British Nearfields

Apemandan · 27th February 2006, 09:14 PM

Hello All!

I am looking for some quality british sounding (i.e. flat not emphasised) nearfields such as Harbeth/ATC/PMC/Quested. Can anybody recommend a make or model i may have overlooked which suit a fairly low budget?

Many thanks in advance,

Dan.

Frank Oglethorpe · 27th February 2006, 09:18 PM

Tannoy ?

Do they really HAVE to be British though? Seems possibly a bit limiting perhaps.

Apemandan · 27th February 2006, 09:22 PM

no, not at all...as i said 'British sounding'.

De chromium cob · 27th February 2006, 09:26 PM

ProAc Studio 100s run about $1500 a pair but I've seen them used every now and then for around $1000. They like lots of good clean power, so don't skimp on the amp!

Frank Oglethorpe · 27th February 2006, 09:30 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Apemandan

no, not at all...as i said 'British sounding'.

Ah! doh . Apologies, haven't had any vodka yet.

How about Dynaudio and Adam plus of course the ubiquitous Genelec? If your talking PMC then I guess you must have a half decent budget. I'd find out which models of all the manufacturers listed you can afford and try and get a listen to them. As with most things audio, it's subjective.

Good luck
Frank

Farmerbrown2200 · 27th February 2006, 09:38 PM

Spendor SA300s

Not sure if they are still made but hey you might a deal on used ones... great boxes, very Brit, very flat ...

Apemandan · 27th February 2006, 10:00 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by De chromium cob

ProAc Studio 100s run about $1500 a pair but I've seen them used every now and then for around $1000. They like lots of good clean power, so don't skimp on the amp!

Thanks De Chrom, The ProACs look like another good option..

GearHunter · 27th February 2006, 10:16 PM

In addition to being renowned for accuracy, ATCs actually ARE British, I think.

Also, check the stuff made in London by Andy Munro of Munro Acoustics, who has designed a lot of monitor systems for Dynaudio. Great stuff!

http://www.munro.co.uk/

neilwight · 28th February 2006, 12:40 AM

PMC TB2S+ active or not depending on your needs.
an amazing speaker IMHO and sounded better than the studio 100s when i was adding new nearfields to my full range floorstanding ProAcs.

i really love my active TB2S+A

brendondp · 28th February 2006, 03:58 AM

Agree with De chromium cob's suggestion.

I had a pair of ProAc Studio 100's and have regretted selling them ever since. I should add I don't think I really had them fed enough current, which as suggested above, is a mandatory prerequisite for getting the best out of them. My experience also suggests that clean, transparent current is far from cheap, and generates a lot of heat and a large power bill.

I recently bought a pair of ATC SCM10.2's.

I don't think I've ever had a pair of monitors that have allowed me to do my job as effectively as these. I'm incredibly happy.

You can see all the reasons I chose them here: http://gearslutz.com/board/showthread.php3?t=56929.

Hope this helps.

Cheers,

bdp

abit · 28th February 2006, 04:32 AM

QUESTED.
PERIOD.

Bob Ross · 28th February 2006, 02:17 PM

Might as well add B&W and KEF to your list

...or were you hoping to narrow it down within the next decade?

mosrite · 28th February 2006, 03:40 PM

I guess it all comes down to budget but you might find some second hand ATC's. I picked up a pair of ATC SCM10's for around £400 and have never heard a better nearfield. At the time I had been considering Genelec 1029's and PMC's. If you go for ATC passives you'd better have a good power amp though.

Apemandan · 28th February 2006, 07:46 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Bob Ross

Might as well add B&W and KEF to your list

...or were you hoping to narrow it down within the next decade?

thanks for your input Bob

i'm just interested in peoples experiences and opinions, maybe to come up with an option i hadn't thought of..

Apemandan · 28th February 2006, 07:51 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by mosrite

I guess it all comes down to budget but you might find some second hand ATC's. I picked up a pair of ATC SCM10's for around £400 and have never heard a better nearfield. At the time I had been considering Genelec 1029's and PMC's. If you go for ATC passives you'd better have a good power amp though.

Thats a great price for a set of ATCs! I would like a pair of SCM 10-2A but new they are a little out of my price range. Where did you find them??

