In this review, we will be comparing Gold 300 6G and Oberon 7, two Passive Floor-standing speakers from Monitor Audio and DALI.
Let's have a brief look at the main features
of Monitor Audio Gold 300 6G and DALI Oberon 7 first before getting into our more
detailed comparison.
| Key Specs | Monitor Audio Gold 300 6G | DALI Oberon 7 |
|---|
| Design | 3-way | 2-way |
|---|
| Tweeter | 1" | 1.125" Soft-Dome |
|---|
| Midrange | 3" | — |
|---|
| Woofer | 2 x 6" HDT C-CAM | 2 x 7" Wood Fiber |
|---|
| Frequency response | 45 Hz – 60 kHz | 36-26k Hz |
|---|
| Sensitivity | 87 dB | 88.5 dB |
|---|
| Impedance | 4 ohms | 6 ohms |
|---|
| Power range | up to 250 watts | 30-180 watts |
|---|
| Weight | 21.25kg / 46.8lbs | 14.80kg / 32.6lbs |
|---|
| Dimensions (H x W x D) | 43-1/4" x 13-3/8" x 18-1/4"
340.0 x 1099.0 x 464.0mm | 40" x 7-7/8" x 12-15/16"
1016.0 x 200.0 x 329.0mm |
|---|
What size room are the Monitor Audio Gold 300 6G and DALI Oberon 7 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* |
Monitor Audio Gold 300 6G |
DALI Oberon 7 |
| Near-field |
Bad |
Bad |
| Small Room |
Poor |
Poor |
| Mid-size Room |
Average |
Good |
| Large Room |
Good |
Good |
| 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.
**This post contains affiliate links, and we will be compensated if you make a purchase after clicking
through our links. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.
Drivers
One of the fundamental differences between these two speakers is that Gold 300 6G is a 3-way design whereas the Oberon 7 is a 2-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.
Monitor Audio Gold 300 6GDALI Oberon 7
TweeterMidrangeWoofer
Front view, drawn to scale - cabinets and drivers share one scale, so sizes are directly comparable. Hover a driver for its size.
| Driver |
Monitor Audio Gold 300 6G |
DALI Oberon 7 |
|
Driver Setup
|
3-way
|
2-way
|
|
Tweeter
|
1-inch
|
1.125-inch
|
|
Midrange
|
1 x 3-inch |
- |
|
Woofer
|
2 x 6-inch
|
2 x 7-inch
|
Gold 300 6G features a 1" MPD III Tweeter, a 3" Midrange and 2 x 6" HDT C-CAM Woofer with a Crossover frequency at 800 Hz - 2700 Hz. 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
Gold 300 6G has a frequency range of 45 Hz – 60 kHz whereas Oberon 7 has a frequency range of 36-26k Hz. With a minimum frequency of 36Hz, the Oberon 7 can go significantly deeper on the low side and provide stronger bass compared to the Gold 300 6G's min frequency of 45Hz.
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
Gold 300 6G is a 4 ohms speaker compared to the Oberon 7 which has a nominal impedance of 6 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 Gold 300 6G can provide this impedance level.
These two speakers also have different sensitivity levels. Gold 300 6G sensitivity is rated at 87 dB and the Oberon 7's is rated at 88.5 dB. This 2 dB difference makes the DALI Oberon 7 a more sensitive speaker compared to Monitor Audio Gold 300 6G, 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.
Gold 300 6G can handle a max power of 250 watts RMS, whereas Oberon 7 has a max power handling value of 180 watts RMS, 70 watts less than the Gold 300 6G.
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.
Monitor Audio Gold 300 6G
Input Type and Bi-Amping / Bi-Wiring
Gold 300 6G features Binding post posts which make bi-amping or bi-wiring possible. Oberon 7 has a Post which doesn't feature bi-amping/bi-wiring.
Monitor Audio Gold 300 6G's Binding post terminals allows Bi-amping or bi-wiring
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 Monitor Audio Gold 300 6G's and DALI Oberon 7's external dimensions. Monitor Audio Gold 300 6G has external dimensions of 340.0 x 1099.0 x 464.0mm (13-3/8 x 43-1/4 x 18-1/4) 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).
Monitor Audio Gold 300 6G is clearly the larger of the two speakers. Its body is 140mm wider, 83mm taller and 135mm deeper than DALI Oberon 7.
Below you can see the front view size comparison of Monitor Audio Gold 300 6G and DALI Oberon 7 in scale.
Comparison image of Monitor Audio Gold 300 6G 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 Monitor Audio Gold 300 6G is approximately 5099.4cm2 / 790.4inch2 and base area of the DALI Oberon 7 is approximately 658.0cm2 / 102.0inch2. The Gold 300 6G requires 675% 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 Monitor Audio Gold 300 6G weighs 21.25kg / 46.8lbs and the DALI Oberon 7 weighs 14.80kg / 32.6lbs. This makes the Gold 300 6G 44% heavier than the Oberon 7.
Here is a comparison of how Gold 300 6G and Oberon 7's weights compare with the average, max and min weights in Passive Floor-standing class.
