M-Audio EX66 Active Reference Monitor (200 Watts, 2x6 in.)
No longer available at zZounds
Two 6 in. custom linear-piston woofers. 1 in. titanium dome tweeter with wave guide. 37Hz -- 22kHz frequency response.
Overview
The M-Audio EX66 monitor is the culmination of years of research developing cutting-edge high-definition active reference monitor technology. Our midwoofer-tweeter-midwoofer (MTM) design yields a wide sweet spot while minimizing room reflections. The unique low-frequency drivers and custom titanium high-frequency driver deliver exceptional smoothness and transparency across the entire audio band, without resonant peaks-and the drivers are impervious to environmental conditions such as heat, humidity, and sunlight. Onboard DSP handles cabinet resonance tuning and crossover optimization to round out an incredibly accurate frequency response. Digital inputs compatible with up to 24-bit/192kHz signals and high-impedance balanced analog inputs insure that your signal path is entirely pristine. Both the specs and the sound are unrivaled at any price, let alone this value. Sold individually, the M-Audio EX66 represents a new high-resolution standard for both 2-channel and multichannel applications.
Features
MTM configuration yields wide sweet spot with reduced room reflections
Two 6 in. custom linear-piston woofers deliver high durability with exceptional definition and precision
1 in. titanium dome tweeter produces smooth transparency without high-frequency smearing
Bi-amplified with 200 watts PWM power per channel
DSP-tuned cabinets and crossovers for extremely accurate frequency response with no resonant peaks
High-impedance analog inputs (XLR and 1/4 in. TRS balanced)
S/PDIF… read more and AES/EBU digital input up to 24-bit/192kHz for total digital studio connectivity
32-bit digital signal processing
OptImage II high-frequency wave guide minimizes diffraction
Acoustic Space control optimizes low-frequency response based on room placement
Soft limiter circuit to prevent clipping
Calibrated volume control/input sensitivity control
High-frequency roll-off/boost switch
Mid-range "presence" switch (low-Q dip or peak)
Low-cutoff switch (37Hz, 80Hz, 100Hz)
Custom-designed MDF cabinet
Internal adiabatic foam absorbs standing waves and enhances low-frequency response and efficiency
Dual flange rear-port design to minimize air turbulence and associated friction noise
Dual Woofers
The M-Audio EX66 uses a midwoofer-tweeter-midwoofer (MTM) vertical array configuration to provide optimal imaging. Traditional 2-way speaker designs can cause significant early reflections from consoles, floors, and ceilings, resulting in coloration and smeared details in the audio. In the M-Audio EX66 monitor's MTM design, the interaction of the two large drivers with the tweeter serves to channel the sound into a much narrower vertical pattern, thereby eliminating many of these reflection problems. The design simultaneously provides a large, coherent horizontal radiation pattern, giving you and your colleagues a much wider sweet spot.
Unique Low-Frequency Drivers
The M-Audio EX66 woofers use our proprietary linear-piston technology to minimize driver break-up modes and inertial effects. Our drivers have exceptional intrinsic damping characteristics with absolutely no frequency response peaks or resonances in the audible band. They provide truly linear pistonic action over the entire musical spectrum, bringing all portions of each musical transient into correct alignment and revealing more of music's subtle details. As an added bonus, our drivers can withstand extreme temperatures, moisture, humidity, sunlight, and salt, so they can weather the harshest conditions without deterioration.
Titanium Tweeter
Our 1 in. tweeter sounds as smooth as it looks. Titanium is known in the aerospace industry for its high tensile-strength-to-weight ratio and its resistance to corrosion. We craft the M-Audio EX66 tweeters from titanium in order to create a stiff, yet responsive piston that moves natural resonant modes well above the 20kHz audible threshold. This allows the tweeters to reproduce every nuance of musical detail with crisp, transparent accuracy without any high-frequency energy smearing or the harshness sometimes associated with rigid high-frequency drivers. The titanium tweeter is a natural complement to the M-Audio EX66 low-frequency drivers, providing smooth, coherent reproduction over the entire audio band
Noise-Free Bass-Reflex Port
Many loudspeaker enclosures use a port to form a Helmholtz resonator to improve bass response. In some ported speakers, however, this has the side effect of audible friction noise from air moving in and out of the enclosure. Not so with the M-Audio EX66 monitors. Our engineers developed a dual-flanged rear-cabinet port to minimize the vibrations normally generated by low-frequency signals. This custom port is extremely efficient in its air transfer characteristics and is virtually noise-free. Rear placement also prevents port turbulence from interfering with the front dispersion of the midwoofers and tweeter.
