DALI Oberon 1 C

DALI takes a pair of good hi-fi speakers and makes them active and wireless. Easy.

DALI has not one single wireless active speaker available but three whole ranges of them. This standmount is the most affordable of the stereo pairs, from the Oberon C group which includes a pair of floorstanders and a wireless centre speaker. Higher up there are Rubicon C and Callisto C series, with each set of ‘C’ active versions based on established passive speaker ranges.

All of them use separate a wireless network preamplifier to connect sources. The one for the two higher ranges is called the Sound Hub, while the Oberon C range introduces a smaller version, the Sound Hub Compact (pictured). Although DALI notes that this speaker series is intended for hi-fi music, the Hub’s connections indicate clearly that TV audio is a goal, and that DALI sees its active speakers not only as a convenient way of enjoying established hi-fi speaker designs, but also as alternatives to a soundbar.

So the Sound Hub Compact provides an HDMI ARC socket to play easily from a compatible TV, while two optical inputs provide another TV sound option — one of them is set to automatically power up the speakers when the TV is turned on. The hub also has a single RCA analogue input pair.

Then there’s Bluetooth, which here offers both the AAC codec to raise the quality from Apple devices, plus aptX HD which will elevate Bluetooth from Android phones which support this codec or the lesser aptX. There’s a subwoofer output and a USB service port. The Sound Hub Compact then transmits to the speakers using a proprietary 30-bit wireless protocol. Thee are no physical inputs at all on the speakers themselves except USB servicing.

However, the full Sound Hub will also work with the Oberon 1 C, though it’s pricier at $1299 for the hub itself and another $999 to add the BluOS streaming module which then offers DLNA playback, Spotify Connect, Tidal Connect, Qobuz and other streaming services, along with multiroom and MQA support. The Sound Hub also features a coaxial input and preamp output over the compact version. So it’s tempting, but a big additional cost over the Sound Hub Compact, which is only $599.

The speakers themselves are largely unchanged from the passive Oberon 1, solid and nicely made, compact enough to fit unobtrusively into most rooms — at 27cm high they’re not much larger than KEF’s LSX, though they look like more conventional speakers in any of their four finish options — the light oak is pictured above. Their biggest aesthetic statement is provided by the mahogany-coloured 13cm wood-fibre mid/bass cone, which sits below the 29mm soft-dome tweeter. Each unit is fed by a dedicated 50W Class-D amplifier.

Stands are available, as is wall-mounting, thanks to the speakers’ rear-panel keyhole slots. The DALIs sound pretty balanced up against a wall, despite the use of a rear

reflex port, but they performed best when placed around 20cm to 30cm away from one, facing straight ahead. There, and with the connection made from the compact hub’s analogue inputs, we enjoyed a clear and articulate sound, notably superb with vocals. Tom Odell’s vocal-led track Heal (streamed from Tidal) came through with clarity and insight, sympathetic to Odell’s tender delivery while also keeping a firm hand on the accompanying keys. This midrange insight was one of the passive Oberon 1’s highlights, and something the addition of wireless active operation hasn’t changed.

There was depth and obvious layering to what is generally an open and precise soundstage — even with denser compositions. With The Theory Of Everything by Jóhann Jóhannsson the DALIs displayed an organised presentation of the piano, string and percussion instrumental, while also proving astute in capturing dynamic string surges.

You don’t, perhaps, get the full authority or bass volume and depth you would from a physically larger pair of speakers — something that those who need to fill a big room should be aware of. But they have a good go at rip-roaring through pg.lost’s Suffering, with more than a hint of drive and weight behind the crashing electric guitars and walloping drums. When we play the Love Theme From The Godfather by Nino Rota the DALIs not only have plenty of insight — the mandolin unmistakable, the accordion textured — they grasp what scale there is to the strings and keep things tidy as the piece reaches its climax. They also communicate the dense and crude nature of the production.

These are the first of three speakers in our active group to use a hub for connections. In nearly all cases we felt this complicates the system in both operation and connections; here, for example, if you’re using a hub to connect your TV, the wirelessness is almost redundant because the speakers are close by. But we can at least say for the DALIs that during our testing, we didn’t experience any connection or latency issues; both set-up and listening were solid.

The DALI Oberon 1 Cs are real speakers, delivering real hi-fi stereo, along with wireless convenience from a remote ‘hub’ for your sources, TV audio and Bluetooth streaming.