Have you any experience with JSE Infinite Slope speakers? I have a pair of .6s with a claimed 100+db per octave on a 2 way. Id love to see what you make of them.
@@welshrarebit9238 I had the Dali Zensor, I thought it was astoundingly good hooked up to Cambridge DAC and amp. I am happy they can produce such an excellent product at the prices they do. I did have a clown in another group who told me if I dont have a $200,000 system I dont know what good is. Its like that 1980s song, Love the one you are with...
@Lloyd Stout you can still hear the difference. The speaker will sound different is different rooms anyway. So it's not a bad idea, one would still be able to pick up the big differences. More bass, better treble and so on. Of course being in a lab will bring out the smallest of changes. I am sure, you should be able to hear the differences to the base model and the modified one.
From watching Danny's videos, it seems like the most prudent action is to buy used, but well-regarded speakers at 50% off retail and then have Danny work his magic to upgrade it. 😀
I was a salesman for Dali speakers in the mid 80's. They were killers then and when tested against other big name speaker companies of that time the Dali's out-classed them. Today I still own an unchanged working pair from that time. At that time they were not made with cheap drivers, compacitors, crossovers, etc. Wow how times have changed.
Dali is the new jamo, cheaply build, very brightly tuned, so in comparison in the shop the will standout in comparison with more " serious speakers, THAT'S how you sell , when the customer comes home those speakers quickly disappoint, so off to the same shop and trade them in for even more expensive models, THAT'S how the business iss done.
I got these speakers as an upgrade from my klipsch rp500. They did sound more sophisticated but not as Live as the klipsch. The overall output/performance was lacking to me. I ordered The gr research upgrade kit, and whoa, it was an incredible change for the better. I hear backup singers now, I hear random instruments that weren't there before, I can place musicians now, guitar left, base right, drummer in the back. Its was like going from watching HD to watching Blu-ray. The image is no longer flat, if it's a sad song the singer sounds sad not just saying sad words. The upgrade was TOTALLY worth it. Thanks Danny, we'll done!
Buy a set of $100.000 speakers, measure, then add $30.000 worth of better components, and yes they will measure better. The speakers have a certain price point for a reason. I don't think Dali would make much of a profit if they spend over $300 in components and keep the same retail prises in this case. And I do hear a lot about measuring, but listening isn't about measuring, it's about experiencing. It is great that you create these upgrade kits, and I am sure they can improve the base speaker that it will be applied to. But don't talk down a speaker just because you can improve it, for a good chunk of extra money. It's just not fair.
True but does anyone know the price of the parts in these kits? I assume its like $50 or so and the rest is his profit anyway. I only have the Zenzor 1 (about £180 I think, in a pretty small room) and think they sound amazing, they are on stands with perfect ear/tweeter hight etc... I agree anyone who buys and fits this kit will think it sounds better without question most of the time. A true A/B is the only way to tell and that's subjective on a person by person basis anyway.
@@usefulrandom1855 I had the zensor 1 for many years. Only thing the top end was a bit too bright and fatiguing. I sold them to buy the Spektor 2 and have better base and midrange
@@diegocanale1124 Nice, I moved into a better place and got the Wharedale evo 4.4! They are huge but sound awesome. Still got the sensors will set them up on/next to computer desk when I get around to sorting that out.
no 300 no, but what they put in is 5 bucks,....yes if you want sell speakers over the price of new hybrid car you almost have to look for worst possible part in the market...
Thanks. Really like Dali speakers and would love to see what you could do with 'concept 8' and 'Ikon7' so I hope ppl send those in to you as I'm in Australia.
I bought this summer a pair of Dali Oberon 5 floorstanding speakers. Via Bluesound Node2 music streaming(Spotify and Tidal) on a vintage but total restored Sansui AU-505. Sounds surprisingly good, at least for my ears. Enough clarity,midrange and bass even at low volume. I live in a small apartment in Amsterdam; everything is wood and gypsum. No concrete or stone, i like that. The Oberon 5 are pretty hefty. They were €800,- the pair. Yeahh ,i would like for example the Buchardt S400 mkII and a stronger amp, but as i said, it's a small apartment..
I agree. The Dali Oberon 5 are fantastic speakers for the money. They have suprising wide bandwidth, smooth treble and can go loud without compression or breakup. Even if they do cheezy crossover components.
Meanwhile i have a Sansui AU 317( I had years ago too),fully restored,also the exterior is nice),more power than the AU 505. Sounds even better than the AU 505 with the Oberon 5. But i keep the 505. The 505 is about 2x 18 watt, the 317 about 2x 50 watt...again..sounds surprisingly good with the Bluesound Node 2i.. But ""everything" depends on the the track/ the mastering of the track in the studio and room-acoustics..I have a pretty high ceiling. So.. i don't need a new/modern amplifier for a good sound.. No remote, no dac(there is a good dac in the Bluesound),no modern looks..just a good sound(for my ears..) Now(since 6/8 months) i use the Triangle Borea III, bought second hand, in very nice condition.The seller had bought the Kefs active speakers. The Dali's are very nice sounding(and looking) speakers but still gave a little to much bass in my tiny(25m2) room. On the other hand, the Triangles are for that matter perfectly fine. I connected the Triangle's with an Ayima D03(i just wanna try it) and..the sound is very good, not less than the Sansui, but of course not many inputs. First i connected the Aiyima with the Blue Sound via "aux" on the Aiyima, but it gave not much md- and high tones(so i used the intern dac of the Bluesound. Later on i switched from "aux" to "coax" (then i use the intern dac of the Aiyima..and problem solved... Enough high- and mid tones now, so (i did'nt expected also) the dac inside the Aiyima sounds better then the intern dac of the Blue Sound! Crazy but realy truth.. I believe the Aiyima D03 has Texas Instruments chips inside, that's why.. So..finally i do use a "modern" amplifier. It surprised me too, how good(bass,treble,punch etc) that small Aiyima amplifier sounds! Not worse than the Sansui! I live in a small apartment in Amsterdam so not much space. The Triangles are high sensitive speakers, so that's a plus. Also with low volume it sounds pretty full/warm/punchy.
The Sansui's I've had have all had a very bright etched sound - this is exactly what the Oberon 5's need so excellent match. I feel the Oberons sound a little muffled with smooth gear or more refined gear. I wish I could send them to Danny, but I'm in the UK so....:(
It's always interesting to see what cheap parts even the higher prices speakers have. I never hear any listening notes of the speaker what they sounded before and after. Specs are interesting, but actually listening notes would be even more interesting 👦
I don’t know, at the end of the day what matters, is what your ears are hearing. Today, I listened to Kef Q350, Oberons 3 and B&W606….to be honest, I loved Oberons best. To my ears they don’t need any tweaking whatsoever….does it mean there’s something wrong with my ears?
You can test drive 3 different stock cars. And then, you drive a specially tuned and equipped version of one of those three; more horsepower, even acceleration, better tyres, better grip, better braking, more comfortable seats, better steering wheel, etc. From the moment you sit inside it, press the accelerator, press the brakes, etc. you KNOW exactly how much better any stock car could be but you are not given that.
I have a strong feeling the lab measurements have nothing or at least very little to do with the actual audible speaker quality. You have often pointed out the poor technical characteristics of some speakers, which are highly praised by renowned audio magazines in their listening reviews. So, I guess graphs and measurements don't give the whole picture...
I agree, of course it's not only what the specifications tells and what the measures show! They.. Maybe matter a little. and for specific reasons, e. g. to match with correct amplifier.. But otherwise it's the sound that matters more... and how they interact with the room.. Most important.. How they play music!
