Today, Lenbrook Americas, distributor of DALI loudspeakers in North America, announced the availability of Dali’s new active speaker system OBERON C. According to their press release, there will be three models available, along with a wireless preamp called SOUND HUB COMPACT starting in November:
The OBERON C Series features the floorstanding OBERON 7 C ($2,499/pr US MSRP), compact, stand or shelf-mount OBERON 1 C ($1,499/pr US MSRP), the compact, low profile wall-mount OBERON ON-WALL C ($899/ea US MSRP), and the SOUND HUB COMPACT ($449 US MSRP) and will be available for sale in November 2020.
OBERON C is based on DALI’s excellent OBERON series of passive speakers (we gave the OBERON 5 a perfect 10 in our review), using the same drivers and cabinet structure. Each OBERON C speaker incorporates a wireless streaming interface, digital signal processing (DSP), and a pair of 50-Watt Class D power amplifiers. The bass/midrange drivers and the high-frequency drivers have dedicated amplifiers, making this a truly active design.
Alongside the speakers, DALI is releasing SOUND HUB COMPACT, a wireless preamp which acts as a traffic cop of sorts directing music from many different sources, including wireless via Bluetooth (aptX HD), or wired (via digital and line inputs), to the loudspeakers. If you pick up the upgrade SOUND HUB, you can stream to the OBERON C via a BluOS module, which opens up direct integration with sources like TIDAL and Spotify, along with support for MQA plus multi-room audio. Either option provides support for hi-res audio streams (24/96 on the SOUND HUB COMPACT, 24/192 on the SOUND HUB).
OBERON C will be available in four cabinet finishes and a grille in a contrasting gray fabric: Matt White, Light Oak, Dark Walnut, and Black Ash. For more info regarding OBERON C, visit http://www.dali-speakers.com.
I’m an audio writer who started as a young audio salesman/consumer electronics professional back in the late 90s. That’s where I discovered the magic of 2-Channel sound. My thirst for great sound has led me on a delightful music quest that continues today.
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