Dali Floor Standing Speakers

expos81

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Hi

I currently have 2 Zensor 1's, 2 Zensor 3's, 2 Alteco and a Vokal Centre and I'm thinking of buying some floor standing speakers, I would probably move the Zensor 1s to the back and sell the Zensor 3s.

I have a Denon 2700h AVR.

I looked at the Zensor 5 or 7, but as the range is so old, I may need to go with a newer range as none seem to be available.

I'm looking at the Oberon or Opticon Range. Any thoughts on these?
 
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Oticon 6 would be great as would Oberon 5 and 7. Opticon 6 is a pretty large speaker tho but has a well balanced smooth sound.
 
Hi

I currently have 2 Zensor 1's, 2 Zensor 3's, 2 Alteco and a Vokal Centre and I'm thinking of buying some floor standing speakers, I would probably move the Zensor 1s to the back and sell the Zensor 3s.

I have a Denon 2700h AVR.

I looked at the Zensor 5 or 7, but as the range is so old, I may need to go with a newer range as none seem to be available.

I'm looking at the Oberon or Opticon Range. Any thoughts on these?

Opticon 6 would be ideal for 2ch listening due to dual tweeter (dome/ribbon) and especially the old range which is now on sale with limited availability. The new Opticon 6 mk2 model costs 1500£ so this is good deal under 1k£:





Opticon Vokal on sale too -100£.


 
Oticon 6 would be great as would Oberon 5 and 7. Opticon 6 is a pretty large speaker tho but has a well balanced smooth sound.
Hi, I can get the oberon 7 for £999 with 2 years interest free which is very tempting.

My wife asked me last night, what sound differences would we hear when watching a film with these types of speakers compared to the Zensor 1's. Like, as we live in an apartment we can't go louder. I just said better, but do you know if the quality would be noticeably different?
 
If your main use is movies and you already have decent subwoofer then there is less difference especially if you have been using Zensor 3s as main speakers. Found few Zensors if the Opticons are too expensive. If you would upgrade to Opticons i would also swap the center channel cause it´s one of the most active speaker in your system on movies.



 
If your main use is movies and you already have decent subwoofer then there is less difference especially if you have been using Zensor 3s as main speakers. Found few Zensors if the Opticons are too expensive. If you would upgrade to Opticons i would also swap the center channel cause it´s one of the most active speaker in your system on movies.



Yes, we only watch movies. I do not have a subwoofer as the neighbours complained as the subwoofer I did have at the time was making the whole flat rumble as it was on the floor so we got rid of it as it was only a cheap one I got when I first started. That's why I think the floor standing speakers appeal to me as they may add base, but it would be higher so less chance of the vibrations going through the floor. I maybe wrong on that though.
 
Yes, we only watch movies. I do not have a subwoofer as the neighbours complained as the subwoofer I did have at the time was making the whole flat rumble as it was on the floor so we got rid of it as it was only a cheap one I got when I first started. That's why I think the floor standing speakers appeal to me as they may add base, but it would be higher so less chance of the vibrations going through the floor. I maybe wrong on that though.

It can be tricky with subwoofer if you have thin walls / poor soundproofing in apartment etc. But also if the woofer was cheap ported model also known as one note wonders, sounding boomy or boosted bass in certain range. Location where you had it can also make difference. If the neighbour is downstairs under you then it´s hard, but if it`s wall neighbour then you could consider some decent sealed subwoofer near the couch/seats as in nearfield. This way you get some decent impact without having to play the sub so loud that it bothers neighbour. I have done this in apartment and could play overall quite loud without issues. Would be great if you could get some woofer for home trial to test it out, not sure is that possible though.

Sure the floorstander route would make more sense if you can´t have subwoofer. Then i would buy the Zensor 7 straight, assuming you also have some medium sized room. I have heard the Zensor 5s and they were very bass light, but the 7s should be quite the opposite. Still i would rather pick some quality sealed sub, but depending of those few things not sure is it possible to play it without neighbour going crazy. I have never had issues with subwoofers in apartments, just using common sense with it which time you play it and you have also calibrate the subwoofer & speakers so it isn´t booming louder sounding as own source, it should blend in kinda disappear just bring the weight and depth there when needed.
 
Hi, I can get the oberon 7 for £999 with 2 years interest free which is very tempting.

