Dali Oberon 1 Bookshelf Speaker

DALI OBERON 1

The DALI OBERON 1 is a ultra compact bookshelf speaker. The cabinet size enables an optimal balance between inner volume for bass performance and a compact appearance for easy integration - suited for smaller rooms, discreet audio setups or wall mounting. It features the same oversized 29 mm ultra-lightweight soft dome tweeter as its floor-standing siblings, and a SMC based 5.25" wood fibre woofer to handle lower midrange and bass. The OBERON 1 is based on the most innovative DALI ideas, traditions and inventions - united in a sleek compact design.

EASY TO POSITION

The driver materials, crossover design and geometry applied in the OBERON series has been selected to achieve a wide dispersion pattern. This ensures a well-integrated sound, even when listening at a significant off-axis angle. An added benefit is seriously reduced harmonic distortion and diffractions causing frequency distortion. This is why all DALI speakers are not designed to be toed-in.

CONTEMPORARY DESIGN

The rounded edges and rustic fabric of these new DALI front grilles add a lighter and more contemporary visual look to the OBERON series. This look is enhanced by the elegantly shaped aluminium base mounted on the two floor-standing models.

WOOD FIBRE CONE

The OBERON woofer features a wood fibre cone with a blend of fine grain paper pulp, reinforced with wood fibres, which creates a stiff, light-weight and well-behaving structure. In combination with a low-loss surround and spider suspension, this cone reproduces the micro details in the signal - unfiltered and with high accuracy.

PATENTED SMC

The iron pole piece of the OBERON woofer magnet is crowned by a patented SMC disk - minimizing the negative effects of the iron. The use of the SMC disk greatly reduces mechanical distortion, which lowers third order distortion. This allows for a longer listening pleasure, a relaxed midrange and a surprising amount of detail for its price class.

PRODUCT DETAILS

Given its ultra-compact size, the OBERON 1 is the smallest addition to the OBERON line-up. The cabinet size enables an optimal balance between inner volume optimised for bass performance, and a compact cabinet design suited for smaller rooms, discreet audio setups or wall mounting. 

Like its larger siblings, the OBERON 1 makes use of the oversized 29 mm ultra light-weight soft dome tweeter to handle the highs and detailed mids, while the SMC based 5.25" wood fibre woofer renders the lower midrange and well-timed bass. With the launch of the DALI OBERON loudspeaker series, we have picked the best elements from our current speakers and brought them together in a series that delivers on audio quality, looks and versatility. 

The compactness of the OBERON 1 makes it easy to integrate into any room. To achieve a wide dispersion pattern in the listening area, the driver materials and geometry applied in the OBERON 1 have been carefully selected. The same principles have been applied in the design of the crossover.

As result, you will experience a well-integrated sound, even when listening at a significant off-axis angle. This is important as you are rarely seated directly in front of your loudspeakers when listening to music. An added benefit is seriously reduced harmonic distortion and diffractions causing frequency distortion, as these will always be stronger in an on-axis response. This is also the reason why all DALI speakers are not designed to be toed-in. 

DALI OBERON 1 SPECS
Product series    OBERON
Frequency Range (+/-3 dB) [Hz]    51 - 26,000
Sensitivity (2,83 V/1 m) [dB]    86
Nominal Impedance [ohms]    6
Maximum SPL [dB]    106
Recommended Amplifier Power [W]    25 - 100
Crossover Frequency [Hz]    2,800
Crossover Principle    2-way
High frequency driver, Quantity    1 x 29 mm
High frequency driver, Diaphragm type    Soft Textile Dome
Low frequency driver, Quantity    1 X 5.25"
Low frequency driver, Diaphragm type    Wood Fibre Cone
Enclosure type    Bass Reflex
Bass Reflex Tuning Frequency [Hz]    50
Connection Input    Single Wire
Recommended Placement    Shelf or stand
Recommended Distance From Wall [cm]    1 - 50
Dimensions With Base (HxWxD) [mm]    274 x 162 x 234
Accessories Included    Manual
Rubber Feet
Front Grille
Weight [kg]    4.2

Dali Oberon 1 review

A quality pair of speakers with an unfussy nature Tested at £349

By What Hi-Fi? December 03, 2018

OUR VERDICT

The Oberon 1s are an excellent choice if you’re looking for a high quality small speaker with an unfussy nature

FOR

• Bold and articulate sound
• Excellent with voices
• Fine build

AGAINST

• Limited bass depth
• Lack a little authority

With hindsight, we shouldn’t have been surprised by the quality of Dali’s Oberon 1s. Dali has a generally brilliant track record with affordable standmounters and the 1’s floorstanding sibling, the Oberon 5 (£699), has just waltzed off with a 2018 What Hi-Fi? Award. 

