Kit

Overall Rating
 5 of 5

Value Rating
 5 of 5

Used product for
3 Months to 1 year

Visitors rate this review
4.94 of 5, 16.00 votes

Price Paid:  $3600.00 from Hi-Fi Klubben

Summary:
I have bought Helicon 400 for replacing Jamo D590. I have had also the opportunity to coddle Helicon 800 by 1 month.

First of all some data – my listening room is almost 50 m2 (400 feet), really good muffled. CDP and amplifier – Audio Analogue, Harmonic Tech cables (Truth Link and Pro-9). Granite rack 90 kg. I listen to all kind of music.

Build: Helicons 400 are extremely beautiful loudspeakers. My first impression was even they are too beautiful – high gloss. Now everything fits well. Red walnut wood reminds precious cello or double bass and this is it. Helicons are really heavy – 32 kg. For stable placing it is recommended using included spikes. Drivers from Peerless and Vifa (?) gives quality guarantee. Woofer-midrange brown cones are made from paper with wooden fibers. Terminals look very noble. Everything in Helicons fits their upper class status.

Sound: These speakers have no week points. Somebody can say they have their own character – that’s of course the truth. But nothing lay below par – be sure.
The sound in general is very even and smooth. Any part of the frequency range is not up the front. Midrange is very informative, gives a lot of details but priority is somewhere else. Real sound colors, harmony, musical pleasure – that’s the first. Guitar sounds are flexible, melody is presented with incredible easiness. Female vocals are light and do not contain any undesired coloration. Yes, midrange is unexceptional beautiful. High frequencies drivers are not typical – silky tweeter and ribbon tweeter co-operate together. Can be to much brightness? Never! The high frequencies are superb and it is one of undoubted advantages in Helicons 400. Cymbals, triangle, any high voices bring a lot of pleasure. Nothing is 'by numbers'. All subtle sound differences in this range are easy to recognizing. What about bass? I enjoy my Helicon 400 in relatively big room and no problem with bass fundament. Placing in the right position can give you what you prefer – more or less bass. I prefer not too much low frequency sounds so my Helicons stay 1m from the back wall and about 1.5 m from side walls. It gives pretty good, well defined bass and even with the rest of the scale. Lowest frequencies are extended really low – 32 Hz for -3 dB is a really great number. And they are really fast!
Helicons give a lot of details so it means also they show in great manner all subtle echoes, the recording studio reverberations and going out sounds. The result is very obvious – soundstage is present always and gives really great imagination of the space around the music. The sound sources are pretty good defined however their size it is not a needle head. And it is good. Surgery can kill the music :- ) 3D impression is full and the spread of the stage is as well horizontal as vertical. Helicons do that well.

What about electronic stuff? Helicons are not fussy. They can play with any sort of amplifiers, never hurt your ears. I tried them with pure class A Logos Pathos (valves) and sound was simply great. Bass became more round and warm but the listening pleasure remainds the same. Also Roksan Caspian brings Helicons to live, special in rock music. Bass gets better definition and top of the range still keeps far from brightness (Caspian can be too bright for some speakers). In general – stronger source is welcome.

Competitors: Before purchase I have had opportunity to hear Audio Physic Virgo III and Triangle Naia. Both belong to the same price range. Virgo III is very precise in details and soundstage but misses musicality. This is something for music analytics, not for music lovers. If something can really impress in Virgo III it is their bass. It is not so heavy and extended as in Helicon but light and précised. It seems also fast what is typical for light weight fighter. Unfortunatelly, classical music, big orchestra - it is not for Virgo III. Gathering together all what you can hear requires your brain effort. Can you accept hard work when you are looking for pleasure? Triangle Naia impress with their dynamic presentation but they are also not natural, not at all. Their artificial sound fits maybe to electronic music where everything is artificial. Both classical or jazz sound strange. Good if you are tired with real, true music. Triangle Naia exaggerate.

