DALI EPIKORE 3 - Review

Introduction

Danish loudspeaker manufacturer DALI produce a range of loudspeakers at various price points, with the EPIKORE series residing just below the company’s flagship KORE series. I’ve always felt that DALI speakers offer excellent value for money, and while the EPIKORE 3 is not exactly inexpensive, you can pay a lot more for a lot less.

Design

Topology wise, the EPIKORE 3 is a 3-way design but not in the traditional sense, where a woofer and tweeter are mated with a dedicated midrange ‘squawker’, as they were once called. Instead, the bass/midrange unit is paired with DALI’s reference EVO-K hybrid tweeter module, as used in its top-flight KORE range. This comprises a conventional 35mm soft-dome unit that crosses over to a planer magnetostatic unit at 12.5 kHz, which is designed for wide dispersion of high frequencies.

This twin-tweeter array performs down to 2.8 kHz, where the 7’’ (18cm) bass/midrange driver kicks in. Eschewing the modern trend for fancy plastic cone material, the driver is made from a paper and wood fibre compound, a traditional signature touch. Incorporating DALI’s proprietary Clarity Cone technology, the unit also makes use of an ‘exceptionally large and powerful’ magnet system featuring patented SMC Gen-2 magnet material. In brief, this design is said to reduce unwanted distortion and audible colouration; however, for a more detailed explanation of the technology, there is a fascinating article on the company’s website.

Quality

As you might expect from a loudspeaker at this price point, the EPIKORE 3 is built to highly exacting standards. The cabinet is solid and easily passes the knuckle-rap test, proving to be acoustically inert. The finish is exquisite, with my review example looking splendid in its high-gloss piano-black lacquer. Maroon and high-gloss walnut, both featuring real wood veneer, are also available. The company has recently announced a white option, which will be available starting from November. On the rear panel, there are four ultra-chunky speaker binding posts, allowing for bi-wiring. As you would expect, they accommodate banana plugs, spades, or bare wires.

Although DALI promote the EPIKORE 3 as a luxurious bookshelf speaker, I wouldn’t recommend placing them on one as they are far from lightweight at 15.9kg, and the rear-firing bass ports require plenty of breathing space. Solid stands are the better option, with the EPIKORE STAND (supplied for review) being the optimum choice as the speakers can be securely bolted to them. The stands are made from extruded aluminium, featuring easily-adjustable spike-feet outriggers to ensure the speakers are kept stable and level. Cables can be routed internally, maintaining a sleek and elegant appearance.

You may also reinforce the stands by filling them with sand or other material, although they ship fully assembled and ready to use. I would recommend factoring in the price of these bespoke stands when considering the speakers, as they are not inexpensive. Other good-quality, high-performance stands will do the job; however, you won’t get the secure coupling that the bespoke stands provide.

Specification and Price

Performance

Review Equipment

With the EPIKORE 3’s relatively low sensitivity of 85dB (2.83V/1m) and nominal impedance of 6 ohms, a decent chunk of power is required. A recommendation of 40 – 250 watts is quoted, and while my 70W Naim Nait XS3 proved adequate, an old but very capable boutique amp from the 1990s (Magnum MF250), delivering 125W per channel, with the first 20W pure Class A, makes for a better, more controlled match. Front-end equipment consists of my Garrard 401 (with SME 3009 tonearm and Hana ML cartridge), connected to an Icon Audio valve phono stage and a Leema Stream 4 for digital reproduction.

Sound Quality

Positioned well clear of rear and side walls, facing straight ahead with minimum toe-in, listening begins. Initial impressions are entirely positive, with the speakers sounding even-handed, without undue emphasis on any area of the frequency spectrum. It’s clear from the outset that the EPIKORE 3 is designed neither to impress with audio fireworks initially nor to flatter poor recordings with added low-midrange warmth.

Many modern loudspeakers are brightly balanced to throw a spotlight on the treble region, accentuating ‘detail’ with spurious sparkle. Smaller stand-mount speakers are also often given a mid-bass boost for added warmth, distracting you from the fact that there is no real low-end depth and weight. This sort of audio trickery can sound impressive in a showroom demonstration; however, in the long term, the more truthful and transparent presentation of the EPIKORE 3 is far more satisfying.

While its tonal balance is lovely and even, with superb high-frequency extension and impressively deep bass for its size, the EPIKORE 3 is not a powerhouse performer. Rather, it replays music with a somewhat cool perspective, sounding refined and involving without forcing the message home.

Treble quality is outstanding, the tweeter module delivering high frequencies with convincing realism. Naturally recorded cymbals, in particular, sound just as you hear them in a live situation. Listening to jazz drummer Anthony Williams’ deft cymbal work on Grachan Moncur III’s Some Other Stuff (Blue Note Tone Poet LP, 2025) is a real ear opener. This is a fine mid-1960s pure acoustic recording and a recent release in Blue Note’s superb Tone Poets analogue remaster series. The EPIKORE 3s are in their element with this type of recording, so lovers of well-recorded jazz and classical, or acoustically inclined singer/songwriters, will revel in the speakers’ accurate timbral resolution.

That’s not to say these speakers don’t rock or can’t keep pace with the demands of electronic music, though. Playing an original pressing of Nirvana’s Nevermind (DGC Records 1991) shows that while there’s little in the way of truly deep bass present in the recording, the punch and drive of the kick drum reveals the attention to detail spent creating the sound using a dual microphone ‘drum tunnel’ technique. The speakers’ excellent expression of dynamics shows itself here, even if they aren’t the last word when it comes to all-out slam. Kurt Cobain’s guitar sounds as edgy and gritty as I’ve ever heard it, so some ‘rock-box’ speakers will be more forgiving of this type of music.

Vocals of all kinds are reproduced faithfully, thanks to the EPIKORE 3’s outstanding midrange performance, which ensures that well-recorded voices sound authentic and articulate. Rumer’s delightful cover of Jimmy Webb’s P.F. Sloan (Qobuz, 24-bit, 88.2 kHz) is a wonderful experience through these speakers, her Karen Carpenter-like tones sounding naturally warm and expressive. Stereo acoustic guitars on this track highlight the speakers’ precise separation and imaging abilities, revealing a wide, clearly defined soundstage.

Overall

DALI’s EPIKORE 3 loudspeakers offer exceptional sound quality, the type typically found only in the very best designs. Character-wise, they err on the cerebral, rather than visceral side of sound reproduction, mainly because they don’t try to defy the laws of physics with artificial heft.

Fed well-recorded music, the EPIKORE 3 sings sweetly as a songbird with refinement that would be difficult to better at its price point.