# Dali Zensor 3



## dizzyorange

Has anyone heard these?  Thinking of getting a pair.  Maybe pair them with an NAD 3020 D.  What do you guys think.


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## mark2410

ive heard them, it wosnt a great demo given it was at richer sounds.  big chain but little shop and just on the shop floor next to a busy main road so basically a crappy listening environment.
  
 that said i really liked them.  great mids on them for the money.  lows were less great, smooth and mellowish, which personally for a lot of what id play that works and highs were rather delicate which again i really approve of.  so for me, playing tunefull slower music id think a stellar pick for the money.  if you want something brash and aggressive dali isnt where id look.
  
 but again, it was in a noisy shop environment so hardly a definitive listen.


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## dizzyorange

Well I ordered a pair off of Ebay.  I also have KEF LS50s coming in next week for a comparison.


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## mark2410

ls50's???
  
 seems an odd two to compare given they sit at wildly different price points.


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## dizzyorange

mark2410 said:


> ls50's???
> 
> seems an odd two to compare given they sit at wildly different price points.


 
 I've been reading up on lots of bookshelf speakers the past week and these are the two that appealed to me the most.  Unfortunately I have no way of hearing them without ordering them from Amazon (and taking advantage of the amazing return policy for the pair that I like less).  
  
 Yeah the KEF is 3 times the price.  What really appeals to me about it is the single-point sound from the concentric speakers.  I wonder how much of a difference that makes and I really want to hear it for myself.  My worry is that it will sound amazing for acoustic music but fall flat for rock.  
  
 Everyone describes the Zensor 3's as fun and messy, which in a way is exactly what I'm looking for.  But I listen nearfield and always seem to be able to pick out the tweeter and woofer separately—which is what led me to the LS50.  But people seem to say the Dali's drivers are very well integrated.
  
 I'll be running it mainly with an NAD D3020 — an amp that some have described as inadequate to take advantage of the LS50's talents.  I'll be keeping that in mind during the comparison.
  
 I also have a HK3480 120W/channel high current design, and a 375W/channel club amp that I'll try with the LS50 to see if more brute power makes a difference.  I realize the wattage rating on an amp isn't everything, but it will be an interesting experiment nonetheless.


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## mark2410

hmm not sure id call the dalis "fun" poppy maybe but i typicaly take "fun" to mean pretty V shaped sounding.
  
 i wouldnt think of kef as "fun" either.
  
 for british (im assuming your in the uk by your choices) id have said look more to Monitor Audio or Acoustic Energy for a more "fun" sound


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## dizzyorange

mark2410 said:


> hmm not sure id call the dalis "fun" poppy maybe but i typicaly take "fun" to mean pretty V shaped sounding.
> 
> i wouldnt think of kef as "fun" either.
> 
> for british (im assuming your in the uk by your choices) id have said look more to Monitor Audio or Acoustic Energy for a more "fun" sound


 
 I'm in the US but find myself reading mostly UK media for some reason.  I think that started when I started following Arsenal many years back.  Now British-isms are regularly creeping into my vocab.
  
 I'm actually looking for the opposite of the V sound.  I like sweet mids with plenty of body—perhaps that translates to a little lower midrange thickness, I'm not sure.  I'm hoping to run a warm, syrupy, mids-focused signal (NAD D 1050 DAC -> NAD D 3020 amp) into the KEFs to see if I could get their great imaging with the warm tone I like.  Same for the Dalis.


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## mark2410

ahh well the NAD should give you warm and the kefs and dalis should give you middy.
  
 tbh ive always would kefs to be a abit boring and flavourless, granted ive not heard many and certainly not the LS50.  of the couple dalis i was very taken with their mids very sumptuous and soulful sounding.
  
 i find it odd your mostly looking it brittish stuff as the speakers we can get tend to be harder for find in the US and vice versa, still if you like a more middy sound it makes sence.  lots of american stuff can be really brash and aggressive especially with the bass.
  
 if youre looking for middy and like concentric you might also want to have a look at Tannoy stuff


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## dizzyorange

mark2410 said:


> ahh well the NAD should give you warm and the kefs and dalis should give you middy.
> 
> tbh ive always would kefs to be a abit boring and flavourless, granted ive not heard many and certainly not the LS50.  of the couple dalis i was very taken with their mids very sumptuous and soulful sounding.
> 
> ...


 
  
 NAD is slightly cheaper here in the states—maybe because it's now Canadian owned.  KEF is the same price.  Dali's are marked up 30-40% which is just nuts.
  
 I actually couldn't name many American speaker brands off the top of my head.  Seems like a lot of the good stuff is designed in Europe.


