Dali Oberon 1 Bookshelf Speaker Review. Best for lovers of bass texture & energetic top end.

Reviewed Today: Dali Oberon 1
www.dali-speakers.com/us/prod...
Preamp & Power Amplifier & Integrated amps used:
Kinki Studio EX-P7: www.kinki-studio.com/ex-p7
Kinki Studio EX-B7 monoblock: www.kinki-studio.com/ex-b7
IotaVX SA-3: www.iotaenterprises.co.uk/pro...
Source: Bluesound Node 2i
www.crutchfield.com/p_813NODE...
(all music is hi-res streamed from Tidal)
DAC: Schiit Modius
www.schiit.com/products/modius
RCA Cables: Analysis Plus Oval One
analysis.plus/product/oval-on...
Speaker Cables: Maze Audio REF4
www.mazeaudio.com/speaker-cabl...
Subwoofers Used:
Rythmik FVX12 www.rythmikaudio.com/FVX12.html
Your results may vary based on your ears, room, and associated equipment:

[@pennfootball71]

I appreciate your honesty. Most won’t say it is bright. They will be like yea it’s lovely and love sounding buy it so they give me more money to review more speakers!

[@NemoPropaganda]

Some speakers are just "more lively" like Polk S15 but these were outright bright!! Treble is wildly personal though.

[@Audioloon]

Good job on the review especially with the competition at the price point!

[@NemoPropaganda]

Thank you Leroy, even though I didn't like these I felt it was still important to give an unbiased comparison and really speak to their strengths like the bass texture for example.

[@Audioloon]

@@NemoPropaganda When you were describing the sound characteristics of the Oberon 1, it kept reminding me of the same type of performance I've heard before but I could not recall what it was until now. What you described about this speaker could also describe how the Polk RTiA1 speaker sounded to me many years ago. After 2 weeks with the RTi1 I could not take it anymore and took it back for a refund. The folks at DALI must be bored. They have so many speaker lines to choose from but apparently wanted to reincarnate a sound signature just because they can.

[@NemoPropaganda]

@@Audioloon yeah some older polks definitely have a little too much sparkle for my taste...

[@JoaoSilva-nm3us]

Never hear these but I used to have a pair of Dali Zensor 1 which I guess are pretty much the same. At first I was blown away with the detail levels but soon the harshness and overall brightness of the sound just became unbearable for me and I had to sell them. Thanks for the great video!

[@mtayfur83]

I have been using Dali Spektor 1 and Spektor 2 speakers in my office for about 4 months and I am very pleased. Today I ordered Dali Oberon 1 to use at home and I'm looking forward to it. Thanks for the review.

[@NemoPropaganda]

congrats! the bass texture is very impressive!

[@videoproboston2450]

Any recommendations for someone building a vintage two channel system? I bought an almost mint 1980's Pioneer SX-780 and I'm looking for speakers that will match that vintage look and sound. I don't want to spend Klipsch Heritage money (although I've thought about it) because this system is going into a newly bought vacation condo in VT. Floor standing or bookshelf is cool. Thanks and great review!

[@NemoPropaganda]

I'm not really into vintage gear or the vintage look but checkout usaudiomart tons of stuff for sale on there with that vintage look at all prices :)

[@FRL2000]

Awesome review Nemo. I have these in a relatively "hot" room, although it is a secondary setup, with Audiolab 6000. It satisfies my needs at low/mid volumes exclusively. And good call on the finish, the black finish does look nice enough sitting in a public area.

[@NemoPropaganda]

that is the one saving grace of brighter setups, even if its not to taste they perform very nicely at evening volume levels.

[@chickenceo]

Lol. I really enjoy your review. Thank you!

[@NemoPropaganda]

Thank you dude!

[@Chris._.B]

I had a pair of these with an entry level Denon integrated a few years back. Loved how vocals projected on them but couldn't listen to them for more than 40 minutes without fatigue, but never put it down to treble or siblance (my hearing is good up to 14k khz though I did have treble tweaked down in tone controls). What made them fatiguing for me was any even slightly dense music sounded congested and I'd have to turn off after half an hour. For rock or orchestral music, no chance. For sparse vocal or acoustic based music, no such problems... They were aces here to my ears. I now have the Dali Opticon 2 MkII (with an Aegir amp / Saga+ pre) and I can listen to it for hours on end, they bathe me in glorious sound. Everything is better... More refined detailed richer mids, deeper fuller more textured bass, more scale, smooth detailed treble, big soundstage and separation. No congestion. I'm off the upgrade ladder for the next few years 🤘been following your channel for a while, keep it up 😎

[@NemoPropaganda]

I've found a lot of the cheaper denon amps to be congested sounding :(. Glad you got your setup sounding great though!

[@anthonydaley278]

Hi I’ve got the dali Spektor 2 with 2021 Rega P3 / speed control and the Rega IO amp . I run this setup with my old Yamaha amp and the sound was much better but now I can only listen for a short time to soul 60s music , I’m now looking at changing my Rega amp and speakers for something more richer /smoother . Would be nice to see what people recommend to solve this issue for me.

