Studio Reference Monitors at DVinfo.net

Christopher Go · December 29th, 2002, 12:20 AM

Along with a video monitor I understand a pair of studio reference monitors for audio is also recommended. Can anyone suggest features I should watch or avoid when choosing a pair? A friend of mine pointed me to Alesis for example; what would you recommend? I'd like to spend up to or around $200 but if I must I'd also consider going up to $300. Thanks for any help in advance.

Jeff Donald · December 29th, 2002, 06:27 AM

I've used Alesis for years and they are very good. Mackie http://www.mackie.com/ makes some great monitors also. Speakers need to be listened to. Audition a couple of pairs of reference monitors side by side and pick what sounds good to your ears.

Jeff

Henrik Bengtsson · December 29th, 2002, 08:49 AM

Tannoy Reveal is also great monitors for that kind of cash. I have a pair of passive monitors hooked up to my system.

/Henrik

Don Donatello · December 29th, 2002, 12:45 PM

take a look at midimans ..street price 299

http://www.midiman.com/products/m-audio/studiophileSP5B.php

Simon Plissi · December 29th, 2002, 06:59 PM

<<<-- Originally posted by Henrik Bengtsson : Tannoy Reveal is also great monitors for that kind of cash. I have a pair of passive monitors hooked up to my system.

/Henrik -->>>

I too have a pair of passive Tannoy Reveals. A very nice pair they are, and look pretty cool too.

Dean Sensui · December 30th, 2002, 02:31 AM

I also got a pair of 8-inch Tannoys. Very clean and neutral. Running them off a Hafler amp.

Christopher Go · December 30th, 2002, 07:07 AM

Thanks for the suggestions. I don't know anything when it comes to audio, but will I need some kind of amplifier for passive speakers? I see the M-Audio speakers have a frequency reponse of 48Hz to 22kHz, whereas the Tannoy is 65 to 20. The active monitors from Alesis go from 50Hz to 20kHz. It appears the M-Audio is better in this regard. Other than that simple comparison I really don't know which I should invest in (other considerations to keep in mind for?). Either way it appears I'll have to pay closer to $400 for the monitors and shipping together if I'm not able to find a place locally where I can compare them. Anyone know of a good online retailer for audio equipment?

Rick Foxx · December 30th, 2002, 08:51 AM

MusiciansFriend (www.musiciansfriend.com) and AMS (www.americanmusical.com) are both pretty good mail order companies. I've purchased gear from both and have been satisfied. You might also look at the Event 20/20s. They have powered and unpowered versions, and they are very accurate.

MIDIMan

Jeff Donald · December 30th, 2002, 11:49 AM

You might try Sam Ash http://www.samashmusic.com/frameset.asp They also have many retail outlets. You might also try Zotz http://www.zotzdigital.com/ one of the sponsors of our community.

Jeff

Nori Wentworth · December 30th, 2002, 01:53 PM

I agree that the Mackies are very impressive.
However, I prefer the Yorkville YSM1-P. They sell for about
$700 CDN.

-Nori

Don Donatello · December 30th, 2002, 11:56 PM

this month i bought a echo mona card and the midi-man SP 5B speakers from
http://www.audiosyncrazy.com

within 30 min of ordering over phone i was emailed UPS shipping # ....

will be ordering another pair mid JAN for when i go to 5.1 ..yes will buy again from them

what area are you located ? look on midi-man site for local dealer ...

http://www.audiosyncrazy.com/default...el&token=10584

December 31st, 2002, 01:19 AM

I use Event 20/20's and i LOVE them. Not just for video but for music production and casual listening as well. Tannoy Reveals are also really good.

I suggest you get a pair of POWERED monitors (the powered 20/20's are great), so you don't have to also invest in an amplifier. Unpowered monitors need amplification, powered ones don't. The only problem is that a pair of powered 20/20's costs like 4 or 500 US dollars. But it IS worth it and listening to music on them is soooo much fun :). You will hear things in the high end audio spectrum that you never even knew existed...

