ACOUSTIC ENERGY AE200Acoustic Energy AE200 Nearfield Monitors
The AE200s use metal-coned drivers throughout, but does this technology offer any advantages over more conventional designs?
AE200全部使用金属单元，但是这样的技术比传统的设计更好吗？
PAUL WHITE investigates.
Loudspeaker manufacturers are all bounded by the same physical laws, yet there are as many opinions on the best way to build a loudspeaker system as there are designers. Many of the differences centre around cone materials, with some designers being prepared to sacrifice acoustic efficiency by using heavier, highly damped materials while others prefer lighter paper or polymer cones. There's also the option of using metal cones, and there are numerous metal-diaphragm dome tweeters on the market, but metal-coned bass/mid units are less common.
扬声器设计总是要遵循一定的物理定律，但制造扬声器的最好方法则是见仁见智的事情了。比如有很多材料可以用于扬声器单元盆体，一些设计师倾向不惜牺牲声学效率而使用厚重、高阻尼的材料，而另一些设计师更喜欢使用较轻的纸质或者聚合物作为盆体材料。也有人选用金属来做盆体，而且市面上也有不少金属膜高音单元，但金属盆体中低音单元却并不常见。
Intriguingly, in designing this 2-way nearfield monitor, AE have opted for a metal-coned 130mm chassis bass/mid driver as well as a domed, ferrofluid-damped 25mm alloy tweeter. One reason for this choice is that anodised aluminium is light, rigid and helps conduct heat away from the voice coil, which, in this case, is thermally bonded to it. A five-element crossover operates at 3kHz and two sets of terminals are provided on the back panel for bi-wiring. The maximum power handling is quoted at 125 Watts
The AE200's black ash-finish MDF cabinet forms a fairly conventional ported enclosure measuring 185 x 3000 x 250mm, and the walls are 18mm thick and internally braced, with the front edges rounded to help reduce cabinet-edge diffraction. Both drivers are centrally mounted and recessed into the front baffle along with two flared plastic vents for the porting system.
有趣的是，在设计这个两路近场监听扬声器时，AE在采用了25mm液磁阻尼半球合金高音单元的同时，也使用了130mm的金属盆体中低音单元。这种选择的原因之一是重量轻而且硬度大的阳极氧化铝盆体有助于单元线圈的散热，在AE200中，金属盆体以热合方式和单元线圈连成一体。分频器由5个元件构成，分频点为3kHz，并且在扬声器后面有两组接线柱以便双线接入。AE200的炭黑MDF箱体有一个相当传统的几何尺寸185x300x250mm，其壁厚18mm并且内部有加固结构，前障板的圆角处理更有助于消除箱体边缘的声衍射。前障板有两个圆角开口的塑料导相孔，两个单元则嵌入安置在前障板的中央。
Despite their small size, the AE200s deliver a very reasonable amount of depth and power. They're also quite sensitive, at 89dB for 1W at 1m, and the '3dB down' points are at 60Hz and 20kHz, although the usable response extends from 40Hz to 25kHz. Both drivers are magnetically shielded to permit use close to a computer monitor, and the nominal load impedance is 8(omega).
虽然箱体比较小，但AE200发出的声音有相当的深度和力度。灵敏度也是相当高，89db 1W@1m。尽管可用频响为40Hz到25Hz，但“3db误差”的频响为60Hz到20Hz。高低音单元均为防漏磁，允许放在计算机监视器旁边使用。标称负载阻抗为8欧。
LISTENING TEST
试听测试
A detailed listening test immediately revealed the futility of relying purely on measured parameters when evaluating loudspeakers, because although these speakers are designed to produce a nominally flat response, they have an obvious brightness about them.
仔细的听音测试马上表明单纯靠指标评价扬声器是轻率的。尽管AE200设计的初衷是具有平坦的频率响应但显然它的音色更为明亮。
Some of this may be due to the choice of an aluminium bass/mid diaphragm, but I suspect that most of it is down to the choice of tweeter, and to be fair, you have to make compromises when you're trying to design a budget-priced loudspeaker.
部分原因是由于选择了合金盆体的中低音单元，但我主要是由于采用金属高音的原因。公平地讲，在设计平价扬声器时你不得不做一些妥协。
I've never yet heard a metal-domed tweeter that doesn't introduce some audible coloration, and in this case, there's a trace of splashiness in the high end.
我还没有听过没有音染的金属半球高音单元，这里你可以听到在高音端有一些飞溅的亮色。
It isn't excessively aggressive, and it does help to make these speakers extremely revealing of transient detail, albeit at the expense of over-emphasising any sibilance that might be present in the recording.
但这种飞溅的亮色并不是特别地过分，而且这确实让这对扬声器可以很好地还原转瞬即逝的细节，尽管这是以过分强调录音中的每一个齿音为代价的。
However, don't assume that these are in any way lightweight-sounding speakers, because the bass end actually turns out to be quite solid and extends well below the usual 80Hz kick drum peak.
然而，不要先入为主地以为这对扬声器的声音会单薄，因为其低频相当结实，可以很好地潜至80Hz以下（Kick Drum的频率）。
Drums and other types of percussion sound solid, lively and confident, as do basses. Voices exhibit a noticeably forward character, while plucked stringed instruments come over with quite a sharp attack. There's more than enough volume for comfortable nearfield listening and the stereo imaging is generally good with a usefully wide sweet spot.
鼓和其他类型的打击乐器的声音饱满，栩栩如生并且控制自如，低频也结实、生动而且有板有眼。（如何译as do basses？）声音有明显的前突特征，同时弦乐类乐器的拨弦有相当锐利的奏前音。其声音响度轻易满足近场听音需要，甜点范围比较宽，在此区域都可获得较好的音场。
SUMMARY
It's simply not possible to build a loudspeaker at this price that is perfect in all areas, but the AE200s have a lot of positive attributes alongside their tendency to be over-bright.
显然不可能要求这个价位的扬声器在所有方面都尽善尽美，尽管音色偏亮，但AE200有很多值得加分之处。
Indeed, those used to mixing on traditionally bright monitors, such as NS10s or some JBLs, will probably find the AE200s suit them without too much of an adjustment period.
事实上，那些习惯传统明亮监听器(比如NS10s或某些型号的JBL)的人可能会马上就适应AE200，而不需要太多调整过程。
I like the lively, punchy aspect of these speakers, and have no argument with their SPL capability, but I have to admit that listening at high levels for any period of time can be fatiguing.
我喜欢AE200的现场感和冲击力，也不怀疑其SPL的能力，但我不得不承认如果开大音量，即使是一小会儿我也会感到疲倦。
I tend to prefer very neutral monitors, but I know that a lot of studio engineers are used to monitors with a degree of forward voicing, so it may be that AE are deliberately targeting this sector of the market.
我偏好非常中性的声音的扬声器，但我知道很多录音工程师使用一些有点前向声音的扬声器，所以也许AE有意瞄准这一部分市场。
Either way, you should always try to listen to monitors before you buy them, as different people seem to perceive different audio 'truths'. If the voicing suits your way of working, these are good-value monitors that are able to perform well in a small studio environment, even close to computer and video monitors. |
发表于 2007-1-15 17:52:09
收藏
楼主
发表于 2007-1-16 09:17:06