[@sweetsansui2829]

Funniest video made referring to old people's hearing damage. Already enjoyed many of your videos but this one really cracked me up. Thanks Nemo.

[@NemoPropaganda]

Glad you enjoyed it :)

[@JPWinters]

Hello friend. Looking forward to your Modius review. Heard using the XLR makes it quite the decent machine for the money.

[@NemoPropaganda]

Really? I havn't tried the XLR, I've not found XLR to do anything, maybe I just have shitty XLR cables, I don't know, I prefer single ended though :)

[@JPWinters]

@@NemoPropaganda Yeah over at superbestfriendsaudio, they were saying the XLR specifically on the Modius made a big difference. The SE & XLR even use different opamps in the Modius I believe. I know you aren't a big cable guy in terms of sound differences but maybe a $50 Mogami XLR pair or similar would be worth a shot too?

[@NemoPropaganda]

@@JPWinters baaaaaaa, i don't know which xlr cable to buy honestly, I want the analysis plus oval-in but the Oyaide Tunami Terzo looks really nice too, everytime I go to buy XLR cables I get overwhelmed and give up lol.

[@alexpal1495]

I have those speakers. What can I do for the bright tweeter? Will tuning down treble or have some filters applied from my lyngdorf streamer?

[@NemoPropaganda]

I don't know too much about filters and such, if you have a UMIK and REW you could measure your room to see where the rise is and if your gear has some kind of roll off filter you could apply one to the area where the rise starts. Personally I'd just sell them and move on unless you enjoy the tinkering process :)

[@yogeshsakhare8299]

Very informative episode from 00:00 to 13:13. well explained all bookshelf speaker. What would u recommend for trance music...

[@NemoPropaganda]

Hi Yogesh, thank you! So I love all edm but it's a bit different that real music, because it's all fake (as in not real instruments) it generally sounds great on most speakers no matter how they are voiced because there is no reference as to what a synth sound is supposed to sound like. What I recommend is try to find out what kind of sound you like and get a speaker like that. For example if you like your high frequencies to be very airy, open, and well etched out then you will want something brighter but if you like to listen to relax and just want something with good bass then something warmer would be great!

[@kozmiczian795]

Desert Dwellers . . . 🎶

[@NiSHAN256]

LOL. Thanks for your honest take.

[@Adrianek81]

I own pair of Dali Oberon 3,these are amazing sound quality speakers but they sound so crisp only with very high quality flac music,(with denon DRA 100) normal original cd dont do justice or movies via optica cable,i think i gonna a pair of audio monitor bronze 100 for movies and games,what you think? Thanks

[@NemoPropaganda]

I think the MA bronze are a great tv/movie/game speaker.

[@peterscaramouche6317]

I bought the Dali Oberon a month ago, and like all Dali speakers, they need long breaking in time to settle down. I had the possibility to visit the Dali plant in Denmark, and one of the things we learned is the importance not to judge a speaker without running in time. Its about the material in the elements, especially the tweeter. We had the possibility to listen to a new Mentor 6 and an well run in Mentor 6. They sounded like two different speakers. Some speakers sound good out of the box, but for example, Dynaudio, Dali needs this running in time. It was an intresting visit at the plant, and very educational. So, dont judge speakers out of the box, the brightness, the listening fatigue are all examples of speakers not beeing enough run in.

[@NemoPropaganda]

I believe in some break-in but they had a good amount of hours on them already and if they change that drastically I'd say that's a poor design or they should be run-in from the factory.

[@peterscaramouche6317]

Run in from the factory?? It has nothing to do with poor design, it has to do with material. Most of the exclusive speaker designs need to settle in. Most speaker manufactures recommend breaking in. Nevertheless, the listening experience is an indivividual thing. And thank God for that. The ears are what delivers the truth. Some people like the sparkle,others are very sensitive to high frequensies. So you have right to your opinion:)

[@peterscaramouche6317]

I listened through youre review, one more time, and i will make some more comments. First of all, Dali produce all of their speakers not to be toed in. They use the wide dispersion technology, and all of their speakers shouldbe positioned straight. The other thing is about sibilance. If that happens with F and not the harder S, or T or Z , that is almost not related to the speaker itself, but a system mismatch. Of all the things u have in your equipment list, my eyes falls on the Shiit Modius. This Dac has a specific sound signature, and sounds to me a little bit artificiall. The other things you have are quite good. You stream through Tidal, if i understand correctly, and if the recordings u use are top of the line , then again, its not a sibilance that belongs to thespeaker. Its something else. I strongly believe its a system mismatch. Nothing strange in that, bcs these things happened. But this is not a speaker problem.

[@NemoPropaganda]

@Man Sang Woo You want me to test on a few amps, someone else wants me to take measurements, someone else wants me to connect tubes, everyone has some preference, I can't make everyone happy. I do have more than one amp though, Dali is known to be bright, my assessment is accurate. I used this speaker in 2 different rooms with 2 totally different systems.

