivers an authoritative bass full of resolution. On a technical level the bass reproduction is flawless. Epikore’s lows are full and life-like. It doesn’t favor any specific region of the bass at all and paints a natural picture.
The review continues on page two!




