AudioSmile Launches Refined Little British Monitor

AudioSmile, the brand of designer and maker Simon Ashton, has reached out to audioXpress to let us know about the release of a new version of the Little British Monitor (LBM), a successor to its previous (and highly praised) LBM and LBM MK2 models. Far more than a simple iteration, the new LBM (MK3) is a ground-up redesign to achieve the very best performance in a desktop-sized active speaker package. Available as both a finished product or a build-you-own kit. AudioSmile was founded by Simon Ashton, a young British speaker designer and entrepreneur that, among other speakers, designed the amazing Little British Monitor, which he managed to successfully fund on Kickstarter. audioXpress published a Q&A with Simon in its November 2015 issue detailing that design.

While the two original versions of the Little British Monitor focused on combining quality and convenience, the new LBM is described by Simon as "the distillation of high-end studio monitoring into a compact form. Designed from the ground up to excel in every metric, it’s perfect for those who demand purity of sound whether for mobile recording, desktop audio or simply to create an unobtrusive listening system with the added convenience of Bluetooth aptX HD connectivity."

Available as a DIY kit, this compact monitor not only saves cost but provides a highly enjoyable project for DIY enthusiasts, even for those with little experience, leaving them a cherished item they can use every day. For those who prefer the convenience of a finished version, the LBM will surprise in terms of performance.
The LBM Design
Identifying port noise and resonance leakage as common weaknesses in competitors' products, AudioSmile embarked on an extensive research project culminating in a 39-page technical paper on port design. That report details an optimized constrained layer damped port and how it provides improved bass extension and output capability while keeping the midrange performance as clean as a sealed-box system.

This research was fully incorporated in the new LBM design, which also features a new wide-band tweeter that takes over from the woofer at 1.5KHz, a full octave earlier than most small speakers. This design ensures superior driver integration and minimizes modulation by the woofer, delivering a more cohesive and open sound. The wide-band tweeter also features a meticulously designed waveguide and an integrated phase lens that broadens the sweet spot for the highest frequencies.
  "The new LBM features a custom-designed tweeter waveguide, minimizing cabinet edge diffraction while ensuring consistent directivity across the full frequency range. Combined with a low 1.5KHz crossover frequency and close driver spacing, the LBM provides consistent high performance regardless of listening angle, even in the vertical axis," Simon shares.

The choice of 12mm Birch plywood provides a distinctive and strong front baffle, while the high-resin MDF main body incorporates steel beams that provide an inert foundation for the woofer. Extensive anechoic measurements in the design phase helped to pin point and eliminate any cabinet panel resonance with internal bracing.

Additional features are the use of DSP crossovers with user-adjustable boundary compensation, low distortion class A/B amplification, Bluetooth AptX connectivity and AudioSmile's unique desktop stands called Little Feet with vibration damping and adjustable angle.

A lot more information and measurements are available on the AudioSmile website, where the new Little British Monitor can be ordered for £529 GBP for the finished product, and £349 GBP as a DIY kit.
www.audiosmile.com