Bookshelf Speakers — ProAc Studio SM100

The Studio SM100 belongs to the Studio range of professional near-field monitors made by ProAc in Brackley, Northamptonshire. It replaces the original Studio 100, which stayed in production for more than 20 years until 2013. The earlier model was designed for both domestic and studio use and became widely used as a near-field monitor in professional studios around the world. According to ProAc, the SM100 keeps the cabinet of the original while every other parameter has been improved.

Key specs that matter

ProAc gives a frequency range of 35 Hz to 30 kHz and a sensitivity of 88 dB linear for 1 watt at 1 metre. Nominal impedance is 8 ohms, and recommended amplifiers run from 30 to 150 watts. The cabinet is 406 mm high, 203 mm wide and 254 mm deep, and each speaker weighs 12 kg.

Engineering and use context

A ProAc 165 mm (6.5 inch) woofer with a treated cone and a dust cap handles bass and midrange. Its rubber surround was chosen for better longevity and power handling, and the driver sits in a basket made by ProAc. Above it is a 25 mm (1 inch) silk dome tweeter with a roll surround and a special front plate that ProAc fitted to reduce distortion. The crossover network is also new, and Stewart Tyler, who founded ProAc more than 40 years ago and remains its chairman, is the designer behind the range. The maker builds it on a dedicated board from components it describes as its finest, and multistrand oxygen free copper cable is used throughout the internal wiring. The company presents the model as a combination of studio monitor accuracy with the character of its domestic range. An acoustically transparent crimplene cover protects the front, and the standard finishes are Cherry and Black Ash. ProAc states that its cabinets are damped internally and dressed in real wood veneer taken from sustainably managed forests. ProAc recommends stand mounting and lists shelf mounting as possible. Production takes place by hand in the Brackley workshop, where one technician carries out the build and the final test of every cabinet.

Pairing

Separate terminal pairs for the two halves of the network mean that owners can connect two cable runs to each speaker or give the woofer and tweeter sections an amplifier channel each.

Alternatives

The ProAc Response D2 is a stand-mount of similar size with a glass fibre cone unit, a front port, a 30 Hz lower limit and a 20 to 150 watt rating.