Dali Zensor 3

[manicm]

I tend to favour more potent amplifiers than most on here and found that to bring more scale to the Zensor 1s than might be expected without compromising the speed and agility of the bass.

The extra warmth and body from the Zensor 3 sounded false to me, maybe if I had a very dry, tight room........... :?

But if one had the funds for more potent amplifiers you wouldn't be looking at el-cheapos like the Zensor 1 anyway. Assuming space was still an issue then I would look at the Neat Iotas and such like.

With superior amplification you cannot restrict yourself to only attributes of speed and agility - I demand scale as well.

 

[Henry Winter]

And, please, how do the 3 and the 5 compare"

 

[davedotco]

I tend to favour more potent amplifiers than most on here and found that to bring more scale to the Zensor 1s than might be expected without compromising the speed and agility of the bass.

The extra warmth and body from the Zensor 3 sounded false to me, maybe if I had a very dry, tight room........... :?

But if one had the funds for more potent amplifiers you wouldn't be looking at el-cheapos like the Zensor 1 anyway. Assuming space was still an issue then I would look at the Neat Iotas and such like.

With superior amplification you cannot restrict yourself to only attributes of speed and agility - I demand scale as well.

Not for me.

I consider that the importance of the amplifier is massively under rated on this forum and would, frankly, not give houseroom to any of the mass market brands that dominate these pages. I would have no qualms using a Creek (say) driving a pair of Zensor 1s in a small room, in fact I would consider that combination (plus a decent pair of stands) my 'one to beat' in the sub £1000 class for that application.

Again, to be fair, I consider most budget loudspeakers to be a waste of time, the small Dalis and the Q Acoustics excepted, to a degree at least. There is just something about modern, budget playback systems that I really do not much like, hence my desire to keep well away from them. and seek alternative options.

 

[Garett]

I know it has already been mentioned but as this is seems to be the definitive thread for these speakers I thought I would say that the WHF review is on page 14 of the latest issue (March 2014) of WHF.

It gets a favourable 5 stars and tells us mostly what we have already decided for ourselves in this thread but its nice that the experts agree! It would be interesting to see them pitted against rivals in a group test, and even dare I say slightly more expensive speakers to see how they fair. As an example of a system they have suggested a Rega Brio-R and its DAC sibling which is nice to know that they rate these speakers above entry level.

 

[Oldskool1976]

Audio express are selling these for £239! If only I had a bigger listening room :boohoo:

Still the Zensor 1's are still a fantastic budget speaker! 8)

 

[Garett]

Now that is a bargain! I got mine for £250 with a Richer Sounds voucher I received through the VIP emails.

 

[Dougal1331]

I paid full-whack for mine. But I don't care. If they'd cost £500 I'd still be happy!

I've owned a lot of excellent speakers (I still have half-a-dozen pairs clogging up cupboards around the house), but none which are so perfectly involving. It's always been about the 'hifi' stuff up til now- and there's nothing necessarily wrong with that- but the first thoughts every time I hear the Dalis is "Wow. This is a great track.". The electronics just disappear. The performance so complete, it takes over your entire attention. Albums finish in what feels like a few minutes, and it's over to the CD rack for the next one.

The bass (as said many times before) is truly staggering. Depth, slam and clarity, with not an ounce of flab. Electronic music is simply incredible, with the excellent tweeters doing such a great job that William Orbit's version of 'Barber's Adagio for Strings' almost makes me spontaneously combust. And when the bass comes in, it's properly euphoric. Takes me back to my clubbing days, sigh...

Switch to something mellower, and the music just pours effortlessly. Everything is present and correct, and if you want to, you can follow individual strands of the music. But the speakers' infectious character soon sucks you back to toe-tapping and head-nodding, with your eyes closed.

As for these versus the Q Acoustics Concept 20s, it's definitely an audition job. There are camps for both sides, but having not heard the Qs, I can only spew forth about the Dalis.

But anyone who does take the plunge and buys a pair of these without auditioning first (like myself, ahum...) will unlikely be disappointed. They will probably be thrilled.

