Полочная акустика — Scansonic HD L-5 Compact Monitor

The L-5 Compact Monitor is the smallest passive stereo model of the Scansonic HD L-Series, made by the loudspeaker brand of DANTAX Radio A/S in Pandrup, Denmark. The L-Series is the entry range of the brand, built around a soft dome tweeter and woofers with cones of woven fibres, a material the company picked to strike a balance between stiffness and damping. Scansonic lists the L-5 at 2,999 DKK, which places it below the L-7 Stand-Mount and the L-9, L-12 and L-14 floor standers in the same series. DANTAX was founded in 1969, took over the driver maker Scan-Speak in 1977 and bought Raidho in 2009, and Scansonic describes the L-Series as drawing on that background, with technology passed down from the more expensive Raidho range.

Key specs that matter

A 25 mm silk dome tweeter and a 4.5 inch bass and midrange driver share the work in this two-way reflex box, divided by a crossover at 2,500 Hz. Scansonic quotes a frequency range of 50 Hz to 20 kHz, a nominal impedance of 8 ohm and a sensitivity of 88 dB. The cabinet measures 150 mm wide, 232 mm high and 210 mm deep, and each unit weighs 3 kg. Three finishes are offered - black, white and walnut.

Engineering and use context

MDF is used for the enclosure, and a matte black front baffle adds a further 15 mm of material to the front panel. Scansonic says this extra layer is there to cut down unwanted vibration and resonance in the panel that carries both drivers. The bass reflex opening sits on the rear panel instead of the front, as it does across the L-Series. A grille covered in furniture-grade fabric attaches with magnets and follows the Scandinavian styling of the range. The terminals are five-way binding posts that take banana plugs, spades or stripped wire. Given the small size and low weight, the maker positions the L-5 for placement on furniture or on shelves, and describes it as a small bookshelf model that still gives a convincing result for its size.

Pairing

Within the L-Series the L-5 can be combined with the L-6 Center Speaker and the L-8 Active Subwoofer for a multichannel system, and the L On-Wall Multipurpose Loudspeaker covers positions where a speaker has to hang on a wall. The L12 SUB Active Subwoofer is a newer powered option in the same family. As a passive speaker the L-5 needs an external stereo amplifier or receiver, and the five-way posts accept whatever cable termination is used on the amplifier side.

Alternatives

The Scansonic L-7 Stand-Mount is the other bookshelf model in the same L-Series, priced above the L-5.