Dali launched its flagship Kore floorstanders back in 2022. This formidable beast stands almost 1.7m high, weighs in at a vertebrae-crunching 148kg and represents the very best the company can do in a passive speaker design. The price? A whopping £84,995 / $120,000 / AU$143,999.
As desirable as the Kore may be, the huge cost and size inevitably put it out of the reach of most. That’s where the new high-end Epikore series comes in. It offers the bulk of the engineering content and technology used in the flagship model but at a notably more attainable price.
Notice we say 'more attainable' rather than affordable; this new series still sits very much at the top end of the market. The Dali Epikore 3 standmounter we have on test is merely the first model in a four-strong line-up that includes three towers of increasing size and complexity. The biggest of these floorstanders is the 4½-way, 76kg Epikore 11, essentially a mini-Kore at around half the price (£40,000 / $60,000 / AU$69,999).
That claim of the new range packing the technology of the Kore is no idle marketing boast. The Evo-K hybrid tweeter module that combines a 10 x 55mm planar magnetic driver with a 35mm soft dome is common to both. This twin-tweeter concept is something of a Dali trademark and is claimed to offer wider, more consistent high-frequency dispersion alongside improved dynamics and detail compared with the conventional singular-tweeter approach used by most rivals.
Build & engineering
The Evo-K module packs an improved version of the planar driver with an all-new magnet design. The use of a larger-than-normal 35mm soft dome improves the transition down to the midrange and allows the planar unit to operate at higher frequencies where it is more comfortable. The crossover point between the two tweeters is 12.5kHz, and the soft dome hands over to the mid/bass driver at 2.8kHz.
Type Standmounts
Drive units 10 x 55mm planar magnetic/35mm soft dome hybrid tweeter module, 18cm paper/wood fibre mid/bass
Ported? Yes (rear)
Bi-wire? Yes
Impedance 6 ohms
Sensitivity 85dB
Dimensions (hwd) 47 x 25 x 42cm
Weight 15.9kg
Finishes x 3 (high gloss black, high gloss walnut, high gloss maroon)
The Epikore 3’s new 18cm mid/bass unit can hardly be called run-of-the-mill. The engineers have put a lot into this long-throw mid/bass driver, with a focus on minimising mechanical energy loss. It has a 38mm vented titanium former, a rigid aluminium chassis and a hefty motor system that packs Dali’s distortion-reducing 2nd Gen SMC (Soft Magnetic Composite) material alongside a trio of induction linearisation rings. The driver is tuned by a large rear-firing port that sits just above a quartet of elaborate and rather chunky binding posts. Dali has long promoted the combination of paper and wood fibre as a good diaphragm material thanks to its balance of low weight, rigidity and self-damping, and the latest generation of that compound, which the company calls ‘Clarity Cone’, is used here.
SMC is used in the crossover network too, as the inductor core. Compared with the standard air core arrangement, the use of SMC is claimed to lower DC resistance and reduce vulnerability to crosstalk between the inductors, especially at high inductances.
The Epikore 3’s 47cm-tall cabinet is a classy affair. It feels immensely solid and is elegantly curved. Build, fit and finish are as good as you would hope for at the price. Its die-cast aluminium front baffle is claimed to be extremely stiff – a quality that makes it a good foundation for the drive units – and also helps to damp down any enclosure resonances. These speakers are available in three high-gloss finish options - black, walnut and maroon - and they all look smart, if a little subdued. Overall, though, we’re pleased to report that the Epikore 3 has the luxury aura to match its price.
Compatibility
The Epikore 3’s sensitivity is rated at a relatively low 85dB/W/m and the nominal impedance is 6 ohms. Given the price point it is fair to expect that these speakers will be partnered with well-designed and capable amplifiers, so we wouldn’t expect any issues as far as electrical compatibility is concerned.
There are dedicated stands available, and they cost a hefty £1999 / $3000 / AU$3199. We weren’t supplied with a pair for this review, so we tried the range of suitable alternatives we have on-site, settling on a pair of well-used mass-loaded Kudos S100 as the best partner.
