The OBERON 1 C is intended for smaller rooms where space is a precious commodity and volume levels are relatively modest. Music lovers and audiophiles who prefer the style and sound of stand-mounted speakers will be drawn towards the OBERON 1 C. Listening to music, perhaps from CD, internet radio, or a turntable and precious record collection, is likely to be their priority over TV audio although if the OBERON 1 C speakers are located appropriately, one on either side of the screen, TV audio may become increasingly of interest.

The compactness of the OBERON 1 C makes it easy to integrate into any room. To achieve a wide dispersion pattern in the listening area, the driver materials and geometry applied in the OBERON 1 C have been carefully selected. The same principles have been applied in the design of the crossover.

As result, you will experience a well-integrated sound, even when listening at a significant off-axis angle. This is important as you are rarely seated directly in front of your loudspeakers when listening to music. An added benefit is seriously reduced harmonic distortion and diffractions causing frequency distortion, as these will always be stronger in an on-axis response. This is also the reason why all DALI speakers are not designed to be toed-in.

WOOFER/SMC

The OBERON 1 C builds on a 5.25" bass/midrange driver that features Dali's proprietary fine paper pulp and reinforced wood fibre composite diaphragm materials, which creates a stiff, light-weight and well-behaving structure. In combination with a low-loss surround and spider suspension, this cone reproduces the micro details in the signal - unfiltered and with high accuracy. This is supported by the advanced copper-coated aluminium voice-coil wire and, in particular, Dali's unique SMC (Soft Magnet Compound) magnet technology.

By introducing electrically non-conductive elements to the magnet structure, SMC significantly reduces the effect of a variety of distortion-producing mechanisms inherent to moving-coil driver architecture. For example, SMC minimises eddy current effects, increases flux linearity, reduces magnetic hysteresis and minimises the variation of voice-coil inductance with position. Taken together, these benefits make SMC equipped drivers particularly suited to active amplification.

The membrane terminates in a rubber surround that is chosen for its soft and very flexible properties. This gives the membrane free movement with a very low dampening effect, and leaves the magnet motor to control the membrane movement.

AMPLIFIER

The OBERON 1 C power amplification comprises two 50 Watt-peak, closed-loop Class-D power amplifiers chosen specifically for their sound quality and dynamic ability. One amplifier powers the high frequency driver and one powers the bass/mid driver. The 100dB signal-to-noise ratio of the power amplifiers ensures that even the smallest detail in a quiet musical passage is reproduced with clarity and accuracy.

The rear panel mounted OBERON 1 C electronic module incorporates a wireless receiver element and user setup interface, a DSP equalisation and crossover filter element, and a high efficiency two channel power amplifier with a closely integrated power supply.

Powering the amplifier is a custom designed, 65W(rms), very low noise switched mode supply that is able dynamically to share resources between the two amplifier channels in response to demand. The OBERON 1 C is, as a result, unusually frugal in terms of power consumption, yet gives nothing away in terms of dynamic punch when the music demands it.

Tweeter

The OBERON 1 C high frequency driver is a damped textile soft dome tweeter featuring an unusually light diaphragm and a larger than typical, 29 mm diaphragm and voice-coil. The light diaphragm means that the upper frequency response of the driver is unusually extended before its mass limited roll-off.

The large diameter diaphragm and voice-coil increases sensitivity and power handling, reduces distortion, and enables the driver to operate at lower frequencies than is the case with smaller tweeters, which helps provide more latitude in the crossover design. Further increasing power handling, and significantly reducing signal compression as the voice-coil temperature rises with increased volume, the driver is equipped with ferro-fluid in its voice-coil gap.

CABINET

OBERON 1 C cabinets are constructed from CNC-machined high strength MDF panels and finished with a variety of wood-effect or matt white laminates. The cabinets are engineered for optimum rigidity to minimise panel resonance, with corner fillets. Corner fillets have become increasingly unusual in contemporary speaker cabinet construction but at DALI Dali believe they play an important role in ensuring rigidity.

Internal cabinet damping materials are selected and positioned strategically in order to maximise midrange energy attenuation without degrading bass transient response and bandwidth, as so often the case with reflex loaded speakers.

The OBERON 1 C are fitted with unusually large diameter rear panel dual-flare reflex ports that are engineered to minimise port turbulence, distortion and compression, while also factoring-in the potential proximity of the rear wall. Flaring on the port entrance, as well as on the exit, delays the onset of airflow turbulence as volume level rises, and helps ensure that bass performance remains consistent at all volume levels. Rear-mounting the reflex ports has the great advantage of directing any midrange energy emitted from inside the cabinet away from the listening position.

The OBERON 1 C can be used with the DALI CONNECT Stand E-601, installed within furniture units or on shelves, or wall mounted directly via rear panel keyhole slots.

Technical Specifications

Manufacturer Site

• DALI