DALI Rubicon 6C Review
With the Rubicon 6C, DALI elevates the successful Callisto concept to a new level, once again combining modern wireless active technology with decades of tradition.
by Julian Kienzle
With the Callisto active speakers 6C and 2 C, DALI achieved a real stroke of genius. It only makes sense to extend this concept to higher-priced segments. The excellent passive Rubicon series serves as the perfect basis for this.
You can notice the good genes right from the unboxing, as the Rubicon 6C has a beautifully crafted finish that the simpler surface of the Callisto cannot match. The hybrid tweeter module here is also set in a high-quality aluminum frame, unlike the separately mounted dome and ribbon of the Callisto. The extremely responsive and subtly integrated LED strip on the front – the only visible sign of the extensive activation process – has been upgraded for the new Danish active flagship and is now also set in an elegant silver frame.
In fact, the Rubicon 6C is essentially a passive Rubicon 6 with the addition of active technology from the Callisto series. The high-quality drivers of the series, inspired by the Epicons, have been adopted. This means that the Rubicon 6C features two 16.5 cm mid-bass drivers with DALI’s proven wood fiber membranes, which are lightweight yet highly torsion-resistant and low in resonance. The fabric dome tweeter, which takes over at 2.5 kHz, is supported by a magnetostatic ribbon from 14 to 30 kHz. All drivers are manufactured directly in Denmark.
While the unobtrusive yet stylish LED strip on the front of the Rubicons might go unnoticed – at least if it’s not brightly indicating the selected volume – a look at the connection terminal reveals the active technology at work. The back of the 6Cs is not overloaded. There is only a power connection, a USB input for software updates, and a single RCA connector. The latter allows the active Rubicons to be used as classic active speakers by directly feeding each channel to the left and right speaker. Then, it goes directly into the built-in amplifiers, and only an external preamp is needed.
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However, this function is likely to be used only in exceptional cases, as DALI offers much more convenient solutions for source cabling in conjunction with the so-called Sound Hub.
Hub of Connections
With the Sound Hub, you get not only a fully-fledged preamp with sensitive volume control either at the hub itself or via remote control, but also two optical and one digital coaxial input, as well as an analog jack and RCA input. Additionally, there is an output for a subwoofer and a pre-out. Theoretically, the Sound Hub can be wired to any power amp. However, it is optimized for interaction with the active DALI speakers of the Rubicon or Callisto series.
It sends music to these speakers wirelessly, over relatively long distances, or even through walls, at 24-bit/96 kHz. In our case, the Sound Hub was in the large listening room, while its speakers were playing in the small listening room. This worked flawlessly, just like the entire wireless communication of the DALIs, which was always reliable and very stable. Even after the speakers had been disconnected from the wireless connection for days, as they made the rounds from the measurement lab to the photo studio, they just needed to be plugged back into the power and the switch on the Sound Hub pressed, and the system was ready to play. It doesn’t get better than this! The same goes for the initial wireless pairing of the hub with the speakers, which couldn’t be easier. Kudos to DALI!
Since both the Rubicon 6 and the Callisto 6 C received top marks in our tests, a combination of the two naturally raises high expectations. Is it really that simple? Take the best of both worlds and end up with a sound miracle?
Sometimes yes, because the Rubicon 6C sounds extremely good and plays the beautiful “Starry Starry Night,” a cover of Don McLean’s classic “Vincent” from the soundtrack of the masterfully staged film “Loving Vincent,” with touching intensity. It’s pure goosebumps! The active Rubicons effortlessly conjure up a harmonious, natural, and cohesive sound image in our listening room, seemingly casually adorned with a wealth of sparkling details without highlighting them dissectingly.
Power and Intellect
With JD Walter’s sometimes beautiful, sometimes emotional, and sometimes adventurous duets with various jazz pianists, the DALI managed to create a deep connection between piano and singer with gifted musical insight, while with Melody Gardot’s “Your Heart Is As Black As Night,” it placed the instruments in a completely believable context and also bordered the deep bass line powerfully but without exaggeration with pleasantly soft edges. For perfection, it only lacks the last spark of airiness, precision, and attack – but to get that, we are already in entirely different price ranges.
WHAT WE LISTENED TO: JD Walter: Dressed In A Song, a Great comeback album full of intimate jazz duets between piano and vocals.
Specs
| Product | DALI Speaker System |
| Price | Around €7100 (price includes Sound Hub (€600) and BluOS module (€500)) |
| Dimensions (hwd) | 99 x 20 x 38 cm |
| Type | Three-way, four-driver floorstander with ported bass reflex enclosure |
| Driver Complement | – 1 x 29mm soft dome tweeter – 1 x 17x45mm ribbon tweeter – 2 x 165mm mid/bass driver |
| Frequency Response | 37Hz-30kHz |
| Crossover Frequencies | 800Hz, 2.6kHz, 14kHz |
| Sensitivity | 1250 |
| Weight | 46 kg |
| Finishes | Gloss black, gloss white, walnut |
| Manufacturer | DALI |
| Warranty | 5 years |
| URL | dali-speakers.com |
| Contact | DALI |
| Features | – Can also be operated as a wired active speaker – Wireless control with Sound Hub – Module slots for upgrades – BluOS module expands the system to include a streamer |
| Inputs and Outputs on the Hub | – Pre-Out – Sub-Out – 3.5mm jack – RCA – Coaxial digital – 2 x optical – Bluetooth – 2 x USB – WiFi/LAN with BluOS module |
Measurement Results
Lower cutoff frequency (-3 dB SPL): approx. 35 Hz
Distortion factor at 63/3k/10k Hz: 1/0.1/0.3%
Lab Comment: The frequency response shows the typical DALI preference to be slightly angled towards the listening position. Experimenting with the setup can be worthwhile.
Verdict
DALI’s Rubicon 6C skillfully combines the very stable and easy-to-use wireless active technology of the Callisto series with the high-quality passive speakers of the Rubicon series. A successful project, especially in conjunction with the Sound Hub and BluOS module, offering unbeatable ease of use. And it sounds absolutely fantastic!
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