Alesis M1 Active 520

Value-packed Nearfield Reference Monitors!

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These Alesis M1 Active 520 reference monitors continue their tradition of building great studio gear for affordable prices. The M1 Active 520 offers incredible definition and flat frequency response with the help of high-precision drivers and a carefully designed crossover. The rear-port provides you with deep bass-extension and high SPL output, and a 1"-thick front baffle/waveguide provides you with excellent stereo imaging. What's more, a set of three rear-mounted EQ switches and an Acoustic Space control allow you to tailor your M1 Active 520 speakers to your environment.

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• A major step up from standard hi-fi computer speakers
• Onboard controls let you contour your sound to fit your room
• Rear porting and thick front baffle for accurate bass and stereo imaging

These Alesis M1 Active 520 5" studio monitors may look a lot like the hi-fi computer speakers you're likely to find at big box stores, but below the surface, there's a world of difference. Typical consumer speakers are designed with what we refer to at Sweetwater as a "smily-face" EQ curve. In other words, the highs and the lows are boosted and the midrange is cut slightly. The result is a sound that's flattering to your ears (much like when you crank your stereo) even at low volumes. They may sound good, but they're not accurate, and therefore will cause you to make bad mixing decisions. Alesis M1 Active 520 nearfield studio monitors, on the other hand, are designed to be as flat as possible, allowing you to make better decisions so your mixes will translate better no matter what system you play them on.

As flat as Alesis may have designed their M1 Active 520 studio monitors to be, no two rooms are exactly alike. Small acoustic anomalies may cause bass or treble to build up in your room, which can also lead you astray when you're making mixing decisions. Fortunately, Alesis took that into consideration when they designed their M1 Active 520 monitors, which is why they included three separate EQ switches that you can use to adjust for and frequency issues. They also added their unique Acoustic Space control to the mix, which lets you correct for some of the challenges small spaces can pose on your low-end accuracy.

There are two major design characteristics that let you get a ton of extra milage out of these small-format speakers. For starters, Alesis designed their M1 Active 520 monitors with rear porting, which both extends their low-end frequency response and helps to eliminate false lows. (Sweetwater pro tip here: be sure to space your M1 Active 520 monitors away from any walls to reduce the chance of low-end reflections affecting your sound.) Another major design feature is the 1"-thick front baffle and acoustic waveguide. This both eliminates resonance from distorting your mid and high frequencies, and provides even sound dispersal for accurate stereo imaging.

• 2-way, 75-watt (50W woofer, 25W tweeter) active near-field reference monitors
• 5" low frequency woofer for clear bass and midrange
• 1" silk dome tweeter for clear highs without ear-fatiguing harshness
• High-precision drivers offer low distortion and smooth frequency response
• Acoustical waveguide for superior imaging with minimal diffraction
• 1"-thick front baffle virtually eliminates speaker resonance
• Magnetically shielded for close placement to video monitors in computer based music production studios
• XLR and 1/4" TRS connectors provide balanced connections for your signal
• Acoustic Space adjustment lets you define your low-frequency density
• Rear port design provides deep bass extension and increased SPL
• Hi, Mid, and Low Frequency EQ switches to accommodate user preference and sub-woofers
• Top mounted, integrated Power Switch/Clip Light Bar