Studio Monitors

This has been a pretty awesome xmas thus far, and Im looking to get a pair of powered studio monitors to top it off. I just can't seem to make up my mind though and feel lost in a sea of mashed up reviews. I've got about $300 to spend, although I'd like to keep it closer to $200. The thing I'm running into after several hours this evening of reading reviews is that most of the sub-300 monitors have spotty reviews.

Top of the list of what I've seen, and just inside my maximum budget is the KRK RP5G2 Rokit G2. I've read lots and lots of good things about KRK. So many so that I wonder if its a bit fanboyish and blown out of proportion.

I was also looking at some Samson Resolv 65a's, although I'm seeing mixed feelings about these.

The M-Audio 40A have an ass load of reviews on Amazon, almost all of them positive. From those reviews these seems like an ok pair of monitors for the price ($130ish). However there are a handful of 1 star reviews that say things like 'right channel has constant hum' and mention that its a common factory defect that just can't be avoided. I almost ordered these since they are so cheap till I saw that, which made me second guess.

I've never been a Behringer fan, but I seem to recall hearing good things about Truth.

Lastly I was looking at some Samson MediaOne 4A's, they seem alright but I get the feeling they are more for multimedia rather than music.

Not having much experience with monitors I was hoping for some recommendations within my price range. I don't need to spend the full $300 to be happy, but I dont want to end up with a pile of junk that breaks within a couple weeks. As long as the sound is decent I'll be content, I'm mainly after something versatile that will last awhile till I move into a bigger studio space. I don't have room right now for multiple systems, so I'd like something that will serve its purpose for mixing down tracks but also keep me satisfied when listening to other peoples music.

Happy Xmas and Xmas loot!

I dunno which ones to recommend, but I'm also getting a pair for Christmas off my girlfriend.....not opened them yet, but will report back presently...(lol presently)

make another $100 and spend $400 on an event 20/20 bas monitor. then save up another $400 and buy another to complete the pair.

I got Fostex PM0.4 bi-amped active monitors! they look awesome!

Get a pair of Behringer Truth B2031A's. You can get a set of refurbished ones from Musician's Friend for less than $300. I think a new set is about $340. They are the best sounding monitors I have heard for under $800. One of Kansas City's biggest studios has over a dozen sets of them. They use them in every single one of their rooms it seems; they are incredible, especially for the price.

I have KRK Rokit 5s and I don't like them. They resonate with sounds around 100 hz (kicks sound longer) and get muddy below that. OK for listening but I always have to go to headphones to get the mix right. No idea how the G2s compare though.

Let me know what you think of those Fostex monitors BCM, those are pretty reasonable. I just don't know which way to go really, Im tempted to just get an inexpensive pair instead of dumping extra money into more expensive ones, and save up for something more worthwhile like some Adam's.

Looks like Im gonna get a Bitstream 3x though, stoked to be getting a real midi controller! That and the mixer I got this year will make live shows so much more enjoyable.

will let you know mate, won't be home till tomorrow, but will be testing them out as soon as I can!

In my experience, it's always been better to just wait until I can afford something of greater quality. If I compromise quality for an immediate reduction in price I usually end up paying more for it in the end, figuratively speaking. I'm not familiar with these Adams that you mentioned, but perhaps you should consider setting your sights on them right now. If you really do need a pair of speakers to monitor on right now, I wouldn't consider dedicated monitors. I would either go buy some low-end computer speakers, a consumer stereo system, like you could get at a Walmart type store, or both. The rationale for this is that a lot of people are going to be listening to your finished music on comparable systems anyways and these speakers should be represented in your monitoring process. Plus, when you get your Adams you will have a more comprehensive monitoring system.

  Wall Bird said:

If you really do need a pair of speakers to monitor on right now, I wouldn't consider dedicated monitors. I would either go buy some low-end computer speakers, a consumer stereo system, like you could get at a Walmart type store, or both. The rationale for this is that a lot of people are going to be listening to your finished music on comparable systems anyways and these speakers should be represented in your monitoring process.

nonsense.

expensive gear is also more expensive to get repaired. you like to solder?

