Here in at Audio T Cheltenham, we can proudly boast that we have the only pair of the brand new DALI Rubicon 8C wireless active loudspeakers currently on demonstration anywhere in the country!

DALI, which stands for Danish Audiophile Loudspeaker Industries, is a Danish (surprise surprise) manufacturer of high-end loudspeakers. The company was founded in 1983 by Peter Lyngdorf and has become one the best and most respected loudspeaker manufacturers in the world.

So what does the C stand for?

Simply put, the C suffix means that these loudspeakers are active… Not sure why they don’t use “A” for “Active” or “P” for “Powered”… Maybe I’m just being picky?!

So what does active mean? Well, the power amplification that powers the drive units is built in to the cabinets themselves. This gives huge scope for improvement over standard passive systems because each drive unit is directly driven and is fed only the correct frequencies that it needs. None of that pesky crossover stuff to get in the way of a good signal!

The build quality and the standard of finish is simply stunning. Our pair are high gloss black but they are also available in high gloss white and drop dead gorgeous walnut (my description, not theirs). Part of the magic comes from the revolutionary Hybrid Tweeter Module which combines a dome tweeter with a ribbon tweeter for an amazing reproduction of high frequencies, with wide dispersion at ultra-high frequencies keeping things crisp and airy. The dome tweeter is able to reach down well into the midrange frequencies, making the handover from the woofer to the tweeter sound more natural and totally seamless. Along with the wide-banded bass/midrange, this ensures the all-important midrange area is balanced, coherent and detailed…..genius eh?

The 6½” wood fibre SMC-based woofer delivers the midrange and bass frequencies fed by one of the two 250-Watt amplifiers. The combination of the low loss design, the wood fibre membrane and the SMC pole piece enables this woofer to work with minimal distortion of the amplifier signal. This, together with the extremely musical Class-D amplifier, delivers audio with excellent dynamic detail, great bass control and a wonderful open soundstage. The use of SMC (Soft Magnetic Compound) has many advantages, but the overarching result is a significant reduction of distortion from losses in the magnet motor. SMC’s unique ability to deliver a high magnetic conductivity and a very low electrical conductivity, gives all the desired qualities of a really good speaker magnet, without the traditional disadvantages.

Close up of the wood fibre reinforcement

The real star of this show is the imaginatively titled DALI Sound Hub. This is where the game really does change. In reality your Hi-Fi system can consist of just this! The sound hub is the starting point when setting up the Rubicon C speakers. The hub is the base for the distribution of the wireless audio signal. This is where initiating the pairing process begins. The DALI Sound Hub houses all the potential connections. With a focus on zero loss, and easy setup. The wireless connection only requires power to be fully working, which means easy change of setup and no messy installation of cables. The wireless connection between the speakers and the hub will even work without any Wifi signal active, due to the direct connection between the units.

The sound hub also has built-in controls for Power On/Off, Volume control, Source select, Mute and Speaker pairing, and also visual indications for Volume, Source and Speaker placement. The sound hub remote control is connected via Bluetooth, ensuring optimal performance stability, visual feedback, and ease of operation from a distance. Bluetooth also enables the user to place the sound hub anywhere within a maximum of 10 metres, but preferably in the same room as the speakers.

Our hub has the BluOS Streaming module built-in and it can also house a second module to allow full 5.1 surround sound as well. The BluOS expansion module for the sound hub allows multi-room streaming to compatible devices.

For those of you not in the know, BluOS is an advanced multi-room audio technology from Bluesound that lets you stream music from all your favourite streaming services, radio stations, and digital sources to any BluOS enabled stereo system or speaker, using the BluOS app. We just love BluOS…the app is great and it is so intuitive to use… So much so, that many manufacturers are incorporating BluOS in to their own products.

We have been listening to the Rubicon 8C loudspeakers with lots of music streamed from Tidal and have nothing but praise for their big open airy sound-staging abilities. They are never harsh or bright sounding as so many of today’s newer designs can sound. These are speakers that you can listen to all day long and never tire of. The bass is deep and juicy but always perfectly controlled. The whole soundstage they produce is big and open, extending massively outside the boxes. simply the best wireless loudspeaker system we have heard to date. I have just been streaming the brand new Mildlife live album “Live From South Channel Island.” The speakers set up as DALI recommend which is facing straight out with no toe in at all, So it would seem that DALI could actually stand for Don’t Angle Loudspeakers Inwards!

Basically what we have here is a shoe-in for album of the year. Melbourne based Mildlife have released this their first live album this week on the Heavenly record label. The performance was part of a livestream from last March, recorded on location in Port Phillip Bay, an island located off the coast of Sorrento in the south of Victoria. Sounds incredible and the vibes are so strong. Unable to play shows due to the pandemic, Mildlife travelled by boat to a long abandoned 19th century island fort to perform for fairy penguins and abalone poachers. The result is Live from South Channel Island, a 70 minute motion picture and live album where the band masterfully recreate the magic of their live shows, framed by the gorgeous Port Phillip Bay. The album is a beautiful mix of jazz, krautrock and demon grooves and the band has become a word of mouth sensation. Look it up and bask in their jazzy krautrock beauty.

Conclusion

Anyway…. It’s safe to say that here at Audio T Cheltenham, we love these Danish beauties and we’re pretty confident that you will too, especially if you’re ok for space and want a big room filling sound these could be just the thing you need! Demonstrations can be arranged in store and are thoroughly recommended.

Thanks for reading.

Andy, Jon and Farid - Audio T Cheltenham Store.

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