Dali Evidence 870 Floor standing speakers
Dali is actually an acronym for something to do with Danish audiophile loudspeakers, and the brand is part of a Danish group with both manufacturing and retail interests. UK distribution is handled by The Audio Club, alongside NAD electronics, and the several Dalis which have come our way over the years have included at least two floorstanders of notably good value.
The same characteristic clearly applies to this massive Evidence 870. It might cost a not inconsiderable £1,300, but it dwarfs the competition here in terms of bulk and weight, and features a pretty classy glass and real wood combination finish too. It is, in truth, a bit of a monster, turning the scales to around 28kg and stands comfortably over a metre tall. The 24cm width is hardly 'slimline', while the depth is half as much again, so at least the proportions look good.
The finish looks very good from most angles, with real wood on the front and the double-tapered sides, plus a shiny glass top (no coffee cup guilt!). A full three-way design, both the midrange and tweeter are slightly offset from the cabinet centre line to 'spread' the edge diffraction effects, and the speakers are built as a mirror-image pair to keep the overall symmetry. A hefty integral plinth provides secure accommodation to the chunky spikes.
There'll be loads of bass energy on tap here, with two drivers each with 150mm cones, augmented by a port tuned to a low 30Hz. The midband is delivered from a 93mm cone driver, while the tweeter uses a 28mm dome.
The far field in-room measurements show a smooth and well controlled balance, but even with the speakers well clear of walls in a reasonably large room, the output is rather strong through the bass and lower midrange.
SOUND QUALITY
The very real strengths of this large loudspeaker were clearly evident to the panel. As one panelist summed up: "A very good all-rounder. The balance is very good - maybe a touch heavy in the bass, but not unpleasantly so. The mid and treble show good detail, and timing is good, though I'd like the bass to be more agile." However, another was a rather more critical, complaining, "Everything sounds a little sat on... Where's the colour, sparkle and vigour...? Lacks real transparency and freedom."
After extended hands-on listening, I feel there's some truth in both these observations. The sound is undoubtedly big, full scale and genuinely authoritative, while the ample headroom also provides excellent analysis and dynamic contrasts through the bass region in particular. But it can also sound a bit heavy-handed, thickening textures somewhat, and does have some humpy tendencies. And despite its fine detail and perspectives, the midband does sound a little constrained, and lacking true freedom of expression.
CONCLUSION
There's no denying that you get a whole lot of speaker for your money here, though its claim to represent an 'amplifier friendly' load doesn't really stand up to scrutiny, despite the high sensitivity. The smooth and very well controlled balance comes with massive headroom reserves and copious bass output -probably too much for some smaller rooms, in truth. It is perhaps slightly more suited to movie than music replay overall, but the total package looks impressive enough.
