DALI OBERON On-Wall-C Active Speakers (Pair), Black Ash with Sound Hub Compact

Full Description

• aptX

  

• HDMI ARC

  

The OBERON On-Wall-C and SOUND HUB COMPACT are perfectly configured for contemporary home media installations where Bluetooth devices and smart TVs are the primary audio sources. Our world is increasingly one in which wireless technology is the norm. We’re familiar with the idea and appreciate the convenience of consumer electronic hardware that no longer requires a physical connection; printers, headphones, desktop speakers, telephones, and even room thermostats for example. Hi-Fi speakers are similarly undergoing a wireless revolution and DALI has played a pioneering role with the RUBICON C and CALLISTO C series. 

The slim and discreet OBERON ON-WALL C comprises a compact, low profile, rear reflex loaded cabinet fitted with a 5.25” DALI wood fibre cone SMC bass/mid driver, and a DALI ultra lightweight 29mm soft dome tweeter. The OBERON ON-WALL C was designed with TV audio very much in mind and despite its compact dimensions, the combination of DALI technologies employed endow it with performance comparable to significantly larger speakers. 

Bass / Mid Driver

OBERON C bass/mid drivers feature our proprietary paper pulp and wood fibre composite diaphragm materials, advanced copper-coated aluminium voice-coil wire and, in particular, our unique SMC (Soft Magnet Compound) magnet technology. By introducing electrically non-conductive elements to the magnet structure, SMC significantly reduces the effect of a variety of distortion-producing mechanisms inherent to moving-coil driver architecture.

Cabinet Construction

OBERON C cabinets are constructed from CNC-machined high strength MDF panels and finished with a variety of wood-effect or matt white laminates. The cabinets are engineered for optimum rigidity to minimise panel resonance, with corner fillets and, in the case of the larger OBERON 7 C, strategic internal cross-bracing. Corner fillets have become increasingly unusual in contemporary speaker cabinet construction but at DALI we believe they play an important role in ensuring rigidity.

Power Amplification

The OBERON C power amplification comprises two 50 Watt peak, closed loop Class-D power amplifiers chosen specifically for their sound quality and dynamic ability. One amplifier powers the high frequency driver, one powers the bass/mid driver (or twin drivers in the case of the OBERON 7 C). The 100dB signal-to-noise ratio of the power amplifiers ensures that even the smallest detail in a quiet musical passage is reproduced with clarity and accuracy.

Easy Positioning

The driver materials, crossover design and geometry applied in the OBERON C series has been selected to achieve a wide dispersion pattern. This ensures a well-integrated sound, even when listening at a significant off-axis angle. An added benefit is seriously reduced harmonic distortion and diffractions causing frequency distortion. This is why all DALI speakers are not designed to be toed-in.

Patented SMC

The iron pole piece of the OBERON C woofer magnet is crowned by the DALI patented SMC disk - minimizing the negative effects of the iron. The use of the SMC disk greatly reduces mechanical distortion, which lowers third order distortion. This allows for a longer listening pleasure, a relaxed midrange and a surprising amount of detail for its price class.

Low Latency

The SOUND HUB COMPACT transmits to OBERON C speakers using a proprietary 30 bit wireless protocol derived from the acclaimed DALI SOUND HUB. Audio transmission latency from input to speaker is typically less than 15 mS, and inter-speaker timing is accurate to the single sample period of the broadcast audio data.

SoundHub Compact

Reliable Wireless

Thanks partly to utilising a relatively un-congested radio band, and partly to the use of a protocol specifically designed for audio data, the SOUND HUB COMPACT and OBERON C wireless connection is highly stable and introduces next to no packet loss. Feed-forward error correction is employed however to eliminate the results of packet loss should it occur. The sub 15mS input to speaker latency of the system means also that the SOUND HUB COMPACT and OBERON C system can be used in audiovisual systems with no resulting loss of lip-sync.

Zero Loss

The need for volume control data to be transmitted to the speakers results from the implementation in the SOUND HUB COMPACT and OBERON C of DALI Zero Loss volume control technology. Zero Loss ensures that volume adjustment does not result in data loss through truncation of the digital word length. By placing speaker volume control at the end of the digital signal chain, directly before the digital to analogue conversion stage, full 24 bit digital resolution is retained at all volume levels.

Auto Switching

The SOUND HUB COMPACT has optional auto signal detect on all inputs. With auto signal detect switched on, instigating playback on the source will trigger the SOUNDHUB COMPACT automatically to switch on and select the appropriate input. If there is no audio for 20 minutes, the SOUND HUB COMPACT (and OBERON C speakers) will automatically switch to standby mode and save energy.

Analogue Legacy

The SOUND HUB COMPACT is almost entirely digital in its internal signal path and processing, however it incorporates a high quality analogue input designed for legacy audiophile sources such as CD players, preamplifiers and turntables. The analogue to digital conversion stage following the input generates a high resolution, better than CD, 24 bit/ 96kHz data stream.

Inputs & Connections

With five discrete audio inputs available, the SOUND HUB COMPACT can connect to almost any audio device. For example, there are no less than four ways to connect a TV and transmit its audio to OBERON C speakers, but there are also ample possibilities to connect music streaming or conventional audio devices.

HDMI ARC

The SOUND HUB COMPACT HDMI ARC is designed to play TV audio. It additionally supports CEC to enable the use of the TV remote control to adjust volume and mute functions, as well as to switch the SOUND HUB COMPACT on and off in sync with the TV.

Oberon On-Wall-C

Sound Compact