Monitor speakers, what does monitor speakers mean

The monitor speaker is a kind of professional audio equipment. Its characteristic is that it can restore the sound of the three frequency bands of high, medium and low in a balanced manner, without any modification or rendering of the sound playback, and faithfully restore the audio signal. Speakers are useless in our amateur applications. First, we don't want to hear completely unmodified sound most of the time, and second, such speakers are too expensive.

Speaker manufacturers have the largest number of equipment in all audio equipment, and are usually the most occupied and most eye-catching in audio shops. This article will introduce the existing speaker manufacturers, which are relatively well-known. Since they can survive among many competitors, they must have their own unique features, which are worth learning.

Monitor speaker competition

The current recording studio monitor speakers seem to have no standard. Different recording studios will choose suitable speakers according to their environment and needs. However, before the 1970s, the so-called monitor speakers were usually manufactured in accordance with the specifications set by the authority. You have to be certified to count. Early monitor speakers only required the characteristics of flat sound range balance, precise resolution and low coloring, and it didn't matter whether they sounded well or not. Also starting in the 1970s, the concept has changed. The sound engineer believes that the harsh sound will affect the mood at work, so the monitor speakers must take both into account. JBL, which is independent from Altec Lansing, is a good example. The 4300 series they launched were quite nice and created a big trend in Japan. In fact, speakers such as 4320, 4333, 4343, and 4350 did not have any "monitoring standards." Recording studios are also accustomed to using Alte c's 604, 605 series speakers.

In the early days, the British monitor speakers were dominated by Tannoy. After the 1950s, state-run BBC radio stations began to design monitor speakers for different needs, such as speeches, music, live recording, and sub-control monitors. A series of standards came out, including Rogers and Harbeth. , Spend or, KEF, etc. have all produced BBC standard speakers. Evergreen LS 3/5a is one of the BBC standards, designed for near-field monitoring, and its sound is recognized as very attractive. In the United States, the LC1 series speakers designed by Dr. RCA Ozon were all the rage in the 1940s, and were gradually replaced by Altec and JBL. Westlake and Wooray, which were improved by the two companies' monomers, also achieved good results. Japan’s state-run NHK radio station also formulated the BTS specification with reference to the BBC standard. According to this specification, Diatone 2S205 and 2S305 manufactured by Mitsubishi Electric in the 1950s have almost become the common standard of Japanese recording studios until Pioneer and Yamaha joined. , Monitor speakers have diversified development.

B&W

In 1966, British electronic communications engineer John Bower and his friend Roy Wilkins jointly opened a sound shop in Worthing, which is the origin of B&W. John Bower is here to help people assemble speakers. The first product launched under the B&W brand is P1. They used the money they earned to buy some second-hand test instruments. The P2 speaker, which was launched in 1967, adopted the ion tweeter and the bass of the laminated glass cone. It was well received and became the first speaker sold by B&W. B&W's tradition of innovation was established. In 1970, B&W established a research and development department and introduced the DM70C speaker with a hybrid design of static electricity and cone. In 1974, we began to use DuPont bulletproof cloth Kevlar to manufacture speaker monomers. The first pair of finished products, DM6, was launched two years later. As for the B&W shape that we are familiar with now that the tweeter is on the top of the speaker, it began in 1977, and the revolutionary B&W 801 speaker was introduced at WCES in 1979. It has made great progress in testing with a laser jammer. EMI's Abbey Road was the first to adopt 801 as the monitor speaker, and then Decca and German Polykin Group also joined. To this day, the Matrix 801 Series III is still the most widely used monitoring system in the classical music industry. This pair of speakers uses a 30 cm polymer cone bass, and the 12.6 cm midrange and 2.6 cm metal tweeter of the Kevlar diaphragm are separately installed in two boxes to avoid mutual interference. The SB7000 launched by Japanese Technics in 1975 and the 105 later launched by KEF in the UK all adopted similar shapes, but only B&W survived tenaciously.

