In this review, we will be comparing Q550 and Oberon 5, two Passive Floor-standing speakers from KEF and DALI.
Let's have a brief look at the main features
of KEF Q550 and DALI Oberon 5 first before getting into our more
detailed comparison.
| Key Specs | KEF Q550 | DALI Oberon 5 |
|---|
| Brand | KEF
United Kingdom · founded 1961 | DALI
Denmark · founded 1983 |
|---|
| Design | 2-way | 2-way |
|---|
| Uni-Q driver | 11th Generation Uni-Q | — |
|---|
| Tweeter | 1" Dome | 1.125" Soft-Dome |
|---|
| Woofer | 2 x 5.25" Aluminum | 2 x 5.25" Wood Fiber |
|---|
| Frequency response | 58-28k Hz | 39-26k Hz |
|---|
| Sensitivity | 87 dB | 88 dB |
|---|
| Impedance | 8 ohms | 6 ohms |
|---|
| Power range | 15-130 watts | 30-150 watts |
|---|
| Weight | 14.55kg / 32lbs | 10.80kg / 23.8lbs |
|---|
| Dimensions (H x W x D) | 35-3/16" x 11-5/8" x 12-5/16"
894.0 x 296.0 x 313.0mm | 32-3/4" x 7-15/16" x 10-7/8"
832.0 x 202.0 x 277.0mm |
|---|
What size room are the KEF Q550 and DALI Oberon 5 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* |
KEF Q550 |
DALI Oberon 5 |
| Near-field |
Bad |
Bad |
| Small Room |
Poor |
Poor |
| Mid-size Room |
Good |
Good |
| Large Room |
Good |
Good |
| 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
Both Q550 and Oberon 5 are 2-way speakers.
KEF Q550DALI Oberon 5
TweeterWoofer
Front view, drawn to scale - cabinets and drivers share one scale, so sizes are directly comparable. Hover a driver for its size.
| Driver |
KEF Q550 |
DALI Oberon 5 |
|
Driver Setup
|
2-way
|
2-way
|
|
Tweeter
|
1-inch
|
1.125-inch
|
|
Midrange
|
- |
- |
|
Woofer
|
2 x 5.25-inch
|
2 x 5.25-inch
|
Q550 features a 1" vented aluminum Dome Tweeter and 2 x 5.25" Aluminum Woofer with a Crossover frequency at 2500Hz. On the other hand, the Oberon 5 features a 1.125" Soft-Dome Tweeter and 2 x 5.25" Wood Fiber Woofer with a Crossover frequency at 2400Hz.
Frequency Response
Q550 has a frequency range of 58-28k Hz whereas Oberon 5 has a frequency range of 39-26k Hz. With a minimum frequency of 39Hz, the Oberon 5 can go significantly deeper on the low side and provide stronger bass compared to the Q550'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 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
Q550 is a 8 ohms speaker compared to the Oberon 5 which has a nominal impedance of 6 ohms.
These two speakers also have different sensitivity levels. Q550 sensitivity is rated at 87 dB and the Oberon 5's is rated at 88 dB. This 1 dB difference makes the DALI Oberon 5 a more sensitive speaker compared to KEF Q550, 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. Staying
within that range gives nominal performance; driving the speaker beyond its maximum wattage can damage it.
Oberon 5 can handle a max power of 150 watts RMS, whereas Q550 has a max power handling value of 130 watts RMS, 20 watts less than the Oberon 5.
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.
Input Type and Bi-Amping / Bi-Wiring
Q550 features Post type posts and Oberon 5 has a Post type posts. None of these speakers feature bi-amping/bi-wiring.
DALI Oberon 5's Post terminals
Cabinet Type and Port Position
Q550 has a front firing port whereas Oberon 5 has a rear firing ports. KEF Q550's front-firing port gives more flexibility in placement in regards to proximity to walls compared to DALI Oberon 5 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 KEF Q550's and DALI Oberon 5's external dimensions. KEF Q550 has external dimensions of 894.0 x 296.0 x 313.0mm (35-3/16 x 11-5/8 x 12-5/16inch) whereas DALI Oberon 5 has external dimensions of 832.0 x 202.0 x 277.0mm (32-3/4 x 7-15/16 x 10-7/8inch).
KEF Q550 is clearly the larger of the two speakers. Its body is 94mm wider, 62mm taller and 36mm deeper than DALI Oberon 5.
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 KEF Q550 is approximately 926.5cm2 / 143.6inch2 and base area of the DALI Oberon 5 is approximately 559.5cm2 / 86.7inch2. The Q550 requires 66% more surface area than the Oberon 5 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 KEF Q550 weighs 14.55kg / 32lbs and the DALI Oberon 5 weighs 10.80kg / 23.8lbs. This makes the Q550 35% heavier than the Oberon 5.
