Tascam just announced the launch of a new 2-way compact studio monitoring solution available for $99. The new Tascam VL-S3 are 2-way powered monitors with a 3” woofer and rear ported design. A pair of RCA inputs accept any line-level input, while a 1/8” stereo mini jack allows playing from smartphones or MP3 players.
Tascam intends to make studio monitors available to a wider audience by directly replacing cheap desktop multimedia speakers for the same or even lower price. According to Tascam, the new VL-S3 2-way desktop powered monitors “cost the same as a pair of headphones”. Since the estimated street price is only $99.99 (per pair), one should add “a pair of cheap headphones”.
But how do you design good quality - active - monitors for such a low price? According to Tascam, the 2-way powered monitors include a 1/2-inch tweeter and a 3” woofer with rear ported design (bass-reflex) which makes it possible to achieve a wider frequency response from 80Hz up to 22kHz. An efficient 14W per side stereo power amplifier drives the two monitors with a 8kHz crossover frequency.
Of course Tascam doesn’t say the VL-S3’s are the “ultimate” high-quality monitoring solution but they will be able to be used almost anywhere and are ideal for bedroom studios, video editing suites, etc., while providing the level of accuracy needed for reliable recording and mixing work.
Aware of the fact that the user profile for the VL-S3’s will also be using consumer-grade audio equipment, Tascam fitted these monitors with a pair of RCA inputs that accept any line-level signal, and provides a stereo 1/4” jack to RCA cable in the package. Also available is a 1/8” stereo mini jack for playing from smartphones or MP3 players - located in the rear panel. That makes sense.
And they are shipping now.
www.tascam.com
