In this review, we will be comparing M40 and Oberon 5, two Floor-standing speakers from Q Acoustics and DALI. The main difference between these two speakers is that the Q Acoustics M40 is a Powered speaker which means that it has a built-in amplifier inside the speaker body so you don't need an external power amp or an integrated amp whereas the DALI Oberon 5 is a Passive speaker so has to be matched with an amplifier to get any sound from it. Let's have a brief look at the main features
of Q Acoustics M40 and DALI Oberon 5 first before getting into our more
detailed comparison.
Q Acoustics M40 Key Specs
- 2-way Design
- 50-watt RMS( 100-watt Peak) Integrated Amplifier
- 0.875" Dome Tweeter
- 2 x 5" Woofer
- 38-22k Hz Frequency Response
- 24-bit Max Depth / 192 kHz Max Sample Rate
- Built-in 5.0 Bluetooth
- Weight:11.80kg
- Dimensions (H x W x D): 710.0" x 10" x 11.7"( 250 x 710 x 296 mm )
DALI Oberon 5 Key Specs
- 2-way Design
- 1.125" Soft-Dome Tweeter
- 2 x 5.25" Wood Fiber Woofer
- 39-26k Hz Frequency Response
- 88 dB Sensitivity
- Impedance: 6ohms
- Power Range:30-150watts
- Weight:10.80kg
- Dimensions (H x W x D): 832.0" x 7-15/16" x 10-7/8"( 832.0 x 202.0 x 277.0mm )
In the following sections, we will get into more detail in order to better understand how the Q Acoustics M40 and DALI Oberon 5 compare and hopefully end up with enough arguments to decide which one of these loudspeakers is the better choice for you.
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Drivers
Both M40 and Oberon 5 are 2-way speakers.
| Driver |
Q Acoustics M40 |
DALI Oberon 5 |
|
Driver Setup
|
2-way
|
2-way
|
|
Tweeter
|
0.875-inch
|
1.125-inch
|
|
Midrange
|
- |
- |
|
Woofer
|
2 x 5-inch
|
2 x 5.25-inch
|
M40 features a 0.875" Dome Tweeter and 2 x 5" 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
M40 has a frequency range of 38-22k Hz whereas Oberon 5 has a frequency range of 39-26k Hz. With a minimum frequency of 38Hz, the M40 can go slightly deeper then the Oberon 5's min frequency of 39Hz.
Below graphs depict how these two speakers compare with the max, min and average values of the Min and Max Frequencies of other speakers in the Floor-standing class in our database.
Low Frequency
Floor-standing Speakers
High Frequency
Floor-standing Speakers
None of these speakers achieves full range experience which is commonly agreed as 20Hz-20kHz. In order to achieve lower lows / deeper bass, we recommend you pair these with a subwoofer. Visit our Powered Subwoofers section to find out more about the available options.
Cabinet Type and Port Position
Both M40 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
Size of a speaker can sometimes become an important decision factor due to space constraints or in some cases purely for esthetic reasons. In this section, we are going to compare Q Acoustics M40's and DALI Oberon 5's external dimensions. Q Acoustics M40 has external dimensions of 250 x 710 x 296 mm ( 10 x 28 x 11.7 inch) 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) .
DALI Oberon 5 is 48mm narrower and 19mm less deeper than Q Acoustics M40 but it is also 122mm taller.
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 Q Acoustics M40 is approximately 740.0cm2 / 114.7inch2 and base area of the DALI Oberon 5 is approximately 559.5cm2 / 86.7inch2. The M40 requires 32% more surface area than the Oberon 5 which gives it a small disadvantage on placement in tight spaces.
What's in the Box of Q Acoustics M40?
Here are the items that are included inside the box of M40:
1x Powered M40 speaker 1x Passive M40 speaker 4x Rear Stabiliser 8x M5 screw 8x Spike Feet 8x Spike Cover 1x Remote Handset (including batteries) 1x Speaker Cable (4 metres) 1x UK Power Cord (2 metres) 1x EU Power Cord (2 metres) 2x Foam Bungs
What's in the Box of DALI Oberon 5?
Here are the items that come with the Oberon 5:
2 Floorstanding loudspeakers2 Grilles8 Rubber feet8 Spike-feet8 Hex-nutsManual
Speaker Type 
Low Frequency Response 
Height 
Price per pair* 
3.5mm Connection 
RCA Connection 
High Frequency Response 
Base Surface Area