DALI OPTICON 8 MK2 Floorstanding Speaker - Black, Each

DALI's Only 3½-Way Tower in the OPTICON MK2 Line

The DALI OPTICON 8 MK2 is a 3½-way floorstanding speaker with a dedicated 6.5-inch midrange driver between two 8-inch bass drivers, topped by DALI's Hybrid Tweeter, a 29mm soft dome paired with a planar ribbon driver. It is sold each, so a stereo pair is two.

The cabinet stands 44.9 inches tall and 9.5 inches wide, and each speaker weighs 74.9 pounds. Sensitivity is 88.5 dB into a nominal 4 ohms, and DALI recommends 40 to 300 watts of amplifier power.

A dedicated midrange driver, rather than a bass driver doing double duty, is what makes this DALI's only 3½-way design in the OPTICON MK2 line. The midrange sits in its own sealed chamber, isolated from the two bass drivers around it.

Where the Dedicated Midrange Earns Its Keep

A Sealed Chamber Between Two Woofers

The 6.5-inch midrange driver sits in its own sealed enclosure, positioned between the two 8-inch wood-fiber bass drivers in a mirror-image layout. Isolating the midrange this way keeps the bass drivers' output from coloring the vocal range.

The two bass drivers each vent through their own rear-firing Dual Flare port, convex-tapered at both ends and tuned low, so the cabinet reaches deep bass extension without ballooning in size.

The Numbers, and What They Ask of Your Amplifier

DALI quotes a frequency range of 38 Hz to 30 kHz within 3 dB, and a maximum output of 112 dB. Nominal impedance is 4 ohms, and DALI recommends 40 to 300 watts per channel.

The rear-firing ports are tuned to 29.5 Hz. Gold-plated terminals support bi-wiring and bi-amping, and DALI recommends 12 to 59 inches of clearance from the back wall for this larger cabinet.

What Reviewers Are Saying

Craig Joyce, StereoNET, gave the OPTICON 8 MK2 an Applause Award, writing that it "delivers a very impressive sound for the money and a lot of it," with "real heft in the bass" and "superb imaging."

Jamie Biesemans, HiFi.nl, scored the OPTICON 8 MK2 4.5 out of 5, calling it the best expression yet of what the renewed OPTICON MK2 line has to offer to anyone with the room for it.

HiFi.nl's review noted it asks for more distance from the back wall than a smaller tower, and trades a little of the immediacy of a pure ribbon tweeter for its broader dispersion.

Who Is This Floorstanding Speaker Best For?

• You want DALI's only 3½-way tower in this line — a dedicated, sealed midrange driver rather than a bass driver doing double duty
• You have a large room to fill — two 8-inch bass drivers and a deeper port tuning than DALI's smaller towers
• You want bi-wire or bi-amp flexibility — gold-plated dual terminals on every cabinet
• Your amplifier can drive a demanding load — a 4-ohm nominal impedance and a 40 to 300 watt window mean the OPTICON 8 MK2 rewards a genuinely capable amplifier
• You want cinema-depth bass from the towers alone — the OPTICON 8 MK2 is rated to 38 Hz. For the deepest home-theater effects, add one of our subwoofers and let the towers do what they do best

How Does It Connect to Your System?

Fit the cast-aluminum foot castings with the included spikes for carpet or the vibration-damping pads for a hard floor; the larger cabinet makes a stable base worth the extra care. Stand the pair 12 to 59 inches from the back wall, facing forward rather than toed in. Each cabinet has two linked pairs of binding posts for banana plugs, spades, or bare wire.

Leave the links in place for a normal hookup, or remove them to bi-wire or bi-amplify. Screw the caps down fully so nothing rattles.

Two cables, two speakers, and you are listening.

Pairs Well With

What finishes the system around a pair of OPTICON 8 MK2:

• Integrated amplifiers — 40 to 300 watts into 4 ohms is the window DALI gives
• Stereo amplifiers — a separate power amp if you plan to bi-amplify, or if your integrated amplifier can't reach 300 watts
• Speaker cables — matched lengths, since this model supports bi-wiring
• Speaker isolation feet — an alternative to the included spikes on a wood or tile floor

Frequently Asked Questions

Is the price for one speaker or a pair?

One. The OPTICON 8 MK2 is sold each, so order two for a stereo pair, or one to match an existing speaker.

What comes in the box?

The speaker, cast-aluminum foot castings, spikes and vibration-damping pads, fixing tools, and a manual.

What amplifier do I need?

DALI recommends 40 to 300 watts into 4 ohms. Choose an amplifier that stays composed into a 4-ohm load and can supply real current.

Can I bi-wire or bi-amplify?

Yes. Remove the links between the two pairs of terminals and run a separate cable, or a separate amplifier channel, to each pair.

How far from the wall should it stand?

DALI recommends roughly 12 to 59 inches from the back wall, facing forward rather than angled toward your seat.

What finishes does it come in?

Satin Black Ash and Tobacco Oak. DALI does not offer this model in white.

See It in Action

Koolbob2 reviews the OPTICON 8 MK2 after living with it:

Vinyl Sound HIFI reviews the DALI OPTICON 8 MK2.

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