In this review, we will be comparing Cornwall IV and Opticon 8 MK2, two Passive Floor-standing speakers from Klipsch and DALI.
Let's have a brief look at the main features
of Klipsch Cornwall IV and DALI Opticon 8 II first before getting into our more
detailed comparison.
Klipsch Cornwall IV Key Specs
- 3-way Design
- 1" horn-loaded Tweeter
- 1.75" Midrange
- 15" Fiber composite Woofer
- 34-20k Hz Frequency Response
- 102 dB Sensitivity
- Impedance: 8ohms
- Power Range:up to 100watts
- Weight:44.55kg
- Dimensions (H x W x D): 966.0" x 25-5/16" x 15-1/2"( 966.0 x 643.0 x 394.0mm )
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 )
In the following sections, we will get into more detail in order to better understand how the Klipsch Cornwall IV 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.
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Drivers
Both Cornwall IV and Opticon 8 MK2 are 3-way speakers.
| Driver |
Klipsch Cornwall IV |
DALI Opticon 8 II |
|
Driver Setup
|
3-way
|
3-way
|
|
Tweeter
|
1-inch
|
17 x 45 mm ribbon + 1.125-inch
|
|
Midrange
|
1 x 1.75-inch |
1 x 6.5-inch |
|
Woofer
|
1 x 15-inch
|
2 x 8-inch
|
Cornwall IV features a 1" titanium-diaphragm compression horn-loaded Tweeter , a 1.75" Midrange and 1 x 15" Fiber composite Woofer . 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
Cornwall IV has a frequency range of 34-20k Hz whereas Opticon 8 MK2 has a frequency range of 38-30k Hz. With a minimum frequency of 34Hz, the Cornwall IV 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
Cornwall IV 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. Cornwall IV sensitivity is rated at 102 dB and the Opticon 8 MK2's is rated at 88 dB. This 14 dB difference makes the Klipsch Cornwall IV 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.
Cornwall IV can handle a max power of 300 watts RMS from the amp the whereas Cornwall IV has a max power handling value of 100 watts RMS , 200 watts less than the Opticon 8 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
Both Cornwall IV and Opticon 8 MK2 features dual binding post speaker terminals for bi-amping or bi-wiring.
DALI Opticon 8 II's Post terminals allows Bi-amping or bi-wiring
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 Klipsch Cornwall IV's and DALI Opticon 8 II's external dimensions. Klipsch Cornwall IV has external dimensions of 966.0 x 643.0 x 394.0mm ( 38 x 25-5/16 x 15-1/2inch) 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) .
Klipsch Cornwall IV is 184mm shorter and 65mm less deeper than DALI Opticon 8 II but it is also 398mm wider.
Below you can see the front view size comparison of Klipsch Cornwall IV and DALI Opticon 8 II in scale.
Comparison image of Klipsch Cornwall IV and DALI Opticon 8 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 Klipsch Cornwall IV is approximately 2533.4cm2 / 392.7inch2 and base area of the DALI Opticon 8 II is approximately 1124.6cm2 / 174.3inch2. The Cornwall IV requires 125% more surface area than the Opticon 8 MK2 which gives it a small disadvantage on placement in tight spaces.