In this review, we will be comparing Oberon 9 and SONIK 9, two Passive Floor-standing speakers by DALI.
Let's have a brief look at the main features
of DALI Oberon 9 and DALI SONIK 9 first before getting into our more
detailed comparison.
| Key Specs | DALI Oberon 9 | DALI SONIK 9 |
|---|
| Brand | DALI
Denmark · founded 1983 | DALI
Denmark · founded 1983 |
|---|
| Design | 3-way | 3-way |
|---|
| Tweeter | 1.125" Soft-Dome | 0.6875 x 1.75" Planar |
|---|
| Midrange | 7" | 1.125" |
|---|
| Woofer | 2 x 9" Wood Fiber | 3 x 7.0" Wood fiber |
|---|
| Frequency response | 35-26k Hz | 34-30k Hz |
|---|
| Sensitivity | 90.5 dB | 90 dB |
|---|
| Impedance | 4 ohms | 6 ohms |
|---|
| Power range | 50-400 watts | 50-300 watts |
|---|
| Weight | 37.10kg / 81.6lbs | 24.65kg / 54.2lbs |
|---|
| Dimensions (H x W x D) | 46-1/8" x 10-1/4" x 16"
1172.0 x 260.0 x 407.0mm | 44-5/16" x 12-9/16" x 14-13/16"
1126.0 x 320.0 x 377.0mm |
|---|
The sections below take each area in turn: drivers, frequency response, physical size and what you get in the box.
Drivers
Both Oberon 9 and SONIK 9 are 3-way speakers.
DALI Oberon 9DALI SONIK 9
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 9 |
DALI SONIK 9 |
|
Driver Setup
|
3-way
|
3-way
|
|
Tweeter
|
1.125-inch
|
0.6875 x 1.75-inch
|
|
Midrange
|
1 x 7-inch |
1 x 1.125-inch |
|
Woofer
|
2 x 9-inch
|
3 x 7.0-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 SONIK 9 features a 0.6875 x 1.75" Planar Tweeter, a 1.125" Midrange and 3 x 7.0" Wood fiber Woofer.
Frequency Response
Oberon 9 has a frequency range of 35-26k Hz whereas SONIK 9 has a frequency range of 34-30k Hz. With a minimum frequency of 34Hz, the SONIK 9 can go slightly deeper then the Oberon 9's min frequency of 35Hz.
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 9 is a 4 ohms speaker compared to the SONIK 9 which has a nominal impedance of 6 ohms. Lower impedance speakers, especially the ones that are rated at 4 ohms may put more pressure on the amplifier unit especially when played at high volume levels, so make sure the amp you pair with the Oberon 9 can provide this impedance level.
These two speakers also have different sensitivity levels. Oberon 9 sensitivity is rated at 90.5 dB and the SONIK 9's is rated at 90 dB. This 1 dB difference makes the DALI Oberon 9 a more sensitive speaker compared to DALI SONIK 9, 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.
Oberon 9 can handle a max power of 400 watts RMS, whereas SONIK 9 has a max power handling value of 300 watts RMS, 100 watts less than the Oberon 9.
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
Oberon 9 features Binding post type posts and SONIK 9 has a Binding post type posts. None of these speakers feature bi-amping/bi-wiring.
DALI Oberon 9's Post terminals
Cabinet Type and Port Position
Both Oberon 9 and SONIK 9 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.
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 9's and DALI SONIK 9'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 SONIK 9 has external dimensions of 1126.0 x 320.0 x 377.0mm (44-5/16inch x 12-9/16inch x 14-13/16inch).
DALI SONIK 9 is 46mm shorter and 30mm less deeper than DALI Oberon 9 but it is also 60mm wider.
Below you can see the front view size comparison of DALI Oberon 9 and DALI SONIK 9 in scale.
Comparison image of DALI Oberon 9 and DALI SONIK 9 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 SONIK 9 is approximately 1206.4cm2 / 187.0inch2. The Oberon 9 requires 12% less surface area than the SONIK 9 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 9 weighs 37.10kg / 81.6lbs and the DALI SONIK 9 weighs 24.65kg / 54.2lbs. This makes the Oberon 9 51% heavier than the SONIK 9.