Any speaker at this level positively demands top-quality partnering equipment. Our sources are Naim’s ND555/555 PS DR music streamer and Technics SL-1000R/Kiseki Purpleheart MC record player. They feed into our reference Burmester 088/911 Mk III amplifier for the most part, though we also plumb in Esoteric’s F-01 (a 30-watts per channel, Class A integrated amplifier under test at the time of writing) and PMC’s Cor to hear how the Dalis cope. It turns out that the Epikore 3 does well, clearly revealing the different sonic flavours of the three amplifiers.
These standmounts aren’t particularly fussy about placement. In our 3 x 7 x 5m (hwd) test room, they sound right at home around a metre out from the back wall. In usual Dali fashion they should be fired straight ahead rather than angled towards the listener for the most tonally balanced results, and their wide dispersion means it pays to keep them as far from the side walls as possible. If you are curious and you do end up angling them towards the listener, then you’ll notice that the top end becomes a little too obvious.
Sound
When things are right, your reward will be a wonderfully expansive soundstage. As we listen to Hymn To The Fallen by John Williams, the Epikore 3 transport us to the recording venue with a combination of stereo focus, layering and image depth that’s almost startling in its stability. If you worry that the three-way combination of two tweeters and a mid/bass could lead to a disjointed presentation, the Dali’s seamless and cohesive nature proves that unfounded.
Tonally, they are less bright and forward than is typical for the brand in our experience. The Epikore 3 are surprisingly smooth and refined, sounding full-bodied and naturally rich in nature. Their presentation has substance and enough authority to convey the majesty of a large orchestra convincingly. Sure, speakers with bigger enclosures and more generous drive unit configurations will dig deeper and with more power, but given the Dali’s relatively modest stature, their muscularity is deeply impressive.
They take a measured approach to music replay where control and composure take priority. Added to their excellent detail resolution and insight this means that they can track low-level instrumental strands in a dense composition with ease and continue to sound organised even when the music becomes demanding. There are no hard edges or signs of stress even when the speakers are pushed hard, and when cracks do start to appear it is at far higher levels than we would usually listen at.
While large-scale dynamic shifts are handled well, we notice that low-level changes in intensity feel a little subdued. It’s not that the speakers don’t sound expressive or interesting, but more that they don’t deliver subtler changes in dynamic contrast with the verve we would like. This is something that we notice more when we switch to Kendrick Lamar’s good kid, m.A.A.d city set where he sounds just a little less committed than usual and the musical backdrop is delivered in a more relaxed manner than we are expecting. It is a similar story when we work through Nina Simone’s Gold compilation.
This proves something of a surprise, given our experience with the brand’s other, less expensive speakers has always been of energetic, slightly excitable performers that get straight to the heart of the music. The Epikore 3 turns that on its head, sounding impressively measured and controlled, as many high-end alternatives have a habit of doing, but also trading a little excitement in the process. This slightly aloof attitude results in a throttled-back rhythmic drive, focusing our attention on the mechanics of the recording rather than simply sitting back and enjoying the music.
While we’re criticising, the Epikore 3’s bass performance may be generally pleasing, but we note that given a demanding bassline with properly deep notes the speakers lack a little in the way of articulation and low-end grip. It is far from bad enough to spoil our enjoyment, but contrasts with the precision and definition we hear through the upper bass and higher.
Verdict
Overall, Dali’s Epikore 3 speakers are without a doubt hugely talented and capable performers. They are built superbly and have the kind of engineering content we would expect from speakers at this high-end level. They are also an appealing listen, delivering sound with confidence and clarity. While we have slight issues with their ability to communicate the full excitement of a piece of music, there is no doubt as to the Epikore 3’s generous spread of sonic abilities. Partner these classy boxes with an energetic system and there remains plenty to enjoy.
First reviewed: January 2025
SCORES
- Sound 4
- Build 5
- Compatibility 4
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