REC M15 Monitors Testing by the “Soundman” company

Zhytomyr’s company “REC” is known to Ukrainian and Russian users for a long time but it is associated with the budget professional equipment that matches of its price and has any remarkable differences in the memory for most people in the past. But since recently, the policy of the company has cardinally changed. It followed by a complete rejection of the old line of sound equipment and the development of new models. It is used the products exclusively by the Italian company RCF in all acoustic products but the housing and body kit are created by Ukrainian engineers. This equipment is not a budget series and refers to the middle class, which is significantly and at a retail price of the product under consideration today REC M15 - $ 1499.


During a conducted tour of the manufacturing company REC, recently organized by the Ukrainian Union of Sound Engineers, there were demonstrated  the product assembly departments where we were able to ensure of high production standards and staff qualification.

The following presentation of the Monitors from the product engineers allowed widely us to get to know about the features of this model 

Taking the opportunity, I offered to take a few monitors for testing in order to form an opinion and check them in real working using, after that to write a review for the company and to the website Soundman. Company representatives agreed with my proposition.and the differences from competitors. According to their words there were used specially developed filters that minimize the delay and equalizing phase in the Monitors M15. It was also developed a special horn that is forming a correct polar pattern and compensating some factory features of the acoustic frequency characteristics. It can be seen on the photo without protective grid.

Two-way coaxial stage monitor REC M15 has a birch plywood body of 18 mm thickness (colored with a textured acrylic paint), nominal electric output 600 W (1200 W max), impedance 8 Ohm, coaxial 15-inch"dynamic with a horn 50 ° x 80 °, sensitivity 99 dB, maximum effective sound pressure 133 dB, frequency range is from 60 Hz to 20 kHz (-6 dB). It is used RCF Precision CX15N351 with neodymium magnets: LF 15” (coil 3,5”) and HF radiator of diameter 2,5” (titanium diffuser) that is loaded on a horn (throat diameter 1,4”). Frequency range of the built-in crossover is 1,25 kHz. There are Neutrik Speakon NL-4 connectors, metal protective grid of 2 mm thickness that is covered inside with the acoustically transparent foam material. Total dimensions of the Monitor are 358 x 576 x 605 mm, weight 29 kg. Complete specification is on the production website.

Industrial design of the Monitor is really nice and looks like very “brandy”, so it can be confused with one of the industrial leaders - d & b audiotechnik M4 from the distance. The quality of materials and manufacturing is very good. It is not ashamed for this product in any world market. Special thanks to the low profile. It is very convenient in practice, and the TV workers will be happy – frame is much cleaner.


There were used four new Monitors M15 together with our rental unit db technologies DVA for a concert of Vasiliy Bondarchuk in a private corporate party in the Conference Hall of the Hotel “Ramada Encore”.

The Hall differs of absolutely unsuitable acoustics for live performances: low ceilings, concrete floor and wide columns. As we know Vasiliy Bondarchuk sings only alive and he has very critical attitude to the sound quality. But we need work and begin to put our equipment therefore, once again remembered the hall designers of kindly quiet word


Four monitors REC M15 were arranged in a semicircle with a large radius of the arc and got startedby theAmplifier Crown XTi 2000, two monitors on one channel. As a result it is used 400W (RMS) for each monitor. Equalization - DBX 1231, the resulting curve tuned for Shure Beta 58A can be seen on the photo. As you can see, it is a smooth line despite of the rather difficult working conditions.

Subjectively: Monitors provide sufficient sound pressure and are not too prone to feedback. According to the above equalization of 45-minutes concert they were not started. The mainfeature of the monitors is bright and "close" vocal, even on the standard records it seems that the lead vocals took a step forward in your direction and separated from the group, so tangible and close his voice. Perhaps this is the result of efforts to reduce the delay and phase distortion. The sensitivity of the dynamics is not a record. I recommend take a more powerful amplifier.The Monitors sound timbre nicer according to many other ones blaming to "cardboard" overtone in the lower middle, for example, some models of db technologies, or ragged and piping middle like the JBL SRX series. Conversely, the sound is close to hi-fi quality but with the above-mentioned feature of the stand out and "nearing" vocal. A polar pattern intentionally narrowed into a horizontal plane can clearly select the right operating segment and not interfere to other musicians. Moreover it allows go away from a feedback making literally step aside if it necessary.

 

Conclusions: beautiful and well-set monitors produced ​​at the best world standards level, provide a high-quality sound without requiring deep EQ and worthy standing the test for feedback provocation. Generally it is hard to find fault with anything in this case. But I think that they are too heavy for passive models, as well as, the price could be little less for Ukraine. Some period of time it will be a barrier of prejudice towards the Ukrainian production that is not expected much from and is not included to the rider yet.

Monitors for a testing were provided by http://rec.ua/

Source: soundman, photos and text Alexei Malaynyi.