Search for entry level floorstanders : Dali Zensor 7

[karthick raja]

I have zeroed in on Monitor Audio BX5 & Zensor 5 need further advice. My usage is 60% music & 40% movies.I have auditoned the zensor 5 loved its musical range but yet to test it for movies. I heard from whathifi reviews that zensor 5 bass lacks certainty what does that mean? Moreover I am looking for a more balanced speaker,Between Zensor 5 & MA BX 5 which would you consider as a more balanced speaker?Which has more dynamic range? Considering the specs I am more inclined towards BX5 since it has a larger cabinet(more bass),bigger drivers,better specs( speaker sensitivity,ohms,etc) But I love the killer looks of Dali just need few more reasons to join Club Dali.

I auditioned both of them, for me BX5 feels more bassy yet tight and produces bigger sound compared to the zensor 5. Moreover, its second in my list but I am not able to audition them properly(blame incompetent distributor). In short, MA BX5 feels close enough to Z5 except for slightly less detail. Audition both of them using same source and decide. Happy shopping

 

[spirovious]

Denon X1000 works well with Zensor 7 or a step up to X2000 is recommended?

X1000 can drive those easily but not recommended on loud listening.One of FM had Denon X1000 with Dali 7,but sold it and settled with X2000 for more power and 4K support.

 

[ps_sonic]

Bye Bye Polkies(TSI 300) :signthankspin:
Just Confirmed order for Dali Zensor 5:yahoo: Made a detailed comparison of Zensor 3 & Zensor 5. I am not a hardcore audiophile anyhow will just list out the differences I was able to find out.

Source: My ipod connected from stereo out to ANALOG IN( guess its a weak source) but i wanted to test the speakers this way bcoz this is how I listen at home & since I don't have a dedicated source.

Amplifier:Yamaha RX-V667 (Stereo Mode)

Stereo Amplifier Norge( Some model)

Zensor 3: Compared to Zensor 5 it had less detail but more bass & found it to be a very warm sounding speaker.Will make excellent stereo speakers.

Zensor 5: Excellent Clarity was hearing lots of detail which which I have never heard previously in my polk,slightly less bass compared to Zensor 3. Don't know Y? Maybe thats because of the driver sizes? But Zensor 5 has one extra driver( experts can share their view on this) In the end I felt zensor 3 was for pure stereo. Since I was looking for a balanced speaker for movies & music I went the Zensor 5 way. Expecting delivery in a week

 

[MJ23Bulls]

Congrats ps_sonic!

By the way, where in Chennai did you audition the Dali? TIA

 

[Arjun4]

On the video side, I played a 1080p rip of Unstoppable. It is a 2010 movie about a runaway train starring Denzel Washington. Throughout the movie there are trains running at high speed, with their distinctive click-clack - and assorted action pieces. The Zensors make the movie come alive, with the train sounds and crisp dialogies. I can only imagine how much fun it would be to have a full 5.1 set

what was the audio format ( Stereo / Dolby/DTS) for the Unstoppable BDrip file ? were you able to listen to dialogues clearly ?

Congrats ! thanks for the review as well.

i'm planning to upgrade my HT sys soon. it will be great if you can share your thoughts on selection between Dali Zensor 5 & 7.

This is what i have now

Denon 1612
Polk TS1 400 towers
Polk CS10 Center channel
Polk PSW125 Sub

This is what I've in my mind

Marantz SR 6008
Dali - Zensor 5 - Tower Speaker / Dali - Zensor 7 - Tower Speaker
Center channel - not decided yet
Sub - will keep the PSW125 if possible.

I would say my priority is like 90% Movies & 10% Music.

Per your review, Polk TSi 400 performed well for Movies

Polk TSi 400
"I began at ProFX, because they conveniently have a outlet in a mall close to my house. I had carried some audio cds, mostly hindi. The music sounded fine (but not wow) to me back then. Listened to 3-4 songs, then asked if they have something for video. They played the DVD of Transformers. It was then I got wowed by the speaker. The booms, the shattering everything was very immersive and thoroughly enjoyable"

My plan is to replace the AVR and see how it goes with my Polk,

Please let me know your thoughts !

-Arjun

 

[grunthos]

what was the audio format ( Stereo / Dolby/DTS) for the Unstoppable BDrip file ? were you able to listen to dialogues clearly ?

The audio was DTS mode. And yes the dialogues were very clear, no issues there

Congrats ! thanks for the review as well.

I'm planning to upgrade my HT sys soon. it will be great if you can share your thoughts on selection between Dali Zensor 5 & 7.

This is what i have now

Denon 1612
Polk TS1 400 towers
Polk CS10 Center channel
Polk PSW125 Sub

This is what I've in my mind

Marantz SR 6008
Dali - Zensor 5 - Tower Speaker / Dali - Zensor 7 - Tower Speaker
Center channel - not decided yet
Sub - will keep the PSW125 if possible.

I would say my priority is like 90% Movies & 10% Music.

