Dali’s Opticon MK2 range, side by side. Here is the compact Opticon 1 MK2 alongside the larger Opticon 2 MK2 standmount and the Opticon 6 MK2 floorstander, showing what your money buys at each step.

The Opticon 1 MK2 is the smallest speaker in Dali’s Opticon range, and it sits above the Sonik and Oberon lines as a genuinely high-performance compact standmount. It is made and tested in Denmark rather than assembled abroad, and it carries a tweeter derived from Dali’s dearer Callisto range along with the company’s patented SMC magnet technology, the low-loss motor system that runs right up to its flagship models. It is a small speaker built to a real standard, designed for small and medium rooms and for the compact streaming amplifiers that suit them.

Brief product overview

A two-way dual-flare reflex standmount with a 29mm lightweight soft-dome tweeter derived from the Callisto C, and a 4.75-inch wood-fibre cone bass-midrange driver using Dali’s patented SMC magnet motor, which reduces third-order distortion by minimising hysteresis and eddy currents in the motor system. The 29mm tweeter is shared across the whole Opticon MK2 range for consistent tonal character, which matters if the speaker is used in a multichannel setup. The 5-litre cabinet has a 25mm front baffle and extra internal bracing for rigidity, and the dual-flare reflex ports reduce turbulence for cleaner, more extended bass. Frequency response runs from 62Hz to 26kHz, sensitivity is 86dB with a 4-ohm nominal impedance, and Dali recommends amplification from 25 to 100 watts. A keyhole wall bracket is supplied, and the speaker is fully assembled and pair-matched by a single technician in Denmark.

How it sounds

The Opticon 1 MK2 sounds more refined and more detailed than the Sonik and Oberon models beneath it, the Callisto-derived tweeter and SMC motor giving it a cleaner, more relaxed presentation with a surprising amount of fine detail for a compact speaker. It images well and produces respectable bass from its small cabinet, though at 62Hz its low-frequency reach is honest for its size, so a subwoofer is worth considering for films or bass-heavy music. The two things to plan around are its 4-ohm impedance and 86dB sensitivity: this is a more demanding load than its size suggests, so it wants an amplifier genuinely happy driving 4 ohms rather than a budget receiver, and it rewards a capable one.

What we’d partner it with

The Bluesound Powernode Edge is a well-judged match in size and price: a compact streaming amplifier delivering around 80 watts, comfortably within the Opticon’s range, with BluOS streaming across Spotify, Tidal, Qobuz and more, AirPlay 2, aptX HD Bluetooth, an HDMI eARC input for a television and a combo analogue/digital input. It makes the pair a complete system on its own. Good alternatives from brands we carry are streaming amplifiers from WiiM, Pro-Ject and NAD.

For vinyl, note the Powernode Edge has no phono stage, so a turntable needs to supply one. The Rega Planar 1 Plus solves that neatly: it is the Planar 1 with a phono stage built in beneath the tonearm, outputting at line level straight into the Edge’s analogue input, so nothing else is required.

For stands, the Solidsteel NS-4 is a well-made partner, a welded steel design that can be filled for added mass; the Opticon’s keyhole bracket is the alternative if you would rather wall-mount. On cabling, use a well-made speaker cable of appropriate gauge for the run; AudioQuest and Chord are the cable brands we stock.

Who shouldn’t buy it

If your room is medium-sized or larger, the Opticon 2 MK2 uses a bigger driver and cabinet for more scale and bass. If you want a floorstander, the Opticon 6 MK2 removes the need for stands and reaches lower. And if your amplifier is a budget receiver not rated for 4 ohms, this is the wrong speaker for it; the Opticon 1 MK2’s load wants an amplifier that can drive it properly.

The Opticon 1 MK2’s dual-flare ports fire from the rear, so leave a little space behind the cabinets; the speaker is designed to work reasonably close to a boundary, but a little room tightens the bass. Set them on the Solidsteel NS-4 stands, which can be filled with sand or shot for added mass, or use the supplied keyhole bracket to wall-mount. Set the Powernode Edge up through the BluOS app and connect a television to the HDMI eARC input if you want one. For vinyl, connect the Planar 1 Plus to the analogue input, not a phono input, since the deck outputs at line level and the Edge has no phono stage. The subwoofer output is worth remembering given the Opticon’s 62Hz roll-off.