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 VOKAL 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.

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.

The OPTICON VOKAL 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.

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.

MADE IN DENMARK

An important element of the OPTICON MK2 range is that the production remains fully Danish - as with the original OPTICON series. The entire lineup is manufactured at our own factory from components either produced in-house, or mainly sourced from the best local specialist-manufacturers. We are therefore proud to say that the OPTICON MK2 series is designed, developed and manufactured in Denmark.

SLIM REFLEX PORTS

The twin letterbox style reflex ports face forward to enable the OPTICON VOKAL MK2 to be enclosed in furniture units. Flaring is less critical on a system designed primarily for voice reproduction, which allows for slim reflex ports in a compact enclosure without affecting the performance.

IN-HOUSE MADE WOOFERS

The 6½” wood fibre driver handles the low frequencies and the midrange - both build around DALI's patented SMC magnet motor system.

Every component of the driver is 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 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.

CABINET

The enclosure of the OPTICON VOKAL MK2 is designed to optimise rigidity and minimise panel resonance. The 25mm thick front baffle provides massively rigid foundations for the drivers.

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 reflex ports employed in the centre speaker is not Dual Flare design, however the ports are no less carefully considered. The OPTICON VOKAL MK2 employs twin, forward facing letterbox style reflex ports configured to enable the system to be enclosed in furniture units. Not only does its enclosure format not provide enough space for Dual Flare, port flaring is less critical on a system designed primarily for voice reproduction.

DALI OPTICON VOKAL SPECS