Here is a comparison of how Oberon 9 and SONIK 9'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 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 SONIK 9?
Here are the items that come with the SONIK 9:
- 2 Floorstanding loudspeakers
- 2 Grilles
- 4 Outrigger feet
- 8 Rubber feet (M8 threads)
- 8 Spike-feet (M8 threads)
- Eight M8 hex-nuts
- Eight M8x15mm counter-sunk hex-screws
- Hex-key
- Hex-wrench
- Quick Start Guide
- Online Registration Card
 Max Input Power |
400 watts
vs
300 watts
|
Handle more power from your amplifier |
 Sensitivity |
91 dB
vs
90 dB
|
Play louder with same amount of amplification power |
 Woofer Size |
9 inches
vs
7.0 inches
|
Larger woofer |
 Base Surface Area |
1058cm2
vs
1206cm2
|
Takes less floor space |
 Price per pair* |
4000USD
vs
4500USD
|
costs less (*prices may change depending on the seller, location and time) |
 Nominal Impedance |
6 ohms
vs
4 ohms
|
Less selective with amplifiers |
|
Number of Woofers |
3
vs
2
|
More woofers |
|
Low Frequency Response |
34 Hz
vs
35 Hz
|
Generates deeper bass |
 High Frequency Response |
30k Hz
vs
26k Hz
|
Generates higher frequency |
 Height |
1126mm
vs
1172mm
|
Easier to fit in smaller spaces |
| General |
DALI Oberon 9 |
DALI SONIK 9 |
| Brand |
DALI |
DALI |
| Speaker Type |
Floor-standing speaker |
Floor-standing speaker |
| Power Range |
50-400 watts |
50-300 watts |
| Sensitivity |
90.5 dB |
90 dB |
| Impedance |
4 ohms |
6 ohms |
| Frequency Response |
35-26k Hz |
34-30k Hz |
Drivers |
|
|
| Woofer Quantity |
2 |
3 |
| Woofer Size |
9" |
7.0" |
| Woofer Composition |
Wood Fiber |
Wood fiber |
| Woofer Surround Material |
Rubber |
Rubber |
| Tweeter Size |
1.125" |
0.6875 x 1.75" |
| Tweeter Type |
Soft-Dome |
Planar |
| Aimable Tweeter |
No |
No |
| Midrange Driver |
7" |
1.125" |
| Crossover Frequency |
780Hz and 3400Hz |
n/a |
| Firing Direction |
rear |
rear |
Physical Specs |
|
|
| Height |
1172.0mm (46.1") |
1126.0mm (44.3") |
| Width |
260.0mm (10.2") |
320.0mm (12.6") |
| Depth |
407.0mm (16") |
377.0mm (14.8") |
| Weight |
37.10kg (81.6lbs) |
24.65kg (54.2lbs) |
| Enclosure |
Bass Reflex |
Bass Reflex |
| Finish |
MDF/Wood-grain vinyl |
MDF/Wood-grain laminate |
| Available Colors |
Black Ash, Light Oak, Dark Walnut, White |
Black Ash, Natural Oak,White,Walnut |
| 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 |
A generation apart: DALI SONIK 9 is the newer design, against a 2020 model. Newer is not automatically better, but the older one is more likely to be discounted or near run-out.
| Area | Better | Why |
|---|
| Bass | evenly matched | Much the same reach (35Hz vs 34Hz). |
| Amplifier needs | evenly matched | Similar sensitivity (91dB vs 90dB) - both want much the same power. |
| Amplifier match | B | DALI SONIK 9 is the easier load at 6 ohms; the other is 4 ohms and wants an amplifier rated for it. |
| Headroom | A | DALI Oberon 9 takes more power (400W vs 300W) - more in hand in a big room. |
| Size | depends | Similar cabinet size - neither is easier to fit. |
| Price | A | DALI Oberon 9 is cheaper - $4,000 against $4,500, about 11% less. |
A DALI Oberon 9 B DALI SONIK 9
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?
Neither runs away with it - they trade advantages. Let the "depends" rows and your own room settle it. If your amplifier is modest, vintage or valve-based, DALI SONIK 9 is the safer partner - the other will want more current or more watts to sound its best.
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.