[@Pentenfi]

I listened to the Oberon 7 once. They two 7" mid/bass drivers so this does change the overall sound signature but the tweeter is the same. And I can agree that it is detail focused with a lot of sparkle. At first I liked it since it was exciting but I think that's no speaker for longer listening sessions.

[@yamafanboy]

belated birthday greetings bro. At least these speakers look nice with the grills on lol.

[@NemoPropaganda]

Oh yeah they did really well with the looks honestly.

[@laurensmith485]

😂😂😂love the way you put things on the way these speakers are bright😂

[@leeh4722]

They are tuned with the grills on apparently

[@backrack01]

Since u mentioned it... about the focal aries 906... do they arrive with a focal decal on the top of the speaker? Every image I see to buy new there the top of.the speaker is clean but I've been seeing some.for sale on the used market with some sort of decal on the top.

[@NemoPropaganda]

Mine say FOCAL on the tops and appears to be laser etched underneath the glass.

[@backrack01]

@@NemoPropaganda interesting. Well... the pair I saw online had focal stickers on them. I posted the same question to a focal forum on FB and a couple guys replied with sometimes Focal sends their speakers with these stickers but they can easily be peeled off the glass. Anyways. I just bought the pair for $975 on audiomart. Guy said they were in mint condition so...hopefully it works out. Hopefully the iotavx stack can do them some justice. :)

[@NemoPropaganda]

@@backrack01 you'll be fine with the IotaVX, you won't even need the stack honestly. They play plenty loud with just a little bit of power. Be prepared for some serious detail coming your way lol, if it's too much just trim the treble by 1db or so. I keep mine flat but my kinki gear is smoother than the IotavX.

[@backrack01]

@@NemoPropaganda do u recommend focals dedicated stands as you did with the 806's?

[@NemoPropaganda]

Not at all! The Aria stands are so ugly and don’t even match the speaker. Get any stand you like 💪🏼. The Aria doesn’t need the 4° angle the Chora does.

[@IrenESorius]

Your a ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐/ ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐reviewer Nemo. Promise to never change.

[@NemoPropaganda]

Well I'm trying to lose more weight so that might change lol :D

[@IrenESorius]

@@NemoPropaganda Pffhhh,, Tough shit to lose weight if you have to struggle with it, but good for you if thats what you want. Im one of the lucky ones that drop in weight like crazy if Im pushing it in the gym, or rather swimming. Hang in there friend. 👍‍‍😎👍‍‍

[@NemoPropaganda]

@@IrenESorius I see you are on of the lords chosen people :D

[@mattolsziewski7164]

As someone who currently owns the Focal Chora’s, I can’t wait to hear how you compare them to the Aria’s

[@NemoPropaganda]

Aria is more refined from top to bottom but the bigger difference is fit/finish. Chora is so good already that spending double doesn't make sense unless you sell the Chora and buy a used set of Aria.

[@mattolsziewski7164]

@@NemoPropaganda current goal is selling Chora home theater for Kanta stereo.

[@NemoPropaganda]

@@mattolsziewski7164 oh shit man, that's a big upgrade!

[@mattolsziewski7164]

@@NemoPropaganda yea the goal is to sell my 5 Chora speakers and buy 2 of the Kanta No1 or no2’s. Eventually get a Kanta center and probably Aria 906 for surrounds and rears. Budget wise, I’d probably just be rocking stereo for quite a while. Looking for the Kantas used but the market is limited in terms of finishes that I like.

[@Untilitpases]

Have you heared the Zensor 3s? His do they compare to these?

[@NemoPropaganda]

I have not, Dali's not really popular in USA.

[@silverlining682]

I have the Oberon 3 and yes alittle bright in the beginning but after breaking in the highs show nice detail and loose their brightness, I can listen to them for hours...without the grills

[@NemoPropaganda]

glad you're enjoying them, I've seen a few people say the oberon 3 is not as aggressive.

[@Creesl]

quick question i ordered the DALI oberons to go with my yamaha sw200 and my, soundblaster x7 (yeah thats prolly stupid.) It can do Max: 50 W + 50 W (4 ohm, 1 kHz, 10% THD) Power rating: 37 W + 37 W (4 ohm, 1 kHz, 1% THD) i currently use the jbl control ones and i want something better, im worried that it will sound terrible with the 37w my dac can do what do you think? oh yeah i listen at relativly low levels of volume.

[@NemoPropaganda]

it's a 6ohm speaker, you'll probably have around 25w of clean power, that's not too bad for a desktop rig if you don't listen too loud. I think it'll be just fine :)

[@Creesl]

@@NemoPropaganda thank you for your answer sorry to bother you but, would i be better off getting different ones? (also cause u say theyre too "harsh" i think)? the oberons cost around 350 here the I think the dali spekter 2s cost like 220? or would it be smarter to go for some active ones? 🤔 i honestly just want them to sound better than my jbls i do listen fairly quietly just at my pc.

