DALI CD VOL. 3

Why another demo music compilation?

Frankly, we're fed up with the handful of demo tracks in heavy rotation at audio shows and shops. The same tired, uninspiring four or five usual suspects (none named, none shamed) are repeated ad nauseam. Typically, tracks are selected solely for technical quality, despite a mediocre musical performance that grows old fast.

An industry grapevine somehow elevates tracks to reference status to show off specific sonic traits but surely this is an anti-musical pursuit. Shouldn't our goal as music lovers be versatility, the ability to reproduce anything, whether the source is good, bad or indifferent?

Is it fair – or even meaningful - to evaluate a good audio system based on one narrow parameter at a time? And should our choice of music be dictated by technology?

Our answer is a resounding "NO!" in both cases, yet still, we release demo compilations… DALI CD1 and CD2 were well received in terms of sales and worldwide "collector's item" status. The two discs led to a wider "discovery" by the audio world of many of the artists involved and, in all humility, we accept that we have a heritage to maintain.

We intend each selection to demonstrate various aspects of what it is that makes listening to music on a quality system such a rewarding experience, something most people can't imagine until they actually try it!

Lars Worre, Managing Director, DALI