In this review, we will be comparing Silver 300 7G and Oberon 5, two Passive Floor-standing speakers from Monitor Audio and DALI.
Let's have a brief look at the main features
of Monitor Audio Silver 300 7G and DALI Oberon 5 first before getting into our more
detailed comparison.
| Key Specs | Monitor Audio Silver 300 7G | DALI Oberon 5 |
|---|
| Design | 3-way | 2-way |
|---|
| Tweeter | 1" gold dome C-CAM with Uniform Dispersion (UD) Waveguide II | 1.125" Soft-Dome |
|---|
| Midrange | 3" | — |
|---|
| Woofer | 2 x 6" C-CAM RST II | 2 x 5.25" Wood Fiber |
|---|
| Frequency response | 31-35k Hz | 39-26k Hz |
|---|
| Sensitivity | 87.5 dB | 88 dB |
|---|
| Impedance | 8 ohms | 6 ohms |
|---|
| Power range | 80-200 watts | 30-150 watts |
|---|
| Weight | 19.32kg / 42.5lbs | 10.80kg / 23.8lbs |
|---|
| Dimensions (H x W x D) | 40-3/4" x 10-7/8" x 15-1/4"
1036.0 x 277.0 x 388.0mm | 32-3/4" x 7-15/16" x 10-7/8"
832.0 x 202.0 x 277.0mm |
|---|
What size room are the Monitor Audio Silver 300 7G 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* |
Monitor Audio Silver 300 7G |
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.
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Drivers
One of the fundamental differences between these two speakers is that Silver 300 7G is a 3-way design whereas the Oberon 5 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 Silver 300 7GDALI Oberon 5
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 Silver 300 7G |
DALI Oberon 5 |
|
Driver Setup
|
3-way
|
2-way
|
|
Tweeter
|
1-inch
|
1.125-inch
|
|
Midrange
|
1 x 3-inch |
- |
|
Woofer
|
2 x 6-inch
|
2 x 5.25-inch
|
Silver 300 7G features a 1" gold dome C-CAM with Uniform Dispersion (UD) Waveguide II Tweeter, a 3" Midrange and 2 x 6" C-CAM RST II Woofer. 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
Silver 300 7G has a frequency range of 31-35k Hz whereas Oberon 5 has a frequency range of 39-26k Hz. With a minimum frequency of 31Hz, the Silver 300 7G can go significantly deeper on the low side and provide stronger bass compared to the Oberon 5's min frequency of 39Hz.
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
Silver 300 7G 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. Silver 300 7G sensitivity is rated at 87.5 dB and the Oberon 5's is rated at 88 dB.
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.
Silver 300 7G can handle a max power of 200 watts RMS, whereas Oberon 5 has a max power handling value of 150 watts RMS, 50 watts less than the Silver 300 7G.
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 Silver 300 7G
Input Type and Bi-Amping / Bi-Wiring
Silver 300 7G features Binding post posts which make bi-amping or bi-wiring possible. Oberon 5 has a Post which doesn't feature bi-amping/bi-wiring.
DALI Oberon 5's Post terminals
Cabinet Type and Port Position
Both Silver 300 7G and Oberon 5 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
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 Silver 300 7G's and DALI Oberon 5's external dimensions. Monitor Audio Silver 300 7G has external dimensions of 1036.0 x 277.0 x 388.0mm (40-3/4 x 10-7/8 x 15-1/4inch) 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).
Monitor Audio Silver 300 7G is clearly the larger of the two speakers. Its body is 75mm wider, 204mm taller and 111mm deeper than DALI Oberon 5.
Below you can see the front view size comparison of Monitor Audio Silver 300 7G and DALI Oberon 5 in scale.
Comparison image of Monitor Audio Silver 300 7G and DALI Oberon 5 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 Silver 300 7G is approximately 1074.8cm2 / 166.6inch2 and base area of the DALI Oberon 5 is approximately 559.5cm2 / 86.7inch2. The Silver 300 7G requires 92% 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 Monitor Audio Silver 300 7G weighs 19.32kg / 42.5lbs and the DALI Oberon 5 weighs 10.80kg / 23.8lbs. This makes the Silver 300 7G 79% heavier than the Oberon 5.
Here is a comparison of how Silver 300 7G and Oberon 5's weights compare with the average, max and min weights in Passive Floor-standing class.
Weight
All Floor-standing Speakers
Monitor Audio Silver 300 7G
What's in the Box of Monitor Audio Silver 300 7G?
