DALI E-12 F User Manual

DALI SUB E-12 F

TECHNICAL WHITE PAPER

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DALI SUB E-12 F

INTRODUCTION

Developing a DALI subwoofer involves the same
meticulous attention to detail as you will find in
the development of a DALI speaker. Our R&D
team consistently strive to generate the most
natural, yet entertaining, sound – at any price
point. That goes for the DALI SUB E-12 F as well.

Today a subwoofer is considered a natural part
of any multi-channel sound system, and in many
stereo systems as well. With the development of

the SUB E-12 F DALI wanted to create a true
versatile product, able to competently match
speakers from entry- to mid-level.

This whitepaper takes you ‘behind the scenes’
of the DALI SUB E-12 F, highlighting some of the
details which – when joined together – ensure
a true DALI experience.

Enjoy…

DALI A/S [phone] www.dali-speakers.com

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120.0

dBSPL

110.0

100.0

90.0

80.0

Frequency Response

70.0

SUB E-12 F frequency response at different low-pass values.

LFE
Maximum cut-off frequency
Medium cut-off frequency
Minimum cut-off frequency

ACOUSTIC
BACKGROUND

Unlike many subwoofers in the market the DALI
SUB E-12 F has been engineered to perform
equally well on both music and movies. It is
important to us that a subwoofer is capable of
rendering a performance true to the input signal.
Therefore a DALI subwoofer is everything but a
‘boombox’.

Over the years DALI’s engineers have developed
a set of sound design principles. Today these
are applied in the creation of basically any DALI
speaker. Naturally our subwoofers must be
able to enter into any setup without sacrificing
the purpose of providing wide dispersion, time
coherent and low-loss performance.

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You can read more about our sound design principles
at www.dali-speakers.com

100.0

dBSPL

90.0

80.0

70.0

60.0

Frequency Response

50.0

DALI ZENSOR 1 and DALI E-12 F
DALI E-12 F
DALI ZENSOR 1

The DALI SUB E-12 F clearly has its heart set on high fidelity.

Properly set up it has a superior ability to integrate
with the front speakers providing more than just
an extension of the low frequency range. In fact
a perfect subwoofer integration will increase
the sonic value of any smaller front speaker by
enabling it to reproduce all fundamental tones
properly, both in respect to gain and phase.

DALI A/S [phone] www.dali-speakers.com

This measurement displays the SUB E-12 F
connected to a pair of ZENSOR 1 in stereo mode.
Note the perfect phase integration and the
summing of the main and sub signal.

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Any risk of port noise derived from the down-firing bass vent itself is seriously reduced by its convex tapered
design. Apart from the shape of the flares the vent has also undergone extensive testing, measuring and listening
when it comes to dimensions and placement, in order to optimize interaction with the cabinet and woofer.

CABINET

Built on almost 30 years of knowledge in
acoustics and cabinets, the solid MDF cabinet
abides the tough DALI specifications. The
enclosure comes in a choice of Black Ash and
Light Walnut laminate finishes. Later there will
be a White version too. The front baffle itself
displays a High Gloss Black finish.

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The entire cabinet is effectively decoupled from
the floor by means of a sleek aluminium base.
Almost appearing to hover above the floor the
distance of 30 mm eliminates any potential
turbulence from the space between the cabinet
and the floor itself. Still, the proximity to the floor
ensures that the benefit of having a down-firing
vent is maintained; a higher efficiency and more
freedom in positioning.

WOOFER

The DALI SUB E-12 F incorporates a large woofer
with aluminium cone. This stiff, yet lightweight,
material was chosen to ensure a greater
transient response as you would normally expect
from a subwoofer in this category. Very much in
line with DALI’s philosophy in building speakers,
the ability to start and stop very quickly enables
easy integration with the front speakers. This
goes for smaller front speakers as well.

Designed to be a closed cone you will find no
dust cap. Instead it is an integrated part of the
cone itself. This is also a contributing factor in
ensuring a piston-like behaviour. Consequently
distortion is kept to an absolute minimum –
especially in the low frequency area which is
where the subwoofer operates.

The engine of the woofer is built around an
‘oversized’ ferrite magnet, and optimized for
maximum flux within the voice coil gap. The
reason is that it was crucial for the project
team to reach a high B/L product to enable the
SUB E-12 F to render the finer low frequency
details of music, also at a higher sound pressure
level. The measured B/L value of 14 N/Ampere
is a good indication of the level of control and
precision that was reached, and rarely to be
found in this category at all. And the numerous
listening sessions has truly convinced us that
this was the right way to go.

