Dali Oberon 5
Product Name: Dali Oberon 5
Product Description: Dual 5.25" Floorstanding speaker
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Design - 9/10
9/10
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Movies Performance - 9/10
9/10
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Music Performance - 9/10
9/10
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Inputs and Features - 9.5/10
9.5/10
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Price / Quality - 9/10
9/10
Summary
Total Score
Pros
- Good overall performance
- Great build quality
- Very small footprint
- Good price
Cons
- Not suitable for very large spaces
- Tough competition in this category
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When you are looking for a good quality set of speakers there are certain brands you will be looking at that manage to meet certain criteria. One such brand that is very popular among home theater fans is Dali with the Danish company offering a wide range of quality speakers that can cover all requirements and spaces. Having tested a few of their models a while back we were impressed with the kind of performance we were able to get so having the chance to once again try out one of their models is always an opportunity we could not resist.
Today we will be looking at one of the floorstanding models in their Oberon lineup which is considered an entry-level series having the characterisitc of being the first one that incorporates Dali’s patented SMC technology that is responsible for reducing non-linear magnetic distortion. We will talk in more detail about the ins and outs of this speakers a bit down the article as we will also put them to the test to see if they can offer the kind of performance that we are used from a set of speakers that bear the name Dali. So without further delay let’s start our Dali Oberon 5 Review.
Design, Inputs and Features
Exterior
The Oberon 5 cabinet measures 32.7 x 6.4 x 11.2 inch (830 x 162 x 283mm) and weights 23.8 lb (10.8 Kg) including it’s base making it a relatively small sized floorstanding speaker. With such small dimensions these speakers can easily be placed in any room either it be small sized or a wide open area.
The cabinet is constructed from CNC machined MDF board that is covered by high-grade vinyl that comes in 4 different color variations that include Black Ash, White, Dark Walnut and Light Oak. Dali has added solid bracings on the inside of the cabinet in order to have a more rigid construction and avoid any unwanted resonance. On the inside the speakers also get acoustic damping material that is placed along the sides, top as well as the bottom of the speaker in order to provide more optimized timing. There is no damping material at the front in order for the woofers to have more direct contact with the bass port that can result in better and more precise bass.
For the Oberon series Dali has placed the bass port on the rear in order to use the room’s wall for improved bass performance while the whole cabinet has been placed on a very nice aluminium base in order to make the whole speaker lighter but also give it a more premium look.
The front of the speaker is covered almost by two thirds by a rounded front grille while at the lower front there only the Dali logo visible giving the speaker an overall simple but at the same time elegant look.
Internal Hardware
Removing the front grilles we are greeted by what makes these speakers such great performers. The Oberon 5 comes equipped with dual 5.25″ mid/bass drivers that feature wood fibre cones made by a blend of fine grain paper pulp, reinforced with wood fibres and terminate by soft and very flexible rubber surrounds in order for the magnet motors to control the membranes movement better.
They also come with lightweight 4-layer voice coils that consists from an aluminium core and a thin outer copper tube and in combination with the magnet motor that consists from an iron/SMC pole piece surrounded by a large ferrite magnet results in the Oberon woofers to have reduced mechanical distortion and thus offer more audio detail and a better mid-range performance.
Above the pair of mid-range drivers we find a 29 mm ultra-light soft dome tweeter that according to Dali was specifically designed for the Oberon series. It’s membrane is constructed by very light weave fabric and in combination with it’s larger than usual size it can produce higher sound pressure with less voice coil motion.
The combination of the dual mid-range drivers and the soft dome tweeter result in a frequency range of 39 – 26,000Hz, 88dB of sensitivity and 6 ohms of nominal impedance.
Connectivity
At the back under the bass port we get a pair of high quality gold-plated speaker terminals that can firmly hold bear wires or fitted with special banana plugs.
Performance
Dali claims that the Oberon 5 speakers can achieve wide audio dispersion due to the special design of the cabinet as well as the woofers and as such you can enjoy superior performance even when listening at an off-axis angle. Also there is a recommendation of placing the speakers around 15-80cm away from the walls in order to augment bass performance.
