Sound of the Dali Speakers Euphonia Line? Help

Or comments on the Helicon line are welcome!

I heard the Helicon 400 at a dealer a couple of months ago and liked it very much. I would say that it definitely did not sound like metal tweeters. Overall sound was natural, bloomy, and a touch warm and sweet. Very musical and involving, but I found mysef yearning for more detail. (Apparently the pricier Helicon 800 gets you that.)

I have found Dali speakers to be a mixed bag...

I first heard the pricey MS5s which I believe go for about 12K a pair, and was totally unimpressed. While I can't put my finger on just exactly what it was about them that I disliked, I do remember thinking that female vocals just sounded unnatural to me. Alison Krauss was the primary artist I auditioned them with...

At the same dealership, I then heard the much lower priced Helicon800s (4.8K/pr.), and I thought they sounded absolutey fantastic. Saxophone was a real standout... The speakers captured the soul of the music just right, sounding quite natural. I also felt the Helicon800s had very good bass quality and depth. A very good choice in the 5K and under range in my opinion.

---Dave

I thought the 800 was around $9K, while the Helicon 400 is about $4K.

Dave how did the high's sound witht the Helicon's?

Ken

Drubin: I could be mistaken on the price... That was the price the dealer in AZ quoted me, but maybe he gave me the wrong price? If so, I really should have bought them just to turn around and sell them for a tidy profit... :-)

Drken: The highs on the Helicon800 were exceptional. I had absolutely no listener fatigue and they were very detailed as well. Pretty much the overall presentation of the speakers was spot-on, IMO.

---Dave

Thanks folks!

I own a pair of 800's.Bought them about 1.5 years ago. I agree with most of what has been said so far but found the highs a bit harsh at first. I have since changed amplifiers, first from SS to Tube/SS and now to all tube gear. That took care of any concerns I've had with the highs and really made the speakers shine.

The Dali Helicon 800's list in the 6k range, which isn't bad for the sound and quality of the speaker. The Helicon 400 is in the 4k range. However if your going to spend that much you might as well go with the 800's a better value overall I think. I would think the Audes Orpheus would be a direct competitor in the same price range.

I heard the Euphonia MS5 couple of years ago for about 4 hours total on two separate occasions at the same dealer because I was considering purchasing the then $10K speakers. I found the midrange to be smooth with nice well balanced base. The highs were tiny bit dry for my taste even with its supertweeter. Inner detail was very good and dynamics were very good too. Imaging was excellent but the overall size of the stage didn't go much beyond the sides of the speaker, although the depth was excellent. Very good speakers but expensive for what it offers. My present speakers are much better and much more affordable. Hope this helps.