In this review, we will be comparing HDI-3600 and Oberon 9, two Passive Floor-standing speakers from JBL and DALI. Let's have a brief look at the main features
of JBL HDI-3600 and DALI Oberon 9 first before getting into our more
detailed comparison.
What size room are the JBL HDI-3600 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 JBL HDI-3600 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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Drivers
One of the fundamental differences between these two speakers is that HDI-3600 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 |
JBL HDI-3600 |
DALI Oberon 9 |
|
Driver Setup
|
2-way
|
3-way
|
|
Tweeter
|
1-inch
|
1.125-inch
|
|
Midrange
|
- |
1 x 7-inch |
|
Woofer
|
3 x 6.5-inch
|
2 x 9-inch
|
HDI-3600 features a 1" Tweeter and 3 x 6.5" Aluminum 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
HDI-3600 has a frequency range of 38-30k Hz whereas Oberon 9 has a frequency range of 35-26k Hz. With a minimum frequency of 35Hz, the Oberon 9 can go slightly deeper then the HDI-3600's min frequency of 38Hz.
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
HDI-3600 and Oberon 9 have the same Impedance of 4 ohms but where they differ is the sensitivity levels. HDI-3600 sensitivity is rated at 90 dB and the Oberon 9's is at 90.5 dB. This 1 dB difference makes the DALI Oberon 9 a more sensitive speaker compared to JBL HDI-3600, hence will play louder with the same amount of watts.
One thing to keep in mind that the lower impedance speakers, especially the ones that are rated at 4 ohms may put more pressure on the amplifier unit comared to higher impedance speakers especially at high volume levels, so make sure the amp you pair with the HDI-3600 and the HDI-3600 can provide this impedance level.
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.
HDI-3600 can handle a max power of 400 watts RMS from the amp the whereas HDI-3600 has a max power handling value of 250 watts RMS , 150 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
HDI-3600 features 5-way post posts which make bi-amping or bi-wiring possible. Oberon 9 has a Post which doesn't feature bi-amping/bi-wiring.
DALI Oberon 9's Post terminals
Cabinet Type and Port Position
Both HDI-3600 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 JBL HDI-3600's and DALI Oberon 9's external dimensions. JBL HDI-3600 has external dimensions of 1028.0 x 259.0 x 345.0mm ( 40-7/16 x 10-3/16 x 13-9/16inch) 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) .
DALI Oberon 9 is clearly the larger of the two speakers. Its body is 1mm wider, 144mm taller and 62mm deeper than JBL HDI-3600.
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 JBL HDI-3600 is approximately 893.6cm2 / 138.5inch2 and base area of the DALI Oberon 9 is approximately 1058.2cm2 / 164.0inch2. The HDI-3600 requires 16% 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 JBL HDI-3600 weighs 28.09kg / 61.8lbs and the DALI Oberon 9 weighs 37.10kg / 81.6lbs. This makes the Oberon 9 32% heavier than the HDI-3600.
Here is a comparison of how HDI-3600 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 JBL HDI-3600?
Here are the items that are included inside the box of HDI-3600:
Floorstanding loudspeakerGrille2 Jumper-straps (pre-installed)4 Spike feetOwners 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
 Number of Woofers |
3
vs
2
|
More woofers |
 High Frequency Response |
30k Hz
vs
26k Hz
|
Generates higher frequency |
 Bi-Amping and Bi-Wiring |
Yes
vs
No
|
Allows bi-amping and bi-wiring connections |
 Height |
1028mm
vs
1172mm
|
Easier to fit in smaller spaces |
 Base Surface Area |
893cm2 (259x345mm)
vs
1058cm2 (260x407mm)
|
Takes less floor space |
 Max Input Power |
400 watts
vs
250 watts
|
Handle more power from your amplifier |
 Driver Setup |
3-way
vs
2-way
|
Have a dedicated mid-range driver |
 Sensitivity |
91 dB
vs
90 dB
|
Play louder with same amount of amplification power |
| Woofer Size |
9 inches
vs
6.5 inches
|
Larger woofer |
| Low Frequency Response |
35 Hz
vs
38 Hz
|
Generates deeper bass |
 Price per pair* |
2500USD
vs
4180USD
|
costs less (*prices may change depending on the seller, location and time) |
| General |
JBL HDI-3600 |
DALI Oberon 9 |
| Brand |
JBL |
DALI |
| Speaker Type |
Floor-standing speaker |
Floor-standing speaker |
| Power Range |
20-250 watts |
50-400 watts |
| Sensitivity |
90 dB |
90.5 dB |
| Impedance |
4 ohms |
4 ohms |
| Frequency Response |
38-30k Hz |
35-26k Hz |
Drivers |
|
|
| Woofer Quantity |
3 |
2 |
| Woofer Size |
6.5" |
9" |
| Woofer Composition |
Aluminum |
Wood Fiber |
| Woofer Surround Material |
Rubber |
Rubber |
| Tweeter Size |
1" |
1.125" |
| Tweeter Type |
n/a |
Soft-Dome |
| Aimable Tweeter |
No |
No |
| Midrange Driver |
No |
7" |
| Crossover Frequency |
n/a |
780Hz and 3400Hz |
| Firing Direction |
rear |
rear |
Physical Specs |
|
|
| Height |
1028.0mm (40.5") |
1172.0mm (46.1") |
| Width |
259.0mm (10.2") |
260.0mm (10.2") |
| Depth |
345.0mm (13.6") |
407.0mm (16") |
| Weight |
28.09kg (61.8lbs) |
37.10kg (81.6lbs) |
| Enclosure |
Bass Reflex |
Bass Reflex |
| Finish |
MDF/Wood-veneer |
MDF/Wood-grain vinyl |
| Available Colors |
Grey |
Black Ash, Light Oak, Dark Walnut, White |
| Grille |
Yes |
Yes |
| Moisture Resistancy |
No |
No |
Connections |
|
|
| Biamp Inputs |
Yes |
No |
Other |
|
|
| Parts Warranty |
5 Years |
5 Years |
| Labor Warranty |
5 Years |
5 Years |