Whipsmack Posted October 19, 2009 Share Posted October 19, 2009 So since my main purpose for the speakers is music I don't think i'm needing a 5.1 surround sound. Just stereo. But if I can get a 5.1 for a good price that sounds great i'm willing to do that too. I was going to get the Logitech Z-5500 set but after reading reviews from audiphiles it sounds really muddy and weak for music and that for the same money I could get a better sounding set of speakers. Anyone have recommendations Polk? Boston accoustics? Etc. I play my electric guitar through a software amp so the speakers have to have some punch to them. My price range is $350 ceiling. I get confused with amps and receivers etc. I just want to buy a set that comes with everything I need ya know. Thanks!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
big giant circles Posted October 19, 2009 Share Posted October 19, 2009 So you're buying them solely for listening? Or are you wanting to make music on them as well? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Whipsmack Posted October 19, 2009 Author Share Posted October 19, 2009 Oh mostly making music on them. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
theshaggyfreak Posted October 19, 2009 Share Posted October 19, 2009 It really depends on your budget but KRK makes some of the best monitors for the money you pay. I do suggest getting some near field reference monitors for a recording rig. I'd go for something like this: http://www.zzounds.com/a--925434/item--KRKRP6G2 Really, consumer type speakers and audiophile speakers aren't really made for recording/mixing since they'll color the sound. You're better off getting something built for the job. *BGC EDIT* Not using the Zzounds affiliate link? For shame! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
conyeezy Posted October 19, 2009 Share Posted October 19, 2009 i'm going to have to disagree with shaggy on this one... KRK used to be awesome back when focal was making their drivers, but they definitely fell off... they're decent for the money, but nothing more depending on your budget, i would recommend mackie's or tannoys, esp if you're going to hook up a sub later on Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
big giant circles Posted October 19, 2009 Share Posted October 19, 2009 Well, if you're making music on them, the key thing to look for in a set of monitors is not necessarily which sound the best, but rather the most accurate (flattest). Most stereos have pre-EQ'd speakers which boost frequencies to make the music sound better, but you don't want this if you're mixing music on them. KRK is decent as Shaggy mentioned, but I'm also pretty partial to M-Audio. If you compare the RP5's side-by-side with the BX5a's, you'll probably notice that the KRK's are quieter and have a bit more bass in them, which is why I like the M-Audios a little better. Both of these are going to run you $300 per pair. Links: M-Audio BX5a's KRK RP5 G2s *EDIT* Conyeezy is generally right that Mackies are pretty solid, especially their upper end monitors like the HRX28MKII series. However, while they boast more output than the KRKs, their entry level monitors (the MR5s which are comparable to the RP5s and BX5s) also seem to have the same problem in that they have a crap load of bass, which can lead to you under-mixing your low end. I would recommend going to a Guitar Center and asking to listen to some music on all three of these, and you should be able to hear the differences pretty clearly. Just make sure they're all set to a flat EQ, and the volumes are the same level on them all. As always, whatever you end up buying, please consider using our affiliate link (below) and buying from Zzounds.com. They should already have the lowest price as anyone else, and if not, they'll meet & beat anyone's pricing. Plus, no tax & free shipping (except in NJ). And you're helping OCR pay for hosting at the same time, at no extra cost to you! http://www.zzounds.com/a--925434/ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
theshaggyfreak Posted October 19, 2009 Share Posted October 19, 2009 One thing that I'd stress, though, is that you try and get something that has drivers bigger than 5". From what I've found, unless you spend a good bit of money, using a monitor with speakers of that size can make it difficult to mix with with concerns to lower frequencies. I'm using a set of M-audio's (granted they're several years old now) that have 5" speakers and it took me a while to learn to mix on them. It's very easy to mix in too much bass until you're used to what they're supposed to sound like. I suppose you could always get a sub woofer later on. Oh, I apologize on the link. I'm just so used to going to wither Sweetwater or Musiciansfriend for stuff since I have accounts with them. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Whipsmack Posted October 20, 2009 Author Share Posted October 20, 2009 Wow so things get even more complicated hehe. Is it enjoyable listening to music on "monitors"? I gotta have my bass!!! Wheres the subs? I think i'm way over my head on this and i'll just go with a normal speaker set and not worry about all the technical stuff. Cause i'm recording stuff on some crappy $50 speakers and it really doesn't matter its not like i'm a pro. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
theshaggyfreak Posted October 20, 2009 Share Posted October 20, 2009 Wow so things get even more complicated hehe. Is it enjoyable listening to music on "monitors"? I gotta have my bass!!! Wheres the subs? I think i'm way over my head on this and i'll just go with a normal speaker set and not worry about all the technical stuff. Cause i'm recording stuff on some crappy $50 speakers and it really doesn't matter its not like i'm a pro. Near fields will have bass but it won't be thumping. Again, these speakers are designed for recording and mixing. Speakers that you use for recreational listening will give you a different experience. I personally enjoy listening to music on my monitors but I'm not really concerned with a lot of bass. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
big giant circles Posted October 20, 2009 Share Posted October 20, 2009 Heh, well, if you do want lots of bass, I'd say get the Mackie MR5s then http://www.zzounds.com/a--925434/item--MACMR5 And yeah, they'll sound fine. Besides, remember, you can always turn up the bass on your media player (Winamp, iTunes, WMP, whatever). Plus these will allow you to turn the bass up on the b back of the monitor as well. Also, all these monitors we've pointed out to you are powered, meaning you won't need an amp. Just plug 'em into the wall and then plug 'em into your soundsource. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Whipsmack Posted October 20, 2009 Author Share Posted October 20, 2009 In terms of just listening to music and enjoying music how would a set of $350 monitors compare to like the $400 Bose multimedia set? Or is it fair to even compare the 2? My sound card only has 2 outputs for sound L and R, so I'm not sure how I would get a subwoofer seperately. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
conyeezy Posted October 21, 2009 Share Posted October 21, 2009 it's honestly comparing apples and oranges, as far as design philosophy goes consumer speakers, even 'audiophile' or 'hi-fi' sets, are designed to manipulate the audio they reproduce by emphasizing certain characteristics already present. bose, for example, is notorious for really gross (at least to my ears) acoustic mangling of audio to make it feel more 'alive' and fill a room better speakers designed for audio engineers or producers (generally called monitor speakers) are created to reproduce the audio given to them in the most accurate way possible. it certainly helps to have a signal chain in front of them dedicated to that same goal, especially if you're working with a digital source. that said, once audio leaves a speaker, it is heavily affected by the room it is in. if you aren't in a reasonably acoustically treated room, i wouldn't necessarily recommend shelling a good amount of money out for monitor speakers quite yet. if other pieces are in place, a good set of monitors will translate audio so that it feels you are no longer 'listening to the speaker,' so to speak, but really listening to the audio. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chako Posted October 21, 2009 Share Posted October 21, 2009 get studio monitors with the most "flat" sound as possible meaning they dont alter the actual sound image.. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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