Floorstanding loudspeakers — DALI OPTICON 8 MK2

The OPTICON 8 MK2 is the tower that DALI of Denmark calls the powerhouse of its OPTICON MK2 family, intended for large listening spaces. It is manufactured in Denmark, and each stereo pair is hand-assembled for acoustic matching. The US list price was USD 5,000 per pair, and finishes are Satin Black or Tobacco Oak vinyl with a black cloth grille.

Key specs that matter

The layout is 3.5-way, with two 8 inch wood fibre bass drivers, a 6.5 inch wood fibre midrange and a hybrid tweeter module. DALI gives crossover points of 380 Hz, 2,200 Hz and 14,000 Hz. Frequency range is 38 Hz to 30,000 Hz within 3 dB, sensitivity is 88.5 dB for 2.83 V at 1 m and nominal impedance is 4 ohm, with maximum output of 112 dB at 1 m. Recommended amplifier power runs from 40 to 300 W. Each speaker is 1,141 mm tall, 241 mm wide and 450 mm deep and weighs 36 kg.

Engineering and use context

The hybrid tweeter module combines a 29 mm soft dome with a 17 x 45 mm planar element, the planar unit covering the highest frequencies. The magnet system of the drivers places a large ferrite ring around a pole-piece made entirely of DALI SMC, a Soft Magnetic Composite that DALI uses to cut the mechanical distortion produced by eddy currents and hysteresis in the pole. With a dedicated midrange driver, the two bass units handle only the region below the lowest crossover point. The MDF cabinet has a 25 mm thick front baffle and extra internal bracing to keep panel resonance low. Bass reflex loading uses Dual Flare aerodynamic ports at the rear. Two pairs of binding posts permit bi-amping or bi-wiring, and the manufacturer warranty is five years.

Pairing

A 4 ohm nominal load combined with the wide power window calls for a stable solid-state design with current reserves. With the links removed, one stereo power amplifier can feed the woofers and another the midrange and tweeters. The thick baffle and the bracing give the drivers a rigid mounting surface, and SMC in the magnet systems targets the distortion that rises at the high output levels the speaker is rated for.

Alternatives

The DALI RUBIKORE 6 is a floorstanding model from the higher RUBIKORE series, listed at GBP 4,499 per pair, using Clarity Cone drivers on SMC motors and a tweeter module that pairs a dome with a planar unit.