SCOTCHTOWN, NY, USA: having closely collaborated with GRAMMY® Award-winning mix engineer Chris Lord-Alge to previously introduce its full-range, two-way passive CLA-10 as an accurate recreation of an iconic studio monitoring mainstay, subsequently followed by its active CLA-10A counterpart, affordable high-quality audio products producer Avantone Pro is proud to announce a repeat return of the ‘white cone’ classic studio reference monitor in question in appropriately-named next-generation CLA-10 Active and CLA-10 Passive configurations — CLA-10 Active replacing CLA-10A, remaining almost identical to the original bar some slight aesthetic changes; CLA-10 Passive replacing CLA-10, and adding a new TPC (Tissue Paper Control) switch so the HMF (High Mid Frequency) driver output can now be dropped by 2 dB to simulate the high-frequency dampening trick of covering the tweeters with tissue paper often deployed by those in the know when working with the original ‘white cone’ classic back in the day and beyond — as of June 18…

Closely collaborating with Platinum album-mixing specialising studio stalwart Chris Lord-Alge, Avantone Pro originally set out on a musical mission to recreate the ubiquitous ‘white cone’ classic studio monitor that has been the staple of world-class recording studios for over 45 years — the sound of hits, in other words! Since supply of aftermarket components for those vintage white-cone speakers had dwindled, Avantone Pro took it upon itself to fill the void, drawing upon its decade-plus global experience in driver construction to create near-identical reproductions of both drivers and the classic crossover that all stay true to the original specifications while meeting modern environmental standards. Saying that, then, Avantone Pro’s proprietary AV10-MHF 3.5cm soft dome HF (High Frequency) tweeter underwent rigorous engineering to arrive at the exact phenolic resin doping required to replicate the original’s performance curve while the AV10-MLF 18cm cone LF (Low Frequency) woofer — unmistakably white in its cone’s emulative execution, of course (with Avantone Pro even going as far as to closely collaborate with one of the original vendors to ensure that its stiffness and weight flawlessly match the original’s behaviour) — boasts custom-tooled mechanical parts that faithfully mirror its predecessor.

Put it this way: while that ubiquitous ‘white-cone’ classic studio monitor is not known as the world’s best for casual listening, it is instead known for being the world’s best reference for mixing. Meticulous research into the original — and an unwavering attention to sonic detail — led to it effectively being reborn for a new generation of audio purists for the first time as Avantone Pro’s CLA-10 full-range, two-way stereo pair, delivering a 60 – 20,000 Hz frequency response (accessible musical range) via an AV10-MLF and AV10-MHF mounted in a hybrid medium-density fibreboard and real wood veneer sealed cabinet design. Duly delivering the unforgiving mid-forward frequency response that lets users focus on the most mission-critical elements of their mix — vocals in particular, if a mix sounds great on a pair of CLA-10s then rest assured that it should sound great on any speaker!

Speaking of which, Avantone Pro did not simply stop at matching the original, of course, but rather made available active and passive variants of its collaborative creation, introducing unique high-frequency adjustments that are unavailable to those working with the iconic studio monitoring mainstay from which the affordable high-quality audio products producer so successfully drew its inspiration.

Indeed, today’s next-generation CLA-10 Active model — making available 240W total RMS (Root Mean Square) power handling as a full-range two-way stereo pair (120W per speaker) — features a VTPC (Variable Tissue Paper Control) knob on its back panel, allowing users to not only simulate the high- frequency dampening trick of covering the tweeters with tissue paper often deployed by those in the know when working with the original ‘white cone’ classic studio reference monitor back in the day and beyond, but also simulate anything from the original vertical ‘M’ model to the horizontal ‘Studio’ alternative and everything in between. No need, necessarily, to debate the best tissue paper to use since VTPC has it covered — to the extend of even saving money on tissue paper in the long run… unless users unfortunately find themselves suffering from constant colds! As Avantone Pro decided to stay traditional with a linear power supply, implementing a massive, old-school toroidal transformer in order to maintain the legacy sound, CLA-10 Active employs a monolithic Class AB amplifier. At low power, THD (Total Harmonic Distortion) is a phenomenal 0.005%; at rated load it is 0.1%, yielding excellent performance compared to Class D amplifiers.

True to the classics, today’s next-generation CLA-10 Passive model is, as implied by its appropriate appellation, a passive-format studio monitor that requires the use of a power amplifier — Avantone Pro recommends its own CLA- series power amps for that very purpose, of course! Taking things a step further forward from its CLA-10 predecessor, CLA-10 Passive’s newly-added TPC switch allows its HMF driver output to be dropped by 2 dB to also simulate that high-frequency dampening trick of covering the tweeters with tissue paper often deployed by those in the know when working with the original ‘white cone’ classic studio reference monitor back in the day and beyond.

Both passive and active models are clearly testament to Avantone Pro’s tenacity in continuing to refine its recreation of the ubiquitous ‘white-cone’ classic studio monitor that has been the staple of world-class recording studios for over 45 years. Yet it could well be that CLA-10 Passive and CLA-10 Active are now the world’s best reference monitors for mixing!

CLA-10 Active and CLA-10 Passive will be shipping globally in early July 2024, available at Avantone Pro’s US Dealers (avantonepro.com/en/dealers) with a MAP (Minimum Advertised Price) of $999.00 USD and $699.00 USD per pair, respectively; European SSP (Suggested Selling Price) is €1,332.00 EUR and €932.00 EUR (including VAT) per pair, respectively, with worldwide distributors listed by country here: avantonepro.com/en/distributors

For further information, please visit the dedicated CLA-Active and CLA-10 Passive webpages here:

avantonepro.com/en/products/cla-10-active

avantonepro.com/en/products/cla-10-passive 

About Avantone Pro (www.avantonepro.com)

As a producer of affordable high-quality studio monitors, reference headphones, microphones, and accessories, Avantone Pro is a different kind of audio company — a creative vehicle, in effect, enabling its core team to bring to market the things viewed as missing in the industry. Indeed, this could be anything as simple as meeting a particular price point to give excellent quality for reasonable pricing to a product that simply does not exist until built by that team. Far from using the shotgun approach to creating a product line, however, each and every product produced has passion and purpose driving it forward. Regardless of whether attracting a two- or four-figure price tag, attention to design is consistent throughout all Avantone Pro products. Performance comes first, of course, but a great deal of design time is spent creating visually attractive products. Put it this way: the company collectively enjoys classic, timeless designs itself; it is convinced, therefore, that others feel the same way! With its microphones and monitors used in studios around the world — whether within home-based project setups or world-renowned multi-million-dollar facilities, Avantone Pro is sensitive to the real-world operating budgets of bigger and smaller studios alike but also appreciates struggling songwriters/artists who are passionate about creating great music yet must adhere to budget limitations based on common sense spending. Since it strives to offer products that anyone would be proud to own and have long-term use of in the quest for creating great music, even those on a budget can comfortably access Avantone Pro’s world-class sound. 

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