Loudspeakers

There was solid imaging with Lake St Drive's cover of 'Automatic', from the Fun Machine: The Sequel EP [Fantasy FAN01870], with fine focus on Rachael Price's voice and a big bold, driving bass and drums, along with plenty of information in the rest of the group. The view of the deep, powerful vocals as she switches register between verse and chorus was insightful, and the speakers were just as impressive with the soulful piano opening of 'You're Still The One', with keys player Akie Bermiss on vocals adding bags of character. Meanwhile Price really excelled on 'Anyone Who Had A Heart', her dark vocals perfectly suited to the tone of the track.

There were more vocals, and more chances for the KOREs to shine, with The Unthanks' 'Waters Of Tyne' from the new Sorrows Away album [Rabble Rouser Records RRM024B]. The song was delivered with intimacy and simplicity, and with every word crystal-clear. In fact, in their clarity, these big speakers sound like much smaller ones, which is no backhanded compliment.

There's also good pace and lightness of foot here from speakers so large – not always a given. The John Wilson/Sinfonia of London recording of Harold Arlen's suite from The Wizard Of Oz [Hollywood Soundstage, Chandos CHSA5294] enjoyed the full big picture treatment, slipping from ominous brass to skipping strings without pause.

Stinging Speed
The KOREs are 'fast', too, with the Ben Liebrand mix of Sting's 'Englishman In New York' from the new expanded version of Nothing Like The Sun [A&M] crafted with speed and control in the bass and Mino Cinélu's detailed percussion, plus drama in the accompanying strings. Manu Katché's drums sounded great here, too, as did the sax solo by Branford Marsalis, while DJ MONK's 'hard dub' take on the usually delicate 'Fragile' really got those big, wood-chip infused bass units working.

Startling, too, were the David Bowie remixes and live takes from the Moonage Daydream soundtrack [Parlophone 5054197283970], but the real revelation was the way the KOREs nailed the 'small ensemble' feel to the original single version of 'Starman'. So yes, these towering speakers really can do intimate very well indeed. 'She Moved Through The Fair' from the Michael Wollny Trio's recent Ghosts album [ACT, ACT9956-2] is all subtle bass and a lot of delicate cymbal work behind a wonderfully present piano. The evocative-sounding KOREs maintained the fabulous soundstaging, and close-focused detail of all three performers, the piano sounding suitably percussive and the cymbals just hanging in space.

Magic Act
There's larger-scale drama from the 2022 Broadway cast recording of Sondheim's Into The Woods [Craft Recordings], where the KOREs did a thrilling job of keeping under control all the elements of the scene-setting 'Prologue'. Lots of clever wordplay and plot-development is going on here, and the speakers, driven by the Constellation Centaur amplifier, maintained a firm grip on proceedings, while still conveying the magical atmosphere of the piece as it darts between characters.

A greater sense of menace was evident in Iggy Pop's cover of Leonard Cohen's 'You Want It Darker' from the Here It Is tribute album [Blue Note 00602445659951]. Wow – this sounded good via the KOREs, as did Peter Gabriel's near-impression on his take on the title track, while Mavis Staples' reading of 'If It Be Your Will' was just spine-tingling, not least thanks to the great breathy sax solo by Immanuel Wilkins.

The KOREs also dazzled with the fabulous new Bach: Orchestral Suites BWV 1066-1069 on Linn Records [CKD 666]. Again, the performance didn't rival the forensic viewpoint that some loudspeakers offer, but instead majored on a big, bold and crisply detailed impression of real musicians performing in a real space, with absolute communication of the music. The brass and strings were joyously delightful, as were the still tinglesome vocals of The Manhattan Transfer on the orchestra-backed version of 'Twilight Zone/Twilight Tone' from Fifty [Craft Recordings CR05249]. This track has a wonderfully ethereal sound that's more than a match for the original release from 50 years ago, with the added 'threat' of orchestral effects, such as the rumbles of thunder. The KOREs allowed the piece to swing while at the same time conveying a palpable sense of unease.

Vivid View
And presence is what these speakers do so well, as is clear with Vicky Chow's first set of Philip Glass études [Canteloupe Records Bandcamp download]. It's not just in the way each note lands and decays, but in the realism of the instrument in the round. The same is true of Foy Vance's 'Republic Of Eden' from his Signs Of Life: Live From The Highlands [Atlantic Records] – the sound is so simple, but presented by DALI's KOREs with such a vivid view of the performance.

Hi-Fi News Verdict
Big, bold and dominating, DALI's flagship KORE loudspeakers are capable of projecting sound with excellent focus, detail and, of course, acoustic power. Moreover, while they will deliver all the scale of orchestral music with breathless ease, they also have finesse, speed and resolution on their side. If you have the real estate and finances to entertain the KOREs, they rank as one of high-end hi-fi's 'essential listens'.