Ah, the old monitor conundrum. I was also going to recommend getting a used hi-fi (mmm.. 1970s Yamaha) or something until you can afford "proper" (i.e. "reference") monitors, instead of wasting your money on some cheap speakers that compromise the sound in all sorts of ways. At least you'll be getting a full-range response that you can crank to a respectable level with a decent home stereo.

If you are absolutely insistent upon spending as little as possible on your monitors, Yamaha has a pretty comprehensive line and you can probably get a pair from Guitar Center, so no hard feelings if you need to return them. I don't know what kind of music you're producing, but if you want any kind of bass you're gonna need either an 8-inch woofer or a sub. Then you start climbing into the $1500 range for a system and shit starts to get all crazy. Just don't kid yourself that you can get anything worthwhile for under $300. It's only been in the last few years that sub-$1000 speakers that are widely regarded as relatively decent have come to the market. If I were you, I set my sights on the $500-$800 range and see what pops up.

Yea I already have bookshelf stereos and home stereos and computer speakers, and honestly those all cost about the same as a lower end pair of monitors. Im not concerned about buying a low end pair and having them go kaput in a couple years, or not be the best quality...More than anything I just don't want to end up with the 'shoddy' pair that has defects you guys might be aware of!

Well, since you obviously have your heart set on wasting around $300, why don't you do us all a favor and just send it directly to me?

  loganfive said:

  Wall Bird said:

If you really do need a pair of speakers to monitor on right now, I wouldn't consider dedicated monitors. I would either go buy some low-end computer speakers, a consumer stereo system, like you could get at a Walmart type store, or both. The rationale for this is that a lot of people are going to be listening to your finished music on comparable systems anyways and these speakers should be represented in your monitoring process.

 

 

nonsense.

agreed

what the fuck? what's with all this monitor snobbery? if you've only got $300 to spend and you want some speakers that offer a flat response and no colouration you buy $300 monitors by a reputable manufacturer....what's the problem here? some of you guys can be real idiots sometimes man....

  goffer said:

  loganfive said:

  Wall Bird said:

If you really do need a pair of speakers to monitor on right now, I wouldn't consider dedicated monitors. I would either go buy some low-end computer speakers, a consumer stereo system, like you could get at a Walmart type store, or both. The rationale for this is that a lot of people are going to be listening to your finished music on comparable systems anyways and these speakers should be represented in your monitoring process.

 

 

nonsense.

 

agreed

also agreed

Monitor thread, same points as always...

Nobody on this forum can give you a definitive answer as nobody has the requisite experience of monitors. Once you've shifted through all the received opinion, you're left with a handful of people who have limited experience of a handful of monitors and little or no opportunity to do a blind test.

What usually happens is that forumite moves from shitty stereo/desktop speakers to entry level powered monitors. Big increase in 'sound quality' and the forumite then waxes lyrical bout them until the end of time. (usually bloody Behringer)

This difference in sound quality is as much to do with the speakers themselves receiving enough power from the amps, as most consumer systems are woefully underpowered, as it is to do with a 'flat frequency response'. (Better tranients, stereo imaging etc...) Which leads me to my next point.

You can't get a flat frequency response for $300. In fact you can't get a flat frequency response for $1,000 or $10,000. Nearly every monitorng system is a compromise in some way, whether that is because of room acoustics or the trade off between 'listenability' and 'accuracy'...

So the same rules always apply

Choose monitors you like the sound of, not just on claims of the flattest response. In every budget there is usually a sweet spot, but this is highly subjective. Others opinions and reviews can point people in the right direction, but utimately its best to listen before buying.

You can't afford a perfect monitorig chain, because nobody here can. Therefore you will have to go through the same process of getting to know your monitors whatever the price/model you finally decide on. Having said that, buy the best you can afford.

Anyways, some received opinion for you...

The new KRK G2 range have received lots of positive reviews, while the lower range Adams aren't the best in their price range, and are trading off the reputation of the more expensive Adams, which are genuinely excellent.

