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[copperx]

Given the large number of cheap "monitor" speakers being made by almost all manufacturers, I have wondered if I would be better off by monitoring on cheap audiophile speakers made by a company with more audio experience. The Epos M5, Polk RT25i, B&W DM303, wich are around $300 come to mind. Some others are reviewed here: http://www.stereophile.com/budgetcomponents/.

What do you all think? Has anyone here gone this route?



Rafael Escalante

[Teddy G.]

1. Cheap and Audiophile are words that do not go together.

2. Cheap "consumer grade", maybe?

Anywho. The idea is that "monitor" manufacturers, irrespective of price, do the best they can to make things sound "the way they are" - period. Consumer OR maybe audiophile speakers(Don't tell any of them!) are made to sound "good" - period. OK, possibly to sound "impressive"? Hard to say. Fer shure, professsional audio monitors and high-grade audiophile speakers have one thing in common - they are always expensive.

That said. Does a pair of ANY 300 dollar speakers qualify as anything other than "consumer grade" - whether labeled as monitors or otherwise? Hard to say...

When you spend whatever you spend you're looking for what? I'm looking for a "solid", well-built cabinet with the best possible speakers for the price, and a design that appears to reflect what I want to do with them. Not a penny more for a "Cherry wood" finish, no meaningless "features"! I'm looking for a professional "input"(Balanced XLR). Most of all I'm not LOOKING for anything! What I want to do is HEAR what I need to hear! No "extra" bass, etc. If it's garbage I put in, it's garbage I want out. If nothing else, the manufacturers of "monitors"(at any price) have at least made the statement that they are trying to give us what we want(Whether they do is up to our ears.). The "other" speaker manufacturers have, generally, made no such commitment. Still, if I had a few grand to spend, I might "bite" on a pair of Thiehl "audiophile" speakers? Nah, I'd likely go for the..? Hard to say...

Are ANY speakers "good" for monitoring for 300 bucks? Yeah, probably. My tiny Yamaha MS50's cost 99.95, and they do fine for what I need. They are built like tiny tanks. I hope to "upgrade(If that is the proper term for such a meager future purchase) to the Yamaha MSP5's(About 500 US). Are they "better" than the 500 dollar Polk's? I have no idea - but at least they "say" "monitor" and I'll bet they're well-built and that at least someone, somewhere in the Yamaha organization tried to give me what I need, within their(Then My) allowable budget... Gotta' trust somebody! Sometimes that's the best I can do......

TG

[copperx]

Teddy G. wrote on Sat, 07 January 2006 22:40

Fer shure, professsional audio monitors and high-grade audiophile speakers have one thing in common - they are always expensive.

Pardon my ingorance, but I thought that the thing monitor speakers and "audiophile" speakers had in common was unhyped sound. At least that's what "audiophile" (Stax, Grado, etc) headphones do: accurate reproduction of what's in a recording. They don't try to add bass, remove midrange,  etc. like "consumer" headphones. And those are not labeled as  "monitoring" or "recording" headphones. Are speakers different?


Rafael Escalante

[Tim Halligan]

At the lower end of the price spectrum in both monitor and audiophile loudspeakers, compromises have been made.

Fact of life...nothing we can do about it.

That said, if you find a pair of cheap audiophile loudspeakers that you are happy with...and your mixes translate well...then fine. Go for it.

Just remember - like any loudspeaker at any price point, you are going to have to invest some time to learn them.

I must admit that I have a great deal of difficulty coming to terms with the mystique that the hifi world tries to build around their products. Maybe it's the rotten taste of snake-oil...


Cheers,
Tim

[max cooper]

My favorite bang for the buck monitors are Tannoy PBM 6.5's.

I see 'em for $100 fairly often, and the HF drivers are easily replaceable with a call to Speaker City in Studio City.

[Buzz]

Alesis Monitor 1's lacking a little bottom but they translate well
also Event BAS 20/20's also nice for very little
LAter
Buzz

[hargerst]

One of the simple tricks we use here is to power speakers from a receiver, not a power amplifier.  Receivers have tone controls; some have 15 band eq's built in (JVC, etc.).

Now let's say your monitors are a little shy on bass and your mixes are coming out bass heavy when played on other systems.  Simply boost the bass on your receiver, and you'll turn down the bass on your mixes.  In other words, use the eq on your receiver, or plug in a graphic eq in your monitor chain to fix the monitor deficiencies.

The eq is NOT going to your two track mix, it's only affecting the sound coming out of your monitors, correcting monitor deficiencies.

[wavdoctor]

hargerst wrote on Mon, 09 January 2006 16:14

One of the simple tricks we use here is to power speakers from a receiver, not a power amplifier.  Receivers have tone controls; some have 15 band eq's built in (JVC, etc.). Now let's say your monitors are a little shy on bass and your mixes are coming out bass heavy when played on other systems.  Simply boost the bass on your receiver, and you'll turn down the bass on your mixes.  In other words, use the eq on your receiver, or plug in a graphic eq in your monitor chain to fix the monitor deficiencies. The eq is NOT going to your two track mix, it's only affecting the sound coming out of your monitors, correcting monitor deficiencies.

Exactly what I do for my smalls,Except I push the loudness button..works for very close,final..while I clean up files listening.
HB

[floodstage]

I though audiophile had to do with $485.00 wood volume knobs!

http://www.referenceaudiomods.com/Merchant2/merchant.mvc?Scr een=PROD&Product_Code=NOB_C37_C

Just making a joke.  I have no idea what the speakers you mentioned sound like.  They may be great for all I know!)

[josh]

All speakers at any price point have compromises.

[Ness]

They are not audiophile per se, but i have those warfedale 9.1's and man they have made my best mixes yet (though i had to tone down my mids').

Also i use them with classical music and techno so they seem to have a wide range of application. I wish i could compare them with something else to paint a clearer picture but i really don't have much experiences with other monitors. But i am still very satisfied with my purchase.

[Dougtune]

Rafael,
I need new monitors, too (the old ones are coming apart) and I, too, am not likely to just rush to the music store and buy the best speakers they have.  Usually, what they call "monitors" sound unlike music to me and get worse after a few hours.  Also, the concept of strapping the power amp on the back of the speaker, getting all vibrated, seems wrong.  Next week I have time to go to stereo shops AND music stores, with a CD of stuff I'm familiar with, and listen.  In my experience, the speakers at the music stores sometimes lack realism, and the ones at the stereo shops sometimes lack balls, or punch.  Some speakers get it all together, and each year is a new crop of them.