In this review, we will be comparing EVO5.4 and Oberon 7, two Passive Floor-standing speakers from Wharfedale and DALI.
Let's have a brief look at the main features
of Wharfedale EVO5.4 and DALI Oberon 7 first before getting into our more
detailed comparison.
| Key Specs | Wharfedale EVO5.4 | DALI Oberon 7 |
|---|
| Brand | Wharfedale
United Kingdom · founded 1932 | DALI
Denmark · founded 1983 |
|---|
| Design | 3-way | 2-way |
|---|
| Tweeter | 1.375" AMT (Ribbon) | 1.125" Soft-Dome |
|---|
| Midrange | 2" | — |
|---|
| Woofer | 2 x 6.5" woven Kevlar | 2 x 7" Wood Fiber |
|---|
| Frequency response | 42-24k Hz | 36-26k Hz |
|---|
| Sensitivity | 90 dB | 88.5 dB |
|---|
| Impedance | 4 ohms | 6 ohms |
|---|
| Power range | 30-200 watts | 30-180 watts |
|---|
| Weight | 31.27kg / 68.8lbs | 14.80kg / 32.6lbs |
|---|
| Dimensions (H x W x D) | 40.5" x 11.9" x 15.4"
1028.0 x 302.0 x 391.0mm | 40" x 7-7/8" x 12-15/16"
1016.0 x 200.0 x 329.0mm |
|---|
What size room are the Wharfedale EVO5.4 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* |
Wharfedale EVO5.4 |
DALI Oberon 7 |
| 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.
Drivers
One of the fundamental differences between these two speakers is that EVO5.4 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.
Wharfedale EVO5.4DALI 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 |
Wharfedale EVO5.4 |
DALI Oberon 7 |
|
Driver Setup
|
3-way
|
2-way
|
|
Tweeter
|
1.375-inch
|
1.125-inch
|
|
Midrange
|
1 x 2-inch |
- |
|
Woofer
|
2 x 6.5-inch
|
2 x 7-inch
|
EVO5.4 features a 1.375" SilentWeave cotton and felt damping fiber AMT (Ribbon) Tweeter, a 2" Midrange and 2 x 6.5" woven Kevlar Woofer with a Crossover frequency at 1.1 kHz and 4 kHz. 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
EVO5.4 has a frequency range of 42-24k Hz 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 EVO5.4's min frequency of 42Hz.
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
EVO5.4 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 EVO5.4 can provide this impedance level.
These two speakers also have different sensitivity levels. EVO5.4 sensitivity is rated at 90 dB and the Oberon 7's is rated at 88.5 dB. This 1 dB difference makes the Wharfedale EVO5.4 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.
EVO5.4 can handle a max power of 200 watts RMS, whereas Oberon 7 has a max power handling value of 180 watts RMS, 20 watts less than the EVO5.4.
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
EVO5.4 features Post type posts and Oberon 7 has a Post type posts. None of these speakers feature bi-amping/bi-wiring.
Wharfedale EVO5.4's Binding post terminals
DALI Oberon 7's Post terminals
Cabinet Type and Port Position
EVO5.4 has a bottom firing port whereas Oberon 7 has a rear firing ports. Wharfedale EVO5.4's bottom-firing port gives more flexibility in placement in regards to proximity to walls compared to DALI Oberon 7 with its rear-firing 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 Wharfedale EVO5.4's and DALI Oberon 7's external dimensions. Wharfedale EVO5.4 has external dimensions of 1028.0 x 302.0 x 391.0mm (40.5" × 11.9" × 15.4") 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).
Wharfedale EVO5.4 is clearly the larger of the two speakers. Its body is 102mm wider, 12mm taller and 62mm deeper than DALI Oberon 7.
Below you can see the front view size comparison of Wharfedale EVO5.4 and DALI Oberon 7 in scale.
Comparison image of Wharfedale EVO5.4 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 Wharfedale EVO5.4 is approximately 1180.8cm2 / 183.0inch2 and base area of the DALI Oberon 7 is approximately 658.0cm2 / 102.0inch2. The EVO5.4 requires 79% 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 Wharfedale EVO5.4 weighs 31.27kg / 68.8lbs and the DALI Oberon 7 weighs 14.80kg / 32.6lbs. This makes the EVO5.4 111% heavier than the Oberon 7.
Here is a comparison of how EVO5.4 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 Wharfedale EVO5.4?
