MONITOR 890 MK III
It is well-known that there are two types of loudspeakers: hi-fi speakers that produce the most accurate, unaltered sound possible, and disco or musician's speakers, where the top volume level is of the utmost importance. These volume levels are normally only possible with horns but these often cause coloration of the sound. The MONITOR 890 MK IIIwas designed specifically to combine the best of both worlds. In the mid-range, we use a driver & horn unit which is so dynamic and produces such undistorted music, that many a horn-disparager has had to admit that this is simply unbelievably "different". Two excellent quality woofers, TIW 300 - 8 Ohm, mounted in the 180 litre vented cabinet, generate a bass sound pressure that is physically tangible, as you have experienced with concert speakers. Combined with the first-rate TL 16 H - 8 Ohm high-range horn, we have created a loudspeaker system that breaks down the previously unbridgeable barrier between the hi-fi and the professional speaker.
The output levels of the mid-range driver and tweeter can be adjusted to the requirements of the locale using output controls. We recommend, initially at least, the following level settings: tweeter: -4 dB; mid-range: -4 dB. These can, of course, be adapted to suit the specific acoustics in the room and personal preferences.
Thanks to the added impedance linearising unit in the crossover unit, the Monitor 890 MK III is now even better suited to use with critical amplifiers (e.g. tube amplifiers).
Press
"The Monitor 890 MK II deals beautifully with the full range even down to even low output levels provided the listening area is not too small. The excellent mid-range horn reproduces voices and non-amplified instruments beautifully without the slightest over-emphasis and right across the frequency range. The full range of tonal sophistication is remarkably well differentiated for a horn-based system, and this with a clarity and dynamism that is missing in less powerful drivers. We were pleased to find that, provided the output level is well chosen, the high-range horn does not stand out on its own as a fragment of the picture but blends in well to the impressive overall panorama."
"This combination of pure power and sophisticated manners was what irresistably attracted me to the Monitor 890 MK II."
Verdict: excellent
"... this chunky character pounds out bass levels that make a lot of other speaker systems look pretty puny. The sounds washed around our ears precisely but unmistakably and very powerfully. It was enough to make you whince. But this Visaton model does not overdo it. The bass production is well balanced against the higher ranges to produce a tidy overall picture where the bass does not have trouble keeping up. The high range retains an airy feel and is very clearly defined. The horn's response and depth of sound are excellent, and its spatial positioning is a dream."
"The Monitor system can produce disco music just the way the kids like it, can make the walls of your nearest castle vibrate with Pink Floyd or some good organ music and yet it is still a real treat to listen to a symphony on the same speakers. This precarious fine line between hi-fi and professional speaker system has been very well mastered."
"Visaton's Monitor speakers are mor than just a pleasant sensation. They combine the typical strengths of a horn system like sound pressure and temperament with such features as accuracy of depth and allround abilities brillinat!"
Verdict: excellent
Provided you have enough space and a very tolerant partner, we can warmly recommend this major contribution to the art of building speakers to every aficionado of lively guitar-based rock through to subtle and sophisticated rhythm & blues. Although the Monitor set-up is perfectly capable of reproducing classical musical and can cope with lower volume ranges, its strength is definitely in the excellent representation of live-sounding events, full of temperament and dynamism.
Rated power | 600 W |
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Maximum power | 900 W |
Nominal impedance Z | 4 Ohm |
Übertragungsbereich (-10 dB) | 30–35000 Hz |
Mittlerer Schalldruckpegel | 94 dB (1 W/1 m) |
Trennfrequenz | 800/7500 Hz |
Gehäuseprinzip | Bassreflex |
Net volume | 180 l |
Außenmaß Höhe | 1070 mm |
Außenmaß Breite | 688 mm |
Außenmaß Tiefe | 508 mm |
Component parts list for 1 box
The kit includes all the components listed here but not the cabinet.