[@NemoPropaganda]

@@Creesl it's hard to say bro because personal taste is a big factor. For me the Oberon 1 was too bright but some people like that. As far as powered speakers I'm not fan personally but again a lot of people love them. Personal taste really is a huge factor in this hobby.

[@Creesl]

@@NemoPropaganda thank you for ur answers! i ended up buying the dali spektors 2 got them for 200 euros, if i like them ill keep em if not ill just try out the oberons 1

[@kozmiczian795]

. . . usually, 'brite' speakers are more detail orientated, and resolving . . . positioning is key to getting the best performance. Do you always review from the same area, and position? Move speakers around, brighten or deaden your room space, make sure you close doors to achieve bass loading. Your room looks 'bright' . . .

[@NemoPropaganda]

Generally speaking yes, most speakers go in the same spot, I've gotten to know my room pretty well. My room is fairly neutral besides a few minor aberrations I'm intimately familiar with.

[@shodan6401]

When you're right, you're right, but those Dead concerts were totally worth it! (BTW, I have the Dali Icon II's in my bedroom system, with the two tweeters stacked. Also have grills on with zero toe-in, and I can still detect sibilance, but even though they are hot on top, no sibilance - and the holographic imaging is to die for. With a pair of compact subs, even my wife loves these speakers....)

[@jprosentreter]

I'm between these or Kef Q 150...any insight?!

[@NemoPropaganda]

Oberon 1 has better bass quality, Q150 has a less aggressive tweeter. While I don't like the Dali sound I do feel the Dali Oberon One is the better speaker, i would just turn down the treble a bit.

[@paulhodgson8894]

FWIW I demoed some Dali Opticons yesterday and they sounded really refined in the treble and rich and textured in the bass. They’re more expensive but a lot better. I compared with the kef ls50, which I hated, much too sharp and aggressive. I think dalis sound better further up the range.

[@NemoPropaganda]

I could see that, some companies have very different sounds between their affordable and more expensive lines.

[@slyfoxx8540]

Yeah I heard these, couldn't find anything redeeming about them at all. Would like to hear some of their top models so maybe I could have a more balanced opinion on their speakers as some people have said good things about them.

[@bradleydurbin6784]

You didn’t say if your buddy likes the Dali speakers? Although this video is 3 years old

[@haydenbarrow9603]

Dude I'm 11 05 83 happy belated birthday I know what we want for a gift

[@pennfootball71]

Try PSB Imagine XB $549 and my go to cheap bookshelf that does it all well.

[@NemoPropaganda]

I used to have the Imagine Mini, absolutely loved them. I always viewed the XB as a dressed down Imagine Mini. PSB makes great stuff!

[@andreassouth1523]

Another excellent/honest review.Thank you.Can not tolerate bright sounding speakers.That's why i have wrfs 225s.What about wrfs 12.2s.Τhere are different opinions on 12.2s!I have focal in my car and i suffer every day......

[@NemoPropaganda]

oh man yeah, Focal in cars is very sharp, good if the car has a lot of road noise maybe :)

[@steved8386]

I have these in a small room with NAD amp and they sound great. They are not as bright as you are saying.. chill

[@NemoPropaganda]

Do you feel personally attacked Steve?

[@seoulrydr]

if there is such a thing as 'keeping it realer' I think you've managed it!

[@NemoPropaganda]

The irony is the last video I did like this I got accused of being paid to say bad things lol, someone literally said they thought I got paid by another company to trash the Dynaudio M10 lol

[@rafaelalberto5051]

@@NemoPropaganda But with this video you are showing that both danish giants are garbage with their "entry" level lol

[@NemoPropaganda]

@@rafaelalberto5051 nooo, Dali has cheaper speakers, this isn't their "entry level", that would be the Spektor :)

[@rafaelalberto5051]

@@NemoPropaganda I see, it would be interesting to test the spektors, it might be posible that the cheaper, the better? Who knows 🤔

[@TwoGuyzTech]

Man Nemo... You say it like it is!! Super entertaining and it's great to hear your take on these. We've heard a lot about them... unfortunately, bright speakers just aren't our cup of tea 😛 Keep up the great work!!

[@NemoPropaganda]

omg dude your last Klipsch video cracked OFF!!!! You guys killed it with that shit!!! Thank you dude! Yeah they had their drawbacks but I had to to admit they really did shine in a few areas notably that bass tone & texture.

[@TwoGuyzTech]

@@NemoPropaganda Hey man thank you so much!!! We really appreciate it!! :) That's really good to hear and it sounds like they put a lot of cool design into the woofer. We just gotta scratch our heads though... 29mm tweeter?? Guess they really did gear them toward older folk/people with high-end hearing loss haha... it'd be interesting to hear what these sound like with an AMT or planar tweeter! Again great review as always man, keep it up!!

