Some days writing reviews can be a “Walk in the park” so to speak, however when it comes to writing reviews on products that a company made their name from can make it a touch harder. Sometimes to a point that you have to start the review all over again… This has been the case with this said review!
The design of the DD-M151’s are nice and simple with slight changes from the the last series of M151’s that had a piano black finish to a more modern brushed aluminium look, they still have the same 2-way layout as the old series but as the old saying goes “If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it”.
The Monitor covers now attach via magnets making them not only easier to add or remove but also give the Monitors a cleaner look without the covers, this to myself is a very cool feature as I like to be able to see speaker drivers but at the same time having a quick solution to cover them up when little poky fingers (children) are about as there is nothing worse than seeing a tweeter or dustcap pushed in by your own child.
Where to start with the Sound Quality of the DD-M151 Monitors!?! Well lets start from the beginning…
Out of the box no time was spared to have the DD-M151 Monitors hooked up to the ABTEC HK Receiver, however due to a review being written on the DD-IW6.5’s they didn’t get much play time till after said review was finished. Since then they have been played daily and have finally been run-in ready for a proper listen.
As with the IW6.5’s the first thing I noticed with the DD-M151’s was the crisp clean sound from the Silk-Dome Tweeters, I can not start to explain the clarity these tweeters produce to a point that would do them proper justice! The 5″ woofer also surprised me with the amount of bass they could produce, as 5″ woofers aren’t known for bass and I’m not saying it was ground-pounding bass but they surely don’t lack at all on the bass end of things!
Features :
Tweeter : 1” Natural Silk Dome, Cavity back
Woofer : 5” driver, low distortion shorting ring motor design, high Performance Cone.
Enclosure : Like the other components, the DD-M151’s enclosure has an important role in shaping the overall sonic response. In order to provide more stable performance, the DD-M151’s enclosure employs MDF walls and unique interior reinforcement designed to absorb vibration generated under extreme conditions. We also utilize a tuned rear ports to extend the reproduction of very low frequencies
Speaker Terminals : 5-way binding post speaker lead input terminals.
Specifications:
Driver(s) Woofer 5”, Tweeter 1” Silk Dome
Impedance 4 Ohm
Type Two-way Passive Speaker System
Program Power : 100 Watts
Yet again I used two completely different songs/genres for testing/listening to the DD-M151 Passive Monitors, The first song was Hybron by Dark Elixir. The reason I chose Hybron was that it has alot of tracks layered which some Speakers/Monitors can sometimes struggle with, however the on the DD-M151’s I could hear and pick each individual sound out from the rest making me appreciate the song to the point that I sat in the Audio Lounge and listened to Hybron a few more times.
The next song I listened to on the DD-M151 Monitors was Estranged by Guns and Roses, there are several reasons for choosing Estranged as it has not only been one of my favourite songs since I was a teenager but it also has a very moody-melodic piano building up into wailing guitar solos that are very different for modern rock and covers a very broad range on a musical scale. With the DD-M151’s playing Estranged at levels probably too loud for a “regular retail store” I found that with my eyes closed listening to an old favourite song was no long a musical experience but also an emotional one too!
My overall opinion of the Digital Designs M151 Monitors are that they are an amazing set of Monitor Speakers, especially when you take into account the Price Point Vs Sound Quality. I would run a subwoofer with the M-151’s if running them in your lounge or a large room but in a smaller room would be fine by them selves. At the price point they could not be beaten, in-fact I have just bought another pair in & would happily buy a matching pair of Floor-standers if Digital Designs made them.