M Audio Ex66

[non conformist]

I have been a fairly regular reader of WHF for a couple of
years now. I appreciate its accessibility vs. other mags that preach the
outrageous. Anyways, I got myself a WHF five star system about 4 years ago
consisting of the following:

Cambridge Audio 640A
Cambridge Audio 640C
Mordaunt Short Declaration 914
QED Silver Spiral interconnects
QED Silver Anniversary speaker cables (biwire)

I have to admit the system gave me years of enjoyment, much
better than computer audio, car audio and the like. I did, however, get the
upgrade bug a little while back and I wanted something significantly better. I
had heard a couple of systems available with some of my friends which I really
liked which became my reference for ‘high end’

Krell SACD Standard, 280
pre, 2250 power, Martin Logan Summits – A little dry but with beautiful
clarity, dynamics and imaging

Pass Labs amps, Sonus Faber Stradivaris – Very sweet,
instruments would hang in the air, and it had grunt when called for

Carver Amps married with Totem Forest speakers – Wow, what immediacy.
Brilliant midrange and imaging

A high end Tannoy setup at my friends studio – Sublime speed
and immediacy, very in ur face

Arcam A70, matching CDP and KEF IQ9 – Not impressed, didn’t feel
it was a worthy upgrade from the Cambridge setup

Mid Fi Marantz / KEF setup – Not impressed, no better in my
opinion than my current setup

I wanted to get the real high end deal, but without emptying
my bank. Anyways, I’ve been hearing and reading a lot about AVI ADM9’s and
other active speakers. I explored all sorts of active options including
Genelecs, JM Labs Twin 6be’s, PMC actives, ATC actives and then I came across
an American brand known as M Audio. They have recently launched an interesting
product known as the EX66. I noticed they reviewed very well in Sound on Sound
(one of the big pro magazines) and that it was priced very reasonably. I just
went ahead and got myself a pair…

Lemme just shoot some specs your way:
Built in DAC, mono pre amp and 2 x 100 watt power amps in
each speaker
36 hertz to 20+ KHZ frequency
Max SPL of 115 decibels
Built in DSP to counter cabinet resonance
Analogue volume control
Controls for adjusting treble, midrange and bass though a DSP system
2 sets of digital inputs (SPDIF and AES), 2 sets of analogue inputs (TRS and balanced)

Then I did something awful, I placed them ontop of my Mordaunt Short 914’s and wired them up with Linn Analogue interconnects connected to the digital outs on my CA CDP! At first I found the sound very open and dynamic, but very stark and jarring. I trimmed the treble 2 decibels, boosted the midrange 2 decibels, and set my bass to half space. Then they really started to sing.


Treble – extremely dynamic, very open and pleasant as long you don’t toe them in. Never sweet, but pleasant
Midrange – very alive, brilliant imaging with great depth and outstanding instrument separation without sounding clinical
Bass – Awesome! It gave me a huge amount more extension than my old setup was capable of, was much faster and much more accurate
Dynamics – Fantastic dynamics, even at very low volume. I have an SPL meter with me and have witnessed the SPL effortlessly jump up from 94 decibels to 102 decibels in my listening position which is 4m away from the speakers. That too in the 10 o clock position
Imaging – I feel its comparable to the Krell / Martin Logan setup. Brilliantly executed but not overdone
Speed – This system is lightning quick, my old system timed very badly in comparison

I’m gonna replace my Linn interconnects with a pair of proper QED digital cables and am getting myself some proper stands (probably Dynaudio). If its that good when not properly setup, I shudder to think how good it will be when properly setup.


The only niggle I have with the system is its user friendliness, the volume controls are on the back of each speaker, and each speaker has its own volume control which can be a real pain. Just one more piece of advice… Never listen to anything with high frequency junk, these speakers will severely punish you with their dynamic treble.


Just wanted to share my experiences…

[Feanor]

...