Here are the items that are included inside the box of Silver 300 7G:
- Floorstanding loudspeaker
- Grille
- 4 Outrigger feet
- 4 Rubber feet (pre-installed on outrigger feet)
- 4 Spikes
- 4 Bolts
- 4 Machine screws
- 2 Foam port plugs
- 2 Hex-keys
- Owners Manual
- Important Safety Instructions
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
 Max Input Power |
200 watts
vs
150 watts
|
Handle more power from your amplifier |
 Driver Setup |
3-way
vs
2-way
|
Have a dedicated mid-range driver |
 Nominal Impedance |
8 ohms
vs
6 ohms
|
Less selective with amplifiers |
 Woofer Size |
6 inches
vs
5.25 inches
|
Larger woofer |
|
Low Frequency Response |
31 Hz
vs
39 Hz
|
Generates deeper bass |
 High Frequency Response |
35k Hz
vs
26k Hz
|
Generates higher frequency |
 Bi-Amping and Bi-Wiring |
Yes
vs
No
|
Allows bi-amping and bi-wiring connections |
 Height |
832mm
vs
1036mm
|
Easier to fit in smaller spaces |
 Base Surface Area |
559cm2
vs
1074cm2
|
Takes less floor space |
 Price per pair* |
1299USD
vs
2600USD
|
costs less (*prices may change depending on the seller, location and time) |
| General |
Monitor Audio Silver 300 7G |
DALI Oberon 5 |
| Brand |
Monitor Audio |
DALI |
| Speaker Type |
Floor-standing speaker |
Floor-standing speaker |
| Power Range |
80-200 watts |
30-150 watts |
| Sensitivity |
87.5 dB |
88 dB |
| Impedance |
8 ohms |
6 ohms |
| Frequency Response |
31-35k Hz |
39-26k Hz |
Drivers |
|
|
| Woofer Quantity |
2 |
2 |
| Woofer Size |
6" |
5.25" |
| Woofer Composition |
C-CAM RST II |
Wood Fiber |
| Woofer Surround Material |
Rubber |
Rubber |
| Tweeter Size |
1" |
1.125" |
| Tweeter Type |
gold dome C-CAM with Uniform Dispersion (UD) Waveguide II |
Soft-Dome |
| Aimable Tweeter |
No |
No |
| Midrange Driver |
3" |
No |
| Crossover Frequency |
n/a |
2400Hz |
| Firing Direction |
rear |
rear |
Physical Specs |
|
|
| Height |
1036.0mm (40.8") |
832.0mm (32.8") |
| Width |
277.0mm (10.9") |
202.0mm (8") |
| Depth |
388.0mm (15.3") |
277.0mm (10.9") |
| Weight |
19.32kg (42.5lbs) |
10.80kg (23.8lbs) |
| Enclosure |
Bass Reflex |
Bass Reflex |
| Finish |
MDF/Wood veneer |
MDF/Wood-grain vinyl |
| Available Colors |
Oak |
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 Silver 300 7G costs roughly 2x what DALI Oberon 5 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 |
Monitor Audio Silver 300 7G digs deeper - 31Hz against 39Hz. A subwoofer would even that out. |
| Amplifier needs |
evenly matched |
Similar sensitivity (88dB vs 88dB) - both want much the same power. |
| Amplifier match |
A |
Monitor Audio Silver 300 7G is the easier load at 8 ohms. |
| Headroom |
A |
Monitor Audio Silver 300 7G takes more power (200W vs 150W) - more in hand in a big room. |
| Size |
depends |
DALI Oberon 5 is easier to place; Monitor Audio Silver 300 7G is bigger, which usually goes with fuller bass. Your room decides. |
| Expandability |
A |
Monitor Audio Silver 300 7G: bi-amping. |
| Price |
B |
DALI Oberon 5 is cheaper - $1,299 against $2,600, about 50% less; arguably a different class. |
A Monitor Audio Silver 300 7G
B DALI Oberon 5
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?
The usual trade-off: Monitor Audio Silver 300 7G measures better, DALI Oberon 5 costs about 50% less. Whether that gap is worth the money is the call only you can make - and in a normal room it is often smaller than the numbers suggest. If a subwoofer is in your plans, the bass gap largely stops mattering - you would be crossing over above 39Hz anyway, which makes the cheaper DALI Oberon 5 much easier to justify. In a large or open-plan room, Monitor Audio Silver 300 7G 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.