One final re-echo of an important point: let them run in! Mine sounded- quite frankly- horrid straight fromt the box. A couple of hours brings significant improvement, and they just get better and better.

To say I view these speakers as probably the best £300 I've ever spent on hifi, would be an understatement. And they work extremely well with the Marantz PM6004/6005, just for the record...

 

[Dougal1331]

Next mission is to get my Project Genie fixed and running again...

 

[manicm]

I tend to favour more potent amplifiers than most on here and found that to bring more scale to the Zensor 1s than might be expected without compromising the speed and agility of the bass.

The extra warmth and body from the Zensor 3 sounded false to me, maybe if I had a very dry, tight room........... :?

But if one had the funds for more potent amplifiers you wouldn't be looking at el-cheapos like the Zensor 1 anyway. Assuming space was still an issue then I would look at the Neat Iotas and such like.

With superior amplification you cannot restrict yourself to only attributes of speed and agility - I demand scale as well.

Not for me.

I consider that the importance of the amplifier is massively under rated on this forum and would, frankly, not give houseroom to any of the mass market brands that dominate these pages. I would have no qualms using a Creek (say) driving a pair of Zensor 1s in a small room, in fact I would consider that combination (plus a decent pair of stands) my 'one to beat' in the sub £1000 class for that application.

Again, to be fair, I consider most budget loudspeakers to be a waste of time, the small Dalis and the Q Acoustics excepted, to a degree at least. There is just something about modern, budget playback systems that I really do not much like, hence my desire to keep well away from them. and seek alternative options.

I agree that the amp is extremely important, but if you're spending 1k on an amp then don't skimp on a speaker for God's sake. A speaker like a Zensor 1 makes no sense when you've ramped the amp up.

And to others like me scale and soundstage is extremely important, may as well go Walmart then. If you're going big, go big or go home.

 

[davedotco]

I tend to favour more potent amplifiers than most on here and found that to bring more scale to the Zensor 1s than might be expected without compromising the speed and agility of the bass.

The extra warmth and body from the Zensor 3 sounded false to me, maybe if I had a very dry, tight room........... :?

But if one had the funds for more potent amplifiers you wouldn't be looking at el-cheapos like the Zensor 1 anyway. Assuming space was still an issue then I would look at the Neat Iotas and such like.

With superior amplification you cannot restrict yourself to only attributes of speed and agility - I demand scale as well.

Not for me.

I consider that the importance of the amplifier is massively under rated on this forum and would, frankly, not give houseroom to any of the mass market brands that dominate these pages. I would have no qualms using a Creek (say) driving a pair of Zensor 1s in a small room, in fact I would consider that combination (plus a decent pair of stands) my 'one to beat' in the sub £1000 class for that application.

Again, to be fair, I consider most budget loudspeakers to be a waste of time, the small Dalis and the Q Acoustics excepted, to a degree at least. There is just something about modern, budget playback systems that I really do not much like, hence my desire to keep well away from them. and seek alternative options.

I agree that the amp is extremely important, but if you're spending 1k on an amp then don't skimp on a speaker for God's sake. A speaker like a Zensor 1 makes no sense when you've ramped the amp up.

And to others like me scale and soundstage is extremely important, may as well go Walmart then. If you're going big, go big or go home.

I did say £1k on the combination, but that is being picky I guess.

Maybe I really do not like the sound of budget amplifiers, but most budget systems really don't work for me, particularly those where the amplifier costs less than the speakers.

I suppose it is all a bit of a compromise, at this level anyway, but I guess what I am saying is this.......

I find the lift in performance, grip and control that a better amplifier can impose, even on entry level speakers to be more to be far more to my taste than the somewhat warm and muddled sound of an inadequate amplifier failing to contol more expensive speakers.

 

[manicm]

Davedotco - I repeat - I'm not underestimating amplification - but there's only so much that a 1k amp, for example, can squeeze out of a small budget speaker like the Zensor 1.