Yet, we still weren’t quite prepared for the sound we heard out of these little boxes.

Build and Compatibility

About the size of a shoebox, the 1s keep strictly to convention as far as design is concerned. They are a two way, rear ported design, just like all of the established competition. But look closely and you’ll find areas where Dali’s engineers have tried to eke out an advantage.

The tweeter uses a 29mm soft dome, which is claimed to be considerably lighter than that used on most rivals. The larger-than-normal size (most tweeter domes tend to be 25mm wide) means that it can delve lower in frequency than alternative designs, aiding integration with the mid/bass and generating higher outputs with less excursion. 

Much care has been taken with the motor system and managing the sound that comes off the back of the dome so that it doesn’t distort the forward output. 

Moving down in frequency, the 13cm mid/bass unit uses one of the company’s trademark wood/fibre cones. Dali has long preferred this material for its low weight, rigidity and fine self-damping properties. The mid/bass and tweeter are integrated with a single-wire crossover. The lack of biwiring isn’t an issue for us. It keeps things simpler, and lets the user concentrate their budget on a single high-quality speaker cable, rather than spreading the cost between two runs.

The Oberon’s MDF cabinet is solid and nicely made. There are four finish options – black ash, white, dark walnut and the light oak of our review sample. At 27cm tall these speakers are compact enough to fit unobtrusively into most rooms.

Dali has tried to keep this speaker as versatile as possible, even including a rear panel fixing to make wall mounting easier. While these speakers sound notably more balanced than most rivals when used right up against a wall, if possible, we suggest pulling them around 30cm into the room to make the most of their excellent stereo imaging and midrange clarity.

As for partnering equipment, while we get good results with the Marantz CD6006 UK Edition CD player (£339) and matching amplifier (£369), these standmounters have more than enough sonic stretch to justify the use of electronics as capable as Cyrus’s CDi (£1195) and the Rega Elex-R amplifier (£949). That says a lot for the Oberon’s resolution and overall transparency.

Sound

Speakers this small are never going to produce loads of bass. Compare these Dalis to the likes of the bigger Mission’s QX-2s and you’ll find there isn’t the same level of sonic authority or power at lower frequencies. That accepted, the laws of physics being what they are, we’re left with a wonderfully articulate performer that marries a bold, forthright nature with the kind of refinement and insight that’s rare at this level.

The ’1s are stunning with vocal-based material. We listen to the likes of Tracy Chapman’s Telling Stories, Van Morrison’s Moondance and Bon Iver’s For Emma, Forever Ago and marvel at the way these speakers deliver voices in such a solid and expressive way. You’d need to spend closer to four figures to get any better in this respect. There are rivals that dig up as much information, but few deliver it with such a sense of passion and enthusiasm.

Tonally, these are nicely judged with a smooth treble that still has plenty of bite and a full-bodied presentation that sounds impressively confident and composed. That controlled attitude remains unchanged, even at higher volume levels where most rivals would start to harden up.

We’re impressed by the way these speakers convey the wide-ranging dynamics of Stravinsky’s The Rite Of Spring. They manage to render an expansive and sharply focused soundstage that stays stable regardless of the recording’s complexity.

Larger rivals will have more scale and sonic authority, but they won’t be anywhere near as accommodating as these Dalis when it comes to placement or blending into a room. It’s the Oberons’ ability to reveal so much information, but also arrange it in a musically cohesive way that really makes them shine.

Verdict

On the surface these may look like a posh pair of Spektor 2s, and there are certainly some strong visual similarities. But start listening to the Oberon 1s at the end of a suitably talented system and you’ll find they’re capable of sonic feats the junior speakers only hint at. But aside from the limitations of size, they produce a quality of sound only the very best at this level can get close to. 

If you’re looking for a small, unfussy pair of speakers we can’t think of anything more capable at this kind of price than these Dalis. They really are a joy.

SCORES

• Sound 5
• Compatibility 5
• Build 5