What Hi Fi Sound and Vision
18 NOV 2008
Monopulse 42A
Odd appearance apart there's an awful lot to like about these Monopulses. Make sure you give them an audition
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What makes the 42As special? Well, the Monopulse name gives a clue. The company's big thing is about responding to the leading edge of notes as accurately as possible.
To this end these floorstanders use an unusual configuration of crossover and have offset drive units to aid time alignment – the 28mm soft-dome tweeter is on the top of the cabinet, the 20cm mid/bass sits conventionally on front panel.
The idea is that both drivers move together at every transient, giving a more precise, coherent sound wave.
Notes of many colours
Other technical highlights include a metal hoop supporting the tweeter (keeping it clear from vibration) and damping the wooden cabinet's sides. Another metal piece controls the front panel's movement.
There's a choice of colours for the cloth finish, and the metal can be painted to match or contrast.
Before we start praising, let's get a few criticisms out of the way. Overall build quality is solid, but the uneven paint finish on the metal hoop and foam-covered back panel look cheap to our eyes.
Sonically, these aren't the purest sound around either: rivals such as ATC's SCM 40s sound cleaner, and produce more grunt in the bass.
However, when it comes to timing, detail resolution and stereo imaging, the 42As have little to fear from any rival. These Monopulses are immensely musical speakers that latch onto a rhythm track with breathtaking confidence.
Strange looks, super sound
All that time alignment work pays off handsomely, with a cohesive and well-organised sound that captures the start and end of notes with real precision.
You can add fluid dynamics and class-leading sound staging to the list of plus points, too. The wide-ranging talents mean the 42As are as happy charging along to Grinderman as they are replaying something subtler (and grander) such as Mahler's Symphony No.1.
These Monopulses are strange-looking speakers. But give them a chance with suitably talented electronics and we have no doubt they'll produce some of the most musically satisfying results around.
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