Junkstyle Posted September 21, 2004 Share Posted September 21, 2004 I'd like to buy a pair of monitor speakers (self amplified) for under $400 if possible. I dont know which brands/models are the "good" ones today. Could anyone list 3 or 4 models to check out? Thanks I would really appreciate this. Since I probably can't find a place that carries them to actually listen to them I'd probably order online on blind faith and make sure the store and a nice return policy, which hopefully I would not have to use. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Junkstyle Posted September 21, 2004 Author Share Posted September 21, 2004 oh this would be for a keyboard and home use. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Junkstyle Posted September 21, 2004 Author Share Posted September 21, 2004 Doing some research it doesn't look like I could even get 1 good monitor speaker for $400. I'm going to have to settle for something of a lower quality. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Superbobus Posted September 22, 2004 Share Posted September 22, 2004 Yup... [Al Pacino mode]"Forget about it."[Al Pacino mode off]I bought my Craaft monitor for 400 euros, second hand, only one speaker. http://www.bobwijnen.nl Hipness is not a state of mind, it's a fact of life. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jon Doe Posted September 22, 2004 Share Posted September 22, 2004 I gots one of these: http://www.music123.com/Roland-KC60-Keyboard-Amp-i79274.music And a 550... No signature required. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Markyboard Posted September 22, 2004 Share Posted September 22, 2004 M-Audio BX5s - approx $300/pr. Add subwoofer later. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
synthetic Posted September 22, 2004 Share Posted September 22, 2004 I have some Alesis M1 Actives that cost about that much, maybe a little more. I like them a lot, although as 6" woofers they don't have tons of bass. I think my next monitors will probably be Mackie HR824s. The last time I listened to them, I thought they were a bit flabby in the bass, so I need to give them another listen. But they seem to be the nicest monitors in the $600-800 price range. Sorry dB, I don't think I'll be able to sell the wife on $4k monitors any time soon. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dave Bryce Posted September 22, 2004 Share Posted September 22, 2004 Originally posted by synthetic: Sorry dB, I don't think I'll be able to sell the wife on $4k monitors any time soon.There are currently seven models of ADAM below $4k... dB ADAM Audio USA ==> David Bryce Music • Funky Young Monks <== Professional Affiliations: Royer Labs • Music Player Network Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
g. Posted September 22, 2004 Share Posted September 22, 2004 http://www.carvin.com/images/product/SRS65A1.jpg Carvin SRS 6.5 A - biamped, active. Also available for less as passive speakers. . Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
g. Posted September 22, 2004 Share Posted September 22, 2004 click mag cover for review of passive version | V http://www.carvin.com/artist-news/artist-news_images/PAR-June2001.jpg . Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
88keys4me Posted September 22, 2004 Share Posted September 22, 2004 My Yamaha S90 is hooked up to a pair of Samson Resolv 80a's. Bi-amped, 75 watts to the 8" woofer, 25 watts to the 1" dome tweeter. $399/pair (or less) at most retail outlets including a 3-year warranty. Admittedly not as clean as a fine pair of high end EONs or Mackies, but the tradeoff is acceptable quality sound (with plenty of bass - these really cook for organ voices in the low registers) and volume for a fraction of the price. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
88keys4me Posted September 22, 2004 Share Posted September 22, 2004 Also - check out Gansu's thread "little tiny speakers, great big sound". Might be what you're looking for. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
g. Posted September 22, 2004 Share Posted September 22, 2004 EONs don't even come close to having the needed qualities to be studio monitors. . Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
g. Posted September 22, 2004 Share Posted September 22, 2004 So Junkstyle - Are you looking for nearfield monitors or keyboard amplification onstage? . Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Junkstyle Posted September 22, 2004 Author Share Posted September 22, 2004 Small studio monitors (active). But they don't really have to be monitors really in terms of perfectly neutral and accurate sound. I will not be using these for mixing just hooking them up to a keyboard. Also they don't need to be loud. I would like a nice sound that is not fatiguing. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gangsu Posted September 22, 2004 Share Posted September 22, 2004 Originally posted by Markyboard: M-Audio BX5s - approx $300/pr. Add subwoofer later.I'd buy that. What about the DX4's? Smaller desktop version with both RCA and 1/4" inputs. That's kind of unusual, isn't it? I've never heard them, so this is not a recommendation, just another option I'd look into. The Klipsch 2.1's are ridiculously accurate and powerful, given the price. The only downside is a somewhat compromised connection to your keyboard. "........! Try to make It..REAL! compared to what? ! ! ! " - BOPBEEPER Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Junkstyle Posted September 23, 2004 Author Share Posted September 23, 2004 Yeah the BX5's look promising. I've been looking at the low end models from: Alesis, M-Audio, KRK, Fostex. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
