Sep 1, 2008 12:00 PM, By Jason Scott Alexander

INTELLIGENT CONTROL, ADVANCED NETWORKING AND AUTO-CORRECTION DSP

I was surprised at how much more conservative — and confident — my panning became. With the Q15s, soundstage placement becomes highly defined, as though the available stereo space actually opens up on you. Similarly, I began making smaller and fewer gain changes overall as it became apparent which changes were truly necessary, and my edge for subtractive mixing really came back. The result is that the Qs make you mix “smarter” — not harder.

When I moved the Q15s into my 10×10-foot edit suite and placed them only three feet apart, they still provided exceptional imaging. Ultimately, the Q15s are a one-size-fits-all solution: ideal as near-fields, mids and mains.

Impressive

Hands-down, these are the best-sounding, best-performing monitors I've worked with. I'm convinced the coaxial design is best for a two-way system. The Q15s let me hear what's right and what's wrong so I could make quick judgment calls, and they offer the power of mains in the footprint of near-fields.

When I drove these incredibly hard, they sounded as good and spectrally balanced as they did at lower levels, and nothing I can think of comes close to the Q15's pinpoint accuracy. You can turn your head, spin your chair around, stand up and lean over the board, and the image doesn't shift.

Equator's Q Series represents the state of the art in monitoring system design. For this level of sophistication, the price tag is about half of what it ought to be — a tremendous value.

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Jason Scott Alexander is a producer/mixer/remixer in Ottawa, Canada.

PRODUCT SUMMARY

COMPANY: EQUATOR AUDIO RESEARCH

WEB: www.equatoraudio.com

PRODUCT: Q15 Monitors

PRICE: $3,000 each

SYSTEM REQUIREMENTS: Mac OS 10.4 and/or Windows XP

PROS: Sophisticated room-correction software run from Mac/PC. Pinpoint imaging, high SPL and great sound.

CONS: May be too heavy for many meter bridges. Power supply is internally set at the factory for designated voltages.