In this review, we will be comparing Menuet SE and Menuet, two Passive Bookshelf speakers by DALI.
Let's have a brief look at the main features
of DALI Menuet SE and DALI Menuet first before getting into our more
detailed comparison.
| Key Specs | DALI Menuet SE | DALI Menuet |
|---|
| Brand | DALI
Denmark · founded 1983 | DALI
Denmark · founded 1983 |
|---|
| Design | 2-way | 2-way |
|---|
| Tweeter | 1.1" Soft-Dome | 1.1" Soft-Dome |
|---|
| Woofer | 4.5" Wood fibre | 4.5" Wood fibre |
|---|
| Frequency response | 59-25k Hz | 59-25k Hz |
|---|
| Sensitivity | 86 dB | 86 dB |
|---|
| Impedance | 4 ohms | 4 ohms |
|---|
| Power range | 20-100 watts | 20-100 watts |
|---|
| Dimensions (H x W x D) | 9.84" x 5.91" x 9.06"
250 x 150 x 230 mm | 9.84" x 5.91" x 9.06"
250 x 150 x 230 mm |
|---|
Menuet SE and Menuet are members of DALI's Menuet series of speakers. Below you can find the loudspeakers from this series.
DALI Menuet Series
History
|
Model |
Body |
Frequency |
Sensitivity | Impedance | Woofer |
 |
DALI Menuet SE
|
Bookshelf |
59-25k Hz |
86 dB | 4Ω |
1 x 4.5"
|
 |
DALI Menuet
|
Bookshelf |
59-25k Hz |
86 dB | 4Ω |
1 x 4.5"
|
The sections below take each area in turn: drivers, frequency response, physical size and what you get in the box.
Drivers
Both Menuet SE and Menuet are 2-way speakers.
DALI Menuet SEDALI Menuet
TweeterWoofer
Front view, drawn to scale - cabinets and drivers share one scale, so sizes are directly comparable. Hover a driver for its size.
| Driver |
DALI Menuet SE |
DALI Menuet |
|
Driver Setup
|
2-way
|
2-way
|
|
Tweeter
|
1.1-inch
|
1.1-inch
|
|
Midrange
|
- |
- |
|
Woofer
|
1 x 4.5-inch
|
1 x 4.5-inch
|
Menuet SE features a 1.1" Soft-Dome Tweeter and 1 x 4.5" Wood fibre Woofer with a Crossover frequency at 3000Hz. On the other hand, the Menuet features a 1.1" Soft-Dome Tweeter and 1 x 4.5" Wood fibre Woofer with a Crossover frequency at 3000Hz.
Frequency Response
Menuet SE and Menuet has exactly the same frequency range of 59-25k Hz.
The graph below depicts how these two speakers compare with the max, min and average Low Frequency values of other speakers in the Bookshelf class in our database.
Low Frequency
Bookshelf Speakers
Neither pair reaches down to 20Hz, the usual definition of full-range, which is normal for speakers of this size. If you want the bottom octave for movies or bass-heavy music, add a subwoofer to whichever you choose. Visit our Powered Subwoofers section to find out more about the available options.
Impedance and Sensitivity
Menuet SE and Menuet have the same Impedance of 4 ohms and their sensitivity is also same at 86 dB.
One thing to keep in mind that the lower impedance speakers, especially the ones that are rated at 4 ohms may put more pressure on the amplifier unit comared to higher impedance speakers especially at high volume levels, so make sure the amp you pair with the Menuet SE and the Menuet SE can provide this impedance level.
Sensitivity
Bookshelf Speakers
Power Range
Power
range is the range of input power in watts RMS that a loudspeaker is designed to handle. Staying
within that range gives nominal performance; driving the speaker beyond its maximum wattage can damage it.
Menuet SE and Menuet have the same power range of 20-100 watts.
Note that higher power handling does not make a speaker louder: that depends mainly on
sensitivity and impedance. The calculator below shows how loud each of these actually plays
on a real amplifier.
Which plays louder on your amplifier?
Starting with a popular amplifier - change it to the one you own, or any you are
considering, and watch both numbers move.
Input Type and Bi-Amping / Bi-Wiring
Menuet SE features Binding post type posts and Menuet has a Binding post type posts. None of these speakers feature bi-amping/bi-wiring.
Physical Specs
The size of a speaker can sometimes be an important decision factor due to space constraints or in some cases purely for esthetic reasons. In this section, we are going to compare DALI Menuet SE's and DALI Menuet's external dimensions. DALI Menuet SE has external dimensions of 250 x 150 x 230 mm () whereas DALI Menuet has external dimensions of 250 x 150 x 230 mm ().
In this case, we can see that DALI Menuet SE and DALI Menuet have the exact same height, width and thickness.
Size, drawn to scale
Both speakers and both views share one scale, so everything here is directly comparable. Hover a box for its dimensions.
One scale for both, standing on the same surface and pushed back to the same wall, so the deeper one visibly sticks out further.
Near-identical footprints.
Base Surface Area Comparison
Base surface area of a loudspeaker may become a determining factor when the space in your room or desk is limited.
The base surface area of the DALI Menuet SE is approximately 345.0cm2 / 53.5inch2 and base area of the DALI Menuet is approximately 345.0cm2 / 53.5inch2.