Having previously introduced the full-range, two-way CLA-10 as a recreation of Yamaha’s NS10 passive studio monitor, followed its the active CLA-10A counterpart, Avantone Pro has revived a ‘white cone’ version in the CLA-10A Limited Edition.
The NS-10 – and the Auratone before it – are two of the most influential close-field monitors used in professional recording. Originally a passive domestic design, as reflected in the CLA-10, the NS10 became expensive to maintain using aftermarket components when it was discontinued.
The AV10-MHF 350mm soft-dome tweeter used in the CLA-10A Limited Edition design endured a difficult engineering process to match phenolic resin doping that delivered the characteristics original NS10 performance curve, while the accompanying AV10-MLF 180mm woofer uses custom-tooled mechanical parts to mirror the original. Additionally, Avantone Pro worked with one of the original vendors of the original cone to get the exact same stiffness and weight, but upgraded the production process to create machine-pressed cones. Consequently, the CLA-10 marked the first time that a white cone-style unit was made in matched sonic pairs, an achievement that clearly continued with the introduction of the active CLA-10A and, now, the CLA-10A Limited Edition.
The CLA-10A Limited Edition has a VTPC (Variable Tissue Paper Control – reflecting the common use of tissue paper over the NS10’s tweeter to tame the HF output) located on its rear panel, allowing users to simulate the high-frequency damping. With VTPC, users can simulate anything from the vertical ‘M’ model to the horizontal ‘Studio’ model, as well as stops in between.
Staying traditional with a linear power supply using a toroidal transformer to maintain that still-sought-after legacy sound, the CLA-10A Limited Edition also uses a monolithic class-AB amplifier topology. At low power, THD is 0.005%; at rated load, it is 0.1%, yielding excellent performance compared to class-D amplifiers. A rock-solid 240W total RMS full-range – 60Hz-20kHz (accessible musical range) – two-way stereo pair (120W per speaker) system is the result of Avantone Pro’s design choices made in collaboration with mix engineer Chris Lord-Alge (to whom the CLA-10A and its siblings not only owe their ‘initials’ but also their existence).
The CLA-10A Limited Edition is presented in North American black walnut veneer. It is available at Avantone Pro’s US dealers with an MAP of US$99 per pair. The SSP in the European Union is €1,332 per pair, including VAT.
More: www.avantonepro.com
