M-Audio has announced the release of the AV32 and AV42, two new compact powered loudspeaker systems.

M-Audio AV42

Building on the proven success of their best-selling AV30 and AV40, the new M-Audio AV32 and AV42 offer detailed, powerful sound and convenient hookup facilities, making them ideal for producing any kind of media. They are also perfect for gaming, watching videos, and listening to music.

Polypropylene-coated woofers are used in both systems—3-inch in the AV32 and 4-inch in the AV42—for superb transient attack and unexpected bass impact. The drivers’ treated cellulose fiber substrate provides the acoustic mass required for deep bass response, while their polypropylene coating ensures that upper bass and midrange transients are reproduced with detail and precision. Drivers of this sophistication are rarely, if ever, found in this category of compact powered speakers, and they are a major contributing factor to the accurate sound and transparency of these systems.

Both systems utilize cabinets made of Medium Density Fiberboard (MDF), a dense, acoustically-inert material that prevents the cabinet vibrations that would otherwise diminish the system’s clarity. This is a huge advantage over similar-looking competitive speakers, most of which use thin, vibration-prone molded plastic housings.

The 1-inch soft-dome silk tweeters in both systems are mounted in M-Audio’s proprietary computer-optimized OptImage IV waveguide, the next generation of the OptImage III waveguide that was used to such great effect in the AV30 and AV40. The new waveguide controls the tweeter’s dispersion, ensuring optimum listening-area sound coverage, free from the random acoustic “splatter” of uncontrolled designs. The OptImage IV waveguide provides an even smoother frequency response and a more uniform radiation pattern for these new speakers than the already-excellent OptImage III waveguide.

Convenient operation of the AV32 and AV42 was just as high a design priority as outstanding acoustic performance. The Left speaker of each pair contains the system’s 2-channel amplifier, along with the Power on/off and Volume controls. The front panel of both systems has a 1/8-inch stereo auxiliary input for connecting your laptop or desktop computer, MP3 player, or other audio sources as well as a 1/8-inch headphone output for private listening.

“Media producers and music enthusiasts require high-performance speakers that really deliver the acoustic goods in a compact, easy-to-use package. Our previous AV-series powered speakers set the standard in that regard, but these new AV32 and AV42 take refined, high-output performance and flexible, simple operation to a new level,” said J.C. Sutherland, Product Manager for M-Audio. He added, “The new AV32 and AV42 offer a combination of sophisticated components and materials that results in performance, build quality and value that is simply not available anywhere else in this category of product. We’re very proud of these new speakers.”

The AV42 will be available for $149.99 USD per pair, the AV32 is $99.99 per pair.

More information: M-Audio