Event Opal Monitors

[elwoodblues1969]

It seems that Event has developed the most proprietary & revolutionary active monitor design to date,known as the Opal,which is an 8" 2-way configuration-of which allegedly,offers a level of performance that exceeds even the best 3-way systems.
This upcoming monitor,slated to be released sometime next month,boasts a re-vamp in design & materials-all of which,feature patented technology in every aspect of it's conception.
Considering it's virtually indestructable construction,sheer power handling(750 watts peak-per speaker) & a frequency response of 30Hz to 10kHz,it seems to be a bargain,at a projected street price of $2,995(USD)....however though,all of this raises some very fascinating & rather confusing questions in my head,so I thought perhaps that some of the recording gurus on this forum could shed some light on the subject of these questions;

The Opal is presented as a nearfield monitor,but how can a pair of monitors with a peak power of 1500 watts that claims to have the widest sweet spot available,be considered NEARFIELDS?!!
Of course,logic dictates that a pair of monitors with this level of power handling will be strong enough to handle any sudden,extreme audio spikes within more than reasonable decibal levels,but still,these monitors have entirely too much energy for a small room and I am sure that they're a bit encumbersome,even in a
mid-size room?
You'll have to forgive my ignorance,but in terms of frequency response in the kHz range,it is my understanding that anything above 20kHz provides more detail & accuracy in the human audible range and currently there are a few monitors out there that have anywhere from 22kHz-all the way up to 50kHz.
That being said,I'm assuming that 10Khz is way beyond 20kHz?If so,then how much of a difference can this make and how could this possibly be achieved using a dome tweeter?
The Opal's tweeter is made out of beryillium-which is the best material available,but Event is'nt the only company using this material.
Naturally,I'd have to assume that it's the quality of the driver components behind the tweeter that give it it's depth,but it still blows my mind!

I just can't seem to keep up with the technology,but then again,I've only started using active studio monitors about 4 years ago.

Probably towards the end of this year,but more likely early next year,Event will introduce smaller versions of the Opal,such as a 6" monitor & the like,& if the price is right,I would consider upgrading my mastering monitors to those possibly.

If these monitors are everything they claim to be,then the Opals will indeed,be the absolute top-of-the-heap in the monitor market as I see it and I am extremely excited over them!

Event's website has an interesting video introduction on the Opal's,which automatically initiates upon connection to the site...to my fellow gear heads here;

enjoy.....

http://www.event1.com   

[Moon]

Very exciting news indeed. I've found this article on SOS: http://www.soundonsound.com/news?NewsID=10331

I'm looking forward to the first reviews on those speakers.

The speaker can handle peaks of 750W to 1000Watt, but this doesn't mean it will play as load as a 750Watt PA speaker. We'll hear more in the comming months without any doubt...

P.S.: These are looking fine to replace my Samson monitors... I better start saving 

Moon

[elwoodblues1969]

Moon,

If your serious at all about upgrading from your Samson's,I would strongly recommend the Adam A7's.
I used to own the Samson 50a's-which were fine when I was just starting out years ago,but now,with my more experienced ear,I find that Samson speakers are fine for general listening-such as in a home theatre set up and that's all there good for(in my opinion).
If you have not already considered the Adams-trust me...once you've been exposed to the quality of the Adams,you'll have no use for your Samson's(except maybe to watch movies with them).
Considering the size of your room & the gear you have,the Adams are a perfect fit for you-I promise!
I honestly do not think there is a better monitor out there for the money and the Adams even out-perform more expensive monitors.

I seriously doubt that anything from the future Event Opal line will come even close to the Adam A7's low price.

Some food for thought.

Thom



The Adam A7's are the best bargain on the planet at 599 euro.

[Moon]

I know the famous Adam speakers; on every review they come highly recommended. They are indeed excellent speakers. 

The 6"5 woofer drivers are a bit small for my room, but I could consider a setup with a subwoofer.

The only bad news: in Europe the A7 costs 399 euro a piece and the price tag for an Adam subwoofer is 511 euro: all together +/- 1300 euro's. In this price range, there's a lot to choose from including Genlec drivers, the bigger Adam speakers with 8" drivers or the Mackie monitors.

