Dali Opticon 8 MKII
Large three-way Dali floorstanding speaker, fitted with a hybrid tweeter combining a dome and a ribbon, designed for spacious listening rooms and ambitious stereo systems.
Description
The Dali Opticon 8 MKII sits at the top of the Opticon MKII range and is the only three-way model in the series. It is a large-format floorstanding speaker, standing 1141 mm tall and weighing 34 kg, whose architecture brings together two 8-inch woofers with wood fibre cones, a 6½-inch midrange, and a hybrid tweeter. The latter combines a 29 mm soft dome inherited from the Callisto series with a 17 x 45 mm ribbon, mounted on a die-cast aluminium faceplate tasked with controlling dispersion.
The three-way crossover relies on crossover points at 800 Hz, 2.2 kHz and 14 kHz: the midrange works over a wide range without being called upon in the bass, while the ribbon only takes over at the very top end, where its finesse comes into its own. The magnet motors use SMC material, with high magnetic permeability and low electrical conductivity, which limits eddy currents and hysteresis to reduce distortion. The Dual Flare laminar ports, for their part, aim to reduce air turbulence, benefiting low-frequency performance. Finally, each stereo pair is assembled and checked by the same technician using components from the same batch, to achieve rigorous acoustic and visual matching.
The stated figures clearly set out the specification:
- Frequency range of 38 Hz to 30 kHz
- Sensitivity of 88.5 dB /W/m at a nominal impedance of 4 ohms
- Maximum sound level of 112 dB
- Power handling of 40 to 300 watts
An impedance of 4 ohms combined with a power handling of up to 300 watts calls for an amplifier capable of delivering current without faltering. The 112 dB potential and the extension down to 38 Hz demand space: this floorstanding speaker is explicitly intended for large listening rooms, where its output can develop fully and where sufficient distance allows all the drive units to integrate. It is aimed at listeners seeking a broad, extended stereo presentation, or at those wishing to build the front stage of an ambitious multichannel system.
Technical specifications
| Frequency response | 38 Hz to 30 kHz |
| Sensitivity | 88.5 dB /W/m |
| Nominal impedance | 4 ohms |
| Maximum sound level | 112 dB |
| Crossover frequencies | 800 Hz, 2.2 kHz and 14 kHz |
| Power handling | 40 to 300 watts |
| Dimensions (W × H × D) | 241 × 1141 × 450 mm |
| Weight | 34 kg |
What to check before buying used
On a floorstanding speaker of this size, inspection starts with the wood fibre cones of the two 8-inch woofers and the midrange: look for dust cap dents, micro-tears around the suspension edge, and any voice coil rubbing audible at low volume on a bass signal. The ribbon in the hybrid tweeter is fragile and costly: avoid touching it, and listen carefully to the treble of both speakers in mono to detect any imbalance between channels. Also check the condition of the laminar ports, listen for any air leak noise indicating a detached cabinet joint, and check the terminals for tightness and oxidation. Finally, at 34 kg per speaker, check the cabinet corners and the spikes or feet, which are often knocked about during house moves.
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