My wife asked me last night, what sound differences would we hear when watching a film with these types of speakers compared to the Zensor 1's. Like, as we live in an apartment we can't go louder. I just said better, but do you know if the quality would be noticeably different?
Going to Oberon or Opticon floorstanders will give you a larger more refined sound even at lower volumes, I can only comment on the Opticon 6 as I've not the heard the Oberon range but owners seem very happy with them for surround sound duties so the Oberon 5 or 7 may be just the ticket.
 
Hi, @Kapkirk @Gasp3621 thanks again for your feedback on this.

I emailed Peter Tyson before posting here and asked what would be the best option for me if I was to pick between the Oberon 5, 7, or the Opticon range.

They replied with this:

I would recommend going for the Oberon 5 floor stander. In all respects other than bass extension it is a better-sounding speaker than the larger 7. The Opticons are superb but to make the most of them you would be looking at an upgrade on the amp and centre speaker (which produces significantly more of a movie soundtrack than the left and right speakers) for it to be worthwhile.

Does this sound like good advice? I am pretty surprised that the larger and more expensive option is not suggested, which is encouraging from a retailer I guess. I actually wanted bigger-looking speakers so it looked more impressive, but I guess the most important thing is the quality of sound.

If you had to choose between the Oberon 5 for £699, Oberon 7 for £999, and the Opticon MK 2 for £1349, which would be the best investment for my existing amp, as this is something I will not be upgrading for a long time as I only bought it a couple of months ago.

Would you suggest moving the Zensor 3 to replace the Zensor 1 at the side of us as these are bigger speakers?
 
If you don´t buy subwoofer then i would still consider the larger model cause those Oberon 5s are very slim/small when you see them and dual 5,25" isn´t even enough for music for many people (bass wise) without sub. I had competitors speakers which were same size with same driver size, heard both and similar way bass light, but i had a sub which dealt the issue for movies. I have also read that the Zensor/Oberon 5 may sound tad better in some areas, but purely for dynamics and big sound the larger model is ahead noticeably. If you would have sub then it could be easy choice with the 5s, but i feel you might regret it cause they really don´t have strong low end, at least Zensor 5s didn´t and the specs are very much same for Oberon 5s. Maybe the PT dealer guy forgot that you didn´t have subwoofer.

Oberon 7 costs nearly 1k£, while the better Opticon would be tad under. But would you get the matching center channel later then? I think it would really come down to this. I remember few members upgrading from Zensor Vokal to this one and clear upgrade for movies.


If you still lean toward Oberons i would think used Zensors cause they suppose to be so close each other, one dealer made comparison on youtube actually prefered Zensor 5s over Oberon 5s. Sound Sommelier or something who does lot of speaker comparisons there. You have the Zensor center channel so you could just add the Zensor 7 speakers and call it a day, see my post #5 which had few of those under 500£! Oberon is just newer version, but 50-60% more expensive but not 2x times better and you still end up with non-matching center channel. Would it be close enough i don´t know.

Opticon 6 are better speakers than Oberon 7 for about same price. While the X2700H would normally be used Spektor/Oberon range speakers i don´t see issue running Opticons with Denon. We have had lot of members doing that with similar level other brand speakers w/ X2x000 Denon.

 
If you don´t buy subwoofer then i would still consider the larger model cause those Oberon 5s are very slim/small when you see them and dual 5,25" isn´t even enough for music for many people (bass wise) without sub. I had competitors speakers which were same size with same driver size, heard both and similar way bass light, but i had a sub which dealt the issue for movies. I have also read that the Zensor/Oberon 5 may sound tad better in some areas, but purely for dynamics and big sound the larger model is ahead noticeably. If you would have sub then it could be easy choice with the 5s, but i feel you might regret it cause they really don´t have strong low end, at least Zensor 5s didn´t and the specs are very much same for Oberon 5s. Maybe the PT dealer guy forgot that you didn´t have subwoofer.

Oberon 7 costs nearly 1k£, while the better Opticon would be tad under. But would you get the matching center channel later then? I think it would really come down to this. I remember few members upgrading from Zensor Vokal to this one and clear upgrade for movies.


If you still lean toward Oberons i would think used Zensors cause they suppose to be so close each other, one dealer made comparison on youtube actually prefered Zensor 5s over Oberon 5s. Sound Sommelier or something who does lot of speaker comparisons there. You have the Zensor center channel so you could just add the Zensor 7 speakers and call it a day, see my post #5 which had few of those under 500£! Oberon is just newer version, but 50-60% more expensive but not 2x times better and you still end up with non-matching center channel. Would it be close enough i don´t know.

