Dali Oberon 1
FOR Bold presentation; fine build; unfussy nature AGAINST Size limits on bass depth and sonic authority
With hindsight, we
shouldn’t have been surprised by the quality of Dali’s Oberon 1s. Dali has a generally brilliant track record with affordable standmounters and the 1’s floorstanding sibling, the Oberon 5 (£699) has just waltzed off with one of our Awards. Yet, we still weren’t quite prepared for the sound we heard out of these little boxes.
About the size of a shoebox, the 1s keep strictly to convention as far as design is concerned. They are a two-way, rear-ported design, just like the majority of the established competition. But take a closer look and you’ll find some areas where Dali’s engineers have tried to eke out an advantage.
Dome time
The tweeter uses a 29mm soft dome, which is claimed to be considerably lighter than that used on most rivals. The larger than normal size (most tweeter domes tend to be 25mm wide) means it can delve lower in frequency than alternative designs, aiding integration with the mid/bass and generating higher outputs with less excursion. Much care has been taken with the motor system and managing the sound that comes off the back of the dome so that it doesn’t distort the forward output.
Moving down in frequency, the 13cm mid/bass unit uses one of the company’s trademark wood/fibre cones. Dali has long preferred this material for its low weight, rigidity and fine self-damping properties. The mid/bass and tweeter are integrated with a single-wire crossover. The lack of biwiring isn’t an issue for us. It keeps things simpler, and lets the user concentrate their budget on a single high-quality speaker cable, rather than spreading the cost between two runs.
The Oberon’s MDF cabinet is solid and nicely made. There are four different finish options – black ash, white, dark walnut or the light oak of our review sample. At 27cm tall, these speakers are compact enough to fit unobtrusively in most rooms.
Dali has tried to keep this speaker as versatile as possible, even including a rear-panel fixing to make wall mounting easier. While these speakers sound notably more balanced than most rivals when used right up against a wall, we suggest, if possible, pulling them around 30cm into the room to make the most of their excellent stereo imaging and midrange clarity.
As for partnering equipment, while we get good results with Marantz’s 6006 UK Edition CD player (£339) and amplifier (£369), these standmounters have more than enough sonic stretch to justify the use of electronics as capable as Cyrus’s CDI (£1195) and Rega’s Elex-r amplifier (£949). That says a lot for the Oberon’s resolution and overall transparency.
Law abiding
Speakers this small are never going to produce loads of bass. Compare the Dalis with the likes of the bigger Mission QX-2S and there isn’t the same level of sonic authority or power at lower frequencies. Leaving the laws of physics aside, we’re left with an articulate performer that combines a bold, forthright nature with the kind of refinement and insight that’s rare at this level.