EVENT Opal

EVENT Opal Active Studio Monitor Description

Ships now with free Mogami Gold XLR cable, choose TRS or XLR.

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The Event Opal Bi-Amplified Nearfield Monitor brings true-to-life sound reproduction in a compact, black powder-coated aluminum chassis. The Opal is built to help promote pure sound with its injected molded aluminum chassis. The Opal's special design diminishes standing waves with two variable impedance ports for the low frequencies and an elliptical rotating wave guide ideal for use horizontally. The low frequency EX8 X-Coil transducer, made from polyamide-glass fiber, is powered by up to 600W of Class AB power while the 1" Neodymium HF transducer has a Beryllium copper dome powered by up to 140W of Class AB power as well.

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EVENT Opal Active Studio Monitor Features

• Bi-amplified system has 387W of continuous power for the LF driver and 112W of continuous power for the HF driver
• EX8 LF transducer and ULD1 HD transducer join together to create pure sounds usually only heard in 3-way systems
• Rotating high frequency wave guide is ideal for horizontal speaker positioning
• Flared ports with variable impedance eliminate artifacts created from room acoustics
• Chassis is designed with rounded edges to prevent standing waves while aluminum construction resists resonance

EVENT Opal Active Studio Monitor Specifications

• Low Frequency Driver: EX8 7.1" Neodymium
• High Frequency Driver: ULD1 1" Beryllium Copper
• LF Amplifier: 387W Continuous Power
• HF Amplifier: 112W Continuous Power
• Crossover: 1,600Hz
• Frequency Range: 35-22,000Hz
• Maximum Sound Pressure Level (SPL): 114dB
• Connectors: 1/4"-XLR Combo
  
• Input Impedance: 0.755 v/rms is 0dBu
• Controls and Indicators:
• Rear: Power/Voltage
• Front: LED (Power), Level, Space, Q, Frequency, Depth, LF Shelf, HF Shelf, DIM
• Shielded: Yes
• Dimensions (HxWxD): 11.6 x 17.7 x 10.8" (295 x 450 x 273mm)
• Weight: 46.74 lbs (21.2kg) (ship weight is 55 lbs)

EVENT Electronics Opal Monitor Review / See All ZenPro Audio Reviews Here: Review Page When RODE of Australia bought Event the first thing they did was scrap the current mission; every single model was discontinued and the new Event set out on a mission to create a near field active studio monitor that was low distortion and high output with great detail and realism. The short review here would be “job well done then!” as the Opal has turned out to be a very strong offering in this price bracket and certainly way more speaker than most have ever heard in an 8” design. Many months of focus for this company have certainly paid off in a way that is very beneficial to us all.   Equipped with proprietary drivers designed from the ground up, Opal utilizes a high excursion 8” glass fiber driver as well as a 1” beryllium dome tweeter. The onboard amp offers max 600W + 140W respectively to each, enormous compared to most offerings. An analog EQ section is slickly located in an access panel on the face of the units, offering gentle sound shaping for your room. Opal accepts ¼” or XLR inputs via the combo jack on the rear. There are 2 front ports on this curvy cabinet which is designed to prevent resonance and reflections. They come with a rubber mount system that can work in vertical or horizontal positions, and the tweeter can be rotated as well. I like the look of them, they look like studio monitors and are kind of muscular in appearance.   Talk about being able to hear INTO the music! The first time I put up the Opals next to some more costly speakers that I am familiar with, I was blown away at how much they revealed down to the smallest reverb tail. Transients were extremely snappy, snare drums and acoustic guitars are cracking away like they should. The body of the midrange and lower mids is nicely present, this is not a “scooped” mid sound like many 8” offerings suffer. The low end is where the Opal also kicks other designs to the curb. In my well treated control room (hey, it’s small but I’m proud of the excellent sound in here!) there is this deep and natural extension that is telling me everything. The Opal claims to reach nicely to 35hZ and they indeed do. There is no way I would ever desire a sub with them (never mind the phase issues you can introduce with subs and the fact that I just don’t mix with subs here). The X-Coil technology enables the 8” driver to deliver fast and accurate response while maintaining super low distortion. I’m telling ya, you can instantly hear that these things have almost no audible distortion and a unique clarity. Also, I just cannot hear these ports which is another gripe I have with other brands. Absolutely silent, no chuffing and puffing here.   The 1” tweeter is smooth but open sounding and not a bright or annoying sound. This is not a fatiguing or tizzy sort of metallic sound, Event nailed it with this tweeter in my opinion. I can sit in front of Opals all day without getting a headache which is good. Air is easy to hear without a boost in the top end. I am convinced the large waveguide is a huge part of this WIDE top end response, spacious sound awaits you for sure.   The EQ section is gentle but useful and does not introduce a “sound” of its own, nor does it rely on digital conversion like most others (no DSP…all analog…yay!). It also enables full, half and quarter space settings to tailor to room size and placement.   The Opals get loud, really loud. In fact in my room I really can't bear the extreme SPL it puts out while NOT hitting the limiter. Amazingly they remain clean and clear, and apparently the limiter threshold is well above any reasonable listening level.   Conclusion: A serious window into your music, the Event Opal delivers on low distortion and a deep and linear response that gives you all you need to make great mixes. The attention to this one speaker is proof that Event is “back” and deadly serious about knocking out the competition with this exceptional near field offering.