Review: Blackmagic Design Audio Monitor

In Use

Considering that I’d be using the Blackmagic Audio Monitor to replace a much smaller set of speakers, I expected it to have a much bigger, fuller sound. Considering the cost, I expected high frequencies to sound crisp, clean, and detailed. I expected the audio meters to have several customizable features, such as peak hold, brightness, and adjustable zero so I could match it with my source and trust the Audio Monitor's meters. I even expected the ability to adjust the Audio Monitor'’s EQ to compensate for placement in the room, and so forth.

I found none of that.

How did the Audio Monitor sound, placed under the computer monitor directly in front of me, and suspended above the table by a foam mat (standard practice for bookshelf speakers to reduce coupling), as shown in Figure 6 (below)?

Figure 6. The Blackmagic Audio Monitor in my desktop configuration. Click the image to see it at full size.

High frequencies were clear, but lacking. It felt they rolled off about 5-10k. The Audio Monitor has more depth than the very basic Dell audio speakers, but not by a lot. There are no published frequency response specifications for the Audio Monitor’s speakers.

I found no evidence of in-unit EQ’ing to make the most of the drivers it has (bring up the bass to compensate for the natural roll-off.) The tweeters were more directional than I expected. If I’d mounted the unit in a rack or used it on location, it’s very likely that the people listening would not be ear-level in front of it. I sat in front of it, but my ears were about 20" higher than the table. And, despite reflections from the table it is sitting on, the sound is clearly better when I get down right at eye level with the speakers.

When I switched back to my Dell under-monitor speakers, the highs popped right out and the clarity of music and dialogue really came through. But the mids and bottom were gone compared to the Blackmagic Audio Monitor. There’s clearly a difference on both ends of the spectrum.

I did manage to deliberately distort the audio on input by cranking the computer output to 100%. The meters on the Blackmagic Audio Monitor were just barely touching the first bar or two of yellow (-10dB). This is correct metering of “consumer” line-level audio. But considering that my edit timeline was peaking out, I wanted the ability to adjust the Blackmagic Audio Monitor’s meters to reflect my timeline level, not the limitations of consumer line-level output. Or, like on an audio mixer, a simple +4/-10 switch at the inputs which can pre-boost my consumer level to professional level inside the device.

There are buttons to solo the left and right channels (see Figure 4). This is good. Very often audio is recorded split, or there may be a little noise in the audio. Being able to solo a channel is very handy. The channel that is solo’d is highlighted green. The meter continues to show what's going on both channels. However, the Blackmagic Audio Monitor just mutes the other channel. Unlike audio mixers or camcorders, “soloing” a channel on the Blackmagic Audio Monitor does not feed that one channel of audio to both sides, which I feel it should.

Feeding the Audio Monitor some high-bitrate music from my phone (I used multiple sources for testing), I enlisted the help of a software equalizer. By cranking 60Hz to +15db, and also adding the equalizer's Bass Boost at 100% (Figure 7, below), I ended up with the sound I expected from the outset. I also had to increase high frequencies as well. It’s a shame that I’m not able to use the USB connection, on an on-screen menu, to go in and EQ the Audio Monitor to sound like I know it should when I listen to music that I know.

Figure 7. Using the Audio Monitor’s Bass Booster to match the expected sound levels

Lastly, I fed the Blackmagic Audio Monitor the computer output after bringing the level up with a Mackie Mixer (Figure 8, below). I did get the meter levels I expected and it had more strength to the signal. I used the 80 Hz and 12 kHz pots on the mixer to add the depth and sparkle I expected. But it’s ungainly to have to compensate by adding this level of hardware outside the Audio Monitor’s Audio Mixer.

Figure 8. The Mackie Mixer crowded onto my desk

On several of the web pages for the Blackmagic Audio Monitor it says "Lightweight and Loud!" and "Loud clear audio," but with the external EQ software raising every level (Figure 9, below), the phone at maximum, and the Blackmagic Audio Monitor at maximum, in my edit suite and sitting 2 feet away, I never felt it was "Loud!" Strong, yes. But not loud. With the Mackie providing the +4 dBu levels, and EQ’ing the signal, it started to provide the sound I expected out of the box.

Figure 9. The Blackmagic Audio Monitor software Equalizer

I also expected there to be enough headroom in the output of the Blackmagic Audio Monitor to know that it can get louder than I want or need to listen. That would mean there’s the proper headroom for dynamic transients to be reproduced properly, even at lower volumes. I never turn my home stereo all the way up. I never turn my car radio all the way up. But I felt the Blackmagic Audio Monitor was really only usable with the volume set to maximum.