16 Apr
2011
16 Apr
'11
12:42 a.m.
Hey, list,
So, I'm in the market for monitors with a budget of approx $1000 (CAD in
my case) and I've been trying to do my homework about the better known
models and brands in the last couple of days, mainly thanks to SOS's
excellent series of reviews. I need small monitors, both because the
room I work in is small accoustically, and because my actual space
real-estate is very limited. Anyway, it suddenly occured to me to ask on
this list what my fellow Linux Users are favouring these days.
Cheers,
S.M.
--
16 Apr
16 Apr
1:20 a.m.
On Fri, Apr 15, 2011 at 7:44 PM, S. Massy <lists(a)wolfdream.ca> wrote:
Hey, list,
So, I'm in the market for monitors with a budget of approx $1000 (CAD in
my case) and I've been trying to do my homework about the better known
models and brands in the last couple of days, mainly thanks to SOS's
excellent series of reviews. I need small monitors, both because the
room I work in is small accoustically, and because my actual space
real-estate is very limited. Anyway, it suddenly occured to me to ask on
this list what my fellow Linux Users are favouring these days.
Cheers,
S.M.
Genelec 8030a's (and a 7050b) , a little out of your budget unless you
go to the second hand market. I listen to them all day and they work
for me.
- R
1:25 a.m.
On Fri, Apr 15, 2011 at 3:44 PM, S. Massy <lists(a)wolfdream.ca> wrote:
Hey, list,
So, I'm in the market for monitors with a budget of approx $1000 (CAD in
my case) and I've been trying to do my homework about the better known
models and brands in the last couple of days, mainly thanks to SOS's
excellent series of reviews. I need small monitors, both because the
room I work in is small accoustically, and because my actual space
real-estate is very limited. Anyway, it suddenly occured to me to ask on
this list what my fellow Linux Users are favouring these days.
Cheers,
S.M.
I use NHT Pro A-10's that I got on Ebay years ago. I've never loved
them - I bought them sound unheard - but I think they mix pretty well
and there aren't any near field monitors that I've used that I like
much better.
The A-20's are supposed to be a bit better. I found a pair on Ebay for
$750 so I suppose you might find them within your budget.
http://cgi.ebay.com/NHT-PRO-A-20-monitors-amp-and-cables-/320684233864?pt=L…
As your probably sitting right on top of your monitors make sure you
get something that people say works near field. Big studio monitors
won't do it very well.
Good luck,
Mark
5:45 a.m.
Not answering your question at all: but I'd buy Adam A3X's. Personally I
love the sound they make for clear listening, although im sure there's some
out there that won't agree. They're tiny and well built.
I *wouldn't* use them to mix low-end heavy stuff (dubstep / hip hop) as they
won't represent the very low lows at loud volumes, but hey, niether will
your radio which is why you probably *should* mix on them
Counter argument to any argument, "if your speakers play it loud, it won't
be loud in the mix" :D
-Harry
8:12 a.m.
Excerpts from Harry Van Haaren's message of 2011-04-16 05:45:35 +0200:
Not answering your question at all: but I'd buy
Adam A3X's. Personally I
love the sound they make for clear listening, although im sure there's some
out there that won't agree. They're tiny and well built.
I *wouldn't* use them to mix low-end heavy stuff (dubstep / hip hop) as they
won't represent the very low lows at loud volumes, but hey, niether will
your radio which is why you probably *should* mix on them
Counter argument to any argument, "if your speakers play it loud, it won't
be loud in the mix" :D
-Harry
If you need bass, the KRK RP5 might be better suited, they are bass
heavy. Can't really judge their overall quality.
2:49 p.m.
On Sat, Apr 16, 2011 at 7:12 AM, Philipp Überbacher
<hollunder(a)lavabit.com>wrote;wrote:
If you need bass, the KRK RP5 might be better suited, they are bass
heavy. Can't really judge their overall quality.
A friend of mine had those, they seem badly built. This youtube video
shows what happens those monitors after some time:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1Si9dSnHyNE
Note that's not the guy I know on the video, its not that my mate dropped
them or mistreated them. A quick google of "krk rp5 buzz" or the likes
returns plenty of results to discourage me to buy KRK...