Brad Lunde · 28th February 2006, 09:55 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Apemandan

Thats a great price for a set of ATCs! I would like a pair of SCM 10-2A but new they are a little out of my price range. Where did you find them??

I think he has SCM10's (passives) not SCM10A (actives). I would guess these would be in the under 1500 new range but not sure-never had any (5 inch woofer is a challenge for most clients except mastering).

Brad

Apemandan · 1st March 2006, 08:48 AM

Hello peeps,

Ok, i have narrowed it down in my mind to:

Quested S7s

or

ADAM P11as

or

ProAc Studio 100s

All similar priced. I obviously need to hear these monitors and will be doing so ASAP.
Any other suggestions??

streetbeats · 1st March 2006, 11:53 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by neilwight

PMC TB2S+ active or not depending on your needs.
an amazing speaker IMHO and sounded better than the studio 100s when i was adding new nearfields to my full range floorstanding ProAcs.

i really love my active TB2S+A

Ive used the TB2S (passive with a Haffler P3000) for a few years now. Absolutely love them..

thethrillfactor · 1st March 2006, 09:56 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Apemandan

Hello peeps,

Ok, i have narrowed it down in my mind to:

Quested S7s

or

ADAM P11as

or

ProAc Studio 100s

All similar priced. I obviously need to hear these monitors and will be doing so ASAP.
Any other suggestions??

ATC SCM 20 ASL.

squeegybug · 1st March 2006, 11:21 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Apemandan

Ok, i have narrowed it down in my mind to:
Quested S7s
ADAM P11as
ProAc Studio 100s
Any other suggestions??

Absolutely do not miss trying the PMC TB2. Wonderful speakers. And definitely British... Pete Thomas and Adrian Loader were BBC engineers before starting PMC. You can buy the passives for $1200-1400 or so.

Steve

Apemandan · 2nd March 2006, 07:37 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by squeegybug

Absolutely do not miss trying the PMC TB2. Wonderful speakers. And definitely British... Pete Thomas and Adrian Loader were BBC engineers before starting PMC. You can buy the passives for $1200-1400 or so.

Steve

I have arranged to borrow a set of TB2as from a local supplier. Has anybody got any experience with the new Quested S range? I'm looking into a pair of S7s..

squeegybug · 2nd March 2006, 09:56 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Apemandan

I have arranged to borrow a set of TB2as from a local supplier.

Good for you. I'll be interested in your opinion after comparing to the other nice monitors you are considering. One thing -- if possible, try to make sure the TB2 is the latest (+) model with the silk tweeter... might still be some of the old metal ones still floating out there.

I hope you can get a chance to run them all in a little first, in case some haven't been used before. Can often make a nice improvement.

Steve

Thermionic · 2nd March 2006, 11:56 PM

Ancient they may be, but I still think that the Quested H108 has to be one of the most genuinely *useful* monitors you can buy at any price, and they have an added benefit of being affordable.

One man's suggestion...

Justin

BTW, The 108 has a Volt mid / bass driver.

Apemandan · 3rd March 2006, 12:13 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Thermionic

Ancient they may be, but I still think that the Quested H108 has to be one of the most genuinely *useful* monitors you can buy at any price, and they have an added benefit of being affordable.

One man's suggestion...

Justin

BTW, The 108 has a Volt mid / bass driver.

Justin,

I well agree! I used a set of QH108s in my first ever inhouse gig (4 years). Thats my reason for being so interested in the S7s, to see how they compare...

Heard alot of good things about the PMC TB2as though!

kingofswing · 3rd March 2006, 01:00 AM

If you get a chance try out the P11a's. I would ask a retailer to arrange a demo pair for you to try in your studio.

The p11s are sweet monitors, although not British, they are still European.

