Avantone Pro CLA10 Active Studio Monitors

What’s better than a pair of CLA-10s? A pair of CLA-10 Active studio monitors! Avantone Pro set the recording world straight when they came out with their powered re-creation of the ubiquitous white-coned studio monitor that engineers have sworn by for decades. Whereas most active 2-way monitors use a switch-mode power supply and Class D amplifier, Avantone’s success with their passive CLA-10 and CLA-200 amplifier allows them to stick with what engineers worldwide have come to expect from this combination. Hence, the CLA-10 Active boasts a traditional linear onboard power supply and 200 watts of Class AB output. Sure, it’s a hefty package with a heatsink — but it sounds amazing!

Active version of a passive re-creation of a classic

Avantone Pro’s CLA10 Active is based on its passive predecessor; itself a modern reworking of Yamaha’s legendary NS10M. Like the original, the CLA10 Active exposes every shortcoming of your mix. Nail it on a set of these, and you’re guaranteed a mix that translates everywhere. Avantone has been making replacement drivers for this monitor for a while now. These direct-replacement parts were painstakingly reverse-engineered from the source components, and have garnered acclaim for replicating their sonic signature. The CLA10 Active takes it to the next level, reproducing the entire speaker — and adding a beefy 200 watts of onboard amplification. Avantone built the CLA10 Active from top-shelf materials (some of higher quality than the originals). If you want to hear your mix — warts and all — this is the speaker to get.

The ultimate reality check

There’s nothing flat about this studio monitor’s frequency response. Like its predecessors, the CLA10 Active delivers a fatiguing, mid-heavy sound. And like most sealed-box speakers, it has limited bass extension. In other words, this isn’t the best-sounding speaker in the world. In fact, it sounds downright dreadful in some circumstances — cold and clinical. That said, it’s this quality that exposes the flaws in your mix. And that’s where this monitor’s magic lies — perfect your mix on a pair of CLA10 Actives, and it’s sure to sound great everywhere.

Physically and sonically identical to the original

Except for its built-in amplification circuitry, the Avantone Pro CLA10 Active is physically identical to the original. Its tweeter dome uses the same phenolic resin doping to match the original’s performance curve. Its woofer uses custom-tooled mechanical parts that mirror the original. The CLA10 Active’s woofer cone eschews the original’s curl-and-join construction for a modern pressed design, but is an exact sonic match. Avantone even sourced the cone material from the original vendor! All of the CLA10 Active’s passive components were reverse-engineered from the original speaker for an exact match throughout the frequency range.

Meticulously tested for top-notch performance

In spite of the CLA10 Active being sonic clone of the venerable NS10M, it uses higher-grade components than the original. This allows for tighter production tolerance and meets current ROHS and WEEE requirements. And these monitors were tested in extremis. At Sweetwater, we’ve rarely seen such meticulous quality control. Avantone conducted hundreds of hours of testing to ensure as close a match as possible. Every component was tested in one of the world’s top studios. Every magnet was tested in the gap for field density, ensuring a uniform performance curve. And before it was given the stamp of approval, a range of esteemed recording engineers reached a consensus that the CLA10 is an exact match to the original — it’s the real deal!

Avantone Pro CLA-10 Active Studio Monitor Pair Features:

• Powered re-creation of the Yamaha NS10M
• Onboard 200W Class AB amplification
• Mid-heavy sound exposes every shortcoming of your mix
• Physically and sonically identical to the original design
• Hundreds of hours of testing ensure as close a match as possible
• All components were reverse-engineered from the original speaker for an exact frequency match
• Tweeter dome uses the same phenolic resin doping to match the original’s performance curve
• Woofer uses custom-tooled mechanical parts that mirror the original
• Inductors match the original in DC resistance, winding dimensions, and value
• Uses numerous higher-grade components than the original for tighter production tolerance and ROHS and WEEE compliance