In this review, we will be comparing two different types of speakers. Canton Reference Alpha 1 is a Floor-standing speaker whereas the Opticon LCR MK2 is a On-Wall speaker.
Let's have a brief look at the main features
of Canton Reference Alpha 1 and DALI Opticon LCR II first before getting into our more
detailed comparison.
| Key Specs | Canton Reference Alpha 1 | DALI Opticon LCR II |
|---|
| Brand | Canton
Germany · founded 1972 | DALI
Denmark · founded 1983 |
|---|
| Design | 2-way | 3-way |
|---|
| Tweeter | — | 17 x 45 mm ribbon + 1.125" Soft-dome + ribbon Hybrid |
|---|
| Woofer | — | 6.5" Wood Fiber |
|---|
| Frequency response | 18-40k Hz | 70-30k Hz |
|---|
| Sensitivity | 89 dB | 89 dB |
|---|
| Impedance | 4 ohms | 4 ohms |
|---|
| Power range | — | 30-150 watts |
|---|
| Weight | 145.00kg / 319lbs | 8.00kg / 17.6lbs |
|---|
| Dimensions (H x W x D) | 64.57" x 18.11" x 28.35"
1640.1 x 460.0 x 720.1mm | 19" x 11-1/4" x 5"
483.0 x 286.0 x 127.0mm |
|---|
What size room are the Canton Reference Alpha 1 and DALI Opticon LCR II speakers good for?
The size of the room in which you are planning to use these loudspeakers is an important decision
factor. Here we have compared their suitability to various sizes of environments considering their size
and max power parameters:
| Listening Environment* |
Canton Reference Alpha 1 |
DALI Opticon LCR II |
| Near-field |
Bad |
Poor |
| Small Room |
Poor |
Average |
| Mid-size Room |
Average |
Good |
| Large Room |
Good |
Average |
| Very Large Room |
Average |
Poor |
(* Approximate Room sizes: Small < 100sq. ft / 9 m2,
Mid-size: 100-220 sq. ft / 9-20 m2, Large 220-400 sq. ft / 20-36 m2, Very Large: >
400 sq. ft / 36 m2.
Average Floor Height: 9" / 2.7m. Typical room sizes differ from country to country, and the actual
listening experience changes depending on floor height, room shape, surface materials, listening
position, speaker locations, etc.)
The sections below take each area in turn: drivers, frequency response, physical size and what you get in the box.
Drivers
One of the fundamental differences between these two speakers is that Reference Alpha 1 is a 2-way design whereas the Opticon LCR MK2 is a 3-way speaker. 3-way designs utilize a midrange driver in addition to the tweeter and woofer on 2-way designs. Designing a crossover for a 3-way speaker is a complicated process and generally increases the overall cost of the speaker.
| Driver |
Canton Reference Alpha 1 |
DALI Opticon LCR II |
|
Driver Setup
|
2-way
|
3-way
|
|
Tweeter
|
-inch
|
17 x 45 mm ribbon + 1.125-inch
|
|
Midrange
|
- |
- |
|
Woofer
|
x -inch
|
1 x 6.5-inch
|
Reference Alpha 1 features a " Tweeter and x " Woofer with a Crossover frequency at 170/3100 Hz. On the other hand, the Opticon LCR MK2 features a 17 x 45 mm ribbon + 1.125" Soft-dome + ribbon Hybrid Tweeter and 1 x 6.5" Wood Fiber Woofer with a Crossover frequency at 2800Hz and 14.000Hz.
Frequency Response
Reference Alpha 1 has a frequency range of 18-40k Hz whereas Opticon LCR MK2 has a frequency range of 70-30k Hz. With a minimum frequency of 18Hz, the Reference Alpha 1 can go significantly deeper on the low side and provide stronger bass compared to the Opticon LCR MK2's min frequency of 70Hz.
The graph below depicts how these two speakers compare with the max, min and average Low Frequency values of other speakers in the Floor-standing class in our database.
Low Frequency
Floor-standing Speakers
Impedance and Sensitivity
Reference Alpha 1 and Opticon LCR MK2 have the same Impedance of 4 ohms and their sensitivity is also same at 89 dB.
One thing to keep in mind that the lower impedance speakers, especially the ones that are rated at 4 ohms may put more pressure on the amplifier unit comared to higher impedance speakers especially at high volume levels, so make sure the amp you pair with the Reference Alpha 1 and the Reference Alpha 1 can provide this impedance level.
Sensitivity
Floor-standing Speakers
Which plays louder on your amplifier?
Starting with a popular amplifier - change it to the one you own, or any you are
considering, and watch both numbers move.
Input Type and Bi-Amping / Bi-Wiring
Reference Alpha 1 features Post type posts and Opticon LCR MK2 has a Post type posts. None of these speakers feature bi-amping/bi-wiring.
DALI Opticon LCR II's Post terminals
Physical Specs
The size of a speaker can sometimes be an important decision factor due to space constraints or in some cases purely for esthetic reasons. In this section, we are going to compare Canton Reference Alpha 1's and DALI Opticon LCR II's external dimensions. Canton Reference Alpha 1 has external dimensions of 1640.1 x 460.0 x 720.1mm (64.57 x 18.11 x 28.35inch) whereas DALI Opticon LCR II has external dimensions of 483.0 x 286.0 x 127.0mm (19 x 11-1/4 x 5inch).
Canton Reference Alpha 1 is clearly the larger of the two speakers. Its body is 174mm wider, 1157.1mm taller and 593.1mm deeper than DALI Opticon LCR II.
Size, drawn to scale
Both speakers and both views share one scale, so everything here is directly comparable. Hover a box for its dimensions.
One scale for both, standing on the same surface and pushed back to the same wall, so the deeper one visibly sticks out further.
Canton Reference Alpha 1 needs about 812% more floor or shelf area. Canton Reference Alpha 1 is 593mm deeper, so it stands that much further out from the wall. Canton Reference Alpha 1 is 1157mm taller.
Base Surface Area Comparison
Base surface area of a loudspeaker may become a determining factor when the space in your room or desk is limited.
The base surface area of the Canton Reference Alpha 1 is approximately 3312.5cm2 / 513.4inch2 and base area of the DALI Opticon LCR II is approximately 363.2cm2 / 56.3inch2. The Reference Alpha 1 requires 812% more surface area than the Opticon LCR MK2 which gives it a small disadvantage on placement in tight spaces.
What's in the Box of DALI Opticon LCR II?
Here are the items that come with the Opticon LCR MK2:
- LCR loudspeaker
- Grille
- 4 Rubber bumpers
- Hex-key
- Quick Start Guide
- Congratulations Card