Dali Zensor 1 or Infinity Reference 152's (Harmon Kardon)

totally munted on 27/03/2019 - 21:39

Beggining to build around my Marantz NR 1608 grabbed in recent deal. Any advice comparing Dali Zensor 1 V Infinity reference 152 (Harmon Kardon)

Yes I am not an audiophile but am keen to step my sound system up to the next level.

Thanks in advance.

Electrical & Electronics

Comments

  • trankillity on 28/03/2019 - 09:46
    +1

    I don't have the Zensor range and haven't heard the HKs in action, but I've been using a set of DALI Concept 5.1s for 8+ years. My setup is 2x Concept 6 towers for FL/FR, 2x Concept 3 bookshelves for SL/SR, plus Concept Center and Concept Sub to complete the kit. They've produced amazing sound over the entire time, though I recently upgraded my receiver and now they produce even more incredibly sound. I would describe them as a warmer sound than most of the other speakers I tested. Very well pronounced mids and highs and a mellow bass that's not as sharp and punchy as other brands.

    In terms of your setup, I would only recommend the Zensor 1s if you intended to get a subwoofer later. You won't fill a room very well with just the sound of the 1s. If you wanted something with a bit more punch without needing a subwoofer immediately, I'd recommend moving up to the Zensor 3s.

    As always, you really need to hear them in action to make a true judgement call. A good set of speakers will last you 10+ years, so you don't want to rush a decision. Prepare a lossless playlist of your favourite songs or sound demos (DALI actually has some CDs especially for this, but you can find "Speaker Test" playlists everywhere), find your nearest specialist hifi dealer (don't go to JB or anything, find an actual home theatre showroom) and ask them if you can test using your own input. Then you should listen to the same tracks on each of the speakers you're considering, one after the other so that the comparison is still fresh in your mind. Then when you've narrowed it down to two, toggle between the two at key points in the songs until you find the sound you enjoy the most.

    • totally munted on 28/03/2019 - 23:20

      Thanks for taking the time to give a detailed reply. I will certainly follow your advice regards test driving my options.

      My thinking was building a system over time to spread the cost. Maybe start with the Zensor 1's in a 2.1 set up with my existing Sony sub woofer… then migrate them to rear as I upgrade to better front speakers over time. That was my thinking as an audiophile novice …. that maybe naive…. and not a great strategy. So I'm taking all the advice I can get.

      • trankillity on 29/03/2019 - 07:09
        +1

        Not naive at all! That's how I started. Started off with the Concept 6s, then added the 3s, then added the Center and Sub. It really is the best way to do it. Way better than getting a sound bar or some proprietary crap that you can't add to later.

  • g1 on 01/04/2019 - 11:58
    +1

    Good suggestion on comparing speakers side by side. Ideally the dealer would have your AV receiver, so it would be an accurate comparison for your setup.

    The idea of starting with 2.1 and building up is a good one. I had a 2 speaker setup and I was pretty happy with it. Got a sub and now see no point of getting anything more. The sub provides a good 'feel' for movie effects, while the 2 good front speakers do enough for everything else. If I had a bigger room then maybe rears and centre speaker would be useful. Running extra cables, etc would not be worth the effort for my room.

    If you are thinking of building up then go with a brand that can provide you all the speakers. For example Dali has 5 or 7 for bigger fronts, and they are easily available. It will be hard to upgrade Infinity as they are tricky to find and I don't think they have a dedicated front speaker. I do have Infinity 162 but they are in another room and will remain in a 2 speaker setup. I like them but I wouldn't mix them with other speaker range without a lot of listening and matching. So if you are thinking a possible upgrade path go with a brand that supplies a range of options. You may expand to Zensor 7 (or 5) for front, Zensor 3 for rear, Zensor 1 for sides, and Zensor Vokal for centre; all in 7.1 setup. With that you will get a common sound.

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