Avantone CLA-10 (Yamaha NS-10M Clone) Review

[DSJR]

I tried to use a UK maker's speaker with very much an NS10 tonal balance (the Soton University NS10 article and measurements of the group of ~2000 small monitors shows the response of these). They were horrible as no bass and a dulled top, which was set to the 500hz level, leaving the ragged 2 - 3kHz peak exposed. Mind you, if I was mixing and concentrating on just a small area to get ehe cleanest mix in the upper mids, I dare say they'd be perfect for that. After this bit's done, switch to a different audio 'tool' to hear the full picture, which I believe is what real pros usually did back then.

Today, 'desktop monitoring' seems to have improved radically and carefully set up KH310s and ATC 25ASLs (especially the tweeter-improved mk2 version I suspect) should easily give the clarity without exaggeration (apologies, I've not heard these). Genelec equivalents seem to be found more in broadcast editing suites around these shores I think.

 

[Waxx]

The Wall Street Journal has an article about an American living in China named Philip Richardson. He owns and operates a factory that builds loudspeakers - including 'high end' - on contract. He talks about supporting President Trump and the effect tariffs are having on his business. No brands or models of loudspeakers are mentioned in the article. One photo shows what appears to be an active version of the Avantone CLA-10 loudspeaker.

https://www.wsj.com/world/asia/china-factory-owner-trump-voter-tariffs-7edde19b?

That guy owns a OEM factory in china called Trueanalog, and delivers a lot to many western brands of higher end speakers and studio monitors. It's one of the bigger players in the Chinese high end OEM market, and i can imagine a big part of his bussiness is exporting (direct or indirect) to the US.

 

[Waxx]

I tried to use a UK maker's speaker with very much an NS10 tonal balance (the Soton University NS10 article and measurements of the group of ~2000 small monitors shows the response of these). They were horrible as no bass and a dulled top, which was set to the 500hz level, leaving the ragged 2 - 3kHz peak exposed. Mind you, if I was mixing and concentrating on just a small area to get ehe cleanest mix in the upper mids, I dare say they'd be perfect for that. After this bit's done, switch to a different audio 'tool' to hear the full picture, which I believe is what real pros usually did back then.

Today, 'desktop monitoring' seems to have improved radically and carefully set up KH310s and ATC 25ASLs (especially the tweeter-improved mk2 version I suspect) should easily give the clarity without exaggeration (apologies, I've not heard these). Genelec equivalents seem to be found more in broadcast editing suites around these shores I think.

That is not the main reason why this speaker was popular, it's because it's a almost perfect speaker to check how your mix translate to low end systems. That it can be handy to focus on the midband is an extra function, but not the reason why this speaker was so popular. Idem with the orginal auratones and the modern avatones. They were always used next to (relative) neutral sounding monitors as second check back in the days. They because popular because some mixing engineers used them a lot and they are easy to recognise with the white cone (smart marketing id from Yamaha). They were also not intended as studio monitor, they were cheap (crappy) hifi speakers that flopped but got a second life in music studio's.

 

[DSJR]

That is not the main reason why this speaker was popular, it's because it's a almost perfect speaker to check how your mix translate to low end systems. That it can be handy to focus on the midband is an extra function, but not the reason why this speaker was so popular. Idem with the orginal auratones and the modern avatones. They were always used next to (relative) neutral sounding monitors as second check back in the days. They because popular because some mixing engineers used them a lot and they are easy to recognise with the white cone (smart marketing id from Yamaha). They were also not intended as studio monitor, they were cheap (crappy) hifi speakers that flopped but got a second life in music studio's.

I'm currently suffering a dire (middle?) ear infection and *everything* currently sounds like it's played through a small portable radio and worse than any NS10 I ever heard

I've never used NS10s professionally, but from a little experience of this speaker domestically (it really wasn't too bad when placed tight to a wall on a bookshelf), the extra clarity forced on the listener in the peaked-up region, does help one to 'hear' things in the mix previously unnoticed (I sold Linn gear in the Kan era and if you think NS10s are bad ). As said above, my current ear infections and perceived lack of mid-bass and lower mids is showing me percussive and some vocal effects I'd not noticed before in a fifty year old recording I was trying to enjoy, on vinyl as well (I've sunk soooo low, but the player needed some use )