Dali Zensor 3

[Cass]

Very interested in these, as I'm determined to replace my MS 902i's in the next few months, and the Zensor 3's are at the price point I'm looking at. Slight concern about their suitability for partnering with my NAD 326BEE amp though, as some comments suggest the speakers are big on bass but not so much on treble detail - which wouldn't be a great match for the NAD.

 

[Um]

Hi Um,

No problem with disagreeing!! As I said all three are excellent affordable speaker designs and each will suit different rooms and tastes. Certainly, if Dali hadn't bought out the Zensor 3s, I would still have the 2020i. I do prefer the 2020i to the Zensor 1 but I like the extra scale that the Zensor 3s bring and, with a better balance between frequency extremes than the Zensor 1, the Zensor 3s sound more natural than the smaller Dali. Different horses for different courses. I'd rather have any of them over the Monitor Audio BX2s or the B&W 685s, both of which get very tiring to listen to over any length of time.

Yes, agree totally about the Denon amp. It is every bit as good as anything else at the price. Sounds excellent with both the QA and Dali speakers. I think you and I have both got relatively inexpensive systems that punch way above their price. I really don't think the WHFS&V review 'gets' the Denon right as I find it capable of immense subtelty and deftness of touch when required. The CD player is excellent too.

I think the only change I'm likely to make in the near future is to sort out the network side of my system and move on from the SBT. The forthcoming Sony USB DAC looks very interesting as does the new NAD DAC. I was thinking about the new NAD D3020 amp/DAC but every time I listen to music on my system I ask myself why I would want to change the amp!

I have an old dedicated laptop for music, Apple lossless files for my CD's which is about 250gb, and Spotify premium. I use the Spotify interface all the time which allows all the local files( iTunes apple lossless) to played through it.

Really simple. One interface into good dac > into good amp > good speakers.

 

[matthewpiano]

How do you find the V90DAC with the Denon Um?

 

[matthewpiano]

Very interested in these, as I'm determined to replace my MS 902i's in the next few months, and the Zensor 3's are at the price point I'm looking at. Slight concern about their suitability for partnering with my NAD 326BEE amp though, as some comments suggest the speakers are big on bass but not so much on treble detail - which wouldn't be a great match for the NAD.

You really need to audition. I don't find them at all heavy in the bass and certainly less liable to boom in those frequencies than my MS902is can in my room. One thing I have found repeatedly with different equipment, however, is that the Chord Carnival speaker cable can have a thickening effect on the sound and seems to favour the bass frequencies over the treble ones. I find the QED much more balanced sounding.

 

[Um]

How do you find the V90DAC with the Denon Um?

i use the USB input. Incredibly detailed ( sometimes. Spookily so). Very open wide sound.

I'm not sure spending more than £200 will get you better sound quality.

 

[Dougal1331]

Well, done it. Got them!

I fully agree with Matthewpiano's analysis, but only after a couple of hours' use. Straight from the box the bass was abysmal- the lowest octaves of Rudimental's Waiting all Night honked and resonated loudly, while the rest of the bass was either plummy or strangely absent. Mid and top are very good, and imaging shows promise with a bit more use.

Watched the GP through them (you know what I mean!) this afternoon, which gave them a bit of a workout, and I've now got Roisin Murphy absolutely singing out. Everything has tightened up somewhat.

They're good. And getting better...

 

[matthewpiano]

They do tighten up quite a bit. In fact, I had to take my first pair back after a few days because they developed a fault. When I got home with the replacements I thought they weren't as good as the first pair pre-fault, but they soon ran in and all was well again!! I'm not really a believer in running in with electronics but I have noticed is with quite a few different pairs of speakers.

 

[ErwinC]

I had the Dali Zensor 1 speakers for over a year and they are excellent speakers. When I bought the q acoustics 2020i speakers I couldn't believe the improvement. They sounded better in every way. Really, really good speakers.

I agree. I also had the Zensor 1 at home for a few days and found them good but certainly not as clean sounding as the 2020i.

But please q acoustics.............next time speaker terminals on the back !!! Please

That is why i bought the Concept 20. Speaker terminals on the back and even better sounding than the 2020i.

 

[Dougal1331]

So I've spent the evening with the Zensor 3s now. I've done INXS, Roisin Murphy, Rogue Element, Olive, Alanis Morrisette and DJ Format, with a little Metallica on the side.

