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DALI Opticon 6 II vs B&W 603 Comparison

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DALI Opticon 6 II

Passive Floor-standing | 49-30k Hz

DALI Opticon 6 MK2
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B&W 603

Passive Floor-standing | 48-28k Hz

Bowers & Wilkins 603
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DALI Opticon 6 II DALI Opticon 6 II
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B&W 603 B&W 603
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DALI Opticon 6 II
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B&W 603
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DALI Opticon 6 II vs B&W 603 Speaker Comparison

In this review, we will be comparing Opticon 6 MK2 and BW 603, two Passive Floor-standing speakers from DALI and Bowers Wilkins.

Let's have a brief look at the main features of DALI Opticon 6 II and B&W 603 first before getting into our more detailed comparison.

DALI Opticon 6 II Key Specs

  • 3-way Design
  • 17 x 45 mm ribbon + 1.125" Soft-dome + ribbon Hybrid Tweeter
  • 2 x 6.5" Wood Fiber Woofer
  • 49-30k Hz Frequency Response
  • 88 dB Sensitivity
  • Impedance: 4ohms
  • Power Range:25-200watts
  • Weight:19.30kg
  • Dimensions (H x W x D): 1010.0" x 7-5/8" x 13-3/8"( 1010.0 x 195.0 x 340.0mm )

B&W 603 Key Specs

  • 3-way Design
  • 1" Tweeter
  • 6" Midrange
  • 2 x 6.5" Paper Woofer
  • 6" Midrange
  • 48-28k Hz Frequency Response
  • 88.5 dB Sensitivity
  • Impedance: 8ohms
  • Power Range:30-200watts
  • Weight:24.14kg
  • Dimensions (H x W x D): 985.0" x 7.4" x 13.3"( 985.0 x 190.0 x 340.0mm )

What size room are the DALI Opticon 6 II and B&W 603 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* DALI Opticon 6 II B&W 603
Near-field Bad Bad
Small Room Poor Poor
Mid-size Room Good Good
Large Room Good Good
Very Large Room Poor 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.)

In the following sections, we will get into more detail in order to better understand how the DALI Opticon 6 II and B&W 603 compare and hopefully end up with enough arguments to decide which one of these loudspeakers is the better choice for you.


**This post contains affiliate links, and I will be compensated if you make a purchase after clicking through my links. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.


Drivers

Both Opticon 6 MK2 and BW 603 are 3-way speakers.

Driver DALI Opticon 6 II B&W 603
Driver Setup 3-way 3-way
Tweeter 17 x 45 mm ribbon + 1.125-inch 1-inch
Midrange - 1 x 6-inch
Woofer 2 x 6.5-inch 2 x 6.5-inch

Opticon 6 MK2 features a 17 x 45 mm ribbon + 1.125" Soft-dome + ribbon Hybrid Tweeter and 2 x 6.5" Wood Fiber Woofer with a Crossover frequency at 800Hz, 2200Hz and 14,000Hz. On the other hand, the BW 603 features a 1" Tweeter , a 6" Midrange and 2 x 6.5" Paper Woofer .

Frequency Response

Opticon 6 MK2 has a frequency range of 49-30k Hz whereas BW 603 has a frequency range of 48-28k Hz. With a minimum frequency of 48Hz, the BW 603 can go slightly deeper then the Opticon 6 MK2's min frequency of 49Hz.

Below graphs depict how these two speakers compare with the max, min and average values of the Min and Max Frequencies of other speakers in the Floor-standing class in our database.

Low Frequency

Floor-standing Speakers

Opticon 6 MK2
BW 603
Min
Average
Max
High Frequency

Floor-standing Speakers

DALI Opticon 6 II
B&W 603
Min
Average
Max

None of these speakers achieves full range experience which is commonly agreed as 20Hz-20kHz. In order to achieve lower lows / deeper bass, we recommend you pair these with a subwoofer. Visit our Powered Subwoofers section to find out more about the available options.

Impedance and Sensitivity

Opticon 6 MK2 is a 4 ohms speaker compared to the BW 603 which has a nominal impedance of 8 ohms. Lower impedance speakers, especially the ones that are rated at 4 ohms may put more pressure on the amplifier unit especially when played at high volume levels, so make sure the amp you pair with the Opticon 6 MK2 can provide this impedance level.

These two speakers also have different sensitivity levels. Opticon 6 MK2 sensitivity is rated at 88 dB and the BW 603's is rated at 88.5 dB. This 1 dB difference makes the B&W 603 a more sensitive speaker compared to DALI Opticon 6 II, hence will play louder with the same amount of watts.

Sensitivity

Floor-standing Speakers

Opticon 6 MK2
BW 603
Min
Average
Max

Power Range

Power range is the range of input power in watts RMS that a loudspeaker is designed to handle. While using an amplifier within this range ensures the nominal performance , inputting a power that is higher than the max wattage can result in a damaged speaker.

Keep in mind that a higher max power handling value doesn't necessarily make that a louder speaker compared to a lower max handling speaker. Loudness or the sound level is also impacted by parameters such as Impedance, sensitivity and system efficiencies.

Input Type and Bi-Amping / Bi-Wiring

Both Opticon 6 MK2 and BW 603 features dual binding post speaker terminals for bi-amping or bi-wiring.

DALI Opticon 6 II Terminals
DALI Opticon 6 II's Post terminals allows Bi-amping or bi-wiring

Cabinet Type and Port Position

Both Opticon 6 MK2 and BW 603 have rear firing ports. Rear ported speakers generally need more room between the backside of the speaker and the wall compared to sealed and front/bottom ported speakers. Placing the speakers too close to the walls may cause the bass to sound boomy.

