AVANTONE MIXCUBES ACTIVE STUDIO MONITORS WHITE -PAIR-

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.

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)

PRICE PER UNIT

The smallest big sound ever...

With the A3X, ADAM Audio present their smallest monitor to date, making it perfectly suited for all environments where space is limited but sound shouldnʼt be constricted. The A3X combines a tiny footprint with the much acclaimed ADAM sound quality by using the X-ART tweeter for the higher frequencies, a guarantee for crystal clear music reproduction.

A 4.5” (basket) driver handles the lower registers. The diaphragm is made from carbon fiber, a material that is very light but very stiff and therefore capable of delivering colouring-free sound. Two built-in 25 Watt amplifiers powers each of the drivers directly.

Stereolink

A very handy and exclusive technology found in the two smaller AX monitors is the Stereolink. This is accomplished by a pair of additional RCA connections that allow for a bypass of the second stereo channel to the other speaker.

This new technology connects two A3X speakers in such a manner as to allow the user the option to control the overall stereo volume of the system from either speakerʼs gain control. This makes the A3X a natural for "mixer-less” desktop applications where overall system volume needs to be adjusted easily.

Controls and Connectors

The front of the A3X sports dual ports for surprisingly low frequency response down to 60Hz. The front panel also has power and gain controls. The rear panel includes a tweeter gain control as well as balanced (XLR) jacks and unbalanced (RCA) jacks, allowing for greater connection flexibility. There are also two M6 (6 mm) metric screw threads for stand/wall mounting.

Review: "Highly recommended“

"Iʼve used various monitors for my computer work before, but never of the caliber of the A3X series. Before these, I would have to redo my mixes significantly when transitioning from the small cheapies to the big 'real ones'. The ADAM Audio A3Xʼs save me a step by providing both great sound in a compact format and by changing mundane audio task-work into a quality listening experience. If you use good monitors from the outset, youʼll learn your music that much faster so that when it comes time for mixdown and mastering on your big boxes, youʼll already be acclimated to your songʼs subtler sonic aspects—aspects revealed only by the A3Xʼs with their sweet, smooth top end, and impressive handling of bass frequencies. Highly recommended.“
(Jon Chappell, Harmony Central, 03/10)

Review: "...one of the best compact monitors“

"ADAM´s A3X as the smallest monitor with a X-ART tweeter to date has convinced us in every respect. It´s one of the best compact monitors we have ever reviewed and with its almost shameless low price it´s worth every penny. (Professional Audio, 05/10)

The CMS 50 is the most compact monitoring loudspeaker of all the Focal Professional range. Its design permits listening from 50cm away, while still keeping the possibility of the monitors at a great distance from one another without damaging the soundstage. The 5” mid-woofer reaches down to 55Hz, while offering a controlled bass and a totally linear midrange. The midrange register of the CMS 50 has unequalled neutrality in its price range. The Al-Mg inverted dome tweeter offers outstanding dynamics and a degree of definition in the treble that allow precise measurement of reverb and other effects which are normally very difficult to assess.

PRICE PER UNIT

The original A5

The small A5 managed to make itself a big name in both professional environments as well as in computer or desktop applications. A wealth of truly outstanding reviews and many awards helped to establish this speaker as one "of the best small monitors” and a "great choice for the small studio.” (Future Music, 01/2009).

The new A5X

The similar dimensions and name could make one believe that the A5X is nothing more than a new version of the A5. A quick listening however leaves no doubt that the A5X is much more than that.

Like all other models of the AX-Series it features the proprietary X-ART tweeter. The very data of this technology shows that it is at the forefront of what tweeters can accomplish. Numerous listening tests have confirmed this.

A 5.5” Midwoofer reproduces the frequencies below 2.5kHz. The diaphragm is made from Carbon fiber/Rohacell/Glass fiber, which is the same composite structure shared in the next two bigger models. This material with minimum weight and maximum rigidity prevents break up resonances, resulting in an outstanding dynamic behaviour and impeccable sound characteristics.

Stereolink

A very handy and exclusive feature found in the two smaller AX monitors is the Stereolink. This is accomplished by a pair of additional RCA connections that allow for a bypass of the second stereo channel to the other speaker.

This new technology connects two A5X speakers in such a manner as to allow the user the option to control the overall stereo volume of the system from either speakers gain control. This makes the A5X a natural for "mixer-less” desktop applications where overall system volume needs to be adjusted easily.

Controls and Connectors

The front of the A5X sports dual ports for surprisingly low frequency response down to 50Hz. The front panel also has power and gain controls. The rear panel includes a tweeter gain control as well as balanced (XLR) jacks and unbalanced (RCA) jacks, allowing for greater connection flexibility. There are also two M6 (6 mm) metric screw threads for stand/wall mounting.

Review: "The A5X: a superb impression.“

"A sparkling and lively desktop monitor with an open, powerful character. Good filters and practical ergonomics as well as useful equipment make ADAMs A5X an ideal partner in multimedia nearfield sound." (Stereo, 10/10)

PRICE PER UNIT

The most powerful AX monitor

With its power and radiation characteristics, the brand new A8X is suitable for both nearfield and midfield monitoring. With a price/performance ratio that could hardly be better, this monitor is a perfect entry into these monitoring fields.

The A8X is equipped with the X-ART tweeter and a large (8.5”) midwoofer, a combination that adds both a very deep and yet very tight bass response to the unsurpassed reproduction qualities of the ADAM proprietary tweeter: a licence to thrill.

Cabinet- and bass reflex-construction

Like the other AX-Series models, the upper corners of the A8X are slanted to minimize reflections. The very large, double bass reflex tubes on the front have been specifically designed to perfectly match the midwoofer with its large voice coil.

Amplification and controls

With a 50W A/B amplifier for the tweeter and a 150W PWM amplifier for the midwoofer, the A8X has power in abundance and is the brawny monitor of the AX-Series.

On the rear panel are several controls: a gain for the high frequencies (± 4dB) and two shelf filters for the high and low frequencies.
There are both XLR (balanced) and RCA (unbalanced) connectors on the rear panel of the speaker, which allow the A8X to be used in almost any application.

Review: A8X: a "powerful link" between near- and midfield monitors!

"The A8X is a powerful link between ADAM´s AX Series and the formidable and more expensive SX Series. Its all-in-all homogenous tuning, the deep and precise bass as well as the brilliant mid- and high-frequency reproduction make this speaker a huge recommendation for ambitious people without deep pockets." (Professional Audio 10/2010)