If you’re the kind of person who wants bass you can feel in your chest, but still wants it to sound clean and well-controlled, DALI’s latest subwoofer might catch your interest. Debuting at High End Munich 2025, the new DALI V-16 F is the most powerful subwoofer the Danish audio brand has ever made. And yes, it’s as big as that sounds.
This is a 53-kilogram beast with a 16-inch driver, a hefty 90-liter cabinet, and an amplifier capable of pushing out up to 2500 watts of peak power. It’s clearly designed for serious home theater or high-end stereo systems, but DALI insists that it’s not just about shaking walls. The V-16 F is built to deliver detailed, distortion-controlled bass that plays nicely in both big rooms and smaller setups.
The heart of the V-16 F is its massive 16-inch driver. DALI developed this one using what it calls Constant Surface Surround (or CSS) technology. Without getting too technical, it’s a way of designing the driver’s edges so they move more evenly and don’t add unwanted noise or resonance. The result? Bass that’s less messy and more precise.
The diaphragm is made of aluminum, chosen because it’s both lightweight and stiff. That helps it maintain its shape even when it's being pushed hard by the amp. Speaking of which, the built-in Class D amplifier delivers 1500 watts of continuous power and can peak at 2500 watts when needed. That’s a lot of juice, and it helps keep the driver under control even during deep, room-filling bass passages.
To support that driver, DALI has included four Continuous Flare reflex ports, each tuned down to a super-low 18Hz. That means the sub can hit extremely deep notes without forcing the driver to move too far, keeping distortion in check. The idea is to let the driver stay close to its resting position, where it can perform most consistently.
If you’d rather have a sealed subwoofer setup, DALI includes port plugs so you can close off the openings. That kind of flexibility is useful if you're working with a smaller room or want to tweak how the bass interacts with your space.
Of course, with all that power and airflow, the cabinet needs to be solid. The V-16 F is made from thick wood composite panels—25mm thick on most sides and 50mm on the front. It’s reinforced inside to handle the pressure from the driver and to keep the structure from adding its own unwanted sound. The 90-liter internal volume makes the most of the space without being unnecessarily bulky.
Even though it’s big, the V-16 F is designed to blend into a system, not take over. Whether you’re pairing it with a full set of DALI’s flagship KORE or EPIKORE speakers, or just using it to round out your home theater setup, it’s meant to add depth without muddying up the midrange or drawing attention to itself.
To help users get the most out of the sub in different settings, the V-16 F includes a handful of sound modes—Cinema, Music, and Boost—depending on what you’re watching or listening to. There are also DSP tools like Room Mode Attenuation and Constant Group Delay, which help adapt the bass response to different room shapes and sizes.
DALI’s V-16 F is clearly built for audio enthusiasts who want serious low-end performance, but don’t want to sacrifice clarity or control. It’s big, it’s powerful, and it’s loaded with thoughtful design features that make it more versatile than you might expect from something this size. Whether you're building a reference-grade system or just want bass that feels alive without overwhelming the rest of your setup, it looks like the V-16 F is built with that balance in mind.
Technical Specifications:
The V-16 F is expected to go on sale in July 2025, priced at £4,499 / €4,999, with a U.S. price likely to land around $6,000. That definitely puts it in the high-end category, but DALI says the tech developed here could trickle down into more affordable models in the future.
