In this review, we will be comparing R700 and Oberon 9, two Passive Floor-standing speakers from Polk Audio and DALI.
Let's have a brief look at the main features
of Polk R700 and DALI Oberon 9 first before getting into our more
detailed comparison.
| Key Specs | Polk R700 | DALI Oberon 9 |
|---|
| Brand | Polk Audio
United States · founded 1972 | DALI
Denmark · founded 1983 |
|---|
| Design | 3-way | 3-way |
|---|
| Tweeter | 1" Pinnacle Ring Radiator | 1.125" Soft-Dome |
|---|
| Midrange | 6.5" | 7" |
|---|
| Woofer | 2 x 8" Polypropylene | 2 x 9" Wood Fiber |
|---|
| Frequency response | 38-38k Hz | 35-26k Hz |
|---|
| Sensitivity | 88 dB | 90.5 dB |
|---|
| Impedance | 8 ohms | 4 ohms |
|---|
| Power range | 50-300 watts | 50-400 watts |
|---|
| Weight | 35.90kg / 79lbs | 37.10kg / 81.6lbs |
|---|
| Dimensions (H x W x D) | 45" x 12.6" x 16.9"
1143.8 x 320.7 x 428.3mm | 46-1/8" x 10-1/4" x 16"
1172.0 x 260.0 x 407.0mm |
|---|
What size room are the Polk R700 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:
| Listening Environment* |
Polk R700 |
DALI Oberon 9 |
| Near-field |
Bad |
Are you nuts? |
| Small Room |
Poor |
Poor |
| Mid-size Room |
Average |
Average |
| Large Room |
Good |
Good |
| Very Large Room |
Average |
Good |
(* 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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through our links. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.
Drivers
Both R700 and Oberon 9 are 3-way speakers.
Polk R700DALI Oberon 9
TweeterMidrangeWoofer
Front view, drawn to scale - cabinets and drivers share one scale, so sizes are directly comparable. Hover a driver for its size.
| Driver |
Polk R700 |
DALI Oberon 9 |
|
Driver Setup
|
3-way
|
3-way
|
|
Tweeter
|
1-inch
|
1.125-inch
|
|
Midrange
|
1 x 6.5-inch |
1 x 7-inch |
|
Woofer
|
2 x 8-inch
|
2 x 9-inch
|
R700 features a 1" Pinnacle Ring Radiator Tweeter, a 6.5" Midrange and 2 x 8" Polypropylene Woofer with a Crossover frequency at 350Hz and 2700Hz. 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
R700 has a frequency range of 38-38k 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 R700's min frequency of 38Hz.
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
R700 is a 8 ohms speaker compared to the Oberon 9 which has a nominal impedance of 4 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 Oberon 9 can provide this impedance level.
These two speakers also have different sensitivity levels. R700 sensitivity is rated at 88 dB and the Oberon 9's is rated at 90.5 dB. This 3 dB difference makes the DALI Oberon 9 a more sensitive speaker compared to Polk R700, 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 9 can handle a max power of 400 watts RMS, whereas R700 has a max power handling value of 300 watts RMS, 100 watts less than the Oberon 9.
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
R700 features Post posts which make bi-amping or bi-wiring possible. Oberon 9 has a Post which doesn't feature bi-amping/bi-wiring.
Polk R700's Post terminals allows Bi-amping or bi-wiring
DALI Oberon 9's Post terminals
Cabinet Type and Port Position
R700 has a bottom firing port whereas Oberon 9 has a rear firing ports. Polk R700's bottom-firing port gives more flexibility in placement in regards to proximity to walls compared to DALI Oberon 9 with its rear-firing port.
Polk R700 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 Polk R700's and DALI Oberon 9's external dimensions. Polk R700 has external dimensions of 1143.8 x 320.7 x 428.3mm (45 x 12.6 x 16.9inch) 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 60.7mm narrower and 21.3mm less deeper than Polk R700 but it is also 28.2mm taller.
Below you can see the front view size comparison of Polk R700 and DALI Oberon 9 in scale.
Comparison image of Polk R700 and DALI Oberon 9 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 Polk R700 is approximately 1373.6cm2 / 212.9inch2 and base area of the DALI Oberon 9 is approximately 1058.2cm2 / 164.0inch2. The R700 requires 30% more surface area than the Oberon 9 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 Polk R700 weighs 35.90kg / 79lbs and the DALI Oberon 9 weighs 37.10kg / 81.6lbs. This makes the Oberon 9 3% heavier than the R700.