For our testing we placed the speakers around 30cm from the wall while we toed-in them a little towards our listening position. After connecting them with our AV receiver and went through the necessary balancing and calibration we were ready for our audio tests.
Movies
Two film selections for this review with the first being Saving Private Ryan in 4K UHD which has a very nice and punchy Dolby Atmos audio track which is exactly what we were looking for in order to push the speakers to their limits. The speakers were able to handle subtle sound effects with great precision and control as in the opening scene where we see the Allied soldiers in the marine boats a great many environmental and background effects were reproduced faithfully and with very good resolution.
When we reach Omaha beach the Oberon 5 go into overdrive as they try to control the various front and background effects and they managed to do it without breaking a sweat. The scene is mostly overcrowded with low frequencies as artillery explosions and gunfire take front and center but there are also other effects like the characteristic M1 Garand cartridges ping that felt very natural. The speakers have plenty of low frequency punch which was a bit surprising for their size and for such a demanding scene they managed to give a very realistic and naturalistic tone to the sound making the scene even more alive.
The second film we decided to try was the 4K UHD version of Jurassic World which has an amazing DTS:X track. Here we get a more balanced mix that is still full of low frequencies but is also able to provide more flexibility in the mid and high levels. The T-Rex characteristic footsteps rumble felt ominous while the dinosaurs roars had a very smooth and organic sound to them. The speakers were pushing the lows quite a lot while mid-range had the right impact that was accompanied by very expressive highs.
Music
Next in line was our music testing so we selected a few FLAC music tracks in order to determine how good the Oberon 5 can behave with something a bit more delicate. Keep in mind that Dali recommends a “break-in” period of about 100 hours before there speakers can reach top performance so if you find their sound a bit “off” in the beginning don’t be alarmed as things will definitely improve over time. You just need to give them a bit of time to flex their muscles.
As for how their performed they had a certain “musicality” to them that felt different from other floorstanders we had tested before but they had a ring that we definitely liked and got used after a few hours. Sound had a nice organic flow to it while details were in abundance. We have heard from more than a few people describing the sound of the Oberon 5 as “fun” and this definitely holds true to some degree. It’s hard to describe what this means exactly until you hear them yourself but once you do you will get immersed in their bold and expressive performance.
Plenty of details, good precision and balanced performance is how we would describe them in just a few words. The Oberon 5 managed to reproduce music in a very expressive way that gave each track a very unique identity. Nice treble and convincing lows make these otherwise compact floorstanders perform admirably.
Final Thoughts
Reaching the end of this review we can say that Dali has once again managed to create a great speaker set with the Oberon 5 being a model for every situation either it be music or movies. With great audio performance, nice and simplistic design, superior build quality that is characteristic of Dali’s expertise and a price that is more or less good for what is offered it seems that the Danish company has created another scoring performer.
Unfortunately with so many competing models in the same category it will make things a bit harder for these speakers to really distinguish themselves but for those that know what Dali represents and offer they will for sure appreciate them. Also if you have a very large area the 5s may not cut it for you and you should look for the bigger Oberon 7 instead. But if you are seeking for some good quality, great performing speakers for mixed use for use in a small or medium sized area and don’t want to spend a fortune for them then the Dali Oberon 5 speakers is a perfect match as they will offer you countless hours of acoustic pleasure.
For more reviews you can check our dedicated Floorstanding Speaker reviews list or even look at our Product Reviews Table where you can find the brand and specific product you are looking for.
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*We are a reader-supported website. When you buy through links on our site, we may earn a small affiliate commission at no extra cost to you. Home Media Entertainment does not accept money for reviews.*
Wow! This is an excellent review and one that I found very interesting to read on. I just moved to a new apartment and due to limited spaces within the house, I decided to go for a smaller space taking speaker and this Dall Oberon 5 fits perfectly to my specs. I like the fact that it consumes less space and also the quality associated with it is simply top notch. I wouldn’t mind getting it and besides, I looked up the pricing too, it’s very much within my budget. Thanks
Hey there. I am glad you found our review helpful. Let me know if you need any further assistance.
