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DALI Oberon 9 vs DALI Oberon Vokal Comparison

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DALI Oberon 9

Passive Floor-standing | 35-26k Hz

DALI Oberon 9
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DALI Oberon Vokal

Passive Center Channel | 47-26k Hz

DALI Oberon Vokal
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DALI Oberon 9 DALI Oberon 9
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DALI Oberon Vokal DALI Oberon Vokal
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DALI Oberon 9
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DALI Oberon Vokal
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DALI Oberon 9 vs DALI Oberon Vokal Speaker Comparison

In this review, we will be comparing two different type of speakers by DALI. DALI Oberon 9 is a Floor-standing speaker whereas the Oberon Vokal is a Center Channel speaker.

Let's have a brief look at the main features of DALI Oberon 9 and DALI Oberon Vokal first before getting into our more detailed comparison.

DALI Oberon 9 Key Specs

  • 3-way Design
  • 1.125" Soft-Dome Tweeter
  • 7" Midrange
  • 2 x 9" Wood Fiber Woofer
  • 35-26k Hz Frequency Response
  • 90.5 dB Sensitivity
  • Impedance: 4ohms
  • Power Range:50-400watts
  • Weight:37.10kg
  • Dimensions (H x W x D): 1172.0" x 10-1/4" x 16"( 1172.0 x 260.0 x 407.0mm )

DALI Oberon Vokal Key Specs

  • 2-way Design
  • 1-1/8" Soft-Dome Tweeter
  • 2 x 5.25" Wood Fiber Woofer
  • 47-26k Hz Frequency Response
  • 89.5 dB Sensitivity
  • Impedance: 4ohms
  • Power Range:25-150watts
  • Weight:7.45kg
  • Dimensions (H x W x D): 162.0" x 17-7/16" x 11-9/16"( 162.0 x 443.0 x 294.0mm )

Oberon 9 and Oberon Vokal are members of DALI's Oberon series of speakers. Below you can find the loudspeakers from this series.

DALI Oberon Series History
Model Body Frequency SensitivityImpedance Woofer
DALI Oberon 3
  
Bookshelf 47-26k Hz 87 dB6Ω 1 x 7"
DALI Oberon 5
  
Floor-standing 39-26k Hz 88 dB6Ω 2 x 5.25"
DALI Oberon 1
  
Bookshelf 51-26k Hz 86 dB6Ω 1 x 5.25"
DALI Oberon 9
Floor-standing 35-26k Hz 90.5 dB4Ω 2 x 9"
DALI Oberon 7
  
Floor-standing 36-26k Hz 88.5 dB6Ω 2 x 7"
DALI Oberon GRAND Vokal
  
Center Channel 45-26k Hz 91 dB4Ω 2 x 7"
DALI Oberon Vokal
Center Channel 47-26k Hz 89.5 dB4Ω 2 x 5.25"

What size room are the DALI Oberon 9 and DALI Oberon Vokal 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 9 DALI Oberon Vokal
Near-field Are you nuts? Poor
Small Room Poor Average
Mid-size Room Average Good
Large Room Good Average
Very Large Room Good 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.)

In the following sections, we will get into more detail in order to better understand how the DALI Oberon 9 and DALI Oberon Vokal compare and hopefully end up with enough arguments to decide which one of these loudspeakers is the better choice for you.


**This post contains affiliate links, and I will be compensated if you make a purchase after clicking through my links. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.


Drivers

One of the fundamental differences between these two speakers is that Oberon 9 is a 3-way design whereas the Oberon Vokal is a 2-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.

Driver DALI Oberon 9 DALI Oberon Vokal
Driver Setup 3-way 2-way
Tweeter 1.125-inch 1-1/8-inch
Midrange 1 x 7-inch -
Woofer 2 x 9-inch 2 x 5.25-inch

Oberon 9 features a 1.125" Soft-Dome Tweeter , a 7" Midrange and 2 x 9" Wood Fiber Woofer with a Crossover frequency at 780Hz and 3400Hz. On the other hand, the Oberon Vokal features a 1-1/8" ultra-light soft textile Soft-Dome Tweeter and 2 x 5.25" Wood Fiber Woofer with a Crossover frequency at 2600Hz.

Frequency Response

Oberon 9 has a frequency range of 35-26k Hz whereas Oberon Vokal has a frequency range of 47-26k Hz. With a minimum frequency of 35Hz, the Oberon 9 can go significantly deeper on the low side and provide stronger bass compared to the Oberon Vokal's min frequency of 47Hz.

Below graphs depict how these two speakers compare with the max, min and average values of the Min and Max Frequencies of other speakers in the Floor-standing class in our database.

Low Frequency

Floor-standing Speakers

Oberon 9
Oberon Vokal
Min
Average
Max
High Frequency

Floor-standing Speakers

DALI Oberon 9
DALI Oberon Vokal
Min
Average
Max

None of these speakers achieves full range experience which is commonly agreed as 20Hz-20kHz. In order to achieve lower lows / deeper bass, we recommend you pair these with a subwoofer. Visit our Powered Subwoofers section to find out more about the available options.

Impedance and Sensitivity

Oberon 9 and Oberon Vokal have the same Impedance of 4 ohms but where they differ is the sensitivity levels. Oberon 9 sensitivity is rated at 90.5 dB and the Oberon Vokal's is at 89.5 dB. This 1 dB difference makes the DALI Oberon 9 a more sensitive speaker compared to DALI Oberon Vokal, hence will play louder with the same amount of watts.

