In this review, we will be comparing SONIK 3 and The Fives, two Bookshelf speakers from DALI and Klipsch. The main difference between these two speakers is that the Klipsch The Fives is a Powered speaker which means that it has a built-in amplifier inside the speaker body so you don't need an external power amp or an integrated amp whereas the DALI SONIK 3 is a Passive speaker so has to be matched with an amplifier to get any sound from it.
Let's have a brief look at the main features
of DALI SONIK 3 and Klipsch The Fives first before getting into our more
detailed comparison.
DALI SONIK 3 Key Specs
- 2-way Design
- 1.125" Soft-Dome Tweeter
- 7" Wood fiber Woofer
- 47-26k Hz Frequency Response
- 87 dB Sensitivity
- Impedance: 6ohms
- Power Range:25-150watts
- Weight:6.42kg
- Dimensions (H x W x D): 351.0" x 7-7/8" x 12-1/16"( 351.0 x 201.0 x 307.0mm )
Klipsch The Fives Key Specs
- 2-way Design
- 160-watt RMS( 320-watt Peak) Integrated Amplifier
- 1" Tractrix Horn Tweeter
- 4.5" Fiber-composite Woofer
- 50-25k Hz Frequency Response
- 24-bit Max Depth / 192 kHz Max Sample Rate
- Built-in 5.0 Bluetooth
- App Control Feature
- Weight:4.85kg
- Dimensions (H x W x D): 314.3" x 6.5" x 11.125"( 314.3 x 165.1 x 282.6mm )
In the following sections, we will get into more detail in order to better understand how the DALI SONIK 3 and Klipsch The Fives compare and hopefully end up with enough arguments to decide which one of these loudspeakers is the better choice for you.
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Drivers
Both SONIK 3 and The Fives are 2-way speakers.
| Driver |
DALI SONIK 3 |
Klipsch The Fives |
|
Driver Setup
|
2-way
|
2-way
|
|
Tweeter
|
1.125-inch
|
1-inch
|
|
Midrange
|
- |
- |
|
Woofer
|
1 x 7-inch
|
1 x 4.5-inch
|
SONIK 3 features a 1.125" Soft-Dome Tweeter and 1 x 7" Wood fiber Woofer . On the other hand, the The Fives features a 1" Titanium Tractrix Horn Tweeter and 1 x 4.5" Fiber-composite Woofer .
Frequency Response
SONIK 3 has a frequency range of 47-26k Hz whereas The Fives has a frequency range of 50-25k Hz. With a minimum frequency of 47Hz, the SONIK 3 can go slightly deeper then the The Fives's min frequency of 50Hz.
Below graphs depict how these two speakers compare with the max, min and average values of the Min and Max Frequencies of other speakers in the Bookshelf class in our database.
Low Frequency
Bookshelf Speakers
High Frequency
Bookshelf Speakers
None of these speakers achieves full range experience which is commonly agreed as 20Hz-20kHz. In order to achieve lower lows / deeper bass, we recommend you pair these with a subwoofer. Visit our Powered Subwoofers section to find out more about the available options.
Cabinet Type and Port Position
Both SONIK 3 and The Fives have rear firing ports. Rear ported speakers generally need more room between the backside of the speaker and the wall compared to sealed and front/bottom ported speakers. Placing the speakers too close to the walls may cause the bass to sound boomy.
If you are limited in space and can't get the speakers away from the backwall, check our Speakers with Front Firing Ports page.
Physical Specs
Size of a speaker can sometimes become 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 SONIK 3's and Klipsch The Fives's external dimensions. DALI SONIK 3 has external dimensions of 351.0 x 201.0 x 307.0mm ( 13-13/16inch x 7-7/8inch x 12-1/16inch ) whereas Klipsch The Fives has external dimensions of 314.3 x 165.1 x 282.6mm ( 12.375 x 6.5 x 11.125inch) .
DALI SONIK 3 is clearly the larger of the two speakers. Its body is 35.9mm wider, 36.7mm taller and 24.4mm deeper than Klipsch The Fives.
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 SONIK 3 is approximately 617.1cm2 / 95.7inch2 and base area of the Klipsch The Fives is approximately 466.6cm2 / 72.3inch2. The SONIK 3 requires 32% more surface area than the The Fives which gives it a small disadvantage on placement in tight spaces.
What's in the Box of DALI SONIK 3?
Here are the items that are included inside the box of SONIK 3:
2 Bookshelf loudspeakers 2 Grilles 8 Sef-adehsive rubber feet Quick Start Guide Online Registration Card
What's in the Box of Klipsch The Fives?
Here are the items that come with the The Fives:
Powered speaker (right) Passive speaker (left) 6-inch AC power cord 13-feet Proprietary speaker cable 58-inch HDMI cable 59-inch USB-A to USB-B cable Remote control 2 AAA batteries Instruction Booklet Need Help? card