Dali Zensor 5 5.1 - Mounting centre and surrounds, advice please.

[Oldboy]

Hello all,

I'm after some advice please, i've finally decided what speaker package to buy after many auditions of the main contenders and the Dali package is the winner but i've got an issue with setting it up once i order it.

At present i have my Q Acoustics 7.1 set up configured so that my rears are on brackets and likewise for the centre speaker due to my rack having no space left on it to place the centre so my question is how would i go about mounting the centre and rears of the Dali Zensor 5 package?

I know the Zensor 1's have a bracket (of sorts) on the rear of the cabinet but it's just a keyhole style cut out at the top of the speaker so is this the best way of mounting the rears? The only issue with this solution is that the speakers are not easily directed and in my room i would ideally like something more directional such as a bracket so i can get them into the corner of the room and direct them easily so would a standard speaker bracket be a good solution for me?

I also need to mount the centre speaker to the wall so is there a bracket out there that would be suitable for this purpose as i simply don't have room on my stand as it's full of kit, i know the centre speaker is a bit of a beast so if anyone could recommend a suitable bracket i would be really grateful, same goes for the rears.

I would like to order the brackets in time for the speakers to arrive so i can set it up correctly as soon as i get them rather than wait but i can't seem to find the ideal bracket solution so any help would be really appreciated.

Many thanks in advance.

 

[bigblue235]

Hi, Oldboy.

Sorry, a bit off-topic, but I'm looking for a reasonably priced set of surround speakers and I was thinking about the Dalis. Could I pick your brain a bit?

What else did you audition? Did you listen to the Zensor 5 in stereo? Did you listen to the Zensor 1 5.1?

Basically, I'd love to hear why you picked the Dalis, if it's not too much trouble.

Thanks!

 

[Pistol Pete1]

Bigblue, I recently heard the 5's when auditioning the Marantz PM6004/CD6004.

They sounded pretty good on that amp to be honest.......tried the exposure 1010 amp too, which offered great detail. Defo a good buy for stereo use.... :rockout:

 

[Oldboy]

bigblue235,

No worries i don't mind giving you my opinion but do please bear in mind that it's purely a personal opinion and that tastes can differ.

When i first started thinking of upgrading my speakers i was driven purely by price and so my auditions began with the Monitor Audio BX2 5.1 package which can be bought for under the £1000 mark which was initially my top budget, i was startled by just how big a sound such small boxes could summon up! They were my benchmark as they sounded so superior in every way to my current Q Acoustics set up, they trounced them with movies and music across the board.

I even went back with some discs from home that i was familiar with just to make sure that the differences i heard first time around weren't just the result of me just paying more attention to the sound when auditioning them and to be honest they were even more impressive 2nd time around. At the same time i was able to hear the BX1 5.1 package but that wasn't able to fill a room like the BX2 although if you wanted smaller boxes it would be worth consideration but for me the BX2 package was the star of the show.

As ever the mind wanders just what a little more outlay would get me and so i went for an audition of the B&W 685 Theatre package (around £1300) and found even greater gains in all areas over the BX2 package...i should add that since the 2nd audition of the BX2 package i took all my own discs to test at any audition. Where music was concerned the step up in price was more apparent, the bigger front boxes bringing greater gains in bass, detail and timing which was very impressive and with movies it was also apparent where that extra cash was going with gains in sheer scale and size of the sound stage.

Needless to say i came away shifting towards the 685 theatre pack because for a little more outlay they were well worth the money.

I then auditioned the Monitor Audio BX5 package which was good but the fronts didn't integrate very well with the rest of the system, somehow the shift to floorstanders ruined the cohesive sound of the BX2 package BUT with music they were excellent.

I then auditioned the Q Acoustics 2000i 5.1 and found exactly what i expected, a lovely sound for movies but only a minor upgrade in sound when compared with my current Q Acoustics speakers but a bargain for the money none the less. After that i auditioned the Acoustic Energy Neo V2 5.1, Tannoy revolution compact 5.1, Tannoy mercury F1 custom and finally the Acoustic energy aegis neo 5.1...all had their merits but none got close enough to the 685 package.

All of those were priced between £1000-1500 but none could quite beat the B&W 685 package but then i heard the Dali Zensor 5 5.1 and i have to say that for movies they provide the biggest, fullest sound of everything i auditioned with detail levels at least as good as the 685 and in places even more detail was on offer...it's hard to point to just one thing that made them better, the best way i can sum it up is that they just offered more of everything with movies and just sucked you in to whatever was happening on screen.

There is a trade off though when compared to the 685 package, with music the 685 has the edge for me. Those front speakers in the B&W set are simply outstanding and if music is a priority then i would seriously consider the 685 package but for movies it has to be the Dali's for me and to be honest the Zensor 5 floorstander fronts are no disgrace with music at all in fact they have more punch but when compared to the 685 fronts you do lose a very slight amount of detail and timing.

Overall when you compare pound for pound between all the packages i auditioned then the Dali zensor 5 was a clear winner and i can see just why they got the award in WHF, it's well deserved, and try as i might i simply couldn't find anything to beat it...not even the Zensor 1 5.1 which i auditioned last week just to see if i could perhaps save a few pounds and yet still get the same sound as the Zensor 5, you can't.