If you are limited in space and can't get the speakers away from the backwall, check our Speakers with Front Firing Ports page.

DALI Opticon 6 II  Port
DALI Opticon 6 II Port

Physical Specs

Size of a speaker can sometimes become an important decision factor due to space constraints or in some cases purely for esthetic reasons. In this section, we are going to compare DALI Opticon 6 II's and B&W 603's external dimensions. DALI Opticon 6 II has external dimensions of 1010.0 x 195.0 x 340.0mm ( 39-3/4 x 7-5/8 x 13-3/8inch) whereas B&W 603 has external dimensions of 985.0 x 190.0 x 340.0mm ( 38.7 x 7.4 x 13.3inch) .

B&W 603 is 5mm narrower and 25mm shorter than DALI Opticon 6 II but they have the same thickness of 340.0mm.

Below you can see the front view size comparison of DALI Opticon 6 II and B&W 603 in scale.

DALI Opticon 6 II vs B&W 603 Size Comparison - Front View
Comparison image of DALI Opticon 6 II and B&W 603 Size and External Dimensions

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 DALI Opticon 6 II is approximately 663.0cm2 / 102.8inch2 and base area of the B&W 603 is approximately 646.0cm2 / 100.1inch2. The Opticon 6 MK2 requires 3% more surface area than the BW 603 which gives it a small disadvantage on placement in tight spaces.

Weight Comparison

The weight of a loudspeaker can become an important factor if you need to move and reposition the unit often. Weight of a speaker can also "sometimes" be an indicator of the rigidity of the enclosure and the quality of the internal components used. The DALI Opticon 6 II weighs 19.30kg / 42.5lbs and the B&W 603 weighs 24.14kg / 53.1lbs. This makes the BW 603 25% heavier than the Opticon 6 MK2.

Here is a comparison of how Opticon 6 MK2 and BW 603's weights compare with the average, max and min weights in Passive Floor-standing class.

Weight
All Floor-standing Speakers
DALI Opticon 6 II
B&W 603
Min
Average
Max

What's in the Box of DALI Opticon 6 II?

Here are the items that are included inside the box of Opticon 6 MK2:
  • Floorstanding loudspeaker
  • Grille
  • 2 Binding post jumpers (pre-installed)
  • 4 Outrigger feet
  • 4 Spikes (with lock nuts)
  • 4 Rubber pads
  • 4 Screws
  • Hex-key
  • Wrench
  • Quick Start Guide
  • Congratulations Card
  • What's in the Box of B&W 603?

    Here are the items that come with the BW 603:
  • Floorstanding loudspeaker
  • Grille
  • Plinith (base)
  • 2 Jumper-straps (pre-installed)
  • 4 Rubber feet
  • 4 Spike feet
  • 4 Hex-nuts
  • 4 Screws
  • 4 Washers
  • 4 Lock-washers
  • Two-piece foam port plug
  • Hex-key
  • Manual
  • Bowers & Wilkins brochure
  • Warranty Information

  • Reasons to choose DALI Opticon 6 MK2 over Bowers & Wilkins 603
    High Frequency Response 30k Hz vs 28k Hz Generates higher frequency

    Reasons to choose Bowers & Wilkins 603 over DALI Opticon 6 MK2

    Sensitivity 89 dB vs 88 dB Play louder with same amount of amplification power
    Nominal Impedance 8 ohms vs 4 ohms Less selective with amplifiers
    Low Frequency Response 48 Hz vs 49 Hz Generates deeper bass
    Height 985mm vs 1010mm Easier to fit in smaller spaces
    Base Surface Area 646cm2 vs 663cm2 Takes less floor space
    DALI Opticon 6 II vs B&W 603 Specs Table
    Detailed comparison of specifications
    General DALI Opticon 6 MK2 Bowers & Wilkins 603
    Brand DALI Bowers Wilkins
    Speaker Type Floor-standing speaker Floor-standing speaker
    Power Range 25-200 watts 30-200 watts
    Sensitivity 88 dB 88.5 dB
    Impedance 4 ohms 8 ohms
    Frequency Response 49-30k Hz 48-28k Hz
    Drivers
    Woofer Quantity 2 2
    Woofer Size 6.5" 6.5"
    Woofer Composition Wood Fiber Paper
    Woofer Surround Material Rubber Rubber
    Tweeter Size 17 x 45 mm ribbon + 1.125" 1"
    Tweeter Type Soft-dome + ribbon Hybrid n/a
    Aimable Tweeter No No
    Midrange Driver No 6"
    Crossover Frequency 800Hz, 2200Hz and 14,000Hz n/a
    Firing Direction rear rear
    Physical Specs
    Height 1010.0mm (39.8") 985.0mm (38.8")
    Width 195.0mm (7.7") 190.0mm (7.5")
    Depth 340.0mm (13.4") 340.0mm (13.4")
    Weight 19.30kg (42.5lbs) 24.14kg (53.1lbs)
    Enclosure Bass Reflex Bass Reflex
    Finish MDF/Wood-grain vinyl MDF/Vinyl
    Available Colors Satin Black, Tobacco Oak, Satin White Black, White, Oak
    Grille Yes Yes
    Moisture Resistancy No No
    Connections
    Biamp Inputs Yes Yes
    Other
    Parts Warranty 5 Years 5 Years
    Labor Warranty 5 Years 5 Years

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