I wanted to get the real high end deal, but without emptying
my bank. Anyways, I’ve been hearing and reading a lot about AVI ADM9’s and
other active speakers. I explored all sorts of active options including
Genelecs, JM Labs Twin 6be’s, PMC actives, ATC actives and then I came across
an American brand known as M Audio. They have recently launched an interesting
product known as the EX66. I noticed they reviewed very well in Sound on Sound
(one of the big pro magazines) and that it was priced very reasonably. I just
went ahead and got myself a pair…

Lemme just shoot some specs your way:
Built in DAC, mono pre amp and 2 x 100 watt power amps in
each speaker
36 hertz to 20+ KHZ frequency
Max SPL of 115 decibels
Built in DSP to counter cabinet resonance
Analogue volume control
Controls for adjusting treble, midrange and bass though a DSP system
2 sets of digital inputs (SPDIF and AES), 2 sets of analogue inputs (TRS and balanced)
....

The only niggle I have with the system is its user friendliness, the volume controls are on the back of each speaker, and each speaker has its own volume control which can be a real pain. Just one more piece of advice… Never listen to anything with high frequency junk, these speakers will severely punish you with their dynamic treble.


Just wanted to share my experiences…

Your experience confirms why audiophiles are hesitant about studio monitor speakers -- their unforgiving nature.

EX66 accepts analog input which it then coverts to digital. Use these with the preamp outs of your amp or receiver and you overcome the ergonomic issues at the expense of an analog -to- digital conversion, (actually both a DAC and ADC in the case of a digital source such as CDP). However a 24/96 ADC should be very clean.

Anyway, welcome to AR

[non conformist]

Hi Bill,

Although the system will reveal all flaws, it has two advantages that makes all but the worst recorded music sound good; an open frequency range and open dynamic range. The worst thing you can do with compressed music is play it on something with a limited dynamic range which compresses it even further and turns it into absolute rubish.

Many of my albums that didnt sound great on my Cambridge Audio system sound much better on my new system. Bad music dosent sound good on the system, but it sounds the best it can possibly sound if you catch my drift.

I use the digital inputs as the inbuilt DAC is quite good, and has perfect synergy with the pre amp, power amps and speaker which is an advantage. Significantly better than my CA 640C player. The volume controls are analogue so you shouldn't lose any quality at low listening levels.

Analogue inputs are useful if you wish to connect multiple things to the system - eg your DVD player, your FM tuner etc. You will however have to get yourself some RCA to TRS breakout wire which is readily available on the net.

[Feanor]

Hi Bill,

Although the system will reveal all flaws, it has two advantages that makes all but the worst recorded music sound good; an open frequency range and open dynamic range. The worst thing you can do with compressed music is play it on something with a limited dynamic range which compresses it even further and turns it into absolute rubish.

...

Were I starting from scratch to build an HT set up I would give very serious consideration to active studio monitors. I think I might avoid the digital models, but I could go for, say, five or seven M-Audio BX5a Deluxe. What I like about these studio models is that their response can be tuned for room placement.

To drive the set of the BX5a's I would add a reasonable prepro unit, maybe an Emotiva MMC-1, or an Outlaw 990 which has balanced outputs.

[bobsticks]

Great review, non conformist. Glad you found a system to your liking and thanks for sharing the details.

As an aside, I suspect another reason that powered speakers have never really caught on within the community is that, until recently, there weren't a whole lot of mid-level options with which folks could get their feet wet. Really, not a lot between Meridian and computer yer kid's computer speakers. Clearly that's changing.

Gracias for the interesting read and welcome to the forum.

[non conformist]

Thanks bobsticks,

I do agree that active systems can very good in terms of sound quality and value. There are a couple of options available depending on your taste:

AVI ADM9.1: These are touted to be really good, only reason I didnt go for them was due to their lack of room tuning and the mandatory inclusion of a subwoofer for full range bass
JMLabs Twin6Be: These dont have a built in DAC or pre-amp but are similarly speficied to the M Audios and feature Berillyum tweeters which are usually found on the Megabuck Electra and Utopia ranges
Tannoy Ellipse 10iDP: These are fairly high end, but supposedly match the PMC IB1's married with Bryston amplifications for a fraction of the cost. I might end up upgrading to these in the medium term as I find them really exciting. This was really well reviewed in Sound On Sound

Word of caution though, if you seek a soft, euphonic presentation active speakers are not for you. They are very direct, they penetrate you with music in a way most passives cannot dream of if thats your thing.

Cheers...

