Members MrChrisos Posted October 5, 2012 Members Share Posted October 5, 2012 I have a pair of Focal CMS 50s - which I compared to ADAMs and Genelecs, and settled on. Most important advice possible - DO NOT JUST ORDER THEM ONLINE. Go to a shop, bring an album that you love, something classic and well recorded that you've known for years (I took OK Computer). Then listen on a few and compare them. I thought I knew what I wanted, but quickly abandoned my original idea. Also - size means a lot. In the same day my girlfriend bought some Genelecs that were the next size up (they're amazing, and pretty much film industry standard). I tried out the smaller model, but preferred the sound of the Focals. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Mistersuperfly Posted October 5, 2012 Members Share Posted October 5, 2012 I've got a pair of Adam A7's that I got from MF on scratch and dent for ~$400 as one "didn't function". Took it apart and put it back together and it worked just fine. They sound great, they're not the loudest nor do they have the biggest low end extension, but they're more balanced and honest. The best small monitors I think I've ever heard are those Neumann KH120s though, they blew me away honestly. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members One Man Banned Posted October 5, 2012 Members Share Posted October 5, 2012 What do you have, how much did you pay, how do you like them?Go. I have a pair of these...they were about $2000 for the pair. http://www.americanmusical.com/Item--i-ADP-A8X-LIST Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members mister natural Posted October 7, 2012 Members Share Posted October 7, 2012 Wharfedale 8.2a powered - think I paid ~375 for the pair sounds great with plenty of bass, front-ported for use in smaller rooms, easy to enjoy treble balance Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members thom Posted October 7, 2012 Members Share Posted October 7, 2012 ^Those wharfedales have been on my wish list for ages. I don't record enough anymore to justify getting new monitors, so it probably won't happen anytime soon. But bang for the buck -whise, based on the countless reviews and tests I read, I'd say Wharfedale and Tannoy seem to be among the best brands for low budget monitor speakers... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members sparkfriction Posted October 7, 2012 Members Share Posted October 7, 2012 Neumann KH 120 A is really good... and not so expensive for that quality imo M-Audio bx8 is the cheap way imo - or better - the best bang for the buck Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Adacto Posted October 7, 2012 Members Share Posted October 7, 2012 Adam A7s here. Bought about 4/5 years ago, about Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members conky Posted October 7, 2012 Members Share Posted October 7, 2012 I used something similar to this to record a 4 track demo once. I took an envelope from the Post office and made a cone around a pair of ear bud headphones. It worked out pretty good. As far as the question in the OP, I have a pair of KRK Rockit 5s that I got from Guitar Center. I only got charged for one though. I thought they were 150 a pair, not each. The guy at the checkout only charged me for the one. I haven't had any problems with them and they sound great. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members godofmetalguita Posted October 7, 2012 Members Share Posted October 7, 2012 My first monitors were the original M-Audio BX5a's, which I still think were not bad for the money, not exactly flat, but they would be fine for a pre-production studio or for editing etc. My experience with the Wharfedale Diamond Pro 8.2a was that it was a very colored speaker. I had them as my main monitors for a couple years. My mixes from that time show it. I would recommend them as a B set of monitors, but I wouldn't recommend making big mix decisions on them. The studio I was working at decided to get a pair of Event ASP8's which were a huge upgrade over the Wharfedales. I liked these a lot, but I think there are better options in that price range. I spent some time (3-5 months) with a set of powered Event 20/20's. These are great monitors for the money. I will eventually own a pair for my home studio. Not a ton of low end, but fairly revealing. I did some work in a studio that had a pair of Adam A7x's with the matching sub. They sounded good, but the room wasn't treated, and I had some trouble getting a good balanced mix quickly with them. Again, this could be due to lack of treatment. I'd like to give them a shot in a proper studio. Now I'm using a pair of Mackie HR824's. There is a reason you see these in studios everywhere. They have great low end extension, and mixes translate well. They also get pretty loud, and they can take a beating, which is great for tracking. My clients love them, and so do I. In their price range I'd say the HR824's are a safe bet. My rooms have been acoustically treated and the placement of the speakers has been calculated for the mix position. A treated room with {censored}ty monitors will be easier to mix in than an untreated room with high end monitors. Spend the money on treatment (not Auralex, that stuff is a joke). OC 703/705 panels, diffusers, maybe some foam for the first/second reflection points. Acoustic treatment has changed my mixes so much that it makes me want to go back and remix the stuff I've done in untreated environments. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members ben_allison Posted October 7, 2012 Members Share Posted October 7, 2012 I have Adam A7's. They're ok. My next pair will either be Spiral Groove Studio Ones, or Pelonis 4288's. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members ben_allison Posted October 7, 2012 Members Share Posted October 7, 2012 best left to the studios to purchase Naw. If someone's serious about trying to get into recording (even as a hobby), it makes sense to try and have even a snowball's chance of hearing what's going on. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Edkoppel Posted October 8, 2012 Members Share Posted October 8, 2012 I have had the same Mackie HR824's for years, and they are still amazing. but last year I upgraded to some Genelec 8050's and it's like hearing sound in 3D/ The Mackie's were like $800, I think, and the Genelec's were, a lot... It's good to switch back and forth between the two when mixing. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Beyer160 Posted October 8, 2012 Members Share Posted October 8, 2012 I've got an old pair of EV Sentry 100s I've had forever powered by a Hafler P1500. I used to like the Mackie 824s but heard they went to {censored} with cheaper manufacturing several years ago. I haven't heard any since, so I dunno. I used to work out of a place that had Dynaudio BM15s that were the bees knees. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Phil O'Keefe Posted October 8, 2012 Share Posted October 8, 2012 I have Adam A7's. They're ok.My next pair will either be Spiral Groove Studio Ones, or Pelonis 4288's. I have not heard the Studio Ones, but I have heard Chris Pelonis' speakers and was pretty darned impressed. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Phil O'Keefe Posted October 8, 2012 Share Posted October 8, 2012 I've got an old pair of EV Sentry 100s I've had forever powered by a Hafler P1500. I used to like the Mackie 824s but heard they went to {censored} with cheaper manufacturing several years ago. I haven't heard any since, so I dunno. The whole passive radiator on the rear kind of concerned me... phase coherency and all that. Not horrible sounding by any means, but there are definitely speakers I like better. For example... I used to work out of a place that had Dynaudio BM15s that were the bees knees. I've used a rented pair (or studio provided set) a few times in Hollywood, and I really like them too. In fact, if I wasn't using the S3A's, they'd be in the running for my primary reference pair. I can definitely comfortably "work on" those speakers. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Player99 Posted October 8, 2012 Members Share Posted October 8, 2012 I have a set of Alesis M1 Actives. They are an older pair, now discontinued. They were more money than the newer Alesis M1's. After looking at the speakers mentioned here I am now afflicted with speaker envy. Anyone familiar with the Alesis M1's I have? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members brebis Posted October 8, 2012 Members Share Posted October 8, 2012 I bought the K&K Rokit 6 about 6 months ago and I find them reliable, good gear. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members ben_allison Posted October 8, 2012 Members Share Posted October 8, 2012 I have not heard the Studio Ones, but I have heard Chris Pelonis' speakers and was pretty darned impressed. The reviews seem to be glowing! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Beyer160 Posted October 9, 2012 Members Share Posted October 9, 2012 The whole passive radiator on the rear kind of concerned me... phase coherency and all that. Not horrible sounding by any means, but there are definitely speakers I like better. Fair enough, but remember that when these were in general use people actually did serious work on NS10s. I wouldn't play Call Of Duty on NS10s. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Phil O'Keefe Posted October 9, 2012 Share Posted October 9, 2012 Fair enough, but remember that when these were in general use people actually did serious work on NS10s. I wouldn't play Call Of Duty on NS10s. People STILL do serious work on NS-10s. I know some pretty heavy-duty, "serious cats" who still use them. I also used them at one time - you could hardly avoid them for a while - but I never really cared for them. I know "how" to use them, but it involves things that make the whole process fatiguing and less than enjoyable, and I'd rather use something else that takes less translation to translate, if that makes any sense. Maybe "less compensation to get the mix to translate" would be a better way of saying what I mean. IMHO, the Mackies are a much better reference monitor. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Player99 Posted October 9, 2012 Members Share Posted October 9, 2012 Phil are mine even workable? Post 41... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members HP Hovercraft Posted October 9, 2012 Members Share Posted October 9, 2012 I have M-Audio BX5s. They're OK. I thought they sounded better than the Alesis and KRKs that were the same price. $300, IIRC (I've had them for 10 years). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Phil O'Keefe Posted October 9, 2012 Share Posted October 9, 2012 Phil are mine even workable? Post 41... What are you trying to accomplish with them? If you're trying to mix dance music with them, there's no way (IMHO) that a 6.5" woofer is going to serve you well - it just isn't going to reproduce the lowest two or three octaves. If your music places fewer demands on the very lowest frequencies, and you don't need tons of volume from your monitors, and if you're willing to put the time in to "learning" your monitors and their quirks (and more importantly, how to compensate and get good mixes that translate well anyway, in spite of their limitations), then yes, they can certainly be made to "work." Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Beyer160 Posted October 9, 2012 Members Share Posted October 9, 2012 Maybe "less compensation to get the mix to translate" would be a better way of saying what I mean. You mean a monitor where you can actually hear the kick drum, instead of just watching for the cone to crinkle a little to tell you it's loud enough? Compared to that, working on my EVs is livin' in high cotton. I've had them forever and am used to them by now, but if I was going to start working professionally again I'd probably want something better. Oh, who am I kidding- everything's on MP3 now so no one can tell the difference anyway. There's got to be a guy in Japan, laughing his ass off to this day that he managed to convince Americans to mix music on those damn NS10s. I'll never forget the sense of panic I felt the first time I switched a mix off the big mains for a "nearfield check" on NS10s. It was like watching my mix be crushed like a beer can under a dumptruck. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members macadood Posted October 9, 2012 Members Share Posted October 9, 2012 best left for the studios to purchase, i'm afraid. what do you need them for anyways ryn? to use as bedroom speakers? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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