The Best Studio Monitor of All Time, Reborn
The CLA-10 Passive is our homage to the golden age of music production. We collaborated with platinum studio stalwart Chris Lord-Alge to re-create the ubiquitous “white cone” studio monitor that has been a staple of world-class recording studios for over 45 years — The sound of hits! While not known as the world’s best speaker for casual listening, it’s instead known for being the world’s best reference for mixing.
Through meticulous research into the originals and unwavering attention to sonic detail, those iconic monitors have been recreated for a new generation of audio purists as the CLA-10 Passive.
Encased in a sleek black box with that unmistakable white woofer, The CLA-10 Passives deliver the unforgiving mid-forward frequency response that lets you focus on the most mission-critical elements of your mix, particularly vocals. In short: if you can make a mix sound great on CLA-10s, it will sound great on any speaker.
The Original Drivers for the Original Sound.
As the supply of aftermarket components for vintage white-cone speakers dwindled, Avantone Pro stepped in to fill the void... drawing upon their decade of experience in driver construction. The result? Near-identical reproductions of both drivers and the classic crossover that all stay true to the original specifications while meeting modern environmental standards. These components match the originals so well that we even made them available as aftermarket replacement components foraging white-cone speakers.
The AV10-MHF tweeter dome underwent rigorous engineering to arrive at the exact phenolic resin doping required to replicate the original’s performance curve. Meanwhile, the AV10-MLF woofer boasts custom-tooled mechanical parts that faithfully mirror its predecessor.
Collaborating closely with one of the original vendors, Avantone Pro ensured that the stiffness and weight of the cone matched the original’s behavior flawlessly. The only departure from the original design is the use of a pressed cone instead of a lapped one, allowing for superior matching — ushering in a new era where matched pairs are now readily available!
Passive Design for Old-school Purists.
True to the classics, the CLA-10 Passives are passive-format studio monitors that require the use of a power amplifier. (We recommend the CLA-series power amps for that, of course.)
New to the CLA-10 Passives is the TPC switch, allowing you to simulate the high-frequency dampening trick often on the original speakers — covering the tweeters with tissue paper. Turning on TPC drops the output of the tweeter by 2 dB.
BULLET POINTS - COMPLETE LIST:
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A re-creation of the iconic "white cone" passive speakers, trusted by world-class engineers for decades
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Physically and sonically identical to the original design
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TPC switch cuts the output of the HF driver by 2 dB, simulating the old tissue-paper trick
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Precisely-matched frequency voicing ensures that your mix translates across any speaker
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High-grade components ensure a longer lifespan