Optimal Enclosure
Like the other components, the M-Audio EX66 enclosure has an important role in shaping the overall sonic response. In order to provide more stable performance, we designed an enclosure made of a special high-acoustic-efficiency medium density fiberboard (MDF), along with unique interior adiabatic foam reinforcement designed to absorb extraneous vibration, standing waves, and even extreme impact. Furthermore, our custom OptImage II waveguide on the front panel minimizes diffraction and dramatically improves stereo imaging.
DSP-Tuned Cabinets
All speaker cabinets exhibit resonant frequencies that color the timbre of the audio being reproduced. The extent to which they are mitigated is much of what allows critical listeners to distinguish between exceptional monitors and mediocre ones. The M-Audio EX66 monitors employ sophisticated on-board digital signal processing (DSP) technology to eradicate all resonances and tune the cabinet with exceptional precision. The M-Audio EX66 monitors also use DSP filters to achieve its precise and maximally flat 4th-order Linkwitz-Riley crossover for the smoothest transition between the high and low driver frequency ranges.
Superior Biamplification
The M-Audio EX66 monitors use two separate 100-watt PWM power amplifiers to drive the 4-ohm woofer combination and 4-ohm tweeter separately in an audiophile-quality bi-amp structure. The ultra-low distortion at 200 watts per channel rounds out the M-Audio EX66 monitor's profile as a truly world-class active loudspeaker monitor. read less
Features
MTM configuration yields wide sweet spot with reduced room reflections
Two 6 in. custom linear-piston woofers deliver high durability with exceptional definition and precision
1 in. titanium dome tweeter produces smooth transparency without high-frequency smearing
Bi-amplified with 200 watts PWM power per channel
DSP-tuned cabinets and crossovers for extremely accurate frequency response with no resonant peaks
High-impedance analog inputs (XLR and 1/4 in. TRS balanced)
S/PDIF… read more and AES/EBU digital input up to 24-bit/192kHz for total digital studio connectivity
32-bit digital signal processing
OptImage II high-frequency wave guide minimizes diffraction
Acoustic Space control optimizes low-frequency response based on room placement
Soft limiter circuit to prevent clipping
Calibrated volume control/input sensitivity control
High-frequency roll-off/boost switch
Mid-range "presence" switch (low-Q dip or peak)
Low-cutoff switch (37Hz, 80Hz, 100Hz)
Custom-designed MDF cabinet
Internal adiabatic foam absorbs standing waves and enhances low-frequency response and efficiency
Dual flange rear-port design to minimize air turbulence and associated friction noise
Dual Woofers
The M-Audio EX66 uses a midwoofer-tweeter-midwoofer (MTM) vertical array configuration to provide optimal imaging. Traditional 2-way speaker designs can cause significant early reflections from consoles, floors, and ceilings, resulting in coloration and smeared details in the audio. In the M-Audio EX66 monitor's MTM design, the interaction of the two large drivers with the tweeter serves to channel the sound into a much narrower vertical pattern, thereby eliminating many of these reflection problems. The design simultaneously provides a large, coherent horizontal radiation pattern, giving you and your colleagues a much wider sweet spot.
Unique Low-Frequency Drivers
The M-Audio EX66 woofers use our proprietary linear-piston technology to minimize driver break-up modes and inertial effects. Our drivers have exceptional intrinsic damping characteristics with absolutely no frequency response peaks or resonances in the audible band. They provide truly linear pistonic action over the entire musical spectrum, bringing all portions of each musical transient into correct alignment and revealing more of music's subtle details. As an added bonus, our drivers can withstand extreme temperatures, moisture, humidity, sunlight, and salt, so they can weather the harshest conditions without deterioration.