The Zensor 1 package is best compared to the BX2 package as they both include similar sized cabinets and if you were to do that then it would be very close as both are great with both movies and music but overall i would say the BX2 just shaves it due to the FX (bipole or dipole) rears, both are excellent with music but again the BX2s are just that little bit more enjoyable.

Phew...this has gone on long enough now so i will stop before it becomes more like an essay! All i can say is that i done my research thoroughly and i'm going for the Dali Zensor 5 package for sure and i would recommend them to anyone who asked but do bear in mind speakers can be a very personal choice so my advice would be to audition all that you can.

Hope all that helps and that i didn't go on for too long

EDIT: I should add that all music was listened to in stereo and that in all cases i listened to the speaker packages with the Onkyo 609 amp as it's the one i bought recently.

 

[bigblue235]

Thanks Pete, and thanks Oldboy, I think that answers all my questions... and a fair bit more! Much appreciated!

I have RS6s just now, but they're the wrong colour for our new flat (I know, I know!) so I need something in a dark finish, and smallish if possible. I'd also thought of the AE Neo and the Q packages. I really like the 685s, but something sticks in my mind about being advised to go with a package where the drive units are the same size for tonal consistency, plus the 600 series must be due a revamp sometime soon.

It's impossible for me to get head to head demo of these speakers unless I wait until the next time I'm on the mainland. The MA, Q, And B&W stockists are all at separate dealers here. And they're all more expensive than online, so I don't want to use their facilities unless I'm definitely going to buy from them.

Ah, decisions, decisions!

 

[Oldboy]

You are welcome, glad i could help.

As you can't demo easily i would say it's just a case of deciding what your priority is...movies or music? I know the 685 package has been around for some time now but my dealer was of the opinion that nothing new was due this year from B&W to replace them so if music is the priority i would be tempted to go for them BUT the Dali zensor 5 fronts get pretty close to them with music and create a better sound stage with movies.

For me movies was the priority even though i play a fair amount of music and the slight trade off was well worth it for the extra gains with film soundtracks. I really don't think you would be unhappy with any of the packages i tested as all of them are great in their own way but as i said, the Dali 5 just represents the best value for performance across the board. The only issue for you may be it's size as the speakers are far from discrete and would require a good sized room to get the most from.

If speaker size is an issue you could look at the Dali Fazon 3 5.1 package, it has the same sub as the zensor 5 package but the speakers are far more discreet and much smaller making them easier to hide away. I haven't auditioned them as they were just out of my price range and not what i wanted, i want a traditional speaker system and not a style package but i'm sure they would sound great as they won an award from WHF in their category.

The BX2 system is quite discrete also and may suit you if you are after smaller speakers and of course don't discount the Dali zensor 1 package either, i found it a really close run thing between both of those packages.

We are talikng about packages here that have all been well received and in almost all cases 5 star rated products from WHF so whichever you choose i'm sure you will be happy with, just pick the ones that best suit your purpose and size of room and i'm sure you will be very happy indeed!

 

[Oldboy]

Back on topic....

I have found some brackets that i would appreciate some feedback on if possible, the only suitable centre speaker bracket i could find is this one:

http://www.amazon.co.uk/B-Tech-Adjustable-Centre-Speaker-Microwave/dp/B000IGSKZ8/ref=wl_it_dp_o_npd?ie=UTF8&coliid=I1AYWS9M8YR8OG&colid=3UVFZEZ5BCD5U

The link is to Amazon as it's the cheapest price for the bracket, it's £30 or higher elsewhere but i think this is just what i need but i'm open to any better suggestions.

The most suitable (and best quality) brackets for the surrounds i have found are these:

http://www.audiovisualonline.co.uk/product/3565/vogels-vlb200-loudspeaker-wall-mount

I think these look the most sturdy of all the brackets i have looked at and will provide much more direction than just hanging the speakers with the keyhole bracket on the back of the cabinets, what do you think? I've looked at other cheaper brackets for the surrounds but they just seem flimsy in construction and if i'm going to spend £1100 on speakers it seems stupid to then scrimp on brackets.

 

[bigblue235]

I'll avoid derailing your thread again, but just wanted to say thanks for the further info!

 

[Oldboy]

I'll avoid derailing your thread again, but just wanted to say thanks for the further info!

You are more than welcome to post off topic, i'm not atall concerned by it so feel free...i'm more than happy to help if i can. Glad the extra info was of some use, are you any closer to a potential decision as a result??

I've ordered my brackets now so the original subject of the thread is probably solved once the goods have arrived and been inspected for suitabilty of course

 

[bluefella]

Hi there Oldboy, appreciate this thread is 2+ years old so likelihood of you reading this is slim! However, just on the off chance...

I am about to pull the trigger on the same speakers as you and was looking at exactly the same brackets for the rears and centre. Just wondering how you got on with yours, and also now you've had the speakers over 2 years, are you happy with performance in your system.

Thanks in advance just in case you read this!

 

[pauljack00]

I have this package and the 1's can go against the wall without it affecting the sound. For directing you simply have them facing forward ideally in line with the fronts so a screw in the wall will be more than adequate.

For the centre it's a big boy you would probably need a shelf to put it on rather than a bracket but again this speaker doesn't matter if it is close to the wall.

the 5s do need a bit of space though.

Hope this helps