The most expensive amp cannot squeeze a huge soundstage out of a small, budget speaker - it's the laws of physics, and it would be completely stupid to think it could.

 

[davedotco]

Davedotco - I repeat - I'm not underestimating amplification - but there's only so much that a 1k amp, for example, can squeeze out of a small budget speaker like the Zensor 1.

The most expensive amp cannot squeeze a huge soundstage out of a small, budget speaker - it's the laws of physics, and it would be completely stupid to think it could.

Back in the day I was able to prove my assertions as to what worked well and what did not by demonstration. That was what, as a dealer, we did.

Sadly as I am no longer in a position to do so. this discusion is going nowhere.

 

[manicm]

Oh come on Davedotco - back in the day??? When??? 1975??? You really believe pairing, for example, a SuperNait with a small budget standmount that no amount of wattage can improve on soundstage and scale makes sense?? Please!!!!!!!!

 

[davedotco]

Oh come on Davedotco - back in the day??? When??? 1975??? You really believe pairing, for example, a SuperNait with a small budget standmount that no amount of wattage can improve on soundstage and scale makes sense?? Please!!!!!!!!

About 1978 until the mid 90s.

The dems were almost always successful because, rather than just arguing the toss, we could demonstrate what really makes a difference and people could hear for themselves.

In the mid 90's such dems started to become counterproductive, not because people could not hear what was going on, they could, but it did not tie in with what they were being told by the 'experts' in the now all important magazines and the infant internet.

The result was that the customers became 'confused', their words, because the reality of what they could clearly hear did not agree with the expert opinion of the magazines.

The views of the magazines became the percieved wisdom and we really were back to the early 70's when nobody bothered with proper demonstrations and components were bought not by their written specifications as in the 'real' old days but by the written review.

 

[Wady]

New to the forum ( any forum for that matter )

joined the audiophile world when i was 18 in 2009 however allways been in to speaker systems etc from a very young age. Used to take them apart, swop and change them and just general fiddling!

bought cambridge s30 with azur 340a amp from richer sounds in 2010 and they sounded great for such a small speaker, bass sounded very low however after craving more bass i looked in to other bookshelf speaker ( and partly due to both tweeters blowing in the s30s after somebody wiring them in series with subwoofers at a party )

Decided on the dali zenzor 3s after looking up reviews and basicly there old school 7 inch bass driver. They are paired up with my good old faithful azur340a but they sound very crisp and detailed. With layerd and very instrumental tracks you do find yourself hearing parts of songs that you had never realised where there. It is a good thing as you enjoy old music that you had previously left on a shelf to get dusty.

The bass itself is great and at 125w per speaker its an improvement over most bookshelves at around 100w, i would highly recommend these speakers and i hapily got offered them for £250 at richer sounds without even asking for a bargain.

i also paired them up to my dads old school Arcam alpha R8 which despite being nearly 15 years old still produces a better more acoustic sound than my cambridge audi azur.

Anyway, if you want a bookshelve with great detail, clarity and bass. Then you can't go wrong with them! I have not heard the zenzor 1s or 5s but if i went for floorstanders i would be forking out for the zenzor 7s for the twin 7" bass drivers. Tweeters are all the same across the range apparently.

go for 3a for bookshelf, 7 for floor stander!

 

[Thropplenoggin]

The review for the Zensor 3 is in the new issue WHF and gets 5 stars, however the 5 gets 4 stars and one comment in the review that sticks out for me if you are a classical fan is " layered recordings slightly harder to follow than they should be". I know you can't rely entirely on reviews but if you can't hear the speakers yourself then you have to put a certain amount of faith in them.

I was interested in your above comment, Garett, as I listen mostly to classical. I'm planning on upgrading my system this year, and plan to audition the Rega Brio-R amp, due to recommendations on here. Do you know of a good budget speaker for classical music? Would a speaker like the LS50 or Focal Aria 906 be worth investing in (substantially pricier, I know) or are floorstanders the way to go? (I know you need details about room size, etc., but it's just to get a rough idea of what I should be researching.)

