[gimmeheadroom]

Hi,

I am in the market for a pair of passive monitors on stands for around 500 Euros. I'd like something very slightly on the warm side of analytical. Ok if they're not too bassy, I live in an apartment with neighbors who are very quiet and so far I have not had any issues and I don't want to start now

I'll be driving them with a Yamaha amp rated 70W/channel into 6 ohms. I need to find something available in the EU as to avoid getting crushed by the taxman.

I would prefer not to have to go fishing for aftermarket stands so it would be better to find something that either comes with stands or has factory stands available for it. I'm somewhat flexible on price.

Thanks.

 

[gimmeheadroom]

Wow! I can't believe nobody responded to this. Is it in the wrong forum? Nobody buys passive monitors anymore? Wierd!

 

[PurpleAngel]

Hi,
I am in the market for a pair of passive monitors on stands for around 500 Euros. I'd like something very slightly on the warm side of analytical. Ok if they're not too bassy, I live in an
apartment with neighbors who are very quiet and so far I have not had any issues and I don't want to start now
I'll be driving them with a Yamaha amp rated 70W/channel into 6 ohms. I need to find something available in the EU as to avoid getting crushed by the taxman.
I would prefer not to have to go fishing for aftermarket stands so it would be better to find something that either comes with stands or has factory stands available for it. I'm somewhat flexible on price.
Thanks.

Check out the website forum, AVforum, they are located in the UK, assume the people on AVforum can point you to the better deals in Europe.

 

[gimmeheadroom]

Check out the website forum, AVforum, they are located in the UK, assume the people on AVforum can point you to the better deals in Europe.

Thanks! You are one of the most helpful people on the forum!

 

[jkjk123]

I'm in the US - but I ended up with the Wharfedale Denton 80th after testing a few speakers. I'm just using it on my desk so I use pretty small DIY Ikea stands. For the price, it has excellent sound quality and is on the warm/romantic side. I would not say that it is too bassy or anything like that.

 

[gimmeheadroom]

I'm in the US - but I ended up with the Wharfedale Denton 80th after testing a few speakers. I'm just using it on my desk so I use pretty small DIY Ikea stands. For the price, it has excellent sound quality and is on the warm/romantic side. I would not say that it is too bassy or anything like that.

Oh those are quite beautiful. Unfortunately I can't use anything ported to the back. I'm trying not to piss off my neighbors, they're very quiet. I almost never hear a sound in the whole building. I'll see what else Wharfdale has. Thank you for mentioning it, I had totally forgotten about them. And congrats on your purchase! They really look great and I am sure they sound great as well

 

[PurpleAngel]

Hi,

I am in the market for a pair of passive monitors on stands for around 500 Euros. I'd like something very slightly on the warm side of analytical. Ok if they're not too bassy, I live in an apartment with neighbors who are very quiet and so far I have not had any issues and I don't want to start now

I'll be driving them with a Yamaha amp rated 70W/channel into 6 ohms. I need to find something available in the EU as to avoid getting crushed by the taxman.

I would prefer not to have to go fishing for aftermarket stands so it would be better to find something that either comes with stands or has factory stands available for it. I'm somewhat flexible on price.

Thanks.

How about selling off the Yamaha and buying studio monitors (self powered speakers), like JBl LSR305 studio monitorss
Studio monitors seem to be more about the audio detail, then getting loud, which I would assume would work well for someone in an apartment.

 

[gimmeheadroom]

How about selling off the Yamaha and buying studio monitors (self powered speakers), like JBl LSR305 studio monitorss
Studio monitors seem to be more about the audio detail, then getting loud, which I would assume would work well for someone in an apartment.

I'm pretty happy with the Yamaha. It sounds great and has a lot of nice features. I'm planning to put it and the smaller speakers in another room. It's a two piece system with a CD drive, FM/DAB/DAB+ tuner, bunch of streaming features, and supports my USB SSD. The only problem aside from lack of power is the DAC is implemented in the amplifier, rather than the streamer! If I ditch the amp I would have to buy (yet) another DAC.

I really don't like the idea of powered monitors. JBL has some passive monitors too, and they're very affordable here. Just have not found mounts or stands for them yet.