Danny, you say the box is unbraced? On the Dali website it says this for the Oberon 3: "The OBERON 3 cabinet is constructed from a high density, CNC machined MDF board dressed in high-grade vinyl. The extremely rigid structure is achieved with solid bracings across the inside of the cabinet, which practically eliminates cabinet resonance."
These reviews always have Million$ of rea$on$ to discredit a company as prestigious as Dali. I have been told that you are al$o quite subjective. It will $urely have $ome economic intere$t.
Hoping a customer will send in the POLK R700. Even Polk said they had to scrimp a bit on the crossover compared to their Legend series, but many of the drivers are the same. Would be great to see Randy open one up, see what is inside and if it can be taken up a notch with better crossover components, and if maybe the values need a slight change.
Have you ever had any Piega speakers in Danny? I have their Classic 5.0 and I'm pretty happy with it. They retail for around £1800/$2000 but I paid a lot less second hand. They seem a mixed bag build-wise - extremely solid cabinets with huge front baffles and lots of bracing plus a stunning piano gloss veneer; nice AMT tweeter but pretty cheap-looking stamped steel mid/bass (you mentioned damping strips in this video, what do you mean and where to buy?) and I would assume a cheap crossover. I think they sound good, certainly more refined than other similar things I listened to, but I wonder how their speakers measure...
Thanks for the video Danny , if my Polk Audio lsim 703s didnt weight 30lbs each i would send them in to ya , I have the only video on utube taking the 3 way speaker apart the cabneit is built very well . Their basically a cabneit inside a cabneit front baffle is almost 2 inchs thick sidewalls are 1.5 inch thick and top and bottom and back of speaker are 1inch thick and this isnt counting the Real Mt cherry wood veneer edtions very solid cabneit which we both know helps the overall sound out alot . The 703s do have 2 crossovers and yeah 🧀 Parts 😆 But one thing the Engeeners told me is that the ring radiator tweeter is 1octave higher than normal so they had to use a very strong tweeter . And amp pairing is tuff with the polk my amps that have top end roundness or Delicate top end tend to sound best with the Polks I will say the bass driver is built very very well heavy and no stamped steel basket its alumnium atleast 😃 But bass is strong ! Appricate you Danny. i will buy one of your speaker kits this coming year 100 percent ! And I will have the flat pack 'wrapped' with a crazy desighn 😃
Its just so damn entertaining to see which speakers get Danny's thumbs up or down! Im at a point where id love to see a couple vids on "how bad does bad get" . Like some optimus speakers or Sears branded crap from days past, lol. After watching a few of these, anyones gonna have a certain speaker model they want to see make the grade or not. Im sure each set featured takes good time and effort to assess accurately, some dont exactly realize.
I replaced the wire on my Oberon 3's with much better wire about 6 months ago and soldered directly from the crossover to the woofer/tweeter. The difference was not small and I was actually able to do a side by side with the stock model in store (the owner helped me replace the wire). They were decent before, but this upgrade was definitely worth it. I would be curious to try out a new crossover after just hearing the difference wire can make.
@@klamath1974 Just silver wire, nothing fancy, but much better than the tin wires that came inside. I also soldered the wire directly from the crossover to the woofer and tweeter as opposed to having cheap clips.
@@voicesofvinyl Thank you. I have in my closet 2 meters of Van Den Hul "The Clearwater" wires (1.97 mm² / ~AWG 14 / 98). I will use it and I hope that will be enough to improve the sound on Oberon 3.
@@klamath1974 It will 100%. When we replaced the wire, we AB tested them against an identical pair side by side, with a very modest Rega P1/Rega IO combo. The difference was immediate and now that I've used them for many months, they are fully broken in and sounding amazing.
Im really interested how do these speaker manufacturers come up with these designs and than with their prices. Do they just put random stuff together and make it look nice?
On the "gr" website I asked several times what the set looks like, is the crossover complete, does it have to be assembled by yourself, is there a printed circuit board. I asked for a photo of such a set. I was pissed off. No response.
Have you done a crossover setup for the Dali Opticon 8? Looking at this I can’t help thinking they could sound so much better. They cost over £2,000, I must admit I’m looking at this thinking I made a mistake. Looking at the quality of those I can’t help thinking the rest are just the same.
For some reason Dali's are really expensive in the US. I picked up the Oberon 5's recently here in the UK for £750 (which is the RRP). I really hope you get chance to test those, too. They sound good but I would love to upgrade the x-over.
Bought a pair of Oberon 5's open box few months back, for £550 UK, the 1's & 5's use the smaller woofer, which seems to integrate a little better, a good floorstander suited to smaller rooms, crossover parts do look small and cheap but mercifully few lol, also found them very boomy/boxy as cabinet lining was minimal, just added some wool wadding inside the cabinet, problem solved, 100hrs on them now, love that wide dispersion tweeter in my smallish room, they sound like they review after that little bit of tweaking, I love watching danny dissect speakers and I also agree that the cost cutting against the selling price is shocking on many speakers, how much would it have cost Dali to put some thicker lining material in the cabinet, virtually nothing!
Do you have any video demonstrating the before and after listening of these crossover "upgrades"? Its all very well telling us these parts are "cheezey" and "go to my website and spend $390" but how does it sound? Maybe Dali designed that xover to make the speaker sound a certain way??
soooo...speakers like DALI can have a good frequency response and spectral decay, with cheap crossovers? will the XOver upgrade make them measure that much better or just somehow SOUND better?
Basic, cheap and ease for everyone upgrade in Oberon 3 crossover is to change tweater cap Sounder 5.6 uF 100V to Audyn Cap Q4 MKP 5,60 uf 400V for example. You can easy change Sounder 28uF 100V in woofer section to Audyn Cap Q4 MKP 30,00 uf 400V I think Mundorf is too much for budget speaker :) Audyn is great enough.
I wonder whether it might have been better to apply some damping putty or similar to the midwoofer basket to remove the resonance rather than notching it out in the crossover. Just a thought.
Wish i could send in my ProAc Studio 125. I had a look at the crossover and the parts look pretty "cheesy" Unfortunately I live in Australia and it's not possible. if anyone in the USA can send in theirs that would be a really cool. I'm interested in what Danny would have to say about upgrades for them.
These speakers sound really good. Bring the treble down just a little + Same Thing with the Bass. Tonecontrol. (Otherwise the upper Bass tends to be a little boomy) Done that, its a very smooth,full and cristal clear sound. Nothing to complain. The drivers are high Quality and well made.
I have a pair of these and I think they sound fantastic. They were a bit boomy at first but I played around with placement and now have them 26 inches from the front wall (measured from front baffle) and its tighter, boomyness is gone. I am running them with separate amp and pre amp , good equipment. I also use a subwoofer for extra low end, I can't complain the sound stage is really good. Dali is a reputal company so maybe there is a reason to use the crossover components that is in these, over kill? I think they sound great as is.
@@robertstolz2632 yes, soundstage is way better than every soeaker at same price. The tweeter is exciting too, but for long listening Session i prefere smooth speakers. In other words, bbc speakers like spendors. And for total exitment i prefere Horn speakers like klipsch heritage . . The dali oberons are something in between and way cheaper. One cant go wrong buing these for a Budget. Aber Robert ich denke auf Deutsch hätten wir uns auch unterhalten können :)
@@robertstolz2632 I put my Dali's at the same measurement from the front wall as you and yes less boom I also stuck some dampening inside the speaker they're sounding so good
Hello how are you? What equipment do you recommend I start with in audiophile with these Dali Oberon 3, in a 4x4 room? Denon pma600ne, Yamaha S-301, Marantz pm6007 or Rotel a11 tribute? For music CD, streamer and movies? Greetings from Argentina!
