HYBRID TWEETER

The new OPTICON MK2 hybrid tweeter marries the CALLISTO-derived 29 mm soft dome with a custom 17 x 45 mm ribbon - mounted on a cast aluminium faceplate that incorporates dispersion control detailing. This combination offers the clarity, speed and dynamics of a dome tweeter, with the very high frequency detail and smooth finesse of a ribbon tweeter.

SOFT DOME
The new unique light-weight 29 mm soft dome tweeter is derived from CALLISTO C and offers significant advances over the tweeters used in the MK1 series. The relatively small increase in diameter over the previous 28 mm tweeter results in a significant increase in dome radiating area. This means lower distortion, higher power handling, and an ability to operate at lower frequencies.

The use of the same 29 mm soft dome tweeter across all six OPTICON MK2 models results in consistency of tonal character and provides consistency of dispersion characteristics. The MK2 soft dome tweeter enables crossover frequencies as low as 2kHz to be safely employed with no risk of distortion or power handling limitations.

HYBRID TWEETER
The OPTICON 8 MK2 employs a new hybrid tweeter design that marries the 29 mm soft dome tweeter with a custom 17 x 45 mm ribbon. Both mounted on a cast aluminium faceplate, which incorporates dispersion control detailing.

The ribbon element begins to contribute from 10kHz upwards; just as the response of the soft dome element is beginning slowly to fall away and become more directional. The ribbon element both extends the system frequency response towards 30kHz and contributes to keep high frequency horizontal dispersion wider than would otherwise be the case.

The new hybrid tweeter offers the best of both worlds – the clarity, speed and dynamics of a dome tweeter, with the very high frequency detail and smooth finesse of a ribbon tweeter.

The placement of the hybrid tweeter drivers between the two widely spaced bass drivers is done firstly in order to position the high frequency drivers near typical seated ear height. Secondly to take advantage of the smoother low frequency room response that results from spaced bass drivers.

REFLEX PORTS

The newly introduced OPTICON MK2 Dual Flare technique brings port design into the realm of aerodynamics - with exit and entry flares carefully designed to minimise turbulence. Dual Flare enables OPTICON MK2 reflex ports to remain laminar and work effectively to reinforce low frequency performance to a significantly higher volume level than would otherwise be possible.

As a reflex loaded speaker, the OPTICON 8 MK2 employs the otherwise unused acoustic output from the rear of its bass driver to extend low frequency bandwidth and increase low frequency power handling. We revisited the port tuning to ensure that the subjective bass performance was absolutely optimised for its likely installation application.

With Dual Flare technique, MK2 brings port design into the realm of aerodynamics with exit and entry flares carefully designed to minimise turbulence at the airflow rate expected from the port diameter and tuning frequency.

Dual Flare enables the reflex ports to remain laminar and work effectively to reinforce low frequency performance to a significantly higher volume level than would otherwise be the case.

ASSEMBLED IN PAIRS

Speakers used and enjoyed in pairs should also be built as pairs! Our manufacturing process is designed to ensure that stereo pairs of speakers are built and tested sequentially by a single manufacturing technician, using components taken in the same order from the same batch. It’s a process that helps ensure ultimate visual and acoustic pair matching.

SMC TECHNOLOGY

The SMC used in OPTICON MK2's magnet motor system has very high magnetic permeability and very low electrical conductivity. It works primarily by minimising eddy currents in the magnet system pole piece. This improves flux linearity, reducing the magnetic hysteresis. Resulting in a significant reduction of electro-acoustic distortion.

DALI SMC (Soft Magnetic Compound) is a coated magnet granular material that can be formed to almost any desired shape and has many advantages used in driver magnet systems. SMC’s unusual combination of very high magnetic permeability and very low electrical conductivity is exactly what is required for driver magnet systems and results in a significant reduction of electro-acoustic distortion.

SMC works primarily by minimising eddy currents in the magnet system pole piece, which reduces distortion. SMC also improves flux linearity within the magnet system - reducing magnetic hysteresis. All of these SMC benefits together produce a significant subjective reduction of low-level detail masking and colouration.

IN-HOUSE MADE WOOFERS

The OPTICON 8 MK2 combines two 8” bass drivers with a 6½” midrange driver - all build around DALI's patented SMC magnet motor system.

Every component of the drivers are carefully designed for its positive contribution towards ideal performance. The diaphragms are made from a mix of paper and wood fibre that ensures minimal break-up resonance and gives the diaphragms their distinctive DALI trademark colour. They are terminated by rubber surrounds chosen for their soft and very flexible mechanical properties that enable free movement with minimal low frequency damping.

The driver chassis for each driver is manufactured in die-cast aluminium that provides extremely high rigidity and low resonance along with minimal extraneous influence on the internal magnet system. The mechanical design of the chassis is specifically engineered to provide minimal impedance to airflow while at the same time enabling extremely tight mechanical bonding with the speaker enclosures.

The OPTICON 8 MK2 driver magnet system consists of a large ferrite ring magnet surrounding a pole piece manufactured entirely of the unique DALI SMC material. The pole piece and the ferrite magnet are secured between soft iron front and back plates to create the appropriate magnetic field for the voice-coil.

CABINET

The enclosure of the OPTICON 8 MK2 is designed to optimise rigidity and minimise panel resonance. The 25mm thick front baffle provides massively rigid foundations for the drivers. The floorstanding speaker employs extra internal bracing further to ensure rigidity and practically eliminate panel resonance.

The OPTICON 8 MK2 is supplied with cast aluminium foot components that can be fitted with either black chrome plated floor-spikes or, when installed on sensitive floor surfaces, vibration damping pads. Tools for attaching the foot castings and spikes are included.

The manufacturing of the OPTICON MK2 series has been retained firmly at the DALI factory in Denmark. Our in-house woodworking facility handles everything from cutting and routing the MDF panels to the driver and crossover installation. The final test and quality approval on each and every speaker is also handled on our own assembly lines.

The drivers were designed with a consistent focus on the DALI audio principles of low-loss, low distortion and low colouration. The ideal driver plays only what the amplifier requires, with nothing added and nothing subtracted, and at DALI we strive to design and manufacture drivers that approach the ideal as closely as possible.

DALI OPTICON 8 MK2 SPECS