022 UK Monitor Audio celebrates its 50th anniversary and launches the concept speaker Concept 50 and the limited edition Silver 100 7G. I originally thought that I could see the Concept 50 with a very special design at the TAA Audio Show in August. Unfortunately, Monitor Audio has not been shipped yet, but I saw the Cinergy series speakers expected to be launched in September. So after the audio show, I invited the Cinergy 300 back to the editorial department.
Two channels and multi-channel universal
For Monitor Audio, Cinergy is a brand new series of speakers, with four models in total, from large to small, namely Cinergy 300, Cinergy 200 and Cinergy 100, plus a subwoofer Sub15, its common feature is that it has a thin speaker, which may be less than 1/3 of the depth of traditional home speakers, which is convenient to be installed on the wall and build a multi-channel system in a space-saving way. However, Monitor Audio also helps Cinergy 300 and Cinergy 200 The base is designed so that the speaker can be used independently as a two-channel floor-standing speaker. Its series name is Cinergy, which represents Cinema and Energy, and the English pronunciation is similar to Synergy, which means that both channels and multiple channels can be used for use, with high overall benefits.
Currently, the unique speaker product on the market
When I first saw the Cinergy 300 at the audio exhibition, the ultra-thin speaker box and special mid-treble unit modules. If we look at the aesthetics of traditional home speakers, the Cinergy 300 feels less luxurious elements, but from a practical perspective, the Cinergy series can be said to have created a new elastic application design, and similar products are not seen on the market at all.
Because Cinergy 300 can be used in three ways: it can be embedded in the wall and can be fixed on the wall. It can also be used as a traditional floor-standing speaker. It can also be moved according to the installation space requirements, and the angle and position of the mid-treble module can be placed upright or horizontally, greatly improving the space adaptability of Cinergy 300. In addition, the Cinergy series box design can construct sound walls, hidden behind the sound-transparent screen, making it more flexible to install.
Independent mid-treble module can be exchanged with the bass module
sent to the Cinergy 300 in the editorial department. The mid-treble module is placed above, and the lower part is a dual 8-inch bass unit. The bass is also modularly designed, with an octagonal fixed baffle around the unit, which can be interchanged with each other.
If you sit in a low listening position, for example, on the sofa, you feel that the sound field is floating in mid-air, you can move the mid-tree module to the center, or you want to use the Cinergy 300 as the central channel. The mid-tree module moved to the center can also rotate 90 degrees, which meets the needs of the central channel application. However, if you want to turn the Cinergy 300 into the central channel, it may feel a bit strange. Because there is a bit more at the bottom, it may be more suitable to use the Cinergy 200 and look more symmetrical.
modular mid-tree and bass unit design can be freely changed. It can be said that the Cinergy series is characterized by the multi-channel and two-channel. It can be embedded in walls and can be hung on walls, greatly saving valuable home space. Monitor Audio is also thoughtful and comes with isolation and fixing feet. Whether it is embedded in walls or walls, it can avoid the resonance of the speaker and the wall. This accessory is very important. Monitor Audio's audio engineers have long known that if the powerful Cinergy does not have a good vibration suppression treatment, the walls will definitely buzz. Therefore, a dedicated 3-layer silicone isolation pad is designed for the speakers, paired with L The type isolation frame is equipped with a single point of a sharp cone to avoid vibration, and uses both soft and hard to prevent the Cinergy 300 from dancing with the wall. Oh, it’s wrong, it’s not resonant. How effective is it, the original data is to reduce resonance noise by 18 dB.
unit compared with high-end Platinum
In terms of unit selection, Cinergy 300 can be said to be upward, almost compared with the high-end Platinum series. If the price is compared, Cinergy's technical content is absolutely worth the value.In terms of mid-treble units, the treble is Monitor Audio's exclusive MPD aerodynamic treble, paired with dual 2.5-inch RDT II mid-ranges, plus dual 8-inch RDT II woofers, which uses dual mid-ranges and dual bass units, which can enhance the power bearing capacity of the Cinergy 300 and improve the efficiency of the speaker, while reducing the impact of ceiling and floor reflective sounds.
uses metal diaphragm units, which is a technical feature of Monitor Audio since the 1970s. The metal diaphragm has high hardness, so the frequency response is superior, and the extension of both ends is better. However, the metal diaphragm is afraid of ring vibration, and it surpasses a certain frequency working point. Because the basin splitting produces resonance distortion, it may become sharp and harsh. In order to make the metal diaphragm unit better, Monitor Audio has spent more than 40 years continuously researching and developing. Many technological breakthroughs can be seen from the company's development history. The important one is to add damping to the metal diaphragm to avoid ring vibration.
