Perfected by Jack Wilson in his California garage in 1958, the Auratone Super Sound Cube was an essential reference monitor for recording, broadcast and film throughout the 1970s and 80s. Representing ‘real world’ audio systems, Auratones found their way into studios and recording trucks around the world. 
Eminently affordable, they were a common-denominator that every engineer was familiar with. Most importantly, Auratones seemed infallible in exposing any problem aspect of a mix. Alex Jacobsen, Jack Wilson’s grandson, has now taken the helm of Auratone. With the help of other family members, he sources Super Sound Cube components from contemporary suppliers for use in the 5C Super Sound Cube, promising the same sound and properties of the vintage Auratones.
‘When I first heard that the Auratones were being provided by Alex, I asked for a vintage pair and a new production pair to play around with in my office,’ says Brad Lunde, founder and President of TransAudio Group, Auratone’s new US distributor. ‘I put up some great mixes and some terrible mixes and some individual tracks, and it’s obvious why so many engineers swear by Auratones. They make good mixes obviously good and bad mixes obviously bad. Moreover, and unlike the cheap Auratone knock-offs, Alex’s new production sounds exactly like the vintage Auratones. There was no attempt to improve or alter the sound at all.’
‘It took a lot of time,’ Jacobsen reveals. ‘I pored over box after box of my grandfather’s specs, drawings, and records. I found new suppliers in the US and carefully tested all of the huge number of possibilities to find combinations that were repeatable and that had the exact same sound as my grandfather’s vintage Sound Cubes. Our standards are strict because these are Auratones, they’re not a knock-off. It was daunting, but I got help from other members of the family, including my mom, who remembers helping my grandfather in the shop in the 1970s.’
‘The Auratone Sound Cubes are a more professional and consistent way to check your mixes than running out to your unique car or listening on your unique boom box,’ Lunde says. ‘And at $350 a pair, the price is right. In fact, they’re a great option for engineers on the go – it’s easy to take a small pair of Auratones and a small power amp and have an in-the-box recording or mix station set up anywhere. And the beauty of course, is that when it sounds good on the Auratones, it will sound good anywhere.’
More: www.auratonesoundcubes.com
More: www.transaudiogroup.com
