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Looking for studio monitors - what are the current year best price/performance leaders?

5463 Views 20 Replies 11 Participants Last post by  henkeli, 
H
I have decided to re-arrange some rooms around the house and I ended up with a spare bedroom for myself that is mixed use for home office, personal computing, 2ch music, TV lounging, exercise bike, and free weights. My guitars and midi keyboard are packed away in the closet, so maybe if I'm feeling cute I may get a DAW together later, I don't know.

Alright, so I'm thinking keep it simple with a DAC and a pair of monitors to be placed on the office/computing desktop.

What the best price/performance monitors out there right now?
And if I want to go sit back on the couch and listen, how big do they need to be (near and mid field capable)?

I place a high importance on value for money, so not interested in the boutique expensive stuff.
I'm just listening to music in my own house on my own time - just need an honest product that's not trying to be something else, or trying too hard.

As an example, here's a product I'm looking at: PreSonus Eris E8 XT.
How far off/on the right track am I currently?

What else should I be considering?
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Molon_Labe
The JBL 3 series has always gotten rave reviews. I dont own them but I have seen them mentioned a lot. Gearspace.com is the place for anything studio or studio monitor related. You might want to poke around there a bit and do some reading.

3 Series MkII | JBL Professional Loudspeakers
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S
Genelac.
JBL.
QSC.
I would go to a Guitar Centre or a Sweetwater and get their input.
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D
Best price/performance is a variable tied to how much you're willing to spend. For example if I had a maximum budget of $800 for a pair of active studio monitors with 8" woofer that produced significant bass to avoid needing a subwoofer I would strongly consider the Kali Audio IN-8 v2 which was just introduced with significant improvements over the original IN-8.
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Molon_Labe
I forgot about Kali - good call @Dave in Green. Being a Charles Sprinkle design, who was one of the minds behind the M2, I would like to own those one day. These may very well be my future computer setup.
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P
Before I spend $800 on a powered monitor, I would get a CraigsList AVR and some good, inexpensive bookshelf speakers like the JBL Stage A-130 or the Infinity R-162, which are better (more linear) than the JBL LSRs and not hampered by a dinky, noisy amplifier chip.

As for the Kali IN-8, after seeing ASR's measurements it's no wonder Kali did a "v2" makeover. Gotta wonder if there was something wrong with the review sample.
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N
I would recommend you go dirt cheap if you are going to keep them on the desk. If you are going to put them on proper stands at the proper height in front of your desk I would recommend the RCF Ayra Pro series.
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D
PrimeTime said:
... As for the Kali IN-8, after seeing ASR's measurements it's no wonder Kali did a "v2" makeover. Gotta wonder if there was something wrong with the review sample.
Click to expand...
There was something wrong with ASR's review unit. It had physical damage to the woofer. This is noted in small print in the original review with a link to test results of an undamaged IN-8 which scored very well. The biggest criticism of the original IN-8 was self-noise (hiss) which is common to active studio monitors but is virtually eliminated in the new v2 version along with other updates.
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P
Aha! My suspicion confirmed.

Didn't see the red "Edit" section added later on ASR's IN-8 review. Still, an octave-wide hole in the top end that would need more than a Treble lift to cure.

As for the woofer, it's not a case of "physical damage." It's a manufacturing defect and subsequent lack of quality control, as the manufacturer ruefully acknowledged.
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D
PrimeTime said:
... Still, an octave-wide hole in the top end that would need more than a Treble lift to cure. ...
Click to expand...
If you're talking about the cancellation around 8-10 kHz note in the ASR review graphs that it doesn't show up in the predicted in-room response. Kali explains why:

Because of the IN-Series' coincident architecture, you may notice a dip between 8-10 kHz when measuring with a single stationary microphone. The dip is an on-axis diffraction artifact of the midrange baffle interface. It is evident in on-axis measurements, but not in total sound power. Perception of timbre should be neutral in most rooms. It is not recommended to apply room-correction EQs to the INs based on single point static measurements.

www.kaliaudio.com

Kali Audio — Kali Audio's IN-8 is a best-in-class 3-way studio monitor with an 8" woofer, 4" midrange & 1" tweet.

One of the most innovative speakers ever made, Kali Audio's IN-8 is a 3-way studio monitor with an 8-inch woofer and a 4-Inch midrange with a coaxial 1-inch tweeter. The unique architecture of the Midrange and Tweeter eliminates off-axis lobing, giving the IN-8 an incredibly accurate, lifelike stere
www.kaliaudio.com www.kaliaudio.com
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Zorba922
Are you interested in powered speakers in order to avoid having a big bulky amplifier or receiver to drive them?

If so, you might want to consider a compact mini-amp about the size of a paperback book. This would open up a whole slew of spectacular bang-for-the-buck passive bookshelf speakers for you, plus give you the security of knowing that when the amp dies on you (which averages 5-15 years depending on usage) you can simply replace it and keep using the speakers rather than be stuck with a pair of expensive door stops.

