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Sigberg Audio Manta (12" wideband cardioid active speakers) development thread

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sigbergaudio

sigbergaudio

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Ok then got it from start but the second quote threw me off. Hence confused :).

While being a noob I have this fantasy (one must dream right?) to trial and error something using Purifi 10 inch and waveguided bliesma t34b crossing around 1200hz. I assume the D&D 8c woofer suffers from cancellation in its upper frequencies then?

I don't want to speculate about the design of Dutch&Dutch. It has proven to be a successful design based on both measurements, reviews and customer feedback (I have also heard it myself). It's crossed over at 1250hz according to the specs.

EDIT: The biggest difference here in terms of capacity is the fact that the Manta is both significantly larger, and it is also essentially a 4-way system, while the Dutch is a 3-way. So in the Manta there are three different drivers covering 100-20,000hz, while in the Dutch there are only two.
 
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sigbergaudio

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The "rumours" of Manta seem to be spreading, which is fun of course. :) No one has received a pair for review yet, so for those following this thread there's not a lot of new information in these articles obviously, but still happy that the word is spreading!











https://joom.ag/hMld/p8 (Stereopluss, Norwegian)

https://www.lydogbilde.no/nyheter/hoyttalere/sigberg-audio-manta/ (Norwegian, same magazine also published the article in Danish and Swedish)
 
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sigbergaudio

sigbergaudio

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And the final commercial trailer / advertisement video was just released as well! Remember sound on! :cool::D

 
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sigbergaudio

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Congratulations on such an impressive design! It's good to see cardioid speakers gaining traction.

Thank you Martijn, much appreciated! :)

We showed prototypes of the Mantas at a Norwegian hifi show last fall, and there I had the opportunity to audition the 8C as well. So I will extend the gratulations in return! Well done not only on building great speakers, but you also seem to have achieved good distribution and commercial success in both the hifi and pro/studio market! :)
 
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sigbergaudio

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Manta can now be ordered with custom RAL color (satin finish only) and custom wood veneer (or replace the wood with color if that is your preference). If you select this option, your speakers will be made to order, and delivery time will be up to three months.

 

Digby

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Question, can the speaker be run in a non-cardioid fashion, to showcase the difference between normal and cardioid radiation pattern? might be interesting...
 
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sigbergaudio

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Question, can the speaker be run in a non-cardioid fashion, to showcase the difference between normal and cardioid radiation pattern? might be interesting...

I am afraid not, the cardioid effect is passive in nature, meaning it is a result of the construction of the cabinet and internal cabinet damping (as opposed to active/DSP). So it can not be turned on and off.
 
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sigbergaudio

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So... When can we expect a review by Amir? Would be really awesome!

First reviews will probably not be until after summer. Whether a pair will be sent to Amir has not been decided yet.

We are working towards a review locally here in Norway obviously, then in a pro/studio oriented magazine/site if possible. A pair will also likely be sent to Audioholics. After the SBS.1 was reviewed by Audioholics, neither Erin or Amir was interested in reviewing - I don't know if the same will be the case with Manta.
 
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Expected date for general availability (speakers in stock) is now moved forward from July to June 2023. :)
 
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I've had a few questions related to how the Manta needs to be placed in order to ensure that the cardioid is effective (how close to the walls etc). These questions imply that there may be some misunderstandings about how this works in practice.

The slots on the side of the speakers actually cancel out sound as the sound leaves the speakers. It does not cancel out reflections from the walls. The sound is already attentuated when it reaches the walls in the first place.

When measured, the effect is present 0,5m from the speaker, and it's also present 2 m from the speakers. This means that the cardioid effect is present and effective regardless of how the Mantas are placed in the room.
 
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sigbergaudio

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Today a pair of Manta monitors and dual 10D subwoofers moved into a large recording, mixing and mastering studio close to Oslo, Norway, where they will be setup in the recording studio and be part of a studio project for the next couple of months:D

The engineers immediately commented on the bass extension, midbass tightness and overall sound quality ("This sounds so good it's nuts!"). They were also fascinated by the even dispersion across both the entire mixing area and the rest of the room (lounge area where the band and others hang back to listen to the recording). It will be interesting to follow the recording process and how the Mantas perform as tools in their daily work!

