Calling the Dali Kubik One a "soundbar" is a bit like calling the iMac 5K a "computer" or Samsung's Note Edge "interesting". It's certainly true, but it's only a very tiny part of the story. What Dali's Kubik One offers is a beautifully-built speaker, with a load of great uses and amazing sound quality.
The Good
The Bad
Input options
There are some really great connectivity options on the Dali too. Bluetooth is a convenient way to connect up your iPod, Android phone or even laptop. The Dali supports AptX, which is incredibly important because it has far better sound quality than the bad old Bluetooth of old. We used it a lot, and it's a really great way of listening to music.
If you want a lossless way to connect your audio player to the Dali, you can use a cable connected to the rear of the speaker. Here you get the choice of RCA stereo inputs, or a pair of optical connectors. The DAC in the Dali, which converts digital sound to analogue, is very good and sounds amazing, but it's good that Hi-Fi fans can opt to use their own DAC and send just an analogue signal if they so choose.
There are also a couple of controls on the back panel. There's a bass control, which allows you to tweak the level of low-end sound. Then there's a gain control to tweak the output and a switch to determine when the speaker switches itself off.
Design
The body of the One is made from metal, so it weighs a decent amount. It also feels like it could survive the end of the world, and be used as a very capable weapon in the post-apocalyptic zombie war that follows. It also has interchangeable covers, possibly so you can switch them when they get zombie goo on them, possibly for aesthetic reasons in a pre-apocalyptic world.
The Kubik One follows the soundbar tradition, there are two halves which cover stereo sound, around the back there's a bunch of inputs to connect up various things, and some controls to get the best out of the sound. There's also a way to keep the cabling neat and tidy - we appreciated this a lot.
It's a great looking speaker, and we really liked it in the vivid red that Dali sent our loaner in. The colour you choose will depend on your taste and décor, but there are lots of options.
For music
Dali really focuses on music, and for that reason the Kubik has a sound profile that's designed to get the best out of high quality music. It doesn't add much "colour" to the sound, so don't expect it to boost bass, or artificially inflate the high-end sounds. It's a speaker that's very well suited to those who have high quality music collections and want to enjoy them.
What it does deliver, however, is a really nice sound. When the music demands it there's a good dose of bass, and vocals are incredibly clear. We tested the G.R.L. track 'Ugly Heart' roughly 860 times, not because it's a good test track, but because it's a great pop tune.
Because we wanted to see what happened, we also connected a fairly massive subwoofer to the Kubik too. The result was somewhat mind-blowing. Certainly not an audiophile experience, but a massively satisfying one nonetheless. When you do this, bass is no longer sent to the built-in speakers, which allows them to focus on other things. While those buying a Kubik may not add a sub, we wanted to for testing TV and movies.
For movies
If you opt to use the Dali for movies and TV then you'll be in for something of a treat. Put simply, the brilliant sound quality means that for dialogue and music, the Kubik One is amazing.
There is a caveat. With music, the Kubik is really well balanced. The highs, mids and lows are well tuned to give you a great experience. With films, things need to be a little less balanced. You need a tiny bit more bass than the Kubik can offer. The good news is that this is catered for, as there's a subwoofer output too. This allows you to get some amazing low bass to help with explosions in your favourite action movie.
Conclusion
At about £800, the Kubik One is hardly cheap. That said, it's hard to think of many "soundbars" that can compete, especially when it comes to music. You can spend a lot more too and still not enjoy the same musical balance that the Kubik offers.
For films, TV and general stuff that isn't music - we watched a load of movie trailers on YouTube - then it's pretty amazing too. With a sub, which will cost a fair amount, it produces a great 2.1 sound that offers the clarity of speech you want, while having the depth to rock the house during explosions.
Ultimately, the Kubik is one of the more flexible speakers you can buy. There's great connectivity, it sounds divine with music and great with movies and TV content. If you want something that makes Bluetooth phones with AptX sound stunning, then this might be the speaker for you.
