Dali Oberon 1 vs on-wall

[TheGreatMido]

Hi! New around here and after some advice from you kind people, if I may.

I'm finally taking the plunge and diving into a proper surround sound upgrade after a fond 11 years with my beloved Logitech Z5500s. They served me well but no HDMI in so no good for the latest gen of consoles that no longer have optical audio!

I intend to purchase the Denon AVC-X3700H AV receiver along with the Dali Oberon 5 5.1 setup, and multiple websites offer a nice bundle. However, I've noticed that the bundles seem to exclusively offer the on-wall speakers as the 'rears' as opposed to the bulkier Oberon 1s, but looking at speaker-only bundles that do offer the choice it seems it's actually CHEAPER to go with the 1s over on-wall.

My question is this, as I can't find an answer anywhere: what, if any, is the sound quality difference between the on-walls and the 1s? I would assume the 1s would be better based on the weightier build and would prefer to use these as my rears if so, particularly as they seem better for mounting Atmos up-firing speakers should I choose to go down this route later.

Thanks in advance!

 

[Gasp3621]

There is not much difference between those two models (identical drivers) cause the Oberon 1 are very small to begin with so it won`t have noticeable edge in bass extension
(51hz vs 55hz +/- 3db). Naturally the On-Wall is designed for wall mounting as it also has downfiring port and looks much better. Oberon 1 is ideally meant to be used with stands or top of some bookshelf/av-unit with a little space behind them due to rear firing port. However they can be wall mounted too, but you want to use the port bungs then to seal the ports! There is keyhole for wall mounting. So with the Oberon 1 you would run them sealed and Oberon On-Wall ported when they are wall mounted. It likely won´t make much difference for effect channels so choose which ever feels better. For 5.1 system you ideally would want the surround l/r to be placed on side wall either side of listeners (not too close either), not directly behind you. But you do what is possible in your room.

5.1 Virtual Speaker Setup

Use our speaker placement guide to optimize your home theater with 5.1. virtual speaker setup with Dolby Atmos sound. Enjoy your entertainment in Dolby.

www.dolby.com

The X3700H is good pick and there is also the Marantz SR6015 which is basically almost same receiver as these two are sister companies sharing parts, but some feel it sounds better with music listening. Price is same for both.

Marantz SR6015 9.2ch 8K AV Amplifier with Dali Oberon 5 AV Speaker System

When you buy the Marantz SR6015 with this speaker package, you'll make significant savings. Not only that but we also offer the option to buy on Finance. Free next working day delivery to most UK regions is also included.

petertyson.co.uk

Denon AVC-X3700H Amplifier with Dali Oberon 5 AV Speaker System

When you buy the '3700H with the Oberon 5 speaker package as a bundle, you'll make significant savings. Not only that but we also offer the option to buy on Finance. Free next working day delivery to most UK regions is also included.

petertyson.co.uk

One thing you need to do though is to buy the system without the Dali subwoofer! Any dealer should be willing to drop the sub when asked. It would be big mistake to take the bundled sub as there is so much better ones available from dedicated subwoofer manufacturers. If you think about this more carefully you pay 2500£ for a nice system and then get you underwhelming little E9F that is tiny 9" ported sub with 39hz port tuning. This means you are going to lose ton of the fun stuff. If you haven´t experienced high quality subwoofer before you have no idea what you would be missing. Swapping that E9F with something larger will take your system to another level. However what to buy depends a) budget b) size how large it can be c) finish d) give some information about your room size and does it have openings?


There would be also the soon discontinued Monitor Audio Silver available for nearly same price. This would be step up from Oberons, more competing with Dali Opticon range. Comes also with nicer finish (real wood veneers, gloss black, satin white). The bundled price for the package is 3000£, but this comes with 700£ subwoofer which i would swap still unless you really want compact size and identical finish to speakers. So the 5.0 + Denon/Marantz would come around 2000-2300£ depending what kind of bundle deal they can make. For subwoofer you would need 400-500£ minium. Say if you are intrested and i will link them for you. If you are sold on the Dalis then all good, we can just look better sub after you answer to those things i listed.

As for the Atmos both brands has upfiring modules which can be placed on top of speakers, but the results can vary and lot of people prefer them mounted high up on wall shooting down as height channels. There is again keyholes at the rear for wall mounting. Dali has Alteco C-1.

 

[TheGreatMido]

Very thorough response, thank you!

