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DALI Vega
DALI introduced Vega, a wireless all-in-one audio system designed to combine the everyday convenience of a modern network speaker with the sonic ambitions of traditional hi-fi. The Danish manufacturer, best known for its loudspeakers, is clearly moving deeper into the category of products built for people who want serious sound without a complicated stack of components, separate speakers and visible cables running across the room. Vega follows that logic quite directly. It is a single, elegantly finished enclosure that can be placed on furniture or mounted on a wall, and then used as a complete music, TV and multiroom system. At the same time, DALI stresses that this is not simply a lifestyle speaker in the most basic sense of the term, but a project based on 43 years of loudspeaker engineering, in-house drive units, active crossover technology, Class D amplification and advanced DSP control.
"As listening habits evolve, more people are enjoying music than ever before thanks to unlimited access to high-quality audio. Music is becoming an integral part of people's lives, and the key to it all is convenience. It has to be easy, but without compromising on quality. Our goal with Vega was to create a product that fits the way people live and access music in their daily lives. We wanted to make a product that people want to keep turned on all the time." - said DALI's Head of Product Management Krestian Pedersen. In practice, this means a system aimed at listeners who expect high-quality sound, but do not necessarily want to assemble a conventional setup with a separate amplifier, streamer, loudspeakers and speaker cables. DALI says that Vega was developed over a five-year research and development process, accompanied by market research which confirmed that demand for a high-quality sound system was matched by interest in a single-box product that could be used in a variety of living spaces.
The most important part of the project is hidden inside the cabinet. Vega uses ten drivers developed by DALI engineers. These include four 25 mm soft-dome tweeters using low-viscosity ferrofluid and an enlarged rear chamber intended to reduce resonant frequencies and improve performance in a critical part of the audio band. The mid/bass section consists of four 4.5-inch drivers with paper and wood-fiber cones, supported by two rectangular 3 x 6-inch passive radiators. The enclosure itself is a tuned-mass design, while the mid/bass drivers are arranged in a back-to-back configuration. This layout is intended to reduce cabinet resonance while helping the system produce a freer, more room-filling presentation.
The system operates as a two-way active design with an eight-channel crossover architecture. Each amplifier channel delivers 50 watts, giving Vega a total output of 400 watts. DALI specifies a frequency response of 32 Hz - 22.7 kHz at ±3 dB, a maximum SPL of 110 dB measured at 1 meter and a crossover frequency of 2400 Hz. The passive radiators are tuned to 32 Hz, suggesting that the low-frequency range has not been treated as an afterthought, but as an integral part of the design. The company points to the paper and wood-fiber diaphragms, low-loss surrounds and carefully optimized acoustic components as elements intended to produce a dynamic, natural and more substantial sound than one would normally expect from a single-box system.
One of the key technologies used in Vega is DALI Adaptive Stereo Enhancement, or ASE. This proprietary, patent-pending system is designed to create a wide soundstage from a single speaker. It analyzes the incoming signal in real time and adapts the way it is reproduced in order to generate a panoramic effect without introducing obvious artificiality or unwanted artifacts. In practical terms, ASE addresses one of the fundamental limitations of all-in-one systems, namely the fact that conventional stereo normally requires two physically separated sound sources. DALI is not claiming that Vega replaces a full-size stereo system with correctly positioned loudspeakers, but it clearly suggests that the new model is intended to deliver a sense of scale and space beyond what is usually expected from a single enclosure.
Another important feature is Adaptive Orientation Adjustment, or AOA. Vega can be used as a freestanding system or mounted on a wall, either horizontally or vertically. The built-in system automatically adapts the speaker's output to its orientation, optimizing stereo mapping and spatial accuracy in real time. The user can also select placement settings according to the installation environment, whether the unit is positioned in free space, close to a rear wall or near a corner. This is intended to help Vega maintain a consistent sonic character in different rooms and situations, from a large living room to a kitchen, bedroom or dining area.
In functional terms, Vega is built around the BluOS platform, which means support for high-resolution streaming, multiroom audio and integration with other BluOS-enabled devices. Users can access music services, playlists and internet radio, while Spotify Connect, Tidal Connect and Apple AirPlay 2 complete the streaming feature set. DALI has also included a broad range of wired connections. The system offers HDMI ARC, an analog RCA input, an optical Toslink input, USB audio and service connectivity for a drive or USB memory device. Bluetooth is also included, with support for AAC, aptX and aptX HD. There is also a subwoofer output with a 120 Hz low-pass filter, as well as a 5 V/1 A USB power output. Vega supports 16- and 24-bit audio with sampling rates from 32 to 192 kHz, while BluOS compatibility includes formats such as FLAC, ALAC, WAV, AIFF, MQA and DSD256 converted by DSP to PCM.
Operation has been designed around daily use rather than occasional, ceremonial listening. Five preset buttons on the enclosure provide instant access to favorite sources, stations or playlists, while further presets can be configured through the BluOS app. According to the specification, Vega allows up to 40 programmable presets. A key part of the user interface is an intelligent OLED display that rotates according to the orientation of the unit. The system also offers Direct and Custom EQ sound modes, HDMI audio delay settings, optical carrier detection, input detection, LED settings, automatic standby, mute, source selection and basic power and volume control.
DALI has also paid close attention to materials and industrial design. Vega will be available in Dark Oak and Natural Oak finishes, with real wood veneer, anodized aluminum details and custom-woven fabrics. One of the most distinctive elements is the tactile volume wheel, made from glass, acrylic and anodized aluminum. Its mechanism uses an aerospace-grade ball bearing system, designed to give the control a smooth, precise and properly weighted feel. The cabinet measures 143 mm high, 683 mm wide and 243 mm deep, while the unit itself weighs 8.7 kg. Supplied accessories include a remote control, two AAA batteries, wall-mount brackets, mounting screws, an Allen key, a cable holder, a power cable, a product registration card, a quick-start guide, wall-mounting templates and safety documentation. Vega will be presented in Vienna during an exclusive media showcase on June 4 and 5. DALI says the system will launch in selected markets in September, with additional markets following in October and November. Pricing has been set at $4,500/€2,999/£2,599. Info and photos by DALI.
