DALI New Entry-Level SONIK Series Loudspeakers Revealed!

DALI is preparing to launch the new SONIK Series, a seven-model loudspeaker range that replaces the entry-level OBERON Series from 2018. Like the OBERON speakers, the SONIK Series incorporates DALI’s patented SMC magnet system, which reportedly delivers ultra-low distortion and high precision. The new speakers also benefit from Clarity Cone drivers inherited from the flagship KORE Series. The range includes the SONIK 1 ($900/pair) and SONIK 3 ($1,200/pair) standmount speakers, the SONIK 5 ($1,800/pair), SONIK 7 ($2,800/pair), and SONIK 9 ($4,500/pair) floorstanders, the two-way SONIK ON-WALL ($1,200/pair), and the SONIK CINEMA center-channel speaker ($900 each).

All speakers in the SONIK range feature a newly-developed 29mm soft-dome tweeter, engineered for low mass and low mechanical loss. The tweeter is said to offer wide dispersion and a smooth and coherent transition through the upper midrange. New aluminum plates surround the tweeters, reportedly improving bandwidth, stability, and thermal performance for cleaner-sounding high frequencies. The two largest floorstanders also feature a 17 × 45mm planar-magnetic tweeter as part of DALI’s signature Hybrid Tweeter System, which combines the dynamic impact of a dome’s pistonic motion with the air and extension of a planar driver. 

Together, the two tweeters deliver broader dispersion and greater high-frequency resolution, according to DALI. The woofers and mid-woofer drivers across the SONIK Series use DALI’s Clarity Cone technology, and are constructed from a proprietary blend of paper and wood fiber. DALI says that this structure balances stiffness and damping to reduce coloration while preserving natural midrange texture and transient speed.

The drivers also incorporate DALI’s SMC Essential Magnet System. Debuting in 2012 with the EPICON series, SMC (Soft Magnetic Composite) is a coated, magnetic, granular material that offers a highly unusual combination of very high magnetic permeability and very low electrical conductivity, according to the company. This combination reportedly results in a dramatic reduction in measurable and audible distortion caused by mechanical loss in the magnet system. DALI says that SMC removes “a lot of the common braking effects that iron introduces to the free movement of the voice-coil – effects such as hysteresis, eddy currents, and frequency nonlinearity, which result in unwanted distortion and coloration of the sound you hear.” 

By incorporating a hybrid iron/SMC pole-piece design, SMC Essential Magnet System is said to reduce third-order harmonic distortion, particularly in the midrange. The result is greater clarity and composure at higher playback levels, according to DALI. Finally, the SONIK Series features Dual Flare bass reflex ports, which are designed to minimize turbulence while maintaining accurate timing and clean low-frequency extension

DALI SONIK Series: The Lineup

SONIK 5, 7, 9

SONIK 9 is the flagship of the range, and as such incorporates everything that the series has to offer. This 2½ + ½-way tower stands 44.3 inches tall and features a trio of 7-inch drivers with SMC and Clarity Cone technology, promising bass down to 34 Hz (±3 dB). Exclusively for SONIK 9, the 7-inch woofers feature a larger diaphragm, and powerful double magnets for focused magnetic fields, low losses, and extra dynamic headroom, according to DALI. The SONIK 9 also features DALI’s renowned Hybrid Tweeter module, pushing the speaker’s frequency response up to 30 kHz (±3 dB). DALI says that, even at high volumes, “highs remain clean, open, and effortlessly natural, giving you the detail your music and movies deserve....(SONIK 9’s) wide bandwidth, relaxed high-volume performance, and balanced tuning make it equally at home in Hi-Fi systems and home theater front channels.”

SONIK 7 is a slightly scaled-down version of its larger sibling, featuring two 7-inch drivers and a Hybrid Tweeter. Its rated frequency response is 36 Hz – 30 kHz (±3 dB) and it stands just under 40 inches tall.

SONIK 5 combines a pair of 5.25-inch SMC and Clarity Cone drivers with the new wide-bandwidth 29mm soft-dome tweeter. This compact tower stands just 32.5 inches tall yet still delivers bass down to a respectable 39 Hz (±3 dB).

SONIK 1, 3, and ON-WALL

SONIK 3 promises “monitor-level coherence and precision with the richness of a larger speaker.” It combines a seven-inch SMC and Clarity Cone mid-woofer with the new SONIK Series dome tweeter. It stands 13.7 inches high and has a rated frequency response of 47 Hz – 26 kHz (±3 dB).

SONIK 1 is an ultra-compact design featuring the 29mm ultra-light soft-dome tweeter and one 5.25-inch mid-woofer. Its small cabinet offers a “perfect balance of bass performance and space efficiency, making it ideal for small rooms, shelves, stands, or wall mounting,” according to DALI.

SONIK ON-WALL “transforms walls into sources of immersive sound,” according to DALI. Its slim, elegant profile conceals serious engineering, with the same driver complement as the SONIK 1 in a cabinet just 4.8 inches deep. A down-firing bass port helps the speaker “deliver a sound far larger than its size, ideal for both stereo and surround setups,” according to the company.

SONIK CINEMA

SONIK CINEMA uses a pair of 5.25-inch mid-woofers and front-firing ports, providing flexible placement for center-channel or LCR duty. 

DALI SONIK Finish Options

All SONIK Series models are available in Black Ash, White, Walnut, or Natural Oak finishes. Their cabinets are made from CNC-machined MDF with internal bracing for low resonance. The series features refined details such as the aforementioned aluminum tweeter baffles, custom speaker terminals, and magnetic grilles. The floorstanders also include adjustable aluminum outriggers that ensure rock-solid stability while contributing to a design that feels “premium, understated, and unmistakably DALI,” according to the company.

DALI makes loudspeakers for everyone, from KUPID to KORE and everything in-between, covering hi-fi, home cinema, wireless speakers and headphones. Our sound and design principles have always been most visible to music fans at the price point that SONIK hits and we believe the range sets a new benchmark in performance for the price. We’re excited to launch SONIK worldwide and look forward to attracting even more DALI fans in 2026.

— Krestian Pedersen, DALI Head of Product Management

The SONIK series arrives at authorized DALI dealers in February 2026.

More information: DALI SONIK Series

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