This review originally appeared in Tape Op.
The Pro-Ac Studio 100s are passive two-way monitors sporting a 6 ½” cone and a 1” soft fabric dome tweeter housed in a traditional looking ported cabinet. The crossover allows for typical single input use, bi-wiring and bi-amping. All wiring and components are very high-grade stuff, including oxygen-free copper cabling throughout. Since 1990, the Studio 100 has been a big seller in the audiophile market, and this model caught on as a studio monitor sometime in the middle of that decade. They aren’t exactly ubiquitous, but they’ve earned a place in the pantheon of classic studio monitors and continue to weather the ever-changing fads of speaker-design.
The Studio 100s present a smooth, full-range sonic image that emphasizes deep bass and airy highs, and they have the overall sonic character of a very transparent yet flattering hi-fi speaker. However, don’t fall for the idea that “flattering” means inaccurate or colored. To the contrary, this is a speaker that you will enjoy listening to all day every day because it is offering up a full-range, uncolored experience without any notable harshness or ringing. I have used them extensively in conjunction with Yamaha NS-10Ms, and I’d say that they are almost exact opposites of each other sonically. The NS-10s are all about the midrange and can be very harsh while the Pro-Acs are all about the deep lows and airy highs and are as smooth as can be. Switching between these two speakers is like looking at negative images of each other. Each delivers its own kind of information, and both are very helpful during a mix.
Using the Studio 100s at very quiet levels is an excellent way to get a rendering of the complete sonic image. Employing very high shelf eqs (say at 20khz on a vocal or drum overheads) at low volumes is very revealing in a way that the NS-10s never seem to deliver. Similarly, the woofers are exceptionally responsive to deep bass at lower volumes (Tony Levin’s low B string was well represented, for example). Taking this quiet approach with the Studio 100s had me making decisions about the extended frequencies I’d often have left for mastering.
Turn them up and you’ll get way more low-end than you’d expect from such a small box with a 6 ½” driver. Part of this low end must be due to the fact that the woofer can really travel. This is an idiosyncrasy that turns out to be a huge advantage, as you can use the woofer as a visual gauge of your low-end. If that cone starts to travel indiscriminately far, start fishing for the build-up, give it a fix and you’ll notice improved clarity not just in the low-end but in the whole mix. Those who use these speakers seem to know this about them: get the cones to behave and your low-end wont over-tax real-world consumer speakers.
Overall, working on the Studio 100s is a full-range experience with no noticeable dips or peaks across the spectrum. One advantage with passive monitors is that they tend to have fewer issues around the crossover point than their powered cousins, and the Studio 100s are a great example of this phenomenon. They’re very flat. Of course, pairing passive monitors with amps adds to both the complexity and freedom of developing your monitoring situation. As Pro-Ac elegantly puts it: “The full potential of these thoroughbred designs will only be realized through the use of the highest quality partnering equipment.” Translation: “Use a great amp for best results.”
If you’re still searching for your dream monitors, and the current self-powered offerings aren’t floating your boat (and many complain of the crossover issues with many of today’s monitors), I’d highly recommend looking into these speakers as a different approach from that of the current trends. They aren’t going to blow clients against the rear wall, but if you want a very refined, non-fatiguing listening experience with almost no sonic anomalies, the Studio 100s are up there with the best of the passive monitors. They’ve remained popular for nearly twenty years for very good reasons. ($2000 MSRP www.proac-loudspeakers.com) Allen Farmelo www.farmelo.com
How do you feel about these compared to your Focal Solo’s?
Thanks,
Mark
Hey Mark,
I guess I feel the way about the ProAcs as I do about any monitors – they’re all a different kind of information coming at me. Just like all consumer systems are going to sound different, so are the monitors we use. I have found that for my room and for my ears, the Focals get me to work in a way that gets thigns translating outside my studio very well. I’m not sure I could even put a finger on what it is about them, other than the lack of distortion I hear in the low end, which seems distinct to me. The ProAcs were amazing to work on, too. Things really translated well. Different experience, but really great. Best advice I have is to get some and try them out in your room with your ears.