[thievesarmy]

When I purchased my home, one of the big draws was an audio room that was built by the previous owner, who was an audiophile of sorts. He left me a sweet production desk that has rack mounts and monitor stands, plus some other cool stuff on it. The room is also equipped with quarter-inch outlets in each wall that are routed to an outlet behind the monitor desk, which seems kinda cool, although I'm not exactly sure what I can do with those at this point… (any ideas?) The real thing I'm interested in is setting up a killer listening station for anyone seated at the desk as it's where I get a lot of my work done and while I'm not a music PRODUCER, I do work in music.
 
Since the desk has monitor stands & rack mounts, I figured I could throw an amp & DAC in there so the rack mounts aren't just sitting there unused. I may not need them but I kinda just want to use them… what can I say, any excuse to buy more gear, right? But then I wonder, should I use passive speakers (considering I already own some) or powered studio monitors? Like i said, I'm not doing any real production at the moment, I'm just going to be listening to stuff (which is important cause I have to listen to a ton of music for my job)… but if I got studio monitors would I even need the amp ? I'm not sure what the best solution is…
 
I currently own the following:
 
Behringer A500 Amp (rack-mountable)
Pioneer BS-21 passive bookshelf speakers 
Pioneer BS-22 passive bookshelf speakers
Micca MB42x passive bookshelf speakers (I use these inside my house as the speakers for my turntable, which is paired w/ an audiosource amp-100, so would prefer not to move them, but I can if needed)
 
As for a DAC for the desk, I was thinking of an Emotiva XDA-2 or DC-1 (w/ rack mount kits). I haven't bought this yet.
 
For studio monitors, I was considering the JBL LSR305's or Emotiva Airmotiv 4 or 5s 
 
So - FINAL QUESTION: what do you think I should do? What's the best solution to just have a killer listening setup? Appreciate any thoughts & opinions on this.

 

[RonaldDumsfeld]

You already have pretty much all you need to start with. What you want now is something to connect up all the sources you intend to use, some outputs to connect to your HP and amp(s) + speakers and with a bit extra so you can expand and upgrade easily.
 
I'd suggest a Focusrite 6i6. $250
 

http://uk.focusrite.com/usb-audio-interfaces/scarlett-6i6
 
http://www.soundonsound.com/sos/sep13/articles/focusrite-scarlett.htm
 
It's got it's own power supply so it'll work stand alone and have enough power for any possible load.
It's got S/PDIF ins and outs so you can connect a games console.
USB to connect a computer or tablet.
You could connect your phone to a pair of line ins or get a BT wireless receiver (for laptop too maybe?)
Still leaves you with a spare input pair. Microphone(s)? legacy CD player? Instrument? whatever.
 
Enough outputs for up to 6 speakers sub(s). Or maybe a BT transmitter? Or a remote zone? Or a recorder?
Balanced XLR outs for when you get active monitors.
Headphone amp with independent gain control.
MIDI in case you want a control surface for ease of use or an instrument.
 
You will need to buy a separate rack tray and clamp. If you insist on something with built in rack mounting you will need to spend ~$150 more for either a MOTU Audio Express (1/2 rack)  M-Audio M-Track 8. 
 
http://www.motu.com/products/motuaudio/audio-express
http://www.m-audio.com/products/view/m-track-eight#.VMWGZi7Eg2I
 
Sound like a load of fun.

 

[thievesarmy]

thanks… I forgot to add, I also have a Bifrost which, while connected to a Vali as a headphone rig, barely gets used.

 

[thievesarmy]

Hmmm… instead of the Scarlett 6i6, I can get their 18i20 which is rack mountable and on ebay for only $385… which seems like a good deal.
 
Although I wonder if I should get a Thunderbolt / Firewire interface model, like their Saffire, instead of USB 2. I have all mac computers so either would work.

 

[RonaldDumsfeld]

Well you could if you wanted. Except Firewire is on the way out, Thunderbolt is proprietary, expensive and total overkill for your needs.
 
