Thursday, March 28, 2024
Home Review Dali Rubicon 2C

Review Dali Rubicon 2C

1

Pros

  • Ease of use
  • Fine and spacious sound
  • Dynamic and fast
  • Many connection options

Cons

  • Sound a little colored, on the warm side
  • Sound Hub and Bluesound module are somewhat mandatory

Price: € 4650

Build quality
Usability
App
Sound
Price
DALI Rubicon 2C

Intro

At the iEar 2019 we were already introduced to the active Dali Rubicon 2C aka the active Rubicons. It was a showstopper indeed. HOW can that much sound pressure come from those little cabinets? The wow factor is definitely high. Does a good first impression also lead to a good review? Please read on!

In 2014 Dali introduced SMC technology for the drivers/woofers that were used in the Epicon and the Rubicon. Dali’s business model is fairly simple on this point: the more SMC, the higher the price. And frankly: SMC technology is audible. The top model line Epicon lives up to its name. This speaker series has brought high end audio to an affordable price level. Of course, ‘affordable’ is a relative term, but read our review of the Epicon 2 and you’ll understand what we mean. In our review of the Rubicon, our expectations were high and to be honest, they were not completely met. Of course, it could be the match between the amplifiers used and the Rubicon bookshelf speaker. Or too high an expectation, of course.

Alea iacta est

Dali is Danish and in the Scandinavian tradition it is a brand without much fuss and adornment. In the name, the ambition is hidden; the Rubicon is the small river that Julius Caesar crossed after his Gallic campaign and then took over power in Rome. There’s no turning back. With the Rubicon C Series, Dali has actually completed the series by turning the speakers into an active system; with the Rubicon C you have a combination of the Rubicon speaker, the amplifier and wireless technology of the Callisto (where the name is derived from one of the nymphs in Greek mythology) and the Sound Hub for streaming and other electronics. Dali equipped the Rubicon 2 (monitor) and Rubicon 6 (floor stand) with the active technique that the Callisto series contains. That makes this review relatively simple, because we reported extensively on the ins and outs of the (wireless) technology in the Callisto 6.

Connect and play

The Dali Rubicon 2C is indeed a crossover between the Rubicon 2 monitor and ‘Bluesound inside’, with the Sound Hub as game distributor. Of course we also see the design successes of Callisto. Think of the Led strips underneath the drivers, which remind a bit of Knight Rider’s car-Kitt when turned on.

Just like with the Callisto, installing is a piece of cake. And even if we move the speakers during the test, the Sound Hub will find the speakers immediately when they are reconnected. By the way, the Rubicon 2C has no touch volume on the speaker, like the Callisto. On the back we see a connection for power, a link/connect button, an RCA input if you use the Rubicon 2C as an active speaker without the Sound Hub. In this case the speaker plays at a fixed volume; make sure you use the correct output of your preamplifier (with volume control), otherwise you are toasting your ears.

Winkels met DALI

Sint-Antoniusstraat 15
2300 Turnhout, BE
Joseph Bensstraat 21
1180 Ukkel, BE
Pleinweg 136
3083 EP Rotterdam, Zuid-Holland, NL
Bredabaan 1031
B-2930 Brasschaat, BE
Pelikaanstraat 126
2018 Antwerpen, BE
Schoenmakersstraat 19
6041EX Roermond, NL
Grotestraat 23
5931 CS Tegelen, NL
Parkweg 23
8084GG 't Harde, NL
St. Ceciliastraat 28
5038 HA Tilburg, NL
Geldropseweg 105
5611 SE Eindhoven, NL
Breestraat 146-148
2311CX Leiden, Zuid Holland, NL
Hermesweg 2
3741 GP Baarn, Utrecht, NL
Theresiastraat 151 - 157
2593 AG Den Haag, Noord Holland, NL
Beethovenstraat 9-b
1077 HL Amsterdam, Noord Holland, NL

1 COMMENT

  1. To be helpful…..I’m not a fan of unexplained acronyms. I know this is an older review, yet as the Rubicon 2C is still available, others may also return here. The acronym ‘SCM’ used here is for the underlying technology that Dali believes makes their lineup special. From the Dali website: “SMC (Soft Magnetic Composite) is a coated, magnetic, granular material that offers a highly unusual combination of very high magnetic permeability and very low electrical conductivity.” They suggest that this material lowers distortion and excessive or undesirable coloration. You can find more including a video explanation on their website.