New Event Opal Monitors - not your regular speakers

[Blastmode]

Hi Ty,

Is the mic + software included as promised? Is it any good?
I really would like to have some details about performance. Nothing on the web yet besides your info for now. Looking forward to read some more about the Opals. Perhaps they will change my mind about buying a pair of Focal Twins soon.

Greeting from the Netherlands,

Blastmode

[jayman]

Any more thoughts yet, Ty?

[Ty Ford]

Originally Posted by jayman

Any more thoughts yet, Ty?

Hi,

I've had 'em for just over a week and have 6-7 hours on 'em. I do have a commission for a review in Pro Audio Review so I can't post extensively until that publishes.

I am very impressed. That much tonally correct low end from an 8" driver is extraordinary. They sound like they should cost more than $3k/pr.

If you're thinking about new studio monitors, get in front of these before you make your final decision.

Regards,

Ty Ford

PS: Haven't seen the software yet.

[tobymusic]

Thanks Ty,

now what I'd really like to know is how accurate the midrange is - compared to the Genelec 8050 for instance, or other monitors using a similar driver combination.

Toby

[Ty Ford]

Originally Posted by tobymusic

Thanks Ty,

now what I'd really like to know is how accurate the midrange is - compared to the Genelec 8050 for instance, or other monitors using a similar driver combination.

Toby

Toby,

You mean a two way with a crossover? I have no way to make that comparison, but I do know what you mean. Here's what I know. These are biamped, so you have separate amps for top and bottom.

What I do hear is that the level of unique detail of each CD seems more apparent. That was sort of weird at first; to hear more differences from CD to CD. I think that had more to do with what my existing monitors were masking.

Ty Ford



Ty

[TMalloy]

Ty,

Do you know when the Pro Audio Review article will publish?

Thanks.

[tobymusic]

Ty, thanks for getting back to me.

What i mean is this: There a many studio monitors with a similar driver combination on the market (e.g. 8" woofer, 2" titanium or aluminium tweeter), they're usually all biamped (even though the Event's DO have a lot more powerful amps), still they sound surprizingly different from one another - e.g. Genelec 1031 or 8050 are completely different animals (in my opinion), the Yamaha MSP 8 studio sounds different, the Mackie HR 824/824mkII sounds different again and so on...so it still comes down to the "tuning" of the enclosure, waveguide, electronics and of course the choice of the drivers themselves.

One of the weak points of these 2-way 8"-2"-designs still is an accurate midrange (especially at the crossover frequency of usually 1.5 - 2kHz on 2" tweeter designs), compared to high quality 3-way designs. So i'm REALLY curious how well these speakers reveal what's happening in the 900Hz-3kHz range.

All in all they look quite promising to me...

Thanks, Toby

[Ty Ford]

Originally Posted by tobymusic

Ty, thanks for getting back to me.

What i mean is this: There a many studio monitors with a similar driver combination on the market (e.g. 8" woofer, 2" titanium or aluminium tweeter), they're usually all biamped (even though the Event's DO have a lot more powerful amps), still they sound surprizingly different from one another - e.g. Genelec 1031 or 8050 are completely different animals (in my opinion), the Yamaha MSP 8 studio sounds different, the Mackie HR 824/824mkII sounds different again and so on...so it still comes down to the "tuning" of the enclosure, waveguide, electronics and of course the choice of the drivers themselves.

One of the weak points of these 2-way 8"-2"-designs still is an accurate midrange (especially at the crossover frequency of usually 1.5 - 2kHz on 2" tweeter designs), compared to high quality 3-way designs. So i'm REALLY curious how well these speakers reveal what's happening in the 900Hz-3kHz range.

All in all they look quite promising to me...

Thanks, Toby

Toby,

Thanks for the clarification. I thought I knew where you were going, but wanted to be sure.

The Event Opal tweeters are beryllium (or beryllium-coated, I'm not sure), not titanium. That in itself may make a very noticeable difference. There seems to be an acceptance that beryllium, done right, makes a righteous tweeter just as nickel, done right, makes an extraordinary mic diaphragm.