Mark Austin · December 31st, 2002, 02:46 AM

Tannoy Reveals are good, Event 20/20bas (powered) are good, Genelec 1029's are great and are powered, JBL also makes some very accurate inexpensive monitors, Mackies are also very good. Alesis M1's are probably the most harsh and least accurate of the bunch (sorry Jeff). DON'T SKIMP!!! If you spend decent money for a camera, NTSC monitor etc. audio is no place to cut corners. I use Genelec 1030a's with a 1092 (2x8) Sub and mix most of my albums on them, it's about a $4500 setup and worth every penny!

If you want a bargain, look for some Tannoy PBM6.5 or K rok's they're not the best but a very good value, as are the reveals. The Tannoy's are about the best bang for the buck.

Keep in mind that the best sounding are not nessasarily the most accurate, and inaccurate speakers will lead to lousy mixes that don't translate worth a crap. It's like using a non calibrated TV to do color reference checks, it may look nice at home but it probably won't translate to other systems that well. That being said, if the spec's are close then go with the best sound.

When looking at frequency response don't forget the most important factor the +/- db rating; for example a speaker that can go from 20hz to 22khz +/- 6db is not going to be as good as a speaker that goes from 40hz to 20khz +/- 2db by a factor of 40!! Because a 1 db increase or decrease in sound is a factor of 10x more!!! A speaker that is rated at 40hz to 20khz +/- 2-3 db (Mackie / Genelec) will be very accurate, outside of that you'll be getting home speakers that will not provide an accurate point of reference.

Also don't let power handeling (wattage) be a concern. Wattage capacity has nothing to do with how good a speaker performs aurally, i.e. a 1200 watt speaker and a 120 watt speaker will perform exactly the same at normal levels (1-20 watts), it has everything to do with how robust the voice coils are. If you are doing live concerts then it's an issue because of the high levels that your speakers are subjected to, and the heat the coils have to dissapate. I have used Yamaha NS10m's that are rated at 80 watts at 8 ohms with a 400 watt per channel (800 watts total) Haffler amp and have never blown them up and they sounded better than ever. If you can get powered monitors DO IT, they save a lot of headaches, and since the amps are built in they are design to be perfectly matched to the speakers.
my 2 cents.
Mark

Bill Ravens · December 31st, 2002, 09:01 AM

I use both the SP5's as well as the SP8's from M-audio. They work really well, especially when backed up with sub-woofers. I purchased both models brand new, from Ebay at 100 bucks less than retail. I would recommend M-audio to anyone, especially with a Delta sound card.....VERY low noise floor...lower than the consumer cards like creative or Turtle Beach.

Christopher Go · January 2nd, 2003, 08:49 PM

Thanks again - some good audio places suggested here that I'll probably go to for future needs. I shopped with Zotz Digital before, they were very good. I also appreciate the explanation Mark, that's the first time I've heard about the +/- dB. Good to know.

Something else I saw while surfing the 'net was to watch for the crossover specification, specifically for those in the 1.5kHz to 2.0kHz range because of dialogue. What's this mean?

December 29th, 2002, 12:20 AM	#1
Christopher Go Major Player Join Date: Nov 2002 Location: Honolulu, HI Posts: 429	Studio Reference Monitors Along with a video monitor I understand a pair of studio reference monitors for audio is also recommended. Can anyone suggest features I should watch or avoid when choosing a pair? A friend of mine pointed me to Alesis for example; what would you recommend? I'd like to spend up to or around $200 but if I must I'd also consider going up to $300. Thanks for any help in advance.