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sigbergaudio

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That is cool :cool:, just out of curiosity which monitors did they use before except those obnoxious NS-10? :D

In addition to the beloved(?) NS-10, they also have higher-end monitors from Dynaudio and Quested.
 
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sigbergaudio

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A question from a potential customer made me realize the ease of setup and configuration with our systems may not be self evident. If you are looking for a 2.2 (speakers plus dual subwoofers) system, you can basically use anything with a volume control and XLR out: A DAC with volume control, a preamp, or even an all-in-one DAC/Streamer. Connect the speakers via XLR, and then run XLR on to the left/right subwoofers via the XLR Through connections.

With this setup you will have perfectly configured crossover (both highpass and lowpass) out of the box, even though your preamp/dac/streamer does not support this, as it is already preconfigured in the speakers and subwoofers. :) So this takes away all the hassle of integrating a subwoofer in a stereo system (which typically does not support active crossovers).

If you have only one subwoofer (or wish to do dual mono) you need the same as above but something with two preouts (it's pretty common that both XLR and RCA out is supported). Then you can run XLR to the speakers and RCA to the sub(s). Crossover will still be handled by the speakers and subs despite beeing fed with a full range signal from the source. :)
 
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sigbergaudio

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Is there any interest in getting someone with a Klippel NFS to review your product?

Interest from me or from the people with a Klippel? :) A pair of Mantas will definitely be shipped to the US for review, most likely to Audioholics first. They will measure, but not with a Klippel. I will be open to forwarding them to others after that, already have informal agreements with a couple of others.

When the SBS.1 was reviewed by Audioholics, neither Erin or Amir was interested in reviewing them after that, since measurements had already been made and they had long backlogs of stuff to review.

As I've also stated earlier, I have mixed feelings about having things reviewed here at ASR, because it's somewhat random what the outcome of the following threads will be. I fear the Mantas are speakers that may be misunderstood based on the measurements by people who have A) never heard the speakers, and B) don't really understand the measurements either.
 

abdo123

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Interest from me or from the people with a Klippel? :) A pair of Mantas will definitely be shipped to the US for review, most likely to Audioholics first. They will measure, but not with a Klippel. I will be open to forwarding them to others after that, already have informal agreements with a couple of others.

When the SBS.1 was reviewed by Audioholics, neither Erin or Amir was interested in reviewing them after that, since measurements had already been made and they had long backlogs of stuff to review.

As I've also stated earlier, I have mixed feelings about having things reviewed here at ASR, because it's somewhat random what the outcome of the following threads will be. I fear the Mantas are speakers that may be misunderstood based on the measurements by people who have A) never heard the speakers, and B) don't really understand the measurements either.
How about audio express?

They’re also a capable bunch.
 

Purité Audio

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A question from a potential customer made me realize the ease of setup and configuration with our systems may not be self evident. If you are looking for a 2.2 (speakers plus dual subwoofers) system, you can basically use anything with a volume control and XLR out: A DAC with volume control, a preamp, or even an all-in-one DAC/Streamer. Connect the speakers via XLR, and then run XLR on to the left/right subwoofers via the XLR Through connections.

With this setup you will have perfectly configured crossover (both highpass and lowpass) out of the box, even though your preamp/dac/streamer does not support this, as it is already preconfigured in the speakers and subwoofers. :) So this takes away all the hassle of integrating a subwoofer in a stereo system (which typically does not support active crossovers).

If you have only one subwoofer (or wish to do dual mono) you need the same as above but something with two preouts (it's pretty common that both XLR and RCA out is supported). Then you can run XLR to the speakers and RCA to the sub(s). Crossover will still be handled by the speakers and subs despite beeing fed with a full range signal from the source. :)
I like this!
‘Perfectly configured out of the box,‘ ‘takes away the hassle of integrating a subwoofer’ if only every loudspeaker had this facility!
Keith
 
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