The Dali Blue 2002 is most at home when asked to play classical, jazz, hip-hop and folk/light rock genres - in other words, anything where those two ports at the bottom of the cabinet don't lead to too much port chuff. They respond surprisingly well to changes in position for stereo imaging, but like most speakers their size, are best off on a pair of spiked stands - you'll not see all these speakers have to offer if they're laid on the floor or on a bookshelf.

Not worth the $899 AUD RRP when they came out, but worth snapping up on the second hand market at half that - there's a wealth of competition but little matches the complete package of full midrange, sweet and clear treble and surprisingly low and taut bass in cabinets finished with real wood. Sure, you can find more detailed, better timing or better sound-staged speakers at this price - but this is an all-rounder which gets overlooked far more often than it should.