Titanium Tweeter
Our 1 in. tweeter sounds as smooth as it looks. Titanium is known in the aerospace industry for its high tensile-strength-to-weight ratio and its resistance to corrosion. We craft the M-Audio EX66 tweeters from titanium in order to create a stiff, yet responsive piston that moves natural resonant modes well above the 20kHz audible threshold. This allows the tweeters to reproduce every nuance of musical detail with crisp, transparent accuracy without any high-frequency energy smearing or the harshness sometimes associated with rigid high-frequency drivers. The titanium tweeter is a natural complement to the M-Audio EX66 low-frequency drivers, providing smooth, coherent reproduction over the entire audio band
Noise-Free Bass-Reflex Port
Many loudspeaker enclosures use a port to form a Helmholtz resonator to improve bass response. In some ported speakers, however, this has the side effect of audible friction noise from air moving in and out of the enclosure. Not so with the M-Audio EX66 monitors. Our engineers developed a dual-flanged rear-cabinet port to minimize the vibrations normally generated by low-frequency signals. This custom port is extremely efficient in its air transfer characteristics and is virtually noise-free. Rear placement also prevents port turbulence from interfering with the front dispersion of the midwoofers and tweeter.
Optimal Enclosure
Like the other components, the M-Audio EX66 enclosure has an important role in shaping the overall sonic response. In order to provide more stable performance, we designed an enclosure made of a special high-acoustic-efficiency medium density fiberboard (MDF), along with unique interior adiabatic foam reinforcement designed to absorb extraneous vibration, standing waves, and even extreme impact. Furthermore, our custom OptImage II waveguide on the front panel minimizes diffraction and dramatically improves stereo imaging.
DSP-Tuned Cabinets
All speaker cabinets exhibit resonant frequencies that color the timbre of the audio being reproduced. The extent to which they are mitigated is much of what allows critical listeners to distinguish between exceptional monitors and mediocre ones. The M-Audio EX66 monitors employ sophisticated on-board digital signal processing (DSP) technology to eradicate all resonances and tune the cabinet with exceptional precision. The M-Audio EX66 monitors also use DSP filters to achieve its precise and maximally flat 4th-order Linkwitz-Riley crossover for the smoothest transition between the high and low driver frequency ranges.
Superior Biamplification
The M-Audio EX66 monitors use two separate 100-watt PWM power amplifiers to drive the 4-ohm woofer combination and 4-ohm tweeter separately in an audiophile-quality bi-amp structure. The ultra-low distortion at 200 watts per channel rounds out the M-Audio EX66 monitor's profile as a truly world-class active loudspeaker monitor. read less
Specs
Type: MTM studio reference monitor
LF Driver: two 6 in. custom linear-piston woofers
HF Driver: 1 in. titanium dome tweeter with wave guide
Frequency Response: 37Hz -- 22kHz (-3 dB points) with passband flatness of +/-0.5dB from 50Hz -- 19kHz (near-field acoustic response)
Crossover: 2.56kHz, 4th-order Linkwitz-Riley maximally flat alignment
LF Amplifier Power: 104 watts (IHF dynamic power into 4 ohms)
HF Amplifier Power: 104 watts (IHF dynamic power into 4 ohms)
THD+N: <0.1% (@ 50 watts into 4 ohms)
Maximum SPL @ 1 meter: 109dB (115dB for a stereo pair) peak
Analog Inputs: XLR balanced (20k ohms), 1/4 in. TRS balanced (20k ohms), sampling of 24 bits at 96kHz, sigma-delta switched-capacitor type
Digital Inputs: S/PDIF -- In and Thru (75 ohms), AES/EBU (110 ohms), built-in phase lock loop (PLL) to reclock incoming bitstreams with low jitter (<250 psec p-p); S/PDIF receiver can lock to an incoming clock of up to 216kHz
Controls: Acoustic Space (full, half, quarter); Mid-Range Boost (flat, +2dB); Low Cutoff (37Hz, 80Hz, 100Hz)
Polarity: positive signal at + input produce outward LF cone displacement
Input Sensitivity: -10dBV pink noise at input yields 90dB SLP (c-weighted) @ 1 meter; variable
Protection: RF interference, output current limiting, over temperature, turn-on/off transient, subsonic filter, external mains fuse
Indicator: power on/off indicator on front panel
Power Requirements: user selectable for 100V ~50/60Hz, 115V ~50/60Hz and 230V ~50/60Hz
Cabinet: painted high acoustic efficiency MDF
Dimension: 482.6 mm (H) x 209.6 mm (W) x 241.3 mm(D); 19 in. (H) x 8.25 in. (W) x 9.5 in. (D)
Weight: 11.18 kg/monitor (without packing); 24.65 lbs/monitor (without packing)
LF Driver: two 6 in. custom linear-piston woofers
HF Driver: 1 in. titanium dome tweeter with wave guide
Frequency Response: 37Hz -- 22kHz (-3 dB points) with passband flatness of +/-0.5dB from 50Hz -- 19kHz (near-field acoustic response)
Crossover: 2.56kHz, 4th-order Linkwitz-Riley maximally flat alignment
LF Amplifier Power: 104 watts (IHF dynamic power into 4 ohms)
HF Amplifier Power: 104 watts (IHF dynamic power into 4 ohms)
THD+N: <0.1% (@ 50 watts into 4 ohms)