Here is a comparison of how Q550 and Oberon 5'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 KEF Q550?
Here are the items that are included inside the box of Q550:
- Floorstanding loudspeaker
- 2 Outrigger feet
- 4 Spikes
- 6 Screws
- 6 Washers
- 4 Rubber inserts
- Hex-key
- Owners Manual
- Warranty Information
What's in the Box of DALI Oberon 5?
Here are the items that come with the Oberon 5:
- 2 Floorstanding loudspeakers
- 2 Grilles
- 8 Rubber feet
- 8 Spike-feet
- 8 Hex-nuts
- Manual
 Nominal Impedance |
8 ohms
vs
6 ohms
|
Less selective with amplifiers |
 High Frequency Response |
28k Hz
vs
26k Hz
|
Generates higher frequency |
 Port Position |
Front
vs
Rear
|
Gives more flexibility placing close to walls |
 Passive Radiator |
2 x 5.25-inch
vs
None
|
Increases the bass performance |
 Dolby Atmos Drivers |
Optional
vs
No
|
Dolby Atmos Compatibility |
 Max Input Power |
150 watts
vs
130 watts
|
Handle more power from your amplifier |
 Sensitivity |
88 dB
vs
87 dB
|
Play louder with same amount of amplification power |
 Low Frequency Response |
39 Hz
vs
58 Hz
|
Generates deeper bass |
 Height |
832mm
vs
894mm
|
Easier to fit in smaller spaces |
 Base Surface Area |
559cm2
vs
926cm2
|
Takes less floor space |
 Price per pair* |
1299USD
vs
1400USD
|
costs less (*prices may change depending on the seller, location and time) |
| General |
KEF Q550 |
DALI Oberon 5 |
| Brand |
KEF |
DALI |
| Speaker Type |
Floor-standing speaker |
Floor-standing speaker |
| Power Range |
15-130 watts |
30-150 watts |
| Sensitivity |
87 dB |
88 dB |
| Impedance |
8 ohms |
6 ohms |
| Impedance |
3.5 ohms |
n/a |
| Frequency Response |
58-28k Hz |
39-26k Hz |
Drivers |
|
|
| Woofer Quantity |
2 |
2 |
| Woofer Size |
5.25" |
5.25" |
| Woofer Composition |
Aluminum |
Wood Fiber |
| Woofer Surround Material |
Rubber |
Rubber |
| Tweeter Size |
1" |
1.125" |
| Tweeter Type |
Dome |
Soft-Dome |
| Aimable Tweeter |
No |
No |
| Midrange Driver |
No |
No |
| Crossover Frequency |
2500Hz |
2400Hz |
| Firing Direction |
front |
rear |
Physical Specs |
|
|
| Height |
894.0mm (35.2") |
832.0mm (32.8") |
| Width |
296.0mm (11.7") |
202.0mm (8") |
| Depth |
313.0mm (12.3") |
277.0mm (10.9") |
| Weight |
14.55kg (32lbs) |
10.80kg (23.8lbs) |
| Enclosure |
Passive Radiator |
Bass Reflex |
| Finish |
MDF/Wood-grain vinyl |
MDF/Wood-grain vinyl |
| Available Colors |
Walnut |
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 |
No single best speaker here - they are built to different priorities, and the right one depends on your room, your amplifier and what you listen to.
| Area | Better | Why |
|---|
| Bass | B | DALI Oberon 5 digs deeper - 39Hz against 58Hz. |
| Amplifier needs | evenly matched | Similar sensitivity (87dB vs 88dB) - both want much the same power. |
| Amplifier match | A | KEF Q550 is the easier load at 8 ohms. |
| Headroom | evenly matched | Similar power handling (130W vs 150W). |
| Size | depends | DALI Oberon 5 is easier to place; KEF Q550 is bigger, which usually goes with fuller bass. Your room decides. |
| Cabinet | depends | Passive Radiator vs Ported. |
| Expandability | A | KEF Q550: Atmos drivers. |
| Price | evenly matched | Much the same money ($1,400 vs $1,299 a pair). |
A KEF Q550 B DALI Oberon 5
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?
KEF Q550 has the edge on paper, though the margin is not large. The rows marked "depends" may matter more to you than the score does. 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. In a large or open-plan room, KEF Q550 has the cabinet volume to fill it more easily; in a small room, near a wall or at desk distance, DALI Oberon 5 is the easier speaker to get right.
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.