In this review, we will be comparing Rubikore 8 and Synchrony T600, two Passive Floor-standing speakers from DALI and PSB.
Let's have a brief look at the main features
of DALI Rubikore 8 and PSB Synchrony T600 first before getting into our more
detailed comparison.
| Key Specs | DALI Rubikore 8 | PSB Synchrony T600 |
|---|
| Brand | DALI
Denmark · founded 1983 | PSB
Canada · founded 1972 |
|---|
| Design | 2-way | 3-way |
|---|
| Tweeter | 1.14" Hybrid dome + planar | 1" Dome |
|---|
| Midrange | — | 5.25" |
|---|
| Woofer | 3 x 6.5" Wood fibre | 3 x 6.5" Carbon fiber |
|---|
| Frequency response | 38-34k Hz | 24-23k Hz |
|---|
| Sensitivity | 90.5 dB | 89 dB |
|---|
| Impedance | 4 ohms | 4 ohms |
|---|
| Power range | 40-250 watts | 20-300 watts |
|---|
| Weight | — | 34.90kg / 76.8lbs |
|---|
| Dimensions (H x W x D) | 43.31" x 8.66" x 17.48"
1100 x 220 x 444 mm | 41-1/4" x 9" x 13-1/2"
1048.0 x 228.0 x 343.0mm |
|---|
The sections below take each area in turn: drivers, frequency response, physical size and what you get in the box.
Drivers
One of the fundamental differences between these two speakers is that Rubikore 8 is a 2-way design whereas the Synchrony T600 is a 3-way speaker. 3-way designs utilize a midrange driver in addition to the tweeter and woofer on 2-way designs. Designing a crossover for a 3-way speaker is a complicated process and generally increases the overall cost of the speaker.
DALI Rubikore 8PSB Synchrony T600
TweeterMidrangeWoofer
Front view, drawn to scale - cabinets and drivers share one scale, so sizes are directly comparable. Hover a driver for its size.
| Driver |
DALI Rubikore 8 |
PSB Synchrony T600 |
|
Driver Setup
|
2-way
|
3-way
|
|
Tweeter
|
1.14-inch
|
1-inch
|
|
Midrange
|
- |
1 x 5.25-inch |
|
Woofer
|
3 x 6.5-inch
|
3 x 6.5-inch
|
Rubikore 8 features a 1.14" Hybrid dome + planar Tweeter and 3 x 6.5" Wood fibre Woofer with a Crossover frequency at 500 / 800 / 2400 / 14000Hz. On the other hand, the Synchrony T600 features a 1" titanium with ferrofluid cooling and neodymium magnet Dome Tweeter, a 5.25" Midrange and 3 x 6.5" Carbon fiber Woofer with a Crossover frequency at 450Hz and 1800Hz.
Frequency Response
Rubikore 8 has a frequency range of 38-34k Hz whereas Synchrony T600 has a frequency range of 24-23k Hz. With a minimum frequency of 24Hz, the Synchrony T600 can go significantly deeper on the low side and provide stronger bass compared to the Rubikore 8's min frequency of 38Hz.
The graph below depicts how these two speakers compare with the max, min and average Low Frequency values of other speakers in the Floor-standing class in our database.
Low Frequency
Floor-standing 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
Rubikore 8 and Synchrony T600 have the same Impedance of 4 ohms but where they differ is the sensitivity levels. Rubikore 8 sensitivity is rated at 90.5 dB and the Synchrony T600's is at 89 dB. This 2 dB difference makes the DALI Rubikore 8 a more sensitive speaker compared to PSB Synchrony T600, hence will play louder with the same amount of watts.
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 Rubikore 8 and the Rubikore 8 can provide this impedance level.
Sensitivity
Floor-standing 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.
Synchrony T600 can handle a max power of 300 watts RMS, whereas Rubikore 8 has a max power handling value of 250 watts RMS, 50 watts less than the Synchrony T600.
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
Both Rubikore 8 and Synchrony T600 features dual binding post speaker terminals for bi-amping or bi-wiring.
PSB Synchrony T600's Binding post terminals allows Bi-amping or 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 Rubikore 8's and PSB Synchrony T600's external dimensions. DALI Rubikore 8 has external dimensions of 1100 x 220 x 444 mm () whereas PSB Synchrony T600 has external dimensions of 1048.0 x 228.0 x 343.0mm (41-1/4 x 9 x 13-1/2inch).
PSB Synchrony T600 is 52mm shorter and 101mm less deeper than DALI Rubikore 8 but it is also 8mm wider.
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.
DALI Rubikore 8 needs about 25% more floor or shelf area. DALI Rubikore 8 is 101mm deeper, so it stands that much further out from the wall. DALI Rubikore 8 is 52mm taller.
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 Rubikore 8 is approximately 976.8cm2 / 151.4inch2 and base area of the PSB Synchrony T600 is approximately 782.0cm2 / 121.2inch2. The Rubikore 8 requires 25% more surface area than the Synchrony T600 which gives it a small disadvantage on placement in tight spaces.
What's in the Box of PSB Synchrony T600?
Here are the items that come with the Synchrony T600:
- Floorstanding loudspeakr
- Grille
- 2 Binding-post jumpers (pre-installed)
- 4 Isolation feet
- 2 Port plugs
- Owners Manual
- Warranty Card