keynote Posted September 23, 2004 Share Posted September 23, 2004 Here's something you may be interested in: http://img3.musiciansfriend.com/dbase/pics/products/60/601226.jpg Yamaha MSP5\'s Studio Monitors A little beyond your budget but not by much. And besides: you're getting two for that price. And they're also bi-amped. Please read the reviews on the link. Also, several Professional Music Mags have reviewed the MSP5's and most of them very favorably btw. Yamaha also makes the MSP10's but then again you will pay almost four times as much for the MSP10's. The 5's are not far behind the sonic capability of the 10's either IMO. Plus the 5's are more easily transportable and take up less room in your Studio by being smaller in size. PS: The talk about sound coming from the speakers, i.e., "rattles at low frequency" (actually perpetrated by the massive heat sinks located on the back of the MSP5's), is true. The rattles can be minimized by adjusting the EQ on the speakers and the rattles really aren't noticable when you have the volume cranked up a bit and the speakers are placed at a reasonable distance from your Keyboard and ears. That is the only negative about the MSP5's. How that slipped by Yammies sound Engineers I'll never know. But you can be sure they are indeed fully aware of this anomaly yet it apparently hasn't deterred them one iota from continuing to produce and sell them. But other than that; they really are outstanding little speakers that provide a near flat frequency response and superb sound reproduction for monitoring purposes. Realize of course that the MSP5's are some of the best small monitors - "in their price range". They don't hold a candle of course to, let's say, ADAMS monitors. But then they aren't in the same league - (price range) as the ADAMS either so you wouldn't expect them to. Mike Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dave Bryce Posted September 23, 2004 Share Posted September 23, 2004 Originally posted by keynote: They don't hold a candle of course to, let's say, ADAMS monitors. But then they aren't in the same league - (price range) as the ADAMS either so you wouldn't expect them to. Okay, most folks here know that I'm the ADAM guy, so I hope I can say this without people thinking it's a sales pitch - it isn't intended as such... It's always confused me (long before I worked for ADAM) that so many people have no problem spending several thousand dollars on an instrument, but then only want to spend a few hundred dollars on the piece of gear responsible for actually reproducing the sound. Don't you wanna hear what the instruments (and the rest of your gear...and the music you're making) really sounds like? Seriously - consider saving up for a good pair of speakers - it's so worth it. Listen to any great pair of monitors against an inexpensive pair. You won't believe the difference. dB ==> David Bryce Music • Funky Young Monks <== Professional Affiliations: Royer Labs • Music Player Network Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gangsu Posted September 23, 2004 Share Posted September 23, 2004 I've been on a quest for the perfect sound solution, and I've had a lot of help along the way. My conclusion is that it doesn't exist. Why? Because you could spend $25000 on a pair of M118's - your electronic piano will still sound electronic. For $400 you can buy headphones that won't lie. For $4000 you can buy near fields that won't lie. But hey, what's the point when the truth's nothing to write home about? don't get me wrong, I'm not complaining. I've got a digital piano that exceeds my expectations, and with the 2.1's I've got a home system that defies the laws of size/weight vs. sonic capabilities. At a stupidly low price. "........! Try to make It..REAL! compared to what? ! ! ! " - BOPBEEPER Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
konaboy Posted September 23, 2004 Share Posted September 23, 2004 Originally posted by gangsu: [QB] For $400 you can buy headphones that won't lie. For $4000 you can buy near fields that won't lie. But hey, what's the point when the truth's nothing to write home about? QB]Not sure if I share your opinion, but for me that wins quote of the week I guess you're right if you're talking about sampled emulations of acoustic instruments, but for a software synthesizer or a virtual analogue, I'm sure there is much benefit in hearing the truth hang out with me at woody piano shack Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dave Bryce Posted September 23, 2004 Share Posted September 23, 2004 Originally posted by capnzoot: You can buy an expensive, professional tool suitable for major commercial use.....like a keyboard worth several thousand dollars... However if you use it on weekends, a consumer model will suffice. (snip) If you can afford to be an elitist, go for it. But you don't need a $500 drill to hang a curtain rod anymore than you need $4,000 monitors to listen to your music at home.Okay...so then why not just buy an inexpensive Casio keyboard as well? They get the job done, and they have speakers on board... There are plenty of really nice monitors available in the $1-2k range - one doesn't need to spend $4k... "So let us stop talkin' falsely now, for the hour is gettin' late" Dylan via Hendrix ...by way of Dave Mason... dB ==> David Bryce Music • Funky Young Monks <== Professional Affiliations: Royer Labs • Music Player Network Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Junkstyle Posted September 23, 2004 Author Share Posted September 23, 2004 I'm buying speakers for my keyboard just to fill a room and listen without using my Sennheiser headphones. They don't have to be mixing level accurate; just sound good with piano sounds. About Gangsu's point: am I barking up the wrong tree looking at low end monitors? Should I be looking at home stereo type speakers? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dave Bryce Posted September 23, 2004 Share Posted September 23, 2004 Originally posted by Junkstyle: About Gangsu's point: am I barking up the wrong tree looking at low end monitors? Should I be looking at home stereo type speakers?It's hard to say, because we don't have your ears, or know what your room sounds like. There are plenty of people who use home stereo speakers as a solution who are happy with them. As Capnzoot pointed out, there are full-on pros who love using inexpensive home-type speakers (Yamaha NS-10s are the best example of that). I believe synth guru BT tracks and mixes on M-Audio monitors... The bottom line with transducers (mics and speakers) is that it's really entirely a matter of personal taste as applied to individual application. If possible, I suggest that you to try a few different solutions and see which one works best for you, regardless of what anyone else says or uses. dB ==> David Bryce Music • Funky Young Monks <== Professional Affiliations: Royer Labs • Music Player Network Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
capnzoot Posted September 23, 2004 Share Posted September 23, 2004 Actually, with a small amount of editing, I'd have gigged with the Casio WK3500 and shorted the speakers via the headphone jack with a dummy plug.The thing does an admirable job of what it does, with a decent wavetable set, a great drawbar organ set with editable "rotary speaker" effect, 76 keys and both wheels. Under $400 street. Anyway, 2k is still too high for a home DAW if your wife is going to make you miserable. Whatever you buy, learn how it sounds and how your mixes move. If it's just for piano, get some BX8's and take your wife to dinner with the the $1,500 you saved. Dave Mason? Next somebody's gonna say something about Dylan covers by Jim Croce or the We Five... http://www.musicplayer.com/ubb/wink.gif Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dave Bryce Posted September 23, 2004 Share Posted September 23, 2004 Originally posted by capnzoot: Actually, with a small amount of editing, I'd have gigged with the Casio WK3500 and shorted the speakers via the headphone jack with a dummy plug. The thing does an admirable job of what it does, with a decent wavetable set, a great drawbar organ set with editable "rotary speaker" effect, 76 keys and both wheels. Under $400 street. Understood - I've heard the WK3500 - it's surprising what a decent sound comes out of that thing. The Yamaha PSR series are pretty okay as well. Anyway, 2k is still too high for a home DAW if your wife is going to make you miserable.Agreed. Guess it just depends where the Wife Acceptance Factor is per household. In our house, if I get something, so does she - this seems to keeps us both pretty happy. Whatever you buy, learn how it sounds and how your mixes move. If it's just for piano, get some BX8's and take your wife to dinner with the the $1,500 you saved....if you like the way the BX8s sound. You might find you like other ones better. Hence my suggestion to go listen to a few different models. Piano has an especially broad dymanic range and frequency spectrum - arguably greater than any other single instrument. I tend to think that trying to reproduce it faithfully is even more of a case for good monitoring. To each his/her own... Dave Mason? Next somebody's gonna say something about Dylan covers by Jim Croce or the We Five... http://www.musicplayer.com/ubb/wink.gif dB ==> David Bryce Music • Funky Young Monks <== Professional Affiliations: Royer Labs • Music Player Network Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Junkstyle Posted September 24, 2004 Author Share Posted September 24, 2004 Its been hard demoing speakers but here are the ones I've tried so far: non-expert comments: M-Audio BX5 - nice looking with mesmerizing blue LED, back has all the inputs you could want and a bunch of switches to cut frequencies, volume on back(like most speakers. I wish they would put it on the front but maybe once its set you dont mess with it) Sounds clear and good. But what is stopping me from buying them is that the highs are too pronounced for my ears and the midrange is sorta compressed and undefined. The low end is nothing to write home about either, but would be fine for my purposes. The BX8's sounded much better than these. If you go M-Audio definitely get the BX8's over the BX5's. M-Audio 2.1 (2 passive satelites + 1 subwoofer)I didn't evaluate these much because I pretty much hated them from the start. They didn't sound good to me and I could tell the separation of the subwoofer and satelite sound that drove me crazy. KRK RP5 - for this price these speakers can't be accurate, but they sounded smooth and nice(CD listening) to me. You could crank them and the sound wouldn't break up. Not very crisp and clear sounding, pretty flat and undetailed but I could imagine myself using them as computer or TV speakers if they didn't work out for my keyboard(they are cheap $149 each) One major flaw I heard in them, in TWO stores no less, was this incessant and potentially very irritating "hissing" sound when it was quiet. This was not the normal "hum" static of speakers but more pronounced with a high end to it. I think this would drive me crazy. Maybe they cut some corners to make them this cheap. KRK V4 - these are tiny speakers but the sound compared with the RP5's if not rivaled it. The volume control on the back was imbedded so you would have to use a tiny screw driver to change it. Same irritating "hissing" sound problem. In both KRK's the hissing sound had 2 layers it seemed. A background hum and a higher pitched hiss that might have been coming from the tweeter. Yanking out the input cable cut it down by about half. But still I think this is an issue. I didn't notice this bad of a hum on the other speakers, just KRK's. I liked the KRK sound so this is a damn shame. Out of the KRK RP5 and KRK V4 I'd choose the RP5. The V4's were also $100 more each so out of my current budget anyways. Wharfendale DP8.1A Diamond Pro - these sounded really good to me. The midrange was very defined. The high's weren't as fatiguing as the BX 5s. The low end wasn't as punchy as the KRK's but maybe this is a good thing? Super duper low price $250pr. Is Wharfendale still in business? Biggest complaint is they are kindof ugly aesthically and they dont have balanced TRS inputs but a phono TS input. I didn't hear any hiss at all from them. Anyways that's life in the $300ish range. Going to be full of compromises. I want to try more brands and models out but its hard to find them. Guitar stores have been the only places I've found active monitors at. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gangsu Posted September 24, 2004 Share Posted September 24, 2004 Oh what the heck, I'm going to tell you to go find some place that sells the Klipsch, and give them a listen. They are asthetically without fault, practical since you don't need a bookshelf to set them up on, and they cover more of the frequency spectrum of a grand piano than anything under 200 pounds. Ok I exagerrate. Besides, dB, where can one find a pair of Adam monitors to audition? (apart from your studio ) "........! Try to make It..REAL! compared to what? ! ! ! " - BOPBEEPER Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gangsu Posted September 24, 2004 Share Posted September 24, 2004 By the way, the frequency range of a grand piano (which is where my search for a decent speaker originated) is: 27.5 Hz (A0) to 4186 Hz. "........! Try to make It..REAL! compared to what? ! ! ! " - BOPBEEPER Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Junkstyle Posted September 24, 2004 Author Share Posted September 24, 2004 Gangsu, your admiration of the Klipsch is making me want to try them out(with a keyboard). I have tried them out at BestBuy, but it was piping some comercial BestBuy DJ guy and nothing knocked my socks off about them. Have you tried any side by side comparisons of the Klipschs with active monitors? I am really curious. It doesn't seem right that I shouldn't be able to find a better pair of speakers for $400 versus $150(Klipsch). I also get the impression that you can't buy anything that great in the world of Active Monitors for $400. You have to start going towards the 8" monitors with the expensive components and the bigger price tags. Two 8" monitors are an overkill for my situation. Basically I want to play the "piano" without having my headphones on, and have it sound great. Thanks again everyone for their suggestions. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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