In this review, we will be comparing Oberon 5 and S55, two Passive Floor-standing speakers from DALI and Polk Audio.
Let's have a brief look at the main features
of DALI Oberon 5 and Polk S55 first before getting into our more
detailed comparison.
| Key Specs | DALI Oberon 5 | Polk S55 |
|---|
| Brand | DALI
Denmark · founded 1983 | Polk Audio
United States · founded 1972 |
|---|
| Design | 2-way | 2-way |
|---|
| Tweeter | 1.125" Soft-Dome | 1" Dome |
|---|
| Woofer | 2 x 5.25" Wood Fiber | 2 x 6.5" Mica-reinforced polypropylene |
|---|
| Frequency response | 39-26k Hz | 32-40k Hz |
|---|
| Sensitivity | 88 dB | 90 dB |
|---|
| Impedance | 6 ohms | 8 ohms |
|---|
| Power range | 30-150 watts | 20-200 watts |
|---|
| Weight | 10.80kg / 23.8lbs | 20.00kg / 44lbs |
|---|
| 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 | 41-9/16" x 11-3/4" x 12-3/8"
1056.0 x 299.0 x 315.0mm |
|---|
What size room are the DALI Oberon 5 and Polk S55 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 |
Polk S55 |
| 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.
Drivers
Both Oberon 5 and S55 are 2-way speakers.
DALI Oberon 5Polk S55
TweeterWoofer
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 |
Polk S55 |
|
Driver Setup
|
2-way
|
2-way
|
|
Tweeter
|
1.125-inch
|
1-inch
|
|
Midrange
|
- |
- |
|
Woofer
|
2 x 5.25-inch
|
2 x 6.5-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 S55 features a 1" Terylene Dome Tweeter and 2 x 6.5" Mica-reinforced polypropylene Woofer with a Crossover frequency at 2500Hz.
Frequency Response
Oberon 5 has a frequency range of 39-26k Hz whereas S55 has a frequency range of 32-40k Hz. With a minimum frequency of 32Hz, the S55 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 is a 6 ohms speaker compared to the S55 which has a nominal impedance of 8 ohms.
These two speakers also have different sensitivity levels. Oberon 5 sensitivity is rated at 88 dB and the S55's is rated at 90 dB. This 2 dB difference makes the Polk S55 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.
S55 can handle a max power of 200 watts RMS, whereas Oberon 5 has a max power handling value of 150 watts RMS, 50 watts less than the S55.
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
S55 features 5-way post 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
Polk S55's 5-way post terminals allows Bi-amping or bi-wiring
Cabinet Type and Port Position
Oberon 5 has a rear firing port whereas S55 has a bottom firing ports. Polk S55's bottom-firing port gives more flexibility in placement in regards to proximity to walls compared to DALI Oberon 5 with its rear-firing port.
Polk S55 Port
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 Polk S55'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 Polk S55 has external dimensions of 1056.0 x 299.0 x 315.0mm (41-9/16 x 11-3/4 x 12-3/8inch).
Polk S55 is clearly the larger of the two speakers. Its body is 97mm wider, 224mm taller and 38mm deeper than DALI Oberon 5.
Below you can see the front view size comparison of DALI Oberon 5 and Polk S55 in scale.
Comparison image of DALI Oberon 5 and Polk S55 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 Polk S55 is approximately 941.9cm2 / 146.0inch2. The Oberon 5 requires 41% less surface area than the S55 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 Polk S55 weighs 20.00kg / 44lbs. This makes the S55 85% heavier than the Oberon 5.
Here is a comparison of how Oberon 5 and S55'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 Polk S55?
Here are the items that come with the S55:
- Floorstanding loudspeaker
- Grille (attached)
- 4 Feet (pre-installed)
- Owners Manual
- Online Product Registration
 Height |
832mm
vs
1056mm
|
Easier to fit in smaller spaces |
 Base Surface Area |
559cm2
vs
941cm2
|
Takes less floor space |
 Max Input Power |
200 watts
vs
150 watts
|
Handle more power from your amplifier |
 Sensitivity |
90 dB
vs
88 dB
|
Play louder with same amount of amplification power |
 Nominal Impedance |
8 ohms
vs
6 ohms
|
Less selective with amplifiers |
 Woofer Size |
6.5 inches
vs
5.25 inches
|
Larger woofer |
|
Low Frequency Response |
32 Hz
vs
39 Hz
|
Generates deeper bass |
 High Frequency Response |
40k Hz
vs
26k Hz
|
Generates higher frequency |
 Bi-Amping and Bi-Wiring |
Yes
vs
No
|
Allows bi-amping and bi-wiring connections |
 Price per pair* |
658USD
vs
1299USD
|
costs less (*prices may change depending on the seller, location and time) |
| General |
DALI Oberon 5 |
Polk Audio Signature S55 |
| Brand |
DALI |
Polk Audio |
| Speaker Type |
Floor-standing speaker |
Floor-standing speaker |
| Power Range |
30-150 watts |
20-200 watts |
| Sensitivity |
88 dB |
90 dB |
| Impedance |
6 ohms |
8 ohms |
| Frequency Response |
39-26k Hz |
32-40k Hz |
Drivers |
|
|
| Woofer Quantity |
2 |
2 |
| Woofer Size |
5.25" |
6.5" |
| Woofer Composition |
Wood Fiber |
Mica-reinforced polypropylene |
| Woofer Surround Material |
Rubber |
Butyl rubber |
| Tweeter Size |
1.125" |
1" |
| Tweeter Type |
Soft-Dome |
Dome |
| Aimable Tweeter |
No |
No |
| Midrange Driver |
No |
No |
| Crossover Frequency |
2400Hz |
2500Hz |
| Firing Direction |
rear |
bottom |
Physical Specs |
|
|
| Height |
832.0mm (32.8") |
1056.0mm (41.6") |
| Width |
202.0mm (8") |
299.0mm (11.8") |
| Depth |
277.0mm (10.9") |
315.0mm (12.4") |
| Weight |
10.80kg (23.8lbs) |
20.00kg (44lbs) |
| Enclosure |
Bass Reflex |
Bass Reflex |
| Finish |
MDF/Wood-grain vinyl |
Meddite MDF |
| 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 |
These sit in different price classes - DALI Oberon 5 costs roughly 2x what Polk S55 does. Expect it to lead on paper; the question is whether the gap is audible enough in your room to be worth it.
| Area | Better | Why |
|---|
| Bass | B | Polk S55 digs deeper - 32Hz against 39Hz. A subwoofer would even that out. |
| Amplifier needs | B | Polk S55 is more sensitive (90dB vs 88dB), so it goes louder on the same amplifier. |
| Amplifier match | B | Polk S55 is the easier load at 8 ohms. |
| Headroom | B | Polk S55 takes more power (200W vs 150W) - more in hand in a big room. |
| Size | depends | DALI Oberon 5 is easier to place; Polk S55 is bigger, which usually goes with fuller bass. Your room decides. |
| Expandability | depends | Polk S55: bi-amping. DALI Oberon 5 sits in a wider range (9 models), so a matched surround system is easier later. |
| Price | B | Polk S55 is cheaper - $658 against $1,299, about 49% less; arguably a different class. |
A DALI Oberon 5 B Polk S55
depends neither is better in the abstract - it turns on your room, your system 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?
Polk S55 is the easier recommendation: it leads on most of the measured areas and costs less. Take DALI Oberon 5 if its size, looks or fit in your room suit you better. 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, Polk S55 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.