Equator monitors? (D8)

[simoncastic]

Hey all,

I'm on a monitor hunt for a new space (primary nearfields) and have been eyeing off the Equator D8s, but I've never actually heard them... has anyone got any experience with them? I remember hearing a pair of Tannoy dual concentrics that I loved, but know nothing of Equator.

Are these the new high-end for budget price monitors or just another trend?

[jkhuri44]

well, just from looking at these...they are coaxial...which is nice....if audio liked being blocked by solid objects....
since it's not , i believe the idea is sort of flawed from the start....
i understand JBL and Altec have their coaxial style monitors before anyone jumps in, but really those are older designs....

If the car audio world separates drivers for better quality, i do not understand how coaxials can be considered for pro audio, and would definitely steer away from the hype....

havent heard them, but i wouldnt even bother..

also, not sure how you can have a budget hi end....its either budget, or high end

my 2c.

[Linear]

well, just from looking at these...they are coaxial...which is nice....if audio liked being blocked by solid objects....
since it's not , i believe the idea is sort of flawed from the start....
i understand JBL and Altec have their coaxial style monitors before anyone jumps in, but really those are older designs....
my 2c.

I don't reckon it's a flawed idea - in fact a concentric design is a particularly good idea when done properly.

I reckon John Dunlavy had a bee in his bonnet when it came to phasing issues caused by offset drivers. When you look at Duntech speakers you can see how much effort he went to in trying to reduce the blurry image.

Concentric speakers (or coaxial as they put it) are really tricky to build, sticking the tweeter inside the woofer is never going to be easy.

Haven't heard these speakers but it would be worth a listen at least.

Chris

[jkhuri44]

its trying to do what a full ranger well, with compromises.
The flattest sound from a driver comes on axis, and when that's covered up with tweeter, anything below the crossover point is going to be rolled off generally on angles other than on axis...

[Alastair Reynolds]

If they sound good then that should be the starting point.I find Tannoys to be an excellent monitor when properly matched to an amplifier.That also applies to JBL,Altec,B&W or Klipsch.
A pair of Altec 604 s driven by Quad or Leak valve amps still sound stunning.The same goes for Tannoy HPD 385 drivers, both great co-axial speakers as are many that evolved from those designs.
For near fields,I still go back to Rogers LS3/5A.Midfield,Tannoy AMS 8 active .
Amplifier choice is also very important.
If a speaker has high mechanical damping then an amp with lower damping factor can match better in some cases.
A driver with low mechanical damping is often better suited to high damping factor amp,e.g. Bryston.
Class D amps and MOSFETs, while efficient and great in PAs always seem to be a bit harsh in the top end.

I'll be interested to hear opinions on the Equators.

My 2c worth.

[The Mill]

I had a listen to them a while back at a trade show Al, so it wasn't exactly the best listening environment to form a judgement about them. They seemed pretty good, but I'd urge you to get a pair over to your place. It's the only way to make an informed decision really.

What else have you been looking at?

[The Mill]

I've had dual-concentric Tannoys in the past, which sounded fine... very useable.

These days I mainly use Event Opals (amongst others), but they're a different beast to the D8s.

Just get whatever you think sounds great in your space , and don't worry about whether they're fashionable or not.

Budget is a major issue, yeah?

[Paul Maybury]

I would really like to hear some of these new dual concentric designs.
I am a big fan of Tannoys, and an evangelical nut case about Altec 604's. Even Fostex used to make a very capable dual concentric.
I recently finished building and installing brand new GPA/Altec 604 8H III's in Altec 620 cabinets as my main monitors. After a long break in, they are now the most immersive, detailed, distortion free, image perfect, non fatiguing speakers I have EVER heard. Very cost effective too. They have improved my work immensely.
Not bad for an "older" design. 70 years old in fact.
Cheers,
Paul