I'm pretty sensitive to the top end. I liked the Adams ribbon top ends a few years ago when I heard them. I'm not sure exactly what I was responding to, but they were smoother and less irritating. Does that mean they we're more or less accurate? I don't know.

I know I usually like paper cones better than plastic and that I hear cabinet resonances. When the first JBL LSR came out, I could hear something "plasticky" about them that was off putting. I think they have changed that in subsequent models, but I don't know for sure.

Power, yes, well there's that whole thing about clean power and where you are on the curve. In really, really simple terms, the traditional thought has been to have LOTS of clean power for transients. 750w peak per cabinet is a lot of power.

The Opals have a pretty unique porting system and their internal geometry seems the result of paying attention to little details.

Crossover. Yes, there are a lot of devils in those details. Admittedly, I have to listen very hard to hear crossover problems. Maybe because I've been very lucky to be around monitors that don't have a lot of crossover problems, or because I hear problems and don't associate them with crossovers.

The Opals are at 1.6k, I think. I have spent some time focusing on that range, but my ear is not being tugged by it. Can three-way do a better job? I'll hedge. Good three-way is probably better than bad two-way. A good two-way is better than bad three-way.

When I try to pick the crossover apart, I get distracted by the overall clarity of the midrange and the amount of clean bass that actually has notes rather than the resonance of the enclosure or port. That and the perception, with plucked acoustic bass for example, that the instrument sounds as though I was in the studio with it.

The vocals I have listened to sound very connected. Hmm, that didn't come out quite right. Connected sort of implies that I hear points of connection. I don't, they are just "there."

Likewise, horns sound like horns and while I have heard a few old recordings in which the horns sound a bit edgy, they may well have been recorded that way.

I'm really trying very hard NOT to overstate the case for the Opals. Each person has to make his/her own decision as to what monitors make it happen. I'm sure that as others get a chance to get in front of them that additional perspectives will help in defining them and helping to put them in context with existing monitors.

It's not much of a secret that my ears are on the George Massenburg part of the spectrum. I'm fairly obsessed by "cleanth" - the opposite of filth. Get it clean and dirty it up later if you want to, but you can't undirty a dirty track. Clean audio gives you more options.

I had a perception of Event monitors based on casual experience in other studios; OK for project studios but not for the top shelf. The Opals exceed those experiences - exponentially. Perhaps an apt comparison would be a stripped Chevy Impala versus a Corvette.

You gotta listen, then you'll know if they work for you. I'm spinning the tweeters in about 15 minutes to hear what happens when you lay 'em down.

Regards,

Ty Ford

[jayman]

Ty, so I know you can't say too much with the review forthcoming, and I know you've stated that anyone considering should get in front of these or any other monitors before pulling the trigger, but I'm gathering you're pretty impressed with the Opals. Is that safe to say?

I think I'm going to give a pair a test drive in 3 weeks or so.... that's the soonest I can get them from Sweetwater. If I don't like them, I'll be out $120 shipping. I don't know how else to do it without paying shipping since no one around here has any to demo, so I'm trying my best to gather all the info I can before placing the order.

Thanks for your insight.

Jay

[Fleaman]

Won't Guitar Center have them at some point?

[jayman]

Thanks for the PM Ty.

[Fleaman]

On Event's pdf they show them having 7.1" woofers??

http://www.event1.com/opal_datasheet.pdf

.

[LeeStoker]

20Hz - 20kHz (±0.1dB) response how is that possible?

[Ty Ford]

Originally Posted by LeeStoker

20Hz - 20kHz (±0.1dB) response how is that possible?

measure twice, cut once.

That's the frequency response of the amps. What's the problem?


Regards,

Ty Ford

[LeeStoker]

Oh I misread I thought this was the stated response for the whole speaker.

[Ty Ford]

Originally Posted by LeeStoker

Oh I misread I thought this was the stated response for the whole speaker.