There is not much difference between those two models (identical drivers) cause the Oberon 1 are very small to begin with so it won`t have noticeable edge in bass extension
(51hz vs 55hz +/- 3db). Naturally the On-Wall is designed for wall mounting as it also has downfiring port and looks much better. Oberon 1 is ideally meant to be used with stands or top of some bookshelf/av-unit with a little space behind them due to rear firing port. However they can be wall mounted too, but you want to use the port bungs then to seal the ports! There is keyhole for wall mounting. So with the Oberon 1 you would run them sealed and Oberon On-Wall ported when they are wall mounted. It likely won´t make much difference for effect channels so choose which ever feels better. For 5.1 system you ideally would want the surround l/r to be placed on side wall either side of listeners (not too close either), not directly behind you. But you do what is possible in your room.

The rears will be placed on desks as per the Dolby recommended positioning with plenty of surrounding space, so I'm thinking the 1s then. I'll see if I can negotiate them into the deal, ideally for the £100 discount.

5.1 Virtual Speaker Setup

Use our speaker placement guide to optimize your home theater with 5.1. virtual speaker setup with Dolby Atmos sound. Enjoy your entertainment in Dolby.

www.dolby.com

The X3700H is good pick and there is also the Marantz SR6015 which is basically almost same receiver as these two are sister companies sharing parts, but some feel it sounds better with music listening. Price is same for both.

Marantz SR6015 9.2ch 8K AV Amplifier with Dali Oberon 5 AV Speaker System

When you buy the Marantz SR6015 with this speaker package, you'll make significant savings. Not only that but we also offer the option to buy on Finance. Free next working day delivery to most UK regions is also included.

petertyson.co.uk

Denon AVC-X3700H Amplifier with Dali Oberon 5 AV Speaker System

When you buy the '3700H with the Oberon 5 speaker package as a bundle, you'll make significant savings. Not only that but we also offer the option to buy on Finance. Free next working day delivery to most UK regions is also included.

petertyson.co.uk

Hmm, I'll consider both models, thank you.

One thing you need to do though is to buy the system without the Dali subwoofer! Any dealer should be willing to drop the sub when asked. It would be big mistake to take the bundled sub as there is so much better ones available from dedicated subwoofer manufacturers. If you think about this more carefully you pay 2500£ for a nice system and then get you underwhelming little E9F that is tiny 9" ported sub with 39hz port tuning. This means you are going to lose ton of the fun stuff. If you haven´t experienced high quality subwoofer before you have no idea what you would be missing. Swapping that E9F with something larger will take your system to another level. However what to buy depends a) budget b) size how large it can be c) finish d) give some information about your room size and does it have openings?

I'm liking this idea!

a) Sort of hard to say on budget, but certainly happy to meet the £500 minimum you mention and would consider higher if there's a big quality leap within reasonable reach.

b) If it's up front then I'll have a space of roughly 20"x20"x20" (see photo - will sit between a front speaker and TV stand), otherwise I'd need to do some more rearranging.

c) Quite flexible on this!

d) I'm in a flat with a kitchen/living room hybrid. The living room section is approx. 13'x12' with the TV against a 13' wall (see photo below). The display cabinets and existing speaker stands will make way for the front speakers and sub.

I don't have a photo from the other direction but the sofa acts as a sort of divide between living room and kitchen, and there are desks either side of the sofa that stretch behind it, allowing me to place rear speakers fairly optimally.

There would be also the soon discontinued Monitor Audio Silver available for nearly same price. This would be step up from Oberons, more competing with Dali Opticon range. Comes also with nicer finish (real wood veneers, gloss black, satin white). The bundled price for the package is 3000£, but this comes with 700£ subwoofer which i would swap still unless you really want compact size and identical finish to speakers. So the 5.0 + Denon/Marantz would come around 2000-2300£ depending what kind of bundle deal they can make. For subwoofer you would need 400-500£ minium. Say if you are intrested and i will link them for you. If you are sold on the Dalis then all good, we can just look better sub after you answer to those things i listed.

As for the Atmos both brands has upfiring modules which can be placed on top of speakers, but the results can vary and lot of people prefer them mounted high up on wall shooting down as height channels. There is again keyholes at the rear for wall mounting. Dali has Alteco C-1.

Regarding Atmos, I was planning to experiment with up-firing before mounting anything but as you can see, I can get the front C-1s high on the wall directly above where the front speakers will be. Rear C-1s can also be directly above the corresponding speakers but would need mounting on the side walls rather than the back due to the kitchen placement.