Maximum SPL @ 1 meter: 109dB (115dB for a stereo pair) peak
Analog Inputs: XLR balanced (20k ohms), 1/4 in. TRS balanced (20k ohms), sampling of 24 bits at 96kHz, sigma-delta switched-capacitor type
Digital Inputs: S/PDIF -- In and Thru (75 ohms), AES/EBU (110 ohms), built-in phase lock loop (PLL) to reclock incoming bitstreams with low jitter (<250 psec p-p); S/PDIF receiver can lock to an incoming clock of up to 216kHz
Controls: Acoustic Space (full, half, quarter); Mid-Range Boost (flat, +2dB); Low Cutoff (37Hz, 80Hz, 100Hz)
Polarity: positive signal at + input produce outward LF cone displacement
Input Sensitivity: -10dBV pink noise at input yields 90dB SLP (c-weighted) @ 1 meter; variable
Protection: RF interference, output current limiting, over temperature, turn-on/off transient, subsonic filter, external mains fuse
Indicator: power on/off indicator on front panel
Power Requirements: user selectable for 100V ~50/60Hz, 115V ~50/60Hz and 230V ~50/60Hz
Cabinet: painted high acoustic efficiency MDF
Dimension: 482.6 mm (H) x 209.6 mm (W) x 241.3 mm(D); 19 in. (H) x 8.25 in. (W) x 9.5 in. (D)
Weight: 11.18 kg/monitor (without packing); 24.65 lbs/monitor (without packing)
Reviews
Reviewers gave this product an overall rating of 4 out of 5 stars.
(30 ratings)
Submitted November 10, 2010 by a customer from gmail.com
"Underrated diamonds in the pack"
I plan on keeping these for many years. If I blew them up I wouldnt hesiate to buy another set. Now my mixes are as they should be.
Sound
It took me about a month to understand these monitors. It was only when I read Butch Vig used them and then went and bought some of his productions things became clear (in my mind). What I didnt understand at first was how accurate these monitors are. I had been using a set of KRK V8s and Event ASP8s for about a year and mixes werent translating well at all. With the events bass was always to light, vocals to low. With the KRKs not enough mids and a generally unbalanced mix such as vocals to low, drums to loud. Anyway when I got the EX66s the difference in sound was like night and day. Every single detail of a mix could be heard on the EX66s which I definitely wasnt used to with the KRKs and Events. That (strangely) is why it took a month for me to understand the sound of them. I was still mixing as if I were using my previous monitors. Their magic for mixing vocals. Far to often with vocals regardless of monitors you end up mixing them to low. Not so with the EX66s. You want to be able to mix instruments and vocals as you would like to hear them..Right? Of course you do, and thats exactly what you can do with the EX66s. Synth and guitar lines are wonderfully lively, full of presence...they just spring out at you in a very musical way. I make indie electronic stuff and I can honestly say that unlike… read more many other monitors I have tried these EX66s excel at both. The events were hopeless at indie guitar stuff and the KRKs were hopeless with electronica. Another really great thing with the EX66s is you can mix at very low volumes as well as loud...cool. The sound filed (sweet spot) is excellent. Theres none of that move your position by one foot and the sound goes pear shaped. Although M audio dont make a big point of it (but they should have) is these speakers have been designed with less than stellar rooms in mind which I would imagine many people have. They can sound excellent in the worst of rooms which is a big ++ point imo. Of course if your room is treated then WOW...you will really start hearing audiophile quality. I didnt have my room treated but a few months after I got these I did some work and I cannot recommend that enough for any studio regardless of your monitors. My only critique of these is the mids are a little bit loud. But there is a switch on the back which allows you to reduce the mids by -2db. Excellent. If you have them against a wall (even though their rear ported) you can set a switch to qtr sace. Theres also half space and full space depending on where you want to position your speakers. Very versatile for sure. Theres a low bass cut off from 100hz to 37. Great if your in a flat like me. I cut the 37hz button when working in the evening because the bass can go really low. I have read on some forums people saying stay clear of M audio speakers. I think they are snobs and have probably never tried them. I notice they all run in packs and recommend the same speakers over and over again. Beware of what those people are saying. Try and listen to them first, but remember their very very accurate. If Butch vig uses them to mix on you can be sure they have something cool about them. Incidentally. I was playing Justice Cross album on them the other day and wow. I hadnt listened to that album for nearly two years and I could hear exactly what was going on like i had never been able to before. I could hear the details of that heavy compression they use and could tell they were using analog compressors because the compression their using just cannot be had from plugins. Something I wasnt able to tell before.
