Francis Adamiak
Sigberg Audio, a Norwegian company established in 2020, has unveiled its latest innovation: the MANTA active monitors featuring a cardioid pattern. Specializing in the design and manufacture of active speaker systems and subwoofers, Sigberg Audio conducts both design and production operations in Norway.
Conventional dynamic drivers typically emit sound waves in all directions, particularly in the low-frequency range, resulting in only a fraction of the sound energy reaching the listener’s position. The remaining energy often generates reflections from the room’s walls, potentially causing sound distortion.
Sigberg Audio asserts that the MANTA monitors achieve a cardioid polar pattern across an “exceptionally wide frequency range without compromising performance,” effectively concentrating sound energy towards the listener.
Similar to the Sigberg Audio SBS.1 active monitors, the MANTA speakers are designed to complement triphonic setups with an active subwoofer.
The company highlights, “Despite the 12-inch driver, the lower limit of the MANTA frequency range is 90 Hz. This means it is essentially a 4-way speaker unit that integrates perfectly with our subwoofers.”
Sigberg Audio’s MANTA active monitors are now open for pre-order through the company’s official website. The suggested retail prices are $13,300, €12,300, or £11,000.
Specifications:
- Type: 3-way (with subwoofer – 4-way) active speaker system
- Drivers: 12″ midbass, coaxial driver – 5.5″ midrange driver and 1″ silk dome tweeter
- Amplifier: Three-channel Hypex nCore class D amplifier with DSP (650 watts per channel)
- Equalizer / Room Correction: 9-band parametric equalizer
- Frequency response: 20 – 20,000 Hz (indoor with subwoofer) / 90 – 20,000 Hz +/-2.5 dB (anechoic)
- THD: <0.5% at 96dB/1m
- Maximum sound pressure level: 122 dB (at 1 m)
- Cardioid dispersion characteristics (120-180°): ~100 – 500 Hz: 10 – 12 dB attenuation / ~500 Hz – 1 kHz: 16 – 20 dB attenuation / ~1 – 5 kHz: 25 dB attenuation
- Analog Inputs: RCA unbalanced, XLR balanced (input/bypass)
- Digital inputs: optical, coaxial SPDIF (in/bypass), AES/EBU (in/bypass)
- Dimensions of a single monitor (W x H x D): 360 x 600 x 350 mm, stand height 1070 mm
- Single monitor weight: 25 kg (without stand)
- Scope of delivery: Stainless steel MANTA freestanding stand tilting the speaker by 4 degrees, USB cable, power cable