In 1991, the prototype of the Nautilus horn designed by Laurence Dickie was exhibited and shocked the world. After its official launch in 1994, it was regarded as a masterpiece of postmodernism, and the sound was equally extraordinary. In pursuit of perfect sound, B&W has developed many bold and innovative shapes, such as pipe-shaped horns, Blue Room like a fat doll, etc. Of course, the master is Nautilus. But Nautilus is too avant-garde after all, and the price is high, so B&W put its brains on the best-selling 801, launching the brand-new Nautilus 801, and smaller Nautilus 802, 803, 805, etc., we see that there are already recording studios. Enshrine Nautilus 801. Nautilus 801 still uses a 2.5 cm aluminum metal tweeter, the magnet is changed to a neodymium iron boron magnet, and a metal tube is also added to the back of the speaker. In addition to the phase cone for the six-inch Kevlar diaphragm midrange, the speaker is made of artificial stone. As for the bass change from 12 inches to 15 inches, the diaphragm is a composite of paper fiber and Kevlar, and the cabinet is heavily organized, with the bass reflex hole facing downwards. In terms of specifications, the low-frequency extension of the new Nautilus 801 is only 29Hz-3dB, which is not as good as the old 801. In fact, according to the audition of many experts, the Nautilus 801 far exceeds the old 801 in terms of design and sound performance, and the price is also true. Will B&W stop there? of course not!

Tannoy and KEF

Tannoy's history started quite early, and it can be said that they are one of the initiators of the British audio industry. In 1926, a broadcasting engineer named Guy R. Fou ntain developed a simple and reliable rectifier in the garage of his home in London. It was suitable for the radio that was just starting at the time. So Guy Fountain established Tannoy three years later. The origin of the name Tannoy is the abbreviation of the two metal materials used in the rectifier, titanium (Tantalum) and aluminum alloy (Lead-Alloy). After the establishment of the factory, Guy Fountain began to study moving coil speakers using DC excitation, and soon achieved results, but it was the contract they received in 1930 that really made Tannoy famous. The "International Circus" established by Sir Bertram Mills is actively expanding and planning to become the first tented circus to travel by rail. They need a reliable and durable set that can make loud noises without harshness. Tannoy’s choice of sound system.

Since then, Tannoy has been well-known for manufacturing high-quality PA speakers and studio monitor speakers. After the British House and the United Nations Building have adopted Tannoy products, it is equivalent to hanging a guarantee for them. In the 1950s, Tannoy made considerable gains in communication equipment, and on the other hand, with the development of stereos, it began to enter the home market. At this time, they launched the first batch of coaxial-designed speakers. At present, whether it is home or monitor speakers, Tannoy still uses coaxial monomers as the main force. System 215 MKII is the top model of Tannoy monitor speakers. It uses a 38 cm bass and a 38 cm coaxial monomer, but it sounds It is very different from the home Tannoy speakers. The sound is lively and clear, the expression is direct, and the dynamics are particularly impressive. Tannoy's monitor speakers have moved from the UK to the world market. David Manley, who made the amplifier, bought a 25 cm coaxial unit from Tannoy, and designed a monitor speaker under the brand of Manley Laboratories, and got the support of Dung Sax, the owner of the bellflower. It can be seen that Tannoy is also very powerful.

Established in 1961, KEF first started with the production of monomers. Almost all British speaker manufacturers have purchased monomers from them. The famous BBC LS 3/5A early 15 ohm version uses KEF monomers. There was a fire in the KEF factory in the 1970s, and the production line was burned. There is a saying that the reason why the LS 3/5A was changed to 11 ohms is to achieve better linearity, but there is also a saying that KEF can no longer supply old monomers. No matter which is true, at least you can see the pivotal position of KEF in the British audio industry. In addition, the oval woofer B-139 developed by KEF is an epoch-making contribution. With its small diaphragm area, it extends the low frequency to about 30Hz. This also shows the ability of KEF to design the monomer. Many loudspeaker kits are almost equivalent to quality assurance after they are hung with the KEF logo. The reputation of KEF in the professional field is more single-piece than finished. KEF's self-made speakers began to build prestige, starting from 104 in 1973. In the LP era, the wide range and dynamic performance of the KEF speakers once made many people intoxicated. KEF's self-made speakers were not fast. The 105 was only introduced in 1976, and then improved to 105/2, which set off a boom in the market. In 1979, KEF developed the S-Stop technology, and in 1984, it introduced the 104/2 speaker using Coupled Caviy. Its unique concept and rich low-frequency performance certainly aroused many surprises. In the same year, the engineers of KEF published high-bass coaxial technology, becoming the only rival to compete with Tannoy. In 1989, KEF further improved the design and introduced a coaxial monomer called "Uni-Q". In the second year, 105/3 used both cavity coupling and Uni-Q coaxial technology, and its excellent performance shocked all four. However, the current flagship of KEF is still the 107/2 with three-tone design and active low-frequency equalization launched in 1992. In the past few years, the British market was extremely depressed, and Hong Kong consortium funds began to intervene in the operation of KEF. It is believed that KEF will move towards a more popular route.

