Mesanovic CDM65 Studio Monitor Review

[tmtomh]

I am just very picky with value ever since picking up day trading

That doesn't make any more sense than your prior comments.

 

[tmtomh]

Thanks for the review amirm.
It's an interesting a well measuring loudspeaker. It's a pleasant enough looking unit and is likely to garner more fans on this basis than the Genelec offerings for home users.
I think Mesanovic may have priced it just out of range for people like myself who might consider buying at the £4000.00 a pair mark. It really needs pricing to slightly undercut the other well regard options in this price range in my opinion. Great piece of engineering but just too expensive.

$2649 each in USD comes out to £4173 a pair. That's pretty close to £4000.

 

[Ilkless]

Agree that $1,995 would have been a better price.

I'd call it competitive at the current price point given people would be cross-shopping with the larger non-coax Genelecs, Neumann 120 to 310, some passives like the Wharfedale 3-ways.

It isn't trivial to calculate delays, driver EQ, baffle step, driver placement, box shape for such a design and plenty of passive monopoles get a pass even here for value in that price range.

Some people here maligning the bass distortion appear not to have noticed it extends to 25Hz. I would happily have it high passed at 40Hz, which would still very satisfying for many with the moderate amount of boundary reinforcement and lesser excitation of modes for some placements. And the 25Hz extension appears to hold up well enough for most listening in a stereo pair.

 

[Gatordaddy]

I am just very picky with value ever since picking up day trading

lol

 

[Old_School_Brad]

Looks like it uses the same plate amplifier / DSP as System Audio "Silver Back" speakers...

Legend 5.2 silverback | SA

Treat yourself Legend 5.2 silverback gives you big sound and a musicality that's in a class of its own. Music is clearer and cleaner than ever. Legend silverback is a technological breakthrough that music lovers can't ignore. In the digital Legend 5.2 silverback, two high-precision amplifiers...

system-audio.com

 

[JSmith]

Looks like it uses the same plate amplifier / DSP as System Audio "Silver Back" speakers...

View attachment 414777

Legend 5.2 silverback | SA

Treat yourself Legend 5.2 silverback gives you big sound and a musicality that's in a class of its own. Music is clearer and cleaner than ever. Legend silverback is a technological breakthrough that music lovers can't ignore. In the digital Legend 5.2 silverback, two high-precision amplifiers...

system-audio.com

I believe they both use a Platin Audio plate amp... also Buchardt A500;

JSmith

 

[Gremlins]

Almost $1000 more expensive than the KH150 while having fewer controls and worse distortion? Looks like a scam

What looks like a scam?
Words are not well places imho
Do you understand manufacturing, company,purchases, labor etc...

People always talk about money ... Do you call any restaurant a scam because they are more expensive than the McDonald you going to?

 

[sigbergaudio]

Specifically, this is because the mid does quite a bit of excursion - D&D have compensated for the bass roll off with EQ to make the blend behave itself. Also, it's an 8", not a 10".

If you had a Purifi 8" in there instead it would be a different story since it has something like 50% more linear excursion.

The Purifi drivers aren't really designed for midbass duty. A better solution would be a larger, higher sensitivity driver to also avoid thermal issues, and of course separate drivers for the actual bass, which both we and D&D have done.

 

[Ilkless]

The Purifi drivers aren't really designed for midbass duty. A better solution would be a larger, higher sensitivity driver to also avoid thermal issues, and of course separate drivers for the actual bass, which both we and D&D have done.

Is this based on specific thermal compression data of Purifi drivers? Trading off SOTA nonlinear distortion for significantly worse non-linear performance but a theoretical marginal improvement in thermal issues seems rather a pyrrhic victory.

Almost no one is playing 50Hz since waves at 100dB for 6 hours straight.

 

[Klonatans]

Excellent performance and definitely not a scam, however unfortunately for the price of 3149 EUR per piece (thus more than one would pay for a pair of Neumann KH 150) in Europe it does not look not very competitive. We have to keep in mind though that Mesanovic is a small manufacturer compared to big players like Neumann or Genelec and the high import duties on overseas products. Small nitpick: I wish Mesanovic (and other manufacturers as well) would provide protective grilles to avoid accidental damage to drivers.

 

[Timmy]

We have to keep in mind though that Mesanovic is a small manufacturer

Well, I’m just fine with small manufacturers putting big price tags to their products. As long as they don’t carry a »Made in China« on the back, that is.

 

[Rja4000]

Cardioid directivity = more directional bass response

Some examples below.

Omni:
View attachment 414534 View attachment 414535

Cardioid:
View attachment 414537 View attachment 414538

CDM65 Omni vs Cardi:
View attachment 414540 View attachment 414539


These directivity graphs extend to ±180° off-axis.

They quite literally tell us what happens behind the speaker.

OK
Then I have to admit I learned something.
And directivity is not so obvious here.

