[TheAnomaly]

does anyone have experience with the Alesis M1 MKIIs? they're pretty affordable and seem to get favorable reviews, but i'm just not sure if i should save a bit more and get the Event TR8s, which seem to have a much more powerful bass presence due to the 8" woofers. i'm afraid the bass on the Events might be a bit of the..."cheap bass", you know, boomy and not very articulate. if that's the case, then i'd gladly save $200, buy the Alesis, and get a sub later on if they aren't adequate.

i'm basically looking for something good for a wide range of music in the $300-600 range, powered. i listen to a lot of rock, some electronica, a little rap, some jazz, and some classical. i've looked at a number of the commonly mentioned monitors in the price range from a wide variety of brands including M-audio, Alesis, KRK, Event, Yamaha, etc. i'm just looking for some additional opinions on what might be good.

 

[Sovkiller]

Quote:

Originally Posted by TheAnomaly /img/forum/go_quote.gif does anyone have experience with the Alesis M1 MKIIs? they're pretty affordable and seem to get favorable reviews, but i'm just not sure if i should save a bit more and get the Event TR8s, which seem to have a much more powerful bass presence due to the 8" woofers. i'm afraid the bass on the Events might be a bit of the..."cheap bass", you know, boomy and not very articulate. if that's the case, then i'd gladly save $200, buy the Alesis, and get a sub later on if they aren't adequate.

I owned those before my Axioms, the passive ones, and they are very solid and well done, and they sound remarkably good for the price, they were redesigned and improved over the MKI, that BTW was not bad at all...My brother still owns them and he loves them...The Alesis has a very good tight bass...

 

[TheAnomaly]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Sovkiller /img/forum/go_quote.gif I owned those before my Axioms, the passive ones, and they are very solid and well done, and they sound remarkably good for the price, they were redesigned and improved over the MKI, that BTW was not bad at all...My brother still owns them and he loves them...The Alesis has a very good tight bass...

i see. i take it you like the Axioms more, then?

i think the kind you've gotten may be precluded from my search as they are likely passive, but i noticed this on Axiom's front page:

Audiobyte Computer Speakers - AxiomAudio

the cheaper finish with the sub is within the range i am willing to spend...anybody know anything about those? they are marketing them as computer speakers. the sub is a dual 6.5" model, which may prove efficacious, but ever since my promedia 2.1 experience i'm wary of 6.5" subs ;D

 

[Naga]

Quote:

Originally Posted by infinitesymphony /img/forum/go_quote.gif They use the same basic design and components. From what I've read, the engineers felt that an overhaul wasn't necessary. The main difference is in the construction of the cabinet, which includes a one-piece front "Zero Edge" baffle. The HR824s are known for their great imaging due to the waveguides around the tweeters, and without any edges or screws to get in the way, the mk2s are even better. There are probably some other small internal tweaks as well, but you'd have to ask Mackie about those specifics. Mackie custom-tunes every HR824 against a master monitor, which itself is frequently calibrated. Thus, practically every HR824 will sound the same, and they're all designed to be flat across the whole spectrum. So, realistically, the differences aren't that big. I've briefly heard both the HR824 and the HR824mk2 and would give the slight edge to the HR824mk2. They looked better ( ), the bass response sounded tighter, and the soundstage was clearer. But it was a small difference.

I really appreciate your information.

Do you consider the 824 to be an "enjoyable" sounding speaker?

 

[infinitesymphony]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Naga /img/forum/go_quote.gif Do you consider the 824 to be an "enjoyable" sounding speaker?

That's an interesting question... When I auditioned monitors, I was auditioning for accuracy, and of the monitors I was able to A/B, the HR824mk2s were the clear winners to my ears. However, I'm not certain that everyone would find them to be "enjoyable," especially in an untreated home environment where the low end could get loose and the high end could be amplified by reflections.

I'll bet that the average listener would prefer a pair of Dynaudios to a pair of Mackies. I was only able to A/B the BM5As with the HR824mk2s, and found that while the BM5As were quite musical and made for easy listening, they sounded like they were "trying too hard," and they weren't accurate throughout the whole spectrum. I'm not sure whether this harshness cut / midrange bloom translates throughout the upper BM line-up, but my experiences with BM15As in the studio lead me to believe that it does. David French, an acoustician, did an unbiased test of multiple monitor makes and models and found the BM15As to have something like a -4 dB average cut throughout the harshness range--up to -10 dB away from flat in some places. Perhaps that explains their pleasant sound...

I haven't heard any Adam speakers yet, but many people seem to enjoy them, so they might represent another choice at this price level.

 

[Naga]

I am wondering if one were to "color" the sound of the monitors with, say, a tube pre amplifier, how well that would work to make them sound more like "audiophile" speakers.

