Barefoot Sound MicroMain27 Gen2 - Pair

The Barefoot Sound MicroMain27 Gen2 takes Barefoot’s all-in-one monitoring concept to new heights. Unwilling to rest on his laurels, Thomas Barefoot has spent years further refining one of the most revered recording studio monitors in the world. These refinements preserve the effortless translation that has defined the Barefoot brand, but are an evolution, yielding even greater transparency and inner detail. The MicroMain27 Gen2 retains the same compact form factor as its predecessor, with integrated dual 10" force-canceling subwoofers, but the MM27 Gen2 is updated with technology developed in the flagship MiniMain12. New additions include ultra-high-quality converters, a 1" ring radiator tweeter, 5.25" extended-range neodymium motor mid-bass drivers, Hypex amplification, AES digital inputs, a 1dB stepped attenuator, and advanced DSP integration.

• Worthy evolution of a widely renowned monitor
• New speaker emulation technology offers 4-in-1 referencing
• Integrated dual 10" subwoofer design supports clean upper bass and mids

Worthy evolution of a widely renowned monitor
While the original MicroMain27 was amassing its stellar reviews, Thomas Barefoot remained hard at work cultivating new technology to take the MM27 to the next level. The result is the MM27 Gen2, which delivers the neutrality, form factor, and all-in-one functionality that attracted the likes of Michael Brauer, Butch Vig, Rich Costey, and Mark Linett in the first place. But, the MM27 Gen2 separates itself from its honorable predecessor in key, significant ways. Notably, Barefoot incorporated the successful technology initially implemented in their flagship MiniMain12, including the same signal path, from the converters to the Digital Signal Processor to premium Hypex amplifier modules. What's more, the MicroMain27 Gen2 offers an improved tweeter for even more accurate highs, along with new 5.25" extended-range neudymium motor mid-bass drivers, and the ultra-stable dual 10" force-cancelling subwoofers, a trio that works together smoothly and seamlessly to deliver an honest, accurate image.

New speaker emulation technology offers 4-in-1 referencing
In addition to its even, revealing voice, the MM27 Gen2 harnesses DSP power to bring you the voicing characteristics and responses of classic studio nearfield monitors. You can use the four-position wired remote to quickly switch through different voices, allowing you to preview your mix on different types of speakers, without having the clutter of multiple speaker systems. The four settings are "Old School," "Cube," "Hi-Fi," and "Flat." The "Old School" setting captures the essence of the ubiquitous NS10M, rolling off the sub-bass and top-end information, and bringing forward mid-range presence. The "Cube" setting is a nod to the "aura" of the classic full-range micro monitors of yesteryear, a valuable setting in the age of laptops, tablets, and earbuds. "Hi-Fi" sweetens the high end and warms mid-range to behave much like consumer hi-fi systems, the perfect setting for quick artist playback or when listening to favorites in the studio. Last, as you might expect, "Flat" is the prized default setting, offering the true, revealing Barefoot Sound.

Integrated dual 10" subwoofer design supports clean upper bass and mids
Part of the magic that makes the MM27 Gen2 work so well is that, like its predecessor, it offers integrated dual 10" subwoofers. Working alongside an updated 1" ring radiator tweeter and dual 5.25" midbass drivers, all with advanced neodymium motors, the MM27's two subs are housed in compact sealed enclosures, yielding stable LF control and excellent impulse response. Because the sub motor structures are locked together, the opposing forces cancel each other out, keeping the MM27 Gen2 steady even at roaring output levels. Even more importantly, the integrated sub design takes the pressure off the mid-bass drivers, resulting in a dramatically cleaned-up upper bass and midrange.

