Owner’s Manual
Owner’
s Manual
INTRODUCTION
• The amplifiers are designed to provide maximum
acoustic output from the speakers, yet minimize
the danger of speaker damage due to overdriving.
• In addition, the amplifiers’ gain and frequency re-
sponses are individually hand-trimmed to compen-
sate for typical manufacturing tolerances between
the drivers and produce a smooth frequency
response from 35 Hz to 20 kHz.
• The connecting wires between the amplifier outputs
and the drivers are kept to an absolute minimum,
so the damping factor of the amplifier isn’t compro-
mised by the resistance of long speaker cables.
• The acoustic sum of the outputs from the two driv-
ers are optimized electronically, as well as physi-
cally, so the amplitude response is unity and the
phase difference is minimal.
In short, all the complex interconnected components
in the system are designed to work in harmony with
each other to produce the best possible sound.
The Transducers...
The monitors feature an 8.75-inch high-precision, low-
distortion woofer and a 1-inch ferrofluid cooled titanium
dome tweeter on the front, and a 6-inch x 12-inch ellipti-
cal flat piston passive radiator in the back.
The high-frequency driver is mounted on a massive,
acoustically non-resonant die-cast aluminum exponential
waveguide, which results in wide, controlled dispersion
of high-frequency sounds. The unique passive radiator
design provides tight, articulate bass response down to
35 Hz — an astounding accomplishment for a cabinet
of this size! And since the radiator is producing most of
the sound at the lowest frequencies, there is very little
distortion from the woofer because its cone movement
is minimal at those frequencies.
Thank you for choosing the Mackie HR824 MK2 Studio
Monitors. We began producing the original HR824
Studio Monitors in 1997, and they quickly became the
standard by which near-field studio reference monitors
were compared for extremely flat frequency response at
a reasonable price. The HR824 MK2s have been rede-
signed with modern components for improved accuracy
and an extended low-frequency response.
Investments in Excellence...
When we decided it was time to update the HR824s,
we turned to our expert loudspeaker and transducer de-
sign engineering team at EAW to determine how to make
an already excellent studio monitor even better. The
first thing they noticed was that the front baffle could
be redesigned with a rounder aluminum construction
to further reduce edge diffraction for improved imag-
ing. The volume of the cabinet was increased slightly to
improve the low-frequency response. The amplifiers have
been adjusted with all new ‘voicing’ to match the new
cabinets. However, the amplifiers’ design is fundamental-
ly the same and has a very similar characteristic to the
original model. If you are upgrading from the original
HR824s, you won’t have to relearn the sound. The MK2s
still deliver the clarity, ultra-linear frequency response,
and broad stereo imaging of the originals.
An elegant piano-black gloss finish emphasizes that
these studio monitors are in a class by themselves,
pleasing to the most discerning eye as well as the most
discerning ear.
The result? The HR824 MK2 Studio Monitors are
extremely accurate and versatile, loaded with unique con-
trols that allow you to fine-tune the sound to match your
individual environment precisely. You’re gonna love these!
What are they? The Advantages...
The HR824 MK2 Studio Monitors are high-
resolution, two-way, bi-amplified, active moni-
tors employing a 6th-order Butterworth system
with a built-in rear-firing mass-loaded passive
radiator. Whew! There are many benefits to
integrating an active crossover, power amplifi-
ers, and drivers into a single cabinet, and we’ve
taken full advantage of these benefits in the
design of the HR824 MK2.
• The crossover point is designed so that the
high- and low-frequency drivers are fed
only the frequencies they are best able to
reproduce.
Figure 1. HR824 MK2 Cutaway side view
Tweeter
Woofer
Passive Radiator
Power Amplifier/
Crossover Assembly