I'd go with behringer before them anyday, -Harry
4:58 p.m.
Excerpts from Harry Van Haaren's message of 2011-04-16 14:49:49 +0200:
On Sat, Apr 16, 2011 at 7:12 AM, Philipp Überbacher
<hollunder(a)lavabit.com>wrote;wrote:
Wow, the stuff in the video is pretty bad. I don't have such a problem
with my G2. All I get is a little noise when they're idle, but you have
to be very close up to hear it, I think that's normal. RF problems
related to mobiles are also mentioned and I do get those, but I didn't
try to figure out whether those come from the cables or the monitors
themselves and the gearslutz posts don't make this clear either.
Because you mentioned Behringer, a friend of mine recently tested
some small Behringer against Adam 3 something and said he didn't hear
much difference but went with the much more expensive Adam nevertheless.
Anyway, this is pretty anecdotal, it's best to listen for oneself if
possible.
If you need bass, the KRK RP5 might be better suited, they are bass
heavy. Can't really judge their overall quality.
A friend of mine had those, they seem badly built. This youtube video
shows what happens those monitors after some time:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1Si9dSnHyNE
Note that's not the guy I know on the video, its not that my mate dropped
them or mistreated them. A quick google of "krk rp5 buzz" or the likes
returns plenty of results to discourage me to buy KRK...
I'd go with behringer before them anyday, -Harry
9:01 p.m.
Hello, and thanks to all who responded, I didn't expect such a flood of
replies. I'm going to reply in general since there are too many single
e-mails to respond to.
In my original post, I didn't mention any brands on purpose, so as to
get as many suggestions as possible, so I find it interesting that most
brands/models mentioned are those I had at least briefly studied or
considered, except for the NHT, of which I had never heard before.
On the very top of my possible lists, right now, are the Adam A5X,
which, though they are just a few dollars over my budget (before taxes,
ouch) are still close enough to tempt me. So one question I have is,
does any one have experience with the A5X? Has any one compared them
with the much cheaper A3X? I was tempted by the A3X, but was doubtful a
3 inch driver could deliver anything like the specs they advertise.
Next, the Genelecs. The miniature 8020A's are priced about the same as
the Adam A5X and are small, but I wonder at their versatility. The 8030A
can be picked up used for about the price of the A5X new, but the
frequency response they advertise is much more modest.
Next in my list were the KRK VXT4, but, apart from comments on this
list, I read some pretty frightening stories about reliability on the
internet, so I'm not feeling as good about them as I did.
Now the Yamaha HS50M. I've actually been fortunate enough to listen at
length to these monitors and work with them. I would agree that they are
very detailed, "critical" monitors, and built like tanks at that. A
minor gripe I have with them is a slightly flaky bass response, a much
more important one is their harshness in the highs, which caused me to
lose perspective after about an hour of use.
Oh yeah, and the Behringers disappeared from local stores a few months
ago, I have no idea why.
My main quandry here is trying to find the best compromise between
quality, size (as in compactness), and price. I'm not really doing much
dance music, but I do need something as rounded out (versatile) as
possible. A pretty tall order, I realise...
Thanks again to all who responded.
Cheers,
S.M.
--
10:33 a.m.
On 04/16/2011 05:45 AM, Harry Van Haaren wrote:
Not answering your question at all: but I'd buy
Adam A3X's. Personally I
love the sound they make for clear listening, although im sure there's some
out there that won't agree. They're tiny and well built.
I *wouldn't* use them to mix low-end heavy stuff (dubstep / hip hop) as they
won't represent the very low lows at loud volumes, but hey, niether will
your radio which is why you probably *should* mix on them
Counter argument to any argument, "if your speakers play it loud, it won't
be loud in the mix" :D
-Harry
Hello Harry,
I'm very happy with my Yamaha HS50M's. I wouldn't use them for the
low-end heavy stuff either though, I already made that mistake for you
;) But they are very nice monitors, very well suited for use in a
computer setup (very good shielding), built sturdily and they do the job
sufficiently for me.
Best,
Jeremy
12:05 p.m.