I am starting to suspect that most people do not realize thet these videos reveal the problem that speaker manufacturers focus more on profit than offering truth or closer to the real thing, accurate sound. Everything is made to meet a budget and compromises are made that are revealed when someone like Mr. Richie do testing and measurement. That the same speakers could be a lot better but will also cost more and then it should be the customer 's choice based on their budget to decide which to buy. But every purchase would be a good one based on the level which that honest built and sounding product be... Hope I made myself understood....
Really good DSP does magic because allows for better crossover design, time delay, EQ, and doesn't change the impedance of the drivers. Even cheaper miniDSP isn't bad.
Merry Christmas Danny... I have a question and as I don't see a way at your Web Site l'm going to run it here. First though, love all your Vids. The question is a possibility issue. Is it possible without a massive or problematic issue converting your Mini, or the X-LS Bravo to Open Baffle as I have a space issue in looking for large sound stage.
To measure any lower, you have to either use an anechoic chamber, or derive the lower frequencies by taking measurements as close to the cone as possible. This is because the sound reflected off the floor/ceiling will pollute the measurement. Depending on how far the speaker is from the floor, the difference in time delay between the direct and reflected sound is typically at about 180Hz. He can get away with this because the speaker gets more predictable in the lower frequencies, and the cross-over design software will be able to model it pretty well.
I have this speakers and I love them. Use 2 small Emotiva subs with them that take away the bass frequencies first before feeding the Oberons. They’re much cheaper in Europe. Like 270-300$ incl. tax and shipping. The tweeters are special: they are a bit bigger and go lower. The stereo image is awesome.
I’m sure the Dali Oberon 3 sounds great. I had the Oberon 7 and prefer them over the much more expensive KEF R3. The R3 may be one of the best measuring speakers out there but they lack emotion , warmth and engagement.
@Lloyd Stout every video that he makes the first thing that he mensions is the price and second is the measurments....the problem is not being deaf..but when you refuse to hear...
@Lloyd Stout Great frequency response doesn't always translate to flat measurements. I recall that Totem owner, Vince Bruzzese, pulled their ads from Stereophile, after a poor measurement review from Mr. Adkins. I can't recall which speakers though (Signature One or Sky?). It wasn't their top of the line Element or Tribe models, which I wish they would review.
I would love your assessment and thoughts On the Jamo Concert 8 bookshelf speakers with there resin sand filled front baffle and Seas drivers any one out there who wants a pair tested and wanting an upgrade please send in .. great show...
Welcome back to my channel, where I sh*t all over other company's speakers, explain how my own company's modifications are the only salvation, and then when that's not good enough I also upload videos with clickbaity titles about the best-sounding speakers I've heard ... which then turn out to be my own company's in-house offerings. Hashtag, fifty shades of sketchy conflict of interest.
I’ve always felt Dali speakers were low quality “audiophile” speakers found at boutique audio stores that sell them as high profit bread and butter speakers.
I guess they have a house sound with that treble. At least for some of the red cone types. A bit overpriced for what you get is what I thought .. There was someone who preferred their Rubicon over other speakers
@@basiema.4185 I couldn’t believe there was no bracing and the mdf was less than 1/2”. Crossovers on the binding post?? Really the cheapest methods of building a speaker.
I always felt the same way but was never sure why. They just looked a bit like the slightly-too-dressed-up girl at a party with those shiny red cones and the glitzy driver surrounds and I knew they must either be saving money elsewhere or it was just for show. I feel the same about watches - not that I'm into them particularly but I'd always choose the plain looking one made by an actual watchmaking brand than a Hugo Boss thing encrusted with diamonds and white gold.
I’ve watched many reviews of these speakers from well regarded audio peeps… and all like the sound they make? Seems pointless to dissect any product at this level? I certainly won’t loose any sleep because my woofer basket is cheaply made?
So I take it from this review that the upgrade is a path to salvage your bad investment rather than a recommendation to go buy this speaker + upgrade as a way to build a quality system.
Generally, yes, because he has shown that buying even $2000 to $4000 speakers are no guarantee of getting quality crossover components or a good frequency response. If you've spent a good amount of money, instead of selling them for peanuts (used speakers go for about 50% to 65% of original price if you are lucky), and if the cabinet and drivers are good, then spending say up to 1/3rd more to make them better seems to be a good way to go - if you are willing to spend several afternoons doing the work and have a good place to do that work. I'm not sure I'd do it for these though. Seems the cabinet and that off axis response would forever be holding them back other than for the one person sitting in the sweet spot.
@Lloyd Stout yep, even comparing speakers in a showroom is no substitute for an in-home trial...with your amp, your music, your sources in your room...Fortunately some allow 30 to 60 day trials...
I bought the Oberon 5 with vokal center and oberon 1 for a 5.1 with a BK P12 300-DF subwoofer (Which is amazing) and I don't like how the dali speakers sound. To me they are really bright regaless of what I do.
Dalis are always meant to be listened to with absolutely no toe in and if you still dont like how it sounds, then the Dali house sound just isnt for you. The Oberon 3 do sound thin at the top end to my ears and I didnt like it.
@@-MarkWinston- I've been messing around with placement and I have been upgrading things like cable and connectors. I am also using room correction more effectively now but the biggest improvement for me is I replaced the grilles with customer 3D printed ones, I have 3 layers of grill cloth combined with 2mm felt cloth covering the tweeter. I know a lot of people will say that is a bad idea but ever since then I have really enjoyed listening to them.
@@-MarkWinston- yeah pretty much, I know I am lossing a bit in the very highest frequency but I will take that in favour of a easier listening experience
he uses a gated mic so he can do it anywhere almost as he only captures a fraction of a second of sound so no room reactions. at least i think he does it that way
That’s exactly how he does it. He talks about bit in other videos on his channel; you can search for them. He uses the CLIO system which takes gated measurements.
@@nathandaniels4823 So if the measurements doesn't include the room then he won't really know how the speaker behaves in a room? The room changes the frequency response significantly. So it might become the most horrible sounding speaker or it might not. Who knows
@@jwester7009 and every room is different, with different bass modes, etc., based on size and surfaces. Making the speaker play as neutral as possible and have good off axis drop off at least starts out with a "good" sound. It is up to the buyer to evaluate their room and add or subtract damping material as necessary or provide bass traps. Or you can play the game of buying bright speakers for overly damped rooms or buying dark sounding ones for rooms with hard surfaces. That's up to you to decide. Or for non-purists, use some room correction software on the preamp or decent A/V receiver and see where it leads you by putting in a crazy EQ curve, or heavens forbid, buy an EQ and do it manually. Even then, adding a sheet of no-rez to almost any commercially made speaker is likely a start in the right direction.
You can test drive 3 different stock cars. And then, you drive a specially tuned and equipped version of one of those three; more horsepower, even acceleration, better tyres, better grip, better braking, more comfortable seats, better steering wheel, etc. From the moment you sit inside it, press the accelerator, press the brakes, etc. you KNOW exactly how much better any stock car could be but you are not given that.
As one who's been in this hobby for decades- and doesn't have an unlimited bank account- I don't get it. $900 for those? I know it's all personal taste, but I've picked up so many better-built speakers used, for so much less. I am currently using Dali Phantom Ikon in-walls for surrounds with full cast enclosures, cast-basket woofer and hybrid ribbon tweeter module. $200 for those.
I am sure you test drive a car before buying it too, but that doesn't mean you never upgrade or modify it in some way to make it better, faster, or more fun to drive.
And even better, get a 30 to 60 day return period so you can hear them in your home, which is likely far different than the showroom. Use the showroom to make comparisons of speakers there, and note their differences, but that is about all you can do.
