Monitor Audio
| File:Monitor Audio Official Logo.png | |
| Company type | Private |
|---|---|
| Industry | Consumer electronics |
| Founded | 1972 in Cambridge, England |
| Founder | Mo Iqbal |
| Headquarters | , England |
Area served | Worldwide |
Key people | Andrew Flatt (Chairman & CEO) Michael Hedges (Technical Dir.) |
| Products | Hi-fi, loudspeakers, subwoofers, audiovisual |
| Subsidiaries | Roksan |
| Website | www |
Monitor Audio is a British company that specialises in designing and manufacturing loudspeakers and sound systems.
History
The company was founded in 1972 by Mo Iqbal. Monitor Audio started life in a factory in Teversham near Cambridge, England. In 1976, Monitor Audio brought its manufacturing process in-house, and moved to a factory in the heart of Essex. In 2000, it moved to a larger facility in nearby Rayleigh, where it remains. Monitor Audio made the manufacturing move to China in 2004. In November 2016, Monitor Audio acquired British Hi-Fi manufacturer Roksan. Monitor Audio Ltd is a British privately owned company.[1]
Technology
Since launch, Monitor Audio has operated with in-house design and technology teams.[2]
Technologies brought to the market by Monitor Audio include:
- C-CAM Drivers: Conventional speaker cones are liable to flex in operation, which can result in a significant level of audible distortion. Using a material originally developed by the aerospace industry, Monitor Audio created loudspeaker cones, which have a high resistance to bending stress, resulting in a smooth transition of audio frequencies.[3]
- DCF (Dynamic Coupling Filter): DCF replaces the customary rigid coupling of a driver and voice coil with a pliable unit. In doing so, DCF helps to dampen surplus energy produced by the driver, resulting in a more natural sound.
- Gold Dome C-CAM: First introduced in the latter half of 1980s, the Gold Dome Tweeter is built on its maker’s 1985 metal dome tweeter technology. Monitor Audio anodises its ceramic-coated aluminium/magnesium alloy, creating a thinner, lighter more rigid dome, one which is extremely efficient and less prone to audio distortion.[4]
- Hive II Port: This proprietary speaker port technology accelerates air flow and reduces turbulence, resulting in fast, powerful bass coupled with superior transient response.
- IDC: The Inverted Dual Concentric midrange/tweeter module offers up to 18 degrees of play, enabling in-ceiling and in-wall speakers to be discreetly positioned, yet still direct sound towards the listening zone.
- RDT II: The second generation of Rigid Diaphragm Technology (RDT) bonds an ultra-thin composite structure to a honeycomb Nomex® core material. Using C-CAM for the front skin and woven carbon fibre for the rear, the RDTII structure reduces distortion by over 8 dB above 300 Hz, making RDTII the lowest distortion cone technology in Monitor Audio’s history.[5]
- RST: Rigid Surface Technology (RST), inspired by the Japanese art of Origami, strengthens the speaker cone, letting Monitor Audio speakers use thinner, lighted and more responsive C-CAM cones, meaning greater speed and accuracy, as well as greatly reduced distortion.
- Tri-Grip Dog Fixings: All current Monitor Audio custom install models use this fixing design. This three-position ‘dog’ style fix enables great contact surface area over other designs, whilst also saving installation time.
Products
- Monitor Audio Platinum II series [6]
- Monitor Audio Studio
- Monitor Audio Gold series
- Monitor Audio Silver series
- Monitor Audio Bronze series
- Monitor Audio Monitor series
- Monitor Audio Apex series
- Monitor Audio Radius series
- Monitor Audio Mass series
- Monitor Audio SoundFrame series
- Monitor Audio Custom Install series
See also
References
- ^ "Monitor Audio acquires Roksan". What Hi-Fi?, December 2016
- ^ "A Great Tour in Great Britain -- Visiting KEF, Monitor Audio, and the Unexpected". SoundStage! Hi-Fi, September 2015
- ^ "Monitor Audio’s new Bronze speaker range uses the new generation of C-CAM drivers". The Audiophile Man, July 2015
- ^ "Monitor Audio debuts All-Weather AWC architectural speakers". Inside CI, July 2016
- ^ "Monitor Audio Launches Platinum In-Wall II Speaker". CEPro Europe, April 2016
- ^ "Monitor Audio unveils new flagship Platinum Series II speaker range". What Hi-Fi?, December 2015