(speaking in very loose terms here)

 

[infinitesymphony]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Naga /img/forum/go_quote.gif I am wondering if one were to "color" the sound of the monitors with, say, a tube pre amplifier, how well that would work to make them sound more like "audiophile" speakers. (speaking in very loose terms here)

Sure, there are always ways to color a system if you don't like its natural response. From what I can tell, that's the benefit of being an audiophile instead of a studio guy.

Do you have any way to audition the monitors to get a general idea of their sound?

 

[iKonoKlast]

Does anyone know of a good monitor stand that will raise my speakers about 5-6 inches off my desk? I don't need one of those huge stands that are meant for the floor, just a relatively small one that will be on my desk and will support my M-Audio AV40s.

 

[crazyface]

Oh, I have questions too!

What's the monitor speaker pair with the best price-performance ratio, with accuracy and THX compliance, under, say, $600ish? I was looking at the JBL near-fields, but was advised against them...?

 

[hempcamp]

Quote:

Originally Posted by iKonoKlast /img/forum/go_quote.gif Does anyone know of a good monitor stand that will raise my speakers about 5-6 inches off my desk? I don't need one of those huge stands that are meant for the floor, just a relatively small one that will be on my desk and will support my M-Audio AV40s.

Great question! I too am looking for something similar. Solid, preferably black or aluminum. I was thinking somewhere would sell display columns or plant stands like this with a modern style but I haven't found any yet.

I plan to get Audioengine A2 or A5 monitors soon, and really want something to keep them ear-level (especially the A2s).

--Chris

 

[Naga]

Quote:

Originally Posted by infinitesymphony /img/forum/go_quote.gif Sure, there are always ways to color a system if you don't like its natural response. From what I can tell, that's the benefit of being an audiophile instead of a studio guy. Do you have any way to audition the monitors to get a general idea of their sound?

not really, so I am trying to get a good idea via word of mouth before experimenting myself

i guess i should be subsequently specing out a tube pre-amp to chain into my presonus CS

 

[mercbuggy]

For mixing and when I do not really want isolation from the rest of the house, I use Yamaha's MSP5's. The MSP5's give a flat frequency response and have trim controls to tweak response for room size/acoustics.

As for lifting off the desk I use Auralex MOPAD foam blocks but mainly for isolation. I think IKEA do some small speaker stands that might work.

 

[infinitesymphony]

Quote:

Originally Posted by iKonoKlast /img/forum/go_quote.gif Does anyone know of a good monitor stand that will raise my speakers about 5-6 inches off my desk? I don't need one of those huge stands that are meant for the floor, just a relatively small one that will be on my desk and will support my M-Audio AV40s.

For something that small, it might be easiest to make stands yourself and stick a few Auralex MoPADs on them, as mercbuggy suggested.

Quote:

Originally Posted by crazyface /img/forum/go_quote.gif Oh, I have questions too! What's the monitor speaker pair with the best price-performance ratio, with accuracy and THX compliance, under, say, $600ish? I was looking at the JBL near-fields, but was advised against them...?

Difficult to say... You should do some listening. THX compliance is not very important, since the main requirement for certification is that the monitors need to be able to play at ~115 dB--unless you'll routinely be listening that loud, don't worry about it.

I've never had the chance to hear any of the JBL monitors, but I'll bet you're talking about the LSR series. I've heard good things about them.

I did a quick search and saw that Mackie just released a new monitor series in the $500/pair range, the Mackie MR5 and the MR8. I'd be interested to hear impressions if anyone has heard them. They put the Mackie name on it rather than marketing it under Tapco (their budget brand), so they might be good inexpensive monitors.

 

[GreatDane]

Quote:

Originally Posted by infinitesymphony /img/forum/go_quote.gif I did a quick search and saw that Mackie just released a new monitor series in the $500/pair range, the Mackie MR5 and the MR8. I'd be interested to hear impressions if anyone has heard them. They put the Mackie name on it rather than marketing it under Tapco (their budget brand), so they might be good inexpensive monitors.

Thanks for that link. I hadn't seen those yet. I'd like to audition those MR5's...at that price they'd be serious competition to the other entry-level brands.

 

[porschemad911]

My Behringer MS-40s arrived today, and I'm very happy. Actually, I'm quite astonished at the sound quality for the lowly price.

The only issue I've been having is the left woofer occasionally buzzes on tracks with heavy bass. *Sigh* I do hope it's not faulty. It does seem to be going away as the speakers burn in however. I'll see how it progresses. I opened the speaker up and couldn't find anything loose, although the extremely heavy magnet (for shielding, I'm assuming) had a *tiny* bit of movement, if you flexed it on purpose.

If they do turn out to be faulty, I will definitely buy another pair to replace them, I'm very happy with them as an economical, practical replacement for my Rega -> Graham Slee -> K-701 setup!

I can't get my Behringer UCA202 doing ASIO from Foobar as yet (with either Behringer's drivers or Asio4All), but it sounds fine to me playing from WMP so I'll probably just leave it at that. I like the 'optical out straight into the speakers' feature! I had forgotten what feeling bass instead of just hearing it was like.