The initial trapped-wind has dissipated and I now have proper bass. The top end is opening out nicely and everything in between is fairly impressive. I've managed to sit and listen to my kit for about four hours, which is something I haven't done in a while, and they haven't really missed a beat. The sound is very unfatiguing so entire albums end up being played, rather than just select tracks. I think I shall be doing more of this...

I had actually decided on Boston A26s when I left home this morning. Bath Richer Sounds had none in stock, and it would take a while to get a pair in. My backup plans were the Q 2020i and the Zensor 3. I saw both of them on the shelf, looked at the relevant price tags, saw the lovely shiny Dalis winking at me, muttered to myself and thought "oh what the hey" (or words to that effect) and spent £310 on the Dalis- the £10 extra being the taxi home with them.

The only downside is they are single wire only, so I can't biamp them. No major worry as either the RA02 or the RB03 are very capable on their own- I'm using both in pre-power config now. May sell both and upgrade to RA10 or whatnot...

Very chuffed with them already, it's only been 10 hours... This calls for a veritable plethora of emoticons: :dance: :bounce: :rockout: :cheers:

 

[matthewpiano]

So I've spent the evening with the Zensor 3s now. I've done INXS, Roisin Murphy, Rogue Element, Olive, Alanis Morrisette and DJ Format, with a little Metallica on the side.

The initial trapped-wind has dissipated and I now have proper bass. The top end is opening out nicely and everything in between is fairly impressive. I've managed to sit and listen to my kit for about four hours, which is something I haven't done in a while, and they haven't really missed a beat. The sound is very unfatiguing so entire albums end up being played, rather than just select tracks. I think I shall be doing more of this...

I had actually decided on Boston A26s when I left home this morning. Bath Richer Sounds had none in stock, and it would take a while to get a pair in. My backup plans were the Q 2020i and the Zensor 3. I saw both of them on the shelf, looked at the relevant price tags, saw the lovely shiny Dalis winking at me, muttered to myself and thought "oh what the hey" (or words to that effect) and spent £310 on the Dalis- the £10 extra being the taxi home with them.

The only downside is they are single wire only, so I can't biamp them. No major worry as either the RA02 or the RB03 are very capable on their own- I'm using both in pre-power config now. May sell both and upgrade to RA10 or whatnot...

Very chuffed with them already, it's only been 10 hours... This calls for a veritable plethora of emoticons: :dance: :bounce: :rockout: :cheers:

Glad you are enjoying them! For me, the text I've highlighted in bold sums it up. It has been a long time since I've been able to truly settle down and listen to my music without fidgeting, and since I bought the Zensor 3s I've been doing it every time I've put a record on. That makes them a real success in my book.

:cheers:

 

[Cypher]

That is why i bought the Concept 20. Speaker terminals on the back and even better sounding than the 2020i.

I know Erwin but the 2020i are good enough for me. I'm going to keep these

 

[ErwinC]

I know Erwin but the 2020i are good enough for me. I'm going to keep these

Not a bad choice. I don't know which speakers have the best value for money: the 2020i or the Concept 20. :cheers:

 

[HiFive.]

Just wondered what fault they developed, so I can keep an eye out for it when I get my pair.

 

[penbat]

I've managed to sit and listen to my kit for about four hours, which is something I haven't done in a while, and they haven't really missed a beat. The sound is very unfatiguing so entire albums end up being played, rather than just select tracks. I think I shall be doing more of this...

Yes very true, its also incredible to me that the percussion has so much depth and complexity.

 

[matthewpiano]

They developed a distorted sound in one speaker, which I first noticed on some solo piano music. It was a little like the 'swishing' sound that used to accompany piano music on the first, cheap CD player I had years ago - a Saishio CDX200.

The guy in the shop suggested it might be that the spider hadn't been glued properly.

Anyway, the replacement pair is fine and I love them. Superb speakers. I hope you enjoy yours as much as I'm enjoying mine!

 

[Garett]

I also auditoned some of these at the weekend after initailly going in to try out the Zensor 1s. After trying Wharfdale 121's and MA BX2's also, when I finally got round to listening to the Zensor 3's they were a revelation. They sounded stunning, and offer a rich bass that I felt the 1's were missing. Now I just need to justify to myself why I should spend £300 on some new speakers!

