In this review, we will be comparing Aria Evo X No4 and Opticon 8 MK2, two Passive Floor-standing speakers from Focal and DALI.
Let's have a brief look at the main features
of Focal Aria Evo X No4 and DALI Opticon 8 II first before getting into our more
detailed comparison.
Focal Aria Evo X No4 Key Specs
- 3-way Design
- 1" inverted dome Tweeter
- 6.5" Midrange
- 2 x 6.5" Flax Woofer
- 37-30kHz Frequency Response
- 92.5 dB Sensitivity
- Impedance: 8ohms
- Power Range:40-350watts
- Weight:35.00kg
- Dimensions (H x W x D): 1150.0" x 14-5/8" x 15-1/4"( 115 x 37.1 x 42 cm )
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
- 6.5" Midrange
- 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 )
What size room are the Focal Aria Evo X No4 and DALI Opticon 8 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* |
Focal Aria Evo X No4 |
DALI Opticon 8 II |
| Near-field |
Are you nuts? |
Bad |
| Small Room |
Poor |
Poor |
| Mid-size Room |
Average |
Average |
| Large Room |
Good |
Good |
| Very Large Room |
Good |
Average |
(* 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 Focal Aria Evo X No4 and DALI Opticon 8 II 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 Aria Evo X No4 and Opticon 8 MK2 are 3-way speakers.
| Driver |
Focal Aria Evo X No4 |
DALI Opticon 8 II |
|
Driver Setup
|
3-way
|
3-way
|
|
Tweeter
|
1-inch
|
17 x 45 mm ribbon + 1.125-inch
|
|
Midrange
|
1 x 6.5-inch |
1 x 6.5-inch |
|
Woofer
|
2 x 6.5-inch
|
2 x 8-inch
|
Aria Evo X No4 features a 1" Al/Mg inverted dome Tweeter , a 6.5" Midrange and 2 x 6.5" Flax Woofer with a Crossover frequency at 280 Hz - 2600 Hz. On the other hand, the 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.
Frequency Response
Aria Evo X No4 has a frequency range of 37-30kHz whereas Opticon 8 MK2 has a frequency range of 38-30k Hz. With a minimum frequency of 37Hz, the Aria Evo X No4 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
Aria Evo X No4 is a 8 ohms speaker compared to the Opticon 8 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 8 MK2 can provide this impedance level.
These two speakers also have different sensitivity levels. Aria Evo X No4 sensitivity is rated at 92.5 dB and the Opticon 8 MK2's is rated at 88 dB. This 5 dB difference makes the Focal Aria Evo X No4 a more sensitive speaker compared to DALI Opticon 8 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.
Aria Evo X No4 can handle a max power of 350 watts RMS from the amp the whereas Opticon 8 MK2 has a max power handling value of 300 watts RMS, 50 watts less than the Aria Evo X No4.
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. Aria Evo X No4 has a Binding post which doesn't feature bi-amping/bi-wiring.
Focal Aria Evo X No4's Binding post terminals
DALI Opticon 8 II's Post terminals allows Bi-amping or bi-wiring
Cabinet Type and Port Position
Aria Evo X No4 has a front firing port whereas Opticon 8 MK2 has a rear firing ports. Focal Aria Evo X No4's front-firing port gives more flexibility in placement in regards to proximity to walls compared to DALI Opticon 8 II with its rear-firing port.
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 Focal Aria Evo X No4's and DALI Opticon 8 II's external dimensions. Focal Aria Evo X No4 has external dimensions of 115 x 37.1 x 42 cm ( 45-¼ x 14-⅝ x 16-½) whereas 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) .
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 Focal Aria Evo X No4 is approximately 1558.2cm2 / 241.5inch2 and base area of the DALI Opticon 8 II is approximately 1124.6cm2 / 174.3inch2. The Aria Evo X No4 requires 39% more surface area than the Opticon 8 MK2 which gives it a small disadvantage on placement in tight spaces.