In this review, we will be comparing Oberon 5 and C 97 II, two Passive Floor-standing speakers from DALI and Jamo.
Let's have a brief look at the main features
of DALI Oberon 5 and Jamo C 97 II first before getting into our more
detailed comparison.
| Key Specs | DALI Oberon 5 | Jamo C 97 II |
|---|
| Design | 2-way | 3-way |
|---|
| Tweeter | 1.125" Soft-Dome | 1" |
|---|
| Midrange | — | 6" |
|---|
| Woofer | 2 x 5.25" Wood Fiber | 3 x 6" Composite |
|---|
| Frequency response | 39-26k Hz | 32-24k Hz |
|---|
| Sensitivity | 88 dB | 89 dB |
|---|
| Impedance | 6 ohms | 6 ohms |
|---|
| Power range | 30-150 watts | 50-180 watts |
|---|
| Weight | 10.80kg / 23.8lbs | 24.55kg / 54lbs |
|---|
| Dimensions (H x W x D) | 32-3/4" x 7-15/16" x 10-7/8"
832.0 x 202.0 x 277.0mm | 42-1/8" x 9-3/4" x 15-13/16"
1070.0 x 248.0 x 402.0mm |
|---|
What size room are the DALI Oberon 5 and Jamo C 97 II speakers good for?
The size of the room in which you are planning to use these loudspeakers is an important decision
factor. Here we have compared their suitability to various sizes of environments considering their size
and max power parameters:
| Listening Environment* |
DALI Oberon 5 |
Jamo C 97 II |
| Near-field |
Bad |
Bad |
| Small Room |
Poor |
Poor |
| Mid-size Room |
Good |
Good |
| Large Room |
Good |
Good |
| Very Large Room |
Poor |
Poor |
(* Approximate Room sizes: Small < 100sq. ft / 9 m2,
Mid-size: 100-220 sq. ft / 9-20 m2, Large 220-400 sq. ft / 20-36 m2, Very Large: >
400 sq. ft / 36 m2.
Average Floor Height: 9" / 2.7m. Typical room sizes differ from country to country, and the actual
listening experience changes depending on floor height, room shape, surface materials, listening
position, speaker locations, etc.)
The sections below take each area in turn: drivers, frequency response, physical size and what you get in the box.
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Drivers
One of the fundamental differences between these two speakers is that Oberon 5 is a 2-way design whereas the C 97 II is a 3-way speaker. 3-way designs utilize a midrange driver in addition to the tweeter and woofer on 2-way designs. Designing a crossover for a 3-way speaker is a complicated process and generally increases the overall cost of the speaker.
DALI Oberon 5Jamo C 97 II
TweeterMidrangeWoofer
Front view, drawn to scale - cabinets and drivers share one scale, so sizes are directly comparable. Hover a driver for its size.
| Driver |
DALI Oberon 5 |
Jamo C 97 II |
|
Driver Setup
|
2-way
|
3-way
|
|
Tweeter
|
1.125-inch
|
1-inch
|
|
Midrange
|
- |
1 x 6-inch |
|
Woofer
|
2 x 5.25-inch
|
3 x 6-inch
|
Oberon 5 features a 1.125" Soft-Dome Tweeter and 2 x 5.25" Wood Fiber Woofer with a Crossover frequency at 2400Hz. On the other hand, the C 97 II features a 1" Tweeter, a 6" Midrange and 3 x 6" Composite Woofer.
Frequency Response
Oberon 5 has a frequency range of 39-26k Hz whereas C 97 II has a frequency range of 32-24k Hz. With a minimum frequency of 32Hz, the C 97 II can go significantly deeper on the low side and provide stronger bass compared to the Oberon 5's min frequency of 39Hz.
The graph below depicts how these two speakers compare with the max, min and average Low Frequency values of other speakers in the Floor-standing class in our database.
Low Frequency
Floor-standing Speakers
Neither pair reaches down to 20Hz, the usual definition of full-range, which is normal for speakers of this size. If you want the bottom octave for movies or bass-heavy music, add a subwoofer to whichever you choose. Visit our Powered Subwoofers section to find out more about the available options.
Impedance and Sensitivity
Oberon 5 and C 97 II have the same Impedance of 6 ohms but where they differ is the sensitivity levels. Oberon 5 sensitivity is rated at 88 dB and the C 97 II's is at 89 dB. This 1 dB difference makes the Jamo C 97 II a more sensitive speaker compared to DALI Oberon 5, hence will play louder with the same amount of watts.
