Monitors for around $1000-1200ish a pair

[Prufrocker]

So I really hate mixing with headphones only and I want to get some decent monitors, as my first pair.

I want a pair I can use for a while and get really familiar with. I've looked at the Adam A7s, Dynaudio BM5s, Event Studio Precision 8s, and Genelec 8030s. I want to get a bigger list so I can go and try them out at the store, and I want to make sure I have a pretty decent list so I can look around at a bunch of different stores.

If there are some highly recommended ones, I would also consider ordering them.

Thanks very much

Edit: I am currently running a Digi 002 r with some additional plugs, a Pod XT and a few mics, and a whole bunch of instruments.

[tINY]

KRK V6
Makie HR824
JBL LSR4326
NHT M-00 + S-00



-tINY

[Spyrow]

second hand ns10m studio & a decent amp :)

[rowdy322]

Get the Events. You will not be sorry.

[Janesaid2me]

EVENT ASP8 thats what im saving up for....if you dont want to spend as much look at the yamaha hs80m they are pretty solid but not as nice as the asp8s from what ive heard.

[1monkey1]

quick shout for using a pair of old snells.
a friend of mine turned me onto them.
they're audiophile speakers but very revealing
crossovers are tuned for each individual speaker.
better than jbl 4412s, ns-10s i've used.

starting to think these high end monitor products are over priced.

steven walcott
www.engine-studios.com

[madcowvt]

i know i sound like a advertisement everytime i say this but I really dig my A 7's

I think they are great for the price and are very true (low mids and highs rock)..

My .00000002

[Unclenny]

I like my Studio Events.
At 2:00AM I still trust my Ultrasone PROLine cans.

[vs.Gotham]

My HS80m's should be arriving today. Blew everything else in the store under $1000 out of the water. The Events and Dynaudio were out of my price range but I've heard great things about them. I definitely like the HS80m's more than NS10's though, especially since if you're going for the NS10 sound, the HS80m's have switchable frequency response adjusters to tailor their sound to very closely duplicate the NS10 sound.

[drummin4christ]

I love my Event ASP8's. You can get dealers to sell them to you for around $1000 and they are very accurate. They are dark though so if your used to bright speakers, they'll take a little time getting used to.

[atomtom]

Last month I audioned the Dyns and Genelecs you have shortlisted. My preference was on the Genelec side however Dyns were not far behind (not responsive and detailed enough for my taste).

Now, mo matter what I or everyone lese recommends you will have to audition them yourself and ideally in your own room.

[adrianex]

another one for ADAMS A7

Great monitors for the price

[Franco]

Another vote for the 824s. Been using them for years with excellent feedback from people I do mix work for, so "if it ain't broke..."

[James Lehmann]

For $1000 Actives I'd take the Blue Sky ProDesks until I hear something better for the price.

As far as I know I have written the most detailed user review of the ProDesks you'll find anywhere on the web, and remember it's written voluntarily by an actual customer as opposed to a magazine or site reviewer.

Since I wrote my review Blue Sky have upgraded the ProDesk SAT 5 to a MkII version (more details here) so a good thing just got even better!

[mrface2112]

another vote for Event ASP8's here.

cheers,
wade

[analogbass]

Dynaudio BM15, about 1K.

[sonicdefault]

Anyone compared (demoed) the Events to the JBLs or the Blue Skys? I like the idea of the JBL calibration feature.

[erikjamesmusic]

i use the bm5a's...i like them a lot but am opting to get a subwoofer (by themselves, not enough detail in the bass, and I have a small room 9x12). if i had to do it over again, I would have gotten the bm6a's. my 2nd choice would have been the mackie 824s

[JonCraig]

another vote for BM5A's.

--jon

[Prufrocker]

Thanks for all the tips everyone, I'm glad to see that there are many monitors I can test out when I make my way to the store.

I'm not really looking for NS10s, for some reason I am really turned off by them, it feels like a cop out to just grab those since many great mixes were done on them. It's not the monitors, it's the ear listening to them, and so I want to get some monitors my ears love. (I guess it could be the NS10s, but who knows...)

I also don't really want a sub, I don't want to have to deal with placement for one of those.

Seems like the Events, Dynaudios and Adams are going to be my shortlist.

What is it exactly that I'm looking for when I go test, I know to bring several reference CDs, but am I just looking for something that accurately
"shows" the frequency range, or something that just sounds good, so when I do my mixes on them, they will sound great?

[jDresnin]

Pruf, i went to listen to all the monitors at a local shop again for the second time this month and i definitely love the Yamaha HS series. Out of everything i've heard there, the best were, in no order: HS80s and 50s, BM5as and Event 20/20s. I Listened to a mix at the store of songs i'm not really familiar with and also the Nine Inch Nails album With Teeth, which i'm very familiar with, a very dynamic modern album with unique production value similar to my own. I listened for reverb tails, clarity, definition, sense of space, evenness.. all those dumb engineer words for 'good for making translatable mixes.' I'd say out of any of the ones i listed, depending on your needs, your room, etc you could have a very capable and useful monitor.

[Spyrow]

Originally Posted by Prufrocker

I'm not really looking for NS10s, for some reason I am really turned off by them, it feels like a cop out to just grab those since many great mixes were done on them. It's not the monitors, it's the ear listening to them, and so I want to get some monitors my ears love.

As I said you to choose a pair of ns10s... this is my opinion:
if you are going to listen music with them, buy monitors your ears love
if you are going to work thanks to them, be practical, buy monitor you can work better with them

I love how my 8050s sound but it's easier to me to mix with the ns10s. Yes, I bought them because many great mixes were done on them and all those things, but they work for me so i keep using. anyway I've been using the yamahas for just one year.

just my opinion!

[warhead]

The Yamaha HS80M are really decent monitors, and excel in their price range.

War

[Doser]

It is all about the Dynaudios. Get a set of Beyerdynamic headphones also and you have one great set of reference speakers.

[Prufrocker]

Wow, thank you for all of the help everyone, I will add all of the speakers to my list to go try, the Yamahas are definitely appealing to me, in terms of what I'm reading about them, and the positive feedback in this thread.

I am wondering, what is it exactly I'm looking for in monitors, obviously a good sound, and a good dynamic range, anything else I need to know? Wattage? Size of the speaker? Ported or not? Since this is my first pair of monitors, I obviously want to make the best decision possible, and I really appreciate the help.

Thanks again!

[drumkideric]

I also suggest checking out the BM-5A's. They are great speakers for the price.

[cjogo]

THE EVENTS

[tINY]

In studio monitors, you are looking for accuracy, mostly.

Take along some recordings you know well (especially well recorded acoustic stuff - if you have any). The trickiest part is the midrange articulation and the HF clarity.


-tINY

[DJDJ]

Vote # 2 for the blue sky pro desk.

[rolo95]

Originally Posted by rowdy322

Get the Events. You will not be sorry.

+1