PSI Audio A14-M celebrates 30th anniversary

Yverdon-les-Bains, 25th August 2021 – The A14-M is a monitor rich with both sound and history. Its DNA can be tracked back to the year 1991 – reason enough for PSI Audio to celebrate the 30th anniversary of the most compact precision speaker in the company’s portfolio.

A14-M: the compact precision go-to monitor for 30 years

The PSI Audio A14-M may be the most compact speaker in the Swiss manufacturer’s line-up, but it certainly never fails to impress. Its stunning sonic performance, its highly accurate sound image, its three-dimensionality and fidelity as well as its incredible reach through the spectrum have amazed engineers around the world for decades. Including its direct predecessors, the A14-M has been employed by professionals in the recording and broadcasting industries for 30 years! Its success is hardly surprising, given its outstanding sound and its versatility to match some of the most challenging audio environments. The A14-M delivers – and helps its users deliver as well.

Early beginnings: from passive PA to active studio

The roots of the PSI Audio A14-M reach back to the year 1991, when PSI Audio combined its formerly passive PA speaker Multibox 13/2 with active electronics and transformed it into the first active prototype Multi Active. Back then, monitor speakers tended to be large and unwieldy. PSI Audio sought to develop a more compact solution that would still reproduce voices and music as true to the original source as possible. The model became particularly popular when Studer launched it as the A523, quickly turning it into a reference speaker for studio recording, broadcasting and OB vans.

From the Studer A1 to the A14-M

In 1999, Studer introduced an improved version of the compact speaker under the name A1. This new, bi-amped model included proprietary PSI Audio technologies PSC, CPR and AOI, which have been staples of the PSI Audio catalogue ever since. When Studer stopped selling speakers in 2004, PSI Audio launched as its own brand, producing the former A1 under the new name A14/2 – and introducing its renowned Studio Red colour scheme. With the introduction of the polypropylene membrane in 2006, the A14-M was born. Eventually, the product split into two varieties: the Studio and Broadcast models, providing the same sound qualities but different setup options, including brackets for wall-mounting. In June 2020, the A14-M received its final upgrade – a handmade tweeter, developed and built in the Swiss manufacture.

Broadcast and production: a sonic love story

Today, the PSI Audio A14-M is popular with audio professionals in all kinds of fields. From desktops to OB vans, from immersive installations to precision monitoring on-the-go – the A14-M has its home wherever sound fidelity is required. In a 2.1 setup with a PSI Audio subwoofer, it turns into a full-range system for producing and mixing, mounted to the ceiling it generates immersive audio fields with pristine clarity. The A14-M is a powerful listening tool – and has been for 30 years.

One for life

Developed and built in the company’s own manufacture in Yverdon-les-Bains, all PSI Audio speakers are held to the highest standards of sound performance and craftsmanship. PSI Audio speakers are an investment for life – as proven by three pairs of original-run A13/2 owned by Swiss PA rental company Hyperson. When one pair was turned in for servicing in 2020, the engineers at PSI Audio noticed a disturbing resonance. Upon inspection, a small piece of metal was detected that resonated and created the unwanted sound. Once this piece was removed, the speaker performed fine – so fine, actually, that it measured the same as it did 30 years ago. PSI Audio speakers are built to last.