Avantone Active MixCubes Powered Full-Range Mini Reference Monitors
The Avantone MixCubes are shielded, full-range mini reference monitors. Their design is inspired by the legacy of the 5C Sound Cubes used in virtually all-major studios for the last 25 years.
Application
Active Recording / Mixdown Monitors
Engineering Objective
The Avantone Active Mixcubes are designed to be high-resolution, full-range powered mini-reference monitors for fixed or remote locations.
The secondary engineering facet was to create a timeless design that compliments a single full-range transducer.
Performance Objective
Studios primarily use 2-way & 3-way larger monitors designed to represent a wide range reference viewpoint at higher listening levels. However, in this newly developing age of High Definition Audio, there is still a need to also hear what your mix will sound like when played back over small “bass-challenged” systems such as televisions, clock radios, computers, car stereos, iPod docking stations, etc. It is important to make mixing judgments based partially on listening to reference monitors that will not impart tonal anomalies caused by crossovers or inferior full range drivers. Particular attention is always paid to the critical mid-range vocal/guitar/keyboard areas. This is where having a full-range monitor without a crossover is truly revealing. Ten months of R&D comparative listening & tweaking went into the voicing of the AVANTONE MixCubes. The result is a very smooth sounding, full range upgrade from the original 5C Sound Cubes. Listening tests reveal that the MixCubes have a smooth, more open, transparent top end response with extended bass while maintaining their basic original character.
Cabinet Design
The original 5C Sound CubesTM were made of ½” particleboard covered with a glue-on wood grain contact paper. We chose to use thicker, denser MDF board because of its high rigidity and inherent low-resonance characteristics. We started with a 165mm (6 1/2“) sealed cube design with radiused edges. We then chose an elegant Polyurethane high gloss “RETRO-CREAM” finish. The originals had either screws or on later models plastic binding posts mounted on a recessed plastic cup. We upgraded to high-end nickel plated, machined solid metal binding posts (Dual banana spacing) mounted on a black anodized ,milled and silk-screened aluminum terminal plate. Next we added a 7mm thick neoprene pad embedded into the base of the cabinet to serve as a skid-resistant acoustic isolator. Additionally, for creative mounting situations, we recessed an industry standard 5/8“-27 mic stand mount into the base.
Driver Design
The originals were a basic 5″ stamped frame design. We designed a proprietary 5.25″ die cast aluminum frame driver/cone assembly to exceed the performance of the originals. The mounting bezel is then polished for an elegant appearance. The paper cone, chosen for its musical character, is custom designed & crafted using the finest New Zealand pulp with mica fibers added for lighter weight & rigidity. The cloth surround is made in Japan to exacting uniform thickness tolerances. The Top Plate and T-Yoke of driver are made of Sumitomo 1008 low carbon steel enabling the highest modeled flux density in the gap. The magnets are Y- 40 GRADE (MIL-SPEC) yielding a 43oz. High Power-low distortion motor structure.
Amplifier Design
We designed the amp module from the ground up to be a true professional-grade amplifier. It incorporates “overkill” concepts in component selection as well as safety. The result is a “no-compromise” amp with robust headroom characteristics that will rival the performance of much higher priced studio rack mount amps.
Specifications
System Type
Active (Self-powered) shielded full-range stereo pair
Frequency Response
90Hz – 17,000Hz (useful musical range)
>Driver Impedance
Nominal 8 ohms
Max SPL
104db @ 1 meter = 1%THD (PINK NOISE)
Amplifier Type
Class A/B
Amplifier Power
60 watts RMS@ .005% THD (1KHz)
Amp Frequency Response
22Hz-50KHz +0dB/- 3dB (90Hz-50KHz +/-0dB)
Noise
S/N -113 dB
Sensitivity
0dBu (.775VRMS) input at maximum volume (+6dB) = 104dB SPL
Driver
Proprietary design 5.25″ cast aluminum frame / paper cone / shielded
Cabinet
sealed / 18mm MDF / Dacron acoustical stuffing
Inputs
XLR & TRS (COMBO JACK) +4/Balanced and -10 unbalanced
Weight
7 lb 5 oz (per speaker)
Dimensions
165mm x 165mm x 165mm (6 1/2″ x 6 1/2″ x 6 1/2″ in)
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