@@dannyrichie9743 I'm not referring to your speakers. I'm sure they sound great. I like klipsch speakers myself. I dampened the horns and they sound great to me. Every one has different tastes in sound and my ears are old and most likely have limited sound capture.
hey, do you sell the upgraded crossover parts for your kits separate? So for example if I can only afford the stock crossover for now with the intension to upgrade later.
Personally, I couldn’t give a shit what parts the factory uses. These speakers sound amazing to my ears and that’s all that really matters. Not a slam on Danny but measurements don’t hold any weight in comparison to the human ear.
Based on your opening statements in the first 2 minutes, it doesn't seem to be worth buying regardless of your upgrades. You're overpaying. For that price, you can get much better speakers, or kit speakers to blow them away. Your review should have been to stay away.
I don't get it. A $390 (€500 incl taxes and shipping) upgrade kit for speakers that cost new €500 a pair 🤔. Do they sound like a €1000 pair after the upgrade?
They won't, but you will get air core inductors and very high quality capacitors ;) For me at this price point it doesn't matter if you use cheaper, commonly used parts or Uber stuff GR sells - the drivers although now finally well managed by proper crossover, may not pass all the nuances better parts provide.
Please can someone send Danny a pair of Oberon 5’s? Maybe we can crowdfund it for you! I know many in Europe would love to have that upgrade due to their unique form factor.
it sounds like it came out of game of thrones ,remenber the 70´s do it yourself was fashion one could design the shape of the box or use previous designed boxes and buy drivers ,boards and everytype of sound deliverer ,Bricolage was the word , i made with a german friend some speakers of pine wood that had all frequency´s in the spectrum (not all off course)but some 15 htz to 35khtz and equalizers with 25 frequencies per channel would improve any recording and tube amplifiers was old but good ,transistors were making it´s way in the market .No use of tubes only transistors ,this to made buyers after those amplifiers, but they were not comparable to a 1.000€ bad quality amplifier not like Rotel or Quad or even accuphase or phase linear or even Pioneer of the 70´s
I'm also interested. I believe they are like in the zensor 3, 0,3 or 0,33mH in the tweeter and around 0,6-0,7 mH in the woofer...u should also need to consider the DCR values of the coils... will try to measure inductance of the coils afternoon but mine RLC meter is not so accurate.
Did measurements on the coils. If my measurements are correct but I'm not trusting the accuracy of my cheap UNI-T meter. The L1 on the woofer is 0,47 mH and 0,17 mH on the tweeter.
@@fahy01 Ok, thanks. I could find anything bout the Zensor 3, but for the 5 the values are give as 0,55mH and 0,2 mH, comes close enough. The problem is the Oberon have completely different drivers, so probably those numbers are may be notsuitable
You always design the x-over so the final slope takes into account drivers measured freq response and phase in enclosure, their impedance and offset between drivers.
Most do have short comings , but what us cool is you can take something that tickles you and make the improvements to your liking , its the same with houses , cars and women , it us human to want to make better , it gives a sense of achievement.
No deal. At $800, almost a rip off. V curve sound, no bracing. Much better speakers are available for less $$$. Elac DBR62 Reference speaker, less money, way better sound. I am sick of over over priced, over advertised, under performing products. All over the world. Research before spending your money. CZcams reviews are free. I am a musician, I know which speakers sound real at a good price. Thanks for the video.
The curves are cut off at 200Hz because you need an anechoic chamber to test between 0 and 200Hz (in a normal room, the reflections start to interfere with the FR curve below 200 - so they are innacurate).
Not a mention of how they sound. So, let's weigh up what's on the table, a speaker that people can afford that sells highly and people think sounds great Vs speakers the price of a car. As people from the good ol u s of a say, you do the math 🙉
Hey everybody! I’ll have the kit one the site soon. If you want to order it now, just give us a call at 1-940-592-3400.
Have you any experience with JSE Infinite Slope speakers? I have a pair of .6s with a claimed 100+db per octave on a 2 way. Id love to see what you make of them.
can you u do a better good speaker? u selling
I don't give a **** how it's made, it sound amazing in my system, my favorite speakers I had. 👏🏻
I had the Dali Zensor 3, it was truely outstanding couple with Cambridge DAC and Amp. Awesome. Charts don't mean anything to me.
@@craigmcivor6066 this is about as cheap to make as they can to make profit
@@welshrarebit9238 I had the Dali Zensor, I thought it was astoundingly good hooked up to Cambridge DAC and amp. I am happy they can produce such an excellent product at the prices they do.
I did have a clown in another group who told me if I dont have a $200,000 system I dont know what good is.
Its like that 1980s song, Love the one you are with...
Hope your holiday was blessed. Thanks for your 'lessons'!
It would be really nice if you make us listen the speakers you upgrade before the changes and after the changes.
@Lloyd Stout can't judge sound quality for sure, but you can at least hear the differences between the before and after, if any at all.
@Lloyd Stout you can still hear the difference. The speaker will sound different is different rooms anyway. So it's not a bad idea, one would still be able to pick up the big differences. More bass, better treble and so on. Of course being in a lab will bring out the smallest of changes. I am sure, you should be able to hear the differences to the base model and the modified one.
No point. Listening on my mono phone? What's the point
From watching Danny's videos, it seems like the most prudent action is to buy used, but well-regarded speakers at 50% off retail and then have Danny work his magic to upgrade it. 😀
I was a salesman for Dali speakers in the mid 80's. They were killers then and when tested against other big name speaker companies of that time the Dali's out-classed them. Today I still own an unchanged working pair from that time. At that time they were not made with cheap drivers, compacitors, crossovers, etc. Wow how times have changed.
the rare thing is that Dali Oberon 3 are cheap built, but sound very good
@@carlosaguilar6743 that is possible.
Dali is the new jamo, cheaply build, very brightly tuned, so in comparison in the shop the will standout in comparison with more " serious speakers, THAT'S how you sell , when the customer comes home those speakers quickly disappoint, so off to the same shop and trade them in for even more expensive models, THAT'S how the business iss done.
@@giottodiotto1 In these times I have lost faith in many companies selling inferior products that were once of good quality.
@@spooner1 but it took me months to search speakers and still didnt find a good neutral warm speaker. Focals returned too bright... Pff
The Dali Oberon 3 Sounds Great, I would like to Listen them after the Upgrade by GR
I got these speakers as an upgrade from my klipsch rp500. They did sound more sophisticated but not as Live as the klipsch. The overall output/performance was lacking to me. I ordered The gr research upgrade kit, and whoa, it was an incredible change for the better. I hear backup singers now, I hear random instruments that weren't there before, I can place musicians now, guitar left, base right, drummer in the back. Its was like going from watching HD to watching Blu-ray. The image is no longer flat, if it's a sad song the singer sounds sad not just saying sad words. The upgrade was TOTALLY worth it. Thanks Danny, we'll done!
Buy a set of $100.000 speakers, measure, then add $30.000 worth of better components, and yes they will measure better. The speakers have a certain price point for a reason. I don't think Dali would make much of a profit if they spend over $300 in components and keep the same retail prises in this case. And I do hear a lot about measuring, but listening isn't about measuring, it's about experiencing. It is great that you create these upgrade kits, and I am sure they can improve the base speaker that it will be applied to. But don't talk down a speaker just because you can improve it, for a good chunk of extra money. It's just not fair.
True but does anyone know the price of the parts in these kits? I assume its like $50 or so and the rest is his profit anyway. I only have the Zenzor 1 (about £180 I think, in a pretty small room) and think they sound amazing, they are on stands with perfect ear/tweeter hight etc... I agree anyone who buys and fits this kit will think it sounds better without question most of the time. A true A/B is the only way to tell and that's subjective on a person by person basis anyway.