Prahlad · 3rd May 2006, 03:09 PM

A word of warning on the ADAM P 11A s, dont do it man...listen to them by all means but dont be "enchanted" by their amazing open top end...I had a pair for about 6 months and it was well after this initial wow factor wore off that i realised there was something seriously muddy in the lowish end, say around 100-300 Hz. I noticed the difference when i setup a pair of passive Dynaudio BM5 P mkII next to them and the difference was very obvious, especially on spoken word, clear as night and day. Yes the sound stage and top end are second to very few, but overall its not a monitor i would consider flat at all, good for some things but with def weaknesses, havent heard the higher priced models, but i got a pair of BM5 passive mk II now and am much happier, and they were well cheaper too! Running off a Harmann Kardon 80 watt amp now, also pushin my NS 10 s...

anyone have another suggestion? been reading about haffler and bryston, good for dynaudio s also? goodluck with the hunt

Mr Edit · 1st June 2006, 11:33 AM

When I bought my monitors a few months back, I demo'd the PMC TB2SA's against the Quested S series. The PMC's won hands down (not that the Questedds were bad, but they sounded much more coloured in comparison to the PMC's)

Also though I know PMC's may be a slightly aquired taste, I've heard nothing at there price point with such great detail.

I bought the TB2SA's needless to say and my Dynaudio BM15a's have become all but redundant!

n

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27th February 2006, 09:14 PM	#1
Apemandan Gear nut Join Date: Aug 2005 Location: Manchester, UK Posts: 108	British Nearfields Hello All! I am looking for some quality british sounding (i.e. flat not emphasised) nearfields such as Harbeth/ATC/PMC/Quested. Can anybody recommend a make or model i may have overlooked which suit a fairly low budget? Many thanks in advance, Dan. __________________ --- www.danhulme.com

27th February 2006, 09:18 PM	#2
Frank Oglethorpe Gear Head Join Date: Dec 2005 Location: Ohio Posts: 40	Tannoy ? Do they really HAVE to be British though? Seems possibly a bit limiting perhaps. __________________ Frank Oglethorpe Prism Media Products Inc. USA

27th February 2006, 09:22 PM	#3
Apemandan Gear nut Join Date: Aug 2005 Location: Manchester, UK Posts: 108	no, not at all...as i said 'British sounding'. __________________ --- www.danhulme.com

27th February 2006, 09:26 PM	#4
De chromium cob Lives for gear Join Date: Feb 2003 Location: Western North Carolina Posts: 3,360	ProAc Studio 100s run about $1500 a pair but I've seen them used every now and then for around $1000. They like lots of good clean power, so don't skimp on the amp! __________________ "I know that most men, including those at ease with problems of the greatest complexity, can seldom accept even the simplest and most obvious truth if it be such as would oblige them to admit the falsity of conclusions which they have delighted in explaining to colleagues, which they have proudly taught to others, and which they have woven, thread by thread, into the fabric of their lives." Tolstoy Scott Benson www.syborgstudios.com

27th February 2006, 09:38 PM	#6
Farmerbrown2200 Gear maniac Join Date: Dec 2003 Location: Canada Posts: 184	Spendor SA300s Not sure if they are still made but hey you might a deal on used ones... great boxes, very Brit, very flat ...

27th February 2006, 10:16 PM	#8
GearHunter Lives for gear Join Date: Oct 2003 Location: Analog Planet Posts: 1,349	In addition to being renowned for accuracy, ATCs actually ARE British, I think. Also, check the stuff made in London by Andy Munro of Munro Acoustics, who has designed a lot of monitor systems for Dynaudio. Great stuff! http://www.munro.co.uk/ __________________ Drew Townson AKA Gearhunter AnalogPlanet.com

28th February 2006, 12:40 AM	#9
neilwight Gear maniac Join Date: Apr 2005 Posts: 161	PMC TB2S+ active or not depending on your needs. an amazing speaker IMHO and sounded better than the studio 100s when i was adding new nearfields to my full range floorstanding ProAcs. i really love my active TB2S+A

28th February 2006, 03:58 AM	#10
brendondp Lives for gear Join Date: Jul 2004 Posts: 604	Agree with De chromium cob's suggestion. I had a pair of ProAc Studio 100's and have regretted selling them ever since. I should add I don't think I really had them fed enough current, which as suggested above, is a mandatory prerequisite for getting the best out of them. My experience also suggests that clean, transparent current is far from cheap, and generates a lot of heat and a large power bill. I recently bought a pair of ATC SCM10.2's. I don't think I've ever had a pair of monitors that have allowed me to do my job as effectively as these. I'm incredibly happy. You can see all the reasons I chose them here: http://gearslutz.com/board/showthread.php3?t=56929. Hope this helps. Cheers, bdp __________________ "No work of art has ever done social harm, though a great deal of harm has been done by those who have sought to protect society against works of art which they regarded as dangerous." Stanley Kubrick (1972) "When I listen to a band like Good Charlotte I think they are a bunch of pussies but then I remember that I’m at that age so I should just shut up and get out of the way." Henry Rollins "We are all sons of bitches now." Kenneth Bainbridge, Physicist, Manhattan Project (1945)

