DALI Oberon 1 Review
The small DALI delivers a crisp sound, brings to mind its bigger siblings, and faces little competition
by Tom Frantzen
Even seasoned audiophiles sometimes fall in love with very affordable deals. DALI’s “Oberon 1” is practically an irresistible bargain.
DALI, the Danish loudspeaker specialist, has been releasing many exciting new products lately. One focus is the “Oberon” lineup, designed for both beginners with high standards and more experienced enthusiasts. Here, we look at the smallest model: the Oberon 1.
This compact speaker is equipped with a 130 mm (5-inch) woofer-midrange driver, a 29 mm (1.14-inch) dome tweeter, and a rear bass reflex port. It’s ideal for smaller to medium-sized rooms, whether it’s a teenager’s bedroom, dining area, guest room, high-end garden house, or weekend cottage. The Oberon series replaces the successful “Zensor” line and offers an upgrade. For those on a tighter budget, DALI’s “Spektor” series still exists. With both Oberon and Spektor in the range, Zensor is effectively being replaced by two different series after seven strong years.
If you want to enjoy music without making big compromises, you should consider the Oberon. DALI consistently surprises listeners with speakers that seem too good for their price, and adding just a bit more budget can lead to even more impressive performance.
The dome tweeter, with its size and light weight, offers outstanding dynamics. The woofer-midrange, typical for DALI, is made of paper blended with subtle wood fibers. The distortion-reducing SMC concept, used in DALI’s larger lines, is now included in this class as well. SMC involves a magnet system “baked” from a special powder compound.
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Compared to the Zensor, the Oberon provides technological improvements and a more refined design that doesn’t look budget at all. How can DALI sell these speakers for about $ each? They’re open about manufacturing the Oberon in the Far East. However, unlike many competitors who outsource or simply rebrand third-party products, DALI produces everything with its own staff, quality control, and proprietary components—especially the drivers—in its own factory in China.
Of course, the 130 mm (5-inch) driver can’t reach the deepest bass frequencies. That’s normal for a speaker this size, and other small speakers share this limitation. If you want more bass, check out the Oberon 3, which is a bit bigger but still fairly compact with its 165 mm (6.5-inch) driver. As for sound, the Oberon 1 is lively and snappy—almost feisty—bringing excitement to the listener. It makes quite an impression, recalling its larger relatives in overall quality, and still offers enough smoothness to keep weaker recordings listenable. It’s a fantastic bargain!
A single-wire terminal is expected at this price point, and it’s also a sensible choice.
THIS IS WHAT WE LISTENED TO
Joe Jackson: Night and Day
This is likely the most important album by this creative singer-songwriter, featuring hits like “Steppin’ Out” and standout tracks like “A Slow Song.”
DALI Oberon 1 Tech Specs
Dimensions: 16 x 28 x 21 cm (W x H x D)
Warranty: 5 years
Contact: DALI
www.dali-speakers.com
- DC Resistance: 4 Ω
- Minimum Impedance: 4.2 Ω at 220 Hz
- Maximum Impedance: 17 Ω at 95 Hz
- Sensitivity (2.83 V/m): 85 dBSPL
- Power Required for 94 dBSPL: 25 W
- Lower Cutoff Frequency (−3 dBSPL): 53 Hz
- Distortion Factor (at 63 Hz / 3 kHz / 10 kHz): 1 % / 0.3 % / 0.1 %
The DALI Oberon has almost unbelievable capabilities that are reminiscent of its bigger brothers, making it a terrific value. Plus, this little performer looks great! In this class, it’s absolutely top-notch!
Measurements
Lab Commentary
The frequency response is nicely balanced, suggesting good neutrality. The speaker goes down to about 50 Hz and doesn’t need to be angled. The efficiency of around 85 dB is average to good, while distortion and square wave response are also good. Impedance is accommodating but not optimized for tube or Class D amps.
Verdict
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Small and Mighty Dali Oberon 1 Bookshelf Speaker
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