I caught up with Auratone representative, Alexander Jacobsen. Here’s what he had to say in answer to the questions I had about the new Auratone 5C…
What were some of the challenges you faced with bringing the Auratone 5C back to life? I know that Yamaha is not bringing back the NS-10M anytime soon because the materials they used are no longer as assessable or as easily found, was this the case with the 5C? Did you have to find any alternative materials?
Some of the challenges indeed had to do with the availability of materials. The parts that are found in the original 5C's are no longer available, so we had to source/tool new parts for the drivers to replicate the sound. The R&D phase for the speaker took well over a year to get the right match.
Do these come in active versions? If so, how do they differ in sound?
As of now we don't carry an active version, though it is in the works.
What are the biggest misconceptions about the 5C?
I believe you touched on it pretty well when you said that you expected "scratchy sounding" speakers. With nicknames like "horror-tones" it's easy for people to believe they are bad sounding speakers and not understand their true purpose.
How does the new Auratone compare to the original?
This depends on which "original" you are comparing it to. The 5C has gone through several different variations. To the contrary the new 5C is actually a little less bright than some of the originals in the 1970's. It is more similar to the 1980's versions of the 5C.
What year model 5C is the new Auratone based off of or have you taken liberties with the look to modernise its appearance?
The new Auratone is based off of the mid 1980's version of the 5C, which was possibly the most popular out of all the original models. The look of the new 5C is also based off of the mid 80's version. We made it look cleaner and more modern with nicer laminate & terminal cups.
Any future plans?
We definitely future plans to grow our product line to add different types of monitors, though nothing immediate. I would say our next goal is to bring an active 5C to the market.
