However, if you insist on crimping your cochlea, the C50A, in particular, will cheerfully supply a suitably hazardous volume at close range. That said, in general, these kinds of speakers aren't designed to sound particularly pleasant cranked up, and both Behritones give out more volume than I can ever imagine myself using in a nearfield situation. Interestingly, the C5A lit its clip LED at an input level about 5dB lower than the C50A, and (less surprisingly given their amplifier Wattages) both Behritones were distorting audibly well before my Avantone was showing any signs of strain. Both units are magnetically shielded and follow Avantone's lead in providing rubber non-slip matting on the underside of the speaker, with a 5/8-inch threaded socket (and 3/8-inch adaptor) for stand-mounting purposes.Ī front-panel LED lights blue during normal use, and reddens to indicate input clipping. The two back panels are essentially identical, featuring XLR, TRS and RCA phono inputs for balanced/unbalanced input signals, as well as a small ☖dB trim control. Each speaker has its own Class-D amp, rated at 30W (RMS). Both cabinets are 5cm longer than their cube-shaped muses, the extra depth accommodating a separate sealed amplifier/PSU compartment at the rear. Now, however, Behringer have also decided to target this market niche with their two new Behritone speakers, the C5A and the C50A, promising similar functionality at a fraction of the cost.Ĭosmetically, the wood-finished C5A and glossy black C50A offer the sincerest form of flattery to the Auratone 5C and MixCube Active, respectively, and appear to be voiced accordingly, with the C5A being more restricted in the frequency domain. I explain many of the merits of such speakers in my review of the Active MixCube in SOS June 2010: /sos/jun10/articles/mixcubeactives.htm. For the latest generation of mix engineers, Avantone Pro's current homage to that single-driver, closed-box design, the MixCube, provides an excellent modern substitute. for comparison and final mixes, auditioning, remotes, and reference standard speakers.Behringer's take on the classic Auratones won't break the bank - but will they help you make those crucial mix-balancing decisions?Īlthough long discontinued, the Auratone 5C Super Sound Cube still has a well-deserved reputation as an exceptional mix-balancing tool. The 5C, which became famous in the 1970’s and 80’s and has been used in virtually every major recording studio worldwide, is still the undisputed industry standard for “real world” referencing in the recording studio.ĭurability, flat full-range response, amazing power handling and portability have made AURATONES the Recording, Broadcasting, and Motion Picture industries favorite “mixdown monitors.”. The cabinet is built with black laminate surround, black laminate front and back, and quality craftsmanship here in their Nashville shop. All components of the driver are made of the highest quality materials here in the United States. Today, Jack’s grandson has decided to take up the Auratone banner again, finding modern manufacturing techniques and new sources to have just what was needed to create the classic sound again.Īfter lengthy testing and re-manufacturing their driver, Auratone finally were able to achieve the purest sound equaling the sound of the original 5C Super Sound Cube. When they ceased manufacturing, a hole was left in the market that some have tried, but none have been able to fill. There was always something about Auratone speakers that made them easy to listen to, mix on, and made them translate to just about any small radio or TV speaker on the planet. There is a reason why the Auratone 5C Super Sound Cube is a 2016 inductee into the TECnology Hall of Fame!
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