In this review, we will be comparing SONIK 9 and Ultra Tower, two Passive Floor-standing speakers from DALI and SVS.
Let's have a brief look at the main features
of DALI SONIK 9 and SVS Ultra Tower first before getting into our more
detailed comparison.
| Key Specs | DALI SONIK 9 | SVS Ultra Tower |
|---|
| Brand | DALI
Denmark · founded 1983 | SVS
United States · founded 1998 |
|---|
| Design | 3-way | 3-way |
|---|
| Tweeter | 0.6875 x 1.75" Planar | 1.0" Dome |
|---|
| Midrange | 1.125" | 2 x 6.5" |
|---|
| Woofer | 3 x 7.0" Wood fiber | 2 x 8.0" Polypropylene |
|---|
| Frequency response | 34-30k Hz | 28-32k Hz |
|---|
| Sensitivity | 90 dB | 88 dB |
|---|
| Impedance | 6 ohms | 8 ohms |
|---|
| Power range | 50-300 watts | 20-300 watts |
|---|
| Weight | 24.65kg / 54.2lbs | 34.27kg / 75.4lbs |
|---|
| Dimensions (H x W x D) | 44-5/16" x 12-9/16" x 14-13/16"
1126.0 x 320.0 x 377.0mm | 45-5/8" x 13-15/16" x 17-1/2"
1159.0 x 355.0 x 445.0mm |
|---|
The sections below take each area in turn: drivers, frequency response, physical size and what you get in the box.
Drivers
Both SONIK 9 and Ultra Tower are 3-way speakers.
DALI SONIK 9SVS Ultra Tower
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 SONIK 9 |
SVS Ultra Tower |
|
Driver Setup
|
3-way
|
3-way
|
|
Tweeter
|
0.6875 x 1.75-inch
|
1.0-inch
|
|
Midrange
|
1 x 1.125-inch |
2 x 6.5-inch |
|
Woofer
|
3 x 7.0-inch
|
2 x 8.0-inch
|
SONIK 9 features a 0.6875 x 1.75" Planar Tweeter, a 1.125" Midrange and 3 x 7.0" Wood fiber Woofer. On the other hand, the Ultra Tower features a 1.0" aluminum Dome Tweeter, a 6.5" Midrange and 2 x 8.0" Polypropylene Woofer with a Crossover frequency at 160HZ and 2000Hz.
Frequency Response
SONIK 9 has a frequency range of 34-30k Hz whereas Ultra Tower has a frequency range of 28-32k Hz. With a minimum frequency of 28Hz, the Ultra Tower can go significantly deeper on the low side and provide stronger bass compared to the SONIK 9's min frequency of 34Hz.
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
SONIK 9 is a 6 ohms speaker compared to the Ultra Tower which has a nominal impedance of 8 ohms.
These two speakers also have different sensitivity levels. SONIK 9 sensitivity is rated at 90 dB and the Ultra Tower's is rated at 88 dB. This 2 dB difference makes the DALI SONIK 9 a more sensitive speaker compared to SVS Ultra Tower, hence will play louder with the same amount of watts.
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.
Both handle the same maximum of 300 watts RMS, though SONIK 9 is rated 50-300 watts and Ultra Tower 20-300 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
Ultra Tower features Binding post posts which make bi-amping or bi-wiring possible. SONIK 9 has a Binding post which doesn't feature bi-amping/bi-wiring.
SVS Ultra Tower'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 SONIK 9's and SVS Ultra Tower's external dimensions. DALI SONIK 9 has external dimensions of 1126.0 x 320.0 x 377.0mm (44-5/16inch x 12-9/16inch x 14-13/16inch) whereas SVS Ultra Tower has external dimensions of 1159.0 x 355.0 x 445.0mm (45-5/8 x 13-15/16 x 17-1/2inch).
SVS Ultra Tower is clearly the larger of the two speakers. Its body is 35mm wider, 33mm taller and 68mm deeper than DALI SONIK 9.
Below you can see the front view size comparison of DALI SONIK 9 and SVS Ultra Tower in scale.
Comparison image of DALI SONIK 9 and SVS Ultra Tower Size and External Dimensions
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 9 is approximately 1206.4cm2 / 187.0inch2 and base area of the SVS Ultra Tower is approximately 1579.8cm2 / 244.9inch2. The SONIK 9 requires 24% less surface area than the Ultra Tower which gives it a small advantage on placement in tight spaces.
Weight Comparison The weight of a loudspeaker can become an important factor if you need to move and reposition the unit often. Weight of a speaker can also "sometimes" be an indicator of the rigidity of the enclosure and the quality of the internal components used. The DALI SONIK 9 weighs 24.65kg / 54.2lbs and the SVS Ultra Tower weighs 34.27kg / 75.4lbs. This makes the Ultra Tower 39% heavier than the SONIK 9.
Here is a comparison of how SONIK 9 and Ultra Tower's weights compare with the average, max and min weights in Passive Floor-standing class.
Weight
All Floor-standing Speakers
What's in the Box of DALI SONIK 9?
Here are the items that are included inside the box of SONIK 9:
- 2 Floorstanding loudspeakers
- 2 Grilles
- 4 Outrigger feet
- 8 Rubber feet (M8 threads)
- 8 Spike-feet (M8 threads)
- Eight M8 hex-nuts
- Eight M8x15mm counter-sunk hex-screws
- Hex-key
- Hex-wrench
- Quick Start Guide
- Online Registration Card
What's in the Box of SVS Ultra Tower?