Anyway, I have my Samson speakers and I can still live with them, allthough at a certain point I'll need to consider the upgrade.

Still, I'm curious on the verdict on the new Opal Monitors...

Moon

[Oren]

Since Moon's comments on the yellow-cone B&W speakers from England, I've finally found a set-up that allows my old B&W 303 speakers to perform the way they were intended to, and they're no longer just an expensive plant stand. Previously, I'd basically just written them off as a bad purchase, but now they are my principal mastering monitor, along with my AKG K240 headphones
I've had them for 5 years or more, and finally can use them as near-field mastering monitors, powered by a Rotel integrated stereo amp 

(yes Thom, the Event monitors would certainly be a step up to bigger, better sound, but working with tools I know and trust is becoming very important to me as the nuances of the audio experience unfold...)

[elwoodblues1969]

Moon,

The Adams were specifically designed to provide the bass response typically found in 8" cabinets,in a small compact fashion and Adam has achieved this beautifully!!

I have a 13' X 11" room and I keep the bass eq in the rear of the cabinet in a flat position,because beyond that,it's just entirely too much bass for my space.

The bass can be increased by 6dB-so trust me friend,the Adams are all you would need,so there's absolutely no need for a subwoofer.

Not only will the Adams match the amount of bass in your Samson 80a's,but unlike your Samson's,the Adams deliver tight,controlled bass-without drowning out the mid range.
Also,Adams have more projection,so the work well in a mid size room.....bear in mind that upgrading driver components,materials & cabinet design will give you an extraordinary amount of bass in a small foot-print.

Consider this also,that spec sheets on entry level monitors with regard to frequency response are typically exaggerated,meaning that while they may generate the 45Hz(for example),the audible frequency may only be 55Hz,because the roll-off point cuts off to soon,due to poor cabinet design for instance.

I'd advise that you take the oppurtunity to have a listen,or buy the Adams from a retailer that has a good return policy,to really see if they're what you want(but I'm convinced that you'd be very pleased with them).

Thom

[rharv]

The 10kHz spec must be wrong.  If they stop at 10kHz (half of the 20kHz standard spec) they will sound very dull, or be missing important details in the upper range.

Play a song in your favorite DAW and cut everything above 10kHz using an EQ...not good.  Even mp3 goes up to 16kHz, and you have to fight with those sometimes to keep the openess of the sound.

Aha!- after reading the article Moon linked to, I see that the bass speaker alone can respond up to 10kHz,  the tweeter must got to 25 or 30 kHz then..

In my IE browser the picture of the babes loads right over the text of the article; nice web page design, eh?

[elwoodblues1969]

Rharv,

You're probably right about the specs,but it strikes me very odd that they would not have info on the tweeter's performance?

I know that for the most part,these new monitors are completely redesigned,deviating away from conventional design methods,so with the tremendous upgrade in driver components,coupled with the use of beryllium in the tweeter,you're probably looking at a HF response beyond 30kHz.

It's really interesting that these monitors have thier own exclusive showcase...and yes,babes & monitors together make for a nice web page design indeed!

Thom

[rharv]

From the article-

"The EX8 bass driver has an extremely wide bandwidth (claimed to extend between 30Hz and 10kHz) to maximise phase linearity over its working range, and its massive motor assembly can accommodate power peaks of 1kW and control the unique paper pulp/carbon fibre cone over an enormous 24mm linear excursion range. "

BTW, if you can actually 'hear' anything above 18kHz  I'll be impressed.  It's more of an open air feel that I get from the 18-20 kHz range.

[elwoodblues1969]

Rharv,

Thanks for a recap of the article,as I did find it a bit confusing.

As for the human audible range in the high end,it's not about whether or not you can actually HEAR above 18kHz,but rather,a tweeter that can produce beyond 20kHz,will give you more accuracy & detail in the range you CAN hear(at least that's how it was explained to me once,by a pro)-makes sense to me.

Thom

[Moon]

The 10kHz spec must be wrong.  If they stop at 10kHz (half of the 20kHz standard spec) they will sound very dull, or be missing important details in the upper range.

It's the bass driver (the woofer) that goes up to 10kHz, above that, the tweeter is taking over. At least, that's how I understood it. I'm sure there must be a good tweeter in there...

Moon