In this review, we will be comparing two different types of speakers. DALI Opticon LCR MK2 is a On-Wall speaker whereas the Aria 906 is a Bookshelf speaker.
Let's have a brief look at the main features
of DALI Opticon LCR II and Focal Aria 906 first before getting into our more
detailed comparison.
| Key Specs | DALI Opticon LCR II | Focal Aria 906 |
|---|
| Brand | DALI
Denmark · founded 1983 | Focal
France · founded 1979 |
|---|
| Design | 3-way | 2-way |
|---|
| Tweeter | 17 x 45 mm ribbon + 1.125" Soft-dome + ribbon Hybrid | 1" Inverted Hard Dome |
|---|
| Woofer | 6.5" Wood Fiber | 6.5" Flax |
|---|
| Frequency response | 70-30k Hz | 55-28k Hz |
|---|
| Sensitivity | 89 dB | 89.5 dB |
|---|
| Impedance | 4 ohms | 8 ohms |
|---|
| Power range | 30-150 watts | 25-120 watts |
|---|
| Weight | 8.00kg / 17.6lbs | 8.64kg / 19lbs |
|---|
| Dimensions (H x W x D) | 19" x 11-1/4" x 5"
483.0 x 286.0 x 127.0mm | 15-3/8" x 8-15/16" x 11-5/16"
391.0 x 228.0 x 288.0mm |
|---|
What size room are the DALI Opticon LCR II and Focal Aria 906 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 LCR II |
Focal Aria 906 |
| Near-field |
Poor |
Poor |
| Small Room |
Average |
Average |
| Mid-size Room |
Good |
Good |
| Large Room |
Average |
Average |
| 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.)
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 Opticon LCR MK2 is a 3-way design whereas the Aria 906 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 LCR IIFocal Aria 906
TweeterWoofer
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 LCR II |
Focal Aria 906 |
|
Driver Setup
|
3-way
|
2-way
|
|
Tweeter
|
17 x 45 mm ribbon + 1.125-inch
|
1-inch
|
|
Midrange
|
- |
- |
|
Woofer
|
1 x 6.5-inch
|
1 x 6.5-inch
|
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. On the other hand, the Aria 906 features a 1" TNF aluminum/magnesium Inverted Hard Dome Tweeter and 1 x 6.5" Flax Woofer with a Crossover frequency at 2800Hz.
Frequency Response
Opticon LCR MK2 has a frequency range of 70-30k Hz whereas Aria 906 has a frequency range of 55-28k Hz. With a minimum frequency of 55Hz, the Aria 906 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 On-Wall class in our database.
Low Frequency
On-Wall 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 LCR MK2 is a 4 ohms speaker compared to the Aria 906 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 LCR MK2 can provide this impedance level.
These two speakers also have different sensitivity levels. Opticon LCR MK2 sensitivity is rated at 89 dB and the Aria 906's is rated at 89.5 dB. This 1 dB difference makes the Focal Aria 906 a more sensitive speaker compared to DALI Opticon LCR II, hence will play louder with the same amount of watts.
Sensitivity
On-Wall 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 LCR MK2 can handle a max power of 150 watts RMS, whereas Aria 906 has a max power handling value of 120 watts RMS, 30 watts less than the Opticon LCR 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 LCR MK2 features Binding post type posts and Aria 906 has a Binding post type posts. None of these speakers feature bi-amping/bi-wiring.
DALI Opticon LCR II's Post terminals
Focal Aria 906's Binding post terminals
Cabinet Type and Port Position
Both Opticon LCR MK2 and Aria 906 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.
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 LCR II's and Focal Aria 906's external dimensions. DALI Opticon LCR II has external dimensions of 483.0 x 286.0 x 127.0mm (19 x 11-1/4 x 5inch) whereas Focal Aria 906 has external dimensions of 391.0 x 228.0 x 288.0mm (15-3/8 x 8-15/16 x 11-5/16inch).
Focal Aria 906 is 58mm narrower and 92mm shorter than DALI Opticon LCR II but it is also 161mm deeper.
Below you can see the front view size comparison of DALI Opticon LCR II and Focal Aria 906 in scale.
Comparison image of DALI Opticon LCR II and Focal Aria 906 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 LCR II is approximately 363.2cm2 / 56.3inch2 and base area of the Focal Aria 906 is approximately 656.6cm2 / 101.8inch2. The Opticon LCR MK2 requires 45% less surface area than the Aria 906 which gives it a small advantage on placement in tight spaces.
What's in the Box of DALI Opticon LCR II?
Here are the items that are included inside the box of Opticon LCR MK2:
- LCR loudspeaker
- Grille
- 4 Rubber bumpers
- Hex-key
- Quick Start Guide
- Congratulations Card
What's in the Box of Focal Aria 906?
Here are the items that come with the Aria 906:
- 2 Bookshelf loudspeakers
- 2 Cloth grilles
- User manual