Fostex Introduces ‘HP’ Design Near Field Studio Monitor

Fostex's NF-1
(Click for a larger picture)

February 10, 2000 -- Fostex recently introduced the NF-1 near field studio monitor. Featuring radical new designs in driver and enclosure technology, the NF-1 was developed to address the high-end near field monitor market.

Although primarily known for its recording products, Fostex has, over the past 18 years, offered a variety of speaker products designed for sound reinforcement and studio applications.

"From a design and performance standpoint, the NF-1 is a technological marvel," says Phil Celia, director of sales for Fostex Corporation of America. "The patent pending technology employed is termed ‘hyperbolic parabolic’ (HP) and is the result of years of transducer research and development. This represents the first major breakthrough in component design in years. The imaging and horizontal dispersion is just unbelievable. The HP design concept contributes to the tightest off-axis response of any monitor in its class."

The NF-1’s new 6.5-inch hyperbolic parabolic (HP) woofer design not only adds more strength than a conventional cone, it also contributes to wider horizontal dispersion and extremely low distortion. Additionally, the cone material utilizes a unique combination of wood and synthetic fibers bonded with banana pulp. Developed by Fostex, this proprietary process provides a distortion-free cone without sacrificing the intrinsic properties of pulp.

The newly developed URD tangential diaphragm edge and push-pull damper provide unparalleled linearity and responsiveness. The tweeter employed utilizes a newly designed polyurethane film and lamented cloth (UFLC) diaphragm (soft-dome) which provides exceptional frequency response up to 40kHz. The woofer operates at full-range from 50Hz to 10kHz and a simple capacitor network ensures a seamless transition between components without the distortion associated with a conventional LC crossover.

The time-aligned enclosure features a baffle shape to minimize reflective frequencies and has internal HP sound reflectors, which virtually eliminate standing waves. Rated at 100 watts into eight ohms, the NF-1 can be biamped and allows phase reversing between the woofer and the tweeter. The enclosure also employs magnetic shielding for use in close proximity to CRT video monitors.

Suggested retail price on the Fostex NF-1 is $1,199.00 per pair. Commercial recording studios may request a technical white paper at no charge.

For more information visit Fostex on the web at www.fostex.com.