In terms of the woofer, RDT II uses Monitor Audio's famous C-CAM ceramic coated aluminum-magnesium alloy, which has ultra-high hardness, paired with a sandwich structure, and the Nomax material with a central bonded honeycomb structure, as a damping, and maintains extremely light mass for the diaphragm of the woofer. As for the MPD aerodynamic treble used in treble, it is a high-quality treble unit with a large sound area and strong energy in theory. It is used in the high-end Gold and Platinum series. As for why it cannot be delegated technology, the reason is very simple. MPD aerodynamic treble is difficult to make and has high cost, so it is naturally difficult to use in mid-level and entry-level products. However, the Cinergy series is positioned in the mid-to-high-end, so it can afford MPD aerodynamic treble.
passed THX Ultra certification
The last feature of Cinergy 300 is to pass THX certification, and it is THX Ultra. In fact, it is not only Cinergy 300, but all four speakers in the entire series have passed THX Ultra certification. Is this certification difficult? Not simple, THX certification is currently divided into four levels, namely Compact, Select, Ultra and Dominos. The difference is the size of the listening space. Compact represents a space of 7.5 square meters and 2.4 meters high, Select is 17 square meters and 3 meters high, Ultra is 26 square meters high, and Dominos is 56 square meters high, and 6 meters high. THX will measure the frequency response, output sound pressure, distortion rate, vertical and horizontal diffusion angles of the audio equipment. The certified equipment can reproduce high-level multi-channel sound effects in the corresponding listening space.
THX Ultra authentication is difficult? It is very difficult because it needs to be a large space of 26 square meters and a height of 3.6 meters. This is a considerable space volume. It must reach the reference sound pressure of THX and cannot produce audible distortion. Whether it is a speaker or an amplifier, it is a strict test. Currently, there are only 56 speakers certified by THX Ultra, and Monitor Audio accounts for 4, which is the full series of Cinergy speakers.
Of course, there are not many speakers certified by THX Ultra, which does not mean that the speakers without certification cannot reach the level of THX Ultra. It’s just that people have not sent the speakers to THX paid certification, and there is no way to prove it. Monitor Audio does this to get third-party fair units to authenticate, telling you that Monitor Audio is not boasting about itself, but has passed THX Ultra high standard certification.
Space-saving practical design
Although it talks about the characteristics of Cinergy 300 in multi-channel applications and the great achievements of THX Ultra certification, I use Cinergy 300 as a two-channel. After all, U-Audio focuses on two-channel speakers, and listening to music is what we care about. The Cinergy 300 with the base is a floor-standing speaker. It has a dark appearance and a professional atmosphere, which lacks the home leisure style.
But if you hide Cinergy 300 in the wall or use it on the wall, the space-saving usage is quite practical. To avoid low-frequency standing wave interference caused by wall mounting or wall mounting, the Cinergy 300's bass reflector hole is placed in front.
can also show a wide sound field without Toe-in
When I was listening to Cinergy 300 in the U-Audio editorial department, I used the traditional speaker placement method to keep the speaker away from the back wall. The listening position is about triangle to the Cinergy 300, the distance between the speakers is about 2 meters, and the listening position is about 2.5 meters.When I first heard it, I used to pointing the speaker Toe-in to the speaker unit at the ear, but I found that the aerodynamic 300's aerodynamic treble has good sound wave diffusivity, but instead, the speaker is straightened and the sound field space is wider, so I finally chose not to place it.
I have prepared two sets of amplifiers for the Cinergy 300, one is the EAR 868P pre-level and the 509MK II post-level, and the other is the Linear Acoustic LA-V120 comprehensive amplifier. As I said in the title, the Cinergy 300 has the characteristics of direct and hidden sound, so using the EAR of vacuum tube , it sounds softer tone, while the LA-V120 with crystal is more powerful. If the low-frequency impact force and instantaneous reaction are compared, the LA-V120 is more direct and fast, so finally, the LA-V120 is paired with the LA-V120. This does not mean that the Cinergy 300 is not suitable for vacuum tube machines, but it must exert the fast, transparent and real and hidden performance of the Cinergy 300, and the crystal machine may be more odor-friendly.