Here are the items that come with the Ultra Tower:
- Floorstanding loudspeaker
- Cloth grille
- 2 Metal grilles
- Foam port plug
- 4 Elastomer isolation feet (pre-installed)
- 4 Spike feet
- 4 Nuts
- 4 Protective discs
- 2 Terminal jumpers (pre-installed)
- Owners Manual
- SVS brochure
- Online Product Registration Card
 Sensitivity |
90 dB
vs
88 dB
|
Play louder with same amount of amplification power |
 Number of Woofers |
3
vs
2
|
More woofers |
 Height |
1126mm
vs
1159mm
|
Easier to fit in smaller spaces |
 Base Surface Area |
1206cm2
vs
1579cm2
|
Takes less floor space |
 Nominal Impedance |
8 ohms
vs
6 ohms
|
Less selective with amplifiers |
|
Woofer Size |
8.0 inches
vs
7.0 inches
|
Larger woofer |
|
Low Frequency Response |
28 Hz
vs
34 Hz
|
Generates deeper bass |
 High Frequency Response |
32k Hz
vs
30k Hz
|
Generates higher frequency |
 Bi-Amping and Bi-Wiring |
Yes
vs
No
|
Allows bi-amping and bi-wiring connections |
 Price per pair* |
2600USD
vs
4500USD
|
costs less (*prices may change depending on the seller, location and time) |
| General |
DALI SONIK 9 |
SVS Ultra Tower |
| Brand |
DALI |
SVS |
| Speaker Type |
Floor-standing speaker |
Floor-standing speaker |
| Power Range |
50-300 watts |
20-300 watts |
| Sensitivity |
90 dB |
88 dB |
| Impedance |
6 ohms |
8 ohms |
| Frequency Response |
34-30k Hz |
28-32k Hz |
Drivers |
|
|
| Woofer Quantity |
3 |
2 |
| Woofer Size |
7.0" |
8.0" |
| Woofer Composition |
Wood fiber |
Polypropylene |
| Woofer Surround Material |
Rubber |
Rubber |
| Tweeter Size |
0.6875 x 1.75" |
1.0" |
| Tweeter Type |
Planar |
Dome |
| Aimable Tweeter |
No |
No |
| Midrange Driver |
1.125" |
6.5" |
| Crossover Frequency |
n/a |
160HZ and 2000Hz |
| Firing Direction |
rear |
n/a |
Physical Specs |
|
|
| Height |
1126.0mm (44.3") |
1159.0mm (45.6") |
| Width |
320.0mm (12.6") |
355.0mm (14") |
| Depth |
377.0mm (14.8") |
445.0mm (17.5") |
| Weight |
24.65kg (54.2lbs) |
34.27kg (75.4lbs) |
| Enclosure |
Bass Reflex |
Bass Reflex |
| Finish |
MDF/Wood-grain laminate |
MDF/Oak veneer |
| Available Colors |
Black Ash, Natural Oak,White,Walnut |
Black Oak,Piano Gloss Black,Piano Gloss White |
| Grille |
Yes |
Yes |
| Moisture Resistancy |
No |
No |
Connections |
|
|
| Biamp Inputs |
No |
Yes |
Other |
|
|
| Parts Warranty |
5 Years |
5 Years |
| Labor Warranty |
5 Years |
5 Years |
These sit in different price classes - DALI SONIK 9 costs roughly 1.7x what SVS Ultra Tower does. Expect it to lead on paper; the question is whether the gap is audible enough in your room to be worth it.
| Area | Better | Why |
|---|
| Bass | B | SVS Ultra Tower digs deeper - 28Hz against 34Hz. A subwoofer would even that out. |
| Amplifier needs | A | DALI SONIK 9 is more sensitive (90dB vs 88dB), so it goes louder on the same amplifier. |
| Amplifier match | B | SVS Ultra Tower is the easier load at 8 ohms. |
| Headroom | evenly matched | Similar power handling (300W vs 300W). |
| Size | depends | DALI SONIK 9 is easier to place; SVS Ultra Tower is bigger, which usually goes with fuller bass. Your room decides. |
| Expandability | B | SVS Ultra Tower: bi-amping. |
| Price | B | SVS Ultra Tower is cheaper - $2,600 against $4,500, about 42% less; arguably a different class. |
A DALI SONIK 9 B SVS Ultra Tower
depends neither is better in the abstract - it turns on your room, your system or how you will use them. Only specs published for both speakers are judged; anything missing on either side is left out rather than guessed.
Which should you choose?
SVS Ultra Tower is the easier recommendation: it leads on most of the measured areas and costs less. Take DALI SONIK 9 if its size, looks or fit in your room suit you better. If a subwoofer is in your plans, the bass gap largely stops mattering - you would be crossing over above 34Hz anyway, so judge these on the other rows instead. If your amplifier is modest, vintage or valve-based, DALI SONIK 9 is the safer partner - the other will want more current or more watts to sound its best.
And remember what a spec sheet cannot show: how each looks in your room and whether the finish suits it, what dealer support and warranty are like where you live, and how they actually sound to you. If you can hear them first - ideally with your own music - that will tell you more than any number above.