Transcript
E Q U I P M E N T T E S T
96
DAS Monitor 8 DAS return to their studio roots. Christopher Holder plants himself in the sweet spot.
D
AS are a Spanish company, based in Barcelona. They’re particularly well known for their speakers and amplifiers in the sound reinforcement arena. But, it shouldn’t come as a surprise to see DAS release a new range of studio monitors. More than 25 years ago they began life building monitors and only subsequently moved into the touring and install market. And, with their obvious expertise in transducer design, it’s certainly not a long bow to draw for DAS to be successful in their intentions here. Saying that, studio monitor design has changed significantly since the mid ‘70s. One, relatively recent, development is the move toward active, and powered designs. Oddly, (given DAS’s range of well-regarded amplifiers) this new range is currently passive only. But, personally, I almost find this refreshing. There are still a good number of studios looking to upgrade their monitoring without binning a perfectly good amp in favour of an active system. For this review I had use of the larger of the two models, the Monitor 8, which can function as nearfield or midfield monitors. It’s quite a large cabinet (420 x 280 x 290mm), and given there’s no volume taken up by an amplifier section, it represents a recognisably larger box than popular eightinch designs from Event and Mackie (just to give you an idea of the size). One of the first things you notice is the wood ‘panelling’ on the two sides of the cabinet. The side panels no doubt help with panel vibration modes (mostly because they are quite thick), but they also give these speakers an air of refinement. The cabinet itself is ruggedly constructed – it weighs in at 13kg, using MDF – and is rear ported to extend bass end response. Current design theory generally advises rounding off the corners of speaker cabinets to decrease sound defractions within the box – DAS have opted for the ‘pointy’ approach. Furthermore, the Monitor 8s are not magnetically shielded for work close to a VDU. DAS have employed a one-inch aluminium tweeter coupled to a ‘Linear Quadratic Spherical’ waveguide for the high end. The waveguide aims to decrease high-end distortion and to offer a wider stereo image. The waveguide is symmetrical and will consequently allow you to orientate the speakers vertically or horizontally without getting the screwdriver out. Below it is the eightinch polypropylene LF driver, which uses an ‘oversized’ motor structure and a cast aluminium chassis. These are reasonably large monitors and, as such,
require careful placement and some experimentation to achieve the best results. I placed them on spiked, heavy stands, in a good sized room and connected them up to a mid-priced 500W amplifier. I experimented with the positioning and found that they operated best in a nearfield configuration, rather than a more distant midfield setup – although admittedly this will largely depend on the acoustic integrity of your room. I have to nail my allegiances to the flag pole here and say that I’m much more a soft dome man than I am a metal tweeter man. Not to say that I don’t appreciate the articulation and detail offered by a good metal tweeter, but I find that my brain, over long listening periods, gets a little fatigued. The aluminium tweeter of the Monitor 8 does its job very well. Coupled with the waveguides the stereo imaging is very good indeed. The definition and the ‘air’ in the mix is excellent. It hasn’t changed my preference for soft dome tweeters but credit where credit is due. The low end is very accomplished. These monitors do have quite a bass extension. So much so that you may want to think about the smaller six-inch Monitor 6s if your room is a little cramped for space. DAS describe the Monitor 8’s bass as ‘solid and well-defined’ and I’d largely agree. If I had one criticism it would probably be in the lower mids, where the transient attack of a kick drum, for example, could be better articulated. I have to admit that I umm’ed and ah’ed a bit over this review. Only because these speakers are on the verge of being really very good indeed. Truth is, they are built to a budget and there are, naturally, certain compromises involved. But the bottom line is that they do represent excellent value in my book, and even better value if you already have a good quality amplifier (minimum 125W @ 8Ω a side). There’s much about them that sounds more accomplished than its bi-amped competition (in and around this price bracket). There’s more definition in the mids and highs, and a better (more forgiving) stereo image than most counterparts. Some will find the high end a tad forward for their likings, and some may find the lows and low mids a tad ‘loose’ for their tastes, but overall, DAS have pulled a price/performance rabbit right out of the hat. Oh, and the wood veneer goes with my Ikea furniture – thumbs up! AT
Distributed by • Magna Systems Phone: (02) 9417 1111 DAS on WWW: ‘www.dasaudio.com’
Price • $1,770, Monitor 8; $1,529, Monitor 6.