One thing to keep in mind that the lower impedance speakers, especially the ones that are rated at 4 ohms may put more pressure on the amplifier unit comared to higher impedance speakers especially at high volume levels, so make sure the amp you pair with the Oberon 9 and the Oberon 9 can provide this impedance level.

Sensitivity

Floor-standing Speakers

Oberon 9
Oberon Vokal
Min
Average
Max

Power Range

Power range is the range of input power in watts RMS that a loudspeaker is designed to handle. While using an amplifier within this range ensures the nominal performance , inputting a power that is higher than the max wattage can result in a damaged speaker.

Oberon 9 can handle a max power of 400 watts RMS from the amp the whereas Oberon Vokal has a max power handling value of 150 watts RMS, 250 watts less than the Oberon 9.

Keep in mind that a higher max power handling value doesn't necessarily make that a louder speaker compared to a lower max handling speaker. Loudness or the sound level is also impacted by parameters such as Impedance, sensitivity and system efficiencies.

Input Type and Bi-Amping / Bi-Wiring

Oberon 9 features Binding post type posts and Oberon Vokal has a Binding post type posts. None of these speakers feature bi-amping/bi-wiring.

DALI Oberon 9 Terminals
DALI Oberon 9's Post terminals

DALI Oberon VokalBinding post Terminals
DALI Oberon Vokal's Binding post terminals

Cabinet Type and Port Position

Oberon 9 has a rear firing port whereas Oberon Vokal has a front firing ports. DALI Oberon Vokal's front-firing port gives more flexibility in placement in regards to proximity to walls compared to DALI Oberon 9 with its rear-firing port.

Physical Specs

Size of a speaker can sometimes become 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 9's and DALI Oberon Vokal's external dimensions. DALI Oberon 9 has external dimensions of 1172.0 x 260.0 x 407.0mm ( 46-1/8 x 10-1/4 x 16inch) whereas DALI Oberon Vokal has external dimensions of 162.0 x 443.0 x 294.0mm ( 6-3/8 x 17-7/16 x 11-9/16inch) .

DALI Oberon Vokal is 1010mm shorter and 113mm less deeper than DALI Oberon 9 but it is also 183mm wider.

Below you can see the front view size comparison of DALI Oberon 9 and DALI Oberon Vokal in scale.

DALI Oberon 9 vs DALI Oberon Vokal Size Comparison - Front View
Comparison image of DALI Oberon 9 and DALI Oberon Vokal 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 9 is approximately 1058.2cm2 / 164.0inch2 and base area of the DALI Oberon Vokal is approximately 1302.4cm2 / 201.9inch2. The Oberon 9 requires 19% less surface area than the Oberon Vokal which gives it a small advantage on placement in tight spaces.

What's in the Box of DALI Oberon 9?

Here are the items that are included inside the box of Oberon 9:
  • Floorstanding loudspeaker
  • Grille
  • 4 Rubber feet
  • 4 Spike-feet
  • 4 Hex-nuts
  • Manua
  • What's in the Box of DALI Oberon Vokal?

    Here are the items that come with the Oberon Vokal:
  • Center-channel loudspeaker
  • Grille
  • 8 Rubber feet
  • Manual

  • Reasons to choose DALI Oberon 9 over DALI Oberon Vokal
    Max Input Power 400 watts vs 150 watts Handle more power from your amplifier
    Driver Setup 3-way vs 2-way Have a dedicated mid-range driver
    Sensitivity 91 dB vs 90 dB Play louder with same amount of amplification power
    Woofer Size 9 inches vs 5.25 inches Larger woofer
    Low Frequency Response 35 Hz vs 47 Hz Generates deeper bass
    Base Surface Area 1058cm2 vs 1302cm2 Takes less floor space

    Reasons to choose DALI Oberon Vokal over DALI Oberon 9

    Port Position Front vs Rear Gives more flexibility placing close to walls
    Height 162mm vs 1172mm Easier to fit in smaller spaces
    Price per pair* 599USD vs 2500USD costs less (*prices may change depending on the seller, location and time)
    DALI Oberon 9 vs DALI Oberon Vokal Specs Table
    Detailed comparison of specifications
    General DALI Oberon 9 DALI Oberon Vokal
    Brand DALI DALI
    Speaker Type Floor-standing speaker Center channel speaker
    Power Range 50-400 watts 25-150 watts
    Sensitivity 90.5 dB 89.5 dB
    Impedance 4 ohms 4 ohms
    Frequency Response 35-26k Hz 47-26k Hz
    Drivers
    Woofer Quantity 2 2
    Woofer Size 9" 5.25"
    Woofer Composition Wood Fiber Wood Fiber
    Woofer Surround Material Rubber Rubber
    Tweeter Size 1.125" 1-1/8"
    Tweeter Type Soft-Dome Soft-Dome
    Aimable Tweeter No No
    Midrange Driver 7" No
    Crossover Frequency 780Hz and 3400Hz 2600Hz
    Firing Direction rear front
    Physical Specs
    Height 1172.0mm (46.1") 162.0mm (6.4")
    Width 260.0mm (10.2") 443.0mm (17.4")
    Depth 407.0mm (16") 294.0mm (11.6")
    Weight 37.10kg (81.6lbs) 7.45kg (16.4lbs)
    Enclosure Bass Reflex Bass Reflex
    Finish MDF/Wood-grain vinyl MDF/Wood-grain vinyl
    Available Colors Black Ash, Light Oak, Dark Walnut, White Black Ash, Light Oak, Dark Walnut, White
    Grille Yes Yes
    Moisture Resistancy No No
    Connections
    Biamp Inputs No No
    Other
    Parts Warranty 5 Years 5 Years
    Labor Warranty 5 Years 5 Years

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