[@myplaguesify]

which do you prefer psb imagine mini or the oberon 1

[@NemoPropaganda]

Imagine Mini for sure!!

[@myplaguesify]

@@NemoPropaganda how much more the larger psb imagine b,that should be head to head with the more expensive dali's

[@NemoPropaganda]

@@myplaguesify sorry bro I'm not sure because i have not heard the bigger ones.

[@danne957]

Would you consider dali oberon 1 if your main goal was to achive good reproduction of male vocals?

[@NemoPropaganda]

I would not personally no. For male vocals I'd choose a larger speaker like Polk R200.

[@danne957]

@@NemoPropaganda Nice, thank you! It will be my next purchase. Kinda expensive for me right now.

[@NemoPropaganda]

@@danne957 yeah I hear you bro, I'm trying to find a really good speaker I can recommend around $400 to $500 but don't have anything in mind yet.

[@danne957]

@@NemoPropaganda I understand. Thanks for your effort. By the way, didnt you say in the video that vocals in the oberon was very good like the focal aria? For me vocals especially male vocals are really important. I think wharfedale 225 deliver it good which I own, but it's fun to a/b different speakers.

[@NemoPropaganda]

@@danne957 I honestly can’t remember bro. It’s been too long. I remember the bass was good. Maybe demo them if you can?

[@dicmccoy]

Nemo, you're awesome. I like that you drop f bombs. Reminds me of myself. 😂

[@NemoPropaganda]

aye! it just feels right in my soul tbh, when I watch my "clean" video's I can't help but think it's lame lol

[@marc-andregagne6826]

I'm glad you posted this and saved me a trip to the store to listen, I was considering them for my desk. It's too bad they have a great form factor, perfect for desk usage. What about the Oberons vs your beloved PSB Minis? Cheers and great work.

[@NemoPropaganda]

PSB Imagine Mini all the way!!

[@georgesmith3022]

Finally an honest review. The first one who talks about how bright they are. At first you listen to them and you say wow, but after a while it gets tiring.

[@NemoPropaganda]

thank you George, glad you appreciate my content.

[@kringtheking2657]

Strange. I only listened to Oberon 3 and those i found very warm sounding. Thats why im rhinking of oberon 1 but bright speaker is not my thing

[@NemoPropaganda]

@@kringtheking2657 it could be that your room is a little over dampened or it could be more suited to your taste, or it's also possible Oberon 3 is less bright as it is a different speaker with a different crossover. Sometimes there can be big differences within a range when you get the bigger models.

[@101stTank]

I got Oberon 9 fronts, 3:s at sides and 1:s at back. Im quite happy with my 7.1 setup. Need to get new subs and im thinking Arendal 1723 but i cant deside vented or not.

[@NemoPropaganda]

If you want maximum output for theater then for sure go for the vented one bro. If you mostly listen to music and do not need maximum output then sealed version is better.

[@101stTank]

@@NemoPropaganda Hey ya thx for the reply. My using is like 60% music and 40%tv/movies. So vented is better option in this case? Im planning to get second one aswell as soon as family moves to bigger house next winter.

[@NemoPropaganda]

@@101stTank I think either option will be great, a simple way to look at it is vented will give you more output for theater while sealed will give you better transient response for music. So you just have to pick based on where you want your strength to be. Maybe email Arendal with your room size and see what they say. If the room is very big vented will be more desirable.

[@ronmccoy6127]

I'd check your system Nemo. Honestly. First review I have seen with these concerns and there are a lot of pro reviews out there. I own these and in no way do they sound symblant but if the mids were recessed with source, I could see it. They are transparent so I would put money it is in your source/system chain.

[@NemoPropaganda]

All my associated equipment is listed in the description and it's all on the neutral side. It's okay if you disagree with me bro, if you own them and enjoy them then I am happy for you :). There are a million factors, maybe your room is more damped, maybe the sound is better for your personal taste, maybe your gear is a little rolled off, etc... Impossible to be 100% sure. I doubt the issue is on my end as I have confirmed my results with many people with neutral systems including the owner of these speakers who normally uses KEF R3 (bright) and cannot handle the sound of these.

[@damianzaninovich4900]

You could of tried turning them upside down so your ears were level with the “bass” driver. I had Boston A40s a long time ago and that made them okay.

[@NemoPropaganda]

meh... at $600 that's not really a viable solution IMO.

[@damianzaninovich4900]

You’re right and you do a good job with your reviews. I just like when the mids arrive nearer to the same time as the highs. I have Canton Vento Reference 7’s and they have this alignment.

[@NemoPropaganda]

@@damianzaninovich4900 The wild part is the time alignment seemed fine, it didn't feel like there was anything off in the time domain, just a high quantity of top end.

