New Music Gear Monday: Ocean Way Audio HR4 Monitors

Allen Sides has long been noted not only for his excellent engineering and studios, but for his studio monitors as well. I did a lot of recording at the old A&M Studios (now Henson) in Hollywood back in the 80s, and the mix rooms with Allen's original monitors always received rave reviews.

Today, Allen's Ocean Way Audio builds commercial versions of those same monitors, but has now also introduced several smaller versions, including the innovative HR4s, which are available in either a 2 or 3 way version (complete with dual subwoofers).

The HR4 features the excellent transient response that Allen's monitors have long been known for. wide dispersion for a wide sweet spot, and an extended frequency range going from 35Hz to 25kHz.

The system is self-powered at 250 watts, which might seem a bit low by today's standards. Due to the efficiency of the horn-loaded design, that turns out to be plenty of power and headroom for everyday use (see the video for Allen's explanation). The monitors feature both analog and digital inputs, which accept up to 192kHz/24 bit data streams.

The Ocean Way Audio H4s are available for $8,900 a pair. You can go to the HR4 info page or watch the video below for more detail.


  

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