RAW POWER: Dali Rubicon

Amazing things, loudspeakers. A cone, often made from something as low-tech as cardboard, that’s made to move forward a tiny distance very fast by a tiny bit of electrickery, then back, very fast, repeatedly, and by doing so it can produce pretty much any sound you want it to. Bloody brilliant!

Cut up a cornflakes packet and make a cone and you move it back and forth rapidly, however, and no matter how fast you do it it isn’t going to sing Whole Lotta Love to ya. Try it. No, don’t, you’ll just look silly.

Instead try a pair of speakers from Danish hi-fi dudes Dalion. Not only can they deliver your music at dizzyingly high fi and with oodles of oomph to spare (unless your flat is the size of Saturn), they look groovy too. There are five different sizes (the biggest being the Rubicon 8, pictured) intended for placement on the floor, on a stand/shelf or wall-mounted, and whichever of the four flavours you choose – white, black, walnut and rosso (that’s red, to us Brits) – they’ll add some stylish elegance, as well as sonic clout, to any room.

The Rubicon inherits some of its DNA from Dali’s award-winning Epicon series, and if you give it some anaesthetic, lay it on the operating table and open it up, among the wood-fibre cones, gold-plated terminals etc you’ll find a whole load of components that might not look all that interesting but which work together cleverly and make the whole thing go ‘zing!’ As usual, if you dig that kinda thing you can gorge yourself on the full specs at Dali’s website.

Whether it’s cars, jewellery, hi-fi separates or a gourmet baguette, quality doesn’t come cheap, of course (unless you’re an MP or a high-flying banker, that is, in which case you either say it’s for your constituency home and claim the money back, or find a loophole that allows you to avoid the tax), and a pair of speakers in the Rubicon family will set you back from around £1,600 for the Rubicon 2 to around £3,000 for the big-boy Rubicon 8 pictured. And although it isn’t always the case, with this kit you probably do get what you pay for.

£1,600 to £3,000; dali-uk.co.uk

Classic Rock’s production editor for the past 22 years, ‘resting’ bass player Paul has been writing for magazines and newspapers, mainly about music, since the mid-80s, contributing to titles including Q, The Times, Music Week, Prog, Billboard, Metal Hammer, Kerrang! and International Musician. He has also written questions for several BBC TV quiz shows. Of the many people he’s interviewed, his favourite interviewee is former Led Zep manager Peter Grant. If you ever want to talk the night away about Ginger Baker, in particular the sound of his drums (“That fourteen-inch Leedy snare, man!”, etc, etc), he’s your man.