Here's an example of a full featured mini-amp (Bluetooth, subwoofer connectivity, USB input, and wireless remote) for just $140:
www.amazon.com

Amazon.com: S.M.S.L SA300 HiFi Digital Amplifier, Infineon's MA12070 Chip Class D Power Amp, RCA USB Bluetooth 5.0 APTX Input, Multiple EQ Modes with Remote Control (Red) : Electronics

Amazon.com: S.M.S.L SA300 HiFi Digital Amplifier, Infineon's MA12070 Chip Class D Power Amp, RCA USB Bluetooth 5.0 APTX Input, Multiple EQ Modes with Remote Control (Red) : Electronics
www.amazon.com

There are even smaller, simpler mini-amps with fewer features and costing less, such as this:
www.amazon.com

Amazon.com: SMSL SA50 50Wx2 TDA7492 Class D Amplifier + Power Adapter (Black) : Electronics

Buy SMSL SA50 50Wx2 TDA7492 Class D Amplifier + Power Adapter (Black): Amplifiers - Amazon.com ✓ FREE DELIVERY possible on eligible purchases
www.amazon.com

Combine that with a capable pair of speakers in the $250-500/pr range and you'll be all set.

henkeli said:
I have decided to re-arrange some rooms around the house and I ended up with a spare bedroom for myself that is mixed use for home office, personal computing, 2ch music, TV lounging, exercise bike, and free weights. My guitars and midi keyboard are packed away in the closet, so maybe if I'm feeling cute I may get a DAW together later, I don't know.

Alright, so I'm thinking keep it simple with a DAC and a pair of monitors to be placed on the office/computing desktop.

What the best price/performance monitors out there right now?
Click to expand...
See less See more
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H
Alright thanks all.

Zorba922 said:
If so, you might want to consider a compact mini-amp about the size of a paperback book.
Click to expand...
Nice suggestion, I'm going to go with the following:
www.amazon.com

Amazon.com: AIYIMA A07 TPA3255 Power Amplifier 300Wx2 HiFi Class D Stereo Digital Audio Amp 2.0 Channel Amplifier for Passive Speaker Home Audio (A07+DC 32V Power Adapter): Home Audio & Theater

Buy AIYIMA A07 TPA3255 Power Amplifier 300Wx2 HiFi Class D Stereo Digital Audio Amp 2.0 Channel Amplifier for Passive Speaker Home Audio (A07+DC 32V Power Adapter): Amplifiers - Amazon.com ✓ FREE DELIVERY possible on eligible purchases
www.amazon.com

A good desktop DAC should then be easy.

And then JBL Studio 530's are on sale this weekend... any other suggestions on speakers?
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P
At over 18" tall and a significant woofer-to-tweeter separation, dunno if the Studio 530 is well placed as a desktop speaker.

The word is out on the JBL Stage A-130, which would be a steal at two Benjamins/pair if there were any left. New shipments are a couple months away.

Good choice with the A07. Be sure to get a 48-volt 3-ampere DC power supply like this one instead of the 32-volt one suggested. Audio Science Review has a positive post on the A-130/A07 combo.

The Infinity Reference R-162 was even less expensive when it was on sale for two months, but has been jacked back up to four Bennys.
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bear123
JBL 305P MKII might be a good budget conscious option:
JBL 305 Review

If you want to step up to more premium options, anything from Genelec or Neumann, IMO.

I'd browse ASR for a good selection of inexpensive DAC's that offer near SOTA performance for very little money, if you need a DAC.
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H
PrimeTime said:
The word is out on the JBL Stage A-130, which would be a steal at two Benjamins/pair if there were any left.
Click to expand...
Yeah, they're pretty much gone, even listed as discontinued on one retail site.
I think I'm going to try out the 530's.
Looking through ASR it seems the Elac DBR-62's are great, but they are $600 which is currently 1.7x the cost of the 530's.
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kblackburn101
PrimeTime said:
At over 18" tall and a significant woofer-to-tweeter separation, dunno if the Studio 530 is well placed as a desktop speaker.

The word is out on the JBL Stage A-130, which would be a steal at two Benjamins/pair if there were any left. New shipments are a couple months away.

Good choice with the A07. Be sure to get a 48-volt 3-ampere DC power supply like this one instead of the 32-volt one suggested. Audio Science Review has a positive post on the A-130/A07 combo.

The Infinity Reference R-162 was even less expensive when it was on sale for two months, but has been jacked back up to four Bennys.
Click to expand...
jbl still seem small enough for desktop use tho that horn is huge for a little driver it could work with a 8” woofer .
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enricoclaudio
I love my Dynaudio BM5 mkIII. Look also at Dynaudio LYD 5 if your budget allows them.
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bear123
Here's another powered speaker that might fit the bill for you, assuming you can implement a 3 dB high shelf filter on the treble:
Adam T5V review
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Zorba922
henkeli said:
Alright thanks all.



Nice suggestion, I'm going to go with the following:
www.amazon.com

Amazon.com: AIYIMA A07 TPA3255 Power Amplifier 300Wx2 HiFi Class D Stereo Digital Audio Amp 2.0 Channel Amplifier for Passive Speaker Home Audio (A07+DC 32V Power Adapter): Home Audio & Theater

Buy AIYIMA A07 TPA3255 Power Amplifier 300Wx2 HiFi Class D Stereo Digital Audio Amp 2.0 Channel Amplifier for Passive Speaker Home Audio (A07+DC 32V Power Adapter): Amplifiers - Amazon.com ✓ FREE DELIVERY possible on eligible purchases
www.amazon.com

A good desktop DAC should then be easy.

And then JBL Studio 530's are on sale this weekend... any other suggestions on speakers?
Click to expand...
Wharfedale 225 if you like a warm sound signature with lots of bass, more forgiving
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Lp85253
The 530s are good , the wharfedales 225s might actually be a bit better depending on taste...
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