 

[sigbergaudio]

Is this based on specific thermal compression data of Purifi drivers? Trading off SOTA nonlinear distortion for significantly worse non-linear performance but a theoretical marginal improvement in thermal issues seems rather a pyrrhic victory.

Almost no one is playing 50Hz since waves at 100dB for 6 hours straight.

Not sure what we are comparing, but if we are talking about the Purifi 8" driver, that is not what I would choose for midrange duty. That is also not what they are designed for, so I'm not trying to say anything bad about Purifi. They have a low fs, relatively low sensitivity, relatively heavy cone and high excursion, so it's more of a bass / sub bass driver.

 

[holdingpants01]

Excellent performance and definitely not a scam, however unfortunately for the price of 3149 EUR per piece (thus more than one would pay for a pair of Neumann KH 150) in Europe it does not look not very competitive. We have to keep in mind though that Mesanovic is a small manufacturer compared to big players like Neumann or Genelec and the high import duties on overseas products. Small nitpick: I wish Mesanovic (and other manufacturers as well) would provide protective grilles to avoid accidental damage to drivers.

It actually is pretty competetive if you compare it to the real competition, which KH150 is not. CDM65 is a compact 3 way DSP cardioid studio monitor, so obviously mass produced conventional 2 way speaker like KH150 will be cheaper. But if you compare it to D&D 8C, Kii Audio Three, SHIVAUDYO Point Zero, GGNTKT Model M1, it's on the low end price wise of the bunch while measuring as good as the ones that are twice as expensive. It's a pretty good deal actually

 

[fredoamigo]

It actually is pretty competetive if you compare it to the real competition, which KH150 is not. CDM65 is a compact 3 way DSP cardioid studio monitor, so obviously mass produced conventional 2 way speaker like KH150 will be cheaper. If you compare it to D&D 8C, Kii Audio Three, SHIVAUDYO Point Zero, GGNTKT Model M1, it's on the low end price wise of the bunch while measuring as good as the ones that are twice as expensive. It's a pretty good deal actually

These are certainly very good speakers, but as usual with active speakers, no one knows anything about the DSP design and amplification. Nothing is measured and no SINAD is provided. After that, how can you talk about value for money for a pair of speakers costing over 5000 USD with a two-year warranty for the electronics??""As long as it doesn't change, I won't buy this kind of product.

 

[Marc v E]

These are certainly very good speakers, but as usual with active speakers, no one knows anything about the DSP design and amplification. Nothing is measured and no SINAD is provided. After that, how can you talk about value for money for a pair of speakers costing over 5000 USD with a two-year warranty for the electronics??""As long as it doesn't change, I won't buy this kind of product.

?

Usually electronics fail during the first year if there is a fault.

Regarding the electronics, they are stock and ready to replace as a unit, if necessary. The website states what kind of amplification is used (Pascal iirc) and the distortion measurements here provide insight in the total distortion measured by klippel nfs.

My experience with active speakers (b&o, genelec) has been rock solid, going on for 15 years now.

Of course you are free to choose passive speakers, but looking at the data that is available to others and myself, I see no reason to worry.

 

[Purité Audio]

I haven’t owned these but their bigger brother the RTM10 are super creamers extremely neutral with real extension.
We had the GGNTKT M1s in the same period and the two made an interesting comparison.
Keith

 

[FrantzM]

Two or more subs are required to make use of that cardioid setting:
View attachment 414652

With just one, it serves no purpose and certainly won't give you cardioid response.

....

I've never actually needed to do this, but I do have an EV ETX-18P PA subwoofer which supports cardioid response, and it's as easy as enabling it in the menu. There are no extra settings, it just works.

Thanks @staticV3


Peace.

 

[fredoamigo]

?

Usually electronics fail during the first year if there is a fault.

Regarding the electronics, they are stock and ready to replace as a unit, if necessary. The website states what kind of amplification is used (Pascal iirc) and the distortion measurements here provide insight in the total distortion measured by klippel nfs.

My experience with active speakers (b&o, genelec) has been rock solid, going on for 15 years now.

Of course you are free to choose passive speakers, but looking at the data that is available to others and myself, I see no reason to worry.

---

What I find surprising is that there are 57 pages, started on December 2nd, about the new FTC rules concerning amplification and the reliability of their measurements. And here, since it is an active speaker, no one is trying to find out what is really inside. Since the speakers measure well, why bother about what is inside? And anyway, it is not visible because it is inside Of course, Amir does his job very well and Mesanovic is a priori as serious in his designs as D&D, Neumann, Kii, or Genelec. But I wouldn't buy a car without knowing if its engine is reliable or if it has caused recurring problems in the past, even if the car is very beautiful and performs well

 

[JustJones]

Well, I’m just fine with small manufacturers putting big price tags to their products. As long as they don’t carry a »Made in China« on the back, that is.

Take close look at the Platin Amp module. I don't really care but maybe you would.