28th February 2006, 04:32 AM	#11
abit Lives for gear Join Date: Apr 2005 Location: NY Posts: 801	QUESTED. PERIOD.

28th February 2006, 02:17 PM	#12
Bob Ross Lives for gear Join Date: Mar 2005 Location: NYC Posts: 1,594	Might as well add B&W and KEF to your list ...or were you hoping to narrow it down within the next decade?

28th February 2006, 03:40 PM	#13
mosrite Lives for gear Join Date: Jun 2005 Location: Scotland Posts: 818	I guess it all comes down to budget but you might find some second hand ATC's. I picked up a pair of ATC SCM10's for around £400 and have never heard a better nearfield. At the time I had been considering Genelec 1029's and PMC's. If you go for ATC passives you'd better have a good power amp though.

1st March 2006, 08:48 AM	#17
Apemandan Gear nut Join Date: Aug 2005 Location: Manchester, UK Posts: 108	Hello peeps, Ok, i have narrowed it down in my mind to: Quested S7s or ADAM P11as or ProAc Studio 100s All similar priced. I obviously need to hear these monitors and will be doing so ASAP. Any other suggestions?? __________________ --- www.danhulme.com

2nd March 2006, 11:56 PM	#23
Thermionic Lives for gear Join Date: Mar 2003 Location: UK Posts: 660	Ancient they may be, but I still think that the Quested H108 has to be one of the most genuinely useful monitors you can buy at any price, and they have an added benefit of being affordable. One man's suggestion... Justin BTW, The 108 has a Volt mid / bass driver. __________________ Please note that I am no longer a consultant for Phoenix Audio UK and I have not contacted the company since 2006. As such, I am unable to assist with any Phoenix-related queries whatsoever. Thank you.

3rd March 2006, 01:00 AM	#25
kingofswing Lives for gear Join Date: Jan 2006 Posts: 913	If you get a chance try out the P11a's. I would ask a retailer to arrange a demo pair for you to try in your studio. The p11s are sweet monitors, although not British, they are still European.

3rd May 2006, 03:09 PM	#26
Prahlad Gear Head Join Date: Nov 2005 Location: Germany Posts: 64	A word of warning on the ADAM P 11A s, dont do it man...listen to them by all means but dont be "enchanted" by their amazing open top end...I had a pair for about 6 months and it was well after this initial wow factor wore off that i realised there was something seriously muddy in the lowish end, say around 100-300 Hz. I noticed the difference when i setup a pair of passive Dynaudio BM5 P mkII next to them and the difference was very obvious, especially on spoken word, clear as night and day. Yes the sound stage and top end are second to very few, but overall its not a monitor i would consider flat at all, good for some things but with def weaknesses, havent heard the higher priced models, but i got a pair of BM5 passive mk II now and am much happier, and they were well cheaper too! Running off a Harmann Kardon 80 watt amp now, also pushin my NS 10 s... anyone have another suggestion? been reading about haffler and bryston, good for dynaudio s also? goodluck with the hunt __________________ "All of this are nothing but possible movements of consciousness." -Dr. Amit Goswami www.myspace.com/djprahlad "Movements of Consciousness" out now!

1st June 2006, 11:33 AM	#27
Mr Edit Gear nut Join Date: Jun 2005 Location: London Posts: 84	When I bought my monitors a few months back, I demo'd the PMC TB2SA's against the Quested S series. The PMC's won hands down (not that the Questedds were bad, but they sounded much more coloured in comparison to the PMC's) Also though I know PMC's may be a slightly aquired taste, I've heard nothing at there price point with such great detail. I bought the TB2SA's needless to say and my Dynaudio BM15a's have become all but redundant! n

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