Barefoot Sound MicroMain 35 Monitor Review
Following on from the popular MicroMain 27, Barefoot Sound introduces its most compact monitor yet. Huw Price listens in.
Price: £4,935.00
Manufacturer: Barefoot Sound
Website: http://www.barefootsound.com
MicroMain 35
Manufacturer Barefoot Sound
Price £4,935/pair
Contact KMR Audio 0208 445 2446
Web www.barefootsound.com
The era of studio control rooms built around soffit- (wall) mounted main monitor speakers is virtually over. Most of us these days work in rented units, on-location or in home studio environments, using nearfield monitors that are more often than not augmented by subwoofers. So, Barefoot Sound set out to design compact nearfield speakers with the loudness, accuracy and full frequency response of traditional main monitors.
In each MicroMain 35, 350 watts of amplification power is distributed between four drive units. The seven-inch aluminium-cone dual subwoofers are side-mounted and they are locked together. Since they fire in opposing directions, the forces generated by the sub drivers cancel out (which minimises cabinet resonance) and the speakers themselves form a rigid cabinet brace. The mid/bass driver has a five-inch poly-paper cone while the one-inch tweeter is of the soft-dome variety.
No tweaks necessary
High-end monitor manufacturers seem to divide into two schools of thought. Some concede that modern studio environments are often less than perfect, so they provide extensive DIY frequency response adjustment. Others, like Barefoot Sound, believe that their responsibility doesn’t go beyond producing accurate, flat-response monitors.
Consequently, the MicroMain 35s provide very little in the way of adjustment. On the rear panel there’s an Input Level control with a 12-position switch in 2dB increments. Some bass adjustment is possible using the Sub Level control. Again, this is stepped and the settings are -6, -2, -1, 0, +1 and +2.
The most intriguing control is the Standard/Forgiving switch. Apparently this was introduced at the request of some customers wanting a more ‘hi-fi’ response. This switch “makes small changes to the mid bass/tweeter crossover, yielding a slightly recessed midrange and slightly brighter highs. Also, the bass response is altered to have less damping and steeper roll-off”. According to Barefoot, the result is “a hybrid bass character somewhere between the fast, tight, articulate sound of a sealed cabinet and the slower, fatter sound of a ported speaker. This is achieved without the negative aspects of ports such as pipe organ resonances and poor cone control below cut-off”. Their words, not ours.
Mixed benefits
Terms that immediately spring to mind on first hearing these monitors include loudness, intensity, neutrality and ultra-solid bass. We might also say that they’re revealing, but, in fact, ‘ruthless exposure’ seems more apposite. This is a mixed blessing when you’re listening to CDs because square wave mastering and excessive audio energising is revealed in all its distorted, ear-burning wretchedness. On the other hand, well-mixed and mastered tracks sound simply astonishing and the MicroMain 35s seem to disappear as the music flows out.
Listening to CDs can tell you only so much about monitors – the acid test is using them for recording, mixing and mastering. And here the MM35’s proved an absolute joy. Deficiencies and mistakes in balance that we had previously been happy with suddenly became glaringly obvious. We were also able to work very quickly because we weren’t struggling to hear details or having to guess what was really going on in the bass and treble regions. The treble has an easy, unhyped airiness and the bass will flap those flares while remaining even, tight and fast.
Forgive or forget
Although the Forgiving setting supposedly deviates no more than 0.5dB from the flat setting, the difference is certainly apparent. The bass loses a degree of weight and the overall listening experience becomes somewhat less intense. You could say that the MM35s take on more conventional speaker characteristics.
Having the opportunity to experience products of this calibre can be a mixed blessing. The downside is that once you’ve experienced the best, you’ll forever be painfully aware of the shortcomings of a mic, preamp or set of monitors that you previously considered more than adequate. It’s important to remind yourself that they still are! However, monitors like the MM35s make life easier by being brutally honest and obviating the need for guesswork – if you can afford them. MTMThe era of studio control rooms built around soffit- (wall) mounted main monitor speakers is virtually over. Most of us these days work in rented units, on-location or in home studio environments, using nearfield monitors that are more often than not augmented by subwoofers. So, Barefoot Sound set out to design compact nearfield speakers with the loudness, accuracy and full frequency response of traditional main monitors.
WHY BUY
Stunning clarity
Massive volume
Full frequency range
Ultra-tight and fast bass
Easy to operate
WALK ON BY
You need a decent-sounding room
Very hefty price tag
Power switches on the rear
VERDICT
Few active monitors of this size can achieve this kind of bass depth, accuracy, imaging, transparency and sheer volume – but they certainly don’t come cheap.
★★★★★★★★★ (9/10)
SEE ALSO:
Studio Monitor Reviews
Choosing and Using Monitors (Feature)
Monitor Design (10MM)
Score: 9
This review first appeared in Music Tech Magazine issue 93
Filed under
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