Sensitivity
Floor-standing Speakers
Power Range
Power
range is the range of input power in watts RMS that a loudspeaker is designed to handle. Staying
within that range gives nominal performance; driving the speaker beyond its maximum wattage can damage it.
C 97 II can handle a max power of 180 watts RMS, whereas Oberon 5 has a max power handling value of 150 watts RMS, 30 watts less than the C 97 II.
Note that higher power handling does not make a speaker louder: that depends mainly on
sensitivity and impedance. The calculator below shows how loud each of these actually plays
on a real amplifier.
Which plays louder on your amplifier?
Starting with a popular amplifier — change it to the one you own, or any you are
considering, and watch both numbers move.
Input Type and Bi-Amping / Bi-Wiring
C 97 II features Posts posts which make bi-amping or bi-wiring possible. Oberon 5 has a Post which doesn't feature bi-amping/bi-wiring.
DALI Oberon 5's Post terminals
Jamo C 97 II's Posts terminals allows Bi-amping or bi-wiring
Cabinet Type and Port Position
Both Oberon 5 and C 97 II have rear firing ports. Rear ported speakers generally need more room between the backside of the speaker and the wall compared to sealed and front/bottom ported speakers. Placing the speakers too close to the walls may cause the bass to sound boomy.
If you are limited in space and can't get the speakers away from the backwall, check our Speakers with Front Firing Ports page.
New
Physical Specs
The size of a speaker can sometimes be an important decision factor due to space constraints or in some cases purely for esthetic reasons. In this section, we are going to compare DALI Oberon 5's and Jamo C 97 II's external dimensions. DALI Oberon 5 has external dimensions of 832.0 x 202.0 x 277.0mm (32-3/4 x 7-15/16 x 10-7/8inch) whereas Jamo C 97 II has external dimensions of 1070.0 x 248.0 x 402.0mm (42-1/8 x 9-3/4 x 15-13/16inch).
Jamo C 97 II is clearly the larger of the two speakers. Its body is 46mm wider, 238mm taller and 125mm deeper than DALI Oberon 5.
Below you can see the front view size comparison of DALI Oberon 5 and Jamo C 97 II in scale.
Comparison image of DALI Oberon 5 and Jamo C 97 II Size and External Dimensions
Base Surface Area Comparison
Base surface area of a loudspeaker may become a determining factor when the space in your room or desk is limited.
The base surface area of the DALI Oberon 5 is approximately 559.5cm2 / 86.7inch2 and base area of the Jamo C 97 II is approximately 997.0cm2 / 154.5inch2. The Oberon 5 requires 44% less surface area than the C 97 II which gives it a small advantage on placement in tight spaces.
Weight Comparison The weight of a loudspeaker can become an important factor if you need to move and reposition the unit often. Weight of a speaker can also "sometimes" be an indicator of the rigidity of the enclosure and the quality of the internal components used. The DALI Oberon 5 weighs 10.80kg / 23.8lbs and the Jamo C 97 II weighs 24.55kg / 54lbs. This makes the C 97 II 127% heavier than the Oberon 5.
Here is a comparison of how Oberon 5 and C 97 II's weights compare with the average, max and min weights in Passive Floor-standing class.
Weight
All Floor-standing Speakers
What's in the Box of DALI Oberon 5?
Here are the items that are included inside the box of Oberon 5:
- 2 Floorstanding loudspeakers
- 2 Grilles
- 8 Rubber feet
- 8 Spike-feet
- 8 Hex-nuts
- Manual
What's in the Box of Jamo C 97 II?
