Полочная акустика — DALI OPTICON 1 MK2

The OPTICON 1 MK2 is the smallest stand-mount model in the second-generation OPTICON line from DALI, the loudspeaker manufacturer based in Denmark. It went on sale in February 2021, replacing the original OPTICON 1, and is assembled by hand in Denmark. A pair lists at USD 1,400 in the US with a five-year warranty and at GBP 699 in the UK. Buyers can choose satin black, satin white or tobacco oak.

Key specs that matter

The passive two-way layout combines a 4.75 inch wood-fibre cone woofer and a 29 mm soft dome tweeter, crossed over at 3,000 Hz. DALI states a frequency range of 62 Hz to 25,000 Hz within 3 dB and a sensitivity of 85 dB at 2.83 V and 1 m. Nominal impedance is 4 ohm, maximum output is 105 dB at 1 m, and recommended amplifier power runs from 25 W to 100 W. Each cabinet measures roughly 261 x 152 x 231 mm and weighs about 4.5 kg.

Engineering and use context

The main change against the first version is the tweeter. The earlier 28 mm dome gave way to a slightly larger unit taken from the CALLISTO C series, which according to DALI brings lower distortion, higher power handling and an extended lower operating range. The woofer cone mixes paper pulp with wood fibre and is shaped to keep break-up resonances low. Its motor pairs a large ferrite ring magnet with a pole piece made entirely of SMC, the Soft Magnetic Composite patented by the company, which reduces mechanical distortion from hysteresis and eddy currents. Rigidity comes from a front baffle 25 mm thick plus extra bracing inside the box, which suppresses panel resonance. Two flared reflex ports on the rear recycle the rear radiation of the cone to extend bass response and raise power handling at low frequencies, and their flared profile keeps air turbulence down.

Pairing

DALI designed the OPTICON 1 MK2 for small and medium rooms. With its low nominal load and moderate sensitivity, it calls for an integrated amplifier or receiver that copes with low impedances and sits inside the power window given by the maker, rather than a low-powered unit rated only for 8 ohm speakers. The terminals are a single pair, so one amplifier channel per speaker is the expected connection. Every stereo pair is built and tested by one technician from drivers of the same production batch, so the two units match visually and acoustically.

Alternatives

The DALI OPTICON 2 MK2 sits one size up among the bookshelf models of the OPTICON MK2 series.