DALI RUBICON WHITEPAPER
INTRODUCTION Over the last 30 years DALI have continuously broken new ground in the loudspeaker industry, and have constantly proven that attention to detail and the genuine love of music is the foundation of loudspeaker craftsmanship excellence. Having introduced the SMC based ‘Linear Drive System’ with our flagship EPICON series, we wanted to utilise this technology’s ability to create extremely low distortion within the RUBICON series.
PRODUCTS The DALI RUBICON series consist of five unique loudspeaker models that all are built around a brand new 6½ inch woofer, and the well known DALI hybrid tweeter module. They are available in high-gloss Black or White, and in two real wood veneers, Walnut and Rosso. RUBICON 2 is a compact 2-way stand mount loudspeaker. The perfect blend between compact size and cabinet inner volume has created the perfect working environment for the 6½ inch woofer and soft dome tweeter.
WOOFER The SMC based pole piece covert by a slitted copper cap forms the basic in the low distortion magnet system. Magnet system Reproducing undistorted, uncoloured sound rich on detail has always been the goal at DALI. With the recently introduced SMC ‘Linear Drive System’ we knew that we had the tools to raise the bar on sound quality in the midrange loudspeaker segment. Finding a way to implement the knowledge was where things became more complicated.
SMC The use of SMC (Soft Magnetic Compound) has many advantages, but the overshadowing result is a significant reduction of distortion from the mechanical loss in the magnet motor. SMC’s unique ability to deliver a high magnetic conductivity and a very low electrical conductivity gives us all the wanted qualities of a really good The individually coated magnet granules makes it possible to mold a strong magnet that is not electrical conductive. DALI A/S www.dali-speakers.
Hysteresis problem in almost all speaker magnet motor systems. The problem with hysteresis is that it introduces an unintended resistance to the voice coil, meaning unwanted distortion. The reason hysteresis occurs is that iron is not only magnetically conductive, but also very electrically conductive. When using iron based magnets in speakers, the magnetization and demagnetization introduced by the shifting current directions does not happened at the same pace.
Current linearity In a traditional iron magnet system, the current in the voice coil will modulate the flux in the magnet gap. This flux modulation is a course of distortion, and creates a far from ideal working environment for the voice coil. This Inductance Linearization Making our speakers amplifier friendly is an important part of the design process. We want to make sure that it is the amplifier and not the speaker that forms the audio signal.
Low-loss Having designed a magnet motor system that introduces almost no unwanted distortion, we wanted to add components that had these same qualities. Using a wood fibre cone manufactured by the same company that makes the EPICON cones, gives the woofer a light, rigid and randomly uneven membrane. This makes the cone easy to move, ensures even piston like movements and reduces the possibility of surface resonance greatly.
RUBICON 8 woofer, 3rd order distortion 2.000 % 1.600 1.200 0.800 0.400 300 2k 500 Hz 5k 0.000 7k Iron without copper cap SMC without copper cap Iron with slitted copper cap SMC with slitted copper cap All of these individual component parts are assembled in-house to produce the RUBICON driver. They work together to reproduce clean, detailed sound, with no colouration or unwanted distortion. Every driver is configured to match the model they are destined for.
TWEETER DALI’s trademark hybrid tweeter module combines the dome tweeter with the ribbon tweeter for an amazing rendering of the high frequencies, and a dispersion of high frequency sounds that outperform all other tweeter technologies. In the RUBICON series, DALI makes use of both the soft dome working alone, and the hybrid tweeter configuration.
CABINET The gracefully elegant exterior of the RUBICON works as the base for the low-loss drivers. Made from Medium Density Fibre board (MDF), the RUBICON series’ cabinets form a rigid base for the drivers, which are screw-mounted directly into the 25 mm thick front baffle. To ensure the best possible hold on the woofer and thereby integration with the cabinet, the five screw holes are placed along the arms of the woofer chassis.
SIGNAL PATH When the audio signal is delivered to the speaker it still has a way to go before it is transformed into audible sound. Knowing that the shortest path is always the best when it comes to electrical signals, DALI designed the internal signal path of the RUBISON series to be as short as possible. Mounting the crossover directly on the back of the terminals ensures that the audio signal from the speaker cable is split up into the correct frequency ranges as soon as they enter the speaker.
APPLICATION RUBICON 2 is a stand mounted speaker built around a 6½ inch low-loss woofer and a 29mm ultra light soft dome tweeter. It is rich on detail with an impressive soundstage and has surprisingly large bass reproduction with both precision and timing. This makes it perfect for a stereo or surround setup in a smaller room, or as rear speakers in a larger room surround setup. RUBICON LCR is a brand new speaker construction that is optimized for onwall use.
RUBICON 5 is a floor standing speaker. It expands the sonic performance of the RUBICON 2 by adding a hybrid tweeter and a larger cabinet offering more of everything. Extending and widening the high frequencies for improved detail, and adding more well timed deep bass for a more demanding presence. The RUBICON 5 is perfect for stereo listening or as the front speakers in a medium sized surround setup. RUBICON 6 is like the RUBICON 5 a floor standing speaker, but features an additional 6½ inch woofer.
RUBICON TECHNICAL SPECIFICATIONS RUBICON 2 RUBICON 5 RUBICON 6 RUBICON 8 RUBUCON LCR Frequency Range [+/- 3] dB [Hz] 50 -26,000 45 - 34, 000 38 - 34,000 38 - 34,000 59 -34,000 Sensitivity [2.83V/1m] [dB] 87 86 88.5 90.5 89 Nominal Impedance [ohms] 4 4 4 4 4 Maximum SPL [dB] 107 107 110 112 109 Recommended Amp.
