January 8, 2020, Los Angeles, CA — Reftone Speakers LLC today announced the launch of an Indiegogo crowd-funding campaign at http://igg.me/at/reftone to raise production funds for two new reference products, Reftone LD-2H In-Ear Reference Speakers and LD-10 Replacement Woofers. To kick off the campaign they’re offering a limited supply of Early Bird Specials. The full campaign runs from January 8, 2020 to January 30, 2020.
Based on the original Reftone Ref-Cubes, the new Reftone reference products are designed for the new millennium and offer the audio industry affordable solutions that will revolutionize workflow. The LD-10 woofers bring the highly-anticipated Yamaha NS-10 replacement woofers to audio professionals in the studio, and the reference headphones bring amazing sound quality to professionals and music lovers all over the world. Now audio pros will have the added Reftone reference power for their beloved NS-10 speakers and can check how their music will sound on headphones with the Reftone In-Ear Reference Speakers.
“There has never been a better time than now for audio pros to invest in affordable ‘workhorse’ tools like Reftone reference products, says Reftone Co-Founder & COO Lisa Chamblee. “We offer products that help improve workflow, use of time, build confidence, and keep ear health in mind. We’re excited to offer our earbuds to music lovers and let them share the same sound experience with the pros and artists.”
The main “industry standard” reference products were designed decades ago, in the 1980s when music was mostly acoustic. Now, in modern music, there’s an increase in bass frequencies, artificial sounds, and more acoustic textures to mix in every genre of music than ever before. Reftone Co-founder/Designer Dave Hampton was dissatisfied with the lack of affordable reference products that could handle the complexities of modern music so he brought it back to simple audio principles. He focused on designing a single-driver, passive speaker handcrafted from genuine plywood (not MDF) with a driver designed for mid-range clarity and better low-end response. In 2013 the flagship Reftone Ref-Cube Passive Reference Speaker was born.
REFTONE LD-2H “IN-EAR REFERENCE SPEAKERS”
The LD-2H “In-Ear Reference Speakers” are the exact Ref-Cube model turned into universal earbuds. Having the Ref-Cube speaker reference sound in a mobile headphone form, now pros can mix on the move and also perform headphones and Bluetooth mix checks. The sonically accurate LD-2H earbuds give the freedom and confidence to be mobile. The professional version is wired for the best sonic fidelity and can be equipped with Bluetooth 5.0 for a future-proof connection. The wireless Bluetooth 5.0 version is being prototyped and is also offered during the Indiegogo campaign.
Musician/Producer Paul Peterson (Prince, The Time, The Family) said, “I got to try the new Reftone In-Ear Reference Speakers. I’m always working on the plane with emailed files and these headphones are a great solution to accurately check a mix that I’ve been given or if I’m doing the mixing myself. They are so incredibly crucial. I’m going to use them all the time!”
Reftone In-Ear Reference Speaker headphones translate seamlessly from the studio to the streets. For the first time ever, music lovers will have access to wireless Bluetooth headphones that are the same audio quality that professionals use in the studio.
REFTONE LD-10 REPLACEMENT WOOFERS
The Reftone LD-10 Replacement Woofers for the Yamaha NS-10 Speaker offers NS-10 users the ultimate experience they’ve always wanted. They are not a copy of the old NS-10s. They were designed to handle all the increased bass that’s in all of today’s music. They are intended to be a more durable upgrade. As an engineer and studio designer, Hampton recognized the negative aspects of the NS-10 speaker and designed more positive aspects into the Reftone woofers. For example, the original NS-10s rolled the low-end frequencies off around 100Hz. While the Reftone LD-10 woofers match the frequency response of the original NS-10, they do not have low-end roll-off. They reproduce the bass frequencies much more accurately and still have mid-range clarity. NS-10 users can keep their speakers alive and be inspired to create at the next level.
Research and development has been very important to design the LD-10 woofers. Demo units were sent out to be demoed and used in the professional engineering community. One user, platinum mixing engineer/producer, Young Guru (Jay-Z, DJ Khaled, Common) exclaimed, “With the new Reftone replacement woofers, the NS-10s have bass!”
Barry Rudolph, Recording/Mix Engineer (Celine Dion, Rod Stewart, Pat Benatar) and Writer/Editor for Mix Magazine & “New Toys” Columnist for Music Connection Magazine says, “I can’t wait to replace my tired, old NS-10 woofers with these new Reftone LD-10s! They have an improved bass response, improved power handling and a much tighter overall sound.”
