DALI CALLISTO User Manual

DALI CALLISTO

WHITEPAPER

INTRODUCTION

The landscape for High End Audio has been changing
for a number of years now, and the shift has been
accelerating, with no signs of it slowing down. We refer
to of course, the choice of convenience.

This ‘convenience’ has emerged in many shapes and
forms, driven by the lure of ease of use, getting started
and installation. These factors have begun to triumph
over high-quality audio, with music lovers settling for
lesser sound quality in order to get more convenience.
This is not to say that good sound is not important to
them, but simply because the wish for convenience left
them with no alternative.

The trend is that first time buyers of high-end audio
have little interest in the hassle with cables and multiple
boxes of electronics. They want easy access to all their
digitally stored music, be it online, on their phone or on a
network connected hard drive - but they want it to sound
great. In short, they long for the virtues of a traditional
Hi-Fi product that matches the audio demands of the
21th century.

At DALI we recognised this dilemma of customers
having to choose between high quality performance and
convenience in ease of use, so we set out to develop a
solution which brings together the best of both worlds.
The challenge was to create a great sounding wireless
speaker system that is easy to setup and use. A wireless
speaker system that empowers the customers to easily
access all their music in the best possible quality, and
play it back without the need for complicated electronics.

Acting as the central hub for the CALLISTO speaker
system, the DALI Sound Hub is what brings it all together.
With built-in Bluetooth, inputs for Optical (x2), Analogue
(x2), Coax and integration via dual Expansion Ports, you
can connect anything to your CALLISTO speaker system,
and, when you are done, forget all about them. The
Sound Hub automatically detects which source is active
and automatically selects the correct input, meaning
the only thing the listener really need to do is adjust
is the volume. Naturally, you can also select the input
manually; either from the Bluetooth remote control or
directly on the Sound Hub. The Sound Hub transmits the
audio signal (I2S) wirelessly to the connected speakers
in true HD audio quality (24 bit / 96 kHz) to ensure only
the best possible reproduction.

The CALLISTO speakers are designed around a DALI
manufactured 6½” wood fibre woofer with a brand new
and advanced SMC magnet motor system, and a hybrid
tweeter module. The drivers are fed by a powerful dual
channel 250W Class-D amplifier connected directly
to the drivers. This design enables us to setup each
amplifier channel to match perfectly with the driver,
and thereby maximize the performance of the drivers.
Drivers which are designed with a detailed knowledge
of the amplifier in mind can be taken well beyond
the performance levels of conventional passive driver
designs, to deliver you a transparent, detailed, coherent
and well-timed audio experience.

DALI is truly proud to introduce the CALLISTO series - a
contemporary take on traditional Hi-Fi.

With the DALI CALLISTO speakers, we deliver a speaker
series that builds on all of the DALI audio traits. A
speaker system made in Denmark, which has the
possibility to easily playback, stream, beam, select,
distribute and connect your music from any source, and
conveniently send it wirelessly to the speaker!

In the following we will dive into all the technical details
of this product. We welcome you to the world of the DALI
CALLISTO audio experience.

DALI A/S www.dali-speakers.comDALI CALLISTO 2

PRODUCTS

The DALI CALLISTO systems
consist of two stereo speaker
configurations and an optional
central Sound Hub.

CALLISTO SPEAKERS

The CALLISTO speaker series presents a unique
opportunity for DALI to deliver the best of both worlds.
Controlling the development of everything from the
drivers to the amplifier, we can optimise every single
component to match each other perfectly. This enables
us to design the woofers to be more linear than would
ever be possible in a similar priced traditional passive
speaker system. Pushing the woofer design to new
limits of performance is possible because we are
in total control of the signal path, and can therefore
ensure the control needed so not to overextend the
drivers. Leveraging this potential, we elevated the audio
performance to levels that surpass almost any speaker
amplifier combinations in this price bracket.

DALI A/S www.dali-speakers.comDALI CALLISTO 3

CALLISTO 2 C

This is the compact stand mount solution in the
CALLISTO system. Perfect for smaller spaces or rooms
where the speakers’ presence must be minimised,
without giving up on performance. The combination of

the 6½” low-loss wood fibre woofer, the hybrid tweeter
module and the perfectly balanced internal volume of
the cabinet, come together to form the base of a highly
accurate audio experience.

CALLISTO 6 C

When truly deep bass performance and room filling
sound-pressure is needed, the floor standing CALLISTO
6 C is the perfect choice. Gaining extra width and depth
from the added woofer and internal cabinet volume, the
CALLISTO 6 C can deliver a complete and highly detailed
three-dimensional sound stage into even large rooms.

Both speaker models have an RCA input for volume
controlled line level input. This enables you to connect an
audio device directly to the speakers if desired, although
we recommend using the DALI Sound Hub to obtain the
full convenience of the CALLISTO speakers, including
wireless audio transfer.

DALI A/S www.dali-speakers.comDALI CALLISTO 4

DALI SOUND HUB

The Sound Hub is the starting point when setting up
you CALLISTO speaker system cable free, and where
initiating the pairing process begins. It also controls
all communication with the connected speakers
and ensures that audio, volume and balance are
synchronised across the speakers. It handles all audio
inputs via the built in Bluetooth, (supporting AAC, Apt-X
and Apt-X HD) or any of the multitude of external inputs
(Optical, Coax, Analogue and the expansion ports). The
wireless 24 bit / 96 kHz connection carries the line
level signal from the Sound Hub to the speakers built-in
amplifier.

The Sound Hub’s auto source sensing system ensures
that you only rarely need think about what input you are
using. Just start playing music or turn on your TV and
the Sound Hub will automatically activate the right input,
and if in standby, also turn on the speakers. There truly is
nothing more for you to do other than enjoy.

When the need for adjusting the volume arises it is easily
done from the remote control, the Sound Hub or even
directly on top of the speakers via the built-in touch
panel. The Sound Hub transmit the volume change to the
connected speakers and the volume is changed in the
speaker amplifier.

DALI A/S www.dali-speakers.comDALI CALLISTO 5