Opticon 6 are better speakers than Oberon 7 for about same price. While the X2700H would normally be used Spektor/Oberon range speakers i don´t see issue running Opticons with Denon. We have had lot of members doing that with similar level other brand speakers w/ X2x000 Denon.

Hi, thanks for this. Richer Sounds are setting up some Oberon 5 and 7s for me to look at and also letting me compare the Oberon 3s to them, which are pretty close to Zensor 3's I guess.

Yeah, I saw those for sale, unfortunately, they are quite a distance from me, but I can keep an eye out for ones closer to Manchester. I am usually a bit nervous buying used for something like this. Other than listening to them, is there anything I should be wary of when asking/looking at used as I am not sure if they may have issues and I end up with some duds!

I have seen that there are some Opticon 6 MK2, is the difference noticeable with these compared to the first model they had?

I think I would look at the centre channel in the future as I am slowly improving it over time. I bought an LG CX a couple of months ago and also the Denon 2700H around the same time, and my Dali Alteco arrive tomorrow.

How come the Denon could possibly struggle with the Opticon speakers? Is it down to the power they require or need to get the most out of them?
 
Hi, thanks for this. Richer Sounds are setting up some Oberon 5 and 7s for me to look at and also letting me compare the Oberon 3s to them, which are pretty close to Zensor 3's I guess.

Yeah, I saw those for sale, unfortunately, they are quite a distance from me, but I can keep an eye out for ones closer to Manchester. I am usually a bit nervous buying used for something like this. Other than listening to them, is there anything I should be wary of when asking/looking at used as I am not sure if they may have issues and I end up with some duds!

I have seen that there are some Opticon 6 MK2, is the difference noticeable with these compared to the first model they had?

I think I would look at the centre channel in the future as I am slowly improving it over time. I bought an LG CX a couple of months ago and also the Denon 2700H around the same time, and my Dali Alteco arrive tomorrow.

How come the Denon could possibly struggle with the Opticon speakers? Is it down to the power they require or need to get the most out of them?

That´s great to hear, then you should get your answers. Try different movies / songs etc. with both speakers and make sure there is no subwoofer in use (!) and the main speakers are set full range! Will be intresting to hear your thoughts. Dali speakers usually are kept shooting straight so no toe in. I don´t see any point swapping Zensor 3 to Oberon 3. You could buy Opticon 2 cheaper than those! Although many feels that when jumping to Opticon they should get the towers due to having the dual tweeters.

I don´t know the difference MK2 and the earlier, they were just announced about 2-4 week ago. Usually bit more refined, not night and day better. Please also listen those 6 mk2 if they have them! Then you would hear the difference between Oberon and Opticons.

In normal use Denon won`t be struggling with the Opticons as you aren´t even listening loud due to neighbours so there is lot power in reserve (headroom). Nothing to worry. If you have booked the demo time, call them again and ask them to set X2700H for the demo and then you can hopefully listen the Opticons with it so it would be as close to home situation then.. :)
 
Hi, @Kapkirk @Gasp3621 thanks again for your feedback on this.

I emailed Peter Tyson before posting here and asked what would be the best option for me if I was to pick between the Oberon 5, 7, or the Opticon range.

They replied with this:



Does this sound like good advice? I am pretty surprised that the larger and more expensive option is not suggested, which is encouraging from a retailer I guess. I actually wanted bigger-looking speakers so it looked more impressive, but I guess the most important thing is the quality of sound.

If you had to choose between the Oberon 5 for £699, Oberon 7 for £999, and the Opticon MK 2 for £1349, which would be the best investment for my existing amp, as this is something I will not be upgrading for a long time as I only bought it a couple of months ago.

