In this review, we will be comparing Vestia Center and Oberon Vokal, two Passive Center Channel speakers from Focal and DALI.
Let's have a brief look at the main features
of Focal Vestia Center and DALI Oberon Vokal first before getting into our more
detailed comparison.
| Key Specs | Focal Vestia Center | DALI Oberon Vokal |
|---|
| Brand | Focal
France · founded 1979 | DALI
Denmark · founded 1983 |
|---|
| Design | 2-way | 2-way |
|---|
| Tweeter | 1" inverted dome | 1-1/8" Soft-Dome |
|---|
| Woofer | 2 x 6.5" Slatefiber | 2 x 5.25" Wood Fiber |
|---|
| Frequency response | 58-30k Hz | 47-26k Hz |
|---|
| Sensitivity | 91.5 dB | 89.5 dB |
|---|
| Impedance | 8 ohms | 4 ohms |
|---|
| Power range | 40-200 watts | 25-150 watts |
|---|
| Weight | 10.00kg / 22lbs | 7.45kg / 16.4lbs |
|---|
| Dimensions (H x W x D) | 8-1/2" x 21-1/8" x 10-1/4"
216.0 x 537.0 x 261.0mm | 6-3/8" x 17-7/16" x 11-9/16"
162.0 x 443.0 x 294.0mm |
|---|
What size room are the Focal Vestia Center 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* |
Focal Vestia Center |
DALI Oberon Vokal |
| Near-field |
Poor |
Poor |
| Small Room |
Poor |
Average |
| Mid-size Room |
Good |
Good |
| Large Room |
Good |
Average |
| Very Large Room |
Average |
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 Vestia Center and Oberon Vokal are 2-way speakers.
Focal Vestia CenterDALI Oberon Vokal
TweeterWoofer
Front view, drawn to scale - cabinets and drivers share one scale, so sizes are directly comparable. Hover a driver for its size.
| Driver |
Focal Vestia Center |
DALI Oberon Vokal |
|
Driver Setup
|
2-way
|
2-way
|
|
Tweeter
|
1-inch
|
1-1/8-inch
|
|
Midrange
|
- |
- |
|
Woofer
|
2 x 6.5-inch
|
2 x 5.25-inch
|
Vestia Center features a 1" Al/Mg inverted dome Tweeter and 2 x 6.5" Slatefiber Woofer with a Crossover frequency at 2700Hz. 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
Vestia Center has a frequency range of 58-30k Hz whereas Oberon Vokal has a frequency range of 47-26k Hz. With a minimum frequency of 47Hz, the Oberon Vokal can go significantly deeper on the low side and provide stronger bass compared to the Vestia Center's min frequency of 58Hz.
The graph below depicts how these two speakers compare with the max, min and average Low Frequency values of other speakers in the Center Channel class in our database.
Low Frequency
Center Channel 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
Vestia Center is a 8 ohms speaker compared to the Oberon Vokal which has a nominal impedance of 4 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 Vokal can provide this impedance level.
These two speakers also have different sensitivity levels. Vestia Center sensitivity is rated at 91.5 dB and the Oberon Vokal's is rated at 89.5 dB. This 2 dB difference makes the Focal Vestia Center a more sensitive speaker compared to DALI Oberon Vokal, hence will play louder with the same amount of watts.
Sensitivity
Center Channel 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.
Vestia Center can handle a max power of 200 watts RMS, whereas Oberon Vokal has a max power handling value of 150 watts RMS, 50 watts less than the Vestia Center.
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.
Cabinet Type and Port Position
Vestia Center 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 Focal Vestia Center with its rear-firing 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 Focal Vestia Center's and DALI Oberon Vokal's external dimensions. Focal Vestia Center has external dimensions of 216.0 x 537.0 x 261.0mm (8-1/2-inch x 21-1/8-inch x 10-1/4-inch) 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 94mm narrower and 54mm shorter than Focal Vestia Center but it is also 33mm deeper.
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.
Near-identical footprints. DALI Oberon Vokal is 33mm deeper, so it stands that much further out from the wall. Focal Vestia Center is 54mm 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 Focal Vestia Center is approximately 1401.6cm2 / 217.2inch2 and base area of the DALI Oberon Vokal is approximately 1302.4cm2 / 201.9inch2. The Vestia Center requires 8% more surface area than the Oberon Vokal which gives it a small disadvantage 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 Focal Vestia Center weighs 10.00kg / 22lbs and the DALI Oberon Vokal weighs 7.45kg / 16.4lbs. This makes the Vestia Center 34% heavier than the Oberon Vokal.