@@usefulrandom1855 I had the zensor 1 for many years. Only thing the top end was a bit too bright and fatiguing. I sold them to buy the Spektor 2 and have better base and midrange
@@diegocanale1124 Nice, I moved into a better place and got the Wharedale evo 4.4! They are huge but sound awesome. Still got the sensors will set them up on/next to computer desk when I get around to sorting that out.
no 300 no, but what they put in is 5 bucks,....yes if you want sell speakers over the price of new hybrid car you almost have to look for worst possible part in the market...
Thanks. Really like Dali speakers and would love to see what you could do with 'concept 8' and 'Ikon7' so I hope ppl send those in to you as I'm in Australia.
I bought this summer a pair of Dali Oberon 5 floorstanding speakers. Via Bluesound Node2 music streaming(Spotify and Tidal) on a vintage but total restored Sansui AU-505.
Sounds surprisingly good, at least for my ears. Enough clarity,midrange and bass even at low volume. I live in a small apartment in Amsterdam; everything is wood and gypsum. No concrete or stone, i like that.
The Oberon 5 are pretty hefty. They were €800,- the pair.
Yeahh ,i would like for example the Buchardt S400 mkII and a stronger amp, but as i said, it's a small apartment..
I agree. The Dali Oberon 5 are fantastic speakers for the money. They have suprising wide bandwidth, smooth treble and can go loud without compression or breakup. Even if they do cheezy crossover components.
Meanwhile i have a Sansui AU 317( I had years ago too),fully restored,also the exterior is nice),more power than the AU 505. Sounds even better than the AU 505 with the Oberon 5. But i keep the 505. The 505 is about 2x 18 watt, the 317 about 2x 50 watt...again..sounds surprisingly good with the Bluesound Node 2i.. But ""everything" depends on the the track/ the mastering of the track in the studio and room-acoustics..I have a pretty high ceiling.
So.. i don't need a new/modern amplifier for a good sound.. No remote, no dac(there is a good dac in the Bluesound),no modern looks..just a good sound(for my ears..)
Now(since 6/8 months) i use the Triangle Borea III, bought second hand, in very nice condition.The seller had bought the Kefs active speakers.
The Dali's are very nice sounding(and looking) speakers but still gave a little to much bass in my tiny(25m2) room.
On the other hand, the Triangles are for that matter perfectly fine.
I connected the Triangle's with an Ayima D03(i just wanna try it) and..the sound is very good, not less than the Sansui, but of course not many inputs.
First i connected the Aiyima with the Blue Sound via "aux" on the Aiyima, but it gave not much md- and high tones(so i used the intern dac of the Bluesound.
Later on i switched from "aux" to "coax" (then i use the intern dac of the Aiyima..and problem solved... Enough high- and mid tones now, so (i did'nt expected also) the dac inside the Aiyima sounds better then the intern dac of the Blue Sound! Crazy but realy truth..
I believe the Aiyima D03 has Texas Instruments chips inside, that's why..
So..finally i do use a "modern" amplifier.
It surprised me too, how good(bass,treble,punch etc) that small Aiyima amplifier sounds! Not worse than the Sansui! I live in a small apartment in Amsterdam so not much space.
The Triangles are high sensitive speakers, so that's a plus.
Also with low volume it sounds pretty full/warm/punchy.
The Sansui's I've had have all had a very bright etched sound - this is exactly what the Oberon 5's need so excellent match. I feel the Oberons sound a little muffled with smooth gear or more refined gear. I wish I could send them to Danny, but I'm in the UK so....:(
We concerned Dali Oberon 3 but you gave Dali Oberon 5 's impression.Thanks.
It's always interesting to see what cheap parts even the higher prices speakers have. I never hear any listening notes of the speaker what they sounded before and after. Specs are interesting, but actually listening notes would be even more interesting 👦
You might want to check the feedback from our customers.
i has been a while now with upgrade videos, hope we get a video with the owners impression of the change.
That speaker sounds sweet so I’m guessing driver build is first followed by cabinet then crossover parts.
I don’t know, at the end of the day what matters, is what your ears are hearing. Today, I listened to Kef Q350, Oberons 3 and B&W606….to be honest, I loved Oberons best. To my ears they don’t need any tweaking whatsoever….does it mean there’s something wrong with my ears?
Yes they're great sounding speaker I can only imagine what they sound like with the upgrade
If you are over 40 years old, you need bright speakers to compensate for natural high frequency age-related hearing loss.
You can test drive 3 different stock cars. And then, you drive a specially tuned and equipped version of one of those three; more horsepower, even acceleration, better tyres, better grip, better braking, more comfortable seats, better steering wheel, etc. From the moment you sit inside it, press the accelerator, press the brakes, etc. you KNOW exactly how much better any stock car could be but you are not given that.
Moim zdaniem bardzo dobre kolumny , wzmacniacz stereo denon 800 , grają bardzo dynamicznie , dizajn jest super , polecam
I have a strong feeling the lab measurements have nothing or at least very little to do with the actual audible speaker quality. You have often pointed out the poor technical characteristics of some speakers, which are highly praised by renowned audio magazines in their listening reviews. So, I guess graphs and measurements don't give the whole picture...
You are wrong.
I agree, of course it's not only what the specifications tells and what the measures show! They.. Maybe matter a little. and for specific reasons, e. g. to match with correct amplifier.. But otherwise it's the sound that matters more... and how they interact with the room.. Most important.. How they play music!
Advertising helps with 5 star reviews
Why on earth would you put yourself out 1400 dollars trying to upgrade a pile of 💩 Beyond my comprehension 😮💨
@@travisbishop7212 If it had left the Dali factory the way Danny upgraded it the price would be at least $2500 per pair.
Danny, you say the box is unbraced? On the Dali website it says this for the Oberon 3: "The OBERON 3 cabinet is constructed from a high density, CNC machined MDF board dressed in high-grade vinyl. The extremely rigid structure is achieved with solid bracings across the inside of the cabinet, which practically eliminates cabinet resonance."
yes, definately NO bracing.
I’ll remove the woofer and check when I get mine
These reviews always have Million$ of rea$on$ to discredit a company as prestigious as Dali. I have been told that you are al$o quite subjective. It will $urely have $ome economic intere$t.
Hoping a customer will send in the POLK R700. Even Polk said they had to scrimp a bit on the crossover compared to their Legend series, but many of the drivers are the same. Would be great to see Randy open one up, see what is inside and if it can be taken up a notch with better crossover components, and if maybe the values need a slight change.
The 700 woofers look similar but are far lower quality and stamped steel compared to cast in the legend.
Maybe Danny is Randy?
Here in Denmark, these cost around $671.
Have you ever had any Piega speakers in Danny? I have their Classic 5.0 and I'm pretty happy with it. They retail for around £1800/$2000 but I paid a lot less second hand. They seem a mixed bag build-wise - extremely solid cabinets with huge front baffles and lots of bracing plus a stunning piano gloss veneer; nice AMT tweeter but pretty cheap-looking stamped steel mid/bass (you mentioned damping strips in this video, what do you mean and where to buy?) and I would assume a cheap crossover. I think they sound good, certainly more refined than other similar things I listened to, but I wonder how their speakers measure...
Thanks 😊
Hope you can do the Polk audio r200
Thanks for the video Danny , if my Polk Audio lsim 703s didnt weight 30lbs each i would send them in to ya , I have the only video on utube taking the 3 way speaker apart the cabneit is built very well . Their basically a cabneit inside a cabneit front baffle is almost 2 inchs thick sidewalls are 1.5 inch thick and top and bottom and back of speaker are 1inch thick and this isnt counting the Real Mt cherry wood veneer edtions very solid cabneit which we both know helps the overall sound out alot .
