DALI Oberon 3 Bookshelf Speakers - White, Pair

Floorstander Bass From a Stand-Mount Box

The Oberon 3 is the larger standmount in DALI’s Oberon range. Its 7-inch wood fiber woofer is the same unit DALI uses in the Oberon 7 floorstander, paired here with a 29 mm soft dome tweeter and crossing over at 2,400 Hz. The cabinet is 13.7 inches tall and rear-ported.

DALI’s summary is that it "delivers the large sound of a floorstanding speaker in a compact stand-mount cabinet". Reviewers on both sides of the Atlantic agreed on the scale, and on one caveat: it wants a little space behind it to breathe.

A 29 mm Dome, and Why Bigger Helps

DALI explains: "The large size of the membrane lets the tweeter generate higher sound pressure with less excursion, keeping the voice-coil motion to a controlled minimum." What Hi-Fi? noted the dome is "less than half the weight of most rivals", which is what lets it keep up with the big woofer.

The Numbers, and What They Ask of You

DALI quotes 47 Hz to 26 kHz within 3 dB. Sensitivity is 87 dB, nominal impedance is 6 ohms, and the recommended amplifier is 25 to 150 watts. Peak output is 108 dB, and the rear port is tuned to 49 Hz. It is an easy load with real headroom.

Each cabinet measures 13.7 by 7.8 by 12.3 inches and weighs 14.3 pounds with its grille. DALI recommends 2 to 20 inches from the wall behind. Rubber feet are included; there is no wall bracket on this model, so plan on a stand or a deep shelf.

SMC, the Disc That Cuts Distortion

In DALI’s words, "The woofer magnet’s iron pole-piece includes a patented SMC disc that greatly reduces mechanical distortion for a relaxed midrange and lots of detail." SMC is Soft Magnetic Composite, the same material DALI uses further up its range to tame eddy currents in the motor.

What Reviewers Are Saying

What Hi-Fi? gave them four stars on January 15, 2019: "If you want a room-filling sound with deep bass and good detail, you should give these a listen." It heard bass with "impressive weight and depth for a bookshelf speaker".

Jim Milton reviewed them for Secrets of Home Theater and High Fidelity on May 27, 2020: "The Oberon 3s have a sound that I would describe as articulate, especially with human voices".

Milton again: "Party speakers? Absolutely, but the sound quality makes you want to stop what you are doing and give them your full attention." Both reviewers found them best fired straight ahead, with the grilles on.

Who Are These Bookshelf Speakers Best For?

• You want room-filling sound without a floorstander — a 7-inch woofer, 47 Hz and 108 dB of headroom in a stand-mount cabinet
• People listen while moving around — Milton: "The soundstage was big, and I can see these going into a room where you want to hear music when moving around."
• Voices matter — both reviews singled out articulate vocals as the strength
• Your amplifier is ordinary — 87 dB into 6 ohms is an easy load for any of our integrated amplifiers or receivers
• You would rather not chase placement — DALI voices these to fire straight ahead, so there is no toe-in angle to dial in

How Do They Connect to Your System?

Speaker cable runs from your amplifier to a single pair of binding posts on each cabinet, red to red and black to black, with both runs the same length. These are passive speakers, so there is nothing else to power or configure.

Face them straight ahead on stands with the tweeter at ear height, and give the large rear port a few inches. Milton kept the grilles on and found they took a little edge off the treble on brighter recordings.

Pairs Well With

What finishes the setup. These are the categories most Oberon 3 owners shop next.

• Speaker stands — 14 pounds and 12 inches deep is a stand-mount, not a shelf speaker
• Integrated amplifiers — 25 to 150 watts into 6 ohms
• Speaker cables — one run per side, terminated or bare
• Subwoofers — Milton reviewed them with one and found it "made them sound bolder and more authoritative"

Frequently Asked Questions

Are the Oberon 3 sold as a pair?

Yes. The price is for two speakers, with grilles and rubber feet in the box.

How much amplifier do I need?

DALI recommends 25 to 150 watts into 6 ohms. At 87 dB these are easy to drive, and they will take a serious amplifier without complaint.

Stand or shelf?

A stand, ideally. The cabinet is 12.3 inches deep with a large rear port, and What Hi-Fi? warned against placing them too close to a wall. DALI rates them from 2 inches off it.

Why does DALI say not to angle them in?

DALI designs its drivers for wide dispersion, so the balance is right when the speakers face straight ahead. Toe them in and the treble comes forward, which is what Milton heard until he straightened them.

Do I need a subwoofer?

Not for most music. With 47 Hz from a 7-inch driver, the Oberon 3 stands on its own; Milton added one for organ music and film and liked the result.

Is there a step up from here?

DALI’s newer Sonik 3 is the natural one: another 7-inch standmount, with the Clarity Cone woofer and updated SMC motor. It is in our DALI collection.

See It in Action

The Absolute Sound reviews the Oberon 3:

Steve Guttenberg, the Audiophiliac, turns them up:

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