In this review, we will be comparing Oberon 9 and SE 8000F, two Passive Floor-standing speakers from DALI and Paradigm.
Let's have a brief look at the main features
of DALI Oberon 9 and Paradigm SE 8000F 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 )
Paradigm SE 8000F Key Specs
- 3-way Design
- 1" Tweeter
- 6.5" Midrange
- 3 x 8" Mineral-filled polypropylene Woofer
- 6.5" Midrange
- 45-21k Hz Frequency Response
- 95 dB Sensitivity
- Impedance: 8ohms
- Power Range:15-150watts
- Weight:31.36kg
- Dimensions (H x W x D): 1169.0" x 11-3/4" x 17-3/4"( 1169.0 x 299.0 x 451.0mm )
What size room are the DALI Oberon 9 and Paradigm SE 8000F 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 |
Paradigm SE 8000F |
| Near-field |
Are you nuts? |
Bad |
| Small Room |
Poor |
Poor |
| Mid-size Room |
Average |
Good |
| Large Room |
Good |
Good |
| 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 Paradigm SE 8000F compare and hopefully end up with enough arguments to decide which one of these loudspeakers is the better choice for you.
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through my links. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.
Drivers
Both Oberon 9 and SE 8000F are 3-way speakers.
| Driver |
DALI Oberon 9 |
Paradigm SE 8000F |
|
Driver Setup
|
3-way
|
3-way
|
|
Tweeter
|
1.125-inch
|
1-inch
|
|
Midrange
|
1 x 7-inch |
1 x 6.5-inch |
|
Woofer
|
2 x 9-inch
|
3 x 8-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 SE 8000F features a 1" Tweeter , a 6.5" Midrange and 3 x 8" Mineral-filled polypropylene Woofer .
Frequency Response
Oberon 9 has a frequency range of 35-26k Hz whereas SE 8000F has a frequency range of 45-21k 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 SE 8000F's min frequency of 45Hz.
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
High Frequency
Floor-standing Speakers
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 is a 4 ohms speaker compared to the SE 8000F which has a nominal impedance of 8 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 SE 8000F's is rated at 95 dB. This 4 dB difference makes the Paradigm SE 8000F a more sensitive speaker compared to DALI Oberon 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. 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 SE 8000F 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 Post type posts and SE 8000F has a Post type posts. None of these speakers feature bi-amping/bi-wiring.
DALI Oberon 9's Post terminals
Paradigm SE 8000F's Post terminals
Cabinet Type and Port Position
Both Oberon 9 and SE 8000F 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
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 Paradigm SE 8000F'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 Paradigm SE 8000F has external dimensions of 1169.0 x 299.0 x 451.0mm ( 46 x 11-3/4 x 17-3/4inch) .
DALI Oberon 9 is 39mm narrower and 44mm less deeper than Paradigm SE 8000F but it is also 3mm taller.
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 Paradigm SE 8000F is approximately 1348.5cm2 / 209.0inch2. The Oberon 9 requires 22% less surface area than the SE 8000F which gives it a small advantage on placement in tight spaces.