MicroMain27 Gen2 features:

• 3.5-way active studio monitor with integral subwoofers
• Four-setting DSP voice emulation
• Analog and AES3 digital inputs
• Hypex amplification
• Tweeter - 1" ring radiator with Advanced neodymium motor
• Rear waveguide chamber. Amplifier: 250W Hypex
• Midbass 1 - 5.25" poly/paper cone with Advanced neodymium motor , with +/- 5 mm linear excursion. Amplifier: 250W Hypex
• Midbass 2 - 5.25" poly/paper cone with Advanced neodymium motor, with +/- 5 mm linear excursion. Amplifier: 250W Hypex
• Subwoofers - 2 x 10" aluminum cone with high linearity motor, with +/- 13 mm linear excursion. Amplifier: 500W Hypex
• Crossover Frequencies: 100 / 600 / 3000 Hz
• Cabinet Dimensions: 20.5" x 9.5" x 15.5"
• Overall Dimensions: 20.5" x 10.4" x. 17.4"

Testimonials
"Unlike many other pieces of gear, monitors are a very personal choice. I've been mixing on one set of midfields for the past 20 years. During that time, I've A/B'd them against most of the popular contenders. None showed the potential to improve my mixes until Mike Nehra at Vintage King asked me to try a set of Barefoot MM27's. They sounded great on first listen but would my mixes translate accurately? If so, I'd be super impressed and open to change. As a large midfield monitor they offered me an accurate response from a big bottom, warm punchy midrange to a wide clear top end, at both low and high playback levels, something that my present midfields didn't do well.
 
I patiently gave my ears plenty of time to adjust and adapt to the MM 27's. Over a period of a few months, I slowly weaned myself from my old midfields to the Barefoots. It wasn't a deliberate decision, I just found myself over time being able to trust them. I've really fallen love with the bottom end they pump out and my mixes are coming out great. And for the benefit of clients that want to playback a mix at physically altering levels, unlike many other self-powered monitors, these can be driven really loud without the amp folding or going into an auto-limiting mode.
 
The most obvious response has been coming from my clients that prefer I playback on the Barefoots when making comments.
 
The final and most important factor in deciding to continue with the Barefoots came from Mastering. The first record that I recently mixed (Slow Poison/The Bravery) on the MM27's got excellent reviews from my mastering engineer, meaning he didn't have to mess with it and the bottom end was just right. Barefoots DON'T LIE!"

Michael H. Brauer, Record Mixer

 "I'd been using the same monitors for over 10 years when Ted convinced me to try the Barefoot MM27s. The test mixes I did were so good that I ordered a pair, and the three weeks that I had to go back to using my old monitors while waiting for my MM27s to be delivered was torture."

Mark Linett (Brian Wilson, Randy Newman, Red Hot Chili Peppers)

"The MM27 is such a major step forward that it could easily become the must-have speaker in every studio. It's the NS-10 of our generation."

Kevin Augunas, Fairfax Recordings

"They have very impressive bottom end, sound-staging, and imaging, and can be brutally honest. I had a very short adjustment period with them, and was pleasantly surprised to find that mixing actually went faster and translated excellently."

Rich Costey, Producer, Engineer, Mixer
 
 

"The MicroMain 27's sound amazing! I feel like I'm listening to the music, not the speakers, and I can hear everything from top to bottom with incredible detail. There are no surprises when the mixes leave my studio, and they translate extremely well to the real world."

Butch Vig, Musician and Producer

"The MicroMain 27s are my new standard."

Bob Ezrin

 

"I installed the MM27s, and the first thing I noticed was their weight, oh my god they weigh a lot!! Also, their construction is amazing, built like a tank but at the same time the design is so beautiful.... So I finished my mix and after some listening in my car and my boombox I send it to the label without surprises, the mix was exactly as I mixed it at my place. C'mon! this was my first time with those speakers and I was able to deliver a mix that translated really well to other systems!!!"

Armando Avila

"The MM27's provide more "information" than any speaker I've ever heard. They are brutally honest and once you get things sounding good on these, they'll translate extremely well. Also, I've become a big fan of mixing w/o the need for a separate subwoofer."

Doug McBride
 
 

"I knew within 30 seconds of hearing the MM27s that I had to have a pair. The sonic clarity, punch and ability to hear (and therefore mould) frequencies, transients and low end is so much better than any other speaker I've heard. I honestly can't put into words how much I love these speakers, my mixes have improved by at least 30% since owning them."

Rik Simpson