Monitor Speakers - PG Music Forums

I'm looking to buy a pair of active near field desktop reference monitor speakers for under $300.00 Any suggestions?

Steve,
After toying with a whole array of monitors for mixing/mastering, I've settled on these.
Go ahead, laugh - everyone else does...

http://www.audioreview.com/cat/speakers/...59_1594crx.aspx
No longer in production, but available used or as "new old stock" here and there...

Just be sure to experiment with the subwoofer placement to get a mix of frequencies that suits your ear. I have the sub on the floor, 6" from a wall and 5 ft. from my cranium - the satellite speakers are about 24" apart, at ear height, and about 18" from the old noggin. Works for me...

I recently got a pair of M-Audio BX5A's and I really like them. Available all over for under $300.

Check 'em out -

http://www.m-audio.com/products/en_us/StudiophileBX5a.html

Greg

If you can swing the extra 50 the BX8a's are even better for some applications..
very pleased with mine

nearfields are essential for a studio small or big.before I bought my Spirit absolute 4's I just used ordinary hifi speakers and though it sounded ok in the studio when I played the song in my car or on someone else's hifi speakers it sounded dreadful.Go for it.frankie

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I recently got a pair of M-Audio BX5A's and I really like them. Available all over for under $300.

Check 'em out -

http://www.m-audio.com/products/en_us/StudiophileBX5a.html

Greg

+1 I bought a set of these a few months back for my small modest setup and I like the sound of them.
Brian

+1 on the BX5a's i have them and for the price love them. I also use them for Practice on my music sets in the studio, they seem to hold up well. I also as Rharv said would love the 8s but i found the 5s at such a great price i snapped them up.

Here's a related question:

I have been using NON-Powered nearfield monitors, a set of Tannoy PBM 6.5 speakers, for years now, and have been basically satisfied with them. Running them through a Pioneer stereo amp.

BUT, I see that everybody seems to want powered monitors, like the M-Audios being discussed here. Am I missing something important, or should I maybe just keep what I have and save the cash? (It's not easy where I am to run out and compare hardware, which I hate to do anyway).

Thanks, Daisy

Tannoy's are nice speakers.

Nearfields are designed for specific intent. Do you use those speakers with that amp for other things too? Nearfields should be set up a certain way (ear level, even distance etc)..

The good thing about powered monitors is you know everything was matched during design; speaker, amp and crossovers. It can make a difference.
How much?? Can't say without the dreaded comparison you mentioned.

rharv:

They are set up as nearfields, adjacent to the monitor, about 3-4 feet from my mixing head (the one with the earholes), at ear level. Yes, I use them for some other listening, but I have a good keyboard amp, and a nice HK amp with Onkyo surround sound system speakers as well.

I will probably just keep what I have, unless Santa drops some Krugerrands down my chiminee.

Daisy

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Here's a related question:

...and have been basically satisfied with them.
Thanks, Daisy

The thing is, most of us are mixing in untreated rooms anyway. That just means that we have to "learn" our systems by checking our mixes in different players such as car stereo and friends car stereo etc :>). If you like the sound of your system and you've learned it well enough to get good mixes without too many trips to the car player, then there is no need to upgrade in my opinion.

Krugerrands? Wow. We have Maple Leaf coin equivalents LOL.

If I lived in Naples I'd be sitting outside with the laptop. Of course here it's -4 and there are 10 cm of snow so I'm not, though I got to sleep until almost noon. Weird.

Thanks for all the good input. On my list of possible speakers is the KRK RP5 G2. Has anyone had experience with these?

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Thanks for all the good input. On my list of possible speakers is the KRK RP5 G2. Has anyone had experience with these?

Not the G2's, but I do have the original RP5's. One day, I turned one on, and got a 60Hz buzzing. It was like 'oh crap, cap went bad.' Sure enough, I took it apart, and there was a bulged cap. KRK wanted over $100 to fix it, I said the heck with that, ordered a replacement cap, stuck it in, and haven't had any issues with it since. That was over a year ago, my monitors are never turned off, and they work well for me.

I would like to get the KRK VX series, but they are expensive. The Rokit's sound good in my room, so I'll stick with them.

Gary

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rharv:

They are set up as nearfields, adjacent to the monitor, about 3-4 feet from my mixing head (the one with the earholes), at ear level. Yes, I use them for some other listening, but I have a good keyboard amp, and a nice HK amp with Onkyo surround sound system speakers as well.

I will probably just keep what I have, unless Santa drops some Krugerrands down my chiminee.

Daisy

I run passive speakers for my nearfields also, Daisy, with a Pioneer SA-7800 for the amp.

I love having all that power plus a dedicated and high powered headphone jack, among other things.

You are not really "missing" anything by not using powered monitors.

IMO you are actually ahead of the game. If the power amplifier goes out on the powered speaker, the entire speaker must be sent to the shop for repair. With the separate amp/receiver, you can merely stick another one in place and continue working should number one fail for any reason. And still enjoy mixing on the exact same speakers you know so well.

--Mac

Great! Thanks a lot guys. You have restored my faith.

Now I will have to focus my GAS in a different direction --(Ummm, that didn't come out quite right, did it?).

Daisy

Better out than in as they say. Not that you want to toot your horn, but yes!

Daisy, I also run separates like you do. I'm using an old but clean SAE receiver with a pair of Alesis Monitor One's. I think these speakers sound pretty good because in my living room I have a killer pair of Altec model 14's and my mixes done on the Monitor One's stand up pretty well on the big Altec's. The only thing is the bass response is naturally a bit less on the smaller speakers but I've learned to compensate for that. If I boost the bass a tad to sound exactly right on the Alesis's it's too much on the Altec's. But so much of this kind of thing can be the difference in the amps, the room or the speaker placement. The only way to really teach yourself is to play a mix on as many different systems as you can including inside different vehicles.

Bob

Steve G,

In my experience the Behringer Truth range of powered monitors' performance is in a class with speakers costing two to three times as much. Check out the specs, give them a listen, and see whether you don't agree.

The Behringer B1030Aactive monitors retail for around $200 USD and will leave some jingle in your pocket.

R.

Ryszard,

Thanks for the tip on the Behringer B1030 monitor speakers. It looks like they are about $200.00 each, and I was hoping to get a pair of speakers for about $300.00. Maybe it is unreasonable to find a decent pair speakers for $300.00. Or, are you thinking that one speaker is sufficient? I can see that you could use a single speaker for a reference, but not to mix in the stereo field. Any help here would be helpful as I'm just trying to feel my way in all this stuff that is pretty new to me.

Thanks, Steve

Steve,

I do not have any experience with the krk rokit 5's but I use a pair of krk rokit 8's. I have them set up in a closet with the doors taken off which is a pretty small space and the 8's are not too bassy they sound very good. I have never had any problems out of mine. Here is a picture of part of my setup - - - -> http://www.box.net/shared/0ns2qqvunz

Steve

You've had some good suggestions right around your price range-
BX5a's under 300, so are the rokit 8's
BX8a's just over 300.

You should find a place to give those a listen and hear if you like them.

I use Tapco by Mackies S-5 Active Studio Monitors. $300.00 a pair. Very good. Here's a snipet of a review:

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For overall listening and mixing however, the Tapco S5s were great monitors in my opinion. Keeping in mind that monitors can range from about $150 a pair up to $20 000+ a pair; for being what would be considered "home studio" level at around $300 - the S5s were excellent sounding monitors. Be it just casual listening or heavy production uses, you are sure to get great results from these monitors.

The new model is an MR5. Well worth looking into.

http://www.zzounds.com/item--MACMR5

Here's the KRK Rokit RP5G2 from ZZSounds.

http://www.zzounds.com/item--KRKRP5G2

I haven't heard the Tapco, but if they're anything like the Mackie monitors, they should be a good speakers.

I listened to the KRKs versus the Mackies, and to my ears, the Mackies were a bit darker, and I preferred the KRKs. So, when it came time, I bought the Rokits. Not 'real' KRKs, but I still like the sound.

I rather suspect that the Tapcos have the same relationship to the top of the line Mackies as the Rokits do to the KRKs.

I don't think either way you're going to go wrong, but if you can get to a store that has both and listen to them side by side, that's the way to do it. Make sure you take some material that you know really well for listening tests.

Gary

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Ryszard,

Thanks for the tip on the Behringer B1030 monitor speakers. It looks like they are about $200.00 each, and I was hoping to get a pair of speakers for about $300.00. Maybe it is unreasonable to find a decent pair speakers for $300.00. Or, are you thinking that one speaker is sufficient? I can see that you could use a single speaker for a reference, but not to mix in the stereo field. Any help here would be helpful as I'm just trying to feel my way in all this stuff that is pretty new to me.

Thanks, Steve

My apologies for not scrutinizing the deal more closely. When I bought my Truth B2031A's in 2007 they were sold as matched pairs, being calibrated to within 1.5 dB of each other. Apparently their manufacturing processes have improved to the point that they can sell them separately and still expect a good match. It didn't even occur to me that they would not be in pairs.

So, take a look at the Behringer Truth B3030A active monitors. At $165 each at GC they're a little above your price point (free shipping, though).

I stand by my statement that their performance is equal to speakers costing 2 to 3 times as much. These have larger woofs than the ones I originally recommended and *ribbon tweets* to boot!

Two of us (band members and associates who have home studios) got the B2031A. The others who got the KRK and Mackies, and paid more, were sick when they heard the difference. I'm just sayin' . . .

R.

More important than the brand name:

Whatever nearfield monitors you end up with, you must get to know them and know them well.

Spend a LOT of time LISTENING to them, set up in the proper nearfield environment and at Low CONVERSATIONAL listening levels. Listen to "reference" recordings.

Reference recordings are simply those professionally made and mastered recordings that you happen to have and love and are of the same genre as you intend your own recordings to be.

Play them back through your monitors a lot. When doing other tasks at the computer, etc.

Getting to know your monitors is more important than having monitors with the super great - and often super expensive - specs. Matter of fact, today's choices available are all pretty darn good sounding, give or take, that's not the issue.

--Mac

I agree with mac, my m-audios are not the best in the business by a long shot, but i listen to them every day, and i am very comfortable with them. So just pick a decent pair that is in you price range and start using them. Beagle who lurks around here also has the behringer truths, and swears by them.

yep! I have the original 2031 truths, not the "A" version. love 'em! I think for the price you can't get better until you get to the $1k range.

Told you the dog lurks!! And he comes when you call!! Woof! Good boy, sit!

can I have a scooby snack now?

Since the chemo got my hearing in June no need for monitors, which I had on my wishlist. A good set of earphones and crank the treble. And the ability to take the noise level, like I was a kid at a rock concert. Oh well. I can almost walk 100 yards, and on days that don't end in y I think I can feel my feet, well apart from the sand and water that's not on them...

I guess saving that cash is a positive along with still being 'one earth'. (Instead of in it LOL).

A couple of those monitors mentioned are powerful enough to let you pull the earphones out, as far as volume goes.
Not sure how the neighbors would be about it though.

My BX8a's have never been up past half way. If I get them to half volume I can't stand close enough to them to turn them up any more! Surprisingly loud for the rating.

Yep but only one Beag cause it will spoil your dinner .......... Alpo!

Ssshhhh ..... People food give the little fella gas!

With my family complaining about how loud I have the tv even with hearing aids, I had to set up my former mixer so I can jack the treble and listen through headphones. See my post in Off Topic for a picture....or two.