Here are the items that come with the C 97 II:
- Floorstanding loudspeaker
- Grille
- 4 Outrigger feet
- 4 Spikes (pre-installed on outrigger feet)
- 4 Rubber feet
- 8 Machine screws
- 2 Jumper-straps (pre-installed)
- Hex-key
- User Manual
- Important Safety Instructions
- Warranty Information
 High Frequency Response |
26k Hz
vs
24k Hz
|
Generates higher frequency |
 Height |
832mm
vs
1070mm
|
Easier to fit in smaller spaces |
 Base Surface Area |
559cm2
vs
997cm2
|
Takes less floor space |
 Price per pair* |
1299USD
vs
1378USD
|
costs less (*prices may change depending on the seller, location and time) |
 Max Input Power |
180 watts
vs
150 watts
|
Handle more power from your amplifier |
 Driver Setup |
3-way
vs
2-way
|
Have a dedicated mid-range driver |
 Sensitivity |
89 dB
vs
88 dB
|
Play louder with same amount of amplification power |
 Woofer Size |
6 inches
vs
5.25 inches
|
Larger woofer |
|
Number of Woofers |
3
vs
2
|
More woofers |
|
Low Frequency Response |
32 Hz
vs
39 Hz
|
Generates deeper bass |
 Bi-Amping and Bi-Wiring |
Yes
vs
No
|
Allows bi-amping and bi-wiring connections |
| General |
DALI Oberon 5 |
Jamo Concert 9 Series C 97 II |
| Brand |
DALI |
Jamo |
| Speaker Type |
Floor-standing speaker |
Floor-standing speaker |
| Power Range |
30-150 watts |
50-180 watts |
| Sensitivity |
88 dB |
89 dB |
| Impedance |
6 ohms |
6 ohms |
| Frequency Response |
39-26k Hz |
32-24k Hz |
Drivers |
|
|
| Woofer Quantity |
2 |
3 |
| Woofer Size |
5.25" |
6" |
| Woofer Composition |
Wood Fiber |
Composite |
| Woofer Surround Material |
Rubber |
Rubber |
| Tweeter Size |
1.125" |
1" |
| Tweeter Type |
Soft-Dome |
n/a |
| Aimable Tweeter |
No |
No |
| Midrange Driver |
No |
6" |
| Crossover Frequency |
2400Hz |
n/a |
| Firing Direction |
rear |
rear |
Physical Specs |
|
|
| Height |
832.0mm (32.8") |
1070.0mm (42.1") |
| Width |
202.0mm (8") |
248.0mm (9.8") |
| Depth |
277.0mm (10.9") |
402.0mm (15.8") |
| Weight |
10.80kg (23.8lbs) |
24.55kg (54lbs) |
| Enclosure |
Bass Reflex |
Bass Reflex |
| Finish |
MDF/Wood-grain vinyl |
MDF/Wood-grain vinyl |
| Available Colors |
Black Ash, Light Oak, Dark Walnut, White |
Black |
| Grille |
Yes |
Yes |
| Moisture Resistancy |
No |
No |
Connections |
|
|
| Biamp Inputs |
No |
Yes |
Other |
|
|
| Parts Warranty |
5 Years |
5 Years |
| Labor Warranty |
5 Years |
5 Years |
No single best speaker here - they are built to different priorities, and the right one depends on your room, your amplifier and what you listen to.
| Area | Better | Why |
|---|
| Bass |
B |
Jamo C 97 II digs deeper - 32Hz against 39Hz. A subwoofer would even that out. |
| Amplifier needs |
evenly matched |
Similar sensitivity (88dB vs 89dB) - both want much the same power. |
| Headroom |
evenly matched |
Similar power handling (150W vs 180W). |
| Size |
depends |
DALI Oberon 5 is easier to place; Jamo C 97 II is bigger, which usually goes with fuller bass. Your room decides. |
| Expandability |
B |
Jamo C 97 II: bi-amping. |
| Price |
evenly matched |
Much the same money ($1,299 vs $1,378 a pair). |
A DALI Oberon 5
B Jamo C 97 II
depends neither is better in the abstract - it turns on your room, placement or how you will use them.
Only specs published for both speakers are judged; anything missing on either side is left out rather than guessed.
Which should you choose?
Jamo C 97 II has the edge on paper, though the margin is not large. The rows marked "depends" may matter more to you than the score does. If a subwoofer is in your plans, the bass gap largely stops mattering - you would be crossing over above 39Hz anyway, so judge these on the other rows instead. In a large or open-plan room, Jamo C 97 II has the cabinet volume to fill it more easily; in a small room, near a wall or at desk distance, DALI Oberon 5 is the easier speaker to get right.
And remember what a spec sheet cannot show: how each looks in your room and whether the finish suits it, what dealer support and warranty are like where you live, and how they actually sound to you. If you can hear them first - ideally with your own music - that will tell you more than any number above.