In this review, we will be comparing SONIK 7 and Opticon 6 MK2, two Passive Floor-standing speakers by DALI
Let's have a brief look at the main features
of DALI SONIK 7 and DALI Opticon 6 II first before getting into our more
detailed comparison.
DALI SONIK 7 Key Specs
- 3-way Design
- 0.6875 x 1.75" Planar Tweeter
- 1.125" Midrange
- 2 x 7.0" Wood fiber Woofer
- 36-30k Hz Frequency Response
- 88.5 dB Sensitivity
- Impedance: 6ohms
- Power Range:30-180watts
- Weight:16.23kg
- Dimensions (H x W x D): 1005.0" x 12" x 13"( 1005.0 x 305.0 x 331.0mm )
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 )
In the following sections, we will get into more detail in order to better understand how the DALI SONIK 7 and DALI Opticon 6 II 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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Drivers
Both SONIK 7 and Opticon 6 MK2 are 3-way speakers.
| Driver |
DALI SONIK 7 |
DALI Opticon 6 II |
|
Driver Setup
|
3-way
|
3-way
|
|
Tweeter
|
0.6875 x 1.75-inch
|
17 x 45 mm ribbon + 1.125-inch
|
|
Midrange
|
1 x 1.125-inch |
- |
|
Woofer
|
2 x 7.0-inch
|
2 x 6.5-inch
|
SONIK 7 features a 0.6875 x 1.75" Planar Tweeter , a 1.125" Midrange and 2 x 7.0" Wood fiber Woofer . On the other hand, the 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.
Frequency Response
SONIK 7 has a frequency range of 36-30k Hz whereas Opticon 6 MK2 has a frequency range of 49-30k Hz. With a minimum frequency of 36Hz, the SONIK 7 can go significantly deeper on the low side and provide stronger bass compared to 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
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
SONIK 7 is a 6 ohms speaker compared to the Opticon 6 MK2 which has a nominal impedance of 4 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. SONIK 7 sensitivity is rated at 88.5 dB and the Opticon 6 MK2's is rated at 88 dB. This 1 dB difference makes the DALI SONIK 7 a more sensitive speaker compared to DALI Opticon 6 II, hence will play louder with the same amount of watts.
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.
SONIK 7 can handle a max power of 200 watts RMS from the amp the whereas SONIK 7 has a max power handling value of 180 watts RMS , 20 watts less than the Opticon 6 MK2.
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 6 MK2 features Post posts which make bi-amping or bi-wiring possible. SONIK 7 has a Binding post which doesn't feature bi-amping/bi-wiring.
DALI Opticon 6 II's Post terminals allows Bi-amping or bi-wiring
Cabinet Type and Port Position
Both SONIK 7 and Opticon 6 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 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 SONIK 7's and DALI Opticon 6 II's external dimensions. DALI SONIK 7 has external dimensions of 1005.0 x 305.0 x 331.0mm ( 39-9/16inch x 12inch x 13inch ) whereas 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) .
DALI SONIK 7 is 5mm shorter and 9mm less deeper than DALI Opticon 6 II but it is also 110mm wider.
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 SONIK 7 is approximately 1009.6cm2 / 156.5inch2 and base area of the DALI Opticon 6 II is approximately 663.0cm2 / 102.8inch2. The SONIK 7 requires 52% more surface area than the Opticon 6 MK2 which gives it a small disadvantage on placement in tight spaces.