Tiny speakers that pack plenty of sonic talent
View online review whf.cm/MenuetSE
For those tight on space, the choice of speakers is pretty limited. One of our favourite options is the Dali Menuet – with this SE model the latest in that long-running line.
These 25cm-tall cabinets are about as big as a shoebox and feel immensely solid. Overall build is excellent, and we can think of no better similarly priced alternative.
The 11.5cm mid/bass driver uses the company’s favoured wood-fibre cone material, which is claimed to give a good balance between rigidity, low weight and damping properties. This unit has been designed to cope with wide-ranging dynamics, so the chassis design is as open as possible to help with airflow when things are really pumping. At 28mm in diameter, the dome tweeter is fairly typical, but is claimed to be around 30 per cent lighter than similar designs, which helps in its ability to track the input signal.
Pretty flash
The biggest change engineering-wise is the upgraded crossover that links the two drive units. This is now built on a higher-quality circuit board that reduces electrical interference, and features some pretty flash Mundorf capacitors, the type more usually seen only on high-end speakers costing many thousands of pounds.
At 86dB/W/m with a nominal impedance of 4 ohms, they will perform best with an amp with a decent amount of grunt, such as Arcam's A15. You will need a similarly capable source, as these Dalis will bite with aggressive recordings or partnering kit. They work best close to a rear wall – go too far out and the speakers start to sound a little insubstantial and lack solidity. Fire the Menuets straight ahead, rather than angling towards the listening position as Dali always designs its speakers to sound better when positioned this way.
The Menuet SE are impressively fast and responsive performers. We can’t think of an alternative that sounds so precise or agile. We play Dvořák’s New WorldSymphony and are pleased by their ability to render masses of detail and organise it in a musically convincing manner.
These Dalis are dynamic and generate a s
