Dream catchers “dissolve” bad dreams and so does the new Dali sound bar with the bad sound of modern TVs. It’s not cheap but it could not be, given the excellent construction and performance it offers. Dali Katch One is not enough for a few dB more with dubious quality playback, as so many introductory sound bars do.
Its special design gives a new image to the genre, as it grows vertically and has a strongly rounded chassis at the edges, to fit more easily with TVs of different widths. It is produced in two finishes, Jet Black and Cream, with different tones in black / gray and white respectively and the grille of the front is covered with a beautiful cover, very different from the long and narrow “black boxes” that flood the market.
It rests on a shelf with two (removable) simple wooden legs but you can easily hang it with the provided leather strips from the wall, for a more “ethnic” and tasteful look, while it is also hung in the conventional way, with screws / hooks on bases on her back. Thanks to its shallow depth and clever design of the bass charge, with opposite radiators placed back and forth, it will perform properly in any way you place it.
The Katch One is modeled on Dali’s high-end Kubik One sound bar, which of course with its aluminum cab and regular cone loudspeakers (wood fiber woofer) plays at a higher level.
So after the success of the Katch portable Bluetooth speaker, the Danes decided to extend the same concept to a sound bar, using the same inverted conical loudspeakers and the design philosophy with passive radiator charging, all in double volumes Twitter.
The Katch One is therefore a complete audio system, with ten speakers – six active and four passive – five inputs and a remote control, which can autonomously cover a small and medium space or expand by adding an active subwoofer to cover even larger spaces.
Its great flexibility does not compete with the sound quality, as the platform relies on DSP that works at high resolution rates and adapts the Katch One to always deliver with clarity and excellent dynamic range.
The main work, however, is done by the special speakers and charging and the DSP participates slightly only in the expansion of the bass, so that the result has a naturalness and does not appear processed. The digital processing gives us a very successful electronic crossover between the two roads of the design and the four 50-watt class D amplifiers take over the smooth driving, while the dual power supply ensures low standby consumption and strong stocks in action.
In the Katch One every detail that counts for sound performance has been taken care of, for example the rear woofers have special diffuser grilles that direct the sound outwards and have a slightly different dust cup from the front, so that they take better advantage of the nearby walls and reproduce less medium.
The operation is very easy from the top panel with the keys and the remote control, while the always troublesome interfaces are made in a large recess in its back, with the possibility of routing in both directions, up and down.
The space there is sufficient but it is good not to install too large plugs or too thick and rigid cables, which will act as a barrier if you choose to hang it on the wall.
PLUG ‘N’ PLAY
The experience of using the Dali Katch Onee is the definition of simplicity. Connecting the TV via HDMI allows basic operation from the TV remote control if the port supports CEC control beyond ARC. The selection of inputs works in series from the top panel and for direct access to them the Katch One remote control is more suitable.
The analog input is obviously digitized and the other inputs will receive signals up to 24bit / 192KHz, while the aptX wireless connection is also of high quality, which keeps the resolution at very good levels. the Dali Katch One is designed to go down quite low on the bass, close to 50Hz, when placed very close to the wall or hung on it.
In this position, the Focus sound mode option is preferred, as it maintains clarity and focus at high levels, giving a very good tonal balance between the three areas of the spectrum. If we want to place it more freely in the space, then the bass empties and we have to choose the wide position, which gives a tasteful stimulation to the ends of the spectrum. The best sound of course we will get accompanied by an active subwoofer.
The Katch One “feels” the connection and activates a high-pass filter, which relieves its speakers from low frequencies and allows higher levels and even clearer sound. The great asset of the Katch One is the lack of “drip” even at high levels, thanks to the inertial chassis and the smart placement of the passive radiators, while the active filter gives the lead to the low deformations and is perfectly executed in combination with the finals. amplifiers, so as not to leave the feeling of “asynchronous” between the streets of the design.
In other words, the Katch One is very musical beyond sharp, referring to the well-known family sound of Dali speakers, while it will do its job without problems in the home cinema. Of course, we should not expect miracles at the level of low frequency effects in large spaces, but a space up to 20 sq.m. will cover it adequately on its own.
Dali Katch One: Specifications
- TYPE: Soundbar with Bluetooth aptX SPEAKER
- INPUTS: 2xoptical, HDMI, 3,5chlst., Bluetooth 4.1 aac / aptX, USB-A (sevice, upgrade, power)
- OUTPUTS: subwoofer (activates high-pass through the DSP 10 loudspeakers)
- POWER: 4x50W
- FRAME: polymer (ABS ) with fiberglass reinforcement.
- EXTRA: DSP 24bit / 96KHz, remote control
- DIMENSIONS (WxHxB): 870x145x65 mm.
- WEIGHT: 3.7 kg
- MORE INFO: www.dali.com
Conclusion
The new the Dali Katch One soundbar finally ticks all the boxes, justifying its high price. It has a unique style, high ergonomics and great flexibility in installation and sound coverage. Most importantly, it is very capable of sound, delivering hi-fi rather than consumer sound and in fact with “touches” of high resolution and precision that show that the technology behind it is not just random…