NAMM 2021: Ashdown debuts near field NF-1 and NF-2 studio monitors
Bass amp brand enters monitor market with a design based on the BBC LS3/5 sealed studio monitors.
Left: NF-2, Right: NF-1 / Images: Ashdown
NAMM 2021: Ashdown Engineering, a brand best known for its bass amplifiers, has made its debut in the studio monitor market with the introduction of the near field NF-1 and NF-2.
The active monitor speakers were designed with home and project studios in mind. The NF-1 sports a five-inch SICA LF woofer and a soft dome tweeter. Meanwhile, the NF-2 has two five-inch woofers positioned on one side of a single tweeter.
Amplification is supplied by a dual 120-watt Class A/B amplifier with a subsonic filter to prevent low-frequency cone damage. There’s also an optical compressor that lowers signals sent to the woofer in the event of accidental overdrive.
One interesting facet of the monitors’ design: Ashdown has also opted for a sealed housing – found more commonly on smaller speakers – in lieu of a ported design. This should offer a tighter low-end that rolls off on the extreme lows.
Ashdown also claims that the sheep’s wool used for dampening – which it says was sourced from a particular breed – helps lower cabinet resonance by 14 per cent.
Furthermore, Ashdown states that the speakers draw influence from the BBC LS3/5 broadcast speakers. The brand added: “The sealed construction ensures that correct placement in the room is not necessary to achieve a great sound.”
Single units of the NF-1 and NF-2 are available at £999 and £1,199, respectively.
Learn more at ashdownmusic.com
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