 

[matthewpiano]

If it helps, I've found that having the Zensor 3s has re-invigorated my interest in the further reaches of my music collection. Still love them after nearly 2 months.

 

[Dougal1331]

Ditto.

Just been through Grid's Evolver album with me new PM6004. Total stonker of a performance, but I think my Rotels have the edge still, better bass and a bit more lucid in the treble.

Still debating getting another RB03 and going bridged monobloc, but they're rare as three-legged snakes at the moment. Not sure my gamble has paid off on this occasion... :doh:

 

[Garett]

Thanks Matthew, I really was sold on the speakers and I can see myself purchasing a pair before the year is out.

Dougal how do you find the Zensor 3s match up wit the Rotel? I run an RA-02 but on its own and although the speakers sounded great on demo, they were being run by £3ks worth of Roskan lovelyness.

BTW- You have the same amp, interconnects and blu-ray player as me, as well as the speakers I covet. Good choice!

 

[danrv]

Ultimately we are talking about 3 excellent affordable speaker designs here and each will suit different environments.

Very true. My Lektor 2s are well suited to my room corners because they're maybe a little bass light. But, with the bigger bass from the Roksan Kandy K2 amp, they sound fantastic.

The Zensor 3s look promising and I would consider an upgrade although they're the same price as the Lektor 2s but I think I'd end up with too much bass. I'd really like to try a pair of Dali Ikon 1 Mk2s as a step up from the Lektors.

 

[Dougal1331]

Dougal how do you find the Zensor 3s match up wit the Rotel? I run an RA-02 but on its own and although the speakers sounded great on demo, they were being run by £3ks worth of Roskan lovelyness.

BTW- You have the same amp, interconnects and blu-ray player as me, as well as the speakers I covet. Good choice!

They are exceptional with the Rotel amps. I have tried the RA02 on its own, it is a great match for the speakers, giving a wide soundstage and a very nice overall balance, with a particularly good midrange and treble. Bass is impressive too- not overstated but fairly tight, and satisfyingly deep.

The RB03 just- and I mean just- shades it, with a little more control and heft in the bass, although the top end isn't quite as 'airy' as the '02. I used to biamp with the 02 doing treble, and the 03 on bass- and they seriously rocked.

 

[Dougal1331]

The point I should have made in my last post: Go for it Garett, you won't be disappointed. The RA02 is still a brilliant amp- I'm going to be switching back from the Marantz any day soon.

Not to say the Marantz is bad, far from it, just that for me, the Rotel outguns it in just about every department. May have to set up a second system with the Marantz and try it with some of my other speakers...

 

[Garett]

Thanks for the input Dougal, I am still very happy with my Rotel, paired with the CD6004 they sound brilliant together and I think a pair of Zensor 3s will complete a nice little system.

Its almost as if they knew, Richer Sounds sent me a voucher today that would enable me to get £50 off. I think I may be picking some up earlier than I thought, it seems daft not too with such a sizeable discount.

 

[Garett]

So I did it. Last weekend I took my voucher and walked into Richer Sounds and ordered my Zensor 3s, in walnut, a bargain with £50 off.
I picked them up on Monday and let them run in on Tuesday by leaving BBC Radio 2 blaring out all day, although I'm sure they're still bedding in now as they seem to get better with each listen.

Compared with my old Mission M33i they are a complete and utter revelation. They sound clearer and crisper, more open with a fantastically wide open sound stage. They also pack a punch for a smallish speaker and actually the low frequency response dips lower than the Missions, surprising for a bookshelf vs. floorstander.

Currently got them sat on some (borrowed) Atacama Nexus stands 2/3 filled with sand, spiked on granite chopping boards and isolating pads on the stand tops.

I'm extremely pleased with them and would urge anyone in the sub £500 speaker bracket to give them a listen. To my ears they knock seven shades out of the 5 star MA BX2.

 

[Dougal1331]

Brilliant!

Glad you like them. I agree with you about the bass response- it really is stunning for such compact cabinets. The soundstage is stunning too, the tweeters are extremely capable.

I'll probably be swapping amps again tomorrow, I've given the Marantz a few weeks now, and while my ears have adjusted to the new sound, there just isn't the insight or sheer punch of the Rotels. Almost like the Marantz is tired and can't really be bothered by comparison.

I really want another RB03 but I'm getting bored waiting now... :wall: