Morel Anniversary Winner's List
Here are the lucky winners from Morel's 25th anniversary contest:
1st place -- Mary Jones is taking home Morel's Hybrid Ovation 6
2nd place -- Ryan Hernandez won the Doteck MkII 6
3rd place -- Robert Leslie gets Morel's Integra 6
Congratulations to everyone and thanks to Morel for sponsoring the contest!
Car Audio and Electronics: What got you into audio?Meir Mordechai: Coming from a family of musicians, I was always intrigued by the magic of sound and music. The reproduction of sound from acoustical instruments ... led me to read more about music, instruments and, eventually, speakers.
CAE: What kind of music do you listen to on a regular basis?
MM: I enjoy listening to classical music, vocal, solo or choir, musicals and symphonic orchestras. I also listen to jazz and various folk music from different countries...
CAE: Do you think that new genres of music such as hip-hop and electronica or dance music in some way have a negative effect on a listener's ability to appreciate sound quality?
MM: In my opinion electronic music does not have a negative effect. The exposure to different types of music enriches the listener and makes one more aware of the different sounds ...
CAE: In an age in which sound quality seems to be a diminishing concern among music listeners, what if anything would Morel do differently in this climate considering the company produces high-fidelity speakers?
MM: ... I feel that it is the responsibility of speaker manufacturers to educate and emphasize the importance of sound quality and its contribution to this industry. ... I feel that investing in dealer training, sound quality events and informative articles about sound quality and quality products are crucial. ...
CAE: In the context of the previous questions: If Morel stays the course on the kinds of products it makes, will there still be an audience for it in the future?
MM: I would like to believe so. The future of many companies is dependent on this audience, and we are determined to nurture it.
CAE: How important is it to attend live musical performances for you?
MM: My goal is to design speakers that can reproduce the feelings and sound of a live performance. Listening to live music, specifically concerts in good auditoriums, allows me to gain reference points and to tune my ears better. I try to attend concerts on a regular basis once or twice a month.
CAE: What was your goal when you started the company? Raw driver manufacturing, home audio or car audio?
MM: My initial goal was to produce the best quality loudspeakers for home applications. In order to achieve that, I soon realized that I had to develop my own drivers. Later on I also entered the mobile audio market as a natural development of the business.
CAE: Was there someone or something that inspired you to start building speakers?
MM: The pure passion for music.
CAE: Are there any influences on the designs that you chose?
MM: Morel's design philosophy has always been that form follows function. The acoustical parameters of a speaker as well as its physical structure are paramount in the design process. Once these factors are finalized, the industrial design is taken into consideration...
CAE: In your opinion, what sets Morel apart from other loudspeaker manufacturers?
MM: ... 1) Morel manufactures all its drivers in-house and has full control over the entire manufacturing process; 2) Morel's innovative driver technology; 3) Morel's design philosophy which aims to design speakers that work best in real-life listening environments; and 4) Morel's understanding that customer service and quality control is paramount to everything else.
CAE: It is obvious that Morel midrange speakers are different. Peering through the openings in the basket, it's hard to overlook the enlarged voice coil. What is the benefit of using such a large diameter voice coil on midrange? Does weight become a factor?
MM: ... Our ability to design drivers that utilize a large external VC allows for greater cone support and potentially reduces cone breakup. It also enables us to use a shallow cone design, which improves sound dispersion and clarity. Additionally, to compensate for the increased moving mass of the large VC, Morel has been using an aluminum wire, to decrease the weight by two thirds of the regular copper wire, and powerful neodymium magnets ...
CAE: Hybrid magnetics and Hexatech voice coils appear to be a big part of your product design. Where did these ideas/developments derive from? Why are they important in your designs?
MM: ... Morel is always trying to find new ways and new materials to carry out three key principles which guide our R&D team: high quality and low distortion; high power handling capability; and light and compact driver design ... To improve driver performance, we have developed the Hexatech voice coil, [whose] hexagonal shaped aluminum wire enabled the VC layers to overlap perfectly and tighter ... The new neodymium magnets, the use of 3" voice coils and the need for higher power handling has led us to design the Hybrid magnet motor, which combined ferrite and neodymium magnets. This type of magnet design has enabled better control over the speaker parameters while maintaining the speaker's compact size.
CAE: Are there any other materials used on Morel loudspeakers that are beneficial to their performance?
MM: ... Acuflex coating is one the most important materials that we use on our tweeters that dramatically improves its performance. There are other materials ... in the woofers' cones and voice coils that give our products an edge ...
CAE: With more sophisticated software available today, what is more important to Morel in designing a speaker: computer modeling or experience? If it's experience, are most of your speakers developed through trial and error?
MM: ... Although we are using such software in our design process today, we always rely on our vast experience and acquired knowledge in speaker design. We feel that designing speakers in such manner perhaps takes longer, but it provides a better account of how the speaker will actually perform and sound in the life environments of our customer's car or home.
CAE: Can you tell us about the process of product development from initial design to the listening aspect to finalizing the product. Who is involved in the design, engineering and listening? What's the listening process like? Also, what role does your son Oren play?
MM: ... The actual design process begins with defining the application and the working environment of the speaker ... It is important to state that although industrial design is important, we do not let it affect the acoustical parameters of the speaker ... [W]e use several computer analysis and modeling software to help us get a direction, but the major acoustical design is done by hours of careful listening by Oren, my son, and myself. Once we get a product prototype, we do alpha and beta testing of the product. Following the necessary mechanical and acoustical modification we send the product to various people around the world to get final feedback ... In recent years, Oren has played a major role in both the acoustical and industrial design of our products. In conjunction with our entire Morel team, his vision, talent and experience has made our current car audio line such a success.
CAE: What accomplishments are you most proud of?
MM: It is a difficult question since there are many achievements and accomplishments I am proud of in my business life. However, Morel's 30th year anniversary is one accomplishment that sums them all. This year we celebrate 30 years of passion to music, engineering and design, hard work and dedication, carrying out the dream of creating better speakers. Today, when I see my son, Oren Mordechai, following my footsteps and continuing my vision for the company, it fills my heart with joy and great satisfaction.
CAE: Is there any insight on the types of products Morel is going to be producing for the future? For instance, it seemed that Morel was going to launch a line of subwoofers not too long ago. What happened with that?
MM: Morel is always looking to develop new and exciting products that will not only show consumers that we are a dynamic company, but also to provide real solutions to new demands and problems in the field. ... The subwoofer line is something that we are considering doing in the future ... If one day we will come out with a line of subwoofer, it will be innovative and unique in its design and application.
CAE: What if any differences are there in the car audio markets between Europe, Israel and the United States?
MM: ... It has been known that Europeans and Americans appreciate different sound characteristics in speakers ... Other differences stem from the way of life in Europe and the U.S. ... Moreover, demographics and economical factors also become decisive factors over the years and influence buying trends around the world. As an international company, we must take all of these factors into account ... Israel, in many ways, has a cross-cultural society that is a good place to test new products.
CAE: What do you think of the future of car audio in the states and abroad?
MM: The car audio market is going through some major changes ... The rise of multimedia applications, sophistication of OEM interfaces, improved OEM stereo systems and a price-driven market had a negative effect on what speaker manufacturers can offer. I believe that it is up to us, speaker manufacturers, to educate and raise a new breed of audio enthusiasts that will appreciate sound quality and demand it. ... I am a great believer in education and training and predict that sound quality and the core values of our industry will prevail.
CAE: Do you have plans to grow Morel or do you prefer the freedom of having a smaller, more focused company?
MM: Morel has been building speakers for over 30 years and will continue to design and build them in house as long as it exists. ... The biggest asset we offer our customers today is our focus on designing speakers and controlling the outcome at any given moment ... Being focused is the key to our success and has been a key factor to the reputation Morel has established over the years...