In this review, we will be comparing Concord and Oberon 7, two Passive Floor-standing speakers from KLH and DALI.
Let's have a brief look at the main features
of KLH Concord and DALI Oberon 7 first before getting into our more
detailed comparison.
| Key Specs | KLH Concord | DALI Oberon 7 |
|---|
| Brand | KLH
United States · founded 1957 | DALI
Denmark · founded 1983 |
|---|
| Design | 2-way | 2-way |
|---|
| Tweeter | 1" | 1.125" Soft-Dome |
|---|
| Woofer | 2 x 6.5" Kevlar | 2 x 7" Wood Fiber |
|---|
| Frequency response | 28-23k Hz | 36-26k Hz |
|---|
| Sensitivity | 94 dB | 88.5 dB |
|---|
| Impedance | 8 ohms | 6 ohms |
|---|
| Power range | up to 225 watts | 30-180 watts |
|---|
| Weight | 20.45kg / 45lbs | 14.80kg / 32.6lbs |
|---|
| Dimensions (H x W x D) | 40-3/8" x 8-5/16" x 14-15/16"
1026.0 x 212.0 x 380.0mm | 40" x 7-7/8" x 12-15/16"
1016.0 x 200.0 x 329.0mm |
|---|
The sections below take each area in turn: drivers, frequency response, physical size and what you get in the box.
Drivers
Both Concord and Oberon 7 are 2-way speakers.
KLH ConcordDALI Oberon 7
TweeterWoofer
Front view, drawn to scale - cabinets and drivers share one scale, so sizes are directly comparable. Hover a driver for its size.
| Driver |
KLH Concord |
DALI Oberon 7 |
|
Driver Setup
|
2-way
|
2-way
|
|
Tweeter
|
1-inch
|
1.125-inch
|
|
Midrange
|
- |
- |
|
Woofer
|
2 x 6.5-inch
|
2 x 7-inch
|
Concord features a 1" anodized aluminum Tweeter and 2 x 6.5" Kevlar Woofer. On the other hand, the Oberon 7 features a 1.125" Soft-Dome Tweeter and 2 x 7" Wood Fiber Woofer with a Crossover frequency at 2300Hz.
Frequency Response
Concord has a frequency range of 28-23k Hz whereas Oberon 7 has a frequency range of 36-26k Hz. With a minimum frequency of 28Hz, the Concord can go significantly deeper on the low side and provide stronger bass compared to the Oberon 7's min frequency of 36Hz.
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
Concord is a 8 ohms speaker compared to the Oberon 7 which has a nominal impedance of 6 ohms.
These two speakers also have different sensitivity levels. Concord sensitivity is rated at 94 dB and the Oberon 7's is rated at 88.5 dB. This 5 dB difference makes the KLH Concord a more sensitive speaker compared to DALI Oberon 7, 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.
Concord can handle a max power of 225 watts RMS, whereas Oberon 7 has a max power handling value of 180 watts RMS, 45 watts less than the Concord.
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
Concord features Post type posts and Oberon 7 has a Post type posts. None of these speakers feature bi-amping/bi-wiring.
KLH Concord's 5-Way post terminals
DALI Oberon 7's Post terminals
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 KLH Concord's and DALI Oberon 7's external dimensions. KLH Concord has external dimensions of 1026.0 x 212.0 x 380.0mm (40-3/8 x 8-5/16 x 14-15/16inch) whereas DALI Oberon 7 has external dimensions of 1016.0 x 200.0 x 329.0mm (40 x 7-7/8 x 12-15/16inch).
KLH Concord is clearly the larger of the two speakers. Its body is 12mm wider, 10mm taller and 51mm deeper than DALI Oberon 7.
Below you can see the front view size comparison of KLH Concord and DALI Oberon 7 in scale.
Comparison image of KLH Concord and DALI Oberon 7 Size and External Dimensions
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 KLH Concord is approximately 805.6cm2 / 124.9inch2 and base area of the DALI Oberon 7 is approximately 658.0cm2 / 102.0inch2. The Concord requires 22% more surface area than the Oberon 7 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 KLH Concord weighs 20.45kg / 45lbs and the DALI Oberon 7 weighs 14.80kg / 32.6lbs. This makes the Concord 38% heavier than the Oberon 7.
Here is a comparison of how Concord and Oberon 7'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 KLH Concord?