There is another thing to note when using Cinergy 300, that is, the speaker cable, its speaker terminal is hidden in the recessed part of the back panel. If you want to embed or use it on the wall, the speaker terminal will not protrude, causing it to be inconsistent with the wall. The speaker terminal can only be connected with bare wire, and cannot be used with a banana plug or Y plug. Therefore, I use a speaker cable made by the agent, and it is a Bi-wire dual-wire connection.
approaches monitor speaker neutral performance
In terms of the personality of sound, Cinergy 300 has the taste of monitor speakers, the tone tends to be neutral, presents the original appearance of recording, and the low frequency reaction speed is very fast, and it will not drag on the mud. People who like to live and jump to low frequency, Cinergy 300 should be your dish.
is like the album "Free" by the electric bassist Marcus Miller. "Blast" starts from the fancy solo of electric bass . Cinergy 300 presents the particles from weak to strong electric bass, clearly and quickly. After the percussion is added, the lower plate is heavy and heavy, but the rhythm is bright and cheerful. The electric bass slapped the thumb with his right hand and the back-beater brings out a strong Funky flavor.
Listen to this recording, you can also notice the phase reversal added by the recording effect, so that the sound of the electric bass will be circled between the left and right channels at the turning point. The Cinergy 300 performs well in this part, which means that the time phase of the speaker is done very accurately. So if the effect of Flanger is around, I can hear it very clearly. Only then will I say that the Cinergy 300 has the flavor of monitoring speakers. "Blast" adds many effects to the electric bass, which also has the open percussion changes in the backcourt, and uses the left and right displacement of the stereo to make the electric bass solo album add the fun brought by the mixing effect.
sound field positioning is very accurate
Accurate sound personality, and it is also very interesting to listen to cross-border classical, such as "Across The Stars" co-starring Mutter and John Williams. I often listen to "Rey's Theme" in "Star Wars: The Force Awakens", but this time I changed another song, "The Duel" in the movie "The Adventures of Tintin". The Cinergy 300's clean and fast musical appearance makes the soundtrack of the movie duel scene lively and interesting. The music starts with the sharp sound of the string group, accompanied by the rumbling of the sudden drop of the percussion instrument , Then the protagonist represented by violin appeared on the stage. The fast theme and the orchestra's compact rhythm brought out the duel scene. The violin was the protagonist, and took turns to show off the orchestra's various parts. The brass group quickly urged and advanced step by step towards the protagonist's violin. The strange sound of the violin during the showdown, the orchestra group urgently echoed, and Cinergy 300 used a wide sound field to fight against the condensed violin and the huge orchestra.I usually rarely use this song in comments because when encountering speakers with insufficient reaction speed, the low frequency band is not clean and fast enough, the lower frequency band will appear too thick and blurry, but on the Cinergy 300 it is so transparent, clean and fast. And what is important is that the sound of the solo violin still has the appropriate moisture. Even in the fierce duel scene, the violin deliberately creates a weird and sharp sound. The Cinergy 300 still has the appropriate thickness of the mid frequency band, which makes the top violin present the tension of the music, but it still sounds comfortable and pleasing. The MPD of the new generation Monitor Audio The aerodynamic treble is indeed powerful, and it can present a beautiful violin luster and ending extension, but it will not make the violin sound overly stimulating.
Listen to the live recording with a strong sense of realism
I also want to mention John Mayer's live recording album "Where The Light Is". Cinergy 300 has strong live recording and restoration ability, and it is very real. There is no too much modification of tone, and the listening feeling is very direct, such as cover Tom Petty's "Free Falling". Amid the cheers of the audience, the acoustic guitar begins, John Mayer plays and sings himself, and there is another electric guitar behind it to help play the decorative sound. John Mayer sings "She's a Good Girl…”, the audience cheers responded from the depths of the sound field and quickly faded to make John Mayer sing well.
Sing the chorus "Free Falling, I Free Falling...", Cinergy 300 shows a good sense of harmony layering, stacking out the thickness of the singing. John Mayer's guitar in his hand not only brushes the chords fiercely, but also busy adding a lot of decorative sounds to show that he is a "guitar hero". This song does not test bandwidth, but it tests the sense of layering and liveness. Cinergy 300 plays a very competent role, without rendering too much, but presents direct and enthusiastic live recordings.