[@6643bear]

Hi great video, b&w 606 s2 anniversary Vinyl wrap better good, yes I do agree should be paints or wood veneer. Regards mark

[@rafaelalberto5051]

I've been listenig to these babies these days and You are right the bass is tight and textured it's a joy to tell You the truth, the soundstage incredible too even thought they have no toe in, details are enough I Guess for the price range, now about your comment about sibilance it's partially truth, I mean if I listen to Tracy Chapman or Natalie merchant no sign of sibilance voices are present very well presented and focused. But with some recordings like for instance Joan armatrading, 1976 record, sibilance quiet strong. Its strange but it's my experience with these tiny books. But in general they are a pair of incredible bookshelves for the price bass Is one of the best I have heard so far and soundstage it's also amazing. Just My two cents

[@NemoPropaganda]

I'd say your assessment is bang on! It certainly wasn't sibiliant in every song, I think depending on music taste these could be big winners, I just don't know what music that would be.

[@rafaelalberto5051]

@@NemoPropaganda in My case I feel it's totally dependant on source quality but it's a pity that with some recordings specially voices, female voices in gral when these tweeters sound sibilant they are nearly unbearable, I wish they keep this bass quality with the Treble of focals lol that would be just amazing

[@TrimphSTR675]

WOW! I finally found the review I was looking for!!! Nemo, you have covered every point I feel to my Oberon. Mine is Oberon 3 not 1, but again I HATE the overwhelmingly forward high frequency range of them. It made my ears fatigued within 10 mins... So, I believe you are the right parson I should ask for the alternatives in a bit more expensive range. Let's say around $1200? I mostly listen to '50-'70 Jazz and some 70' Folk. Love transparency and nice amount of body, not a big fan of warm sound. Thanks!

[@NemoPropaganda]

hey what's up Taiki, hmmm, okay so I like open sounding speakers, i jsut felt oberon was too much. Focal Chora 806 is one I like very much and is priced really well, I would try to demo those. Buchardt's new P300 looks promising but it is not released yet, or maybe demo KEF LS50 Meta, a second hand set should be around $1200. Hope that helps. Few more suggestions: Polk R200 and Dynaudio Emit 10 (new 2021 version).

[@TrimphSTR675]

@@NemoPropaganda Same here, I love open sound but my ears are very sensitive as well. I will definitely try 806 soon, in addition, found 806s are on sale now. Thanks again for your detailed suggestions!

[@sentientcloud]

Hi. I did lots of research and watched you video and to be honest I kind of ignored what you said as other people had different options. I had a demo of the speakers and thought they were very good. In the end I took the plunge and bought the whole 5 speaker set consisting of the voltal center, oberon 5 and oberon 1 for a 5.1 as I already had the P12 300 DF subwoofer. Unfortunaly once I got them set up at home I hate the sound of the speakers. After rewatching your video I now agree on what you said. I am currently using a yamaha av reciver and I am thinking of getting a marantz av. The room is not treated and the speakers are not in the most ideal postion but I can't change that. For reference I love my Philips Fidelio X2 Headphones powered by my FX Audio Dac X6 and I find them to be very warm without any brightness and great separation with a huge sound stage. What should I do?

[@NemoPropaganda]

Hey Cloud, well I certainly appreciate the honesty but I'm bummed you learned the heard way :(. If it's simply a matter of trimming down the brightness we can use tone controls for that. If your current system does not have tone controls a Schiit Loki is an option to consider. However for me the issue was not simply brightness but also the overall presentation of the speaker which cannot be fixed with tone controls. Are you able to return them?

[@sentientcloud]

@@NemoPropaganda Thanks for the quick reply. I agree with you that it is the brightness and the presentation of the speaker. People have said that they have a wide sound stage but I find them to be rather narrow with most of the sound being in the center and yes I am still able to return them if needed.

[@NemoPropaganda]

@@sentientcloud i’d play around with placement but at the end of the day if you can’t get the sound you want I’d 100% return them. No sense in spending more money to try and change them unless the sound is very close to what you are looking for.

[@sentientcloud]

@@NemoPropaganda Yeah I think that might be the best options. They dont seem to be the speakers from me. Back to square one I guess

[@NemoPropaganda]

@@sentientcloud nothing wrong with that, it's happened to me a few times. This stuff is like food, sometimes there's just no way to know until you have a taste :).

[@mcm934ify]

If you take a look to demo sound comparison on KZbin. You will see B&W and kef had too much high when they change the speakers sound. Oberon have relaxing sound.

[@NemoPropaganda]

I don't think YT sound demo is reliable to make any comparison.

[@chuckmaddison2924]

I have old Dali's, 20 years that have vinyl finish. I also have Marantz 50 years old with a genuine wood veneer. The wood is truly beautiful but it's a bitch keeping that way with polishing. It can be re varnished however unlike paint. Dali's bright tweeters. I tend to agree. I damaged mine with my guitar and replaced with another similar less bright. I have been thinking about about getting some genuine Dali but now not so sure. Age degradation Is something a lot of hifi reviews don't touch on .Great video. Oh it was Led Zeppelin and Electro voice 1B eliminators : )

[@NemoPropaganda]

Hey Chuck, thanks for commenting, I'd say maybe try to hear them in at a dealer first. A lot of people love them, it just wasn't a good fit for me.

