In this review, we will be comparing two different types of speakers. Dynaudio Emit 30 is a Floor-standing speaker whereas the Oberon 3 is a Bookshelf speaker.
Let's have a brief look at the main features
of Dynaudio Emit 30 and DALI Oberon 3 first before getting into our more
detailed comparison.
| Key Specs | Dynaudio Emit 30 | DALI Oberon 3 |
|---|
| Brand | Dynaudio
Denmark · founded 1977 | DALI
Denmark · founded 1983 |
|---|
| Design | 3-way | 2-way |
|---|
| Tweeter | 1.1" Soft-Dome | 1.125" Soft-Dome |
|---|
| Woofer | 2 x 5.5" MSP | 7" Wood Fiber |
|---|
| Frequency response | 45-25k Hz | 47-26k Hz |
|---|
| Sensitivity | 88 dB | 87 dB |
|---|
| Impedance | 4 ohms | 6 ohms |
|---|
| Power range | — | 25-150 watts |
|---|
| Weight | 15.50kg / 34.1lbs | 6.32kg / 13.9lbs |
|---|
| Dimensions (H x W x D) | 35-7/16" x 6-11/16" x 10-11/16"
900.0 x 170.0 x 272.0mm | 13-3/4" x 7-7/8" x 12-3/16"
350.0 x 201.0 x 310.0mm |
|---|
What size room are the Dynaudio Emit 30 and DALI Oberon 3 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* |
Dynaudio Emit 30 |
DALI Oberon 3 |
| Near-field |
Poor |
Poor |
| Small Room |
Average |
Average |
| Mid-size Room |
Good |
Good |
| Large Room |
Average |
Average |
| 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
One of the fundamental differences between these two speakers is that Emit 30 is a 3-way design whereas the Oberon 3 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.
Dynaudio Emit 30DALI Oberon 3
TweeterWoofer
Front view, drawn to scale - cabinets and drivers share one scale, so sizes are directly comparable. Hover a driver for its size.
| Driver |
Dynaudio Emit 30 |
DALI Oberon 3 |
|
Driver Setup
|
3-way
|
2-way
|
|
Tweeter
|
1.1-inch
|
1.125-inch
|
|
Midrange
|
- |
- |
|
Woofer
|
2 x 5.5-inch
|
1 x 7-inch
|
Emit 30 features a 1.1" Cerotar Soft-Dome Tweeter and 2 x 5.5" MSP Woofer with a Crossover frequency at (1000)/3500 Hz. On the other hand, the Oberon 3 features a 1.125" Soft-Dome Tweeter and 1 x 7" Wood Fiber Woofer with a Crossover frequency at 2400Hz.
Frequency Response
Emit 30 has a frequency range of 45-25k Hz whereas Oberon 3 has a frequency range of 47-26k Hz. With a minimum frequency of 45Hz, the Emit 30 can go slightly deeper then the Oberon 3's min frequency of 47Hz.
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
Emit 30 is a 4 ohms speaker compared to the Oberon 3 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 Emit 30 can provide this impedance level.
These two speakers also have different sensitivity levels. Emit 30 sensitivity is rated at 88 dB and the Oberon 3's is rated at 87 dB. This 1 dB difference makes the Dynaudio Emit 30 a more sensitive speaker compared to DALI Oberon 3, hence will play louder with the same amount of watts.
Sensitivity
Floor-standing Speakers
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
Emit 30 features Post type posts and Oberon 3 has a Post type posts. None of these speakers feature bi-amping/bi-wiring.
DALI Oberon 3's Post terminals
Cabinet Type and Port Position
Both Emit 30 and Oberon 3 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 Dynaudio Emit 30's and DALI Oberon 3's external dimensions. Dynaudio Emit 30 has external dimensions of 900.0 x 170.0 x 272.0mm (35-7/16 x 6-11/16 x 10-11/16inch) whereas DALI Oberon 3 has external dimensions of 350.0 x 201.0 x 310.0mm (13-3/4 x 7-7/8 x 12-3/16inch).
Dynaudio Emit 30 is 31mm narrower and 38mm less deeper than DALI Oberon 3 but it is also 550mm taller.
Size, drawn to scale
Both speakers and both views share one scale, so everything here is directly comparable. Hover a box for its dimensions.
One scale for both, standing on the same surface and pushed back to the same wall, so the deeper one visibly sticks out further.
DALI Oberon 3 needs about 35% more floor or shelf area. DALI Oberon 3 is 38mm deeper, so it stands that much further out from the wall. Dynaudio Emit 30 is 550mm 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 Dynaudio Emit 30 is approximately 462.4cm2 / 71.7inch2 and base area of the DALI Oberon 3 is approximately 623.1cm2 / 96.6inch2. The Emit 30 requires 26% less surface area than the Oberon 3 which gives it a small advantage on placement in tight spaces.
What's in the Box of DALI Oberon 3?
Here are the items that come with the Oberon 3:
- 2 Bookshelf loudspeakers
- 2 Grilles
- 8 Rubber feet
- Manual