Oberon 5 Review
Fortun Bawa
Verdict: Taking up much less floor space than a stand mount speaker (when on a stand), the diminutive DALI Oberon 5 floor-standing speakers deliver on so many sonic fronts that it is hard to know where to begin. Always terrific fun to listen to and highly balanced, these condo-friendly floorstanders break the mold for what can be achieved on a budget. DALI is to be commended for bringing their sharp as a razor sound field to audiophiles of more modest means.
The DALIs are decor-friendly and WAF favourable and will fill the bill in any downsizing exercise that an audiophile might be engaged in, such as a move to a condo or a smaller residence. For someone new to the hobby or looking to shift from headphones to speakers, they offer an ideal upgrade path.
The subject of this review, the DALI Oberon 5 foorstanders, neatly sidestep the above two issues. First, the cabinets are exceptionallly small and tightly defined, so cabinet diffraction effects are less likely and imaging will likely be improved. Secondly they use a two mid-woofer driver design where the top small mid-bass unit is reinforced with another identically-sized unit placed just below it and then a wide dispersion tweeter is placed above the two of them.
So visually the speaker looks (and also behaves) like a simple two-way design. Unlike my samples of floorstanders from the past, this is a floorstander that I can live with, and I will for some time. More about this later.
I contend that lots of people have heard sound coming from two speakers, but only some have really heard the stereo effect. Many of you will know what I mean. You visit friends and their speakers are scattered around at odd angles and in odd places and topped with ashtrays or cup holders. There is no attention paid to equidistant spacing and on axis sound, and usually decor issues reign supreme.
These are small-footprint bass reflex speakers. They stand a mere 33 inches high and are only 6.5 inches wide and 10.5 inches deep (83 * 16.2 * 28.3 cm). When placed in the stereo position, they appear to be about half the size of most stand-mount speakers. However, tiny or not, they are quite stylish and my samples are finished in Light Oak (vinyl) with white front baffles and grey textured cloth speaker grills.
Some buyers may ask why the wood finish is not a real veneer, but there are limits on what can be done at this price point. Each speaker unit is raised slightly on an attached (sturdy plastic) bottom plinth that isolates the units from the floor and gives them stability. Spikes are included in the package, if you prefer them.
The DALIs sport two stacked mid-woofer drivers of about 5.25 inch (13 cm) sizing and a 29 mm soft dome high dispersion tweeter. The binding posts are not bi-wireable but are good quality five way posts. Overall, to look at them there is nothing very exceptional about their design; they just seem to be another small bass reflex enclosure with bog standard design elements. However, their overall execution places them on higher ground and it is clearly the synergies that the components bring to the table that accounts for their compelling performance.
These are tiny speakers, hardly there visually, and yet they throw a large and very well fleshed out sound field. A totally inert cabinet this size should not produce this sort of size and scale. I came to wonder if the cabinet walls of MDF have a lossy effect that boosts the output of the lower mids. Spendor does something like that with their smaller A line floorstanders. These are, after all, pretty small speakers but they generate a surprisingly big and pleasing soundstage.
With the speakers placed seven feet apart and the listening chair placed seven feet away on the equilateral lines, the image is highly focused. But the bonus is that this small amount of toe-in still allows other adjacent listeners to benefit from the on-axis stereo effect. Within the sweet spot I would put the resulting image as about sitting in row G or H, which is more forward than row M (centre of house), but which produces an immersive and absorbing sound field,
First and foremost, with the Exposure the soundstage was if anything somewhat enlarged. It took on at least another foot of depth and width. I was quite surprised. Further, there was immediately more bass energy and slam, this being a predicted outcome when you compare it to a Class A tube amp.
The bottom line is that I can firmly recommend that these speakers can be paired with a capable, high quality integrated amp. The sonic outcome may not be identical to my Exposure, but I doubt it would be far different. I had previously boxed my Exposure up for sale, but I am now having second thoughts about that.
Finally, the reader will ask, what about comparing them to your reference J.M. Reynaud Bliss Jubilee speakers? This is a more formidable comparison and goes to the heart of differences between even very good speakers. As I have noted in reviews before, the JMRs are intimacy-seeking speakers. When playing an ensemble track, the JMRs will pull you in and almost hypnotize you into following one voice and examining it intimately. The DALI speakers focus more on the fun of ensemble playing and they accentuate the total picture.
