The DALI OBERON VOKAL is a dedicated center-channel loudspeaker designed to bring the Danish company’s emphasis on natural tonal balance, wide dispersion, and low distortion to home-theater systems. Positioned as the center of the OBERON range, the VOKAL is intended to integrate seamlessly with the OBERON 1, 3, 5, 7 and 9 speakers, making it particularly well suited to systems where consistent timbre across the front soundstage is important. DALI describes it as a speaker that combines “audio quality, looks and versatility,” with its front-firing bass port making placement relatively easy, even in confined spaces.
The VOKAL uses a conventional-looking horizontal cabinet, but its driver technology is considerably more sophisticated than its price category might suggest. Two 5¼-inch bass/midrange drivers use DALI’s distinctive paper-pulp and wood-fibre cone material. The lightweight, reinforced cones are designed to provide a combination of rigidity, low mass and controlled resonance, helping the speaker reproduce voices with good clarity while avoiding excessive coloration.
Each woofer also incorporates DALI’s Soft Magnetic Compound (SMC) technology. The SMC material is used in the magnet system to reduce hysteresis and eddy-current effects, lowering mechanical distortion. DALI says this contributes to a more relaxed midrange and greater detail. For a center channel, that is particularly valuable because dialogue occupies a large proportion of the critical midrange.
High frequencies are handled by a 29mm soft-dome tweeter developed specifically for the OBERON series. Its oversized diaphragm and optimized front plate are designed to produce wide dispersion, allowing dialogue and effects to remain consistent for listeners sitting away from the central listening position. That broad dispersion is one of the VOKAL’s principal design characteristics.
The cabinet is constructed from high-density, CNC-machined MDF with substantial internal bracing. The reinforcement is intended to suppress cabinet resonances that could otherwise add unwanted coloration. The front-facing bass-reflex port is another practical advantage: unlike a rear-ported center speaker, the VOKAL can be positioned close to a wall or inside an entertainment cabinet without immediately compromising the operation of its bass system.
Reviews of the OBERON system have been particularly complimentary about its handling of voices. DALI’s published review excerpts note that listeners were “blown away” by the character and texture conveyed in voices, specifically praising the center speaker’s combination of dynamics and detail. Another review found that rapid transitions between dialogue, music and explosive effects presented no problems, describing its coarse dynamics as outstanding while retaining fine detail.
Sound & Vision, reviewing an OBERON 5.1 system incorporating the VOKAL, found the broader OBERON presentation notably smooth and natural through the vocal region, describing the reproduction as “open, present, and convincing.”
With 89.5dB sensitivity, a 109dB maximum SPL rating and a 25–150-watt recommended amplifier range, the VOKAL is capable of substantial output. Its 4-ohm nominal impedance means that an AVR or amplifier with a reasonably robust power supply is appropriate, particularly in larger rooms.
Overall, the OBERON VOKAL is a well-engineered center speaker that emphasizes clear dialogue, broad seating-area coverage, low coloration and strong dynamic capability without requiring an enormous enclosure. It is an especially logical choice for an OBERON-based home theater, where its drivers and tonal character are designed to maintain a coherent front soundstage.
Product Specifications
- Type: 2-way bass-reflex center-channel loudspeaker
- Tweeter: 1 × 29mm soft-dome
- Bass/Midrange Drivers: 2 × 5¼-inch (130mm) wood-fibre/SMC
- Crossover Frequency: 2,600Hz
- Frequency Response: 47Hz–26kHz (±3dB)
- Sensitivity: 89.5dB @ 2.83V/1m
- Nominal Impedance: 4 ohms
- Maximum SPL: 109dB @ 1m
- Recommended Amplifier Power: 25–150 watts
- Enclosure: Bass reflex
- Bass Reflex Tuning: 46Hz
- Port Location: Front firing
- Crossover Design: 2-way
- Connection: Single-wire
- Dimensions (H × W × D): 6.3 × 17.4 × 11.6 inches
- Dimensions (H × W × D): 161 × 441 × 295mm
- Weight: 16.4 lb (7.45kg)
- Recommended Placement: Shelf
- Rear-Wall Clearance: 0–50cm
- Cabinet: High-density CNC-machined MDF with internal bracing
- Key Technologies: SMC magnet system, wood-fibre cones, 29mm wide-dispersion soft-dome tweeter
- Designed for: DALI OBERON home-theater systems
