Poor man's Avantone Mixcube?

Can anyone recommend an alternative passive reference speaker? Or is there nothing else like it?

Thanks!
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Comments

  • Winny_PoohWinny_Pooh Frets: 7732
    edited May 2018
    What do you mix on ATM? I built a pair of mixcubes but its tres hassle. 

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  • blobbblobb Frets: 2914
    edited May 2018
    https://www.juno.co.uk/products/triple-p-designs-pyramid-studio-monitors-pair/477620-01/

    alternatively, the avantone headphones have a 'mixcube' setting - as well as full range and mono.



    Feelin' Reelin' & Squeelin'
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  • octatonicoctatonic Frets: 33725
    In theory any cheap boom box would do a similar job but the Avantone's are worth the expense if you need that sort of thing.
    They are, imho, strictly a quick reference check for 'bandwidth limited' playback devices to make sure you don't have any crazy frequencies poking out.

    I use some old Denon 2 way monitors for this- I took them off an old component system.
    I also use a Sonos Play 5 as well as my proper monitors.


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  • goldtopgoldtop Frets: 6101
    @Winny_Pooh - what drivers did you use? Somewhere out there is a forum thread (not on tFB) that went into great detail about building them. ISTR a sound engineer had sourced the correct driver and - as it happened - Maplin (remember them?) stocked those. I've got a pair (drivers) somewhere in the To Do Projects box.

    But cheap hifi is no longer so prevalent. People listen on phones, soundbars, 5.1 systems, Sonos/etc boxes, bluetooth speakers - all with different characteristics. With so many non-stereo and generally weird systems, I'm not sure that the mixcube recipe is so relevant.
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  • BusheySiBusheySi Frets: 63
    What do you mix on ATM? I built a pair of mixcubes but its tres hassle. 

    Rokit RP6 G2.

    There's no chance I'd be able to build a speaker!
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  • octatonicoctatonic Frets: 33725
    BusheySi said:
    What do you mix on ATM? I built a pair of mixcubes but its tres hassle. 

    Rokit RP6 G2.

    There's no chance I'd be able to build a speaker!
    Why are you looking at Avantones?
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  • Winny_PoohWinny_Pooh Frets: 7732
    @goldtop a pair of Visatons as used in the littlepapercones mix cubes. 


    As for the OP you might find a set of JBL Duets handy. They are not as revealing as mixcubes but useful for balancing.  
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  • octatonicoctatonic Frets: 33725
    @goldtop a pair of Visatons as used in the littlepapercones mix cubes. 


    As for the OP you might find a set of JBL Duets handy. They are not as revealing as mixcubes but useful for balancing.  
    They look ace.

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  • Winny_PoohWinny_Pooh Frets: 7732
    edited May 2018
    BusheySi said:
    What do you mix on ATM?

    Rokit RP6 G2.

    There's no chance I'd be able to build a speaker!
    I'd upgrade those before buying more speakers. I used to have the R8s and could never really get them to work. I now use a set of Neumann KH120s and they are a delight, even for normal listening. 
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  • goldtopgoldtop Frets: 6101
    @goldtop a pair of Visatons as used in the littlepapercones mix cubes. 


    As for the OP you might find a set of JBL Duets handy. They are not as revealing as mixcubes but useful for balancing.  
    Sweet. A bit ironic that they look so much better than they (are meant to) sound! :)
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  • Winny_PoohWinny_Pooh Frets: 7732
    goldtop said:
    @goldtop a pair of Visatons as used in the littlepapercones mix cubes. 


    As for the OP you might find a set of JBL Duets handy. They are not as revealing as mixcubes but useful for balancing.  
    Sweet. A bit ironic that they look so much better than they (are meant to) sound! :)
    It's funny that, my wife was definitely expecting something more refined than the Q acoustics in the living room when I plugged these in haha 
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  • RamirezRamirez Frets: 11
    octatonic said:

    They are, imho, strictly a quick reference check for 'bandwidth limited' playback devices to make sure you don't have any crazy frequencies poking out.


    I have to disagree here. The thing with Auratones/Mixcubes is not that they sound bad - they don't in fact. It's just that there isn't much in the way of treble or low end. What the lack of treble and bass does is highlight the crucial midrange, and the Auratones/Mixcubes have exceptionally low distortion levels and time-domain performance, so that all important mid-range is delivered very clearly and accurately. This makes them very well suited to balancing important elements such as vocals as you're not distracted by the ear-candy at the frequency extremes.

    In my mind they don't do the same job as a cheap/grotbox speaker, although its often perceived that they do.

    Not the model boy of the village
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  • stevebsteveb Frets: 42
    Behringer behritone. Not sure if theyre discontinued tho
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  • BusheySiBusheySi Frets: 63
    steveb said:
    Behringer behritone. Not sure if theyre discontinued tho
    Yep, discontinued and rare.
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