On Sat, 16 Apr 2011 10:33:36 +0200
Jeremy Jongepier <jeremy(a)autostatic.com> wrote:
On 04/16/2011 05:45 AM, Harry Van Haaren wrote:
Alesis Monitor 1 Mk2 here. They are nearfields and ideal for my cramped
'portable' studio. Been using them for a couple of years now and very pleased
with them.
--
Will J Godfrey
http://www.musically.me.uk
Say you have a poem and I have a tune.
Exchange them and we can both have a poem, a tune, and a song.
Not answering your question at all: but I'd
buy Adam A3X's. Personally I
love the sound they make for clear listening, although im sure there's some
out there that won't agree. They're tiny and well built.
I *wouldn't* use them to mix low-end heavy stuff (dubstep / hip hop) as they
won't represent the very low lows at loud volumes, but hey, niether will
your radio which is why you probably *should* mix on them
Counter argument to any argument, "if your speakers play it loud, it won't
be loud in the mix" :D
-Harry
Hello Harry,
I'm very happy with my Yamaha HS50M's. I wouldn't use them for the
low-end heavy stuff either though, I already made that mistake for you
;) But they are very nice monitors, very well suited for use in a
computer setup (very good shielding), built sturdily and they do the job
sufficiently for me.
Best,
Jeremy 
9:33 p.m.
On Saturday 16 April 2011 12:05:35 Folderol wrote:
Alesis Monitor 1 Mk2 here. They are nearfields and
ideal for my cramped
'portable' studio. Been using them for a couple of years now and very
pleased with them.
Same monitors and some love for them here.
Altough I find them a bit bass-heavy from time to time. Doing a little drc with
a non-flat target function helps to solve that:-)
Regarding the size: There is a lower frequency limit connected with the volume
of the speakers box. So don't expect bass-miracles from a 10cm³ box...
Have fun,
Arnold
17 Apr
17 Apr
12:03 a.m.
On Sat, Apr 16, 2011 at 09:33:32PM +0200, Arnold Krille wrote:
On Saturday 16 April 2011 12:05:35 Folderol wrote:
Really?
They are *so* inexpensive in comparison to other brands/models
discussed so far... How are they in terms of reliability/construction?
Cheers,
S.M.
Alesis Monitor 1 Mk2 here. They are nearfields
and ideal for my cramped
'portable' studio. Been using them for a couple of years now and very
pleased with them.
Same monitors and some love for them here.
Altough I find them a bit bass-heavy from time to time. Doing a little drc with
a non-flat target function helps to solve that:-)
Regarding the size: There is a lower frequency limit connected with the volume
of the speakers box. So don't expect bass-miracles from a 10cm? box...
Have fun,
Arnold
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--
12:40 a.m.
On Sunday 17 April 2011 00:05:04 S. Massy wrote:
On Sat, Apr 16, 2011 at 09:33:32PM +0200, Arnold
Krille wrote:
To be fair: I have them standing 10cm from the wall behind my desk. That is
certainly a factor for more bass. But I can't place them "in the middle of the
room" as the room is only 3x2.5 meters...
On Saturday 16 April 2011 12:05:35 Folderol
wrote:
Really? They are *so*
inexpensive in comparison to other brands/models
discussed so far... Alesis Monitor 1 Mk2 here. They are nearfields
and ideal for my cramped
'portable' studio. Been using them for a couple of years now and very
pleased with them.
Same monitors and some love for them here.
Altough I find them a bit bass-heavy from time to time. Doing a little
drc with a non-flat target function helps to solve that:-) How are they in terms of reliability/construction?
Reliability: I am using them since about 5 years and they work still as good
as when I bought them.
Construction: The blue leds are really bright. Had to tape them so I don't get
blind.
Otherwise they are great. So far they survived three moves, many hours of
music and several sinus-measurement-sweeps.
Have fun,
Arnold
20 Jun
20 Jun
11:30 p.m.