 

[Gasp3621]

Shame you have those big cabinets there, i would have wanted the mains little further apart but we do what we can. Push them as much apart as possible to sides of those tall cabs and bring them (Ob.5) forward some, they don´t require toe in as Dali recommends their speakers shooting straight ahead. I would strongly consider wall mounting the tv so you could get the center channel on top of that glass unit. Center channel is most active speaker in your system and optimizing it`s placement is important. However i understand if you feel the tv would go too high then and changing the glass unit to lower one will cost money..

I can´t remember one Alteco C-1 owner who would been happy with the upfiring. But it doesn´t cost anything to try them like that. Most owners at AVF has wall mounted them.

Ok that will be about medium size in total with the opening give or take, just wanted to get some idea as some cases member could have super tiny room or some very large open room.

See my post #6 in the below thread which has the popular 500£ options listed in UK.

Monitor Audio BX5.1

Hi all, seems my sub from my BX5.1 set up has wrapped itself. I have an additional pair of bipoles and some atmos for 9.1, but the sub has started popping when it powers on. I'm gonna need to repair or replace, but figured I would ask here if anyone knows of a better replacement or if I should...

www.avforums.com

SVS PC2000 cylinder model doesn´t take ton of floorspace, but it is taller at 86.4 cm x 42.2 cm (H x diameter) so it would likely need to go on the front side wall unless you can move one tall cabinet to make room for it at corner. It was priced 599£ week ago so you could call and ask can they still do that. Even at 699£ it`s a good deal, step up from the Monoprice 10 THX and few others if you like the cylinder shape (light weight to move too). There is black oak and gloss black top. SVS just like Monoprice has 5year amp warranty.

SVS PC2000 Cylinder Subwoofer, Gloss Black Top at AV.com

SVS PC2000 Cylinder Subwoofer, Gloss Black Top at AV.com

www.av.com

SVS PC2000 Cylinder Subwoofer, Black Ash Top at AV.com

SVS PC2000 Cylinder Subwoofer, Black Ash Top at AV.com

www.av.com

Which of those intrests most?

 

[TheGreatMido]

Shame you have those big cabinets there, i would have wanted the mains little further apart but we do what we can. Push them as much apart as possible to sides of those tall cabs and bring them (Ob.5) forward some, they don´t require toe in as Dali recommends their speakers shooting straight ahead. I would strongly consider wall mounting the tv so you could get the center channel on top of that glass unit. Center channel is most active speaker in your system and optimizing it`s placement is important. However i understand if you feel the tv would go too high then and changing the glass unit to lower one will cost money..

I'm quite reluctant to mess with the walls too much in this flat, especially if I'll be mounting C-1s, and I prefer the aesthetic of a standing TV so for now a TV stand will have to do. That said, I'm open to looking into TV stands that will allow me to elevate the centre speaker a little more.

EDIT: I believe I've devised a simple solution to this - a basic bit of DIY to create a wooden stand for the TV to sit directly on that has clearance for the centre speaker underneath!

On the subject of toe-in, if I won't be angling the Dali rears towards me and will instead be utilising a flatter angle then am I better off having them facing each other or towards the TV?

I can´t remember one Alteco C-1 owner who would been happy with the upfiring. But it doesn´t cost anything to try them like that. Most owners at AVF has wall mounted them.

Yeah, I imagine I'll end up mounting them but I'm quite curious about up-firing, if nothing else!

Ok that will be about medium size in total with the opening give or take, just wanted to get some idea as some cases member could have super tiny room or some very large open room.

See my post #6 in the below thread which has the popular 500£ options listed in UK.

Monitor Audio BX5.1

Hi all, seems my sub from my BX5.1 set up has wrapped itself. I have an additional pair of bipoles and some atmos for 9.1, but the sub has started popping when it powers on. I'm gonna need to repair or replace, but figured I would ask here if anyone knows of a better replacement or if I should...

www.avforums.com

SVS PC2000 cylinder model doesn´t take ton of floorspace, but it is taller at 86.4 cm x 42.2 cm (H x diameter) so it would likely need to go on the front side wall unless you can move one tall cabinet to make room for it at corner. It was priced 599£ week ago so you could call and ask can they still do that. Even at 699£ it`s a good deal, step up from the Monoprice 10 THX and few others if you like the cylinder shape (light weight to move too). There is black oak and gloss black top. SVS just like Monoprice has 5year amp warranty.

SVS PC2000 Cylinder Subwoofer, Gloss Black Top at AV.com

SVS PC2000 Cylinder Subwoofer, Gloss Black Top at AV.com

www.av.com

SVS PC2000 Cylinder Subwoofer, Black Ash Top at AV.com

SVS PC2000 Cylinder Subwoofer, Black Ash Top at AV.com

www.av.com

Which of those intrests most?