Genelec

Genelec from Finland was founded in 1978 and mainly produces active monitor speakers. More and more recording studios join Genelec's ranks. Genelec uses traditional cone monomers. The mid-to-high range is mounted on a panel with a horn diffusion effect. The factory calls it "Directivity Control Wave Guide", which can effectively control the directionality and phase characteristics. The level and crossover slope of all the units are adjustable, which is another feature of Genelec speakers. Through these fine adjustments, ideal results can be achieved in different recording studios. Each unit has its own independent active amplifier, which is also one of the reasons for its popularity. You can get a realistic, tough, straightforward and high-resolution sound when connected to it. The black body gives people a majestic and mighty feeling. It is an orthodox monitor speaker.

Pioneer and Westlake

Pioneer's top products usually use the Exclusive brand, and the speakers are the same. The Exclusive speakers with TAD (Technical Audio Divise) are used. They look beautiful and sound outstanding, but they are very hot to buy. TAD's bass uses a special casting method, and the entire frame is integrally formed, which can emit a very deep sound. The tweeter driver equipped with beryllium metal diaphragm and the asymmetric wooden horn make the Exclusi ve speaker very powerful. Its sound range is not particularly wide, but it is fast, rich in mid-frequency, and full of energy. In addition, ultra-high efficiency is also one of its advantages. Taiwan Junjin has also designed a series of speakers using TAD monomers. The quality is not inferior to foreign products. Using Luxman's small vacuum tube machine can produce very large and shocking effects. Of course, its price It is also amazing.

Westlake, founded by Glenn Phoenix in 1970, had a close relationship with JBL in the early years. It used various monomers manufactured by JBL. Since Glenn Phoenix was originally a celebrity in the recording industry on the West Coast of the United States, he designed the speakers according to his own standards. Just start the popularity. Westlake's large monitor speakers are similar to Exclusiv. They both use wooden horns and large-caliber bass. The five-way split SM-1 is much more luxurious than Exclusiv. The author once enjoyed many sets of Jadis JA-200 post-stage promotion SM-1 in the space designed by Glenn Phoenix, and played the Michael Jackson album produced in Westlake studio. The fierce dynamics seemed to be slapped on the face. After listening to it, it's hot and very enjoyable. However, in recent years, Westlake has gradually developed into upright speakers, and has also abandoned the horn design (except for the flagship Tower and the smaller Tower 12), such as BBSM12VNF, small Lc6.75W/N, or horizontal BBSM4F, etc. All have extremely high ratings.

Electro-Voice and JBL

The well-established American store, established in 1927, stands alone with JBL and Altec, but Electro-Voice is less involved in the home market, so it has received little attention. For many years, Electro-Voice has insisted on adopting the design of mixing horn treble and cone bass. This design often encounters the problem of efficiency mismatch, but they have been well solved. The flagship Georgian (the third-generation Georgian IIB has already been launched) even uses a 46 cm woofer, and the midrange is also a huge 30 cm horn. It is not easy for them to work with a horn composed of two tweeters. Electro-Voice also has the advantages of extremely high efficiency, with a sensitivity of more than 95dB at every turn, very easy to use, fast, rich in details, and dynamic, all of which are praised by Electro-Voice.

