DALI Activates Oberon
DALI has announced its new, entry-level active loudspeakers, the Oberon C Series.
DALI's Oberon C are active versions of its affordable Oberon Series. The three-model range features the Oberon 1 C standmount (£900), the Oberon 7 C floorstander (£1500) and the super-slender Oberon On Wall C (£1100).
The active C versions of the Danish brand's Oberon loudspeakers sport the same cabinets and drivers as their passive stablemates. However, inside you will also find a streaming module, a pair of DACs and a pair of 50-Watt Class D amplifier modules – one per driver. Finally, there's a 24 Bit DSP crossover module in there as well.
Proudly proclaiming the new range to be "Active, Wireless and App-free" you do need the Sound Hub Compact (£299) to get audio through to the speakers.
The streaming hub will squirt any signal to each loudspeaker via a proprietary 24bit/96kHz-capable wireless streaming protocol. Just plug in your sources, whether they attach via HDMI ARC, TOSLINK (x2) or even analogue - naturally, the latter gets converted to digital. Additionally, you can make use of Bluetooth 5.0 aptX HD / AAC, too!
Driver-wise, for both the 1 C and On Wall C you are looking at a 29mm fabric dome tweeter and 13cm of DALI's wood-fibre mid/bass-driven by the company's SMC system that promises to drastically reduce non-linear magnetic distortion.
There is a bass reflex port at the rear of the 1 C whereas the On Wall C boasts and upwards-firing port. As the 1 C has more cabinet to play with, it is quoted and being able to go down to 39Hz. The On Wall C manages a respectable 51Hz given that you'd probably be hanging them either side of your telly and add a subwoofer, too. The rear-ported 7 C floorstander also employs the same 29mm fabric dome tweeter, but here it is matched with a pair of 18cm SMC-equipped wood-fibre mid/bass drivers achieving a claimed low of 31Hz. All the speakers top out at 26kHz.
The new Sound Hub Compact can also be used with DALI's Callisto C or Rubicon C actives. Similarly, the original Sound Hub (£549) can be used with the Oberon C, if you so desired. The, admittedly more spendy, original Hub does hand you the option of adding equipped a BluOS module that also brings Roon Ready and Spotify Connect skills to the party.
The Oberon C loudspeakers are available in matt white, light oak, dark walnut or black ash finishes.
The Oberon C speakers are priced at £900 per pair, for the Oberon 1 C, £1500 per pair for the 7 C and £1100 per pair for the On Wall C.
Therefore the full system prices start from £1199, with the option to upgrade to the fully-featured BluOs enabled, Roon ready Sound Hub for an extra £250.
Head to DALI for More Information
Jay Garrett
StereoNET’s resident rock star, bass player, and gadget junkie. Jay heads up StereoNET as Editor for the United Kingdom and Europe regions. His passion for gadgets and Hi-Fi is second only to being a touring musician.
Posted in: Hi-Fi
JOIN IN THE DISCUSSION
Want to share your opinion or get advice from other enthusiasts? Then head into the Message
Forums where thousands of other enthusiasts are communicating on a daily basis.
CLICK HERE FOR FREE MEMBERSHIP
Trending
1Cars as Speakers? Ford’s Patent Aims to Redefine Outdoor Sound
2Audio-Technica’s Hotaru Levitates Analog Listening to New Heights
3Napster’s Next Remix Signals Immersive Future for Streaming Pioneer
4Arlo and Samsung SmartThings Strengthen Partnership with AI-Driven…
5Vertere DG-X Turntable Spins Simplicity into High-End Sound
applause awards
Each time StereoNET reviews a product, it is considered for an Applause Award. Winning one marks it out as a design of great quality and distinction – a special product in its class, on the grounds of either performance, value for money, or usually both.
Applause Awards are personally issued by StereoNET’s global Editor-in-Chief, David Price – who has over three decades of experience reviewing hi-fi products at the highest level – after consulting with our senior editorial team. They are not automatically given with all reviews, nor can manufacturers purchase them.
The StereoNET editorial team includes some of the world’s most experienced and respected hi-fi journalists with a vast wealth of knowledge. Some have edited popular English language hi-fi magazines, and others have been senior contributors to famous audio journals stretching back to the late 1970s. And we also employ professional IT and home theatre specialists who work at the cutting edge of today’s technology.
We believe that no other online hi-fi and home cinema resource offers such expert knowledge, so when StereoNET gives an Applause Award, it is a trustworthy hallmark of quality. Receiving such an award is the prerequisite to becoming eligible for our annual Product of the Year awards, awarded only to the finest designs in their respective categories. Buyers of hi-fi, home cinema, and headphones can be sure that a StereoNET Applause Award winner is worthy of your most serious attention.