Most general audio outlets will sell you almost every type of loudspeaker known to man, for every job. That's fine, but here at Solid State Sound we specialise in solid state sound recorders, often portable ones, whose recordings will be transferred to a PC or Mac. Hence the speakers we offer need to be designed for accurate near-field monitoring whilst being magnetically shielded so they do not distort video or computer monitors nearby. For convenience they also need to be of manageable size and self powered (i.e. have in-built amplification). We have tested a fair few pairs of such loudspeakers and rejected most of them usually because they sound 'boxy' (as is often the case with small speakers) and are therefore simply not accurate enough to monitor your recordings properly. The options we offer here are, in our view, as accurate as speakers of this size can be, as well as being well made, practical and affordable...
These Cakewalk by Roland MA-15D stereo reference monitors are ideal for solid state sound recorder and computer-based recording artists seeking a high-quality, powerful set of reference speakers to use in a relatively confined space. The MA-15Ds offer an accurate wide-range frequency spectrum and crystal-clear audio reproduction.
Small speakers often lack the ability to deliver bass frequencies well. No so with these MA-15 units because they feature a built-in Bass Enhancer, which operates on psychoacoustic principles that convert low frequencies into a series of overtones the human ear cannot distinguish from the original low frequencies. This allows the listener to perceive bass frequencies outside of the normal range of the speaker cabinet and cone, without overdriving the woofer. With the Bass Enhancer the MA-15Ds offer a strong low-end in a very compact set of reference speakers.
The MA-15Ds accept input from digital sources through either the coaxial or optical S/PDIF ports, supporting up to 24-bit/192kHz sources. With this, you can connect digital sources directly to your speakers, keeping an unadulterated audio signal all the way to the power amplifier in your speakers. Hear exactly what you have recorded!
The MA-15Ds offer conveniently placed Volume and Tone controls. While a large studio setup typically uses a mixer to control output level to the speakers, compact desktop setups can rarely afford the space a mixer requires. This is not an issue with the MA-15Ds, as you can adjust your output volume and tone right on the front of the speaker.
You can also connect two different sources directly into the MA-15Ds, allowing you to listen to audio from any two line-level sources. You can have both your computer and your solid state recorder connected to the MA-15Ds, for example. The MA-15Ds offer independent volume control for each of these inputs, effectively taking the place of a small desktop mixer for monitoring.
You can also plug headphones directly into the MA-15Ds and mix without disturbing other people. Plugging in headphones automatically defeats the speakers, allowing you to mix without disturbing others, and without having to disconnect anything in your setup.
The MA-15Ds are magnetically shielded for close proximity to your computer monitor.
Bass Enhancer
24-bit/192kHz support via SPDIF optical & coaxial input
PM05n (top left) - The ideal choice for smaller production stations requiring near-field monitoring, the perfectly formed PM05n offers 70 watts of bi-amped power and produces outstanding full range performance with exceptional neutrality even at high Sound pressure levels. The compact dimensions also enable accurate placement in confined or awkward spaces, with the dispersion from the two-way ported enclosure design tailored such that it will deliver an accurate sound almost regardless of room acoustics. The PM05n features a UFLC 20mm (1") soft dome HF unit and 130mm (5") LF woofer and input gain control. Available in high gloss black or white finish.
PM05-Sub (bottom left) - Designed to complement the PM05n, the PM05-Sub's 110 watt, 200mm (8") driver produces precise, low frequency reproduction and an excellent deep bass output down to 25Hz without distortion. Easy to set-up (just a single gain control and phase reverse switch), the combination of a pair of PM05ns and PM05-Sub provides superb sonic quality at an affordable price.
Beautiful glossy front baffle with gently tapered top - available in black or white finish
The LF drivers have been developed to obtain extremely pure music reproduction by employing the latest technology in cone material.
The cone uses a mixture of cut and milled fibres that are made from aromatic polyamide. It is then impregnated with resins to simultaneously achieve high rigidity and optimum damping.
The cone also has an olefin film thermally adhered to its surface to control frequency response and to establish long term reliability.
The centre dust cap is made of non-wood cellulose material and is also impregnated with resin.
The voice coil is made of super high purity copper wire to achieve extremely low distortion.
The 20mm (1") soft dome tweeter employs Fostex’s UFLC technology (Poly Urethane Film Laminated Cloth) to achieve light weight and high stability performance.
The amplifiers are precisely calibrated to match the performance capability of the drivers
Magnetically shielded to allow close proximity to video or computer monitors
Elegantly silk-screen printed 'Fostex' logo with blue LED
Sometimes size is important. You might just want a no-nonsense, simple, small pair of powered speakers for your solid state sound recorder, PC workstation or laptop. These MediaOne 3a speakers are so compact at just under 5" wide and 7" high, but they still pack quite a punch with their combined 30 watts of output power. They even sound less 'boxy' than a lot of mini-speakers we've heard. And the right hand speaker cabinet has a convenient, front control panel with volume control, headphone mini-jack output and even an auxiliary mini-jack input socket for connecting your solid state sound recorder or similar device. Choose a pair of these if you want reasonable sound, small size and low price.
Precision-tuned, rear-vented enclosure
3-inch copolymer woofer
25mm silk dome high frequency driver
2 x 15 watts of Class A/B internal power
Rear panel right & left phono inputs
Front panel level control, headphones and stereo input mini-jacks
Convenient RCA inputs
Attractively finished in black satin vinyl covering
AV magnetically shielded for multimedia applications
Passive crossovers utilizing a multi-pole design for accurate linear response
These monitors are a bit of a departure for us because they also enable you to record onto your computer via their USB interface. Whilst we normally discourage audio recording on the often hostile environment of a PC, because a dedicated recording device is so much better, we do recognise that many people prefer to produce finished soundtracks for film, TV, radio, etc. on PC or laptop based production stations, perhaps bringing in audio from portable sold state recorders during the process, and often voicing-over or adding studio effects and music during the final production phase.
It is for this reason we offer Samson's innovative Studio-GT monitors here, because not only are they pretty amazing sounding speakers, they also have a USB interface for your PC or laptop. This enables voice-over and any other audio to be recorded at the workstation and added to your location sound, then edited and synchronized to video imaging through any computer. Studio GT houses two mic and instrument/line inputs along with gain control, clip LED, and two 1/8-inch (3.5mm) stereo headphone outputs with independent level controls. Plus, they include a 2-position switch for no-latency directs mono and stereo monitoring. Designed to make workstation recording easy and professional, Studio GT includes Cakewalk Sonar LE music production software for enhanced control over the development of your production.
Meanwhile Studio GT’s professional, accurate monitoring is rendered by 4.25-inch magnetically shielded, inverted cone, copolymer woofer and its 1-inch silk dome high frequency driver. Equipped with 2 x 20 watts of internal power, Studio GT provides precise reproduction of highs and lows so you can be sure your finished product sound as good as it can be.
formed PM05n offers 70 watts of bi-amped power and produces outstanding full range performance with exceptional neutrality even at high Sound pressure levels. The compact dimensions also enable accurate placement in confined or awkward spaces, with the dispersion from the two-way ported enclosure design tailored such that it will deliver an accurate sound almost regardless of room acoustics. The PM05n features a UFLC 20mm (1") soft dome HF unit and 130mm (5") LF woofer and input gain control. Available in high gloss black or white finish.