Per your review, Polk TSi 400 performed well for Movies

Polk TSi 400
"I began at ProFX, because they conveniently have a outlet in a mall close to my house. I had carried some audio cds, mostly hindi. The music sounded fine (but not wow) to me back then. Listened to 3-4 songs, then asked if they have something for video. They played the DVD of Transformers. It was then I got wowed by the speaker. The booms, the shattering everything was very immersive and thoroughly enjoyable"

My plan is to replace the AVR and see how it goes with my Polk,

Please let me know your thoughts !

-Arjun

First, I am quite a newbie at this as this is my first hifi system - so probably others on the forum can answer this query better.
My good impression for Polks was because of its BIG sound with high bass - Transformers sounded a lot of fun. But music playback on the Polks was quite a letdown. And for me having good music capability was very important, although my consumption is skewed more towards video

I'd say Dalis are miles ahead in music playback - the sound is silken, very creamy. But if you watch only movies, with a separate centre speaker and subwoofer, I am not sure how much of an improvement you'd notice. If it is feasible, audition with your sub/centre before making a decision

Between the 5 and the 7, since you already have a sub, Zensor 5s would be perfect for you - unless you ditch the sub. Then the Zensor 7s would be great

 

[Arjun4]

The audio was DTS mode. And yes the dialogues were very clear, no issues there


First, I am quite a newbie at this as this is my first hifi system - so probably others on the forum can answer this query better.
My good impression for Polks was because of its BIG sound with high bass - Transformers sounded a lot of fun. But music playback on the Polks was quite a letdown. And for me having good music capability was very important, although my consumption is skewed more towards video

I'd say Dalis are miles ahead in music playback - the sound is silken, very creamy. But if you watch only movies, with a separate centre speaker and subwoofer, I am not sure how much of an improvement you'd notice. If it is feasible, audition with your sub/centre before making a decision

Between the 5 and the 7, since you already have a sub, Zensor 5s would be perfect for you - unless you ditch the sub. Then the Zensor 7s would be great

Thanks for your reply ! I'll just replace the AVR and will see how it goes.

 

[spirovious]

Zensor 3: Compared to Zensor 5 it had less detail but more bass & found it to be a very warm sounding speaker.Will make excellent stereo speakers.

Zensor 5: Excellent Clarity was hearing lots of detail which which I have never heard previously in my polk,slightly less bass compared to Zensor 3. Don't know Y?

Congrats,Dali7 is balanced with good bass and details too.

 

[don_karma_ii]

Hi, I'm vinod and I'm new to this forum. I was actually looking for a similar setup but can I replace the center channel with another Dali zensor 7 tower? My living room would be 16*18*12. I have a Samsung 51inch plasma and placement of tower as center channel shouldn't be a problem. Or can I have Dali zensor 5 as center channel? I'm planning on 3.0 setup and planned a sub woofer in the next 6 months. Should denon x1000 be enough to power these speakers.kindly do help!

 

[grunthos]

Hi, I'm vinod and I'm new to this forum. I was actually looking for a similar setup but can I replace the center channel with another Dali zensor 7 tower? My living room would be 16*18*12. I have a Samsung 51inch plasma and placement of tower as center channel shouldn't be a problem. Or can I have Dali zensor 5 as center channel? I'm planning on 3.0 setup and planned a sub woofer in the next 6 months. Should denon x1000 be enough to power these speakers.kindly do help!

I am not sure how to reply to this. A floorstander is designed for reproducing different sounds compared to a centre speaker. Dali Zensor Vokal is the centre speaker of the range. They are designed to reproduce dialogues, so I think you should stick to them only

 

[poppy]

Hi, I'm vinod and I'm new to this forum. I was actually looking for a similar setup but can I replace the center channel with another Dali zensor 7 tower? My living room would be 16*18*12. I have a Samsung 51inch plasma and placement of tower as center channel shouldn't be a problem. Or can I have Dali zensor 5 as center channel? I'm planning on 3.0 setup and planned a sub woofer in the next 6 months. Should denon x1000 be enough to power these speakers.kindly do help!

Hi vinod,
It's confusing why u want to place the FS as centre chanel. And what about the other speakers u are planning to use.
Centre channels speakers are designed that way mainly used for clear dialogue etc in HT setup.

 

[don_karma_ii]

Sorry for being confusing. My plan is to have three floor standing speakers along with av receiver as an initial setup and then build from there! I'm pretty new to this and few guys @ audioholics and avforums suggested three floor standers as ideal setup if space permits and I have loads of space and the living room itself is pretty big and spacious. So I would be starting out with 3 floor standers and av receiver and will buy a good sub in the near future. I have been following this forum for the past 6 months and saw this thread. So mustered the courage to clarify a few of my doubts.

 

[MJ23Bulls]

Sorry for being confusing. My plan is to have three floor standing speakers along with av receiver as an initial setup and then build from there! I'm pretty new to this and few guys @ audioholics and avforums suggested three floor standers as ideal setup if space permits and I have loads of space and the living room itself is pretty big and spacious. So I would be starting out with 3 floor standers and av receiver and will buy a good sub in the near future. I have been following this forum for the past 6 months and saw this thread. So mustered the courage to clarify a few of my doubts.

