Best Monitors Under $500

[Erwin Keizer]

For what it's worth: I have Alesis Monitor One MK2 monitors in my studio (medium room) with a Denon amplifier. Gives really great results, clear crisp sound, quite flat and suited to a wide range of sounds and music, very good for monitoring sound.

I am real happy with them especially when you consider they are only 79 euros each (www.feedback.nl).

Kind regards,
Erwin

[Matt Ludwig]

Ok, I did some more browsing and I realized that no one really mentioned Event. BH has their TR8's for about $450 (they have to email you the price) and I'd be willing to go over by a hair, since I've been recomended to get 8 inch. I think I'll probably end up getting those unless anybody has any big complaints about them....I listened to some Events with 8 inch (even though they were the next model up and a pair costs about $900) and they sounded great. Man there are a lot of options when it comes to low priced monitoring. If I were to get the Yorkvilles, Where would I get them, I havn't seen them listed with anybody anywhere? Not that I have anything against them, they seem to be great from what you all have said, but I think I'd rather go with a larger company that is more recognizeable, like Event. Thanks again everybody!

[Steve House]

Originally Posted by Matt Ludwig

... If I were to get the Yorkvilles, Where would I get them, I havn't seen them listed with anybody anywhere? Not that I have anything against them, they seem to be great from what you all have said, but I think I'd rather go with a larger company that is more recognizeable, like Event.

Their website is http://www.yorkville.com and they have a dealer directory online. Only have limited experience with them so I can't say much more that in my listening in store they sounded very good, better than their pricepoint would suggest they might and holding their own against speakers costing way more. The same company makes the Traynor brand of stage and performance speakers and gear, FWIW.

[Mark Fry]

I've been talking to a few more people and reading some reviews (Sound On Sound magzine's web-site is another great resource), and the same names keep coming up: Alesis Monitor 1 Active, Tannoy Reveal, Tapco and Event TR5 (perhaps TR6?). The problem is, no-one locally has anything that I can go and listen to. Looks like I'll have to spend a day on a trip to either Birmingham or London... (not my idea of fun!)

[Dave Frank]

Originally Posted by Matt Ludwig

If I were to get the Yorkvilles, Where would I get them, I havn't seen them listed with anybody anywhere?

Gotta get the Yorks! I am so lucky someone tipped me off to them about 3 years ago when I started setting up my post suite. The YSM1Ps are fantastic for getting clear unbiased audio while editing. You can check the dealer locator on their site. Believe me it's worth it. And when you are ready to take it to the next level and get Yorkvilles sub, its a whole new experience.

-dave

[Mark Fry]

In the end, I've gone for a "bargin". The original Tannoy Reveal Active speakers have just been replaced by an expanded range (Reveal 5A, 6A and 8A), and Sound Control in the UK have bought up most (all?) of the old stock and are knocking them out at £199 a pair, saving about 30%(?) over the old price. They've just arrived, but without any leads, so now I've got to get some phono-to-XLR leads made up. I hope I've done the right thing...