Lee,

Now THAT would be one heck of a monitor!

And $999 would be nice.

Regards,

Ty Ford

[Alex.T]

I'm wondering how the Opals sound at low volume -- still accurate or does the bass fall away? The large wattage rating of the amps implies to me that these speakers are more for moderate to loud listening. Can you comment on this?

I'm considering PMC or Focal b/c they sound good at low volume. Can the Opals fit the bill?

Thanks.

[tobymusic]

Thanks a lot for the info Ty,

Your remarks are spot-on.

Toby

[jayman]

One more question Ty.... have you messed with the room correction stuff?

[Ty Ford]

Jay,

I'm very curious to see that work. Word is they are still hammering out the software and looking at April release.

Regards,

Ty

[work2do]

interesting

[hanuman]

I lost interest..... totally.

[Dav Iridium]

April? They've been out in Australia for a while (Peter Freedman also owns Rode, he's all over the pro-audio media here). He's made a pretty bold claim - Event
While I wasn't completely blown away, they sounded pretty good when I heard them a couple of months back at Factory Sound in Melbourne.

[DivineMusic]

Originally Posted by Dav Iridium

April? They've been out in Australia for a while (Peter Freedman also owns Rode, he's all over the pro-audio media here). He's made a pretty bold claim - Event
While I wasn't completely blown away, they sounded pretty good when I heard them a couple of months back at Factory Sound in Melbourne.

huge claim.. now bring them to the usa damnit

[RCM - Ronan]

Originally Posted by Dav Iridium

April? They've been out in Australia for a while (Peter Freedman also owns Rode, he's all over the pro-audio media here). He's made a pretty bold claim - Event

Since he is not claiming anything subjective like best sounding, or warmest, or punchiest, etc, the claims he is making seem like things that could be quantified and proved or disproved.

[Ermz]

Bold claim indeed.

I will audition a pair in St Kilda next week. I also heard the demo pair set up at Factory Sound a few months ago and was immensely impressed. Quite honestly I couldn't believe what i was hearing was coming out of a 2-way nearfield.

I never realized Event was an Australian company. That makes me understand why the local price is so competitive to the US one... Pair a great speaker with a local company, local service and local prices and... well, can't go wrong... hopefully.

[Fleaman]

Low end distortion figures...like 35/40hz to say 150hz will be the deal breaker. It's easy to get low distortion @ 1khz, but if the Opals are the most accurate lowest distortion speakers, then the low end distortion specs should measure up too....even against bigger monitors (since he didn't qualify the statement to just 8" monitors).

Thomas @ Barefoot should take him up on his challenge....I bet the barefoots would have less low end distortion specs than the Opals.

[RCM - Ronan]

Originally Posted by Ermz

I never realized Event was an Australian company.

They were a US company based out of Santa Barbara, CA until they were purchased by Rode.

[RCM - Ronan]

Originally Posted by Fleaman

Low end distortion figures...like 35/40hz to say 150hz will be the deal breaker. It's easy to get low distortion @ 1khz, but if the Opals are the most accurate lowest distortion speakers, then the low end distortion specs should measure up too....even against bigger monitors (since he didn't qualify the statement to just 8" monitors).

Thomas @ Barefoot should take him up on his challenge....I bet the barefoots would have less low end distortion specs than the Opals.

I would love to see him put up some kind of wager to make this challenge really interesting.

[Ty Ford]

Originally Posted by Ermz

Bold claim indeed.

I will audition a pair in St Kilda next week. I also heard the demo pair set up at Factory Sound a few months ago and was immensely impressed. Quite honestly I couldn't believe what i was hearing was coming out of a 2-way nearfield.

I never realized Event was an Australian company. That makes me understand why the local price is so competitive to the US one... Pair a great speaker with a local company, local service and local prices and... well, can't go wrong... hopefully.

Yes, and make that a 2-way with a 7 inch bass driver.

Regards,

Ty Ford