Here are the items that are included inside the box of EVO5.4:
- Floorstanding loudspeaker
- Grille
- 4 Outrigger feet (pre-installed)
- 4 Spikes (pre-installed)
- 4 Isolation pucks
- 2 Jumper-bars (pre-installed)
- Pair of white cloth gloves
- User Manual
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 |
200 watts
vs
180 watts
|
Handle more power from your amplifier |
 Driver Setup |
3-way
vs
2-way
|
Have a dedicated mid-range driver |
 Sensitivity |
90 dB
vs
89 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
6.5 inches
|
Larger woofer |
|
Low Frequency Response |
36 Hz
vs
42 Hz
|
Generates deeper bass |
 High Frequency Response |
26k Hz
vs
24k Hz
|
Generates higher frequency |
 Height |
1016mm
vs
1028mm
|
Easier to fit in smaller spaces |
 Base Surface Area |
658cm2
vs
1180cm2
|
Takes less floor space |
 Price per pair* |
2000USD
vs
2199USD
|
costs less (*prices may change depending on the seller, location and time) |
| General |
Wharfedale EVO5.4 |
DALI Oberon 7 |
| Brand |
Wharfedale |
DALI |
| Speaker Type |
Floor-standing speaker |
Floor-standing speaker |
| Power Range |
30-200 watts |
30-180 watts |
| Sensitivity |
90 dB |
88.5 dB |
| Impedance |
4 ohms |
6 ohms |
| Impedance |
4.3 ohms |
n/a |
| Frequency Response |
42-24k Hz |
36-26k Hz |
Drivers |
|
|
| Woofer Quantity |
2 |
2 |
| Woofer Size |
6.5" |
7" |
| Woofer Composition |
woven Kevlar |
Wood Fiber |
| Woofer Surround Material |
Rubber |
Rubber |
| Tweeter Size |
1.375" |
1.125" |
| Tweeter Type |
AMT (Ribbon) |
Soft-Dome |
| Aimable Tweeter |
No |
No |
| Midrange Driver |
2" |
No |
| Crossover Frequency |
1.1 kHz and 4 kHz |
2300Hz |
| Firing Direction |
bottom |
rear |
Physical Specs |
|
|
| Height |
1028.0mm (40.5") |
1016.0mm (40") |
| Width |
302.0mm (11.9") |
200.0mm (7.9") |
| Depth |
391.0mm (15.4") |
329.0mm (13") |
| Weight |
31.27kg (68.8lbs) |
14.80kg (32.6lbs) |
| Enclosure |
Bass Reflex |
Bass Reflex |
| Finish |
MDF/Wood-veneer |
MDF/Wood-grain vinyl |
| Available Colors |
Walnut, Grey. Black, White |
Black Ash, Light Oak, Dark Walnut, White |
| Grille |
Yes |
Yes |
| Moisture Resistancy |
No |
No |
Connections |
|
|
| Biamp Inputs |
No |
No |
Other |
|
|
| Parts Warranty |
5 Years |
5 Years |
| Labor Warranty |
5 Years |
5 Years |
A generation apart: Wharfedale EVO5.4 is the newer design, against a 2018 model. Newer is not automatically better, but the older one is more likely to be discounted or near run-out.
| Area | Better | Why |
|---|
| Bass | B | DALI Oberon 7 digs deeper - 36Hz against 42Hz. A subwoofer would even that out. |
| Amplifier needs | evenly matched | Similar sensitivity (90dB vs 89dB) - both want much the same power. |
| 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 | evenly matched | Similar power handling (200W vs 180W). |
| Size | depends | DALI Oberon 7 is easier to place; Wharfedale EVO5.4 is bigger, which usually goes with fuller bass. Your room decides. |
| Expandability | depends | Neither adds bi-amping, a sub output or height drivers. DALI Oberon 7 sits in a wider range (9 models), so a matched surround system is easier later. |
| Price | evenly matched | Much the same money ($2,199 vs $2,000 a pair). |
A Wharfedale EVO5.4 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?
DALI Oberon 7 has the edge on paper, though the margin is not large. The rows marked "depends" may matter more to you than the score does. If a subwoofer is in your plans, the bass gap largely stops mattering - you would be crossing over above 42Hz anyway, so judge these on the other rows instead. In a large or open-plan room, Wharfedale EVO5.4 has the cabinet volume to fill it more easily; in a small room, near a wall or at desk distance, DALI Oberon 7 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.