Here are the items that are included inside the box of Concord:
- Floorstanding loudspeaker
- Grille
- 4 Spike feet (w/ locking nut attached)
- 4 Protective discs
- 4 Rubber feet
- Port plug
- Manual
- ATTENTION! note
What's in the Box of DALI Oberon 7?
Here are the items that come with the Oberon 7:
- Floorstanding loudspeaker
- Grille
- 4 Rubber feet
- 4 Spike-feet
- 4 Hex-nuts
- Manual
 Max Input Power |
225 watts
vs
180 watts
|
Handle more power from your amplifier |
 Sensitivity |
94 dB
vs
89 dB
|
Play louder with same amount of amplification power |
 Nominal Impedance |
8 ohms
vs
6 ohms
|
Less selective with amplifiers |
 Low Frequency Response |
28 Hz
vs
36 Hz
|
Generates deeper bass |
 Price per pair* |
1000USD
vs
1700USD
|
costs less (*prices may change depending on the seller, location and time) |
|
Woofer Size |
7 inches
vs
6.5 inches
|
Larger woofer |
 High Frequency Response |
26k Hz
vs
23k Hz
|
Generates higher frequency |
 Height |
1016mm
vs
1026mm
|
Easier to fit in smaller spaces |
 Base Surface Area |
658cm2
vs
805cm2
|
Takes less floor space |
| General |
KLH Concord |
DALI Oberon 7 |
| Brand |
KLH |
DALI |
| Speaker Type |
Floor-standing speaker |
Floor-standing speaker |
| Power Range |
up to 225 watts |
30-180 watts |
| Sensitivity |
94 dB |
88.5 dB |
| Impedance |
8 ohms |
6 ohms |
| Frequency Response |
28-23k Hz |
36-26k Hz |
Drivers |
|
|
| Woofer Quantity |
2 |
2 |
| Woofer Size |
6.5" |
7" |
| Woofer Composition |
Kevlar |
Wood Fiber |
| Woofer Surround Material |
Butyl Rubber |
Rubber |
| Tweeter Size |
1" |
1.125" |
| Tweeter Type |
n/a |
Soft-Dome |
| Aimable Tweeter |
No |
No |
| Midrange Driver |
No |
No |
| Crossover Frequency |
n/a |
2300Hz |
| Firing Direction |
n/a |
rear |
Physical Specs |
|
|
| Height |
1026.0mm (40.4") |
1016.0mm (40") |
| Width |
212.0mm (8.3") |
200.0mm (7.9") |
| Depth |
380.0mm (15") |
329.0mm (13") |
| Weight |
20.45kg (45lbs) |
14.80kg (32.6lbs) |
| Enclosure |
Bass Reflex |
Bass Reflex |
| Finish |
MDF/Wood-grain vinyl |
MDF/Wood-grain vinyl |
| Available Colors |
Black |
Black Ash, Light Oak, Dark Walnut, White |
| Grille |
Yes |
Yes |
| Moisture Resistancy |
No |
No |
Connections |
|
|
| Biamp Inputs |
No |
No |
Other |
|
|
| Parts Warranty |
10 Years |
5 Years |
| Labor Warranty |
10 Years |
5 Years |
These sit in different price classes - DALI Oberon 7 costs roughly 1.7x what KLH Concord does. Expect it to lead on paper; the question is whether the gap is audible enough in your room to be worth it.
| Area | Better | Why |
|---|
| Bass | A | KLH Concord digs deeper - 28Hz against 36Hz. A subwoofer would even that out. |
| Amplifier needs | A | KLH Concord is more sensitive (94dB vs 89dB), so it goes louder on the same amplifier. |
| Amplifier match | A | KLH Concord is the easier load at 8 ohms. |
| Headroom | A | KLH Concord takes more power (225W vs 180W) - more in hand in a big room. |
| Size | depends | Similar cabinet size - neither is easier to fit. |
| Price | A | KLH Concord is cheaper - $1,000 against $1,700, about 41% less; arguably a different class. |
A KLH Concord B DALI Oberon 7
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?
KLH Concord is the easier recommendation: it leads on most of the measured areas and costs less. Take DALI Oberon 7 if its size, looks or fit in your room suit you better. If a subwoofer is in your plans, the bass gap largely stops mattering - you would be crossing over above 36Hz anyway, so judge these on the other rows instead. If your amplifier is modest, vintage or valve-based, KLH Concord is the safer partner - the other will want more current or more watts to sound its best.
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.