In this review, we will be comparing two different types of speakers by DALI. DALI Sonik On-Wall is a On-wall speaker whereas the SONIK 9 is a Floor-standing speaker.
Let's have a brief look at the main features
of DALI Sonik On-Wall and DALI SONIK 9 first before getting into our more
detailed comparison.
| Key Specs | DALI Sonik On-Wall | DALI SONIK 9 |
|---|
| Brand | DALI
Denmark · founded 1983 | DALI
Denmark · founded 1983 |
|---|
| Design | 2-way | 3-way |
|---|
| Tweeter | 1.14" Soft-Dome | 0.6875 x 1.75" Planar |
|---|
| Midrange | — | 1.125" |
|---|
| Woofer | 5.25" Wood fibre | 3 x 7.0" Wood fiber |
|---|
| Frequency response | 55-26k Hz | 34-30k Hz |
|---|
| Sensitivity | 87 dB | 90 dB |
|---|
| Impedance | 6 ohms | 6 ohms |
|---|
| Power range | 25-100 watts | 50-300 watts |
|---|
| Weight | — | 24.65kg / 54.2lbs |
|---|
| Dimensions (H x W x D) | 15.16" x 9.65" x 4.84"
385 x 245 x 123 mm | 44-5/16" x 12-9/16" x 14-13/16"
1126.0 x 320.0 x 377.0mm |
|---|
Sonik On-Wall and SONIK 9 are members of DALI's Sonik series of speakers. Below you can find the loudspeakers from this series.
DALI Sonik Series
History
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 Sonik On-Wall is a 2-way design whereas the SONIK 9 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 Sonik On-WallDALI SONIK 9
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 On-Wall |
DALI SONIK 9 |
|
Driver Setup
|
2-way
|
3-way
|
|
Tweeter
|
1.14-inch
|
0.6875 x 1.75-inch
|
|
Midrange
|
- |
1 x 1.125-inch |
|
Woofer
|
1 x 5.25-inch
|
3 x 7.0-inch
|
Sonik On-Wall features a 1.14" Soft-Dome Tweeter and 1 x 5.25" Wood fibre Woofer with a Crossover frequency at 2400Hz. On the other hand, the SONIK 9 features a 0.6875 x 1.75" Planar Tweeter, a 1.125" Midrange and 3 x 7.0" Wood fiber Woofer.
Frequency Response
Sonik On-Wall has a frequency range of 55-26k Hz whereas SONIK 9 has a frequency range of 34-30k Hz. With a minimum frequency of 34Hz, the SONIK 9 can go significantly deeper on the low side and provide stronger bass compared to the Sonik On-Wall's min frequency of 55Hz.
The graph below depicts how these two speakers compare with the max, min and average Low Frequency values of other speakers in the On-wall class in our database.
Low Frequency
On-wall 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 On-Wall and SONIK 9 have the same Impedance of 6 ohms but where they differ is the sensitivity levels. Sonik On-Wall sensitivity is rated at 87 dB and the SONIK 9's is at 90 dB. This 3 dB difference makes the DALI SONIK 9 a more sensitive speaker compared to DALI Sonik On-Wall, hence will play louder with the same amount of watts.
Sensitivity
On-wall 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.
SONIK 9 can handle a max power of 300 watts RMS, whereas Sonik On-Wall has a max power handling value of 100 watts RMS, 200 watts less than the SONIK 9.
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
Sonik On-Wall features Binding post type posts and SONIK 9 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 Sonik On-Wall's and DALI SONIK 9's external dimensions. DALI Sonik On-Wall has external dimensions of 385 x 245 x 123 mm () whereas 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).
DALI SONIK 9 is clearly the larger of the two speakers. Its body is 75mm wider, 741mm taller and 254mm deeper than DALI Sonik On-Wall.
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 SONIK 9 needs about 300% more floor or shelf area. DALI SONIK 9 is 254mm deeper, so it stands that much further out from the wall. DALI SONIK 9 is 741mm 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 Sonik On-Wall is approximately 301.4cm2 / 46.7inch2 and base area of the DALI SONIK 9 is approximately 1206.4cm2 / 187.0inch2. The Sonik On-Wall requires 75% less surface area than the SONIK 9 which gives it a small advantage on placement in tight spaces.
What's in the Box of DALI SONIK 9?
Here are the items that come with the 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