The half rack MOTU would suit you best. It does have firewire but most important from your perspective the supplied Cuemix software is an order of magnitude better than what you get with the Focusrite, The built in DSP chip operates on all and every input, output and mix bus independent of the application software. So you can enjoy an easy to use 7 band graphic, parametric EQ, 2 compressors, reverb and delay on all channels, all the time. Focusrite comes with plug ins as a poor substitute because it only works on a per application basis.
 
The 18i20 looks a bit extreme too. Do you really need 8 mic pre-amps for example. It does look nice in a rack though I suppose.

 

[cel4145]

The room is also equipped with quarter-inch outlets in each wall that are routed to an outlet behind the monitor desk, which seems kinda cool, although I'm not exactly sure what I can do with those at this point… (any ideas?)

Are they RCA female plugs or outlets for plugging in speaker wire banana plugs? My guess is one or the other. Probably the latter for setting up a surround system.

 

[fishyee]

Greetings,
 
You are in the music business.  If you are heading down the sound quality side of the industry, you should consider speaking with some sound engineers.  You can find a few on Gearslutz.  Studio monitors are designed to provide a flat, neutral response.  Home speakers with an amp can achieve the same feat, but normally, they will cost much more to get there.  Your list suggests you are looking for bang for the buck.
 
Without writing a book, I'll share with you some valuable lessons I have learned over the years as an Ex-audiophile.
 
1.  Active is generally better than passive.  At a minimum, please read all 4 sections of this http://education.lenardaudio.com/en/06_x-over.html
2.  Active is cheaper than passive for the same quality of sound.  Pro vs audiophile markets.
3.  Your room matters as much as your speakers.  Measure and treat your room or use room correction software.
4.  Your music and your ears matter too. 
             - We don't all have the same great hearing and we don't all like the same sound.  Know what sound signature you like.
             - Rap on small (no bass), super accurate monitors or jazz on boomy (muddy mids), full range towers don't make sense. 
             - Gear should align with music until you get into expensive territory where the monitors can do it all - ATC, PMC, Barefoot, etc.
5.  Audition your gear if you can.  Blind test so you can stay objective in your decision.
 
From your list, the JBL LSR305s are great active monitors for the money.  Google and read the reviews when you get the chance.  The combo of a good DAC and 305s is hard to beat.  Beside the Emotiva, look at the Matrix Mini I Pro, Yulong D200, or other DACs with XLR outputs.
 
Hope this helps.

 

[fishyee]

I just reread my post.  Boy did I sound like a know-it-all.  My apologies.  It's just the enthusiasm. 
 
You should speak with this gentleman.
http://noaudiophile.com/JBL_LSR305/
- He has reviewed the LSR305s and your Pioneers and can give you a honest assessment.  I believe he will recommend the LSR305s.
- When you go listen to the LSR305s, the pro audio store will probably also carry Neumann or Focal.  Listen to the Neumann KH120 or Focal Solo6 to get an understanding of what next level up sounds like.
 
An alternative to a DAC would be an inexpensive processor like the Outlaw 975 or Emotiva UMC200.  Unfortunately, they only have RCA outputs, but you could always match them with the Presonus Eris E5 or Focal Alpha 50.  The processors will give you surround sound and HDMI possibilities for the future and still sound as good as your Emotiva DAC.
 
http://www.soundonsound.com/sos/oct13/articles/presonus-eris.htm
http://www.audiostream.com/content/focal-alpha-50
 
Good luck!

 

[thievesarmy]

Are they RCA female plugs or outlets for plugging in speaker wire banana plugs? My guess is one or the other. Probably the latter for setting up a surround system.

 
sorry for the late response… 
 
they are 6.5mm / quarter-inch female ports. Here are some pics.
 
This is behind the mixing desk…
 

 
 
And this is on the opposite wall - note that it is just B & C ports. The 2 remaining walls each have a port like this that has 2 jacks.