What Hi Fi Sound and Vision
27 NOV 2009
DALI Mentor Menuet
These tiny Dali speakers stand just 25cm high. They look toy-like compared to similarly priced competition from the likes of ATC and Roksan. Ignore them at your peril, though: there’s nothing toy-like about the performance.
The Menuets are surprisingly authoritative considering they sport just a 4in mid/bass driver – it uses the same wood-fibre cone material as used in most top-end Dalis.
They may not rattle your furniture with huge volume levels or send seismic bass through the floorboards, but they never sound undernourished or insubstantial, which is a major achievement.
Get past the Menuet’s surprising muscularity and it’s the midrange that draws the attention next: full- bodied, articulate and positively brimming with expression. Fans of vocal-based music from the likes of Tracey Chapman or Aretha Franklin are in for a treat.
And that’s not where the good news ends.These speakers also produce an incisive yet well-behaved treble, nuanced dynamics and a remarkably surefooted approach to timing.
Supremely musical delivery
Conventionally sized rivals can deliver even more scale and authority while having purer tonality, but the Dalis’ musicality takes them a mighty long way. They’re speakers that grab the attention and don’t let go. Not every rival can claim the same.
These Menuets are solid and nicely finished, too, in black or white. They are relatively unfussy about positioning, sounding weightiest close to a rear wall.
But we’re happy to trade some of that substance for the improved stereo imaging and cleaner midrange gained by moving them 20cm or so into the room.
Put it all together and it’s hard to escape the conclusion that these Dalis are something special. If you want very small speakers that still sound great, we can’t think of a better option.
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