2. speakers
  3. 1193604852

Dali Helicon 800. What components match with it?

An audiophile I met invited me over to hear his system. He recently bought Helicon 800 speakers. He had considered the Helicon 400 that Absolute Sound raved about, but in comparing the two, he said the 800 won, hands down.

I thought they sounded great in every way. Great bass, clarity, imaging, with a natural sound. The combination of a soft dome tweeter crossed high to a ribbon gives an open, airy quality. Plus the woodworking and finish are stunning. If you get a chance to see one in person, do so, as photos don't do them total justice.

He did find though that the Dali's made him hear that his amp was too bright, so he changed amps from an older Parasound to an Audio Research transistor. He also made cabling changes that he said made a tremendous difference.

Anyone had experience with this speaker? Does it require careful matching of associated equipment? How does it compare to the Helicon 400?
audiosoul

Showing 4 responses by mike60

mike60
275 posts
 
I have the Helicon 800 Mk2, but had the Helicon 400 before that, so I can really make a comment on the comparison of these two mentioned by some.
I believe they are both superb. The reviews are correct!
The 800 Mk2 is definitely superior in a few ways. Voices sound better and more detailed, bass is deeper, and suprisingly, the depth of the sounstage improved. I thought this might get worse with the larger speaker.
I also found that the 800 Mk2 had improved on the 400's slightly enthusiastic high frequency treble, without compromising the excitement.
Again, both are excellent, and I tried a huge number of speaker brands and types before I went with Helicons.
mike60
275 posts
 
Just to add to my earlier comments, I am now running the 800 mk2 on a Gamut Di150 amp, and I find it highly impressive. Try this combination if you get the chance. I am looking to upgrade the speaker cables, and would be interested in any advice. I have noted Buda's Acoustic Zen Satori comment. Any others?
mike60
275 posts
 
Zear, I couldnt agree with you more. I have spent a lot of time, since getting my Helicon 800 speakers, listening to upgrades at up to 3 times the price driven by very expensive front ends, but none so far have matched the way these Dali's can sound. They have this special way of combining a warm spacious sound with this airy and sparkling treble. They sound unrestricted, open and transparent compared to other speakers, which can often sound quite constipated by comparison. Heaps of fine detail and fantastic 3D imaging.
I settled on Chord Epic super twin speaker cables and Nordost Heimdal interconnect, and you just want to keep on listening in awe at how great music can really sound.
mike60
275 posts
 
Zear, its a different company to Chord electronics, as far as I know. I have tried a few of their products with quite some success. They are a little more understated than the other brands.

I have a friend who works as an audio engineer with some EU manufacturers (speakers, suppliers, and electronics) and is very knowledgeable. In one of his companies they dealt with the high end speaker manufacturers and he views Dali as a "high end bargain". I agree with him fully. They are strong in EU, and I think when Dali get their act together in the USA, they are going to really do very well. It was was one of the few speakers that I found thrilling to listen to, without leaving my ears ringing. A few of the competing speakers with have much advertised tweeter technology are harsh, and you need to tame them through a soft front end, and then of course the detail is lost and ....well, i dont want to preach, but thats my experience anyway :-)

The Chord site for you:

http://www.chord.co.uk/chordweb/index2.htm
More to discover