In this review, we will be comparing Triton Seven and Oberon 9, two Passive Floor-standing speakers from GoldenEar and DALI. Let's have a brief look at the main features
of GoldenEar Triton Seven and DALI Oberon 9 first before getting into our more
detailed comparison.
What size room are the GoldenEar Triton Seven and DALI Oberon 9 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:
In the following sections, we will get into more detail in order to better understand how the GoldenEar Triton Seven and DALI Oberon 9 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
One of the fundamental differences between these two speakers is that Triton Seven is a 2-way design whereas the Oberon 9 is a 3-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 |
GoldenEar Triton Seven |
DALI Oberon 9 |
|
Driver Setup
|
2-way
|
3-way
|
|
Tweeter
|
-inch
|
1.125-inch
|
|
Midrange
|
- |
1 x 7-inch |
|
Woofer
|
2 x 5.25-inch
|
2 x 9-inch
|
Triton Seven features a " Folded Ribbon Tweeter and 2 x 5.25" Polypropylene Woofer . On the other hand, the 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.
Frequency Response
Triton Seven has a frequency range of 29-35k Hz whereas Oberon 9 has a frequency range of 35-26k Hz. With a minimum frequency of 29Hz, the Triton Seven can go significantly deeper on the low side and provide stronger bass compared to the Oberon 9's min frequency of 35Hz.
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
Triton Seven is a 8 ohms speaker compared to the Oberon 9 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 9 can provide this impedance level.
These two speakers also have different sensitivity levels. Triton Seven sensitivity is rated at 89 dB and the Oberon 9's is rated at 90.5 dB. This 2 dB difference makes the DALI Oberon 9 a more sensitive speaker compared to GoldenEar Triton Seven, 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.
Triton Seven can handle a max power of 400 watts RMS from the amp the whereas Triton Seven has a max power handling value of 300 watts RMS , 100 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
Triton Seven features Post type posts and Oberon 9 has a Post type posts. None of these speakers feature bi-amping/bi-wiring.
DALI Oberon 9's Post terminals
Cabinet Type and Port Position
Both Triton Seven and Oberon 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
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 GoldenEar Triton Seven's and DALI Oberon 9's external dimensions. GoldenEar Triton Seven has external dimensions of 1029.0 x 267.0 x 369.0mm ( 40-1/2 x 10-1/2 x 14-1/2inch) whereas DALI Oberon 9 has external dimensions of 1172.0 x 260.0 x 407.0mm ( 46-1/8 x 10-1/4 x 16inch) .
GoldenEar Triton Seven is 143mm shorter and 38mm less deeper than DALI Oberon 9 but it is also 7mm wider.
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 GoldenEar Triton Seven is approximately 985.2cm2 / 152.7inch2 and base area of the DALI Oberon 9 is approximately 1058.2cm2 / 164.0inch2. The Triton Seven requires 7% less surface area than the Oberon 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 GoldenEar Triton Seven weighs 14.55kg / 32lbs and the DALI Oberon 9 weighs 37.10kg / 81.6lbs. This makes the Oberon 9 155% heavier than the Triton Seven.
Here is a comparison of how Triton Seven and Oberon 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 GoldenEar Triton Seven?
Here are the items that are included inside the box of Triton Seven:
Floorstanding loudspeaker4 Rubber feet (pre-installed)4 Spikes4 Locking nutsOwners Manual
What's in the Box of DALI Oberon 9?
Here are the items that come with the Oberon 9:
Floorstanding loudspeakerGrille4 Rubber feet4 Spike-feet4 Hex-nutsManua
 Nominal Impedance |
8 ohms
vs
4 ohms
|
Less selective with amplifiers |
 Low Frequency Response |
29 Hz
vs
35 Hz
|
Generates deeper bass |
 High Frequency Response |
35k Hz
vs
26k Hz
|
Generates higher frequency |
 Passive Radiator |
dual 8-inch infrasonic planar sub-bass
vs
None
|
Increases the bass performance |
 Height |
1029mm
vs
1172mm
|
Easier to fit in smaller spaces |
 Base Surface Area |
985cm2 (267x369mm)
vs
1058cm2 (260x407mm)
|
Takes less floor space |
 Price per pair* |
1798USD
vs
2500USD
|
costs less (*prices may change depending on the seller, location and time) |
 Max Input Power |
400 watts
vs
300 watts
|
Handle more power from your amplifier |
 Driver Setup |
3-way
vs
2-way
|
Have a dedicated mid-range driver |
 Sensitivity |
91 dB
vs
89 dB
|
Play louder with same amount of amplification power |
| Woofer Size |
9 inches
vs
5.25 inches
|
Larger woofer |
| General |
GoldenEar Triton Seven |
DALI Oberon 9 |
| Brand |
GoldenEar |
DALI |
| Speaker Type |
Floor-standing speaker |
Floor-standing speaker |
| Power Range |
10-300 watts |
50-400 watts |
| Sensitivity |
89 dB |
90.5 dB |
| Impedance |
8 ohms |
4 ohms |
| Frequency Response |
29-35k Hz |
35-26k Hz |
Drivers |
|
|
| Woofer Quantity |
2 |
2 |
| Woofer Size |
5.25" |
9" |
| Woofer Composition |
Polypropylene |
Wood Fiber |
| Woofer Surround Material |
Rubber |
Rubber |
| Tweeter Size |
- |
1.125" |
| Tweeter Type |
Folded Ribbon |
Soft-Dome |
| Aimable Tweeter |
No |
No |
| Midrange Driver |
No |
7" |
| Crossover Frequency |
n/a |
780Hz and 3400Hz |
| Firing Direction |
rear |
rear |
Physical Specs |
|
|
| Height |
1029.0mm (40.5") |
1172.0mm (46.1") |
| Width |
267.0mm (10.5") |
260.0mm (10.2") |
| Depth |
369.0mm (14.5") |
407.0mm (16") |
| Weight |
14.55kg (32lbs) |
37.10kg (81.6lbs) |
| Enclosure |
Passive Radiator |
Bass Reflex |
| Finish |
MDF/Lacquer |
MDF/Wood-grain vinyl |
| Available Colors |
Gloss Black |
Black Ash, Light Oak, Dark Walnut, White |
| Grille |
n/a |
Yes |
| Moisture Resistancy |
No |
No |
Connections |
|
|
| Biamp Inputs |
No |
No |
Other |
|
|
| Parts Warranty |
5 Years |
5 Years |
| Labor Warranty |
5 Years |
5 Years |