One of the inherent abilities of pure aluminium is an
extreme rigidity, measuring a Young’s modulus of 69
GPa. In comparison the typical paper cone material
measures 4 GPa.

DALI A/S [phone] www.dali-speakers.com

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The woofer for the SUB E-12 F was developed from scratch by DALI’s acoustic engineers.

The voice coil is 26.5 mm long, and built for
long excursions. It is vented to ensure aircooling
to the system, and the coil itself. Venting this
4-layer voice coil keeps the temperature down,
and the benefit is a stable impedance response.

Also the pole piece is vented for maximum
cooling. Here the venting has another purpose
too; it reduces internal compression in the motor

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system. This ensures free movement of the cone
without any over-/underpressure affecting the
performance.

Adhering to the low-loss sound design principle,
the surround of the woofer is built to allow long
and linear excursion. The oversized suspension is
designed to allow both weak and strong transients
to turn into undistorted acoustic signals.

The high-efficiency amplifier needs no external heat sink.

AMPLIFIER

The integrated 170 Watt RMS Class D amplifier is
a highly linear construction. The DALI SUB E-12 F
will follow and render the required signal with an
absolute minimum of bias. Designed not only for
continuous power, but also for peak power, this
subwoofer is able to deliver 220 Watt Peak Power.
This is very relevant when it comes to both movie
and music signals.

Switchmode power supply is part of the reason
for very low power consumption - only 0.4 Watt
in stand-by mode. And the amplifier displays an
impressive efficiency of 70%. In unison the high­efficiency amplifier section and power supply
construction generate an absolute minimum
of heat loss. For that reason you will find no
external heat sink on this subwoofer.

To improve sound reproduction in general, and
to ensure that this subwoofer is able to perform
under difficult circumstances, a limiter has been
incorporated in the amplifier section.

The integrated limiter works in two areas: It
compares the input signal amplitude to the
potential output signal level, and it compares
the available supply voltage from the power
supply to the expected output signal. If any of
these comparisons show that there will be a
problem then the limiter will cut the signal in a
soft manner and without affecting peak power.

Fitted with controls for gain, cut-off frequency, and
phase, the DALI SUB E-12 F will adapt to any front
speaker and room acoustics. And with a choice of
LFE and LINE inputs it can be connected to almost
any amplifier, receiver or processor.

DALI A/S [phone] www.dali-speakers.com

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OFF

STANDBY

ON

The power LED is integrated in the lacquered front
baffle – completely invisible when off.

Neodymium magnets are applied to invisibly attach the
elegant front grille.

APPLICATION

The front grille is held in place by concealed
magnets, making it easy to remove it from
the baffle. With the grille fitted the subwoofer
discreetly blends into most domestic
environments with its stylish High Gloss Black
front baffle. Removing the grille reveals the
impressive woofer with a laser-engraved DALI
logo.

Available in Black Ash, Light Walnut, and soon
in White finish, the SUB E-12 F is the natural
companion for many DALI speakers. It will
complement any ZENSOR, LEKTOR and IKON
MK2 system. Even customers for the FAZON F5
looking for more power than you can get from
the FAZON subwoofers today will find what they
need in this subwoofer.

And importantly; the design, technology, and
construction of this subwoofer makes it a perfect
upgrade of a speaker system of another brand.
Whether it’s a 2.1-, 5.1- or 7.2-channel system –
or something in between – the DALI SUB E-12 F
will take natural sound one step further.

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TABLE 2 - DALI SUB E-12 F TECHNICAL SPECIFICATIONS

DALI SUB E-12 F

Frequency Range [+/- 3] dB [Hz] 28 - 190

Input Impedance [kohm] 25

Maximum SPL [dB] 112

Crossover Frequencies [Hz] 40 - 120

Low Frequency Driver(s) 1 x 12” long stroke

Enclosure Type Bass reflex

Bass Reflex Tuning Frequency [Hz] 36.0

Connection Input(s) RCA, Stereo (low-pass filtered)

LFE (Mono)

Recommended Placement Floor, near wall or corner

Magnetic Shielding No

Max. Amplifier Power Output [RMS Watts] 220

Continous IEC Power Output [RMS Watts] 170

Max. Power Consumption [Watts] 250

Dimensions (H x W x D) [mm] 370 x 340 x 380

Dimensions (H x W x D) [inches] 14.6 x 13.4 x 15.0

Weight [kg/lb] 14.7/32.4

All technical specifications are subject to change without notice.

DALI A/S [phone] www.dali-speakers.com

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Designed and Manufactured in Denmark | www.dali-speakers.com