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M-AUDIO ANNOUNCES IMMEDIATE AVAILABILITY OF NEW M3-8 Black ThREE-Way Active Reference Monitor

Tri-amplified 220-watt 3-way reference speaker gives recording engineers a precision studio monitor of unexcelled performance, suitable for the most critical and demanding requirements

M-Audio, synonymous with innovative music production technology, is pleased to announce the immediate availability of their M3-8 Black three-way active studio monitors. Building on the success of the original M3-8 monitors, the new M3-8 Black offers the same superlative performance and flexible connection and control capability as the original wood-veneered version, but it now comes in a striking matte black textured finish with soft-touch black baffle, creating a beautiful-looking speaker that is perfectly at home in today’s contemporary environments.

3-Way Design

The M3-8 Black uses a custom high-quality midrange driver specifically intended to cover the critical middle frequencies. Most of the everyday sounds we hear—voices, instruments like saxophone and guitar, naturally-occurring sounds like handclaps and footsteps—are midrange frequencies. Having a driver specifically dedicated to their reproduction maximizes clarity and detail, ideal for recording situations requiring exceptional intelligibility and tonal accuracy.

The midrange and tweeter are mounted in line with each other (the tweeter is mounted at the apex of the midrange) at precisely the same point in space. Doing so means the sound of the two drivers integrates perfectly, without the audibly-distracting time/arrival distortion of conventional widely-spaced drive units. Instead, the M3-8’s in-line driver design propagates its output in a seamless, uninterrupted time envelope, markedly improving definition and clarity.

The in-line midrange/tweeter array also means that the speaker’s cabinet is no larger than that of a conventional 2-way speaker.

The woofers and midrange are made of Kevlar®. This is an ideal driver diaphragm material: extremely strong, stiff and light (it’s even used in military body armor). It provides an incredibly fast transient attack, excellent sensitivity and great resistance to cone flexing and resonant breakup at high power levels.

The dome tweeter uses ferro-fluid voice coil cooling for added reliability at high power inputs, and Its woven-silk diaphragm imparts virtually no harshness or “listening fatigue” at any SPL, as is often the case with less sophisticated tweeters.

Additionally, a concave integrated tweeter waveguide in front of the midrange cone precisely focuses and directs the treble energy into the listening field, ensuring a solid and stable sonic image while minimizing the random acoustic “scatter” that would otherwise cause the acoustic image to be unfocused and indistinct.

High-Powered Internal Amplification

Three individual internal amplifiers provide power to each of the three speaker elements. These amplifiers are specifically tailored to the drivers they are matched with, for seamless operation and system synergy that is virtually impossible to equal using bulky, expensive outboard amplifiers and passive speakers.

Smooth-sounding, high-current Class A/B amplification (220 watts total 150/35/35 LF/MF/HF) provides the speaker with ample headroom for even the most demanding situations. The carefully selected crossover points divide the frequency spectrum into very precise bands so that each individual driver only handles the exact frequency range where it is most accurate.

The amplifiers have specialized internal output current limiting circuitry to protect against distortion and overheating, as well as a muting on/off circuit to prevent speaker transient on-off “pops.” There is also a subsonic filter and an external mains fuse. All of this ensures ideal amplifier behavior at all times, without any unpleasant noises or distractions.

Comprehensive Control and Adjustment Capability

The versatile three-band EQ (± 6dB at 100Hz, 1kHz, 10kHz) gives you the flexibility to shape the sound to match your listening environment, without the need for expensive external equalization. The switchable low-cut filter LF cutoff switch (flat, 60Hz, 80Hz) is perfect for tailoring the speakers’ bass response for use with an external subwoofer.

Positioning M3-8 Black is a breeze courtesy of the innovative Pinhole-mounted blue LED, specifically engineered to perfectly cite the optimum listening position.

M3-8 Black Features

  • Matte black soft touch front baffle with vinyl-laminated cabinet
  • Inline mid- & high-frequency drivers offer superior imaging
  • 8” woven Kevlar low-frequency driver
  • 5” woven Kevlar mid-frequency driver
  • 1” silk dome tweeter with integrated waveguide
  • Tri-amp Class A/B power, 220 Watts total (150/35/35 LF/MF/HF)
  • XLR and ¼” balanced inputs; RCA unbalanced input
  • 3-band EQ with bypass; switchable low-cut filter
  • Rear-mounted volume and power control

The M3-8 Black’s coaxial MF/HF design offers a premium-performance three-way speaker in the same footprint as an ordinary two-way speaker. With time-aligned mid and high drivers for lifelike imaging, plus the added benefit of greater output that only a three-way speaker an provide, the M3-8 Black is a superior audio device of uncompromising quality.

M3-8 Black is available immediately at an MSRP of XXXXXXX

For more information or to find your nearest dealer, visit www.m-audio.com