Summary: Helicon 400 are great loudspeakers. They put music before cutting of the borders. They keep everything in hands. Pleasure is the priority. Easy to drive, dynamic, open sounding. Maybe not the best efficiency but my amplifier has got volume knob if necessary ;-)

Margin note: Someone can ask is it worth to add some money and buy big brother - Helicon 800? It is a good question. Despite nobler look Helicon 800 sounds different. The main feature is the same – music first. But the 800 manner is more impressive. Sound contains a bit more stage character even if the music has been recorded in the studio. Vocals shine with smell of metal glossy which also gives better ‘concert impression’. General their sound is still very even but their midrange stress lays an inch lower than in 400. Helicon 800 plays a bit more lower midrange and their sound contains so nice for my ears body, musical meat. Also the following of the bass walking is easier on 800 than on 400. Please, understand me well – nothing wrong with 400, just the difference. If you can effort Helicon 800 I strongly recommend them. You can hear the difference in your pocket.

Strengths:
Musicality. Natural, open sound with great soundstage. Music brings to harmony, flexibility, beauty. Exceptional high frequencies. Great cabinets. Frank price.

Weaknesses:
Let's call them 'features, not 'weaknesses' - for to be honest.

Helicons would prefer strong amplifier (as all loudspeakers) however weaker are also welcome.
Helicons presentation stay on warmer side so harsh death metal can sound too smooth and beautiful. Well.
Need time for to fall in love with their high gloss finishing - in my case it took about 2 minutes. ;-)

Similar Products Used:
Audio Physic Virgo III, Triangle Naia, B&W 703, B&W 804

Price Paid:  $3600.00 from Hi-Fi Klubben

Summary:
I have bought Helicon 400 for replacing Jamo D590. I have had also the opportunity to coddle Helicon 800 by 1 month.
First of all some data – my listening room is almost 50 m2 (400 feet), really good muffled. CDP and amplifier – Audio Analogue, Harmonic Tech cables (Truth Link and Pro-9). Granite rack 90 kg. I listen to all kind of music.
Build: Helicons 400 are extremely beautiful loudspeakers. My first impression was even they are too beautiful – high gloss. Now everything is fitting well. Red walnut wood reminds precious cello or double bass and this is it. Helicons are really heavy – 32 kg. For stable placing it is recommended using included spikes. Drivers from Peerless and Vifa (?) gives quality guarantee. Woofer-midrange brown cones are made from paper with wooden fibers. Terminals look very noble. Everything in Helicons fits their upper class status.
Sound: These speakers have no week points. Somebody can say they have their own character – that’s of course the truth. But nothing lay below par – for sure.
The sound in general is very even and smooth. Any part of the frequency range is up the front. Midrange is very informative, gives a lot of details but priority is somewhere else. Real sound colors, harmony, musical pleasure – that’s the first. Guitar sounds are flexible, melody is presented with incredible easiness. Female vocals are light and do not contain any undesired coloration. Yes, midrange is unexceptional beautiful. High frequencies drivers are not typical – silky tweeter and ribbon tweeter co-operate together. Can be to much brightness? Never! The high frequencies are superb and it is one of undoubted advantages in Helicons 400. Cymbals, triangle, any high sounds bring a lot of pleasure. Nothing is by numbers. All subtle sound differences in this range are easy to recognizing. What about bass? I enjoy my Helicon 400 in relatively big room and no problem with bass fundament. Placing in the right position can give you what you prefer – more or less bass. I prefer not too much low frequency sounds so my Helicons stay 1m from the back wall and about 1.5 m from side walls. It gives pretty good, well defined bass and even with the rest of the scale. Lowest frequencies are extended really low – 32 Hz for -3 dB is a really great number.
Helicons give a lot of details so it means also they show in great manner all subtle echoes, the recording studio reverberations and going out sounds. The result is very obvious – soundstage is present always and gives really great imagination of the space around the music. The sound sources are pretty good defined however their size it is not a needle head. And it is good. Surgery can kill the music :- ) 3D impression is full and the spread of the stage is as well horizontal as vertical. Helicons do that well.
What about electronic stuff? Helicons are not fussy. They can play with any sort of amplifiers, never hurt your ears. I tried them with pure class A Logos Pathos /valves) and sound was simply great. Bass became more round and warm but the listening pleasure reminds the same. Also Roksan Caspian brings Helicons to live, special in rock music. Bass gets better definition and the top of the range still keeps far from brightness (Caspian can be too bright for some speakers). In general – strong source is welcome.
Competitors: Before purchase I have had opportunity to hear Audio Physic Virgo III and Triangle Naia. Both belong to the same price range (circa). Virgo III is very precise in details and soundstage but misses musicality. This is something for music analytics, not for music lovers. If something can really impress in Virgo III it is their bass. It is not so heavy and extended as in Helicon but light and précised. It seems also fast what is typical for light weight fighter. Triangle Naia impress with their dynamic presentation but they are also not natural, not at all. Their artificial sound fits maybe to electronic music where everything is artificial but classical or jazz sound strange. Good if you are tired with real, true music. Triangle Naia exaggerate.
Summary: Helicon 400 are great loudspeakers. They put music before cutting of the borders but keep everything in hands. Pleasure is the priority. Easy to drive, dynamic, open sounding. Maybe not the best efficiency but my amplifier has got volume knob if necessary ;-)
Margin note: Someone can ask is it worth to add some money and buy big brother - Helicon 800? It is a good question. Despite nobler look Helicon 800 sounds different. The main feature is the same – music first. But the 800 manner is more impressive. Sound contains a bit more stage character even if the music has been recorded in the studio. Vocals shine with smell of metal glossy which also gives better ‘concert impression’. General their sound is still very even but their midrange stress lays a bit lower then in 400. Helicon 800 plays a bit more lower midrange and their sound contains so nice for my ears body, musical meat. Also following the bass walking is easier on 800 than on 400. Please, understand me well – nothing wrong with 400, just the difference. If you can effort Helicon 800 I strongly recommend them. You can hear the difference in your pocket. :- )

