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ART SLA-1 & SLM-1 studio amplifier and Monitor |
In past issues of Australian Musician we’ve checked out a lot of products that relate to home studio environments and most have been quality, value for money items. When the opportunity arose to review some reference speakers with a matched studio reference amplifier, I didn’t have any hesitation because when setting up a home studio, apart from the actual recorder, these pieces of equipment should be the first things you need to consider. With so many choices on the market, one can be forgiven for being a little confused. Companies are realising that a lot of musicians are setting up at home and are consequently providing a multitude of products to ensure that the home studio environment remains compact and workable. ART (Applied Research and Technology), has been going for well over a couple of decades now and have a new distributor in Australia offering a heap of products to tempt and tantalise us all. This issue I got to try out the SLA-1 and SLM-1 reference amp & monitors and on first appearance they looked very impressive.
SLA-1 Studio linear amplifier…
The SLA-1 boasts impressive technical specifications and will neatly tuck away into your rack. The amp offers a high level of sound quality with clean and powerful circuitry with a user interface that is straightforward. The SLA-1 may be used in a wide variety of project and professional studio environments. The amp is enclosed in steel and aluminium ensuring quality and performance with massive heat sinks and all the connections needed to get you going. The front panel consists of a power switch housed in the centre of the unit,
2 channel attenuators, a signal LED indicator and Clip LED indicator as well as a protect LED indicator. It is easy to interface the SLA-1 with a wide variety of equipment. All inputs and outputs are located on the back panel offering standard XLR and 1/4 inch TRS jacks providing balanced/unbalanced patching. Also available is an amp mode switch on the rear panel that allows you to choose between stereo mode and Bridge mono mode. The output binding post will accept bare wire connections or banana plugs or spade connectors. If things start to heat up on the unit, the SLA-1 has what ART call a "Smartfan" which is an advanced thermal dependent convection cooling system that is extremely quiet. It operates on two levels of cooling and keeps things internally from overheating.
The SLM-1 Studio linear monitors…
These speakers have been designed and matched to work with the SLA-1 reference amp and are a passive near field design. The monitors are slightly larger than most near field monitors pumping out 70 watts each and are well constructed. Like the amp they have 8-ohm nominal impedance and include a 6.5-inch foam surround shielded woofer with a 1-inch ferrofluid cooled shielded tweeter. The front porting is a 2 inch tuned cylindrical port and gold plated binding posts on the rear for connection.
The bottom line…
Having a couple of brothers that run home studios, I was able to try the ARTs in different environments. I firstly tried the monitors on their own through a different power amp and AB’d them with some Tannoys (R1). I must say that the ART SLM-1 produced clearer and more accurate audio reproduction and made the Tannoys sound dull and flat in comparison. Once you hook up the amp, you’ll have a matched monitoring system that not only sounds good but should provide many years of quality use. At $799.00 for the amp and $799.00 for the monitors, I’d have to say that they are extremely good value for the money. You are getting a quality product from a company that’s been in the business a long time and excellent back up support which is important. Because everyone’s ears are different, the best way to determine the best setup for you is to go out and give them a try and don’t be afraid to audition a variety of products. I think for the price, the ART stuff will hold its own but the only way to know is to check it out yourself. They also have a lot of outboard gear that is well worth checking out too.
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