I have just received the Dali Zensor 1s which are a massive improvement on those bundled with my Denon M-38, though I have noticed 'ear fatigue' with them. They've only had a few hours of usage, so perhaps this is due to that, or the fact my ears aren't used to detail! Some of the trebles can sound a bit too bright - I'm using Chord Silverscreen cables. Again, perhaps this will iron out with use?

 

[davedotco]

The review for the Zensor 3 is in the new issue WHF and gets 5 stars, however the 5 gets 4 stars and one comment in the review that sticks out for me if you are a classical fan is " layered recordings slightly harder to follow than they should be". I know you can't rely entirely on reviews but if you can't hear the speakers yourself then you have to put a certain amount of faith in them.

I was interested in your above comment, Garett, as I listen mostly to classical. I'm planning on upgrading my system this year, and plan to audition the Rega Brio-R amp, due to recommendations on here. Do you know of a good budget speaker for classical music? Would a speaker like the LS50 or Focal Aria 906 be worth investing in (substantially pricier, I know) or are floorstanders the way to go? (I know you need details about room size, etc., but it's just to get a rough idea of what I should be researching.)

I have just received the Dali Zensor 1s which are a massive improvement on those bundled with my Denon M-38, though I have noticed 'ear fatigue' with them. They've only had a few hours of usage, so perhaps this is due to that, or the fact my ears aren't used to detail! Some of the trebles can sound a bit too bright - I'm using Chord Silverscreen cables. Again, perhaps this will iron out with use?

I would strongly suspect that the 'ear fatigue' is an issue with the amplifier, not the speakers.

I would, if it were me, be lookng to improve that area with something a little more potent than the Brio-r. I like the Zensor 1 but only when well driven and given your classical bent you will need a bit more from your amplifier.

 

[Wady]

I was wondering how the Rega performs so let me know if you decide to purchase. Read some good reviews however also read a few bad ones in respect to filling medium rooms etc. They dont recommend large floorstanders with it apparently. I would say the speakers your suggesting would make a good match. Wouldn't keep the £200 zensor 1s with a £450 amp, although others would argue they prefer a better amp to speakers.

 

[Wady]

I was wondering how the Rega performs so let me know if you decide to purchase. Read some good reviews however also read a few bad ones in respect to filling medium rooms etc. They dont recommend large floorstanders with it apparently. I would say the speakers your suggesting would make a good match. Wouldn't keep the £200 zensor 1s with a £450 amp, although others would argue they prefer a better amp to speakers. Also with the zensors the treble tweeter is so detailed it can on certain tracks seem seperate to the bass. If you had this issue i would suggest a 3 way speaker to hopefully prevent this.

 

[danbeatles78]

Hi,

thinking of driving these with the Sonos Connect Amp, do you think it would be a good fit?

currently using Q Acoustics 2020i's with Q Acoustics 7000 sub

looking to get rid of the sub and have a speaker that's known for decent bass response

what do we reckon?

 

[BIGBERNARDBRESSLAW]

Hi,

thinking of driving these with the Sonos Connect Amp, do you think it would be a good fit?

currently using Q Acoustics 2020i's with Q Acoustics 7000 sub

looking to get rid of the sub and have a speaker that's known for decent bass response

what do we reckon?

I haven't needed my sub since I bought the Zensor 3s, much better bass than my previous 2020is.

 

[danbeatles78]

Thanks mate exactly the response I was hoping for

Does the connect amp really benefit from the Z3's in your opinion?

 

[lpv]

Stereophile tested Zensor 1 with Creek Destiny... amps does matter. almost any speaker will benefit

 

[Cypher]

I haven't needed my sub since I bought the Zensor 3s, much better bass than my previous 2020is.

Do you think the Dali Zensor 3 is an overall better speaker than the Q acoustics 2020i ?

 

[danbeatles78]

Just bought the Zensor 3's from creative audio for £239

you have to call though to get them for that price, their website still has them up for £299