I can't say I'm a fan of the PC2000 either aesthetically or practically but the PB1000 looks like it could be a good fit for me. Given that I have neighbours beneath me and to the sides I want to remain respectful as well so investing too much into bass at this property might not prove worthwhile anyway!

 

[Gasp3621]

Try yourself with the "rears", use something to raise them up boxes or something and listen which spot sounds better. Keep in mind that you want them about seated ear height, not much higher (tweeters) cause you going for Atmos so there must be some height separation between effects. The front three will be facing straight ahead, no toe in. You can start the centre speaker in the av-unit, raise the front of it to shoot upwards and bring it slightly bit out from the av-unit.

You want good high quality sub still. If you are scared about the the neighbour and aren´t warming up to spend much so what about sealed BK XXLS400-FF it has been one of forum favourites since 2009. You can choose some wood veneer that suits room decor or let wife/mrs choose. Have a look the link below. Dimensions: 450D x 400H x 400W. Fairly compact and priced 465£.

XXLS400-FF

BK has couple different ebay sites, in the second one they have one new grade-b walnut FF in mint shape and normal warranty for 452£ + shipping (10£?). Normally 520£ for this finish.

Bk Electronics Xxls400-ff Subwoofer in Walnut Veneer for sale online | eBay

Find many great new & used options and get the best deals for Bk Electronics Xxls400-ff Subwoofer in Walnut Veneer at the best online prices at eBay! Free delivery for many products!

www.ebay.co.uk

Another alternative is the smaller SVS SB1000 Pro. Forum member just got this for 540£ from Richer Sounds! It`s very compact and surely packs a punch! Finish isn´t as nice as with BK, but you do get lot more modern design as whole plus longer warranty. SVS is probably most known subwoofer manufacturer, they do have one of the best customer service and support system.

SVS SB-1000 Pro (Black Ash)

Shop for SVS SB-1000 Pro (Black Ash) Subwoofer with Richer Sounds for expert advice and lowest prices guaranteed

www.richersounds.com

SVS SB-1000 Pro Subwoofer Review

Review of the SVS SB-1000 Pro Subwoofer

www.avforums.com

 

[TheGreatMido]

Try yourself with the "rears", use something to raise them up boxes or something and listen which spot sounds better. Keep in mind that you want them about seated ear height, not much higher (tweeters) cause you going for Atmos so there must be some height separation between effects. The front three will be facing straight ahead, no toe in. You can start the centre speaker in the av-unit, raise the front of it to shoot upwards and bring it slightly bit out from the av-unit.

Makes sense, I'll experiment to find my preferred placement.

You want good high quality sub still. If you are scared about the the neighbour and aren´t warming up to spend much so what about sealed BK XXLS400-FF it has been one of forum favourites since 2009. You can choose some wood veneer that suits room decor or let wife/mrs choose. Have a look the link below. Dimensions: 450D x 400H x 400W. Fairly compact and priced 465£.

XXLS400-FF

BK has couple different ebay sites, in the second one they have one new grade-b walnut FF in mint shape and normal warranty for 452£ + shipping (10£?). Normally 520£ for this finish.

Bk Electronics Xxls400-ff Subwoofer in Walnut Veneer for sale online | eBay

Find many great new & used options and get the best deals for Bk Electronics Xxls400-ff Subwoofer in Walnut Veneer at the best online prices at eBay! Free delivery for many products!

www.ebay.co.uk

Another alternative is the smaller SVS SB1000 Pro. Forum member just got this for 540£ from Richer Sounds! It`s very compact and surely packs a punch! Finish isn´t as nice as with BK, but you do get lot more modern design as whole plus longer warranty. SVS is probably most known subwoofer manufacturer, they do have one of the best customer service and support system.

SVS SB-1000 Pro (Black Ash)

Shop for SVS SB-1000 Pro (Black Ash) Subwoofer with Richer Sounds for expert advice and lowest prices guaranteed

www.richersounds.com

SVS SB-1000 Pro Subwoofer Review

Review of the SVS SB-1000 Pro Subwoofer

www.avforums.com

A few more options for me to consider, thank you.

I did see you recommend the Monolith 12 THX in another thread which for some reason is leaping out at me, probably the future-proofing element. If I did raise my TV marginally then I could squeeze one of those in.

I've also been eyeing up the SVS PB1000 Pro, thoughts on that one?