This is just what I needed, I am thinking of upgrading our floor loudspeakers soon. We have the same Dali brand but the older one. I cannot make up my mind if I will stick with Dali or try another brand. This review makes it easier for me, I guess I will be sticking with Dali and upgrade it to this Dali Oberon 5. We had the older Dali speakers for how many years and I can say that this is worth a good brand to try with a quality that lasts long.
Dali always offers good quality speakers so if this is what you seek you cannot go wrong by sticking with the same brand. And the Oberon 5 is a very fine speaker.
This certainly is a thorough review of these speakers! And to see the detail in your testing, is really remarkable. You must have had so much fun with working out the different sounds and effects! I had no idea that speakers could take a bit of playing time before they actually improved in sound. Well done for being able to describe something that is about sound, in a written format. Thanks for the detail and information.
Hello Kat. Describing how something sounds is not an easy thing. As we understand sounds differently what might sound good to me may not apply to you too. That’s why we always give our take on speakers we are reviewing but it’s always important to hear them yourself before deciding as it’s the only way to be sure.
Very good article. When you say that it´s not designed for “very large spaces”, what does very large mean in square meters? I am doubting between the Dali Oberon 5 and the Q3050i, to pair with a Marnatz PM8006. The room is like 20 square meters, with high ceilings in one size, and it´s not a perfectly closed room, on one side it opens up to the rest of the living area, which is 1meter higher and another 30 square meters in size. I place the speakers 4meters away from each other and I sit back around 2 meters behind, so it´s not an equilateral triangle. I like the fact that they are smaller. I don´t need or like too deep bass, I am just worried the Oberon 5 might not produce enough of it. That´s my concern. I don´t have the possibility of listening to them before buying. Thanks a lot
Greetings. I understand your trouble but unfortunately you cannot take my answer as a given. For 20 square meters in my opinion the Oberons 5 can do just fine but this is just me and my tastes and it will not guarantee you that they will be enough for you also. But if you would just ask me and if I was in your position I don’t think they would have any problem in such an area. The best would obviously be to listen to them but since you can’t it will be a bit of a gamble no matter how many opinions you hear.
Hello sir and thank you for your great and in depth reviews. I want to buy a pair of floor standers and I’m hesitating between the Q acoustics 3050i and these Dali Oberon 5 driven by a yamaha rn602 . Both are similarly priced here in my country but unfortunately I can’t audition them before buying so I have to decide them somewhat blindly. I only listen to music not to movies at all. Which one would you recommend or think it’s a better overall sonic performer for music purposes only? Thank you very much.
Greetings. Before answering your question I need to tell you that making a blind speakers buy is not what I would call ideal. Because I may tell that that these speakers are good but this is my taste and you may not agree with me as the way we hear sound differs for every person.
Taking this out of the way if it would be me I would go for the Dalis. Now both speakers are very good and each one has it’s own merits but if I had to choose one of them according to my tastes the Oberon 5 would be the one.
I hope my answer helps you.
Wow, what a swift reply. Thank you very much for your input. Keep up the good work
You are welcome. If you need any further assistance let me know here in the comments.
Hello again, what would be each pair of speakers strong points, merits in your opinion? Dalis Oberon 5 vs Q acoustics 3050i? Thank you so much
The Dalis in my opinion have a more balaned output across all frequencies while the Q Acoustics felt to boost the low end a bit more. There is no right or wrong here and it totally depends on what you like more. That’s the reason why I would choose the Dalis because I liked the overall more balanced output they had. But I totally get why some would choose the 3050i instead.
