Published 26/8/08
The nearfield comes to Vegas
After two years of development, monitor manufacturers Event have taken a giant leap towards their goal of creating a cost-effective, mid-sized, two-way speaker capable of delivering the same dynamics and mid-range clarity as the best three-way systems, by launching the Opal.
Company president Peter Freedman (best known as the owner of Rode Microphones) unveiled the new monitor in spectacular fashion at the Hard Rock Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas, in front of a sizable congregation from the industry and its publications. The launch event included a quartet of the obligatory bikini-clad girls who revealed the new speakers from beneath black shrouds as Peter introduced himself in a flashy pre-recorded video describing the technology involved (which you can see for yourself here).
To the casual observer, the new Opal monitor looks very similar to various other monitors on the market, but Event say that it has been designed from the ground up, featuring entirely bespoke components. The cabinet, which features a convenient lifting handle, is made from cast and machined aluminium with nicely radiused edges and corners to minimise diffraction, and has a pair of vertical slot ports on the front baffle.
A pair of conventional analogue and all-discrete class AB amps, capable of delivering a whopping 750 watts, are located on the rear of the speaker, while front-panel controls (hidden behind a flap) provide a comprehensive set of knobs and switches to fine tune the tonal balance of the speaker, with some specifically for use wh
en the monitor is mounted horizontally. To further facilitate horizontal mounting, the tweeter and its asymmetrical waveguide assembly can be removed, rotated, and reinstalled. Even the Event logo badge can be realigned for horizontal applications too.
Unusually, the Event Opal has a 25-pin D-sub connector and threaded mounting points, designed to accept external interface modules to expand the versatility of the system. The first of these to be offered is an AES3 input module. Furthermore, as standard, the new monitor comes with bespoke room-mode analysis software and a dedicated measurement mic to help optimise the system in every control room.
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. To maximise linearity and minimise distortion, a patented dual-coil motor system (called X-Coil) is employed, resulting in harmonic distortion figures 18dB lower than other similar drivers. The one-inch tweeter, called the EBT1, is a beryllium dome design driven by what is claimed to be one of the most powerful neodymium motors available, to provide extremely high SPLs and very low distortion.
Initial impressions of the Opal were very favourable indeed. At a listening sessions during the launch event, I found the stereo imaging, mid-range clarity, bass extension and dynamic range all to be extremely good, although this was in an unfamiliar room with unfamiliar material. I’m looking forward to getting my hands on a pair for a proper SOS review. The Opals should start shipping in October and will be priced at just under $3000 in the US, which was just over £1600 in the UK at the time of writing.
A launch party on this scale was a lot of effort for a single new product, and so it came as no surprise that the Opal has new siblings too. Also introduced at the event were the Type 28 and Type 25 active monitors which share many of the ideas (and some of the components) of the Opal system. These lower-cost models employ more traditional MDF cabinets, and less expensive aluminium tweeters, but the Type 28 is a similar size to the Opal and uses the same bass driver, while the smaller Type 25 has a scaled down five-inch version. Again, these new monitors should be shipping before the end of the year.
Source Distribution +44 (0)208 962 5080
www.sourcedistribution.co.uk
www.eventelectronics.com
Company president Peter Freedman (best known as the owner of Rode Microphones) unveiled the new monitor in spectacular fashion at the Hard Rock Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas, in front of a sizable congregation from the industry and its publications. The launch event included a quartet of the obligatory bikini-clad girls who revealed the new speakers from beneath black shrouds as Peter introduced himself in a flashy pre-recorded video describing the technology involved (which you can see for yourself here).To the casual observer, the new Opal monitor looks very similar to various other monitors on the market, but Event say that it has been designed from the ground up, featuring entirely bespoke components. The cabinet, which features a convenient lifting handle, is made from cast and machined aluminium with nicely radiused edges and corners to minimise diffraction, and has a pair of vertical slot ports on the front baffle.
A pair of conventional analogue and all-discrete class AB amps, capable of delivering a whopping 750 watts, are located on the rear of the speaker, while front-panel controls (hidden behind a flap) provide a comprehensive set of knobs and switches to fine tune the tonal balance of the speaker, with some specifically for use wh
en the monitor is mounted horizontally. To further facilitate horizontal mounting, the tweeter and its asymmetrical waveguide assembly can be removed, rotated, and reinstalled. Even the Event logo badge can be realigned for horizontal applications too.Unusually, the Event Opal has a 25-pin D-sub connector and threaded mounting points, designed to accept external interface modules to expand the versatility of the system. The first of these to be offered is an AES3 input module. Furthermore, as standard, the new monitor comes with bespoke room-mode analysis software and a dedicated measurement mic to help optimise the system in every control room.
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. To maximise linearity and minimise distortion, a patented dual-coil motor system (called X-Coil) is employed, resulting in harmonic distortion figures 18dB lower than other similar drivers. The one-inch tweeter, called the EBT1, is a beryllium dome design driven by what is claimed to be one of the most powerful neodymium motors available, to provide extremely high SPLs and very low distortion.
Initial impressions of the Opal were very favourable indeed. At a listening sessions during the launch event, I found the stereo imaging, mid-range clarity, bass extension and dynamic range all to be extremely good, although this was in an unfamiliar room with unfamiliar material. I’m looking forward to getting my hands on a pair for a proper SOS review. The Opals should start shipping in October and will be priced at just under $3000 in the US, which was just over £1600 in the UK at the time of writing.
A launch party on this scale was a lot of effort for a single new product, and so it came as no surprise that the Opal has new siblings too. Also introduced at the event were the Type 28 and Type 25 active monitors which share many of the ideas (and some of the components) of the Opal system. These lower-cost models employ more traditional MDF cabinets, and less expensive aluminium tweeters, but the Type 28 is a similar size to the Opal and uses the same bass driver, while the smaller Type 25 has a scaled down five-inch version. Again, these new monitors should be shipping before the end of the year.
Source Distribution +44 (0)208 962 5080
www.sourcedistribution.co.uk
www.eventelectronics.com