Hello, all,
Didn't have much time to dedicate to this until this weekend. I
auditioned Genelec 8020As, Adam A5X, and M-audio CX5. The M-audios
turned out a surprisingly good performance for monitors a few hundred
dollars cheaper than the other two. The Genelecs turned out a wonderful
performance for monitors one inch smaller, but I found them a little
harsh for my taste. So the A5Xs won. Frequency response is very good,
and stereo imaging is just superb. I'm getting to know them and am
looking forward to mixing on them.
Thanks to all who contributed suggestions, I would have liked to
audition them all, but time and my pea-brainedness made this impossible.
Cheers,
S.M.
--
--
22 Jun
22 Jun
8:27 a.m.
On Mon, Jun 20, 2011 at 05:30:52PM -0400, S. Massy wrote :
Hello, all,
Didn't have much time to dedicate to this until this weekend. I
auditioned Genelec 8020As, Adam A5X, and M-audio CX5. The M-audios
turned out a surprisingly good performance for monitors a few hundred
dollars cheaper than the other two. The Genelecs turned out a wonderful
performance for monitors one inch smaller, but I found them a little
harsh for my taste. So the A5Xs won. Frequency response is very good,
and stereo imaging is just superb. I'm getting to know them and am
looking forward to mixing on them.
I'm using Genelec 8020As, and they're great but really not transparent.
They clearly miss some basses (and subs, of course), and they're a bit
too bright (which, in some way, allows to work on details on those
frequencey ranges).
By the way, knowing this, you can work with them, but it's better to
have some other kits to compare.
I think your choice is cool.
--
Aurélien
8:02 p.m.
On Wed, Jun 22, 2011 at 08:27:46AM +0200, Aurelien wrote:
On Mon, Jun 20, 2011 at 05:30:52PM -0400, S. Massy
wrote :
I listened to quite a few mixes on Yamahas, which are even
harsher than
Genelecs IMHO, and there is a short-term advantage in mixing, as you
say, but the trade-off, at least in my case, was much quicker
ear-fatigue. The Adams are less "in-your-face" and may require a longer
"break-in" period, but I suspect will repay with being able to use them
longer before ear-fatigue kicks in.
Hello, all,
Didn't have much time to dedicate to this until this weekend. I
auditioned Genelec 8020As, Adam A5X, and M-audio CX5. The M-audios
turned out a surprisingly good performance for monitors a few hundred
dollars cheaper than the other two. The Genelecs turned out a wonderful
performance for monitors one inch smaller, but I found them a little
harsh for my taste. So the A5Xs won. Frequency response is very good,
and stereo imaging is just superb. I'm getting to know them and am
looking forward to mixing on them.
I'm using Genelec 8020As, and they're great but really not transparent.
They clearly miss some basses (and subs, of course), and they're a bit
too bright (which, in some way, allows to work on details on those
frequencey ranges). By the way, knowing this, you can work with them, but
it's better to
have some other kits to compare.
I think your choice is cool.
Thanks, I think so too. :)
Cheers,
S.M.
--
Aur?lien
_______________________________________________
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--
16 Apr
16 Apr
11:13 a.m.
I agree with Harry, I use A3Xs for all my mixing and I like them very much.
But, just as Harry said, it's not good for very bassy stuff.
On Sat, Apr 16, 2011 at 5:45 AM, Harry Van Haaren <harryhaaren(a)gmail.com>wrote;wrote:
Not answering your question at all: but I'd buy
Adam A3X's. Personally I
love the sound they make for clear listening, although im sure there's some
out there that won't agree. They're tiny and well built.
I *wouldn't* use them to mix low-end heavy stuff (dubstep / hip hop) as
they won't represent the very low lows at loud volumes, but hey, niether
will your radio which is why you probably *should* mix on them
Counter argument to any argument, "if your speakers play it loud, it won't
be loud in the mix" :D
-Harry
_______________________________________________
Linux-audio-user mailing list
Linux-audio-user(a)lists.linuxaudio.org
http://lists.linuxaudio.org/listinfo/linux-audio-user
12:33 p.m.
Am 16.04.2011 00:44, schrieb S. Massy:
Hey, list,
So, I'm in the market for monitors with a budget of approx $1000
I have a pair of Tannoy Reveal available for abour 500 Euros (approx.
