Hafler M5 Two-Way Closefield Monitors Publication: PRO AUDIO REVIEW Author: Bruce Bartlett Date: June 2000 See specs on this product I was impressed with the Hafler M5 close-field monitors as soon as I heard them. These passive monitors have a gutsy character that belies its compact size. You can easily carry a pair of M5s with you, set them up in seconds and have a useful monitoring system. Features The M5 includes a 5.25" vented woofer with a mineral-loaded polypropylene cone for smooth response and low intermodulation distortion. The woofer¹s nitrile rubber surround is said to provide fast damping. According to Hafler, "the linear characteristic of the multirolled flat spider and the nitrile rubber edge also ensures low levels of harmonic distortion (THD)." A 1" silk dome tweeter rests at the bottom of an exponential horn/waveguide. As for the crossover, it is a fourth-order Linkwitz-Riley design at 3.2 kHz. Cabinet finish is black textured vinyl on 5/8" medium-density fiberboard (MDF). Internal bracing is used to reduce wall flexing and cabinet resonances. On the front of the cabinet is the woofer port (a slot) and a tweeter pad switch which drops the tweeter level 3 dB. I really like this feature. I have wished that many monitors have this switch because their overbright high-end resulted in dull mixes. When its tweeter is attenuated, the M5 sounds more like a Westlake monitor. The back of the cabinet contains a pair of gold five-way binding posts. Magnetic shielding allows the speaker to be used near computer monitors. As a thoughtful touch, an optical circuit is included to protect the drivers from overload. Hafler specs for frequency response as 70 Hz to 21 kHz +/- 3 dB. Peak acoustic output is said to be 110 dB per pair with music at 1 meter. Claimed THD at 90 dB, 1 meter, is less than 3% from 70 Hz to 150 Hz and less than 1% above 150 Hz. The M5 is rated at 20 to 200 W program power. Sensitivity is greater than 89 dB/W at 1 meter and nominal impedance is 6 ohms. This is a compact speaker, about 7" x 12" and 7" deep. Weight is 10 lb. each. In Use I placed a pair of M5s on stands behind my console, 8" from an absorbent wall behind them, 3¹ apart and 3¹ away, toed in. With most recordings I preferred the tweeter at full volume. Here is how the M5s reproduced instruments on CDs: Bass: Full and tight. Deep notes are weak. Some doubling is audible, but this is a small speaker. Piano: Mostly natural, very slightly tubby, clear or forward upper mids. Acoustic guitar: Detailed string plucks. Electric guitar: Delicious! Meaty with a good bite. Vocal: Natural, clear. Vocals that were recorded with strong sibilants sounded that way. Drums: Full, strong, and snappy Cymbals and percussion: Crisp. Not quite as smooth as in some monitors, but close. Sax: Full yet with a breathy edge. Orchestra: Natural timbres with the tweeter switch turned down. Neither harsh nor muffled. At a Glance Applications: Project studio; multimedia production Key Features: 5.25" woofer, 1" silk dome tweeter; magnetic shielding; high frequency pad switch Price: $598/pair Contact: Hafler at 480-967-3565; http://www.hafler.com The Hafler M5 had a punchy, immediate, palpable character. I heard sharp imaging, as well as a fine resolution of reverb structure and placement. There was some audible blurring or grunge with complex mixes at high volume because the M5 is a small monitor. My mixes done on NHT Pro (now Vergence Technology, Inc.) A-20 monitors translated well to the Haflers, but sounded slightly warmer (tubbier?) in the midbass, and a little more forward or bright in the upper mids. Summary The Hafler M5 meets its specs very closely. Although it has the usual tradeoff between deep bass and small size, the M5 sounds fine if you don¹t push it too hard. Its slightly elevated bass and upper mids help it suggest a car speaker or boom box without straying far from accuracy. In other words, it is a clever blend of real-world speaker and a flat reference monitor. The M5 sounds very good for a compact, low-cost monitor and is well worth checking out. Bruce Bartlett, a regular Pro Audio Review contributor, is a senior microphone design engineer and technical writer for Crown International.	More Reviews The Hafler M5 Passive Speakers Hafler M5 Two-Way Closefield Monitors HAFLER TRM 6 - A Compact, more affordable version of the acclaimed TRM8
Hafler • 546 S. Rockford Dr. • Tempe, AZ 85281 • U.S.A.