Legendary French Monitors designed by Philippe Bernard, of Atelier de Synergie Acoustique. These beautiful speakers were purchased originally by audio innovator and designer James Romeyn, in 2007. I believe that I am the third owner. The enclosures are of incredibly dense and highly figured solid Ovangkol. Due to it's expense, this wood is no longer available, if one were to purchase these speakers from the manufacturer today. While the cabinets are completely inert, the sound is lush, full, and very organic in nature. The speakers remind me of an earlier pair of Reynaud Offrandes that I once owned, but with a touch more warmth, as well as body. Imaging is excellent, as one would expect from a classic two way monitor design. Per James' original ad, they were designed by a French recording engineer for extended day-long fatigue free monitoring. While they have very good treble extension, I've never detected a hint of shrillness. Bass extension is quite impressive for their size, particularly with acoustic bass and cello. The midrange is meltingly smooth, striking an excellent balance between transparency, detail and warmth. They are in perfect mechanical condition. Cosmetically, I would rate them 8/10. There are some superficial light scratches, mostly on the bottom. These would only be noticed on up-close inspection, if one were looking for imperfections. One of the grill cover fames was bent, and partially cracked, by the previous owner. Both covers work fine however, and appear normal when in place. I had used them only in between playing sessions, for protection, preferring to keep them off when listening. Please see the following link to the original owner's excellent description, for further information. http://jamesromeyn.com/#/home-audio-gear/for-sale-used-asa-pro-monitors-3kpr-usd/ From James' ad: Enclosure Material The solid Ovangkol panels are 32mm/1.26″ thick, comprised of two x 16mm layers cross-grain laminate. The top/bottom and sides comprise 80mm wide Ovangkol panels bonded together. When last priced circa early 2009, raw unplanned Ovangkol equal to one ASA Pro enclosure cost about $175 each. Deep satin “enamel” finish (per ASA). Beautiful finger joints visible at the top L/R edges from front to back (see image). The front and back are 1″ MDF, two panels 1/2″ laminated together. The laminated panels provide constrained layer damping. Specs OEM warranty: 10 years Tweeter: 28 mm silk soft dome Net weight each: 28.6 lbs/13 kg Power handling: 130 Wrms; 1kW 10ms Dimensions H x W x D: 14.5” x 9.5” x 11” top/11.75” base Midbass: 17cm diameter, composite cone, 75 mm voice coil, die cast solid aluminum frame Sensitivity: 88 dB. Input impedance: 8-Ohm nominal, 5.3 Ohm minimum. Other comments can be found here: http://www.stereophile.com/content/fifth-element-63-page-2 and in the "summing up" section of this article, by Stereophile reviewer John Marks, who indicates that he and others, including Sam Tellig, found the ASA Pro Monitors to have a "musical trueness that's hard to describe." http://www.stereophile.com/content/opera-callas-loudspeaker The article incorrectly states that they speakers are no longer in production, however. I've corresponded with Mr.Bernard within the last year, and he assures me that they are alive and well, and that he will support his product, should it ever need repair. http://www.asa.fr/EN/monitor-pro/ Unfortunately, I no longer have the original packaging, and would much prefer a local buyer. In fact, I will include at the asking price of $1,995, a pair of ideally matched 24" Osiris stands free of charge, if the speakers are picked up at my house. If this is not possible, I can ship the speakers at the buyers expense.
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