Here is a comparison of how R700 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 Polk R700?
Here are the items that are included inside the box of R700:
- Floorstanding loudspeaker
- 4 Outrigger feet (pre-installed)
- 4 Rubber feet (pre-installed)
- 4 Spike feet (pre-installed)
- Grille
- Hex-key
- Owner's Manual
- Online Registration
What's in the Box of DALI Oberon 9?
Here are the items that come with the Oberon 9:
- Floorstanding loudspeaker
- Grille
- 4 Rubber feet
- 4 Spike-feet
- 4 Hex-nuts
- Manua
 Nominal Impedance |
8 ohms
vs
4 ohms
|
Less selective with amplifiers |
 High Frequency Response |
38k Hz
vs
26k Hz
|
Generates higher frequency |
 Bi-Amping and Bi-Wiring |
Yes
vs
No
|
Allows bi-amping and bi-wiring connections |
 Height |
1143mm
vs
1172mm
|
Easier to fit in smaller spaces |
 Price per pair* |
2198USD
vs
2500USD
|
costs less (*prices may change depending on the seller, location and time) |
 Max Input Power |
400 watts
vs
300 watts
|
Handle more power from your amplifier |
 Sensitivity |
91 dB
vs
88 dB
|
Play louder with same amount of amplification power |
 Woofer Size |
9 inches
vs
8 inches
|
Larger woofer |
|
Low Frequency Response |
35 Hz
vs
38 Hz
|
Generates deeper bass |
 Base Surface Area |
1058cm2
vs
1373cm2
|
Takes less floor space |
| General |
Polk Audio Reserve R700 |
DALI Oberon 9 |
| Brand |
Polk Audio |
DALI |
| Speaker Type |
Floor-standing speaker |
Floor-standing speaker |
| Power Range |
50-300 watts |
50-400 watts |
| Sensitivity |
88 dB |
90.5 dB |
| Impedance |
8 ohms |
4 ohms |
| Impedance |
3.6 ohms |
n/a |
| Frequency Response |
38-38k Hz |
35-26k Hz |
Drivers |
|
|
| Woofer Quantity |
2 |
2 |
| Woofer Size |
8" |
9" |
| Woofer Composition |
Polypropylene |
Wood Fiber |
| Woofer Surround Material |
Rubber |
Rubber |
| Tweeter Size |
1" |
1.125" |
| Tweeter Type |
Pinnacle Ring Radiator |
Soft-Dome |
| Aimable Tweeter |
No |
No |
| Midrange Driver |
6.5" |
7" |
| Crossover Frequency |
350Hz and 2700Hz |
780Hz and 3400Hz |
| Firing Direction |
bottom |
rear |
Physical Specs |
|
|
| Height |
1143.8mm (45") |
1172.0mm (46.1") |
| Width |
320.7mm (12.6") |
260.0mm (10.2") |
| Depth |
428.3mm (16.9") |
407.0mm (16") |
| Weight |
35.90kg (79lbs) |
37.10kg (81.6lbs) |
| Enclosure |
Bass Reflex |
Bass Reflex |
| Finish |
MDF/Vinyl |
MDF/Wood-grain vinyl |
| Available Colors |
Black, Walnut, 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 |
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 9 digs deeper - 35Hz against 38Hz. A subwoofer would even that out. |
| Amplifier needs | B | DALI Oberon 9 is more sensitive (91dB vs 88dB), so it goes louder on the same amplifier. |
| Amplifier match | A | Polk R700 is the easier load at 8 ohms; the other is 4 ohms and wants an amplifier rated for it. |
| Headroom | B | DALI Oberon 9 takes more power (400W vs 300W) - more in hand in a big room. |
| Size | depends | DALI Oberon 9 is easier to place; Polk R700 is bigger, which usually goes with fuller bass. Your room decides. |
| Expandability | A | Polk R700: bi-amping. |
| Price | A | Polk R700 is cheaper - $2,198 against $2,500, about 12% less. |
A Polk R700 B DALI Oberon 9
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?
The usual trade-off: DALI Oberon 9 measures better, Polk R700 costs about about 14% more% 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. Match it to your room: we rate DALI Oberon 9 the better fit for a very large room; elsewhere the two are rated the same. If your amplifier is modest, vintage or valve-based, DALI Oberon 9 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.