Sunday 15 April 2012

Monitor Audio's Shadow Range Of On-Wall Speakers

Playing With Shadows - At just 40mm deep, Monitor Audio's Shadow range of on-wall speakers is the perfect match for flat TVs. Monitor Audio's innovative ultra-thin Shadow range of speakers is designed to reconcile the desire for super-discreet installation around the home with the need for dynamic full-frequency sound.

The four Shadow models are conceived to work in pairs for music, or for home theatre, when any number can be combined in acoustically matched surround systems. At just 40mm in depth, they will complement the slender profile of flat TV displays to achieve an astonishing unity of wafer-thin design and life-like sound -complete with the natural dynamism and wideband response you'd expect from larger, more obtrusive speakers.

Four models:
The diminutive S25 rear channel speaker, the LCR-type S50, the longer S60 (for 50"+ displays), and the dedicated Shadow Centre, utilise new low-profile drivers, which offer higher power handling and a wider frequency response than similarly sized conventional designs. A flat, long-throw 4" RDT® bass/mid driver and a specially vented 25mm (1") C-CAM® tweeter have allowed the competing demands for slender construction and high quality sound to be satisfied with remarkably little compromise.

In addition, the three larger Shadow models feature passive 4" Auxiliary Bass Radiators (ABRs), made of aluminium and tuned to provide improved upper bass definition. Each matt black Shadow speaker is constructed from a single piece of aluminium - precision machined to provide rigidity and naturally low resonance - and is easy-to-install in solid or stud wall using two direct-to-wall flush fixings. The speakers feature 'invisible' cable entry and connection, and removable magnetic grilles and end trims, which conceal fixings and terminals. Generating a performance akin to conventional speaker boxes from vanishingly slender cabinets, Monitor Audio's new Shadow range brilliantly cools the friction between the desire for discreet style and the need for explosive wideband dynamics from Blu-ray and other HD audio sources.

Approx prices inc VAT: S25 £500pr; S50 £800pr; S60 £900pr; Shadow Centre £450ea - Availability: May 2012

Detail: the Shadow range
The ultra-compact S25 is designed for front or rear channel duties in a compact home theatre system. It features a single 4" RDT (Rigid Diaphragm Technology) bass/mid-range driver and 25mm C-CAM dome tweeter in a sealed enclosure. The S25 is supplied with its own metal desk-top stand as an alternative to wall mounting.

The S50 is designed to coordinate with displays up to 50" and features dual 4" RDT drivers and a 25mm C-CAM tweeter in a D'Appolito array, augmented on either side by dual ABRs. The S60 uses a similar driver complement to the S50 but in a taller cabinet, ideal for displays above 50". Its dual D'Appolito driver arrangement, high power handling and good sensitivity generates high SPL and low distortion, but the S60's additional cabinet volume and custom-tuned ABRs provide superior low frequency performance.

The Shadow Centre is identical to the S60 in performance but is aesthetically optimised for dedicated centre speaker operation in high performance home theatre systems of matching S50 and S60 speakers. It is supplied with a shelf/rack mounting option.

Detail: the new drivers custom-designed for Shadow's ultra-slim enclosure the exceptionally low-profile RDT mid-bass driver uses a specially reinforced flat diaphragm, comprising an ultra-light but ultra-rigid sandwich of CAM material bonded to a Rohacell core. Coupled to a large edge-wound voice coil, it is held in a high power Neodymium magnetic field via an ingenious concertina-style suspension, providing an exceptionally responsive, uniformly controlled and extended cone excursion. Each RDT driver is bolted to the back of its cabinet on a single mounting rod but 'floats' within an airtight neoprene seal at the front, which decouples the driver from the baffle. The result is greater audio accuracy over a wider bandwidth from a driver compact enough to operate within a cabinet depth of just 40mm (1.5").

Joining the mid-bass driver is an optimised low-resonance version of Monitor Audio's world-famous 25mm (1") C-CAM gold dome tweeter, designed to work from a lower crossover point in limited space. In order to provide adequate loading and acoustic damping in these challenging conditions, this unique tweeter vents around the outside of its FEA-tuned Neodymium magnet system into a rear loading chamber. Its wider bandwidth ensures a seamless handover with the 4" RDT driver at one end of its range, and crystal clear high frequency definition at the other.

Shadow range features:
Ultra slim depth: 40mm (1½") to complement the slimmest TV screens.
Designed and tuned to provide optimum sound quality when flush wall mounted.
Aluminium extruded cabinet construction: once piece alloy extrusion provides slim profile, maximises internal cabinet volume and provides high rigidity to prevent resonance.

Specially developed 25mm C-CAM® tweeter design featuring unique venting and rear loading chamber: low resonance design provides clean, pure sound at lower frequency crossover point.

4" Low profile bass-midrange drivers featuring flat RDT® sandwich diaphragm constructed from C CAM® and Rohacell materials.

Special 'concertina' driver suspension arrangement provides high excursion from a low profile assembly.

Unique floating driver mounting: drivers are bolted to the rear cabinet and de-couple from the baffle on a neoprene airtight seal.

4" Low profile ABR drivers (S50/S60/Centre) provide punchy bass, without the noise or turbulence exhibited by ported designs.

Perfect flat to wall fixings: no additional bracket depth providing quick and easy installation.

Invisible cable entry and connection provides easy installation and connection.

Removable magnetic grille assembly designed to provide low sonic intrusion.

Matt black finish provides discreet aesthetics prices will allow many more music lovers the opportunity to experience the extraordinary.

Monitor Audio Shadow speaker range

Approx. retail price (inc VAT): S25 £500pr; S50 £800pr; S60 £900pr; Centre £450ea - Availability: May 2012

Images: flickr.com/photos/keithhaddock/sets

What is C-CAM? Ceramic-Coated Aluminium/Magnesium is an innovative material originally developed by the aerospace industry for use as blades in jet engines. It exhibits ideal qualities for use as a driver dome, avoiding the 'break-up' or bending modes of more conventional materials. Increased efficiency and clarity and reduced distortion are the result. Monitor Audio is a wholly British owned and managed loudspeaker designer and manufacturer. Since 1972 it has been at the forefront of loudspeaker design and technology, perfecting the implementation of metal drivers. It is renowned for exemplary speaker cabinet construction and finish.

For More Information On The Complete Range Of Monitor Audio Loudspeakers Please Contact:

Monitor Audio Ltd, 24 Brook Road, Rayleigh, Essex SS6 7XL
T: +44 (0) 1268 740580 E: info@monitoraudio.co.uk

www.monitoraudio.co.uk

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