[@chuckmaddison2924]

@@NemoPropaganda I shall. My Marantz Imperial 6g are totally different sound. 2 way ,paper cones and cone tweeter. But have a selectable crossover flat , plus and minus 3db approx for tweeter.

[@georgesmith3022]

I am in Europe and I wish I was in the states. You can get elac debut much cheaper with better sound.

[@NemoPropaganda]

Yeah but in EU you guys can get some stuff cheaper than us too :D Like Focal is way cheaper for you guys.

[@Im-over-9000]

I like my Oberon 7’s a lot. They are a bit on the bright side but with two 7” woofers they are much more balanced than the Oberon 1’s. I also had the Zensor 1’s , those speakers where a bit too bright for me.

[@rafaelalberto5051]

Where are all those people saying: Nemo Review the oberon 1 they are amazing! Perhaps re listening their books again and trying to sell them before Many people watch this vídeo, lol 😀😀

[@shuckylad]

I really like Dali speakers and love my tiny Menuets, but this Oberon series is poor by their usual standards. Their old zensor range was superior.

[@NemoPropaganda]

I have heard great things about zensor but never had the chance to hear them.

[@interpird350]

I rarely comment but I have to say I initially chose to ignore this review and went ahead and bought these. I then concluded that everything you said about this speaker (at least for me) is true and found them to be rather harsh and tiring (even with the covers on, no toe-in, and after 50+ hours break in). I'm only 25 so maybe I'm more sensitive to the treble like you suggested? Anyhow I returned them and got the Wharfedale Diamond 12.1 and I really like them! To my ears these provide a much more balanced and smooth sound, and also come with more bass (although not as tight/textured as the Oberon 1 but I don't care much for bass anyway). Wharfedale is also cheaper (270 Eu vs 370 for the Dali) I will take your reviews more seriously in the future :)

[@NemoPropaganda]

Anton, I really appreciate you taking the time to comment, it means a lot to me. I always do my best to be accurate even if it means I have to say what I do not like. I felt I gave this speaker a very honest assessment and I think it may be great for people with rooms that are overly damped or older gentleman but for us younger guys with normal rooms it's as you say. It's just a bit too much.

[@troykm]

Just remember, Dali voice their speakers with the GRILLS ON! The grills should be on to get the best sound out of them. Some people say the treble is harsh - thats because the grills are off.

[@NemoPropaganda]

I had the grills on. They were very nice grills.

[@pmizz7959]

Lol I love this review. “If you’re younger and have decent hearing you’re going to be like, fuck this shit!” Lmfao

[@NemoPropaganda]

ahahaha, that was my favorite part honestly :D and the spring chicken, ah man, i crack myself up...

[@pvshetty1]

I have the Dali Spektor 2 bookshelf speakers... They are not that expensive but they are good... I would like to see a comparison video with other in the same price range.

[@NemoPropaganda]

If I ever get my hands on them I'll give them a try :)

[@seano218]

Hey brother, did you know that they recommend the grills on, since that's how they designed it, to take away all that brightness? Try the grills on and review maybe. Not trying to be a dik, just change your mind maybe and see what ya think. Respect your opinion! Would you mind reviewing the monitor audio silver 100s please and THX?!!

[@NemoPropaganda]

Yeah I mentioned it in the video.

[@seano218]

@@NemoPropaganda oh, sorry, I must've missed it! Just trying to help, gotta stop watching so late with a buzz I guess, lol

[@russelhaxby6194]

My ears are old, and they can not tolerate overly bright speakers.

[@NemoPropaganda]

It's good to know ears can hold up that well, that gives me hope :)

[@robertlogue3794]

Me too. What do you like? I want a balance sound that isn't harsh. I also would like really good staging and imaging. I have a medium sized untreated living room. Planning to treat it first before buying new speakers.

[@higobatman]

For me there are several better boxes than the Dali Oberon. Be it Oberon 1 or 2. I can quote the Elac Uni-Fi 2.0 UB52, Elac Reference DBR-62, Elac Carina 243.4, KEF Q150 or Q350, Monitor Audio Silver 50 or 100, Dynaudio Emit M10 or M20, Mission QX-2, Klipsch RP-500M or 600M and etc ...

[@NemoPropaganda]

oooo Carina 243.4 I really want to hear!!

[@turbo2288]

You might have a "fxxking" bright amp :-)

[@Manu-yv1jt]

indeed here in germany they at 330€, 600$ is way too much

[@rafaelalberto5051]

What a pity! The bass seems to be very good on these, very fast AND tight but they ruin the mágic with that huge bright tweeter

[@PrimedProductions]

Sorry I know this is an old video - couldn’t this harshness be corrected by an simple EQ?

