Mark & Daniel Loudspeakers

Bringing the truly new, and a bit of the old, into two brilliantly designed bookshelf monitors.

"I could hear deep-sea diving, uncluttered bass right from the start. The mid to high range was crystal clear and transparent. And so coherent!­The Maximus reminded me of being in the recording studio during my days; when orchestral music played, I felt like being the conductor, with the full ensemble wrapping around me. The soundstage was wide open and layered like a big onion. Incredible detail and microdynamics - you wouldn't have to search for them, they'd come and get you. This is the most revealing speaker I've ever encountered."

- David Kan , reviewer Toronto
www.6moons.com hi-end on-line magazine
http://www.6moons.com/audioreviews/markdaniel/maximus.html

What I like about the Mark & Daniel loudspeakers
Well, for one the sound. Simply put, you will not believe the tansparency, speed, coherance, and sheer amount of sound that eminates from the Ruby and Maximus monitors. Nothing on the market today has more advanced driver technology. High excursion woofers with Neodymium magnets that keep the voice coil in the magnetic gap throughout the entire range of it's excursion. Giving you high output, low distortion bass at full volume. You simply won't believe a speaker this small can hit hard at 40 Hz and not even break a sweat. But they do. Wide dispersion Heil Air Motion HF drivers that are crossed as low as 800 Hz presenting a huge, dynamic cohesive and deep soundstage like nothing you have heard in this price range. I have always been a fan of a single wide bandwidth driver crossed well out of the 2kHz band (an area where our ears are particularly sensitive to distortion and phase), the SP Technology speakers do this very well, but for those of us who do not have the space for their loudspeakers the M&D loudspeakers are a perfect fit. In fact, the M&D's go higher and are yet another level of transparency and speed above my beloved SP Techs.

So what makes these speakers different from any other?

1) The High Frequency Drivers are extremely wide bandwidth covering 5 octaves ( 800Hz-22kHz), and having a radiating surface area 60 times greater than a 1" dome tweeter, yet only 20% of its weight. The DM-1 utilizes a 10 micron (0.0004") ultra-thin aluminium ribbon which is symmetrically folded into 52 micro elements, constituting a diaphragm area more than 60 times that of a 1" dome while its attendant mass is less than 20%. The diaphragm is then submerged into a magnetic loop comprised of 21 Neodymium-Iron-Baron (NeFeB) magnets. The module is housed in a 5mm thick cast iron/stainless steel casing for rigidity.

Having the Dreams Driver operating over a 5 octave range has its advantages, one being getting the crossover point out of the most sensitive range of human hearing, the 2-4kHz range. It is here where we are most sensitive to distortion, phase anomolies, etc. This is precisely the range where most 2 way loudspeakers are crossed over due to the limitations of the high frequency drivers they select. The result can be smearing, distortion and an unnatural timbre in the vocal ranges. Mark & Daniel speakers are crossed over well below this range (a full octave), yielding a much more organic, cohesive sound presentation.

The Maximus Monitor's HF Driver utilizes a 10 micron (0.0004") ultra-thin aluminium ribbon which is symmetrically folded into 52 micro elements, constituting a diaphragm area more than 60 times that of a 1" dome while its attendant mass is less than 20%.

2) The Low Frequency drivers have extremely high, extremely linear excursion. The Super Xmax Drivers are small drivers with big bass output. How did Mark & Daniel manage to change the law of physics? They of course didn't change any laws. They followed them but headed in the opposite direction of everyone else. Instead of extending the voice coil and shortening the magnetic gap, they simply extended the magnetic gap to exceed the voice coil length. Their respective Xmax values are below:

The end result is that Mark & Daniel SX woofers can move more than 3 times the amount of air compared to an ordinary bass driver of the same size, whose excursion rate is normally only 3mm in both directions. As you can see by the chart above, these Xmax values would be more akin to subwoofer figures!

Although other long-throw bass speaker designs can be found, the SX driver is one of the very few whose excursion in both directions is always entirely under complete magnetic control throughout this range of motion. Constant magnetic control, even at the extremes of the speaker cone's travel , produces a "tight" disciplined bass, with no unnatural overtones, and no muddiness. The sound is clean, coherent, and accurate to the original source recording, not a vague approximation.

"...Mark & Daniel SX woofers can move more than 3 times the amount of air compared to an ordinary bass driver of the same size..."