The 703s do have 2 crossovers and yeah 🧀 Parts 😆 But one thing the Engeeners told me is that the ring radiator tweeter is 1octave higher than normal so they had to use a very strong tweeter .
And amp pairing is tuff with the polk my amps that have top end roundness or Delicate top end tend to sound best with the Polks I will say the bass driver is built very very well heavy and no stamped steel basket its alumnium atleast 😃
But bass is strong !
Appricate you Danny.
i will buy one of your speaker kits this coming year 100 percent ! And I will have the flat pack 'wrapped' with a crazy desighn 😃
I'm surprised was expecting better quality from Dali.
Its just so damn entertaining to see which speakers get Danny's thumbs up or down! Im at a point where id love to see a couple vids on "how bad does bad get" . Like some optimus speakers or Sears branded crap from days past, lol. After watching a few of these, anyones gonna have a certain speaker model they want to see make the grade or not. Im sure each set featured takes good time and effort to assess accurately, some dont exactly realize.
We might be surprised. Some of those old Optimus speakers (at least their better ones) got very good reviews back in the day.
But how do they sound?
I replaced the wire on my Oberon 3's with much better wire about 6 months ago and soldered directly from the crossover to the woofer/tweeter. The difference was not small and I was actually able to do a side by side with the stock model in store (the owner helped me replace the wire). They were decent before, but this upgrade was definitely worth it. I would be curious to try out a new crossover after just hearing the difference wire can make.
Please give me more details about the much better wires
@@klamath1974 Just silver wire, nothing fancy, but much better than the tin wires that came inside. I also soldered the wire directly from the crossover to the woofer and tweeter as opposed to having cheap clips.
@@voicesofvinyl Thank you. I have in my closet 2 meters of Van Den Hul "The Clearwater" wires (1.97 mm² / ~AWG 14 / 98). I will use it and I hope that will be enough to improve the sound on Oberon 3.
@@klamath1974 It will 100%. When we replaced the wire, we AB tested them against an identical pair side by side, with a very modest Rega P1/Rega IO combo. The difference was immediate and now that I've used them for many months, they are fully broken in and sounding amazing.
@@klamath1974 ,Did you change your crossover wire with the awg 14 if so how do they sound
Do you have any sort of upgrade path for anything below the Dali Oberon series, like the Spektor?
Im really interested how do these speaker manufacturers come up with these designs and than with their prices. Do they just put random stuff together and make it look nice?
On the "gr" website I asked several times what the set looks like, is the crossover complete, does it have to be assembled by yourself, is there a printed circuit board.
I asked for a photo of such a set.
I was pissed off.
No response.
Have you done a crossover setup for the Dali Opticon 8? Looking at this I can’t help thinking they could sound so much better. They cost over £2,000, I must admit I’m looking at this thinking I made a mistake. Looking at the quality of those I can’t help thinking the rest are just the same.
Hola yo los tengo y suenan geniales ! Me conviene cambiarlos por los kef Ls 50 o los focal aria 906?
Hi Danny, can you do an analysis on the Dali Oberon 5 please. Also, do you ship kits to europe/UK? Great video as per usual.
You will need only the parts list don't the parts itself . He can sell the partslist for 50€/$ each maybe . Is not rocket science.
For some reason Dali's are really expensive in the US. I picked up the Oberon 5's recently here in the UK for £750 (which is the RRP). I really hope you get chance to test those, too. They sound good but I would love to upgrade the x-over.
Expense in the US is due to it being an imported product so just the cost to get it here makes a big impact on RRP.
@@DJWerkz Indeed, but even considering that it seems a bit much.
Bought a pair of Oberon 5's open box few months back, for £550 UK, the 1's & 5's use the smaller woofer, which seems to integrate a little better, a good floorstander suited to smaller rooms, crossover parts do look small and cheap but mercifully few lol, also found them very boomy/boxy as cabinet lining was minimal, just added some wool wadding inside the cabinet, problem solved, 100hrs on them now, love that wide dispersion tweeter in my smallish room, they sound like they review after that little bit of tweaking, I love watching danny dissect speakers and I also agree that the cost cutting against the selling price is shocking on many speakers, how much would it have cost Dali to put some thicker lining material in the cabinet, virtually nothing!
$900 usd too expensive. tariff. don't buy dali in the united states
Agreed, I would like to upgrade the X overs on my Oberon 7 after #newrecordday slated the response
Interesting when focusing on the figures but how does it actually sound before vs after? Thanks
Is it a good rule of thumb to dampen any stamped basket?
yes.
you may buy Oberon 3 from Romania (Europe) for 400 euro, all taxes included. No need to upgrade it at this price.
Salut. Cine vinde Dali in Romania? Este magazin sau pe OLX? 👊
Do you have any video demonstrating the before and after listening of these crossover "upgrades"? Its all very well telling us these parts are "cheezey" and "go to my website and spend $390" but how does it sound? Maybe Dali designed that xover to make the speaker sound a certain way??
soooo...speakers like DALI can have a good frequency response and spectral decay, with cheap crossovers? will the XOver upgrade make them measure that much better or just somehow SOUND better?
Ever reviewed/measured the Spektor 2?
Basic, cheap and ease for everyone upgrade in Oberon 3 crossover is to change tweater cap Sounder 5.6 uF 100V to Audyn Cap Q4 MKP 5,60 uf 400V for example.
You can easy change Sounder 28uF 100V in woofer section to Audyn Cap Q4 MKP 30,00 uf 400V
I think Mundorf is too much for budget speaker :) Audyn is great enough.
Mundorf parts is also possible when User want to it .
I have to wonder if any of these speaker manufacturers ever comment or reply to what Danny has found?
I wonder whether it might have been better to apply some damping putty or similar to the midwoofer basket to remove the resonance rather than notching it out in the crossover. Just a thought.
The resonance isn't from the frame. It is a cone break up issue.
Wish i could send in my ProAc Studio 125. I had a look at the crossover and the parts look pretty "cheesy" Unfortunately I live in Australia and it's not possible. if anyone in the USA can send in theirs that would be a really cool. I'm interested in what Danny would have to say about upgrades for them.
Hello. Have you ever tested the Dynaudio Emit M20?
These speakers sound really good. Bring the treble down just a little + Same Thing with the Bass. Tonecontrol. (Otherwise the upper Bass tends to be a little boomy)
Done that, its a very smooth,full and cristal clear sound. Nothing to complain.
The drivers are high Quality and well made.
I have a pair of these and I think they sound fantastic. They were a bit boomy at first but I played around with placement and now have them 26 inches from the front wall (measured from front baffle) and its tighter, boomyness is gone. I am running them with separate amp and pre amp , good equipment. I also use a subwoofer for extra low end, I can't complain the sound stage is really good. Dali is a reputal company so maybe there is a reason to use the crossover components that is in these, over kill?
I think they sound great as is.
@@robertstolz2632 yes, soundstage is way better than every soeaker at same price.
The tweeter is exciting too, but for long listening Session i prefere smooth speakers.
In other words, bbc speakers like spendors.
And for total exitment i prefere Horn speakers like klipsch heritage . .
The dali oberons are something in between and way cheaper.
One cant go wrong buing these for a Budget. Aber Robert ich denke auf Deutsch hätten wir uns auch unterhalten können :)
@@robertstolz2632 I put my Dali's at the same measurement from the front wall as you and yes less boom I also stuck some dampening inside the speaker they're sounding so good
@@silverlining682what dampening did you use?
Would the Crossover also work with the Oberon 7? Its basically the 3 in a bigger box....
I'd like to know the same
If you had a winning lottery ticket, you'd make a graph and say it was crap & bin it. 😂
Hello how are you? What equipment do you recommend I start with in audiophile with these Dali Oberon 3, in a 4x4 room? Denon pma600ne, Yamaha S-301, Marantz pm6007 or Rotel a11 tribute? For music CD, streamer and movies? Greetings from Argentina!
