In this review, we will be comparing Opticon 8 MK2 and Oberon 9, two Passive Floor-standing speakers by DALI
Let's have a brief look at the main features
of DALI Opticon 8 II and DALI Oberon 9 first before getting into our more
detailed comparison.
DALI Opticon 8 II Key Specs
- 3-way Design
- 17 x 45 mm ribbon + 1.125" Soft-dome + ribbon Hybrid Tweeter
- 6.5" Midrange
- 2 x 8" Wood Fiber Woofer
- 38-30k Hz Frequency Response
- 88 dB Sensitivity
- Impedance: 4ohms
- Power Range:40-300watts
- Weight:37.10kg
- Dimensions (H x W x D): 1150.0" x 9-1/2" x 18-1/16"( 1150.0 x 245.0 x 459.0mm )
DALI Oberon 9 Key Specs
- 3-way Design
- 1.125" Soft-Dome Tweeter
- 7" Midrange
- 2 x 9" Wood Fiber Woofer
- 7" Midrange
- 35-26k Hz Frequency Response
- 90.5 dB Sensitivity
- Impedance: 4ohms
- Power Range:50-400watts
- Weight:37.10kg
- Dimensions (H x W x D): 1172.0" x 10-1/4" x 16"( 1172.0 x 260.0 x 407.0mm )
What size room are the DALI Opticon 8 II and DALI Oberon 9 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 8 II |
DALI Oberon 9 |
| Near-field |
Bad |
Are you nuts? |
| Small Room |
Poor |
Poor |
| Mid-size Room |
Average |
Average |
| Large Room |
Good |
Good |
| Very Large Room |
Average |
Good |
(* 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 8 II and DALI Oberon 9 compare and hopefully end up with enough arguments to decide which one of these loudspeakers is the better choice for you.
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through my links. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.
Drivers
Both Opticon 8 MK2 and Oberon 9 are 3-way speakers.
| Driver |
DALI Opticon 8 II |
DALI Oberon 9 |
|
Driver Setup
|
3-way
|
3-way
|
|
Tweeter
|
17 x 45 mm ribbon + 1.125-inch
|
1.125-inch
|
|
Midrange
|
1 x 6.5-inch |
1 x 7-inch |
|
Woofer
|
2 x 8-inch
|
2 x 9-inch
|
Opticon 8 MK2 features a 17 x 45 mm ribbon + 1.125" Soft-dome + ribbon Hybrid Tweeter , a 6.5" Midrange and 2 x 8" Wood Fiber Woofer with a Crossover frequency at 380Hz, 2200Hz and 14,000Hz. On the other hand, the Oberon 9 features a 1.125" Soft-Dome Tweeter , a 7" Midrange and 2 x 9" Wood Fiber Woofer with a Crossover frequency at 780Hz and 3400Hz.
Frequency Response
Opticon 8 MK2 has a frequency range of 38-30k Hz whereas Oberon 9 has a frequency range of 35-26k Hz. With a minimum frequency of 35Hz, the Oberon 9 can go slightly deeper then the Opticon 8 MK2's min frequency of 38Hz.
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
High Frequency
Floor-standing Speakers
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 8 MK2 and Oberon 9 have the same Impedance of 4 ohms but where they differ is the sensitivity levels. Opticon 8 MK2 sensitivity is rated at 88 dB and the Oberon 9's is at 90.5 dB. This 3 dB difference makes the DALI Oberon 9 a more sensitive speaker compared to DALI Opticon 8 II, hence will play louder with the same amount of watts.
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 Opticon 8 MK2 and the Opticon 8 MK2 can provide this impedance level.
Sensitivity
Floor-standing Speakers
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.
Opticon 8 MK2 can handle a max power of 400 watts RMS from the amp the whereas Opticon 8 MK2 has a max power handling value of 300 watts RMS , 100 watts less than the Oberon 9.
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
Opticon 8 MK2 features Post posts which make bi-amping or bi-wiring possible. Oberon 9 has a Post which doesn't feature bi-amping/bi-wiring.
DALI Opticon 8 II's Post terminals allows Bi-amping or bi-wiring
DALI Oberon 9's Post terminals
Cabinet Type and Port Position
Both Opticon 8 MK2 and Oberon 9 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 8 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 8 II's and DALI Oberon 9's external dimensions. DALI Opticon 8 II has external dimensions of 1150.0 x 245.0 x 459.0mm ( 45-1/4 x 9-1/2 x 18-1/16inch) whereas DALI Oberon 9 has external dimensions of 1172.0 x 260.0 x 407.0mm ( 46-1/8 x 10-1/4 x 16inch) .
DALI Opticon 8 II is 15mm narrower and 22mm shorter than DALI Oberon 9 but it is also 52mm deeper.
Below you can see the front view size comparison of DALI Opticon 8 II and DALI Oberon 9 in scale.
Comparison image of DALI Opticon 8 II and DALI Oberon 9 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 8 II is approximately 1124.6cm2 / 174.3inch2 and base area of the DALI Oberon 9 is approximately 1058.2cm2 / 164.0inch2. The Opticon 8 MK2 requires 6% more surface area than the Oberon 9 which gives it a small disadvantage on placement in tight spaces.