An impressive new activenearfield from the companythat invented 20/20 sound,concludes ANDY STEWART.Like my Quested VS2108As, the Event Opals don’t tryand defy the laws of physics by attempting to wring ahuge sound out of a small cabinet. The enclosures areextremely well constructed from heavy-grade injectionmouldedaluminium (their overall weight is over 21kg).The curved cabinet design, like many modern nearfields, isconstructed to minimise diffraction and internal cabinetresonances, with the added bonus of providing extra rigidityand strength, and therefore clarity. The patented frontfacingslotted bass reflex ports unusually wrap themselvesdown each side of the cabinet, looking like goal poststhrough a fish-eye lens.The engine is a Class AB all-analogue amplifier design,providing 750 watts of peak power. On the frontpanel, hidden beneath a removable rubber lid,lies an array of rotary stepped controls. On thefar left is a five-position stepped level control.The next dial along is a three-position ‘Space’control, which provides bass compensation forspeakers should they be positioned in a half space(against a wall) or a quarter space (in a corner).The next three controls relate to the ‘Q’, frequencyand cut (labelled ‘depth’) of a bass EQ filter thatworks (again in steps) between 40 and 280Hz.The next two controls are also five-positionswitches that manipulate the high and lowshelving filters up and down at 5kHz and 200Hz.The final switch controls the intensity of theilluminated ‘Event’ logo on the front panel.apparent ease. Its sharp external outer edge makes thedriver look every bit as tough as the material from whichit’s constructed, and the overall package seems bulletproofand ready for action, even if the aesthetic seemsalmost too aggressive to my eye.The ULD1 high-frequency driver is made up of a oneinchberyllium copper dome, which emits low-distortiontop-end out past 22kHz, again partly due to its extremestrength and rigidity. This super-lightweight highfrequencymetal driver offers a fidelity and dynamicresponse that’s not for the feint of heart.In UseI’ve done a lot of listening to the Opals in recentweeks and to cut to the chase, they’re one of the mostrevealing two-way reference speakers I’ve ever heard.They bring out the brutal details with finesse, andtheir tonal balance is excellent and their bottom-endextension very impressive.The stereo image presented by these powerfulspeakers creates the perfect illusion: the monitorsthemselves seem to vanish from view, leavingyou with nothing but a big, glorious soundstage inwhich to work. Very few speakers have ever trickedmy brain to this extent before. In the dark, andwith the Opals’ backlit ‘Event’ logos switched off,it’s as if the whole control room is the speaker.They don’t just make you look left and right, butsomehow up and down, near and far as well.EVENT OPALNearfield MonitorTHE REVIEWERANDY STEWART is a regularreviewer for <strong>Audio</strong> Technologymagazine.It's In The DetailThere’s another particular detail I’d like to mention here:when the speakers are first switched on, they enter aself-diagnostic mode (evidenced by a solid white glowfrom an LED on the front right-hand side of each cabinet).This mode lasts for around 22 seconds all up –just long enough to have you reaching forthe volume control as you puzzle over thelack of any meaningful signal. I made thismistake on day one… and by the time thespeakers finally kicked into life I’d crankedmy Neve’s monitor pot. The resultingsound was that of a freight train crashingthrough the front wall of the studio. I onlymade this mistake once.The large waveguide surrounding thehigh-frequency driver is also rotatable(after removing four screws), whichallows the speakers to be placed ontheir side. The speakers come suppliedwith rubberised feet that sit underneaththe monitors equally well in eitherposition and even the backlit Event logois rotatable. Finally, they have a sturdyhandle on the top rear of the speaker tohelp with lifting duties.The main eight-inch driver canproduce a raw signal that stretchesfrom an impressively low 30Hz to a high10kHz, with its published 1000W powerhandling not something I was really prepared to testthe boundaries of.The cone itself is made from a lightweight long-strandcarbon fibre composite that’s incredibly stiff to the touchand very resistant to physical distortion, as it pushesa broad range of frequencies out into the world withThe placement of sounds inside this three-dimensionalspace is quite incredible; asymmetrical reverbs staylocalised to where they’ve been panned, acousticinstruments draw you to their position with startlingresolve, and the air around individual elements canbe heard breathing, rising, and falling with the music.Upright pianos reveal their imperfections and tuningissues, vocal edits demand greater scrutiny, and kickdrums sound like they’re being played right betweenthe monitors.Making Light WorkThe Opals also make light work of big dynamics.This is one of their great strengths, in fact. Most studiomonitors do a reasonable job of playing masteredCDs, but many come up short during the setting upof a kick drum’s signal chain, for instance. Here, theOpals shine, handling a typical tracking session withnonchalant ease. ∫...................................INFORMATION£ GB£2,172.18 per pair (exc.VAT)A Event Electronics, AustraliaT +61 2 9648 5855W www.event1.comA UK Distributors: Source Distribution, Unit 6, PembrokeBuildings, Cumberland Business Estate, London, NW106RET +44 (0) 208 962 5080W www.sourcedistribution.co.uk20AUDIO MEDIA JULY 2009
Lexicon Reinvents ReverbThe PCM96 Stereo Reverb/Effects Procesor - 28 new and legendaryLexicon reverbs and effects delivered by powerful hardware processors,controlled and automated by your DAW.What The Press Say“This is an impressive-sounding, and impressively flexiblereverb machine...Overall, I found that the operating experiencewas just like having the best reverb plug-in in the world.”Sound On Sound“The PCM96 offers the ease of plug-in integration but a soundthat’s leagues above what any software-based reverb can deliver... a sound that flatters almost anything passing through it.”MusicTech“The classic bloom of the reverb that comes from every algorithmis quite definitely amazing and something to behold if you’venever used a high end reverb before.”<strong>Audio</strong> <strong>Media</strong>Get the full story at www.lexiconpro.comand www.soundtech.co.uk/lexiconTECHNOLOGYDistributed in the UK and Eire by Sound Technology Ltd | 01462 480000 | www.soundtech.co.ukA Harman International Company
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