Would you suggest moving the Zensor 3 to replace the Zensor 1 at the side of us as these are bigger speakers?
I can see where Peter Tyson's are coming from tbh, in a purely cinema setup the left and right fronts are less important than the centre speaker (when used with a subwoofer) and the Oberon 5's would probably more than suffice. However, If you were listening to music as well then the extra expense for the opticon 6 would definitely be worth it. I've not heard the MK2 version of the opticon 6 but was using the MK1 at home for a week with both a 60 watt per ch Cambridge CX60 and Yamaha Surround amp (75 watts) and was impressed with them for both movies and music but they are fairly large speakers.
If you have the room and want to get something to keep you happy for a while then the Mk1's can be had for well under 1K and am sure you would love the sound.
I'm not really sure if you get the benefit of the newer versions over the older model for theatre use considering how much extra they cost, If it were me and wanted best bang for buck I would get the outgoing model Opticon 6 Mk1's but only you can make the final decision.
 
If you don´t buy subwoofer then i would still consider the larger model cause those Oberon 5s are very slim/small when you see them and dual 5,25" isn´t even enough for music for many people (bass wise) without sub. I had competitors speakers which were same size with same driver size, heard both and similar way bass light, but i had a sub which dealt the issue for movies. I have also read that the Zensor/Oberon 5 may sound tad better in some areas, but purely for dynamics and big sound the larger model is ahead noticeably. If you would have sub then it could be easy choice with the 5s, but i feel you might regret it cause they really don´t have strong low end, at least Zensor 5s didn´t and the specs are very much same for Oberon 5s. Maybe the PT dealer guy forgot that you didn´t have subwoofer.

Oberon 7 costs nearly 1k£, while the better Opticon would be tad under. But would you get the matching center channel later then? I think it would really come down to this. I remember few members upgrading from Zensor Vokal to this one and clear upgrade for movies.


If you still lean toward Oberons i would think used Zensors cause they suppose to be so close each other, one dealer made comparison on youtube actually prefered Zensor 5s over Oberon 5s. Sound Sommelier or something who does lot of speaker comparisons there. You have the Zensor center channel so you could just add the Zensor 7 speakers and call it a day, see my post #5 which had few of those under 500£! Oberon is just newer version, but 50-60% more expensive but not 2x times better and you still end up with non-matching center channel. Would it be close enough i don´t know.

Opticon 6 are better speakers than Oberon 7 for about same price. While the X2700H would normally be used Spektor/Oberon range speakers i don´t see issue running Opticons with Denon. We have had lot of members doing that with similar level other brand speakers w/ X2x000 Denon.

Hi, on this post and I've read a few people say this too regarding my amp, how can I see what speakers are best suited to my amp? Is it that the power output on the amp is always higher than the speakers max output?
 
I can see where Peter Tyson's are coming from tbh, in a purely cinema setup the left and right fronts are less important than the centre speaker (when used with a subwoofer) and the Oberon 5's would probably more than suffice. However, If you were listening to music as well then the extra expense for the opticon 6 would definitely be worth it. I've not heard the MK2 version of the opticon 6 but was using the MK1 at home for a week with both a 60 watt per ch Cambridge CX60 and Yamaha Surround amp (75 watts) and was impressed with them for both movies and music but they are fairly large speakers.
If you have the room and want to get something to keep you happy for a while then the Mk1's can be had for well under 1K and am sure you would love the sound.
I'm not really sure if you get the benefit of the newer versions over the older model for theatre use considering how much extra they cost, If it were me and wanted best bang for buck I would get the outgoing model Opticon 6 Mk1's but only you can make the final decision.
Would the 2700h be able to handle the Opticon 6 with a Vokal Centre, Alteco c1 and zensor 1s, or would the Oberon 5/7 be more suited for my amp?
 
Hi, on this post and I've read a few people say this too regarding my amp, how can I see what speakers are best suited to my amp? Is it that the power output on the amp is always higher than the speakers max output?

I wouldn`t worry about the power ratings, they are so close each other and as you live in apartment there won´t be any issues powering the Opticons or Oberons with your receiver even if the first one has nominal impedance of 4ohms which seems to scare some people. Keep in mind that Denon doesn´t even bring all the models for UK, example in US they have 3 models below X2700H so it´s not the lowest budget model either even if it´s seen in that way in UK also due to lower price than in US/EU. When you go demo speakers ask to listen the Opticon 6 mk2 (even if you are eyeing the mk1) and call before so you get the same receiver for the session as you have at home. Richer Sounds will do this if you book the time. If you get a chance to listen both Oberons and the new Opticon then i think you will have good idea which way to go. Hopefully. :)
 
Would the 2700h be able to handle the Opticon 6 with a Vokal Centre, Alteco c1 and zensor 1s, or would the Oberon 5/7 be more suited for my amp?
Should be enough as long as you don't need ear splitting volumes, JFYI, Richer Sounds Southgate currently have a pair of Opticon 6 mk1 going for £675 on their clearance bargains, and Oberon 7's for £795 on their warehouse clearance bargains.
 
