In this review, we will be comparing two different types of speakers by DALI. DALI Opticon 8 MK2 is a Floor-standing speaker whereas the Opticon 1 MK2 is a Bookshelf speaker.
Let's have a brief look at the main features
of DALI Opticon 8 II and DALI Opticon 1 II first before getting into our more
detailed comparison.
| Key Specs | DALI Opticon 8 II | DALI Opticon 1 II |
|---|
| Brand | DALI
Denmark · founded 1983 | DALI
Denmark · founded 1983 |
|---|
| Design | 3-way | 2-way |
|---|
| Tweeter | 17 x 45 mm ribbon + 1.125" Soft-dome + ribbon Hybrid | 1.125" Soft-Dome |
|---|
| Midrange | 6.5" | — |
|---|
| Woofer | 2 x 8" Wood Fiber | 4.75" Wood Fiber |
|---|
| Frequency response | 38-30k Hz | 62-26k Hz |
|---|
| Sensitivity | 88 dB | 86 dB |
|---|
| Impedance | 4 ohms | 4 ohms |
|---|
| Power range | 40-300 watts | 25-100 watts |
|---|
| Weight | 37.10kg / 81.6lbs | 4.50kg / 9.9lbs |
|---|
| Dimensions (H x W x D) | 45-1/4" x 9-1/2" x 18-1/16"
1150.0 x 245.0 x 459.0mm | 10" x 6" x 9-1/4"
254.0 x 153.0 x 235.0mm |
|---|
Opticon 8 MK2 and Opticon 1 MK2 are members of DALI's Opticon Mark II series of speakers. Below you can find the loudspeakers from this series.
DALI Opticon Mark II Series
History
What size room are the DALI Opticon 8 II and DALI Opticon 1 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* |
DALI Opticon 8 II |
DALI Opticon 1 II |
| Near-field |
Bad |
Average |
| Small Room |
Poor |
Good |
| Mid-size Room |
Average |
Average |
| Large Room |
Good |
Poor |
| Very Large Room |
Average |
Bad |
(* 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.
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through our links. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.
Drivers
One of the fundamental differences between these two speakers is that Opticon 8 MK2 is a 3-way design whereas the Opticon 1 MK2 is a 2-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.
DALI Opticon 8 IIDALI Opticon 1 II
TweeterMidrangeWoofer
Front view, drawn to scale - cabinets and drivers share one scale, so sizes are directly comparable. Hover a driver for its size.
| Driver |
DALI Opticon 8 II |
DALI Opticon 1 II |
|
Driver Setup
|
3-way
|
2-way
|
|
Tweeter
|
17 x 45 mm ribbon + 1.125-inch
|
1.125-inch
|
|
Midrange
|
1 x 6.5-inch |
- |
|
Woofer
|
2 x 8-inch
|
1 x 4.75-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 Opticon 1 MK2 features a 1.125" Soft-Dome Tweeter and 1 x 4.75" Wood Fiber Woofer with a Crossover frequency at 3000Hz.
Frequency Response
Opticon 8 MK2 has a frequency range of 38-30k Hz whereas Opticon 1 MK2 has a frequency range of 62-26k Hz. With a minimum frequency of 38Hz, the Opticon 8 MK2 can go significantly deeper on the low side and provide stronger bass compared to the Opticon 1 MK2's min frequency of 62Hz.
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
Neither pair reaches down to 20Hz, the usual definition of full-range, which is normal for speakers of this size. If you want the bottom octave for movies or bass-heavy music, add a subwoofer to whichever you choose. Visit our Powered Subwoofers section to find out more about the available options.
Impedance and Sensitivity
Opticon 8 MK2 and Opticon 1 MK2 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 Opticon 1 MK2's is at 86 dB. This 2 dB difference makes the DALI Opticon 8 II a more sensitive speaker compared to DALI Opticon 1 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. Staying
within that range gives nominal performance; driving the speaker beyond its maximum wattage can damage it.
Opticon 8 MK2 can handle a max power of 300 watts RMS, whereas Opticon 1 MK2 has a max power handling value of 100 watts RMS, 200 watts less than the Opticon 8 MK2.
Note that higher power handling does not make a speaker louder: that depends mainly on
sensitivity and impedance. The calculator below shows how loud each of these actually plays
on a real amplifier.
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
Opticon 8 MK2 features Post posts which make bi-amping or bi-wiring possible. Opticon 1 MK2 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 Opticon 1 II's Post terminals
Cabinet Type and Port Position
Both Opticon 8 MK2 and Opticon 1 MK2 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
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 DALI Opticon 8 II's and DALI Opticon 1 II'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 Opticon 1 II has external dimensions of 254.0 x 153.0 x 235.0mm (10 x 6 x 9-1/4inch).
DALI Opticon 8 II is clearly the larger of the two speakers. Its body is 92mm wider, 896mm taller and 224mm deeper than DALI Opticon 1 II.
Below you can see the front view size comparison of DALI Opticon 8 II and DALI Opticon 1 II in scale.
Comparison image of DALI Opticon 8 II and DALI Opticon 1 II 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 Opticon 1 II is approximately 359.6cm2 / 55.7inch2. The Opticon 8 MK2 requires 213% more surface area than the Opticon 1 MK2 which gives it a small disadvantage on placement in tight spaces.
What's in the Box of DALI Opticon 8 II?
Here are the items that are included inside the box of Opticon 8 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 DALI Opticon 1 II?
Here are the items that come with the Opticon 1 MK2:
- 2 Bookshelf loudspeakers
- 2 Grilles
- 8 Rubber feet
- Quick Start Guide
- Congratulations Card