There're quite a few (actually, a lot) of dedicated center channel speakers in the market.
Aesthetically, three FS may not look the part. The cc usually either goes above or mostly below the video; that too in horizontal orientation. This is my observation. I might be wrong!

BK

 

[don_karma_ii]

There're quite a few (actually, a lot) of dedicated center channel speakers in the market.
Aesthetically, three FS may not look the part. The cc usually either goes above or mostly below the video; that too in horizontal orientation. This is my observation. I might be wrong!

BK

That seems to be true. Accoustically three identical floor standers with two subs seems to be the best option if you leave out the aesthetics part. I gather that from a few forums that center channels were designed for aesthetics and comfort rather than acoustic reasons or sound quality. I just felt that if i'm planning to slow build a HT then better get the best results for the money available. I might be wrong too though. I need options before I drag myself to Chennai to audition a few combo's.

 

[poppy]

That seems to be true. Accoustically three identical floor standers with two subs seems to be the best option if you leave out the aesthetics part. I gather that from a few forums that center channels were designed for aesthetics and comfort rather than acoustic reasons or sound quality. I just felt that if i'm planning to slow build a HT then better get the best results for the money available. I might be wrong too though. I need options before I drag myself to Chennai to audition a few combo's.

Don't know how it will sound never heard but rare to get three identical FS. The dealer sells in pair .Best of luck .and if you are spending so much on 3 FS CC will not cost u more compare to 3rd FS.

 

[mukuntharajaa]

Sorry to post this again but CA is out of my budget I am looking in between 50 - 60k. And then it comes down on Marantz SR 6007 and Denon X2000. My confusion is there is not much on SR 6007 compare to X2000 on AV sites. Secondly the price between SR 5007 and SR 6007 is almost same on HiFiMart ?and on Marantz us site SR 6007 is not mentioned anywhere. Can u pl guide I had posted the same on amp forum in the morning but some 30+ views but no reply.
And sorry i forgot to mention Thanks in begainin because of ur review I was able to finalise on speaker front going with Dali zensor 7 5.1.
:signthankspin:

Hello, You might have come to know about the difference now. But still whatever research i did before buying between denon and marantz, i can share with you.

Marantz has discontinued those `7 series. Now only `8 series are available i.e., 5008, 6008 and 7008. Yes as grunthos pointed out, in zone 2, there are little difference between 5008 and 6008. With 5008 you can remove 2 speakers from 7 speaker setup and make it as stereo in zone 2. But in 6008, its the same case too. But i guess you can make some pre-amp stuffs to that zone 2. I have forgotten those intricate details. In short, between 5008 and 6008, the value for that money difference is not much. Yes its a huge difference between 5008 and 7008. So i have settled down with 5008.

Between Denon and Marantz, though both are sister concerns, they maintain their r&d, sales and everything separate from each other. Main difference, technically speaking; Marantz has discreet circuits under the hood for each channels, whereas denon doesnt. So in short, whatever is said in the specs for stereo setup of marantz, you can get somewhat close to it, in a full blown HT setup. whereas in denon, you may not. This what i came to know though online review and also confirmed by a technician in bangalore HT store room.

 

[kneo]

Hi, I'm vinod and I'm new to this forum. I was actually looking for a similar setup but can I replace the center channel with another Dali zensor 7 tower? My living room would be 16*18*12. I have a Samsung 51inch plasma and placement of tower as center channel shouldn't be a problem. Or can I have Dali zensor 5 as center channel? I'm planning on 3.0 setup and planned a sub woofer in the next 6 months. Should denon x1000 be enough to power these speakers.kindly do help!

Stick with a dedicated center. If you notice most dedicated centers have a symmetrical arrangement of the tweeters and mids. If you try and place a FS horizontally, the driver arrangement may not be symmetrical anymore and the horizontal dispersion would be uneven. Stick to dedicated centers if you are new to the journey.

 

[don_karma_ii]

Stick with a dedicated center. If you notice most dedicated centers have a symmetrical arrangement of the tweeters and mids. If you try and place a FS horizontally, the driver arrangement may not be symmetrical anymore and the horizontal dispersion would be uneven. Stick to dedicated centers if you are new to the journey.

That is exactly what I have decided. I think I'm going overboard with too much tinkering and thought process. This has freed up quite some funds for getting better floor standers. Right now I'm looking @ PSB image T6. Any alternatives in the price point that I may be able to audition. Also need suggestions for center channel and avr.

 

[grunthos]

Any alternatives in the price point that I may be able to audition. Also need suggestions for center channel and avr.

Better start a new thread in the "What Should I Buy" forum, stating your budget, needs etc clearly and you'd get better responses there

 

[don_karma_ii]

Better start a new thread in the "What Should I Buy" forum, stating your budget, needs etc clearly and you'd get better responses there

Yeah! Will do! Sorry for hijacking OP's thread!