Floorstanding loudspeakers — DALI OBERON 9

The OBERON 9 is the top model in the OBERON series from DALI, the Danish loudspeaker producer, and the only three-way design in that range. It was announced on 18 October 2020, two years after the OBERON 1, 3, 5 and 7 had premiered, at a European price of EUR 799 per speaker. It came in black ash or dark walnut, both with an anthracite grille. DALI positions it as a large-room floorstander and now lists the OBERON family among its discontinued products.

Key specs that matter

Two 9 inch bass drivers of 230 mm and a dedicated 7 inch midrange of 175 mm work with a 29 mm soft woven fabric dome. The crossover divides the band at 780 Hz and 3,400 Hz. DALI states a response of 35 Hz to 26,000 Hz within 3 dB, sensitivity of 90.5 dB for 2.83 V at 1 m, nominal impedance of 4 ohm and a maximum level of 113 dB at 1 m. Amplifiers from 50 to 400 W are recommended. The reflex system is tuned to 31 Hz. Each speaker measures 1172 x 260 x 406 mm and weighs 33.4 kg with grille, or 37.1 kg packed.

Engineering and use context

Unlike the two-way OBERON towers, the OBERON 9 gives midrange its own driver, so the two large woofers work only under the first filter point. All three cones use a fine-grain paper pulp reinforced with wood fibres, fitted with a low loss surround and spider. Every woofer and the midrange motor include a disc of patented SMC in the iron pole piece, where the composite reduces hysteresis and eddy current losses and thereby third-order distortion. The tweeter, shared across the OBERON line, has an oversized membrane that produces higher levels with less excursion, and its front plate follows the pattern of DALI's OPTICON and RUBICON tweeters. Dispersion was a design target for both drivers and crossover, and DALI says its speakers should not be toed in. The cabinet is CNC machined from high density MDF, stiffened with solid internal bracing, dressed in vinyl and set on an aluminium base.

Pairing

With its low nominal rating, the partner amplifier has to remain stable into a low load, though the high sensitivity means large power reserves are not required. Connection is by one set of single-wire terminals. The rear ports rely on the wall behind for bass support, and DALI suggests placing each cabinet 20 to 80 cm from it. Spikes with M6 threads and rubber feet are supplied.

Alternatives

A step below in the same series sits the DALI OBERON 7, a two-way floorstander with a pair of smaller woofers and an easier load.