December 29th, 2002, 08:49 AM	#3
Henrik Bengtsson Regular Crew Join Date: Aug 2002 Location: Borås, Sweden Posts: 167	Tannoy Reveal is also great monitors for that kind of cash. I have a pair of passive monitors hooked up to my system. /Henrik __________________ -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Henrik "HuBBa" Bengtsson, Imaginara Fotographia,http://www.imaginara.se

December 29th, 2002, 06:59 PM	#5
Simon Plissi Regular Crew Join Date: Aug 2002 Location: London, UK Posts: 105	I second the Tannoys <<<-- Originally posted by Henrik Bengtsson : Tannoy Reveal is also great monitors for that kind of cash. I have a pair of passive monitors hooked up to my system. /Henrik -->>> I too have a pair of passive Tannoy Reveals. A very nice pair they are, and look pretty cool too.

December 30th, 2002, 02:31 AM	#6
Dean Sensui Inner Circle Join Date: Oct 2001 Location: Honolulu, HI Posts: 2,054	I also got a pair of 8-inch Tannoys. Very clean and neutral. Running them off a Hafler amp. __________________ Dean Sensui Exec Producer, Hawaii Goes Fishing

December 30th, 2002, 08:51 AM	#8
Rick Foxx Regular Crew Join Date: Nov 2002 Location: Tooele, UT Posts: 78	MusiciansFriend (www.musiciansfriend.com) and AMS (www.americanmusical.com) are both pretty good mail order companies. I've purchased gear from both and have been satisfied. You might also look at the Event 20/20s. They have powered and unpowered versions, and they are very accurate. MIDIMan __________________ There is no problem so large that can't be solved with a suitable application of high explosives.

December 29th, 2002, 06:27 AM	#2
Jeff Donald Warden Join Date: Mar 2002 Location: Clearwater, FL Posts: 8,287	I've used Alesis for years and they are very good. Mackie http://www.mackie.com/ makes some great monitors also. Speakers need to be listened to. Audition a couple of pairs of reference monitors side by side and pick what sounds good to your ears. Jeff

December 29th, 2002, 12:45 PM	#4
Don Donatello Hawaiian Shirt Mogul Join Date: Nov 2001 Location: northern cailfornia Posts: 1,261	take a look at midimans ..street price 299 http://www.midiman.com/products/m-audio/studiophileSP5B.php

December 30th, 2002, 07:07 AM	#7
Christopher Go Major Player Join Date: Nov 2002 Location: Honolulu, HI Posts: 429	Thanks for the suggestions. I don't know anything when it comes to audio, but will I need some kind of amplifier for passive speakers? I see the M-Audio speakers have a frequency reponse of 48Hz to 22kHz, whereas the Tannoy is 65 to 20. The active monitors from Alesis go from 50Hz to 20kHz. It appears the M-Audio is better in this regard. Other than that simple comparison I really don't know which I should invest in (other considerations to keep in mind for?). Either way it appears I'll have to pay closer to $400 for the monitors and shipping together if I'm not able to find a place locally where I can compare them. Anyone know of a good online retailer for audio equipment?

December 30th, 2002, 11:49 AM	#9
Jeff Donald Warden Join Date: Mar 2002 Location: Clearwater, FL Posts: 8,287	You might try Sam Ash http://www.samashmusic.com/frameset.asp They also have many retail outlets. You might also try Zotz http://www.zotzdigital.com/ one of the sponsors of our community. Jeff

December 30th, 2002, 01:53 PM	#10
Nori Wentworth Wrangler Join Date: Dec 2001 Location: Kelowna, B.C. Canada Posts: 217	I agree that the Mackies are very impressive. However, I prefer the Yorkville YSM1-P. They sell for about $700 CDN. -Nori

December 30th, 2002, 11:56 PM	#11
Don Donatello Hawaiian Shirt Mogul Join Date: Nov 2001 Location: northern cailfornia Posts: 1,261	this month i bought a echo mona card and the midi-man SP 5B speakers from http://www.audiosyncrazy.com within 30 min of ordering over phone i was emailed UPS shipping # .... will be ordering another pair mid JAN for when i go to 5.1 ..yes will buy again from them what area are you located ? look on midi-man site for local dealer ... http://www.audiosyncrazy.com/default...el&token=10584

December 31st, 2002, 01:19 AM	#12
doctorxex Posts: n/a	I use Event 20/20's and i LOVE them. Not just for video but for music production and casual listening as well. Tannoy Reveals are also really good. I suggest you get a pair of POWERED monitors (the powered 20/20's are great), so you don't have to also invest in an amplifier. Unpowered monitors need amplification, powered ones don't. The only problem is that a pair of powered 20/20's costs like 4 or 500 US dollars. But it IS worth it and listening to music on them is soooo much fun :). You will hear things in the high end audio spectrum that you never even knew existed...

