Studio monitor opinions?

[Svart]

ns-635?

It's 3 way..

Has some of the same qualities as a NS-10 but puts the crossover frequencies around the crucial midrange, not through it.

 

[TomWaterman]

If you like the NS10, the Acoustic Energy AE22 is well worth a look.

I've had a pair of acoustic energy speakers at home for about 10 years, love them.

AE22 is available passive and active...
-T

 

[zebra50]

Thanks Tom,

I was just looking at these on the web, and was thinking about the passives as a way to bring them into my preferred price range.

Any recommendations on a good amp to drive them? I'm happy to consider DIY, but I've never thought this cost/time effective for power amps.

Actives seem to go for about £900, passives for 450-500. For comparison, the Adam A7s are £525.

Stewart

 

[MartyMart]

Anyone remember Acoustic Research AR18's ??
I used to use them in the late 80's and they were great to mix on, a bit soft
but you got a good balance.
The cone edges rotted .... shame ...

MM.

 

[amorris]

Any recommendations on a good amp to drive them?

nobody laugh!
http://cgi.ebay.com/Crown-PSA-2-Power-Amplifier-Pro-Vintage-Sound_W0QQitemZ120293303091QQcmdZViewItem?hash=item120293303091&_trkparms=72%3A1075%7C39%3A1%7C66%3A2%7C65%3A12%7C240%3A1318&_trksid=p3286.c0.m14&timeout=1218569723457

some big place suggests you use $5000 amps with their speakers but use those in all of their super famous studios!!

 

[TomWaterman]

Didn't realise the actives were quite that much...

If your going to build an amp, those Hypex modules Jaakko has mentioned look very very cool. Certainly they have great reviews.

They aren't really cheap. You could probably find alternatives but by all accounts the Hypex are right up there with Bryston and Pass Labs...certainly high praise.

I quite liked the look of these, price isn't too bad:

http://www.aussieamplifiers.com/products.htm

-T

 

[mitsos]

I vote for the ns10! Maybe just cuz I want them... I know some people hate them, but man they sound really nice to me. I also notice they are less fatiguing than others.

Everyone here is probably anti-Mackie but the HR824 are also really nice monitors.

 

[MartyMart]

[quote author="mitsos"]

Everyone here is probably anti-Mackie but the HR824 are also really nice monitors.[/quote]

Not at all, I love my 32-8 desk and have owned a 1604VLZ too

MM.

 

[signalflow]

If you like the NS-10's I've found that the(bear with me here) Phonic P6A powered studio monitor when set-up sounds pretty darn close to the NS-10. Not the P8A, too muddy even after set-up IMO.

-Casey

 

[cannikin]

I'm a dynaudio fan.... I've had a lot speakers in my days and most of them would give ear fatigue (even at low levels) but I've been using Dyn for about 4 years and have not had any fatigue. Also the sound is clear and I know whats happening within a mix.

I did a test, I mixed a song on KRKs then waited six months and mixed the same song again on Dynaudio. either I became a better engineer or I heard everything completely different on the dyns.

i dig them and recommend them

 

[hejsan]

hey cannikin, what model dynaudios do you have?

I have a pair of BM15A's and they are indeed super sweet, The built in amp is actually very good. It's a discreet mosfet design I think.

But why do tweeters in active monitors always hiss so much?

 

[MikoKensington]

[quote author="TomWaterman"]Miko, interesting on the Genelec 8040 front, we have 2 x 5.1 rigs, and around 8-10 pairs of them ranging from 8020 to 8040 and I've never heard them sound great. However the rooms are hard to make work, I'l give you that. When you say tuning them, you mean twiddle a few dipswitches right?[/quote]

Yeah! Two fellas from Genelec came in with their proprietary, mic and RTA software. Played a bunch of tones, sweeps and noise and played with the dip switches. The first room was a 5.1 setup with 8050's. Prior to tuning there was no image or any tonal balance. After, there were many improvements, still more mids than I prefer but the room is a total nightmare.

In my old room I ran some 8040's with a 7060B sub. I tuned them myself using a measurement mic and my dad's Behringer RTA to read, then hitting the switches until things began to flatten out. I was finally able to hear compression release in a mix the way I wanted. It was like putting on glasses and being able to see all the details in a painting.

Full Range drivers are really nice to find a mix balance with. I use to do my static mixes with some old Altec 755b's at lower volume. They were a really good place to start a mix. But you have move to something "more" to see what was happening in the low lows and the high highs.

I'll still stand by my NS-10's. I have them at home and 2 rooms at work. They sound terrible and hurt after a couple hours, but man do they translate. Haha.

The little Tannoy PBM 6.5's are little wonders too. Great for a small room on a budget or just to have another perspective. Ended up using some along side some B&W's at Electrical Audio and I was sold.