Strengths:
Great speakers for money, real hi-end in every detail, both build and sound. Music sounds in full harmony, you can hear everything called beauty if the record contain it. Soundstage is expetional. Brilliant high frequences. Reflect real information about any record.

Weaknesses:
Let's call them 'features', not 'weaknesses' :-)

Helicons like strong support from amplifier however can play really easy with weaker stuff. Overall presentation is rather warm than cold so maybe can not fit harsh death metal. They need time for to falling in love thier high gloss shining (in my case it took about 2 minutes).

Similar Products Used:
Audio Physic Virgo III, Triangle Naia, B&W 804, B&W 703

peterl69

Overall Rating
 5 of 5

Value Rating
 5 of 5

Used product for
1 to 3 months

Visitors rate this review
4.73 of 5, 11.00 votes

Price Paid:  $2600.00 from Used at Audiogon.Com

Summary:
These speakers spanked the hell out my B&W Nautilus 804s. I had to give up the 804s because the highs often seemed harsh and although they sounded great in the store, they were hard too live with and started annoying me after listening to them for awhile. Eva Cassidy's normally sweet voice started screaching with the B&Ws and would occasionally have me saying ouch. In comparioson, the Dali Helicon 400s have a much more open double tweeter (exceptional soft dome and ribbon combination that should beat the tar out of the B&W Diamonds) that are warm and detailed with a wide sense of spatiality and imaging and are not harsh and overly focused like the B&Ws can be. By my ears, the Dali Helicons are some of the best speakers out there in the high end audiophile range period.

As a side note, although I have not heard them side by side, for the price the only other speaker that may give them a good run for the money is the Onix Reference 3s. With high excursion 7 inch subwoofers and a similar double tweeter arrangement, the Onix Ref 3s should be good competition. Onix would probably sell alot more speakers if they would figure the average cost of returns into their retail price so people don't have to risk a full $400 demo fee to pay the round trip shipping. Note you can deal Onix (at AV123.com) down by hundreds on the price they show on the internet by calling and talking to them!