In 1946, J.B. Lansing formally established JBL. The purpose at that time was to manufacture a household system comparable to monitor speakers. Unexpectedly, JBL would later enter the professional market to get a share of the pie. Early JBL masterpieces, such as Olympus, Hartsfield, Paragon, etc., are not only luxurious in shape, special in structure, but also fascinating in sound. They are still the target of players' collection today. Paragon is more like elegant antique furniture, Hart produced since the early 1950s

The sfield is mostly used in theaters and other large-scale occasions. In the past few years, fans made it reborn, forming a story. Two Michigan enthusiasts, Mark Weiss and John Wolff, teamed up a Classic Audio Reproductionds. They reproduced a new Hartsfield with updated technology and monomers. Thanks to the addition of a super high-frequency extension, the crossover has been improved, naturally and The old Hartsfield will have some differences. However, the elegant and large appearance, as well as the relaxed and natural charm are all nostalgic. Hartsfield recommends placing it in the corner, but it is different from the structure of Klipschorn placed in the corner. Klipschorn uses the wall as an extension of the bass folding horn. Without a wall, the low frequency will be affected; and Hartsfield is basically designed for easy placement. . What's interesting is that both of them later designed a wing-like backboard to facilitate the positioning needs when leaving the corner.

Like Electro-Voice, JBL’s large monitor speakers are mainly based on horn treble and cone bass. The Project K2 S9500 launched in 1989 uses two bass packages to clamp the horn. Due to the extensive use of new materials (glass horn, artificial Stone base, etc.), making S95 00 a brand new look. On the other hand, the small monitor speakers designed by JBL are also very popular. The L-100 launched in 1971 is the beginning. In recent years, the 4312MKII, the latest 4325MKII, and even the Century Gold commemorative speakers launched to celebrate the 50th anniversary. Both adopt similar concepts. These speakers have a strong personality, which feels very suitable for interpreting pop music or as home theater speakers. The meticulous expression, strong dynamics and clear transient response are exactly where JBL has become famous. JBL has another professional brand called Urei. Many large recording studios have used Urei 815. This is an active-designed product, which is equipped with a negative air and an amplifier. Urei's modularization concept is very novel. All speakers use the same specifications of JBL, and the speakers are only different in size. The structure and maintenance are very easy. In fact, adjustments require some thought.

PMC and ATC

PMC (Professional Montior Com.) is a British manufacturer that only sprang up in 1990. The designers Peter Thomas and Adrian Loader produced a series of speakers for studio monitoring based on the principle of transmission line speakers. From the largest BB5/XBD, there are many products such as MB-1, IB-1, AB-1, LB-1 and so on. Introducing PMC and ATC together, it is true that they have many similarities. Like the large MB-1 and BB5, the mid-to-treble part is simply a copy of ATC. The tweeter is a French Audax or Vifa product, and the bun-shaped midrange is developed by ATC. The bass is of different models and has different products. The biggest feature is that they are all designed with transmission line speakers, so they can be in a smaller volume. The ideal low-frequency extension effect is achieved within. Compared with ATC, PMC has the same thick mid-to-low frequency and weight, with excellent density, and the mid-range is particularly full. It can withstand high power (you must also use high power to drive), and it can also send out large dynamics. However, PMC is more sinking in low frequency than ATC speakers of the same size, and the speed is not too slow, which is quite suitable for use in the post-production process.

ATC was founded by Billy Woodman in 1974. He had participated in the design of B&W 801 and drew inspiration from there to complete the design of the SCM series in 1986. Billy Woodman proposed the unique theory of a large magnet, a large voice coil, and a short-stroke monomer. Especially in the bass part, its monomers are often customized, and one can weigh two others, and the pulp vibration is coated with a damping material. The membrane is also unique. Another achievement of Billy Woodman is the design of a 7.5 cm convex spherical midrange unit. This unit allows the mid-frequency of the ATC speaker to have a very linear performance, and it can withstand high power and sound full and strong. Starting from the more used SCM-100, there are SCM-200, and the Big Mac SCM-400. If it is not an active design model, ATC has launched its own brand of front and rear stages in order to apologize to everyone. Expand the machine to solve the problem that is difficult to promote. The SCM-50, SCM-20, SCM-10 and the smallest A7 introduced by ATC are mostly for household use. Their sound trends are roughly similar, and the cost of the amplifier is the same.