I realize I’m a few years late to this debate, but after having all my electronics in storage for the past 12 years while I moved around with FedEx I finally have things out and determined that they’re quite a bit out of date. My stereo system was the NAD 2600a and a 1700 preamp when I bought it I used it with my Boston Acoustics A200’s. I loved that combination, it seemed very accurate to me it was not fatiguing to listen to music at low or loud levels for long periods of time but around 2001 the foam around the bass speaker finally gave up. It was still solid looking no holes that I had put in it, but you could tell that it was lacking in bass and was not sealed like it once was. I then got a pair of Polk RT 2000s, they seemed adequate but they weren’t quite as laid back and flat in their frequency response as my A200’s. But we’re listenable. I finally decided to join the AVR crowd with a Yamaha 100 WPC AVR, a set of rt1000’s for the surrounds, a Polk center Channel and a paradigm 12-in sub. And ended up with a nice 5.1 surround sound system. Sorry to be so long-winded but after retiring from FedEx and now I’m living in a senior apartment building, I had to give up my surround sound ideas in order to comply with senior noise levels. At one time when I live where I could crank my surround sound system up I got 120 db’s on a Radio Shack meter. It’s wonder I still have hearing. But at a recent hearing check up they told me I could still hear as well as somebody in their 30s or 40s, I feel like I’ve lost some hearings cuz I used to hear well above the range most people my age heard. Sorry for being so long-winded. My nad1700 preamp has just about bit the Dust. I cleaned it, now I’m about to spray it with contact cleaner and hope that I can salvage most of what was there. But everything I have tried to listen to I have static somewhere either at the beginning or the middle or the end with a record or a DVD. I broke down and and waiting on a parasound New Classic 200 intergrated. I believe this would have plenty of power to drive either the Dali Oberon 5, or the Q Acoustic 3050i. I think I know what you may say, but would really like to know if live in an apartment and must listen at lower levels most of the time, my budget restricts me to the lower levels of speakers selection, and my all-time favorite speaker was the Boston Acoustic A200’s I had from the early 80s until the early 2000s. Which would you choose? I haven’t spent millions of hours listening to different speakers, but the ones I have listened to, if they are almost flat for their frequency range, my Boston Acoustic’s were+/- 3db from 30 to 25,000. I will only be listening to music. And I am not a bassaholic. I spent time mixing live sound, mixing in a studio, and playing guitar, I enjoy all types of music mostly from the 50s 60s’70s some in the ’80s and after that I gave up. I will also let you know I’m unable to get out and shop for speakers. I have to buy them online, so I have to rely on someone’s judgment and you seem to be able to listen and explain in detail what you hear. So I value your opinion. Thank you so much.
Hello Dave and thank you for your comment…no matter how long it is!!!
Now, when it comes to choosing speakers based on someone else’s opinion then you always running a risk of disappointment. What my ears hear may be completely different from what you will hear and this is the reality when we as organic receptors of audio have to decide what is good and what is not. Personally I like the Oberons. And I like them because they are not speakers of the extremes like some Klipsch speakers with their horn based systems or like SVS that favor specific frequencies. The Oberons go for a more warm and neutral sound, most probably due to the wood fiber cones used, and this is what I love about them. In fact I am using a full set of the Oberon lineup for my home theater (Oberon 7, Oberon 1, Oberon Vokal and Alteco C-1).
These are the ones I like the most and the ones I would recommend to you based on what I like. I just hope this applies to you too.
Thank you for your quick reply I appreciate the effort. I wish I could hear several sets with the parasound 200 int. But times being what they are and my living in a small town in Georgia there’s just nowhere to go. So it is nice to have someone that’s interested and involved and can tell me what they like. I think neutral and natural not bass or treble or mid-range heavy will be ideal for my situation. The senior apartments I live in are pretty good at insulating between the apartments and we don’t usually hear each other’s televisions. I just went with a Samsung sound bar with a plastic sub and it will produce volume well past the point someone would complain. Therefore a lot of my listening to music will probably be at a level that won’t even cause the amp and speakers to break a sweat. Just looking forward to hearing something I used to enjoy that I can enjoy again. Thanks again Fred you have a good day there.
I think the Oberons will do great in your situation then. Hope I helped and if you need anything else I will be glad to assist you.
Thanks!
