For a country with a population of around six million people, Denmark punches well above its weight when it comes to hi-fi manufacture. Bang & Olufsen, DALI, Dynaudio, Lyngdorf, Ortofon, Raidho, Gryphon, ScanSpeak are just some of the top audio brands to come out of Denmark.

It is an impressive roll call, but in this blog I want to focus on DALI (Danish Audiophile Loudspeaker Industries) and, specifically, their impressive Rubikore range.

Where Rubikore sits in the range

DALI was founded in 1983 by Peter Lyngdorf, the Danish audiophile and entrepreneur who, among many other things, went on to found Lyngdorf Audio. Denmark has a long and proud history of audio engineering, which has proved the perfect nursery for hi-fi entrepreneurs and world-leading audio brands.

The Rubikore range sits around the midway point in DALI’s extensive speaker offering, which extends from the new entry-level Sonik range up to the high-end Kore. There is the Rubikore 2 stand-mount and the 6 and 8 floorstanders. There are also two units designed for AV applications: the Rubikore On-Wall and the Rubikore Cinema.

All benefit from technology which DALI says is inspired by the top-of-the-range Kore and Epikore ranges.

Hybrid tweeters and high-frequency finesse

One of the standout features of the Rubikore 6 and 8 speakers is DALI’s hybrid tweeter module, which is a combination of a soft dome and a planar element. This design allows the speaker to split the high-frequency handling, with the soft dome working alongside the ribbon tweeter, which takes care of frequencies above 14,000 Hz.

In practice, this means airy highs, delicate detail, and a sense of openness that makes for a really engaging listen.

Midrange clarity and driver design

The mid-bass woofers on all three Rubikores feature DALI’s signature deep red, wood-fibre cones—a blend of paper pulp reinforced with fine wood fibres. The material is both lightweight and rigid.

The drivers employ DALI’s SMC (Soft Magnetic Compound) system, which lowers distortion and improves clarity. It means that, in addition to their airy highs, the Rubikores’ midrange is wonderfully articulate and realistic, allowing vocals and instruments to sound authentic.

Controlled, confident bass performance

Bass performance on the Rubikore 2, 6 and 8 is nicely judged and controlled—weighty enough but not overly so, even on the larger Rubikore 6 and 8. The overall musical presentation is therefore detailed, clean and tight. They sound unforced and composed, even at higher volumes.

All of the Rubikore speakers place voices and instruments accurately within the soundstage, providing good lateral separation and depth too, all of which creates an enjoyably immersive sound.

Easy to enjoy, rewarding to explore

The Rubikores are easy to like straight off but are also revealing enough to reward more detailed or critical listening. Other speakers around the same price may get you more high-end detail, a sweeter midrange, or more low bass, but few at these prices manage to deliver all three as well integrated as the Rubikores.

Amplifier matching and system pairing

The Rubikores are fairly sensitive at 87dB for the Rubikore 2, 88.5dB for the 6 and 90.5dB for the 8. All have a nominal impedance of 4 ohms.

This means they are relatively easy to drive, even with modestly powered amplifiers. However, like most good-quality hi-fi speakers, they will really start to sing when paired with an amp with a decent amount of grunt.

A good-quality amplifier and source—whether vinyl, CD or streaming—offering detail and a touch of warmth would seem to suit the sonic profile of the Rubikores.

In our opinion, very lean or bright-sounding sources and amplifiers may not get the very best out of them. Given the Rubikores’ capacity for detail and insight, there is a risk that particularly bright or lean-sounding amps and/or sources could unbalance their sound.

Versatility across music genres

In our listening room, all three Rubikores perform well with different genres of music, as well-sorted speakers should. They can bring out the midrange beauty of a stripped-back vocal track, and they can rock out if required. Their fast and tight bass keeps even the bassiest electronic and R&B tracks under control.

Design, finish and build quality

The Rubikores are handsome speakers with just enough points of difference—such as the twin tweeters on the 6 and 8 and reddish mid-bass drivers—to make them stand out in a tasteful way.

Their fit and finish—Gloss Black, White and Maroon, plus a Natural Walnut option—is excellent. The cabinets appear well engineered, with sturdy outrigger feet on the 6 and 8, and all come with substantial speaker cable binding posts.

Final thoughts

The Rubikore range is an excellent mid-range hi-fi speaker line-up, with many of the talents often ascribed to high-end speakers, such as clarity, control and an even-handed naturalness to their sound.

They don’t overwhelm with exaggerated bass or overly bright highs. Instead, they invite you to enjoy your music and have easily enough insight to allow you to explore tracks you thought you knew well.

DALI is a company well known for its superb entry-to-mid speakers, such as the hugely talented Oberon 5. It also offers extremely high-end products such as the Kore, so it is good to see—and hear—that the company produces some real mid-range hi-fi gems in the shape of the Rubikore range.

The DALI Rubikore 2, 6 and 8 speakers are available for audition at the Portsmouth store, so please ring 0239 266 3604 to book a demo or email us at portsmouth@audio-t.co.uk

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