Yamaha and Diatone

Yamaha's audio department started with the manufacture of amplifiers. In 1974, the pyramid-shaped B-1 rear stage caused a lot of repercussions. The first speaker was the NS-690 in 1973, which was quickly forgotten. The NS model represents the Nature Sound advertised by Yamaha. The NS-10M, which is widely used for near-field monitoring, was born in 1977. The 3.5 cm dome tweeter and 18 cm white diaphragm bass are placed in a small speaker. It can attract many people and become one of the necessary small speakers in the recording studio (because it is also very cheap). The NS-10M was later modified several times. In 1987, the NS-10M Pro was launched, and the anti-magnetic MX Model was launched in 1993. In addition, there are also horizontal 10M Studio, NS-10MM, NS-10MT and other models that can be equipped with subwoofers. Developed out. A speaker is so popular, and its life cycle is so long, it is also a special case. In addition to this monitor speaker, Yamaha only has the subwoofer made by YST technology, and other speakers are almost completely wiped out. Even the flagship speaker NSX-1000, which was manufactured in 1986 to promote the prestige of the country, cannot escape this fate.

Diatone, which started with the manufacture of magnets, is a subsidiary of Mitsubishi Electric and has been manufacturing monomers since before World War II. The well-known 2S205 and 2S305 are manufactured in accordance with NHK broadcast technical specifications, which makes them secure the throne in the field of monitor speakers. Later, Diatone worked hard in the household market on the one hand, and continued to study in the professional field on the other hand. Those with 2S before the number were for professional use, and DS was for household products. Unlike European and American manufacturers, Diatone has spent a lot of effort on the improvement of single materials, and has tried many new materials over the years, such as LCP diaphragms that are twice the speed of sound. Starting from the DS-V9000 in 1988, the boron diaphragm (B4C) tweeter unit jointly developed by Diatone and NHK was officially launched, and the extension is very good. The mid-bass unit has a three-wire interlaced honeycomb structure, plus their magnet structure called ADMC, which forms the basis of most Diatone speakers today. The biggest feature of the Diatone monitor speaker is its super resolution ability. The change from the smallest volume to the strongest sound can be heard clearly, but some people think the taste is too flat, as if drinking plain water.

Rogers, Harbeth, Spendor

These three British manufacturers have a close relationship with the BBC. The person in charge or designer has worked for the BBC and then came out to independent portals, so from their products, you can vaguely hear the same pedigree and personality. In 1947, Jim Rogers founded Rogers Company in Hampstead. At the beginning, he only produced Williams vacuum tube amplifiers and helped a company manufacture marine communication equipment. It was not until 1954 that the company moved to Woolwich that Rogers began to produce speakers. In the early 1970s, Rogers began to cooperate with the BBC. The LS3/5 launched in 1974, using the KEF T-27 tweeter and the B-110 bass speaker, began to bring revolutionary changes to the small speaker. Rogers also because of The first production of LS3/5 has a history. Since then, Rogers has successively launched several BBC speakers such as LS5/8 and LS5/9, and has also developed many wonderful household products under the leadership of designer Richard Ross. Later, Richard died and Rogers changed hands several times. Now the boss behind the scenes is already a multinational group. They plan to promote Rogers as the British Bose, but it hasn't been effective for the time being.

Alan Show, which originally served at NEC, bought Harbeth, founded by W. Harwood in 1986. W. Harwood was originally the director of the BBC Research Center. He led the development of LS5/5, LS3/5A, LS3/7, LS5/ 8 and many other BBC-specification speakers. Harwood was the first designer to use plastic paper cones. He took the lead in applying them to LS3/4 and LS5/5. In the early 1970s, he obtained a patent for polylipid compounds and sold this patent to CBS. Later, CBS appeared to all Manufacturers who use multi-element materials to make monomers claim an interesting story. After leaving the BBC, W. Harwood discovered the TPX material produced by a French company, which is the lightest thermal plastic. He used it on HL Compact, HL-5 and other speakers to get top-notch sound. After taking over, Alan Show has always wanted to get rid of the shadows of the past, launching the HL-P3ES that replaces Ls3/5a, and the popular HL Compact 7, which now also joins the LS5/12A manufacturing lineup.