Here is a comparison of how Vestia Center and Oberon Vokal's weights compare with the average, max and min weights in Passive Center Channel class.
Weight
All Center Channel Speakers
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
 Max Input Power |
200 watts
vs
150 watts
|
Handle more power from your amplifier |
 Sensitivity |
92 dB
vs
90 dB
|
Play louder with same amount of amplification power |
 Nominal Impedance |
8 ohms
vs
4 ohms
|
Less selective with amplifiers |
 Woofer Size |
6.5 inches
vs
5.25 inches
|
Larger woofer |
 High Frequency Response |
30k Hz
vs
26k Hz
|
Generates higher frequency |
|
Low Frequency Response |
47 Hz
vs
58 Hz
|
Generates deeper bass |
 Port Position |
Front
vs
Rear
|
Gives more flexibility placing close to walls |
 Height |
162mm
vs
216mm
|
Easier to fit in smaller spaces |
 Base Surface Area |
1302cm2
vs
1401cm2
|
Takes less floor space |
 Price per pair* |
599USD
vs
699USD
|
costs less (*prices may change depending on the seller, location and time) |
| General |
Focal Vestia Center |
DALI Oberon Vokal |
| Brand |
Focal |
DALI |
| Speaker Type |
Center channel speaker |
Center channel speaker |
| Power Range |
40-200 watts |
25-150 watts |
| Sensitivity |
91.5 dB |
89.5 dB |
| Impedance |
8 ohms |
4 ohms |
| Impedance |
3.6 ohms |
n/a |
| Frequency Response |
58-30k Hz |
47-26k Hz |
Drivers |
|
|
| Woofer Quantity |
2 |
2 |
| Woofer Size |
6.5" |
5.25" |
| Woofer Composition |
Slatefiber |
Wood Fiber |
| Woofer Surround Material |
Rubber |
Rubber |
| Tweeter Size |
1" |
1-1/8" |
| Tweeter Type |
inverted dome |
Soft-Dome |
| Aimable Tweeter |
No |
No |
| Midrange Driver |
No |
No |
| Crossover Frequency |
2700Hz |
2600Hz |
| Firing Direction |
rear |
front |
Physical Specs |
|
|
| Height |
216.0mm (8.5") |
162.0mm (6.4") |
| Width |
537.0mm (21.1") |
443.0mm (17.4") |
| Depth |
261.0mm (10.3") |
294.0mm (11.6") |
| Weight |
10.00kg (22lbs) |
7.45kg (16.4lbs) |
| Enclosure |
Bass Reflex |
Bass Reflex |
| Finish |
MDF |
MDF/Wood-grain vinyl |
| Available Colors |
Black High Gloss, Dark Wood, Light Wood |
Black Ash, Light Oak, Dark Walnut, White |
| Grille |
Yes |
Yes |
| Moisture Resistancy |
No |
No |
Connections |
|
|
| Biamp Inputs |
No |
No |
Other |
|
|
| Parts Warranty |
|
5 Years |
| Labor Warranty |
|
5 Years |
A generation apart: Focal Vestia Center is the newer design, against a 2018 model. Newer is not automatically better, but the older one is more likely to be discounted or near run-out.
| Area | Better | Why |
|---|
| Bass | B | DALI Oberon Vokal digs deeper - 47Hz against 58Hz. |
| Amplifier needs | A | Focal Vestia Center is more sensitive (92dB vs 90dB), so it goes louder on the same amplifier. |
| Amplifier match | A | Focal Vestia Center is the easier load at 8 ohms; the other is 4 ohms and wants an amplifier rated for it. |
| Headroom | A | Focal Vestia Center takes more power (200W vs 150W) - more in hand in a big room. |
| Size | depends | DALI Oberon Vokal is easier to place; Focal Vestia Center is bigger, which usually goes with fuller bass. Your room decides. |
| Expandability | depends | Neither adds bi-amping, a sub output or height drivers. DALI Oberon Vokal sits in a wider range (9 models), so a matched surround system is easier later. |
| Price | B | DALI Oberon Vokal is cheaper - $599 against $699, about 14% less. |
A Focal Vestia Center B DALI Oberon Vokal
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?
The usual trade-off: Focal Vestia Center measures better, DALI Oberon Vokal costs about about 17% more% less. Whether that gap is worth the money is the call only you can make - and in a normal room it is often smaller than the numbers suggest. If a subwoofer is in your plans, the bass gap largely stops mattering - you would be crossing over above 58Hz anyway, so judge these on the other rows instead. Match it to your room: we rate Focal Vestia Center the better fit for a large room and a very large room, and DALI Oberon Vokal for a small room.
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.