I also want to mention John Mayer's live recording album "Where The Light Is". The Cinergy 300 has strong live recording and restoration ability, and it is very real. It does not have too much tone modification, and the listening feeling is very direct, such as the cover of Tom Petty's "Free Falling". Amid the cheers of the audience, the acoustic guitar begins, John Mayer plays and sings himself, and there is another electric guitar behind him to help play the decorative sound. John Mayer sings "She's a Good Girl...", and the cheers of the audience respond from the depths of the sound field and quickly disappear, allowing John Mayer to sing well.
sang the chorus "Free Falling, I Free Falling...", and the Cinergy 300 shows a good sense of harmony layering, stacking the thickness of the singing. John Mayer's guitar not only brushes the chords fiercely, but also busy adding a lot of decorative sounds to show that he is a hero of the guitar. This song does not test bandwidth, but it tests the sense of layering and liveness. Cinergy 300 plays a very competent role, without rendering too much, but presents direct and enthusiastic live recordings.
High tone discernment
Listen to the live recordings very realistically. What if it is a studio work? Cinergy 300 is good at presenting the recording appearance. Not only do you listen to good music, but you can also hear many studio effects, such as " Like Your Gentle " sung by Eggplant Egg . The finger-playing prelude of the acoustic guitar, the notes are clear, like the guitar plucking that is about to jump out. I believe that the moderate compression is added to make the notes more jumping and clearer. The lead singer A Bin's solo singing voice is condensed in the center of the sound field, singing the familiar folk song melody, and then the electric guitar is added and replaced with the adapted version of Eggplant Egg. A Bin's singing voice is still jumping in front, and the band is behind, but the electric bass is condensed in the center of the sound field. The full voice has the motivation to move the melody forward. Cinergy 300 vividly displays the layering of the recording.
is like Lu Guangzhong "100 Life" album. Listen to "I Want to Squander", the recording effect is to render the appearance of listening close. Cinergy 300 presents this very close musical intimacy, and the feeling of Lu Guangzhong playing and singing by himself. It is as real as he sits in front of him and plays it. The singing and guitar sound very direct and very close. After entering the chorus, the electric bass and the keyboard are added, and the sound field is expanded, especially the electric bass, which dominates the progress of the music. Accompanied by Lu Guangzhong's singing, the guitar's tone is crisp and direct.
I can't help but wonder if Lu Guangzhong used Taylor travel guitar to record it. Using Cinergy 300 sounded like a guitar of a small body, with less resonance, but the notes sounded very direct. The climax of the music sang "Who Will Save Me", listened to Lu Guangzhong's high notes, and then returned to the main rhythm. The electric bass and jazz drum were more full, and the harmony of the vocals produced a wider sound field. The decorative sound of the electric guitar, in the last main rhythm, the richer arrangement made the scene lively.
is a neutral and accurate person's heart. During this period of time when I was with Cinergy 300, I think this is a speaker that has a clear market segment. In order to make the Cinergy series common to two channels and multiple channels, Monitor Audio allows Cinergy 300 to be as clean, direct and fast as possible, with a monitor speaker style, and does not make much modification of tone. Even if I only use two channels to listen, Cinergy 300 allows me to hear rich recording details. More importantly, I can enjoy the layering of multi-track recording. Cinergy 300 Using accurate sound appearance allows me to discover more of the fun contained in the recording. This neutral and accurate sound personality is actually easy for consumers to choose. If you like the rich and simple feeling of old BBC speakers, the Cinergy 300 is not your dish, but if you want to listen to the original appearance of the recording and identify the quality of the recording, then the Cinergy 300 that takes the precise route is worth enjoying.
Monitor Audio Cinergy 300 floor speaker
Type: 3 frequency division 5 units Bass reflective floor speaker
Unit: MPD Treble x 1, 2.5 inch RDT II midrange x 2, 8 inch RDT II bass x 2
Frequency response: 38 Hz~30 KHz
Efficiency: 90 dB
Maximum sound pressure: 122 dB
Average Impedance :4 Ohm
Suggested amplifier power: 200~1,400W
Size: 1080 x 300 x 240 mm (HxWxD)
Weight: 40.4 kg
Author: Guo Hancheng
