What jumps out is how loud it plays. Hold down the volume “+” key and it just keeps going up and up and up. Before you know it there’s a huge, authoritative sound filling the room, with none of the chuffing or hardness you’d normally associate with a cheap Bluetooth speaker. It holds its composure with ease; the sound remains clear and focused.

Dali Katch Review | Trusted Reviews Dali Katch Review | Trusted Reviews

The Dali Katch One is a little less expensive than the Kubik One. It’s equally stylish, in a rather different way, and is intended to be a hub for all your living room audio needs. There’s no network connectivity or apps with the Katch One –this is pure audio – soHDMI ARC is likely to be your method of connection. This takes the audio straight from your TV and supports CEC so that you can still use your TV’s remote to change the volume. There’s a small Dali remote included in the box for more functionality.

Operation is every bit as easy as you’d expect from a Bluetooth speaker. Pairing is problem-free and, helpfully, KATCH remembers devices when you turn them on again later. Often we might consider it too harsh a task for a portable wireless speaker, even one costing this much; they’re really just for spitting out dance music at parties, right? To find out, we connect a Mac via Bluetooth, which is easily found and connects automatically each subsequent time both devices are powered on. If you don’t want to play your music via Bluetooth, Dali has also included a 3.5mm aux connection, and there's a USB connector into which it suggests plugging a Chromecast Audio dongle to integrate your home network. The current Award-winning Dali Katch isn’t cheap, but this is definitely a case of getting what you pay for.

Dali Katch G2 review - What Hi-Fi? Dali Katch G2 review - What Hi-Fi?

The Danish-made Dali Katch is possibly the best of the lot, though, at least in terms of the way it sounds. Dali Katch review: What you need to know There are two audio profiles that cater for use in different surroundings. The Clear mode has a more neutral frequency response suitable for most listening situations, while Warm mode boosts the bass frequencies for larger rooms. The speaker’s fully digital Class-D amp musters 2 x 25W of power. There’s a Bluetooth 4.0 receiver with high-quality aptX streaming from compatible devices and, thanks to NFC, owners of Android phones will save themselves precious seconds when pairing. Drivers 4x 50W Class-D amplifiers, 4x 11.5cm passive drivers, 4x 9cm low-frequency drivers, 2x 21mm tweeters A swift glance across the top of the speaker and you’ll find buttons for power, volume and pairing via Bluetooth 4.0 with aptX, which is made even swifter with the option of NFC.Obaro Ejimiwe’s vocal delivery is characteristically relaxed, but the Katch still gives it a velvety, expressive dimension, not to mention loads of body. Let’s not get carried away, you won’t be replacing your entire hi-fi with this one speaker, but you’ll certainly be clearing bookshelves to find it a permanent home. This soundbar will make a delightful addition to your TV set up. The crisp, dynamic audio is far beyond what you’ll get from your flat panel and this is sonically superior to all of its similarly priced rivals. Just make sure you’ve got the space and inclination to position it properly. KATCH comes in a choice of three colours – Cloud Grey, Moss Green and Dark Shadow, the latter a sort of bluey/grey shade that adorned my test sample. If truth be told, it isn’t the most electrifying selection of colours – the speaker equivalent of GAP clothing – but all three look perfectly tasteful. And it doesn’t matter where you put it, either. With a trio of drivers beneath the grilles on both sides – one low-profile 3.5in aluminium dome woofer, a 21mm tweeter and a rectangular passive membrane for the bass – this is a speaker that sounds as good from behind as it does from the front.

DALI KATCH ONE | Acclaimed Soundbar with Hi-Fi sound | DALI Speakers DALI KATCH ONE | Acclaimed Soundbar with Hi-Fi sound | DALI

If you’re in the market for a superb-sounding Bluetooth speaker, and money is no object, then I haven’t heard many better performers than the DALI KATCH. Its ability to produce a powerful, detailed and composed sound from a slender cabinet is nothing short of miraculous, while lengthy battery life, suave design and fuss-free operation further justify the price tag. These days it’s pretty easy to find cheap Bluetooth speakers that sound reasonably good, but a great-sounding speaker will still cost you a pretty penny. That’s the category of audio products in which the Dali Katch competes, alongside rivals from Bose, Libratone and KEF. Even Apple has joined the party in recent times with the HomePod, a smart speaker that also happens to sound absolutely stunning. Safe to say that if this Dali’s sound matches its build and spec sheet, we’ll have a very competitive product. When we first tested the Katch, we already had an inkling that the Award-winning KEF Muo might be in trouble, but we weren’t sure just how much until we set the pair head-to-head.

In the end, though, the Dali Katch stands alone. It’s the best-sounding, best-looking portable Bluetooth speaker on the market today and deserves all the plaudits it gets, beating my former favourite, the KEF Muo, for sheer audio quality.

DALI Katch G2 (Iron Black) | Portable Bluetooth Speaker - Richer Sounds DALI Katch G2 (Iron Black) | Portable Bluetooth Speaker - Richer

Switch to Ghostpoet’s remarkable Shedding Skin and Dali’s aptitude is proven to go beyond the instrumental. DALI’s drivers might not have much room to manoeuvre, but they can certainly move air. There’s plenty of bass, which thumps forth with tremendous heft, while the bold mid-range adds body to voices and instruments.

What Hi-Fi?, founded in 1976, is the world's leading independent guide to buying and owning hi-fi and home entertainment products. Our comprehensive tests help you buy the very best for your money, with our advice sections giving you step-by-step information on how to get even more from your music and movies. Everything is tested by our dedicated team of in-house reviewers in our custom-built test rooms in London, Reading and Bath. Our coveted five-star rating and Awards are recognised all over the world as the ultimate seal of approval, so you can buy with absolute confidence. Having seen DALI’s jaw-dropping full-size speakers, it comes as no surprise that KATCH is a beautifully designed unit. Its pill-shaped aluminium cabinet oozes class, with a glinting chamfered edge lending a little razzle dazzle. The main body feels remarkably solid too, the use of aluminium and ABS/polycarbonate baffles allowing DALI’s engineers to create a structure that maximises internal volume without compromising on rigidity.