Avantone Mixcube 5.25" Passive Studio Monitors (Pair) Buttercream

The Avantone Mixcubes are shielded, full-range mini reference monitors. Their design is inspired by the legacy of the 5C Sound Cubes used in virtually all major studios for the last 25 years.

Engineering Objective
To build a full-range, rugged, mini-reference monitor to replace the older, aging, 5C Sound Cubes that are still in use worldwide, while offering an improved, more linear frequency response. A full year was spent studying all versions and revisions of the famous little 5C Sound Cubes. Research revealed that there were several driver versions released over the years with widely varying frequency response characteristics. Avantone chose the smoothest, most linear, full-range version of those 5C models to use as their testing benchmark. Next, they analyzed their response characteristics in an anechoic chamber and proceeded to implement design upgrades. Realizing the importance of replacing a respected "industry-standard reference monitor," they began by replicating its basic size, function and sonic character. And then they took it up a notch.

Cabinet Design
The original 5C Sound Cubes were made of 1/2" particleboard covered with a glue-on woodgrain contact paper. They chose to use thicker, denser MDF board because of its high rigidity and inherent low-resonance characteristics. Starting with a 165mm (6-1/2") sealed cube design with radiused edges, they chose an elegant polyurethane high-gloss creme finish. The originals had either screws, or on later models, plastic binding posts, mounted on a recessed plastic cup. These have been upgraded to high-end nickel-plated, machined solid metal binding posts (dual banana spacing) mounted on a black anodized, milled and silk-screened aluminum terminal plate. Next Avantone added a 7 mm thick neoprene pad embedded into the base of the cabinet to serve as a skid-resistant acoustic isolator. Additionally, for creative mounting situations, Avantone recessed an industry-standard 5/8"-27 mic stand mount into the base.

Driver Design
While the originals were a basic 5" stamped frame design, Avantone designed a new, proprietary 5.25" die-cast aluminum frame driver/cone assembly to enhance performance. The mounting bezel is then polished for an elegant appearance. The paper cone, chosen for its musical character, is custom designed and crafted using the finest New Zealand pulp with mica fibers added for lighter weight and rigidity. The cloth surround is made in Japan to exacting uniform thickness tolerances. The top plate and T-Yoke of the driver are made of Sumitomo 1008 low carbon steel to enable the highest modeled flux density in the gap. The magnets are Y-40 GRADE (MIL-SPEC) yielding a 43 oz. high power-low distortion motor structure.

Performance Objective
Studios primarily use 2-way and 3-way larger monitors designed to represent a wide range reference viewpoint at higher listening levels. However, in this newly developing age of high-definition audio, there is still a need to also hear what your mix will sound like when played back over small "bass-challenged" systems such as televisions, clock radios, computers, car stereos, iPod docking stations, etc. It is important to make mixing judgments based partially on listening to reference monitors that will not impart tonal anomalies caused by crossovers or inferior full range drivers. Particular attention is always paid to the critical mid-range vocal/guitar/keyboard areas. This is where having a full-range monitor without a crossover is truly revealing. Ten months of R&D comparative listening and tweaking went into the voicing of the Avantone Mixcubes. The result is a very smooth sounding, full-range upgrade from the original 5C Sound Cubes. Listening tests reveal that the Mixcubes have a smooth, more open, transparent top-end response with extended bass while maintaining their basic original character.

Amplification & Wiring
Recommended power rating is 50–200 watts of solid state power or 10–100 watts of tube power. It is advisable to use a high-quality studio-grade power amplifier. The metal binding posts on the rear of the speaker can accept bare wire, spade lugs, or single or dual banana plugs. It is best to use 12–16 AWG wire for runs longer than 6 feet.

Placement
When positioning the Avantone Mixcubes on stands or console bridges, it is best to keep them at ear level and slightly angled in towards the engineer. Since they are shielded, it is ok to place them near a CRT video monitor or TV without causing any problems. The bottom mic stand mounts will also allow you creative positioning options in unusual studio playback situations.