 

[TomWaterman]

Nice one Miko, thanks.

I might try and give them more of a tweak next month. I have played with the dip switches quite a bit, but might with an RTA, Fuzzmeasure on the mac is pretty cool.

FWIW I measured the 8020's in an anechoic chamber and they had a scoop, with a slightly elevated topend, so I trimmed that back.

One thing I'll give the genelecs is the detail, you CAN hear a lot of things, like compression and reverb tails etc, I just don't like the overall picture.

They have B&W N805s at Electrical right? Nice little speakers.

-T

 

[cannikin]

[quote author="hejsan"]hey cannikin, what model dynaudios do you have?

But why do tweeters in active monitors always hiss so much?[/quote]

I have the Bm6a

Strange about the noise issue, I don't have that

 

[playboss]

is there someone else fighting with JBL 4430 or 4435 ~ im doing lay out of a crossover redo right now , pure polypropylene capacitors, fixed L-pad etc, might do few more, PM me if interested.

 

[thermionic]

Stewart - have you ever tried a set of Quested H-108? I believe they're a contender for one of the finest mixing monitors ever made, regardless of price. In fact, I found out that quite a few esteemed Mastering Engineers such as Dave Collins also use them. A pair of 108s - job done.

I've owned AE monitors since 1993! I regret selling my AE1s. The AE1s aren't particularly nice as listening speakers, and you want a ridiculous amp to control cone excursion (Phil Jones used to use PA amps at trade shows - along with his famous trick of standing on the cone!). AE1s are great for mixing if you drive them near power compression - not good for long periods. Probably the best studio monitor from AE is the 'AE2 Pro' - they came out in 1998, and were designed with Abbey Rd. They image like a laser though - and won't be popular with visiting musos.

The new AE22 is designed to be akin to a 'large NS10'. According to reports (I think Resolution reviewed them a while back) they have huge midrange peaks, just like the NS10. Not my cuppa, if they are like NS10. I've never understood the NS10, and don't swallow the cliches one bit. I've used them many times, and they didn't tell me anything I couldn't hear elsewhere.

My favourite near-fields are H108 or LS3-5A - proper speakers.

Another contender would be the ATC SCM20 passive.

Justin

 

[playboss]

http://www.resolutionmag.com/pdfs/SWEETS~1/LOWFRE~1.PDF
http://www.theaudiocritic.com/back_issues/The_Audio_Critic_28_r.pdf
:thumb: :thumb:

 

[TomWaterman]

Nice to see another AE fan here Justin!

I believe the Resolution review pointed out that the mid range peaks were somewhat flattened when placed on the meterbridge of a console or other large reflective surface.

I'm with you some what on the NS10's but I heard a pair sound really great a few weeks ago, that surprised me!

-T

 

[ruairioflaherty]

I use the Adam S3As. They do not sound fun or nice but they translate incredibly well, I never ever get surprises when I take mixes or masters out of the studio. A key thing about them is the lack of fatigue factor, very easy for long sessions. I had the opportunity to hear most of the range at the AES a few years back and the family characteristic seems strong, the little guys had a lot of what worked about the S3As. Really really nice people in Adam too! I've had the K&H O300 in the room with them for a few weeks and they were nicer and more musical to listen to but ultimately not as good for making decisions (for my ears).

I've heard some PMC IB1s which I really liked, some older ATC SMC20s which were comically bass shy. Used to mix on Genelec 1031s for years, glad I don't have to any more, very tiring and questionable translation. Worked on a set of big Genelec 1037s with a sub for a few weeks, sounded fine to me but I wasn't mixing. Have mixed on NS10s, no fun but I find they translate well. The only Questeds I've heard were the VS3208 (I think that's the model) in Dave Collin's room in LA, really liked them.

A friend has a set of the big Geithans but I think they're broken, they sounded so bad when I was tracking there that I switched them off and set up the Adams. Used the Meyer HD-1s, wasn't crazy about em.

Monitors are a very very personal thing. Other people's opinions are practically worthless (so why have I given you mine?? ). You have to try them in your space with your ears and your style of mixing. Don't buy the nice sounding speakers! Buy the pair that make your mixes sound good in the car, boombox and ipod. If you are not experienced with setting up speakers in a room get a buddy to help. Sitting there flicking the "eq" switches randomly is a recipe for disaster.

Do you have a ref cd of tracks you know well and have listened to on tons of systems? If not make one and use it to audition your potential choices.

Good luck!
Ruairi

BTW it looks like I'll be selling my S3As in the next month or so after 4 happy years. I have an offer of a pair of PMC MB2 which I can't refuse, it will be a step up for my mastering work I hope.

 

[ubxf]

another vote for the S3A