DALI Katch G2

DESCRIPTION

Even the original model of the portable Bluetooth® speaker KATCH, introduced five years ago, subsequently earned countless five-star ratings, reference titles and buy recommendations from the international trade press thanks to its typical DALI balanced and dynamic sound. The KATCH also received much applause for its unusual rounded cabinet design with front and rear radiating speaker chassis.

Can such a successful product be improved at all? Of course! The new generation of the DALI loudspeaker, called KATCH G2, remains true to the tonalvirtues of its predecessor, but has been updated in some technical aspects. The KATCH G2 is equipped with the currently most powerful Bluetooth® receiver version 5.0 and is thus also equipped for high-resolution audio data of the aptX HD and AAC standards.

The power supply of the KATCH G2 has also been upgraded. Instead of the 2,600 mAh lithium-ion battery used in the original model, which provided up to 24 hours of runtime on a single charge, a more powerful 3,300 mAh battery is installed in the KATCH G2, extending the maximum playtime to 30 hours.

Also new are the three particularly attractive color variants Chilly Blue, Iron Black and Caramel White in which the KATCH G2 is offered. However, DALI has not modified the proven operating concept, the driver line-up with two 21 mm dome tweeters, two 90 mm woofers and two passive cones supporting the bass, as well as the integrated digital 2 x 25 watt amplifier. Pairing two KATCH G2s for stereo playback is also still possible.

CONNECTIONS

Listening to music via the DALI KATCH G2 is as easy as setting up a Bluetooth® connection. Contact is made traditionally or via NFC (“Near Field Communication”), and the integrated Bluetooth® 5.0 receiver also understands aptX, aptX HD and AAC transmissions if the music source provides them.

Alternatively, the DALI KATCH G2 can be controlled via a stereo mini jack input. The speaker automatically detects when the stereo input is in use, so no buttons are needed to switch inputs. If you press the Bluetooth® button when the mini jack is connected, you can switch between the mini jack input and Bluetooth®.

Next to the jack socket are the USB port for charging external devices and the power connector. The USB jack lets you charge your mobile music player on the go or connect a Chromecast audio dongle or Amazon Echo for home network integration.

ACCU

The integrated Li-Ion battery has a capacity of 3,300 mAh, making the DALI KATCH G2 ready to play for up to 30 hours on one battery charge at normal volume. The battery, which comes from a renowned manufacturer that is appreciated throughout the industry for its high-performance products, can be replaced and recharged within two hours using the charger that is included in the scope of delivery.

If you operate the DALI KATCH G2 via the power supply unit, it can play even louder and more dynamically – and can be used perfectly as a party speaker by utilizing its full power reserves.

The dedicated USB port additionally offers the possibility to charge your phone on the go.

tweeter

With its extremely strong neodymium magnet and the particularly lightweight 21 mm fabric cone, the tweeter offers a comparatively large diaphragm area with the smallest dimensions. Both features are extremely important for the DALI KATCH G2. The compact design of the tweeter dome is partly responsible for keeping the internal volume of the cabinet as large as possible.

And the large diaphragm area allows the dome tweeter to easily reproduce frequencies well into the midrange, so the midrange frequencies that are particularly critical to our ears are reproduced seamlessly and without dips by the dome tweeter and woofer. Thanks to the powerful neodymium magnet, the dome is on the one hand very highly resilient and on the other hand so sensitive that it can radiate high frequencies extremely detailed, precise and fast.

MID-WOOFER

The development of a bass-midrange driver with a large excursion for an extremely flat cabient sounds like a contradiction in terms. Nevertheless, this task presented itself to our development team. With a special chassis, an upside-down installed diaphragm and a special suspension of the centering spider, it was possible to realize the same maximum stroke as with a conventionally designed woofer. In this context, each additional millimeter gained in overall depth meant an improvement in bass response with a less intensive need for support from the DSP.

Despite the small baffle, the woofer’s diaphragm turns out quite large with a diameter of 90 mm. The outward facing cone is made of aluminum, and the dust cap is made of fabric. The rigid aluminum diaphragm also enables powerful reproduction of the midrange, with the combination of aluminum and fabric providing lower surface resonances and clear, detailed reproduction.

Two 73 × 52 mm passive radiators support the bass-midrange driver in its work and provide such a powerful and dynamic bass response that hardly seems possible in conjunction with such a compact speaker cabinet.

WIRELESS STEREO SOUND

With two DALI KATCH G2 speakers it is possible to set up a wireless stereo system. The connection between the speakers and the audio source is via Bluetooth®. One KATCH G2 is the primary device, the other is the secondary device. In stereo mode, the two speakers not only deliver a true two-channel panorama, but the double number of speaker drivers also allows for a significantly higher undistorted sound level and more powerful bass response.