I am starting to suspect that most people do not realize thet these videos reveal the problem that speaker manufacturers focus more on profit than offering truth or closer to the real thing, accurate sound. Everything is made to meet a budget and compromises are made that are revealed when someone like Mr. Richie do testing and measurement. That the same speakers could be a lot better but will also cost more and then it should be the customer 's choice based on their budget to decide which to buy. But every purchase would be a good one based on the level which that honest built and sounding product be... Hope I made myself understood....
What are your thoughts on active speakers, no crossover is surely better?
Really good DSP does magic because allows for better crossover design, time delay, EQ, and doesn't change the impedance of the drivers. Even cheaper miniDSP isn't bad.
Dali Oberon 3 or Nuboxx-B40?
Merry Christmas Danny... I have a question and as I don't see a way at your Web Site l'm going to run it here. First though, love all your Vids. The question is a possibility issue. Is it possible without a massive or problematic issue converting your Mini, or the X-LS Bravo to Open Baffle as I have a space issue in looking for large sound stage.
No, neither of those designs can be converted to an open baffle application.
@@dannyrichie9743 Bummer
Maybe I am reading it wrong... but do your graphs read from 200hz onwards?
To measure any lower, you have to either use an anechoic chamber, or derive the lower frequencies by taking measurements as close to the cone as possible.
This is because the sound reflected off the floor/ceiling will pollute the measurement. Depending on how far the speaker is from the floor, the difference in time delay between the direct and reflected sound is typically at about 180Hz.
He can get away with this because the speaker gets more predictable in the lower frequencies, and the cross-over design software will be able to model it pretty well.
I have this speakers and I love them. Use 2 small Emotiva subs with them that take away the bass frequencies first before feeding the Oberons. They’re much cheaper in Europe. Like 270-300$ incl. tax and shipping. The tweeters are special: they are a bit bigger and go lower.
The stereo image is awesome.
600 Dollars(500 Euros) in germany.
Imagine how much you would like them after the crossover god touched them
I’m sure the Dali Oberon 3 sounds great.
I had the Oberon 7 and prefer them over the much more expensive KEF R3. The R3 may be one of the best measuring speakers out there but they lack emotion , warmth and engagement.
@@sherlockholmes2010 599 euros en España...
@@davidsimon1642 460 in Germany
Just inspired me to sell my pair 😆
they are more expensive there.here in greece you can find them from 450eyros to 600eyros the most.
@Lloyd Stout every video that he makes the first thing that he mensions is the price and second is the measurments....the problem is not being deaf..but when you refuse to hear...
very interesting these modifying videos.. BUT How do they sound??
Very true! Some speakers are designed for ears rather than flat response. Like many Totem models, for one.
@Lloyd Stout Great frequency response doesn't always translate to flat measurements. I recall that Totem owner, Vince Bruzzese, pulled their ads from Stereophile, after a poor measurement review from Mr. Adkins. I can't recall which speakers though (Signature One or Sky?). It wasn't their top of the line Element or Tribe models, which I wish they would review.
for the cost of the upgrade kit I'd just cut my losses sell them and put the money towards something better.
I would love your assessment and thoughts
On the Jamo Concert 8 bookshelf speakers with there resin sand filled front baffle and Seas drivers any one out there who wants a pair tested and wanting an upgrade please send in .. great show...
Добрый день! Есть ли кроссовер для улучшения oberon 1?
Welcome back to my channel, where I sh*t all over other company's speakers, explain how my own company's modifications are the only salvation, and then when that's not good enough I also upload videos with clickbaity titles about the best-sounding speakers I've heard ... which then turn out to be my own company's in-house offerings. Hashtag, fifty shades of sketchy conflict of interest.
What is the story with the speakers to your right?
That is a pair of NX-Treme's. They are one of the best sounding speakers in the world.
I’ve always felt Dali speakers were low quality “audiophile” speakers found at boutique audio stores that sell them as high profit bread and butter speakers.
And I've always felt that Dali Speakers were much overrated. This video is just another proof for that...
I guess they have a house sound with that treble. At least for some of the red cone types. A bit overpriced for what you get is what I thought ..
There was someone who preferred their Rubicon over other speakers
@@basiema.4185 I couldn’t believe there was no bracing and the mdf was less than 1/2”. Crossovers on the binding post?? Really the cheapest methods of building a speaker.
I always felt the same way but was never sure why. They just looked a bit like the slightly-too-dressed-up girl at a party with those shiny red cones and the glitzy driver surrounds and I knew they must either be saving money elsewhere or it was just for show. I feel the same about watches - not that I'm into them particularly but I'd always choose the plain looking one made by an actual watchmaking brand than a Hugo Boss thing encrusted with diamonds and white gold.
@@epi2045 it was slightly more than 1/2", if it was less there really would be a problem lol
899$? 🤔 Where do you go shopping?
In Germany the Oberon 3 costs 460€ (~520$) per pair.
In Europe it's cheaper speaker - 558 EUR per pair
I’ve watched many reviews of these speakers from well regarded audio peeps… and all like the sound they make? Seems pointless to dissect any product at this level? I certainly won’t loose any sleep because my woofer basket is cheaply made?
Have you done a report on the large Tannoys you recieved and I have mised it?
There is a video on some big Tannoy's.
Here's one. Watch out for the crazy effects his shirt has though...LOL... czcams.com/video/ISDe-ll3B9s/video.html
So I take it from this review that the upgrade is a path to salvage your bad investment rather than a recommendation to go buy this speaker + upgrade as a way to build a quality system.
Generally, yes, because he has shown that buying even $2000 to $4000 speakers are no guarantee of getting quality crossover components or a good frequency response.
If you've spent a good amount of money, instead of selling them for peanuts (used speakers go for about 50% to 65% of original price if you are lucky), and if the cabinet and drivers are good, then spending say up to 1/3rd more to make them better seems to be a good way to go - if you are willing to spend several afternoons doing the work and have a good place to do that work.
I'm not sure I'd do it for these though. Seems the cabinet and that off axis response would forever be holding them back other than for the one person sitting in the sweet spot.
@Lloyd Stout yep, even comparing speakers in a showroom is no substitute for an in-home trial...with your amp, your music, your sources in your room...Fortunately some allow 30 to 60 day trials...
I bought the Oberon 5 with vokal center and oberon 1 for a 5.1 with a BK P12 300-DF subwoofer (Which is amazing) and I don't like how the dali speakers sound. To me they are really bright regaless of what I do.
Dalis are always meant to be listened to with absolutely no toe in and if you still dont like how it sounds, then the Dali house sound just isnt for you. The Oberon 3 do sound thin at the top end to my ears and I didnt like it.
@@-MarkWinston- I've been messing around with placement and I have been upgrading things like cable and connectors. I am also using room correction more effectively now but the biggest improvement for me is I replaced the grilles with customer 3D printed ones, I have 3 layers of grill cloth combined with 2mm felt cloth covering the tweeter. I know a lot of people will say that is a bad idea but ever since then I have really enjoyed listening to them.
@@sentientcloud damn... you are basically blocking that tweeter to reduce that brightness. But if it works for ya, great!
@@-MarkWinston- yeah pretty much, I know I am lossing a bit in the very highest frequency but I will take that in favour of a easier listening experience
@@sentientcloud maybe an upgrade in the future ;)
Where do you do all the measurements on speakers? In a listening room or a chamber?
he uses a gated mic so he can do it anywhere almost as he only captures a fraction of a second of sound so no room reactions. at least i think he does it that way
@@veroman007 Thanks but I have to know how he really does his measurements before I can trust them
That’s exactly how he does it. He talks about bit in other videos on his channel; you can search for them. He uses the CLIO system which takes gated measurements.