Hi Stratos, wonderful review!
I’m upgrading my current system and seriously considering the Oberon 7 over the Oberon 5, since it’s intended for music only and I’ve been reading reviews pointing that the 7’s are better for music because of it’s richer low end.
My big concern is that, although on the medium term I intend to move to a bigger room, for the moment I can only use a small 10 x 12 feet room. Do you think the Oberon 7 will perform well on such a small room, or there isn’t just enough space for it to shine?
Should I go for the Oberon 5 instead and consider upgrading when moving to a larger room?
Thank you very much!
Thank you Joaquim. I am glad you liked our review. Now for your question. If you are certain that you are going to upgrade later on then go for the Oberon 7 now, no question about it. The Oberon 7 may be a bit big for such a room size but if you have the space to place them then go for them. This is what I would do at least.
Hi Stratos
My living room is on the same floor as my dining room and kitchen with no separation wall. The it’s a 42 square meter space (the living room occupies half of that space). The living room part of the floor has a very high ceiling (5 meters). Do you think the Oberon 5 will be ok for such a set up. I plan to use them mainly for home theatre purposes. Will get the Oberon central speaker and maybe the bookshelves speakers as well. I already have a subwoofer. My amp is Denon AVR1912.
Hello Julien. From what you write me I understand that the home theater is in your living room which is about 20 square meters, correct? Although I cannot tell you if the Oberon 5 will be ok for you since I don’t know what your expectations are and how demanding you are but for the most part the Oberon 5 along with the bookshelves and the oberon center speaker should be more than enough for such a space for most people. I think they will do just fine. But this is just my wild guess so take it with caution.
Thank you Statos. Yes the living room is about 20sqm but I was concerned that because it’s an open space with the kitchen (an additional 20sqm) and there’s a high ceiling (5m) might mean that I need bigger speakers than the Oberon 5.
There are so many factors to consider that it’s hard to know for certain. Even what furniture you have in your living room can greatly affect the outcome you get that’s why I said that in theory they should be enough but noone can tell you for sure online like this if one doesn’t have all details of your space in order to make a better judgement. But for a 20 square meters the Oberon 5 should be enough if you don’t have very high expectations.
Hello stratos
Great article . Thanks for the details . I would need your opinion on selecting a couple of models. Though I have a 25×13 sqft room I intend to use 13×11 sqft room for home theatre. I listen to music as well all movies . I am not a fan of bulky floor speakers therefore not in favour of zensor 7 . In that aspect deli Oberon 5, klipsch rp4000f and wharfedal 11.3 all fit in well. I will mostly finalise Denton 1600h . Which floor speakers do you suggest please .
Also I don’t intend to complete my 5.1.2 setup straight away . Will do it eventually in abt 6 months .
Regards
AJ
In that case the Oberon 5 should fit you well. Only try to test them out to see if you like how they sound yourself.
Great review! I have a couple questions remaining! Do you have any experience with Elac Debut Reference? How do these compare for music listening?
Also, will a Marantz PM6005 power these sufficiently? 45W into 8 ohms I believe, 60 into 4 ohms. Thanks!!
Hey Marc. From ELAC I have managed to test only the Uni-Fi UF5 unfortunately. I want to get my hands in a few more of their models but I didn’t have the chance yet.
As for the Marantz if you mean to connect it with the Oberons then from what I see in the specs they are within the recommended range. So you should be fine with it.
Thanks for the great review! Can you please compare the Dali Oberon 5 with the KEF LS50 Wireless for me from a music listening perspective? I’m interested in your thoughts on detail, separation, sound stage, balance and ability to play different styles of music in a pleasing way. I listen to an eclectic range of musical genres. I’ll be listening at about 3m away but the room extends another 5m beyond. If Dali’s I’m thinking of pairing them with a Bluesound Powernode 2i. Thank you!!
Hello John. Unfortunately I didn’t have the chance to test the LS50 myself so I cannot comment how they compare to the Oberon 5. But I can keep an eye on them if I manage to find them somewhere for testing.