700 USD). They are active and provide a solid, sober sound, up to
mid/higher loudness levels. The only issue to me: they are a bit too
sober. My first mixes with them tend to sound overdone especially in the
higher ferquencies if played on common Hifi-equipment.
(CAD in
my case) and I've been trying to do my homework about the better known
models and brands in the last couple of days, mainly thanks to SOS's
excellent series of reviews. I need small monitors, both because the
room I work in is small accoustically, and because my actual space
real-estate is very limited.
Well OK, the Tannoys are not the smallest speakers imaginable. But they
sound even bigger than they are and in the end I always found enough
space to mount them. Since they are active you also do not need to
provide space for a usable amp...
As of now I have them in about 1.2 meters from my head while sitting in
front of the screen.
best regs
HZN
Anyway, it suddenly occured to me to ask on
this list what my fellow Linux Users are favouring these days.
Cheers,
S.M.
1:10 p.m.
On 04/16/2011 12:44 AM, S. Massy wrote:
Hey, list,
So, I'm in the market for monitors with a budget of approx $1000 (CAD in
my case) and I've been trying to do my homework about the better known
models and brands in the last couple of days, mainly thanks to SOS's
excellent series of reviews. I need small monitors, both because the
room I work in is small accoustically, and because my actual space
real-estate is very limited. Anyway, it suddenly occured to me to ask on
this list what my fellow Linux Users are favouring these days.
Cheers,
S.M.
I went though this ~2 years ago. Went to a music shop with 3 CDs that I
know very well (Eroica|Beethoven/Karajan: dynamics, Abbey-Road|Beatles:
amazing '69 mix, African Space Craft|Keziah Jones: bass&compression) and
listened to
- Mackie MKII 824 (out of budget but nice reference)
- KRK Rokit 8
- Behringer Truth 2031A
- some Alesis model - don't remember
the last three were all ~300 euros per speaker.
I eventually bought on the Behringer; they were the closest to the
Mackie speakers. The KRK were rather bass heavy (may be OK for a small
studio where you listen very softly - but not suitable to put them in a
corner of a room or close to a wall where bass reflects even more) and
the Alesis just sounded crap even without comparison.
I'd have loved to listen to Genelec 8030 as comparison - Behringer
copies their design, but they were not in stock. There's lot of talk
that the Behringer are /only/ a cheper knock off.. I dunno if it's true
and, well, they work for me.
for $1000 (US) you may be able to get a pair of Machie HR624MKII which
I'd recommend even though half of the money is "just for the name".
HTH,
robin
9:35 p.m.
On Saturday 16 April 2011 13:10:28 Robin Gareus wrote:
I'd have loved to listen to Genelec 8030 as
comparison - Behringer
copies their design, but they were not in stock. There's lot of talk
that the Behringer are /only/ a cheper knock off.. I dunno if it's true
and, well, they work for me.
Show me one Behringer device that is _not_ a cheap copy of some other
device...
Arnold
10:02 p.m.
On 04/16/2011 09:48 PM, Paul Davis wrote:
On Sat, Apr 16, 2011 at 3:35 PM, Arnold
Krille<arnold(a)arnoldarts.de> wrote:
FCB1010 and BCF2000? Add the BCR2000 to this and maybe even the
BCD2000/3000 DJ controllers. I really like the BCF/BCR2000, very useful
devices, extremely configurable (BC Manager!) and dirtass cheap :)
Best,
Jeremy
Show me one Behringer device that is _not_ a
cheap copy of some other
device...
BCF1010
BCF200
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4:35 p.m.
I have a pair of Event ASP8 which compared favorably to Mackie's
HR824 when I listened to them.
/Allan
--
Allan Wind
Life Integrity, LLC
<http://lifeintegrity.com>
4904
days inactive
4972
days old
linux-audio-user@lists.linuxaudio.org
22 comments
14 participants
participants (14)
-
Allan Wind -
Arnold Krille -
Aurelien -
Folderol -
Gabbe Nord -
Harry Van Haaren -
Hartmut Noack -
Jeremy Jongepier -
Mark Knecht -
Paul Davis -
Philipp Überbacher -
robert lazarski -
Robin Gareus -
S. Massy