Features
Digital inputs, jack and XLR inputs. Good chunky volume control, and a wealth of buttons to tune the sound to your room
Ease of Use
Their speakers, easy
Quality
Excellent build quality
Value
I bought mine a two years ago for 900 uk pounds which I thought was a total bargain then. Ive seen them now for around 650 a pair. A steal if you ask me. You wont get anything as detailed and accurate as these for the same money.
Manufacturer Support
havent needed any
Musical Background:
producer musician
Musical Style:
indie electronica read less
Sound
It took me about a month to understand these monitors. It was only when I read Butch Vig used them and then went and bought some of his productions things became clear (in my mind). What I didnt understand at first was how accurate these monitors are. I had been using a set of KRK V8s and Event ASP8s for about a year and mixes werent translating well at all. With the events bass was always to light, vocals to low. With the KRKs not enough mids and a generally unbalanced mix such as vocals to low, drums to loud. Anyway when I got the EX66s the difference in sound was like night and day. Every single detail of a mix could be heard on the EX66s which I definitely wasnt used to with the KRKs and Events. That (strangely) is why it took a month for me to understand the sound of them. I was still mixing as if I were using my previous monitors. Their magic for mixing vocals. Far to often with vocals regardless of monitors you end up mixing them to low. Not so with the EX66s. You want to be able to mix instruments and vocals as you would like to hear them..Right? Of course you do, and thats exactly what you can do with the EX66s. Synth and guitar lines are wonderfully lively, full of presence...they just spring out at you in a very musical way. I make indie electronic stuff and I can honestly say that unlike… read more many other monitors I have tried these EX66s excel at both. The events were hopeless at indie guitar stuff and the KRKs were hopeless with electronica. Another really great thing with the EX66s is you can mix at very low volumes as well as loud...cool. The sound filed (sweet spot) is excellent. Theres none of that move your position by one foot and the sound goes pear shaped. Although M audio dont make a big point of it (but they should have) is these speakers have been designed with less than stellar rooms in mind which I would imagine many people have. They can sound excellent in the worst of rooms which is a big ++ point imo. Of course if your room is treated then WOW...you will really start hearing audiophile quality. I didnt have my room treated but a few months after I got these I did some work and I cannot recommend that enough for any studio regardless of your monitors. My only critique of these is the mids are a little bit loud. But there is a switch on the back which allows you to reduce the mids by -2db. Excellent. If you have them against a wall (even though their rear ported) you can set a switch to qtr sace. Theres also half space and full space depending on where you want to position your speakers. Very versatile for sure. Theres a low bass cut off from 100hz to 37. Great if your in a flat like me. I cut the 37hz button when working in the evening because the bass can go really low. I have read on some forums people saying stay clear of M audio speakers. I think they are snobs and have probably never tried them. I notice they all run in packs and recommend the same speakers over and over again. Beware of what those people are saying. Try and listen to them first, but remember their very very accurate. If Butch vig uses them to mix on you can be sure they have something cool about them. Incidentally. I was playing Justice Cross album on them the other day and wow. I hadnt listened to that album for nearly two years and I could hear exactly what was going on like i had never been able to before. I could hear the details of that heavy compression they use and could tell they were using analog compressors because the compression their using just cannot be had from plugins. Something I wasnt able to tell before.
Features
Digital inputs, jack and XLR inputs. Good chunky volume control, and a wealth of buttons to tune the sound to your room
Ease of Use
Their speakers, easy
Quality
Excellent build quality
Value
I bought mine a two years ago for 900 uk pounds which I thought was a total bargain then. Ive seen them now for around 650 a pair. A steal if you ask me. You wont get anything as detailed and accurate as these for the same money.
Manufacturer Support
havent needed any
Musical Background:
producer musician
Musical Style:
indie electronica read less
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