 

[ProtegeManiac]

I would prefer not to have to go fishing for aftermarket stands so it would be better to find something that either comes with stands or has factory stands available for it. I'm somewhat flexible on price.

That's kind of problematic. Pro monitors AFAIK don't come with wall mounts and home audio monitors if they do come with matched stands from the factory come with expensive stands that look nice instead of just flat black hollow tubes (that you can massload), like the Focal Diablo Utopia and Aurum Cantus Volla stands (the latter retails for $600 here). Either way if you buy them new wherever you buy them stands are likely available.

I am in the market for a pair of passive monitors on stands for around 500 Euros. I'd like something very slightly on the warm side of analytical. Ok if they're not too bassy, I live in an apartment with neighbors who are very quiet and so far I have not had any issues and I don't want to start now

I'll be driving them with a Yamaha amp rated 70W/channel into 6 ohms. I need to find something available in the EU as to avoid getting crushed by the taxman.

Maybe the Focal Chorus 706. Although the few times I heard them with older Yamaha HT receivers they just didn't have the same punch as my NAD 304, despite the latter being rated for only 35w per channel (though that's both channels driven; older Yamaha receivers would claim "125w x 5ch, one channel driven, X.0% THD."

 

[gimmeheadroom]

That's kind of problematic. Pro monitors AFAIK don't come with wall mounts and home audio monitors if they do come with matched stands from the factory come with expensive stands that look nice instead of just flat black hollow tubes (that you can massload), like the Focal Diablo Utopia and Aurum Cantus Volla stands (the latter retails for $600 here). Either way if you buy them new wherever you buy them stands are likely available.

Thanks, that is a good point. I have been doing more research and I guess it is not the issue I had thought. I just have to find something for which mounting hardware is available. Getting closer, and the budget is up to around 1000 Euros now. I'm having more luck looking at pro audio sites than hifi sites for this kind of gear. Then I saw the stands and hardware are much more available than I thought.

Maybe the Focal Chorus 706. Although the few times I heard them with older Yamaha HT receivers they just didn't have the same punch as my NAD 304, despite the latter being rated for only 35w per channel (though that's both channels driven; older Yamaha receivers would claim "125w x 5ch, one channel driven, X.0% THD."

The one I have is not an AV receiver, it's stereo and rated 70W/channel @ 6 ohms, both channels driven. It's no powerhouse but it drives the stock 6 ohm speakers to ear splitting / room shaking volumes without any audible distortion. But they're oddly shaped (deep rather than tall) and ported to the back, so they aren't suitable.

Thank you.

 

[ProtegeManiac]

Thanks, that is a good point. I have been doing more research and I guess it is not the issue I had thought. I just have to find something for which mounting hardware is available. Getting closer, and the budget is up to around 1000 Euros now. I'm having more luck looking at pro audio sites than hifi sites for this kind of gear. Then I saw the stands and hardware are much more available than I thought.

If you're going to get pro monitors anyway just get powered monitors and a preamp. If you like the sound slightly warm you can:

1. Get the KRK Rokit 6
2. Use the tweeter amp gain knob on the rear on the KRK or any other model that has them to fine tune the output level of the tweeter relative to the midwoofer, ie, lower the gain there and you get warmer sound, barring room modes.

Just invest on a preamp to control them. No need to blow a lot of money on that either if you don't need to drive headphones in this system, so a passive preamp like the Schiit Sys will work. If you want to avoid taxes, any of the affordable audio interfaces with preamp output will work.

Bonus - powered pro monitors tend to have some kind of mounting hardpoints built into the chassis themselves.

The one I have is not an AV receiver, it's stereo and rated 70W/channel @ 6 ohms, both channels driven. It's no powerhouse but it drives the stock 6 ohm speakers to ear splitting / room shaking volumes without any audible distortion. But they're oddly shaped (deep rather than tall) and ported to the back, so they aren't suitable.

The older stereo amps between the time when mainstream brands were making them as beefy as Marantz and NAD and the current ones tend to be as bad as the HT receivers. Basically the same amp circuits, and you'd be lucky if they include the same power supply that normally runs the processor and five channels on an HT receiver for 2ch duty; in some cases the stereo units have power supplies that are also considerably smaller, and then Marketing goes around this by having "1% THD, 90dB signal to noise ratio, one channel driven" in tiny fine print.