With the new DALI Kupid bookshelf speaker, the Danish manufacturer renews its entry-level hi-fi offering. Replacing the Spektor series, it aims to appeal to a wider audience thanks to a modern design, colorful finishes and an attractive price tag, while incorporating technologies inherited from the higher ranges. The Kupid embodies DALI’s determination to make high-fidelity more accessible without sacrificing the sound quality for which it is renowned.
DALI’s mission: to make hi-fi more accessible
Founded in Denmark in 1983, DALI (Danish Audiophile Loudspeaker Industries) has established itself as a global reference thanks to a simple philosophy: to offer natural, lively sound accessible to the greatest number. Far from limiting itself to high-end models such as the impressive DALI Kore or Epikore, the brand has always taken care to develop affordable speakers without compromising on quality.
The Spektor series, launched several years ago, embodied this mission by making true hi-fi experiences more accessible. But in the face of changing expectations, including new trends in design and ease of use, DALI has chosen to turn the page and introduce a new benchmark: the DALI Kupid.
A new era of accessibility
One of the first striking features of the DALI Kupid is its bold look. While many compact speakers confine themselves to classic black or white finishes, DALI has chosen to offer the Kupid in five colorful variants. This is complemented by a colored diaphragm for the midbass driver, and a matching magnetic grille that adds a touch of personality and transforms the speaker into a truly decorative object. Far from going unnoticed, the Kupid blends equally well into a contemporary interior or a more classic setting, while asserting a youthful, lively identity. Compact (approx. 23cm high), it can be placed on a shelf or TV cabinet, or wall-mounted thanks to the integrated bracket. Its design even allows it to be installed just 2.5cm from the wall behind it, a rare feat in this category.
Expressive, dynamic mid-bass
The mid/bass register is entrusted to an 4.5″ driver made of paper and wood fiber, an iconic DALI material. This combination guarantees excellent rigidity while limiting mass, for a fast, colorless response. This driver is supported by a large magnet system, a feature rarely encountered in this price range. Coupled with a ventilated voice coil and a long throw, it ensures remarkable dynamics and astonishing control of the low register. This results in natural vocals, realistic instruments and firm, deep, perfectly integrated bass.
The Kupid adopts a Dual Flare bass-reflex port to enhance low-end impact. This specific design optimizes airflow and reduces turbulence, thus eliminating organ pipe-type resonance that can affect bass precision. The result is cleaner, deeper and more articulate bass, which retains its coherence with the rest of the spectrum. For such a compact speaker, the Kupid surprises with its fullness and balance, capable of bringing substance to even the most demanding music.
Smooth, open highs
The high end of the spectrum is provided by a 1″ soft-dome tweeter, designed in-house by DALI. Its ultra-light cone, driven by a powerful neodymium magnet and optimized by ferrofluid cooling, delivers smooth, detailed highs. A special feature of this tweeter is its baffle, which has been designed to widen dispersion. Unlike many models, which require the listener to be positioned in a precise area, the Dali Kupid creates a wide, uniform soundstage, enabling the listener to enjoy the music even outside the ideal listening position. An approach that remains true to DALI’s philosophy of “wide dispersion”, designed for everyday life as much as for audiophile listening sessions.
Easy to power, simple to live with
With optimized sensitivity and an impedance always greater than 4 ohms, the DALI Kupid can be easily combined with most hi-fi amplifiers or AV receivers. Whether it’s a compact entry-level stereo amp or more ambitious electronics, it adapts seamlessly and always delivers a balanced reproduction. It can be used as a stereo pair for a first hi-fi system, or integrated into a multi-channel ensemble as main or surround speakers. Its flexibility and ease of installation make it a versatile solution, ideal for discovering hi-fi or equipping a secondary room.
Priced at €339 per pair, the DALI Kupid is clearly the most affordable speaker in the brand’s hi-fi range. It slots in below the Oberon series, whose Dali Oberon 1 model starts at €459 per pair.
