Tempted by Manger Audio's innovative C1 speakers?
FOR Cohesive presentation; fine bass; active operation; build AGAINST Not an all-rounder; fussy nature
Originality is a scarce quality in hi-fi speaker design, so when we come across something as unusual as Manger Audio’s C1s we can’t help but celebrate.
On paper, the C1s appear to be just another pair of two-way active standmounters, but they turn out to be an intriguing, idiosyncratic proposition with well defined strengths that are hard to better – almost regardless of price.
Unusual driver
The technical highlight here is without doubt the distinctive in-house widebandwidth driver that, in this installation, handles the frequency range from 330Hz upwards. Such is the capability of this unit that the company quotes its overall frequency band as an astonishing 80Hz to 40khz. No conventional drive unit of this size – approximately 19cm – can get anywhere near such a range, particularly at higher frequencies.
Of course, this is no ordinary driver – Manger has been developing the design since the late 1960s. While the unit has recognisable components, such as a voice coil, chassis and motor system, it doesn’t work in a conventional, pistonic way in the manner of traditional drive units.
Its operation reminds us more of flat-panel technologies such as Surface Sound (once known as NXT) or BMR in the way the sound is generated. This happens by the motion of the voice coil sending ripples through the triplelayered flat diaphragm laterally. Think of it as akin to ripples on the surface of water generating the sound.
The rigidity of the diaphragm increases towards the outside edges, which control the balance and dispersion of its sound output, and that distinctive star-shaped foam around the perimeter minimises the build-up of structural standing waves. The result of using this kind of damping is reduced distortion and a cleaner presentation. A dedicated 180W Class A/B amplifier module provides the power.
After the innovative design of the C1’s mid/treble driver the relatively conventional 20cm bass unit below it is easy to overlook. It’s a much more traditional unit with a glass/polyester sandwich cone and a decently sized 38mm voice coil. It’s driven by a 250W amplifier module, also Class A/B.
“The C1s appear to be just another pair of two-way active standmounters, but they turn out to be an intriguing, idiosyncratic proposition with clear strengths that are hard to better”
That makes a total of 430W per channel, which should be more than enough to deliver high sound-pressure levels, even in large rooms.
The C1 is a sealed-box design, so there isn’t a port to augment low-frequency output. But the generous bass-cone area coupled to a relatively large 50cm-tall enclosure and all that power adds up to a pleasingly extended and authoritative bass performance. If you have a larger space to fill or need these speakers to go louder or deeper you can buy the optional Lf-module (£1173). This sits on top of the C1, doubles up on the bass-driver count, and increases the loudness capability of the C1 by 6db, which is quite a lot.
The use of Class A/B amplification means there’s far more need for cooling than with the Class D alternative, so it comes as no surprise to find the rear of the speakers covered with heatsinks. These metal fins become warm during use but never uncomfortably hot.
Getting a handle on things
The Mangers are heavy monitors. They weigh in at around 30kg each, so the designers have thoughtfully integrated some handles into the heatsinks. They’ve even built rollers into those handles so that the speakers can be laid on their back and be pushed around on a smooth floor. There’s also such a roller built into the base of the dedicated stands to make manoeuvring easier.
Manger Audio refers to these speakers as nearfield monitors, which implies use in recording studios. But they’re also available in a range of finishes, so domestic users haven’t been ignored.
Build quality is as good as we expect at this level. The cabinet feels rock solid and both the C1s and their dedicated stands are nicely finished. The Manger’s appearance may split opinion – our samples look pretty brutal, but choose a different finish option and they will look smart in a domestic environment.
Adjustability aids flexibility
When it comes to positioning, these speakers are immensely flexible. While they sound best about a metre into our listening room (well away from side walls) there’s enough in the way of tonal adjustability, thanks to a number of rear-panel mounted controls, to get a balanced presentation in most circumstances. They’ll cope with a wide
range of preamps too, due to adjustable input sensitivity. The signal input is limited to a single balanced XLR.
Things are less straightforward when it comes to the listening position. These standmounters are very much a sweetspot design and their stereo imaging suffers notably when we move even a little away from our favoured seat. We end up sitting a little over 2m away from the C1s, with the two speakers about the same distance apart. We angle them so that they cross just a little behind our heads. This approach gives us the best balance of soundstage width and stereo focus in our test room.
Manger make dedicated stands for the C1s. Though pricey at £800, these supports should be considered an essential buy from a sonic and visual perspective. They’re nicely made, damped-aluminium units that attach to the speakers through an unusual tongue and groove arrangement. Gravity holds the speakers in place rather than spikes, bolts or Blu-tack.
Complementary sources
Any product at this level needs a top-class source and electronics and these Mangers are no different. We use our usual Naim NDS/555PS music streamer and Clearaudio Innovation Wood record player for this test, and begin with Aesthetix’s excellent Janus Signature preamplifier.
It doesn’t take long to realise that this valve-powered preamp and the Manger speakers aren’t a happy match. The turgid and restrained performance has us switching to our reference Gamut D3i preamp, which gives more balanced results. The presentation is notably more dramatic and has a better sense of timing than with the Signature. We stay with the D3i for the rest of the test.
In their areas of strength, the C1s are right up there with the best that money can buy. The use of that single in-house drive unit to deliver everything from low midrange upwards clearly works. It means the C1s have a seamless sense of coherence traditional multi-driver alternatives just can’t match.
Most conventional rivals have the crossover between the tweeter and midrange positioned at around 2.5khz. That’s exactly the area of the frequency range that our hearing is at its most sensitive, and right at the heart of where voices exist. By moving the crossover as low as 330Hz, as Manger has managed, the C1s avoid all the phase and integration issues suffered by conventional alternatives in this all-important region.