Cughes Spendor, a former Harwood colleague, founded Spendor about the same period. In the early days, Spendor still produced BBC-specification speakers, the famous SP-1, which was favored by many people. But after Spendor's death, his son Derek Hughes did not manage well and sold the company to the Soundtrack Group. Derek concentrated on the design, and the G-1000 came from his hands. There are not many Spendor products. In addition to the LS5/12A, the currently active monitor speakers also have a SA350, which was originally an active speaker designed for the German Broadcasting Corporation and looks a lot like the Spendor G-450.

Dynaudio Acoustics and Dynaudio

Dynaudio Acoustics, its parent company is Dynaudio, the most famous monomer manufacturer in Denmark. Since Dynaudio launched its flagship Consequence in 1989, they have established their reputation in the manufacture of loudspeakers. In the following year, the famous British monitor loudspeaker designer Andy Munro cooperated with Dynaudio to establish Dynaudio Acoustics, a company specializing in the production of loudspeakers for recording studios. The company is located in London, and the two companies are closely related but operate independently. Of course, Dynaudio Acoustics speakers will use Dynaudio's single-unit speakers, and they are the top ones. Including Dynaudio's famous bun-shaped midrange, the largest M3 uses two midranges and two bass. Because these monomers are not easy to promote and the structure is similar to ATC, the competition between the two is very fierce. The strange thing is that Dynaudio Acoustics and Dynaudio use the same monomer, but the sound is significantly different. The former is more straightforward and powerful, while the latter is slender, transparent and light.

Dynaudio speakers are divided into Confidence, Contour, Audience series, in addition to Facette, Craf ft, Micron and other independent models of speakers, BBC specifications LS 5/12A is also produced by Dynaudio. Regardless of the model, the impression of Dynaudio speakers is that they often don't have enough food, and the amplifier's current seems to be squeezed out, so it is not easy to make a good sound. For this reason, Dynaudio has launched front and rear amplifiers with amazing prices. The design and driving force are invincible, but does it mean that only speakers such as Consequence are used with such a good amplifier? What a pity, so Dynaudio is preparing to launch a pair of super flagship Evidence, the original factory is called "Formula One" (Formula One), two meters tall, sharing eight monomers on one side, the speakers and crossover are extremely luxurious Capable.

Music is the art of sound. There are all kinds of sounds in nature. Countless musicians in the world are very good at capturing the beautiful notes of nature and have written countless immortal music chapters. It comes naturally".


This is the first to talk about the monitoring equipment, which is the sound reproduction system that can more realistically restore the appearance of the original recording. Its basic requirement is neutrality and truthfulness. Of course, no device can achieve 100% restoration, but it is their goal to avoid sound staining and distortion under large dynamics as much as possible. As an important member of this system, monitor speakers are naturally responsible for replaying the original recording.

Misunderstandings about monitoring: Many people, especially some HIFI enthusiasts, think that because the monitor speakers are rational and have no flavor, the flavor is what we often call coloring and coloring. So these unsound speakers are not good to hear. In fact, we should consider this issue from the sound source as the starting point. If the recording level is poor, even the singer is not that good, it will not be good to play the sound with monitor speakers. Think about it from another angle, who wants to be intoxicated. In such a voice? Conversely, if the singer level and recording work are very good, then what will happen to this kind of music playback using monitor speakers?

General speakers have their own characteristics. For example, some of the sounds are sweeter and some are more refreshing, but as a recording monitor or users who require the reproduction of the original sound, this is unacceptable, so they will use monitor speakers. Generally more expensive than speakers of the same level.

Speaking of monitor speakers, many people may have heard of them in the field of professional audio, and they are still very unfamiliar. This starts with the classification of speakers. Speakers can generally be divided into main playback speakers, monitor speakers, and return speakers according to their uses. The main sound box is generally used as the main sound box of the sound system to undertake the main sound playback task; the return sound box is also called the stage monitor speaker, which is generally used on the stage or dance hall for actors or band members to monitor their singing or playing sound. The monitor speakers are used for monitoring when producing audio programs in listening rooms and recording studios. It has the characteristics of small distortion, wide and flat frequency response, clear sound image, and little modification of the signal, so it can reproduce the original appearance of the sound most truly.

The sound engineer needs to hear the essence of the sound, so that he can know how to modify the sound to achieve perfection. If it starts to hear, it will be extra"

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