Dali Sound HUB Compact

As the name suggests, Dali SOUND HUB COMPACT plays a central role in the wireless Hi-Fi system alongside a stereo pair of OBERON C speakers.

Designed primarily with Bluetooth audio and HDMI connections in mind, the SOUND HUB COMPACT wired or wirelessly receives sound from audio sources and wirelessly transmits it to the speakers.

The Dali SOUND HUB COMPACT has been specifically designed to achieve a small footprint, and such slimness that it can even be placed out of sight, behind a wall-mounted television.

The SOUND HUB COMPACT wireless connection protocol is a proprietary 30bit digital streaming system that operates in the 5.2Ghz or 5.8 Ghz bands.

The optimal band option is automatically selected depending on the radio signal present in the environment.

The 30bit protocol transmits uncompressed I2S audio at 24bit/96kHz and uses the last six bits to receive connection information, volume control, speaker indentification and other operational needs.

The need for volume control data to be sent to the loudspeakers is due to the zero loss volume technology of SOUND HUB COMPACT and OBERON C. Zero Loss ensures that volume adjustment involves no loss of data by truncating the digital signal.

By placing the loudspeaker volume control at the end of the digital signal transmission chain, just before the conversion to analog, 24-bit resolution is maintained at all volume levels.

Thanks in part to the use of uncrowded radio frequency bands, and in part to the use of a protocol specifically designed for audio files, the wireless connection of SOUND HUB COMPACT and OBERON C is very stable and does not cause data loss.

Speaker latency is only 15 mS, which means that SOUND HUB COMPACT and OBERON C can be used in AV equipment without risk of image desynchronization.

The robust nature of the wireless connection of the SOUND HUB COMPACT and OBERON C means that they can be placed up to 10 meters apart without risk of connection failure or interruptions.

The SOUND HUB COMPACT is almost entirely digital in its internal signal path and processing, although it has a high quality analog input designed for long-established audiophile sources such as CD players, preamplifiers and turntables.

The analog-to-digital conversion that takes place when the signal is received generates a high-resolution digital signal at 24bit/96 kHz, superior to that of CD.

With five discrete audio inputs available, the SOUND HUB COMPACT can be connected to virtually any audio device.

For example, there are no less than four ways to connect to a TV and transmit audio to the OBERON Cs, but there are also many options for connecting to streaming music or conventional audio devices.

• Bluetooth: The Bluetooth input of the DALI SOUND HUB COMPACT features the high-performance codecs AAC and aptX HD, allowing many smartphones, tablets, laptops and desktop computers to desktop or any other Bluetooth source connect quickly and easily to play any music, stored or streaming.
• HDMI ARC: The SOUND HUB COMPACT's HDMI ARC input is designed to reproduce TV sound. In addition, it supports CEC to allow the use of the TV remote to adjust the volume and mute the equipment, as well as make the SOUND HUB COMPACT turn on and off at the same time as the TV.
• Auto-Selection: The SOUND HUB COMPACT has optional signal auto-detection on all its inputs. This function detects when an input is receiving a signal and starts playing this source automatically.

• Optical In 1 (TV): The S/PDIF Optical In 1 is designed for connection to CD players or other traditional audio sources that have digital optics.
• Optical input 2 (TV): The SOUND HUB COMPACT's S/PDIF 2 optical input is designed for connection to televisions equipped with optical digital output. The auto-selection feature is activated when the TV is turned on, rather than by the audio signal, ensuring that the SOUND HUB COMPACT is ready to play audio from the TV as soon as it is turned on.
• Analog input: The analog line input of the SOUND HUB COMPACT is designed for connection of traditional audio sources such as CD players or preamplifiers. Turntables can be connected directly if they have a line output or via an RIAA phono preamp. The analog input is where audiophile tradition meets wireless active Hi-Fi of the future.

The SOUND HUB COMPACT provides a line-level analog subwoofer output with volume control that is automatically activated when a subwoofer is connected.

The subwoofer output is low pass filtered at 100Hz to match the frequency characteristics of the speakers.

When a subwoofer is used, the audio sent to the main speakers is high-pass filtered to reduce the energy of reproducing frequencies below 80Hz and preserve the power supported in the main frequency band.

The SOUND HUB COMPACT features a USB-A port primarily designed for service and diagnostic use. The USB port also serves to charge a smartphone or power a streaming device such as Amazon Echo or Google Chromecast Audio, the output of which will need to be connected to a SOUND HUB COMPACT audio input, potentially including the volume control element in the system.

SOUND HUB COMPACT has an accessory IR signal receiver that allows it to be placed out of sight and used with its remote control.

The IIR receiver is optionally connected to the SOUND HUB COMPACT via a port on the rear panel. Connecting it disables the built-in IR receiver.