@@nathandaniels4823 So if the measurements doesn't include the room then he won't really know how the speaker behaves in a room? The room changes the frequency response significantly. So it might become the most horrible sounding speaker or it might not. Who knows
@@jwester7009 and every room is different, with different bass modes, etc., based on size and surfaces. Making the speaker play as neutral as possible and have good off axis drop off at least starts out with a "good" sound. It is up to the buyer to evaluate their room and add or subtract damping material as necessary or provide bass traps. Or you can play the game of buying bright speakers for overly damped rooms or buying dark sounding ones for rooms with hard surfaces. That's up to you to decide. Or for non-purists, use some room correction software on the preamp or decent A/V receiver and see where it leads you by putting in a crazy EQ curve, or heavens forbid, buy an EQ and do it manually. Even then, adding a sheet of no-rez to almost any commercially made speaker is likely a start in the right direction.
You can test drive 3 different stock cars. And then, you drive a specially tuned and equipped version of one of those three; more horsepower, even acceleration, better tyres, better grip, better braking, more comfortable seats, better steering wheel, etc. From the moment you sit inside it, press the accelerator, press the brakes, etc. you KNOW exactly how much better any stock car could be but you are not given that.
Those measurements tie up with what my untrained ears have told me about the grilles on my Dali speakers.
Alright Danny
As one who's been in this hobby for decades- and doesn't have an unlimited bank account- I don't get it. $900 for those? I know it's all personal taste, but I've picked up so many better-built speakers used, for so much less. I am currently using Dali Phantom Ikon in-walls for surrounds with full cast enclosures, cast-basket woofer and hybrid ribbon tweeter module. $200 for those.
They are 6 ohm according to my specs
$390 for some "upgraded" caps and "good quality" resistors? That's a rip off, this is the cost of the whole speaker!
Thats why you don't buy speakers that you do not listen to in a demo sound room. If it doesn't sound good there you don't bring it home.
I am sure you test drive a car before buying it too, but that doesn't mean you never upgrade or modify it in some way to make it better, faster, or more fun to drive.
And even better, get a 30 to 60 day return period so you can hear them in your home, which is likely far different than the showroom. Use the showroom to make comparisons of speakers there, and note their differences, but that is about all you can do.
@@dannyrichie9743 I'm not referring to your speakers. I'm sure they sound great. I like klipsch speakers myself. I dampened the horns and they sound great to me. Every one has different tastes in sound and my ears are old and most likely have limited sound capture.
I sold DALI speakers back in their beginning ventures and cabs and crossovers were of better quality.
Many speaker companies now have their lower models made in China, with the more expensive ones made in domestic factories.
hey, do you sell the upgraded crossover parts for your kits separate? So for example if I can only afford the stock crossover for now with the intension to upgrade later.
We just put together best bang for the buck for each upgrade package.
the oberon 3 is similar to the zensor 3
Personally, I couldn’t give a shit what parts the factory uses. These speakers sound amazing to my ears and that’s all that really matters. Not a slam on Danny but measurements don’t hold any weight in comparison to the human ear.
I see that the tweeter is not very good, does not have smooth response
Based on your opening statements in the first 2 minutes, it doesn't seem to be worth buying regardless of your upgrades. You're overpaying. For that price, you can get much better speakers, or kit speakers to blow them away. Your review should have been to stay away.
I don't get it. A $390 (€500 incl taxes and shipping) upgrade kit for speakers that cost new €500 a pair 🤔. Do they sound like a €1000 pair after the upgrade?
They won't, but you will get air core inductors and very high quality capacitors ;) For me at this price point it doesn't matter if you use cheaper, commonly used parts or Uber stuff GR sells - the drivers although now finally well managed by proper crossover, may not pass all the nuances better parts provide.
I have read a comment on another channel stating it is absolutely worth the GR upgrade
These are quite cheap in Europe, why are they so expensive in the US? I just looked them up and I found them for 380 euros.
@Lloyd Stout Ok, I see, no distribution but if I was in the States I'd go for something else.
tariff
Please can someone send Danny a pair of Oberon 5’s? Maybe we can crowdfund it for you! I know many in Europe would love to have that upgrade due to their unique form factor.
Still waiting on the KEF ls50 video.
Can you upgrade this speaker and show us the difference with the changes you recommend?
@Lloyd Stout I watched the video. Did you?
it sounds like it came out of game of thrones ,remenber the 70´s do it yourself was fashion one could design the shape of the box or use previous designed boxes and buy drivers ,boards and everytype of sound deliverer ,Bricolage was the word , i made with a german friend some speakers of pine wood that had all frequency´s in the spectrum (not all off course)but some 15 htz to 35khtz and equalizers with 25 frequencies per channel would improve any recording and tube amplifiers was old but good ,transistors were making it´s way in the market .No use of tubes only transistors ,this to made buyers after those amplifiers, but they were not comparable to a 1.000€ bad quality amplifier not like Rotel or Quad or even accuphase or phase linear or even Pioneer of the 70´s
Does anybody know the values of the used coils in the crossover? If somebody knows plz write me...
I'm also interested. I believe they are like in the zensor 3, 0,3 or 0,33mH in the tweeter and around 0,6-0,7 mH in the woofer...u should also need to consider the DCR values of the coils... will try to measure inductance of the coils afternoon but mine RLC meter is not so accurate.
Did measurements on the coils. If my measurements are correct but I'm not trusting the accuracy of my cheap UNI-T meter. The L1 on the woofer is 0,47 mH and 0,17 mH on the tweeter.
@@fahy01 Ok, thanks. I could find anything bout the Zensor 3, but for the 5 the values are give as 0,55mH and 0,2 mH, comes close enough. The problem is the Oberon have completely different drivers, so probably those numbers are may be notsuitable
You always design the x-over so the final slope takes into account drivers measured freq response and phase in enclosure, their impedance and offset between drivers.
@@pliedtka Ok, how does help me as a non professional. I hardly will calculate the Crossover again...
Danny so all speaker manufacturers make bad speakers.
Most do have short comings , but what us cool is you can take something that tickles you and make the improvements to your liking , its the same with houses , cars and women , it us human to want to make better , it gives a sense of achievement.
Lots of things can be modified to make perform better. One example is a car
Most of them are made to achieve a price point. Cheap crossover parts cost a few bucks. A good chunk of the cost is dealer markup.
@@jasontimothywells9895 women,really? Something is wrong in your head.
@@robertspringer9477 are you related to Jerry springer ?
No deal. At $800, almost a rip off. V curve sound, no bracing. Much better speakers are available for less $$$. Elac DBR62 Reference speaker, less money, way better sound. I am sick of over over priced, over advertised, under performing products. All over the world. Research before spending your money. CZcams reviews are free. I am a musician, I know which speakers sound real at a good price. Thanks for the video.
Looks like IKEA to me .....
Oberon 3 are 600 Euro a pair over here in Holland. That I think is too much ...
These vids are great. I've seen this asked in the comments before, but does anyone know why these tests start at 200?
The curves are cut off at 200Hz because you need an anechoic chamber to test between 0 and 200Hz (in a normal room, the reflections start to interfere with the FR curve below 200 - so they are innacurate).
@@dkedavid Thanks for that, David! Perfectly explained and very appreciated. Merry Christmas, champ!
The Cheapest cheesiest cheese
Not a mention of how they sound. So, let's weigh up what's on the table, a speaker that people can afford that sells highly and people think sounds great Vs speakers the price of a car. As people from the good ol u s of a say, you do the math 🙉
I always thought Dali speakers were over-rated for the price.