M&D's patented SX technology also employs the expensive NdFeB magnet to ensure a very powerful and even magnetic field. A high-efficient ribbon copper voice coil is wound around a TIL fiberglass former that can withstand 250ºC. The ultra-large rubber surround is out of proportion for a driver of its size. The cone is tough compound paper and the frame is die-cast aluminium. As a final touch, the signal-carrying lead-out wires that run behind the cone are secured by being threading through rings of DuPont Matamax dampers, protecting them from vibration caused by the enormous firepower. What we have here is a super driver that delivers deeper undistorted bass at much higher levels with more than double the linear excursion and at least 7dB higher SLPs than conventional drivers of the same size.

3) The enclosures are cast out of a single piece of Material. To complete the speaker package, M&D opted for a conventional boxy enclosure made of a not so conventional material: compound artificial marble (CAM). It's polished to a glossy shine. This material is similar to DuPont's Corian, more than twice as dense as MDF and less easy to break than natural marble. The entire enclosure is one molded piece of art - no seams, no joints, no veneer. The compound marble skin is 12mm thick and backed by a 5mm MDF liner that's spray-painted white to give an overall strength equivalent of 30mm MDF. Do not underestimate this 5mm of MDF. It plays a vital part in conjuring the warmth and musicality that most exclusively stoned cabinets lack. The tweeter and bass compartments are completely independent and separate chambers, the former being very shallow and just deep enough to contain the DREAMS HF module. Both chambers are generously lined with 20mm thick polyfoam to further damp cabinet vibrations.

Unique drivers with leading edge technology and the special Compound Marble hand-crafted enclosures produce clarity of sound that simply must be heard to be believed. All major components are developed and crafted "in-house" for unparalleled performance.

From Mini Monitors to Floorstanders
A full-range product line of M&D® speakers is available for your selection at Quest For Sound. The Muse series is a great choice for hi-end AV speaker applications. For hi-fi reproduction, many start with our miniature speaker, the 5" Maximus- Ruby , or the 6.5" Maximus-Monitor . The 8" versatile Aragorn sound system is a superb choice for demanding audiophiles, and the huge 10" Apollo sound systems can re-produce enough low-end bass to shake any listening room while providing stunning clarity and transparency to the upper end of the audio spectrum.

The Omni-Harmonizer
The Omni-Harmonizer is designed as an auxiliary device to work with Mark & Daniel loudspeakers. It is purposely designed to respond to musical High Frequency harmonics, from 7KHz up to 35KHz.

The Omni-Harmonizer is not just a super HF tweeter, nor is it designed to produce a stronger High Frequency output with an existing speaker system. If were these modifications would only shape the system high frequency response into an abnormal output. The true significance of this unit is to obtain a more vivid spatiality with the High Frequency harmonics by producing a certain proportion of indirectly HF reflections to the listener. This is centrally derived from Omni-Harmonizer's 360° radiation into the listening room.

Noting that we can hardly find a musical instrument having fundamental tones over 4KHz; the M&D's super tweeter, with Dreams technology, is specially designed to only respond to music HF harmonics, from 7KHz up to 35KHz. This thereby achieves better acoustic spatiality in the very high frequency band.

A DM-2 Dreams super tweeter, with high power handling and low FMD reproduction capability, is mounted face upwards on the Omni-Harmonizer's base unit. Made from compound marble, an acoustics diffusive-cone is placed on the unit's top facing downwards to provide a 4-D (360 degree) audio radiation into the entire room space. Listeners will no longer hear HF harmonics from the speaker's tweeter only, but additionally they will now hear many indirect reflections from the listening room. This will create a more vivid and life-like music reproduction from the very high frequencies.

Mark & Daniel Speakers

Imagine if there was a way to take the bass performance, sound stage, and spatial clarity of floor-standing speakers and not just shrink that speaker it into bookshelf size but actually create a better performing, more accurate miniature speaker.

Introducing the revolutionary Maximus bookshelf speakers engineered by Mark & Daniel.The sound systems with pioneering concepts and technologies.

We have now achieved these remarkable breakthroughs in audio technology:

• The world's first 800Hz low crossover 2-way bookshelf speaker with low FMD index design.
• The exclusive Dreams wideband high resolution driver covers 800Hz up to 22KHz, ensureing perfect reproduction of the essential MF (800Hz to 4KHz) and HF band.
• A woofer having a superb 10mm linear excursion made possible by patented SX technology, and capable of at least 7dB higher SPL output with a true low F3 bass reproduction.
• Hand-made seamless Compound Marble enclosure assures rigidity and style.

