Achieving the best possible overall performance from a live sound system is the goal to which we surely all aspire, but it's often easy to forget just how important a part the quality of the stage‑monitor system plays. I think I have changed my main speakers two or three times over the past few years, and I have various rigs available for different occasions, but I have stuck with the same monitors throughout and never regarded them as very high up on my 'things to buy' list. So how tempting would it be to spend a while in the company of a hot little Italian job?
The StageMaxx 12MA is a self‑powered 12‑inch stage monitor with a gas‑injected, bass‑reflex polypropylene shell. My first visual impressions were of a very compact, extremely low‑profile design with a smooth, up‑to‑date curvy look that is about as unobtrusive as you can get — none of your chunky black carpeted rock & roll boxes here.
The 12MA is a bi‑amplified unit, with 400W and 100W Class‑D amplifiers (continuous ratings are 350W and 80W respectively). Crossed over at 1.8kHz, the 400W amp powers a custom‑designed 12‑inch‑diameter, 2.5‑inch voice coil B&C driver, with the 100W amp feeding a one‑inch‑exit, 1.7‑inch diaphragm B&C compression driver. The drivers are arranged in a coaxial format, which significantly reduces the frontal baffle area required, thus contributing to the compact cabinet dimensions. A switch‑mode power supply helps to keep the overall weight down to under 30lb or slightly over 13kg — however you measure it that's an easy thing to lift. The acoustic output figures are given as 124dB continuous and 130dB peak, which I assume are standard on‑axis measurements taken at one metre.