December 31st, 2002, 02:46 AM	#13
Mark Austin Regular Crew Join Date: Nov 2002 Location: Houston, Texas Posts: 188	Audio Monitors Tannoy Reveals are good, Event 20/20bas (powered) are good, Genelec 1029's are great and are powered, JBL also makes some very accurate inexpensive monitors, Mackies are also very good. Alesis M1's are probably the most harsh and least accurate of the bunch (sorry Jeff). DON'T SKIMP!!! If you spend decent money for a camera, NTSC monitor etc. audio is no place to cut corners. I use Genelec 1030a's with a 1092 (2x8) Sub and mix most of my albums on them, it's about a $4500 setup and worth every penny! If you want a bargain, look for some Tannoy PBM6.5 or K rok's they're not the best but a very good value, as are the reveals. The Tannoy's are about the best bang for the buck. Keep in mind that the best sounding are not nessasarily the most accurate, and inaccurate speakers will lead to lousy mixes that don't translate worth a crap. It's like using a non calibrated TV to do color reference checks, it may look nice at home but it probably won't translate to other systems that well. That being said, if the spec's are close then go with the best sound. When looking at frequency response don't forget the most important factor the +/- db rating; for example a speaker that can go from 20hz to 22khz +/- 6db is not going to be as good as a speaker that goes from 40hz to 20khz +/- 2db by a factor of 40!! Because a 1 db increase or decrease in sound is a factor of 10x more!!! A speaker that is rated at 40hz to 20khz +/- 2-3 db (Mackie / Genelec) will be very accurate, outside of that you'll be getting home speakers that will not provide an accurate point of reference. Also don't let power handeling (wattage) be a concern. Wattage capacity has nothing to do with how good a speaker performs aurally, i.e. a 1200 watt speaker and a 120 watt speaker will perform exactly the same at normal levels (1-20 watts), it has everything to do with how robust the voice coils are. If you are doing live concerts then it's an issue because of the high levels that your speakers are subjected to, and the heat the coils have to dissapate. I have used Yamaha NS10m's that are rated at 80 watts at 8 ohms with a 400 watt per channel (800 watts total) Haffler amp and have never blown them up and they sounded better than ever. If you can get powered monitors DO IT, they save a lot of headaches, and since the amps are built in they are design to be perfectly matched to the speakers. my 2 cents. Mark __________________ I'm humbled by the greatness that surrounds me.

December 31st, 2002, 09:01 AM	#14
Bill Ravens Join Date: Nov 2001 Location: santa fe, nm Posts: 3,264 Images: 10	I use both the SP5's as well as the SP8's from M-audio. They work really well, especially when backed up with sub-woofers. I purchased both models brand new, from Ebay at 100 bucks less than retail. I would recommend M-audio to anyone, especially with a Delta sound card.....VERY low noise floor...lower than the consumer cards like creative or Turtle Beach.

January 2nd, 2003, 08:49 PM	#15
Christopher Go Major Player Join Date: Nov 2002 Location: Honolulu, HI Posts: 429	Thanks again - some good audio places suggested here that I'll probably go to for future needs. I shopped with Zotz Digital before, they were very good. I also appreciate the explanation Mark, that's the first time I've heard about the +/- dB. Good to know. Something else I saw while surfing the 'net was to watch for the crossover specification, specifically for those in the 1.5kHz to 2.0kHz range because of dialogue. What's this mean?