M&D®'s Maximus sound systems, the most creative and powerful bookshelf speakers ever made!

The Drivers
M&D® has achieved several breakthroughs in speaker design that redefine speaker systems based on true hi-fi fundamentals. The results are a profound innovation for the audio driving modules, made possible by their unique Dreams wideband high-resolution driver for tweeters, and their patented SX technology for woofers.

Unique drivers with leading edge technology and the special Compound Marble hand-crafted enclosures produce clarity of sound that simply must be heard to be believed. All major components are developed and crafted "in-house" for unparalleled performance.

For hi-fi reproduction, many start with our miniature speaker, the 5" Maximus- Ruby , or the 6.5" Maximus-Monitor . Both have won high praise and awards from audiophiles and the press.

Unified sonic character
All speakers produced by Mark & Daniel® have a unified sonic character. The only real difference is their output capability which should be tailored to fit different listening environments. With the Maximus Ruby being recommended for smaller rooms, and the Maximus monitor recommended for small to medium sized living spaces.

Aragorn-Monitor

The Aragorn-Monitor is a two-way, 800Hz low- crossover, low FMD index, bookshelf sized monitor speaker; in addition, it has a special "build-in" designs to link with two optional devices: the Omni-Harmonizer and Bass-Extender unit. Together, they comprise the ultimate Aragorn sound system. Each Aragorn-Monitor consists of one M&D proprietary DM-1 Dreams driver, carefully pair-matched for wideband reproduction, from 800Hz up to 22KHz, which virtually guarantees true fidelity reproduction,

high dynamic output, and very low FMD pollution covering the most essential (800-4KHz) Mid Frequency band, and the complete High Frequency band with one single driver. This is accomplished without acoustics crossovers, without phase variation, without any LC compensation network in perfection.

In order to achieve such unparalleled sound quality, one very powerful 8" woofer, using M&D 's patented SX (Super Xmax) technology, is employed for the Aragorn- Monitor speaker. An outstanding drive with low distortion and optimized Q-control is accomplished across 800Hz down to 36Hz (system F3). This achievement is due to the woofer's exceptional ± 15mm (1.2") linear excursion, even under a very high SPL bass reproduction.

Each speaker enclosure is hand-made and crafted from costly compound marble material (CAM), The cabinet is extremely rigid and heavy (each weighs up to 26Kg, or 57lb) to properly handle the enormous internal pressures developed by this exceptional 8" SX bass driver. The unique and sophisticated shape of the enclosure was designed to effectively eliminate undesired internal reflections and acoustic diffractions along the panel borders for both driving units.

The Aragorn-Monitor unit dimensions are H42.0 xW26.6 xD35.0cm (H16.5"xW10.5"xD13.8"). Although the Aragorn is only a mid-sized bookshelf speaker in dimension, it compares favorably to most floor-standing systems in performance with true premium sound quality. The average sensitivity is 85dB/2.83V/1m, and the impedance curve shows a nominal impedance to 3.2 Ohms with an outstanding flatness (within ±0.2 Ohms, from 100Hz to 20KHz) that provides a truly stable operation for the amplifier. A minimum of 150-Watt output, high current power amplifier with the low impedance driving capability is recommended for the Aragorn-Monitor in order to obtain best results.

A bi-wire connection in between the amplifier to speaker is required. Three pairs of speaker terminals are easily accessed at the back panel of Aragorn-Monitor ; the lower terminal pair is for LF connection to the 8" woofer; the middle pair is for MF+HF connection to the Dreams wideband driver; and a spared upper pair is internally wired with the middle pair for the connection to the optional Omni-Harmonizer .

On the enclosure's top, an indentation is specially designed for proper placement of the optional Omni- Harmonizer device while equipped.

BASS Extender for Aragon Monitor

list price $1,700.00 / PR

There is a heavy steel cover at the bottom side of the Aragorn-Monitor speaker which is tightly secured during bookshelf operation. When the optional Bass-Extender is attached to the Aragorn-Monitor system, it will be necessary to remove this steel cover to form an airtight tunnel there by securing the Monitor and the Bass-Extender devices together. The original bookshelf speaker is now transformed into a floor-standing system, with deeper bass reproduction achieved by this combination.