Should be enough as long as you don't need ear splitting volumes, JFYI, Richer Sounds Southgate currently have a pair of Opticon 6 mk1 going for £675 on their clearance bargains, and Oberon 7's for £795 on their warehouse clearance bargains.
Hi, I can't seem to find the Opticons. Do you know if they are black?
 
They have 7 pairs available across 7 stores, the ones from Southgate are in Walnut finish but others are available.
Try this link DALI OPTICON 6 (Walnut)
..or go to clearance bargains select Southgate store then go to page 6
 
They have 7 pairs available across 7 stores, the ones from Southgate are in Walnut finish but others are available.
Try this link DALI OPTICON 6 (Walnut)
..or go to clearance bargains select Southgate store then go to page 6

Thanks. I went through every store and found some Opticon 5s for £650. Opticon 6 for £719.

I'm going to listen to the Oberon 5 and 7 in a few hours, but now I'm not sure whether to go for the Opticon 5 or 6...
 
Thanks. I went through every store and found some Opticon 5s for £650. Opticon 6 for £719.

I'm going to listen to the Oberon 5 and 7 in a few hours, but now I'm not sure whether to go for the Opticon 5 or 6...

Opticon 6 if you go with Opticon range! Also try to listen the new 6 mk2 model if they have it there. It won´t be night and day different to old one. It would be important to hear the d ifferece to Oberons. 675£ is amazing price for the Opticon 6s, -48% from RRP.
 
Opticon 6 if you go with Opticon range! Also try to listen the new 6 mk2 model if they have it there. It won´t be night and day different to old one. It would be important to hear the d ifferece to Oberons. 675£ is amazing price for the Opticon 6s, -48% from RRP.
I have just listened to the Oberon 5 and 7 and loved them both. The 7s had more bass and more wow factor to them, my only worry is the bass may be a bit strong at times for the neighbours. Do you know if you can turn down just the bass on the speakers, but leave the rest as is?

Yes, the Optikon 6s look a good purchase. I have a lot of thinking to do I think
 
I have just listened to the Oberon 5 and 7 and loved them both. The 7s had more bass and more wow factor to them, my only worry is the bass may be a bit strong at times for the neighbours. Do you know if you can turn down just the bass on the speakers, but leave the rest as is?

Yes, the Optikon 6s look a good purchase. I have a lot of thinking to do I think

But you didn´t even have sub so i would certainly want bit weight and depth. Just don`t keep the speakers too close to walls and you should be fine. It really comes down to volume listened so keeping things at moderate level you should be covered. I think the Opticon 6 would be the sweet spot, maybe not as strong bass as 7s, but the bass quality and mids & highs should be better. What i know for a fact after talking with Dali is the Opticon range has a) better cabinet b) better drivers c) higher quality audio crossover components. If you can get the open box Opticon 6 for 675£ as that link showed then it´s a no brainer really. Of course you have to change the center channel too. But that would make another good change for movies assuming you can place it optimally. Check the dimensions.
 
But you didn´t even have sub so i would certainly want bit weight and depth. Just don`t keep the speakers too close to walls and you should be fine. It really comes down to volume listened so keeping things at moderate level you should be covered. I think the Opticon 6 would be the sweet spot, maybe not as strong bass as 7s, but the bass quality and mids & highs should be better. What i know for a fact after talking with Dali is the Opticon range has a) better cabinet b) better drivers c) higher quality audio crossover components. If you can get the open box Opticon 6 for 675£ as that link showed then it´s a no brainer really. Of course you have to change the center channel too. But that would make another good change for movies assuming you can place it optimally. Check the dimensions.
I asked about them and there were some bad scratches down the side hence the big drop in price unfortunately.

Yeah, I think if we got the 7s then the bass should be OK as I'll just have to be weary of the neighbours and try and creep it up a bit each time.

New opticon 6s are basically the same price as the Oberon 7s.
 
Yep but still at same price you get better speakers, so... Would it then come the need of upgrade the center channel (Opticons) or if you buy the Oberons you would keep the Zensor Vokal.
 

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