[@NemoPropaganda]

there are a lot of tweaks and fixes for a lot of things, I just tell you guys how it sounds as is. While tone controls will bring down the treble quantity it will not change the sharp attack of the treble, some people may consider it a fix, others may not, and purists usually don't even have tone controls in their system.

[@PrimedProductions]

@@NemoPropaganda Gotcha thanks!

[@rafaelalberto5051]

You shoul make a list of the entry level speakers from different brands that are al least decent for you,for us the poor lol, so far entry level from the danish giants, dynaudio and dali thumbs down !!!! so which ones of the so called entry level are the best because its money hard to spend in many cases and we want the best results, obviously even knowing they are far away from the real hi fi, hi end stuff

[@NemoPropaganda]

I've reviewed some $100 and $200 speakers. Best budget entry is the $249 Emotiva B1+, though I have the Elac Debut 2.0 B5 here and I need to review those too, I keep forgetting lol.

[@Borg_Gr]

340€ inc tax (384$) in my country top tier for the price

[@NemoPropaganda]

That's a much better price, we pay 50% more here :(.

[@Borg_Gr]

​@@NemoPropaganda same for products from US (more or less) these days im looking to buy a Rotel a11 tribute, in my country cost 700€, in Germany 530€ and in Romania(black friday week) 445€ (inc taxes)insanity btw atm im looking for desktop speakers for the rotel(metal and electronis music) any suggestion?(a bit sensitive to trebles)

[@NemoPropaganda]

@@Borg_Gr The Rotal A11 Tribute here is $800 :(. I don't know what your budget is but PSB P3 are good affordable speakers for desktop.

[@user-fs4fd3gv3r]

Dali recommend 100 hours run in so that may help. Perhaps your amps are a little too bright for these particular speakers

[@NemoPropaganda]

They were broken in and my gear isn't bright and is instead very refined. I always give speakers the best possible chance of success.

[@davelaatsch4145]

Its totally your setup, the oberon series is not bright at all instead err on the neutral side. I cannot even stand 30 seconds listening to B&W speakers because of the bright you describe. No other reviewer of these speakers has this opinion. Try changing your amp.

[@NemoPropaganda]

You're making the mistake everyone else makes assuming the whole series sounds the same, the Oberon 1 is bright & sharp, it does not the sound the same as the towers which are more neutral. I don't have just have 1 room or 1 amp, I tried these speakers in multiple rooms and even let friends borrow them. Everyone including the friends that liked bright speakers felt they were sharp & bright.

[@meomarte]

You have good information to offer and you word it well for an american. But why must you whisper? Speaking up properly would be so much better for a video presentation. I know it´s difficult to raise your voice in a quiet room, but please consider the camera being a classroom full of people. Make sure the back row hears you.

[@NemoPropaganda]

i use an iphone & lav mic to film lol, this channel is just for fun. I've tried to get the sound to be better but it's hard, more sensitive mic makes it louder but also more noise from the background. I don't think I can get any better sound without using a real camera and I'm not willing to do that because again it's just for fun :)

[@meomarte]

@@NemoPropaganda Thanks for your response. You do realise I did not mean gear or sound level with my comment, but rather the acoustic output of your voice. Costs nothing to speak up. Higher air pressure in the vocal tract gives you better pronunciation, clearer voice and higher ratio between background noise and direct signal. Also the dynamic range is likely to be narrower if you keep it that way. Thus less need for compression. Sorry if I was unclear myself. :)

[@NemoPropaganda]

@@meomarte oh I see, yeah sometimes I talk louder but other times not, it kind of depends on my mood :). Talking louder than is natural can make you tired so sometimes I start out loud but after a few takes I get tired and more quiet so if the final take is the 5th one then I may be speaking softer without realizing it. If you look at the JBL 550p video I think I was pretty loud in that one.

[@StellarAudyssey]

So basically for borderline deaf people lol

[@NemoPropaganda]

yup lol or people who love brightness.

[@chuckmaddison2924]

What ya say sonny, can nary hear you..

[@cristim9779]

I can't stand Dali speakers. I really don't like that top end. Very fatiguing.

[@jusjash]

Hey Nemo, curse word doesnt do anything good for your reviews. Dont take your subscribers for granted.

[@NemoPropaganda]

Sorry I don't understand what you mean. This is my personality though and I accept that some people may not like all of me. But I am not trying to be a famous youtuber, I only want people to subscribe who like my content and like me. So I don't take anything for granted, hell I never thought this channel would have more than a few hundred subscribers but at the same time I don't owe anyone anything. A subscription means you enjoy my content, it's not doing me any favors brother :)

[@mladenbasic1]

@@NemoPropaganda Thanks for using the words that everybody uses every day. Your approach is the main reason I subscribed.

[@mattkalis1567]

I have always thought Nemo was quite respectful to his subscribers. I don’t think the language means anything disrespectful... to me it is just him letting his personality be authentic. If that is not your flavor, that’s cool,!.... but please don’t ask him to dilute his own authenticity.

[@NemoPropaganda]

@@mladenbasic1 Thank you brother.