PRODUCT DETAILS
The visual appearance of the IKON 7 MK2 is updated, yet unmistakably IKON. An exquisite slim-line design of the front baffle reduces diffractions to an absolute minimum and contributes to the exclusive look as well as a unique and extremely realistic, holographic stereo image.
DALI’s celebrated hybrid tweeter module combines a low-mass ferrite magnet dome tweeter and 17 x 45 mm ribbon tweeter supplementing the dome at the upper end of its range. In order to optimize the reproduction of the finest details and musical dynamics, the 6.5” bass/mid driver incorporate low-mass paper cones reinforced with wood fibres for additional stiffness. Add to this a potent, triple bass driver handling the bottom end with speed and impact and what you get is a matured and fully developed loudspeaker.
Use IKON 7 MK2 as stereo speakers in larger rooms or as front speakers in a large cinema set up for any kind of music. Floor standing IKON 7 MK2 combines IKON’s legendary clarity with outstanding, first class bass potential and, regardless of your musical preferences, brings a true sense of sonic authenticity into your home environment.
WOOD FIBRE CONE
In recent years, DALI’s signature cone material – light paper reinforced by mechanically processed wood fibres – has undergone extensive research and development. Following numerous in-house experiments, today this material is applied in almost all our driver designs. Also the precise structure of the ‘acoustical ensemble’ – cone, dust cap, coating, and glue - has been established through a vast number of experiments with geometry and materials.
Wood fibres add stiffness to very light paper cone membranes, ensuring non-uniform break-up characteristics within the material. Because of the random position of the wood fibres, resonances are eliminated before they can pick up enough energy to become an audible problem. The unique mixture of structural stiffness, low mass and damping improves behaviour of the cone, resulting in outstanding sound reproduction.
The wood fibre technology has proven to be a key element in reproducing the finest details and dynamics in the music with very low loss of information.
MECHANICAL DAMPING
It is well-known within the industry that it is quite easy to control frequency response by adding lots of mechanical damping in e.g. surround and cones. But our approach remains: We do not want to use non-linear mechanical effects to control, damp or limit the movement of the parts that should reproduce the music. The amplifier voltage and current must be the factors that control motion.
DALI was one of the first manufacturers to insist on controlling frequency response through carefully balanced designs, even with low-loss rubber surrounds that will reveal problems in many well-known driver designs.
Listening to the IKON MK2 family shows that it is worth the struggle, however. By letting the amplifier take control, we strive for the music to dominate – and not the character of the speaker.
Consequently, free and open performance is achieved. Increased dynamics is an added benefit. No matter if you play at subtle levels or crank up the volume, the IKON MK2 products will ensure that no details are left out.
HYBRID TWEETER
Just as important as it was to improve certain aspects of bass reproduction, it was crucial to preserve the fine performance of the proprietary DALI hybrid tweeter module in the IKON series. We wanted to maintain the transparent and solid rendering of even the most subtle high frequency details.
The IKON 7 MK2 employs a tweeter solution inherited from our high end EUPHONIA and HELICON series. Extensive experience and know-how from these series as well as the MENTOR family coupled with further research has enabled us to incorporate the hybrid tweeter technology in a speaker series at a very attractive price level.
There are two hybrid tweeter modules for the IKON MK2 series – the one implemented in the IKON 7 MK2 is based on a larger ferrite magnet system. Both versions of the hybrid tweeter module consist of a 28 mm lightweight dome tweeter and a 17 x 45 mm ribbon tweeter. Working in unison, the soft dome tweeter and the ribbon tweeter form the ideal high frequency solution. Combining the advantages of each tweeter’s unique properties is a technology which DALI has spent years in perfecting.
In our view, the hybrid tweeter module is the perfect high frequency solution. Both the soft dome and the ribbon tweeter are free of artefacts, e.g. resonances and high Q peaks within their working range. The Hybrid Tweeter Module features an extremely smooth and wide horizontal dispersion - one of our sound design trademarks. Even the detailing of the faceplate of the tweeter module is designed for optimal horizontal dispersion.
Developing the DALI ribbon tweeter was no easy task. Years were spent on research until the desired performance was achieved, and all parts were ready to go into production. The EUPHONIA MS5 was the first product to benefit from the hybrid tweeter module. Today, this technology is applied in all IKON MK2 speakers.
WOOFER
With the design experience from the MENTOR series in mind we have developed two new woofers – a 5” and a 6½” chassis. Applied in different variations for the individual speakers this new woofer integrates even better with the hybrid tweeter module, adding improved dynamic capabilities and enhanced bass performance.
The woofer is housed in a rigid die-cast aluminum chassis. The chassis has been designed to provide a free flow of air from the backside of the cone, both below and above the spider. Actually, the ventilated area below the spider has increased by a solid 17% compared to the woofer in the original IKON series.
Combined with careful milling of the front baffle, the optimized airflow ensures very limited loss of energy within the driver, minimizing compression – resulting in uncolored, transparent and time coherent reproduction.
The long-throw ratio design of the chassis provides headroom for extreme cone excursions. Even when the cone is pushed to the maximum, it will not reach physical limits of motion.
MOTOR SYSTEM
The motor system within the woofer is based on a solid ferrite magnet. The magnetic saturation of the centre pole prevents distortion through a stable magnetic flux density in the voice coil gap. On top of this, the drilled and chamfered ventilation in the centre pole provides total ventilation behind the dust cap.
We use a 1” voice coil providing the optimum combination of low moving mass and long linear motion. This offers a wide frequency band and dynamic, unrestrained reproduction.
CABINET
Our large and efficient woodworking facility handles everything from cutting out the cabinet and applying the vinyl to mounting the drivers and performing the final tests and approvals on each and every speaker.
The floorstanding cabinet of the IKON 7 MK2 employs a very rigid construction with solid bracings across the inside of the cabinet for reinforcement. This contributes to the stiffness and practically eliminates resonance within the cabinet. However, excessive internal bracing can disturb and hinder the crucial airflow inside a speaker cabinet, thereby adversely affecting sound quality. Therefore, great care is taken in the layout and application of internal bracing - in order not to reduce the internal volume of the cabinet unnecessarily.
The high-grade vinyl is carefully selected among the finest available. Extensive testing is carried out to make sure that the surface and joints of the cabinet will stand the test of time. Through strict inhouse control of every aspect of production, IKON MK2 achieves a level of fit and finish typically found only well beyond its price point.