I am keeping my Helicon 400s as I can't imagine a much better speaker except for the Helicon 800s - but with a subwoofer, the 400s should sound roughly equal the 800s in sound. The sound from these babies is exquisite. The highs are open and detailed without being harsh. The bass representation is tight, accurate, and full. They sound fine without a sub, but because the two midwoofers in each speaker are only 6 1/2 inches diameter, a person who wants a very full and deep bass extention would probably like a musical sub to augment the bass. But make no mistake, the bass without a sub on these speakers is great. On that note, Onix makes a very musical sub available for around $500 that works well with these speakers. The Helicon Sub is almost as much as the speakers, so you may want to look at the Dali SWA 8 or 12 . However, by my own experience the Onix Rocket UFW-10 may be the most musical for the money and works great with these speakers.

I have the Rosenut color which is best by my taste. The fit and finish is top notch. They come with real wood veneer with a piano gloss finsih. They can be found at discount also with a little internet surfing or local dealing. Some sellers on the internet go as low as $3,250 new per pair without a warranty (ask!)

I recommend at least 125 watts of power for these speakers. I had a Denon AVR amp that advertised 135 watts per channel and the bass sounded grainy and distorted using it to drive the Helicons. However, the Helicons turned into different speakers when I powered them with a much lower priced $250 Harman Kardon 3480 two channel amp that rates itself at 120 Watts per channel! Apparently, the Harman Kardon's higher current watts are underated as much as the Denons are overated. I myself ended up driving these speakers with a 200 Watt Rotel RB-1080 but a 120 Watt Rotel or HK should do the job well. I would stay away from driving these speakers with a Denon unless it advertised at least 150 Watts per channel.

For my personal taste, I run my CD player through an equalizer where I advance the bass and midrange a few decibals and reduce the treble by one decibal from flat. For most people, the bass and treble knob will more than suffice as this adjustment is not major. The sound great without an EQ or bass/treble adjustment.

Strengths:
Stunningly beautiful in appearance, soundstage, and imaging. The openness of the double tweeter is jaw dropping and magical. The midrange is warm and full. The bass is fuller than most speakers of similar size. Instruments and vocals come alive and nuances such as the sizzle of a cymbol normally unheard reveal themselves without being harsh. The cabinet is real wood veneer with an attractive piano gloss finish. Beautiful, Beautiful, Beautiful in every respect!

Weaknesses:
None except these speakers apparently are not ultra efficicient as they will not come alive with low powered amplifiers. Most audiophile grade amps with at least 100 Watts should drive these speakers well as did even my Haman Kardon 3480, but my overated Denon AVR 2806 Amp (7X100, or 2 channel at 135 Watts) caused the bass to sound grainy and distored in comparison. Be aware that some manufacturers such as Denon & Sony often over-rate and use a different system to rate the power of their Amps. The Helicon's bass came alive and became rich, deep, and transformed with my more powerful HK 3480 rated conservatively at 120 Watts per channel and a little more so with my Rotel 200 Watt RB-1080. The Rotel RB-1070 at 130 Watts should also do a great job of driving these as well as other Amps of similar real power. I would not go less than 100 watts with a quality high current Amp after I heard how the bass was transformed with the more powerful amps. As mentioned, 135 Amps with the Denon was not enough to do these speakers justice.

Similar Products Used:
Infinity & Polk products
B&W Nautilus 804 & 805
Onix Reference 1 Bookshelfs

Note: The Onix bookshelvef speakers are some of the best bookshelves out there for the price (bass better than B&W 805s) but didn't compare to the Helicons 400s because they lack the larger drivers and tower (only 5 1/2 inch) and also lack the double tweeter like their big brother Ref 3 speakers. I would love to see a showdown between the Reference 3's and the Dali Helicons but I cant imagine any speaker getting much better than the Helicons althogh the Onix Ref 3 also has a double tweeter and even larger high excursion woofers.

Music lovers on a budget wanting audiophole grade sound should consider the space saving Helicon 300 bookshelves which also have the very same double tweeter arrangement. With a good musical sub they should sound almost as good.