Excellent points, kakapo. Sorry if I came off as "snobbish," but my point was that since most "budget" speakers have the same hyped frequency response as a home stereo they aren't going to tell Drahken anything that his current setup isn't already. If you aren't able to try out a pair of speakers before buying, just make sure that wherever you get them from has a liberal return policy and offers the full factory warranty, because even with more reputable manufacturers a surprising number of duds make it to market.

  kakapo said:

What usually happens is that forumite moves from shitty stereo/desktop speakers to entry level powered monitors. Big increase in 'sound quality' and the forumite then waxes lyrical bout them until the end of time. (usually bloody Behringer)

Have you ever listened to a set of Truth B2031As? To everyone else out there, I don't give a shit about the frequency response curve, I just want to know if anyone here has ACTUALLY listened to them. I spent a winter constructing a 10,000 sq. ft. studio a few years ago here, and now that its done, I've listened to the Behringers against many many other monitors. For $340, I have yet to hear anything that beats these. If there is something else out there that someone knows is better for under $800ish bucks, please tell me.

  Diao said:

  kakapo said:

What usually happens is that forumite moves from shitty stereo/desktop speakers to entry level powered monitors. Big increase in 'sound quality' and the forumite then waxes lyrical bout them until the end of time. (usually bloody Behringer)

 

Have you ever listened to a set of Truth B2031As? To everyone else out there, I don't give a shit about the frequency response curve, I just want to know if anyone here has ACTUALLY listened to them. I spent a winter constructing a 10,000 sq. ft. studio a few years ago here, and now that its done, I've listened to the Behringers against many many other monitors. For $340, I have yet to hear anything that beats these. If there is something else out there that someone knows is better for under $800ish bucks, please tell me.

It was a comment on the nature of these threads, not on the Truths.

Yes I have heard them, no I can't give any meaningful opinion of them.

  kakapo said:

It was a comment on the nature of these threads, not on the Truths.

 

Yes I have heard them, no I can't give any meaningful opinion of them.

Well if you were generalizing about Behringer, then I would agree that most of their products are shit. Now that I think about it, the Truths are the only product of theirs I have used and would vouch for afterwards. I suppose some of their effects units might be alright, but anything other than those things I can't imagine anyone wasting their time.

got the Fostex PM0.4 monitors home and had a brief test - they sound bloody lovely to me! very clear hi and mid range and nice punchy bass... they are surprisingly powerful for their size too....the build quality is excellent and they look nice with their shiny black fronts...they do sound pretty colourless from what I can tell too - certainly can hear the difference from the Aural Envelope floor standers I was using (and still do use for my stereo as they are very nice hi-fi speakers).

I dunno how the Fostex's compare to other monitors in their price range, but they sound wicked to me. I'm a big fan of Fostex gear too - reliable and very good quality in my experience

something else to keep in mind is that you can write and mix music that sounds fantastic even if you're monitoring on desktop computer speakers.

obviously the speakers have no direct impact on your sound, they just reflect the output of a mix. so the key is to understand how they sound, and mix accordingly. you don't have to have some memorised schematic diagram either. just listen to your favourite tracks on them, mix tracks on them, compare the results on other systems, car stereos, hifis, etc.

of course having the world's best monitor setup with a massive frequency range and a response curve approaching dead flat would be neato, but to be honest, i and most producer / engineers i know would rather have a pair of monitors they know well than a ridiculously high-end setup.

i mixed two albums on a pair of m-audio bx5a "desktop" monitor speakers. they're FAR from ideal from a technical standpoint, but once i got to know how they sounded, mixing on them was pretty basic.

i WILL say that low-end response is the one thing that makes the biggest difference to me. if your speakers can't render low-end frequencies, you're very likely to end up playing your mix back on a system with better bass response and having a muddy mudfest. my car has a pretty serious sub system in it, and i was drowned in bass several times early on with my mixes. i'm not even talking slightly-bass-heavy stuff, i'm talking like "WHOOOOOOOOOOAMP" and nothing more. but again, one learns to compensate for this as time goes on.

anyway, get the best you can for your money, but something that sounds good to you and won't break the bank will be fine.

c

my music sounds pretty fat and shit on any system after creating it on some cheap, 225 quid a pair alesis active monitors, i realistically cant see that a shit hot producer is gonna have his tracks sounding like shit just because his monitors are cheap.