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## mark2410

well i wouldnt say specifically good stuff comes form europe, there are many good US makers too but stylistically american stuff ive found tends towards big brash V shaped and powerful, stuff thats dramatic and grabs your attention.  british stuff and to a lesser extent european tends towards a more sedate, and often smaller speaker.  in the UK "bookshelf" or stand mount speakers are much more the norm and a bit more focus on quality ranther than quantity out of a huge floor stander.
  
 ive always thought that Klipsch is the archetypal American maker.  even visually they just scream at you.


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## dizzyorange

mark2410 said:


> well i wouldnt say specifically good stuff comes form europe, there are many good US makers too but stylistically american stuff ive found tends towards big brash V shaped and powerful, stuff thats dramatic and grabs your attention.  british stuff and to a lesser extent european tends towards a more sedate, and often smaller speaker.  in the UK "bookshelf" or stand mount speakers are much more the norm and a bit more focus on quality ranther than quantity out of a huge floor stander.
> 
> ive always thought that Klipsch is the archetypal American maker.  even visually they just scream at you.


 
  
 I have fond memories of Klipsch (didn't know they were American) as their ProMedia 2.1's were my first speaker system.
  
 Continuing the English trend, I also have a pair of Cambridge Audio Aero 2's coming in.  I became intrigued by these after they got Hi-Fi Choice's highest award for speakers in 2013.  It's got a unique design in that the tweeter is 2.5" and the crossover is at 250hz.  The 6.5" woofer basically acts like a built in subwoofer.  By placing the crossover out of the sensitive midrange area, it's supposed to image quite cohesively.  Next week will be interesting.


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## mark2410

yeah klipsch and their copper woofers and horn tweeters, even visually their stuff screams at you still that V drama sound makes great first impressions.
  
 btw you know Dali is Danish right?
  
 i get what yoru saying about cambridge audio and the BMR (balanced mode radiator) "tweeter"  actually ive rather liked the look of their Minx speaker range.  they are meant to be used with sobs so 5.1 cimema or 2.1 stereo systems which i tihnk could make for a really interesting near field stereo set up.  although ive seen it said that they lack a bit up top which i suppose could be good or annoying.  not heard so cant say but id hape they are mellow in the highs to hide their lack of finesse.


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## ascension278

hows KEF LS50 vs Zensor?


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## jologskyblues

I've auditioned the Dali Lektor 2 and the LS50 recently. Both are somewhat warm and smooth sounding to my ears but the LS50 offered a much more refinement and a more engaging experience for me.
  
 The LS50 works best in a smaller room with a 2m or less distance to the listener for stereo music as it is based on a studio mini monitor design.
  
 The Dali Lektor 2 seems to handle larger spaces and far-field listening a bit better.


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## ak47bwood

Can't really comment re the comparison between the LS50 & Zensor 3 but i just picked up a pair of Zensor 3 yesterday and i'm blown away for them, especially in their price range.
  
 I've got them connected to a Yamaha RXV477 with standard settings.  I listen to a lot of reggae and dub, as well as lots of movies.  For the Dub (heavy on the bass) they sound solid.  When i listened to them against some Wharfedale's they clearly out-shone them.


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## dauhak

Hi ,

I own Zensor 3 paired with an old Denon Avr 3133

And my brother owns Kef q300 paired with yamaha v573

I'm not sure are my speakers bad or is my Av receiver bad.

I tested at store before buying(paired with marantz sr7005)

I feel some type of distortion when playing at high volume, and the treble bleeds at times.

And when I listen to my brother setup , that sounds amazing and musical.

Could you suggest me good AVR for Dali Zensor 3 that will be musical and good 3D depth with instruments sounding natural.


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## Felipe Cotta

Hello, 

I've got a pair of Zensor 3 and now I really love them. I think it's important to say that, specially in the case of the Dalis, positioning is KEY.
When I first unboxed mine and plugged it on my amp, I liked the sound but was not impressed. Excellent and super defined treble but no bass at all. Read some threads about it and lots of peolple said I had to wait for the "burn in" time.

OK, while it may be true, I found out that experimenting with different places was the only thing that made a big difference. 

I only moved the shelf a few inches to the left and the sound of the Dalis opened up hugely! The difference was night and day.
So So So much better!!! And now I love them, absolutely love them.

Plenty of bass, PLENTY, and super defined, crisp treble and I'll never need a subwoofer with these speakers. They are GREAT.

Just remember: if your first impressions are not good, try moving them around until you get the sweet spot where frequencies will not cancel each other, etc.

These speakers can definitely SING. I recommend them very very much!


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