After four weeks of listening I am convinced that these speakers deserve special commendation. So I am designating the DALI Oberon 5 speakers a Wall of Sound Gold Star Winner for value and sound.
Thanks for the great review. The sense of fun you describe reminds me of my Rega RS5, also diminutive floorstanders with paper cones. Highly infectious and with remarkable mids/highs. These DALI sound like they might be better with lower frequencies. Definitely want to audition.
About the Heed. I have not heard the pairing but they should match well. The Oberons are very amp friendly and easy to drive. The Oberons have a rear port but are not very fussy about the distance they are placed from the front wall. I think a foot would be a good idea but you might try closer. At 12 to 15 inches the bass is very balanced. Good luck. Cheers David Neice
Hi, I have a narrow listening room of 8 feet wide and 13 feet long. Do you think these speakers would be suitable in a nearfield setup, 6 feet apart and myself 6-7 feet back? Thanks for the excellent review.
Helge,
Thanks for your comment. Personally I think it might work ok. Depending on the styles of music and volume levels. You also might find the Oberon 3 or even the Oberon 1 to be quite capable in a room that size. David may have some additional thoughts.
Best regards,
Noam
Hello,
In the process of downsizing and looking to replace my vintage speakers. These Oberon 5 keep popping up as more than suitable for a small space with great imaging and separation. I have a pair of JBL L-36 and a pair of ADC 2 ways with an ADC sub. Great sounding speakers but all contribute to a bigger footprint. I would be running an older Marantz PM500. Wondering what your thoughts are on this. Thanks, enjoyed the review.
Back in January, I had the pleasure to review two Lew & Huey Phantom models, that you can read here, and soon after I posted the review, Chris Vail, the founder of Lew Huey told me about a new project he was working on, a completely new brand, NTH. In the same time, he also created an umbrella company called Janis Trading Co. that includes both Lew & Huey and NTH.
The bracelet, the clasp and the case have a subtle brushed finish that gives them that solid tool-watch allure, the only polished surface is the chamfered edges of the case that nicely highlights the shape of the case and the curved lugs. The screw-down crown is very well designed, it is shaped to be easy to pull out, it offers a good grip, and despite its large size, it did not hurt my hand thanks to its narrow profile.
One of my favourite features of the Subs collection is the size of these watches, with their diameter of 40 mm and a lug-to-lug length of 48 mm, they are tool watches that are wearable in any situation, without feeling awkward about having a tank on your wrist. 11.5 mm thick? That is actually quite slim for a diver watch and thanks to the domed crystal, it will easily go under your cuff.
We are used with diver watches to have lume on the bezel, the hands and the dial. With the Subs collection, even the NTH logo on the crown has lume insert. Does it serve any purpose? No. Is it super cool? Absolutely!
As you can see on the picture below, the Oberon shines in green, while the lume on the Scorpne is blue in the dark. While both watches have a generous amount of lume coating and they work well in dark, when it comes to brightness, I have to give extra points to the Oberon, its lume proved to be stronger than on the Scorpne.
KEF changed my mind about bookshelf speakers. I always felt like this type of box was just a space-friendly, cost-efficient version of its floorstanding counterpart. Yet when the LS50 came along, it challenged my viewpoints on what a small form factor box could do and altered my outlook on loudspeakers forever.
DALI has now launched its new active range of speakers, expanding on the existing award-winning Oberon series. With standmounters, floorstanders, wall mount options and a control box, this range looks determined to show that active, wireless hi-fi has a place in the homes of music lovers. Will this do the same to how I feel about actives?
Oberon has always been DALI's popular entry-level line, a firm fixture in the company's product portfolio for years, earning favourable reviews and no small amount of hype along the way. After the Callisto and Rubicon series gained active versions, it was only a matter of time before its budget range followed suit.
The Oberon C series comprises three active two-way speakers, derived from the passive Oberon series, using the wireless technology developed for the Callisto C. But they're not 'just' passive Oberons with built-in amplification; they're also tuned differently, taking advantage of the benefits that active operation confers.
c80f0f1006