Hello Stratos,
I more or less settled on going for an Oberon speaker. Probably the 7.
I dont know a lot about receivers , but the x2700h should cover my needs 🙂
Was thinking about the Marantz SR5014 too.
Would these be a good match power/soundwise, or would you recommend something different?
Thx!
Hey Chris. Both the Marantz and the Denon will be fine with the Oberon 7. Marantz has a bit more juice though. If you don’t need the 8K pass-through that the Denon supports then go for the Marantz.
Ok, thx. Does avr brand choice actually influences the sound in your opinion?
Lots of people seem to prefer Marantz for music, while others say its BS..
Ive been reading lots of things but im not sure what to believe 🙂
I know what you mean Chris. This is a really grey area and there is no definite answer to that. In pure numbers I have seen this topic go both ways. Many claim that Marantz is better with music but I have also seen measurements that show Denon much better than Marantz but the fact is that all these claims are a bit questionable. Those that claim Marantz better how they know it? Do they have actual measurements or just by listening? The tests I have seen showing Denon better under what conditions they were made? Does these apply in all different room acoustics and configurations?
There are so many variables here that none will give you a definite answer. For me the best judge is your ears. If you can test them both under similar conditions then this would be the best way to decide. But if this is not possible then go with the one you believe the most. Personally I would go with Marantz but this has to do more because I believe in their brand quality and not so much as far as actual sound performance. Whatever you decide you cannot go wrong with.
I was thinking the same thing. The only thing im doubting right now is if AVRs will be good enough for music playback in stereo mode…
Comparing receivers where I live is a pain, especially now with covid.
I guess ordering online is safest, as I can return them should I want to.
Thx for the adivce!
Yes, I would also suggest buy from a place that have a good and easy return policy in case you are not entirely satisfied.
Let me know if I can help you with anything else. Have a good day!
Would the Audiolab 6000a be a good match with the Oberon 5
Hey Colin. I haven’t tried this combination of speakers/amplifier but looking at the specs I don’t see why they wouldn’t match. Obviously not all amplifiers/av receivers play the same but as you understand it is impossible to try all known combinations out there. If you can test this combination at a retailer would be your best bet. If that is not possible then you don’t have much of a choice. But the Oberons are easy going speakers so I don’t think you will have a problem.
Which one would you recommend and what are the differences in terms of sound between the Dali Spektor 6 and the Dali Oberon 5?
Hello Frank. The Oberon series is a step above the Spektor series. But keep in mind that the Spektor 6 is slightly bigger in size than the Oberon 5. In terms of size there doesn’t seem to be an equal model on both series. The Spektor 6 is somewhere between the Oberon 5 and Oberon 7. But in terms of sound quality obviously the Oberon series is slightly better.
Hi Startos
I saw your review for Monitor Audio Bronze 200, and also I have read and this one, for Dali Oberon 5.
And, even if here I see that you say almost to everyone which put you to choose between Oberon 5 and other speakers, that you prefer the Oberon’s, in the Monitor Audio Bronze 200 review, I saw that between Oberon 5 and MA Bronze 200, you like more the Monitor.
To understand that the Monitor Audio Bronze 200 it sound better?
I have a medium size room, somewhere at 14 square meters, and maybe 2.4 meters high, and really can’t decide between these two speakers.
The bad part is that I can’t listen none of these two, before buying, because in my town we don’t have none stores with audio profile, so will be a blind buy, based on reviews only.
As amplfier I have a Hegel H80, and all the use will be just for music, in stereo, no subwoofer, no aditional speakers, only two of these in front and that’s all.
Hello Nelu. Better sound is not the word I would use to describe the Bronze 200. Both have their own merits. For me personally the Bronze 200 have slightly better clarity and more detailed sound. On the other hand the Oberons have a very pleasant, warm output due to their wood fibre cones. I like both for different reasons. And I could see myself using both of them but for different content. When you go for a blind buy then you take a big risk. But if you cannot do otherwise I would give a very small priority to the Bronze 200.