What Hi-Fi? Verdict
As long as you can live with the size and bass, there’s much to like here
Pros
- +
There’s a lot of them
- +
plenty of bass
- +
huge presence and scale
- +
fine insight
Cons
- -
Bass can be overbearing
- -
sub-standard finish for this sort of money
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Danish company Dali would like you to part with £1200 for a pair of its Lektor 8 loudspeakers. That's no small amount, so based on our performance-per-pound mantra, we'll be looking for these speakers to perform rather well.
We're certainly not complaining about the amount of cabinet for the coinage. Standing over a metre tall and 37cm deep, the Lektor 8s make for an imposing pair of pillars, even in our spacious listening room.
From a distance, and with the grilles off, they don't look too shabby, either. Indeed, we afford ourselves a smile at the sight of two 8in bass drivers.
Sub-standard finish
But running our hands, and a closer eye, over the Lektor 8s has us mulling over that price tag once more. The vinyl veneer seems far removed from what we'd expect for this money, while the cabinet edges could really do with smoothing over.
Of course, the Lektor 8s' sound is the most important consideration, and listening to Kanye West's Love Lockdown, we're immediately struck by the fearsome bass.
These speakers can shift serious air and will happily rattle any loose furnishings, such is their weight and presence: small rooms need not apply. We like bass, but it can be overbearing here. While there's a lot of weight and force, there could be more grip and precision.
Scale is immense, too
But the big boxes don't just generate big bass; they're capable of real scale and breadth, too. The XX's Fantasy is a case in point, filling every corner of our large room – even if that bass does its best to make a subdued, languid album sound upbeat and energetic.
While we can't quite smell the breath of the intimate, emotive vocals on Disturbed This Morning by Erland and the Carnival, we can hear the fingers moving up and down the guitar's fretboard.
Attention to detail is still as you'd expect in a speaker of this size and price.
These behemoths won't be for everyone. But if you can overlook the finish, have got the necessary space – and you desire the bass – then the Dali Lektor 8 speakers can certainly be a lot of fun.
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