The Critical Listening Platform

The Way

is a comprehensive peak performance critical listening platform deployed in studio and location recording, mixing, mastering, editing, post production, film mixing, broadcast, forensic, restoration, test laboratory, recreational/audiophile and installed sound reproduction environments. An internationally registered trademark, is wholly owned, created and manufactured in Australia for export to the world by Classic Audio Designs Pty Ltd.

We are often asked, what differentiates from the rest? Experiential assessment of any critical listening system is subjective, opinions will vary. Objective analyses by price point or published specification comparison, only presents a set of figures, which can be misleading, and may not convey reality. Similar to any authentic peak performance technology, systems deploy techniques, technologies and philosophies that are different and inhibit comparison analysis, these include:

Performance Ahead of Features

Performance ahead of Features – is the core value in all technology, which is created on ‘first principles’ unrestrained by fashion or derivative processes, an environment facilitating peak performance and reliability outcomes, uncompromised by meaningless features, convenience, aesthetic or price point considerations.

Infinite Baffle Technology

Infinite Baffle technology – the definitive approach to desirable critical listening outcomes, is employed in all speaker systems. The development of our unique Infinite Baffle design technique is a significant factor in achieving bandwidth stability, pin point definition, uncompromised imaging and the realisation of optimum linearity.

Bandwidth Extension Module© (BEM) Technology

Bandwidth Extension Module© (BEM) technology – is deployed in all Principal Audio Monitor models to optimise certain enclosure and transducer parameters, including extension and management of low frequency roll-off. The clear benefit being well defined low frequency extension from remarkably compact enclosures.
Frank Hinton with Graeme Huon and Jim Atkins
Frank Hinton with Graeme Huon and Jim Atkins

Remote Drive Systems

Remote Drive Systems – have been purpose designed for all speaker models, they include on-board logistics (plug and play) where necessary. This standalone drive solution eliminates space limitation compromises, heat build-up and related service life and reliability issues, whilst removing the need to run power cabling and signal lines to each speaker location.

Soft Dome Transducer Technology

Soft Dome Transducer Technology – is employed throughout speaker systems, including refined paper cone and textile diaphragm transducers, all constructed around massive motor assemblies featuring patented technologies. The Principal Audio Monitor range employs unique underhung motor assembly paper cone transducers, a technology that facilitates application of smaller cone area with massive relative motor power, capable of remarkable bandwidth and output power compared to conventional transducer technology.

Built-In Head-Room

Significant Built-In Head-Room – before onset of stress or distortion has been designed into all systems and devices, ensuring protection and performance advantages including maximum dynamic range and zero signal compression. For example; all HF devices feature a massive motor assembly and are critically aligned to ensure consistent spectral output across the model range. All drive systems are equipped with significant output capability and are system matched to ensure stress-free operation, a system should never approach clip in recommended operation. Heat is a major and often overlooked obstacle that can compromises performance, safety, stability, reliability and shorten product life-cycle. All systems and devices employ efficient cooling systems and effective heat dissipation techniques.

Predictable Performance

Predictable Performance – is the outcome of this attention to excellence. All systems share the same performance characteristics across the range, the only variant between models being SPL and bandwidth capability. This is achieved by working with minimal component variants, and employing identical in-house design techniques across the range. Some of these techniques are obvious, many are not.
Julie Hinton (The Rock) with Frank Hinton
Julie Hinton (The Rock) and Frank Hinton

Power Plants

Power Plants - featuring Class AB biasing and Linear Power Supply have been purposely designed to drive the Principal Audio Monitor range. Power amplifiers are ranked on various criteria including harmonic distortion; however, the relationship between THD and critical listening is problematic; an amplifier may deliver very low measured distortion, but an unengaging experience. There are many intervening factors and the measurement / listening conundrum has occupied some of the finest engineering minds over the last eighty years, and has driven intense efforts to measure those psychoacoustic properties which define a musical reproductive system. These efforts have not been entirely conclusive, but they have revealed a human subjective dimension to what has always been seen as an engineering challenge. The real issue is the way in which the human organism receives and perceives sound. We have endeavoured to create Power Plants that not only measure well, but drive our speaker systems to achieve unparalleled listener engagement, the most rewarding partnership.
Frank Hinton with Hugh Dean
Frank Hinton with Hugh Dean

Power Amplifiers

Power Amplifiers - have been created to drive the cross reference, immersive, multi-channel audio reproduction technology. Our amplifier system was developed around an extremely efficient, patented, high fidelity Class D audio module based on Continuous Sigma™ a remarkable platform created in Melbourne Australia. In this development, we realised another project imperative, the creation of an extremely light and compact form factor, one that was portable but easily installed.
Frank Hinton (Grover Notting Lead Designer) and Mark Van Vegten (CR-Driver Designer).
Frank Hinton (Grover Notting Lead Designer) and Mark Van Vegten (CR-Driver Designer).

Passive Filter

And that much-lauded Passive Filter – at the heart of the Principal Audio Monitor range is a unique copyrighted 4th order filter designed by Neville Thiele, where he used original techniques not seen in other filters. Considerable objective and subjective (technical and musical) testing proved that this passive system outperformed all evaluated systems, including other passive filters, active analogue crossovers and numerous DSP variants at the transfer point of 2.5kHz. Note; in the lower bandwidth, we transfer in the active analogue domain.
Dr. Neville Thiele and Frank Hinton (Founder)
Dr. Neville Thiele and Frank Hinton (Founder)

The assimilation of these techniques, technologies and philosophies define us in delivering
- the Ultimate Reward -
a dependable, decisive Critical Listening partner.

And finally, aside from the materials, techniques, technologies and philosophies employed in their fabrication, have you considered what differentiates devices, in particular the tools of trade you use and value in music making and audio production, why does a device stand out from the rest? Assisted by an inquiring open mind, and founded on many occurrence’s including the childhood observation of an artisan father and my experiences as a young musician, I offer the hypothesis; the difference is the unmeasurable, indefinable and priceless resident ‘positive energy’ amassed from the very outset of design through to production conclusion.

Frank Hinton
Lead Designer

Frank Hinton (Grover Notting Lead Designer)