Active Monitors - Help me make a blind decision

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Don't! Visit a store that has these monitors and listen first. Maybe there's a Sam Ash or a Guitar Center close by? Also, add the Dynaudio BM5A and the smaller Genelec 80xx speakers to your list. If the Adam A7s are in the stores I'd listen to those too. I've always wanted to hear those Heil drivers. But then again, you might be happy with the sound of the more inexpensive Alesis, Samson, KRK, and Fostex monitors.


You don't have to limit yourself to the active models if it's not a strict requirement. The passive models can sometimes sound just as good with a nice amp. The Adcom GFA-535_ and the Hafler Transnovas are cheap and good studio monitor amps. In many cases, this can be a more flexible solution.


Visit rec.audio.pro or gearslutz.com--there's a lot of discussion on those forums regarding studio monitors.

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Mackie HR 824's by a mile.

Update:


Went to guitar center and auditioned the DM5A, Mackie HR824, Blue Sky 2.1's, and Event ASP8 and ASP6.


The DM5A had both tweeters pushed in or blown out. It sounded dark.


Mackie's were way too bright and just not my kind of sound.


Blue Sky 2.1 was suprisingly good for the price, and definetly a contender if you want to go with subwoofer setup. Was very impressed by these guys


Event ASP6 was good but not as "full" sounding as the ASP8. The ASP8 was the best sounding.



However, I bought two ASP8's and brough them home, hooked them up to my computer which has an Emu 0404 soundcard that outputs 1/4" to the 1/4" input of the ASP8. My room is not all that big and I've only had them playing for a dozen hours or so by now but I get the feeling these may be too "big sounding" and the tweeters can be a bit fatiguing for my room. I may end up returning them. I negotiated with the salesmen for no restocking fee. Argh.... this is frustrating.

Hmmm. It sound like a problem with room acoustics. A larger monitor can sound boomier in a small, untreated room. If the ASP8's sounded good at the store, then you're hearing the difference between the rooms. What are your room's dimensions? The ASP6s might have been the better choice. But those go down pretty low too (-3 db @ 40 Hz, vs 35 Hz for the 8's if you believe in specs).


The ASP8 owner's manual doesn't have a section about how to deal with first reflection points. Comb filtering might be making the monitor sound more fatiguing.


On the back of the monitors are some trim controls. The ones at the store might not have been set to the flat position when you auditioned them. If the monitors are close to the wall you'll get more bass. Even more so if they're close to the corners. Tweaking the low frequency trim control might make it sound better. You could use the high frequency trim controls too if that helps. I would try to play with placement and acoustic treatments first before doing this. But that's just me. YMMV.


It's too bad the BM5A's had damaged tweeters. Of the models you auditioned, they're the only ones with tweeter guards!

A little more expensive than others mentioned, but active Focal Solo 6 at $2K per pair list - discounting is available. These speakers have been talked about before, search this forum. To summarize the solo 6's have very similar components as Focal's passive $4K per pair version BE1007 (consumer line - recently very favorably reviewed in Stereophile - I believe reviewer mentioned he felt the speaker should cost significantly more for their sound quality). You can't go to Guitar Center or Sam Ash to listen to them, distribution is limited - speaker comes from France. But the US Distributor is very nice to deal with and can arrange (I believe) demo via shipment. I used to own Mackie 824's and really liked them, however, the Focals are a full notch up in terms of refinement / performance - but at a higher price.


Of the brands you mentioned at around $1K per pair price range, I liked the Mackies, and did not like the Events. Mackies had better mids but was a little bright. Events had weaker mids and bloated / sloppy bass. Have not listened to Dynaudio, but people I know and trust speak very highly of them.


Good Luck!


Rich B.