Weight
All Floor-standing Speakers
Monitor Audio Gold 300 6G
What's in the Box of Monitor Audio Gold 300 6G?
Here are the items that are included inside the box of Gold 300 6G:
- 2 Floorstanding loudspeakers
- 6 Grilles
- 4 Jumper-plates (pre-installed)
- 4 Port plugs
- 2 Base plates
- 8 Outrigger feet
- 8 rubber feet (pre-installed in outrigger feet)
- 8 Spikes (pre-installed in outrigger fee)
- 8 Large machine screws
- 24 Small machine screws
- Hex-key
- Quick Setup Guide
- Important Safety Instructions
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 |
250 watts
vs
180 watts
|
Handle more power from your amplifier |
 Driver Setup |
3-way
vs
2-way
|
Have a dedicated mid-range driver |
 High Frequency Response |
60k Hz
vs
26k Hz
|
Generates higher frequency |
 Bi-Amping and Bi-Wiring |
Yes
vs
No
|
Allows bi-amping and bi-wiring connections |
 Sensitivity |
89 dB
vs
87 dB
|
Play louder with same amount of amplification power |
 Nominal Impedance |
6 ohms
vs
4 ohms
|
Less selective with amplifiers |
 Woofer Size |
7 inches
vs
6 inches
|
Larger woofer |
|
Low Frequency Response |
36 Hz
vs
45 Hz
|
Generates deeper bass |
 Height |
1016mm
vs
1099mm
|
Easier to fit in smaller spaces |
 Base Surface Area |
658cm2
vs
5099cm2
|
Takes less floor space |
 Price per pair* |
1700USD
vs
5599USD
|
costs less (*prices may change depending on the seller, location and time) |
| General |
Monitor Audio Gold 300 6G |
DALI Oberon 7 |
| Brand |
Monitor Audio |
DALI |
| Speaker Type |
Floor-standing speaker |
Floor-standing speaker |
| Power Range |
up to 250 watts |
30-180 watts |
| Sensitivity |
87 dB |
88.5 dB |
| Impedance |
4 ohms |
6 ohms |
| Impedance |
3.9 ohms |
n/a |
| Frequency Response |
45 Hz – 60 kHz |
36-26k Hz |
Drivers |
|
|
| Woofer Quantity |
2 |
2 |
| Woofer Size |
6" |
7" |
| Woofer Composition |
HDT C-CAM |
Wood Fiber |
| Woofer Surround Material |
n/a |
Rubber |
| Tweeter Size |
1" |
1.125" |
| Tweeter Type |
n/a |
Soft-Dome |
| Aimable Tweeter |
No |
No |
| Midrange Driver |
3" |
No |
| Crossover Frequency |
800 Hz - 2700 Hz |
2300Hz |
| Firing Direction |
n/a |
rear |
| Suggested Break-in Period |
2 Base plates| 8 Outrigger feet| 8 rubber feet (pre-installed in outrigger feet)| 8 Spikes |
n/a |
Physical Specs |
|
|
| Height |
1099.0mm (43.3") |
1016.0mm (40") |
| Width |
340.0mm (13.4") |
200.0mm (7.9") |
| Depth |
464.0mm (18.3") |
329.0mm (13") |
| Weight |
21.25kg (46.8lbs) |
14.80kg (32.6lbs) |
| Enclosure |
Bass Reflex |
Bass Reflex |
| Finish |
n/a |
MDF/Wood-grain vinyl |
| Available Colors |
Macassar Wood Veneer, High-Gloss Black, Satin White |
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 |
These sit in different price classes - Monitor Audio Gold 300 6G costs roughly 3.3x what DALI Oberon 7 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 |
B |
DALI Oberon 7 digs deeper - 36Hz against 45Hz. A subwoofer would even that out. |
| Amplifier needs |
B |
DALI Oberon 7 is more sensitive (89dB vs 87dB), so it goes louder on the same amplifier. |
| Amplifier match |
B |
DALI Oberon 7 is the easier load at 6 ohms; the other is 4 ohms and wants an amplifier rated for it. |
| Headroom |
A |
Monitor Audio Gold 300 6G takes more power (250W vs 180W) - more in hand in a big room. |
| Size |
depends |
DALI Oberon 7 is easier to place; Monitor Audio Gold 300 6G is bigger, which usually goes with fuller bass. Your room decides. |
| Expandability |
depends |
Monitor Audio Gold 300 6G: bi-amping. DALI Oberon 7 sits in a wider range (9 models), so a matched surround system is easier later. |
| Price |
B |
DALI Oberon 7 is cheaper - $1,700 against $5,599, about 70% less; arguably a different class. |
A Monitor Audio Gold 300 6G
B DALI Oberon 7
depends neither is better in the abstract - it turns on your room, placement 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?
DALI Oberon 7 is the easier recommendation: it leads on most of the measured areas and costs less. Take Monitor Audio Gold 300 6G 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 45Hz anyway, so judge these on the other rows instead. Match it to your room: we rate Monitor Audio Gold 300 6G the better fit for a very large room, and DALI Oberon 7 for a mid-size 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.