[E-Stat]

As an aside, I suspect another reason that powered speakers have never really caught on within the community is that, until recently, there weren't a whole lot of mid-level options with which folks could get their feet wet.

And most use less than ideal plate amps that you are stuck with. Back in the 70's, I used internally tri-amped Braun LV-1020s. Nice speaker with mediocre amps. That was the first and last active studio monitor I've used, especially after discovering planars.

rw

[non conformist]

And most use less than ideal plate amps that you are stuck with. Back in the 70's, I used internally tri-amped Braun LV-1020s. Nice speaker with mediocre amps. That was the first and last active studio monitor I've used, especially after discovering planars.

rw

Hi, I suppose its what works for you that counts at the end of the day. I would welcome you to audition the new crop of actives on a separate note. I believe DAC, amplifier and speaker cone technology has progressed greatly in recent times. Are planars electrostatic? I have heard a Krell SACD Standard / 280P / KAV 2250 / Martin Logan Summit system and subjectively feel that the imaging is roughly in the same ballpark.

I will have a friend of mine visit me in the next few days who used to have a Quad ESL setup in his house. Would be interesting to get his views. Active presentations certainly arent gentle or euphonic, and probably suit certain forms of music more than others. Well designed monitors are extremely direct and immersive. They tend to be more aggressively voiced than their domestic cousins.

[non conformist]

Hi Feanor,

I completely agree that room tuning can make a huge difference. I have an SPL meter handy and worked out a response curve at high SPL levels using a test CD that came with the monitors. I found that the monitors 'flat response' wasnt flat at all in my listening room, probably due to the contributions made by my room. I dont live in an anechoic chamber you know

I was able to adjust the monitors to give me a flat response almost to +- 3 decibels at listening position (4.2 meters away from the speakers) which made a big difference to the sound.

Many audiophiles look at this feature with disdain, my argument is that minor changes in tonality caused by your DSP adjustments are a lot better than major changes caused by your listening room.

[non conformist]

Hi, below are some images

[non conformist]

Hi, just to show you guys what a huge difference room tuning makes, I put together my own frequency response chart with my SPL meter and a test CD that came with the system. The measurements are in listening position 4.2 meters away in a huge listening room with lost of furniture.

I figure I can iron out the bass anomalies by placing the speakers 1m from the back wall and 3m apart to form a perfect equilateral triangle. Cheers,

[non conformist]

I was listening to Bon Jovi the other day. I was listening to Everyday which I discovered to be quite a well recorded track...

A huge soundstage opened up 2 ft to the left and right of the speakers, 6 ft infront and 1 foot behind. One guitarist was just behind my left speaker, Bon Jovi cut in left center, bout 4 ft infront of the speakers. Drummer was center right. The track was extremely dynamic with Bon Jovi singing his heart out, the guitar screeching away with fury,

Sting was very different on his live recording of 'Roxanne'. Dynamics were realistic, not enormous like Bon Jovi. You could hear every breath, every clap, every instrument with crystal clarity. Sting was alive and present in the room

[Feanor]

I was listening to Bon Jovi the other day. I was listening to Everyday which I discovered to be quite a well recorded track...

A huge soundstage opened up 2 ft to the left and right of the speakers, 6 ft infront and 1 foot behind. One guitarist was just behind my left speaker, Bon Jovi cut in left center, bout 4 ft infront of the speakers. Drummer was center right. The track was extremely dynamic with Bon Jovi singing his heart out, the guitar screeching away with fury,

Sting was very different on his live recording of 'Roxanne'. Dynamics were realistic, not enormous like Bon Jovi. You could hear every breath, every clap, every instrument with crystal clarity. Sting was alive and present in the room

Studio monitors in general are noted for dynamics and detail -- and most such as the EX66 have room placement adjustments which is potentiall huge advantage.

You are right, of course, that purists don't like notion of equalization. But objectively, active crossovers and multi-amplification make equalization
more effective and less likely to affect the sound adversely.

I'll stick with my suggestion that a set of better designed active studio monitors would be a great HT solution. Room placement can be a big problem in a 5.1 or 7.1 set up and room adjustment at the speaker would often be optimal.

[non conformist]

Thanks Feanor, best of luck with your HT setup