A warning: Beefy amps only
M&D loudspeakers are designed for linear, coherant output at all listening levels. The woofer's high excursion rates on both the Ruby and Maximus monitor are very capable of low bass output that belies their size. But to get the most out of these speakers requires a serious amplifier. 200 watts minimum is my recommendation. High current capability is also a must. Beware, every flaw in your system will be revealed. You may be tempted to blame the speakers, but I assure you that with high quality gear behind them, the Mark & Daniel loudspeakers deliver unparalelled sound for their size and beyond.

M&D's newly developed A-400 amplifier is an exceptional multi-purpose amplifier designed to smoothly drive and compliment all M&D® speakers, and can reveal details with other manufacturers' speakers as well.

These products are profoundly different from today's audio mainstream. They embody both a unique character and stunning performance. Indeed, Mark & Daniel® Audio Labs has produced some of the most original and unique speakers in the market place today.

Specs:

The Ruby:

Product Description	Maximus-Ruby Miniature Speaker
Ref.Price	USD 1,800/pair for standard colors
Frequency Response	45Hz-25KHz
Two-way Crossover	900Hz
Nominal Impedance	3-6 Ohms
Average Efficiency	82.5dB/2.83V/1m
Power Handling	>80 Watts
Enclosure Material	C.A. Marble
Size (H x W x D)	29.0 x17.0 x21.3 cm
11.4" x6.7" x8.4"
Weight (each)	8.6Kg (19 lb)
Color Option	By Customer Order

The Maximus:

Product Description	Maximus Bookshelf Speaker
Ref.Price	USD 2,980/pair for Solid White color
Frequency Response	42Hz-22KHz
Two-way Crossover	800Hz
Nominal Impedance	4 Ohms
Average Efficiency	84.5dB/2.83V/1m
Power Handling	100 Watts
Enclosure Material	C.A. Marble
Size (H x W x D)	34.5x21.6 x27.5 cm
13.6"x8.5"x10.8"
Weight (each)	13.5Kg (30lb)

NEW - The Maximus Mini:

Product Description	Maximus Mini
Ref.Price	USD 1,260/pair for standard colors
Frequency Response	50Hz - 35KHz
Two-way Crossover	1400 Hz
Nominal Impedance	4 - 8 Ohms
Average Efficiency	82.5 dB/2.83V/1m
Power Handling	>= 60 Watts per channel
Enclosure Material	C.A. Marble
Size (H x W x D)	25.4 x14.2 x17.9 cm 10.0" x5.6" x7.0"
Weight (each)	6.3 Kg (14 lb)

The Aragorn

General Specification

Product Description	Aragorn-Monitor Speaker
Ref.Price	USD 4950/pair for Solid White color
Frequency Response	36Hz-22KHz
Two-way Crossover	800Hz
Nominal Impedance	3.2 ±0.2 Ohms (100Hz-20KHz)
Average Efficiency	85.0dB/2.83V/1m
Power Handling	150 Watts
Enclosure Material	C.A. Marble
Size (H x W x D)	42.0x26.6x34.8 cm
16.5"x10.5"x13.7"
Weight (each)	26 Kg (57 lb)

Product Description	Omni-Hamonizer Super Tweeter
Ref.Price	USD 950/pair for Solid White color
Frequency Response	7KHz-35KHz
Nominal Impedance	= 13 Ohms @ 10KHz
Average Efficiency	88dB/2.83V/1m (at 0dB terminal)
Sensitivity Selection	0dB, -2.5dB, -5dB
Enclosure Material	C.A. Marble
Size (H x W x D)	13.8x14.0x14.0 cm
5.4"x 5.5"x5.5"
Weight (each)	2.5Kg (5.5 lb)

Product Description	Bass-Extender Foot-stand
Ref.Price	USD 1,700.0/pair for Solid White color
Frequency Response	28Hz-22KHz w/ Aragorn-Monitor
Enclosure Material	C.A. Marble
Size (H x W x D)	70.0x32.0x41.0 cm (w/foot)
27.6"x12.6"x16.1" (w/foot)
Weight (each)	25 Kg (55 lb)

Mark & Daniel Maximus Ruby Mini Monitor List Price : $1,800.00/pr		Maximus Monitor List Price : $2,980.00/pr stock colors -- white  & Jade -- other colors add 15% and special order		Omni Harmonizer List Price : $950.00/pr	Aragorn-Monitor list $4950 pr