DALI Opticon 8/1/Vokal MK2 5.0 Set, Tobacco Oak (Set)

The DALI Opticon 8/1/Vokal MK2 5.0 Set in Tobacco Oak is a five-piece home cinema speaker set from Denmark that brings together two large floorstanding speakers, a center and two bookshelf speakers into a jointly developed multichannel system.

The roles are clearly assigned: two Opticon 8 MK2 as front, the Opticon Vokal MK2 as center, two Opticon 1 MK2 as surround. The warm Tobacco Oak with black front grilles turns the 1.14-metre-tall towers into furniture rather than technology – anyone running HiFi in the living room instead of a basement cinema knows why that matters.

Why this set and not five separate purchases?

Because DALI developed the series as a whole. Wood fibre cones and the patented SMC magnet motor sit inside every one of the five cabinets; the front and center additionally get the hybrid tweeter with a 29 mm fabric dome and a 17 × 45 mm planar driver. The Opticon 1 MK2 at the back use the same 29 mm dome, but without the planar unit. You wouldn't get this unity of tonal colour from five unrelated models – and retrofitting tends to cost more than starting out right the first time.

What you experience

Bass that comes from the floor rather than a box: four 20 cm woofers at the front, down to 38 Hz. Above that, a dedicated 16.5 cm midrange driver works in a sealed chamber, so voices and strings don't have to compete with the low end. The Vokal MK2 keeps dialogue intelligible in the center even during loud scenes. At the back, the Opticon 1 MK2 finely trace rain, reverb and traffic noise – small in cabinet size, big in resolution.

Who is the Tobacco Oak Set suited to?

Honestly: if you have less than about 25 square metres available, you're buying too much speaker here. The amplifier has to play along too – 4 ohm nominal impedance and a recommended 40 to 300 watts at the front call for a load-stable AV receiver or a multi-channel power amp. In large living spaces with wood floors and lots of glass, though, the set is exactly right. For the lowest octaves in effects-heavy films, add a subwoofer later; the set ships as 5.0 from the factory.

Our verdict

A home cinema set that doesn't treat music as a sideshow. Once you've heard the Opticon 8 MK2 in pure stereo mode, you understand why we like this package. The advice that goes with it – room size, placement, cabling, matching electronics – is naturally part of the deal at HD Zürisee in Wädenswil; our technician Mauri delivers and installs at your home if you like.

Technical data

• Configuration: 5.0 home cinema set, expandable to 5.1 with a subwoofer
• 2 × Opticon 8 MK2 (front): 3½-way bass reflex floorstanding speaker, 38–30,000 Hz (±3 dB), 88.5 dB (2.83 V/1 m), 4 Ω, max. 112 dB, recommended amplifier power 40–300 W
• Opticon 8 MK2 drivers: 2 × 200 mm woofer + 1 × 165 mm midrange (wood fibre), hybrid tweeter 29 mm fabric dome + 17 × 45 mm planar driver
• Opticon 8 MK2 further: crossovers at 380 / 2,200 / 14,000 Hz, bass reflex with rear port, tuned to 29.5 Hz, midrange in its own sealed chamber, bi-wiring and bi-amping possible
• Dimensions Opticon 8 MK2 (W × H × D): 241 × 1,141 × 450 mm, 34.0 kg each
• 1 × Opticon Vokal MK2 (center): 2½-way bass reflex with front ports, 47–30,000 Hz (±3 dB), 88 dB, 4 Ω, max. 109 dB, recommended amplifier power 30–150 W
• Opticon Vokal MK2 drivers: 1 × 165 mm woofer/midrange, hybrid tweeter 29 mm fabric dome + 17 × 45 mm planar driver, crossovers at 2,400 / 14,000 Hz, tuned to 44 Hz, single-wire
• Dimensions Opticon Vokal MK2 (W × H × D): 435 × 201 × 312 mm, 9.2 kg
• 2 × Opticon 1 MK2 (surround): 2-way bass reflex bookshelf speaker, 62–25,000 Hz (±3 dB), 85 dB, 4 Ω, max. 105 dB, recommended amplifier power 25–100 W
• Opticon 1 MK2 drivers: 1 × 120 mm woofer/midrange, 29 mm fabric dome without planar driver, crossover at 3,000 Hz, tuned to 60 Hz, single-wire
• Dimensions Opticon 1 MK2 (W × H × D): 152 × 261 × 231 mm, 4.6 kg each
• Total set weight: approx. 86 kg
• Finish: Tobacco Oak with black front grilles; DALI builds the Opticon 8 MK2 exclusively in Tobacco Oak and Black Ash
• Front grilles: sit on pins that engage with the surrounds of the tweeter and woofers/midrange – no magnetic mounting
• What's included: 2 × Opticon 8 MK2 with cast-aluminium plinths, spikes and damping pads to choose from, mounting tools and jumper links; 1 × Opticon Vokal MK2 and 2 × Opticon 1 MK2 with rubber feet; front grilles for all five speakers; manuals

Frequently asked questions

Is the set complete without a subwoofer?

Yes, as a 5.0 system it plays fully and immediately. The two Opticon 8 MK2 reach down to 38 Hz and cover music as well as most film soundtracks. Only if you want to physically feel LFE effects would you later upgrade to 5.1 with a subwoofer.

Aren't the Opticon 1 MK2 too small as surrounds?

No. Surround channels don't need to deliver depth, but precision and tonal colour – and the Opticon 1 MK2 bring the same 29 mm fabric dome, the same wood fibre cones and the same SMC drive as the front. At 152 mm wide, 261 mm tall and 231 mm deep, they fit on any shelf or on the wall.

Can I bi-wire the speakers?

Only the two Opticon 8 MK2 – they have double binding posts for bi-wiring and bi-amping and come with jumper links from the factory. The Opticon Vokal MK2 center and the Opticon 1 MK2 are single-wire speakers with one pair of terminals. For a home cinema running off an AV receiver this rarely matters much; good speaker cable makes more of a difference.

How are the front grilles attached?

Via pins that engage with the surrounds of the tweeter and woofers/midrange – nothing holds magnetically on the Opticon MK2 series. This saves resonance sources on the baffle. The grilles come with all five speakers; sonically you get a touch more openness without them.

Is the 8/1/Vokal set also available in White?

No. DALI builds the Opticon 8 MK2 exclusively in Black Ash and Tobacco Oak; a white version of this floorstanding speaker doesn't exist. That's why this 5.0 set only comes in these two finishes. Silk white is found on the smaller Opticon models and the sets built around them.

Why buy the DALI Opticon 8/1/Vokal MK2 Set in Tobacco Oak from HD Zürisee?

Because we've been putting systems into real living rooms since 1997 and know where a 5.0 system of this size can tip over. We check room, placement and amplifier choice with you, deliver the set complete and set it up if you like. Reach us on +41 44 680 22 00, via WhatsApp 076 534 22 00 (text only, no calls) or at shop@hdzuerisee.ch.

Goes well with

More complete packages are in the HiFi sets. If you'd rather build it piece by piece, the towers are with the Floorstanding speakers and the matching surrounds with the Bookshelf speakers. For a 5.1 upgrade, take a look at the Subwoofers, and for everything Danish, the DALI overview.