KRK 7000B Passive Monitors - Thoughts, Opinions?

[mrbowes]

I've done a few searches, but there has been hardly any information posted regarding the KRK 7000B passive monitors.

I did a google search and found that these monitors appear in lots of studios.

What is the general consensus on these bad boys? Good, bad? Since they are discontinued, what would you say their used value is nowadays?

I'm looking to compliment my M-audio BX8s with a set of monitors that is not-so bass heavy and more articulate.

Any thoughts on the 7000Bs would be greatly appreciated!

[tINY]

From what I understand, they are in a different league from your M-audios. If you can find them, working, at a price similar to the BX8, buy them now.

While I haven't heard the 7000B, I have designed speakers with the Focal inverted dome tweeters. The T-90 (and it's big brother T-120) were great tweeters with flat, non-resonant response and wide dispersion. I think the woofers were Focal drivers too with the kevlar cones and soft rubber surrounds.

I'd almost pay the price of the Bx8 just for the drivers in a pair of these....



-tINY

[RhOdEz]

these are first krk speakers i've worked with ,and i liked them a lot back then - krk has a love it or hate it sound of its own - brutal attack in mids which can help you hear some stuff you don't want to hear .I think i prefer them to 9000b series -it may sound stewpid (9000b is bigger and more expensive) but i feel that way.Would like to hear them again .I don't know will listening of your favourite cds will help you to decide are they right for you - try some mixing on them and see how they translate to real world - they're really different sounding but i liked that sound - check them out if they're cheap .

[Critic]

The krk 7000B and 6000 series are some of the best speakers ever made, IMO. Totally underrated. They have an incredible soundstage without being particularly flattering like dynaudio or mackie. Theyre not scooped and if youre room is tuned right, they will give you a very honest linear response all the way down. They dont have the typical krk hyped mids sound though the amp you use will be a factor. I use passive KRKs everyday btw.

The M-audios are not even prosumer.

[mrbowes]

Enough trash talking BX8s...i get it, i get it... I'll probably just end up using the BX8s with my TV/DVD player as they do sound nice and offer great bass response (based my limited experience).

I actually just received the 7000Bs yesterday. However, I do not have a decent amp to power them with. Any suggestions on the poweramp? I'm trying to keep it ~100 watts/channel and less than $3-400 US used.

The 7000Bs have some slight discoloration on the tweeters - darker yellow, almost brown, around the rim of the tweeters. Should I worry about this?

thanks for the replies thus far

[tINY]

Some of those French tweeters would show staining like that. I never tracked it down to the ferro-fluid or some manufacturing process. It does not affect the sound.

Any decent 50 or 75 watt amp should do (I don't think KRK would do anything to extreme with the cross-over). A used Bryston or Crown DC series - a Carver - a Phase Linear - even a decent receiver with an aux in and a tone by-pass will do.

If buying a new amp, don't bother to spend the money on any of the slutty names. The new Alesis amps are fine, as are the ART amps.



-tINY

[GuruInSpace]

Originally Posted by Critic

The krk 7000B and 6000 series are some of the best speakers ever made, IMO. Totally underrated.

[dtucker]

I'll never understand why KRK monitors get such a bad rap on GS. My first experience w/ KRKs was a pair of what I guess are considered the first 7000 series. The pair I'm talking about were recently mentioned in an article about Peter Gabriel's studios in TapeOp. These are the same pair my friend has...a square box with a 7" mid range driver and the inverted Kevlar tweeter.

While they didn't impart a lot of detail they certainly translated well on every system I listened to my mixes on. That's why I made the move to get the powered E8 system. I still have them. I get amazing detail and what I hear is what I get...even when I'm in a room I'm not totally familiar with. Great translation to the "real world"...better than any translation I got from NS-10s.

That's my take....

[mikesilence]

Hi!!

I swear on my 6000... they are just driven by a SONY Hifi Amp but they sound amazing, clear and do not change the sound over volume. And they match perfectly with NS-10 as second reference. I mix on the 6000's and for last check I´ll have an ear into the NS-10. This works perfectly...

Greetz,

Mike

[blackcatdigi]

Speakers are personal things.

Keith K. made some really great monitors for several years. Among the 2-way 6/7/9k versions, I prefer the 6 and 9s, but that's just me. The 7s were my least favorite, but others swore by them. The 7 and 9's are very particular to placement and acoustics. I own some custom active 9ks, which (unfortunately) have not worked in my current room or the one before. After tweeking for a year at the previous room (when I was still in ATL), they were PERFECT. Absolutely spot on translation. Wish I could get them (or any speaker for that matter) as happening in my current room.

As for the haters, I always have to laugh when I see folks slamming KRK. I mean, yeah, they (like everyone else) started putting out lower-end stuff to cash in on the trend, but they made their name producing $15-25,000 mains and then filtered on down to mid/near field designs. I think my proto's listed for right under 10k.

What are they worth? Not much. Unless you like them. Then, they're a great bargain.

And Tiny- While those 7000s will move air with anything driving them, I much prefer a big, beefy amp with these; They really come alive with something like a 4b!

[mrbowes]

So far i'm really enjoying my 7000Bs.

I do not yet have a decent amp for them, and instead am using a vintage technica su-c01 integrated amp (100watts/channel). sounds really good to my ears. much easier to dial in reverbs/fx than with my BX8s.

[Critic]

Originally Posted by vartan k

To reiterate whats been said above, theres a big dif bet the V8,6,4 series and the passive 6000, 7000. The passives while having their own acoustic properties have more in common sonically with the E series, have an incredible sound stage that does not overflatter and is not hyped in the mids like the active V series. They also translate well and are extremely natural sounding without hiding flaws. There is a reason they were standard speakers in broadcasting studios for a while.

[MJGreene Audio]

And Tiny- While those 7000s will move air with anything driving them, I much prefer a big, beefy amp with these; They really come alive with something like a 4b!
__________________

Exactly. That or even a Bryston 3b will make those things shine.

Like most speakers. Even at low levels they really suck if they are underpowered.

Michael Greene

[Frost]

I used to own those speakers before I upgraded to some genelecs which I have sold and upgraded to ADAM's. I still like the 7000. After auditioning a good number of amps, I found the NAD 214 and a few of the cheaper Adcoms, sounded really good with those speakers.

Frost

[marathon]

This thread is long over, but I was researching and read it. In case someone else does the same, I thought I'd add that I find my Bryston 3B-ST and KRK 7000B's to be an ideal combo.

[sonicbrush]

Me too, I know it's a dead thread but researching spare parts for my faithful KRK 7000B brought me here. I just came back from a project in the Far East and they were damaged in transit even though the packing material weighed more than the actual speakers. The rubber surrounds somehow got cut an inch on both speakers. Alas, KRK.sys does not have any 7 inch speakers left in inventory since they've been discontinued for about a decade now. No replacement rubber surrounds either. But what they told me to use to glue the rubber is your regular vinyl household glue from the hardware store which i will try. What they still have though are the inverted kevlar tweeters which were undamaged in mine but I'm seriously considering buying those in case mine ever fail. This is a testatment on how good these monitors mix (notice I didn't say sound). I find it hard to mix on other speakers even if they're the KRK V series. The E series which has same grade components as the 7000B, should be on par. The difference is the E's are powered. I've partenered the 7000B's with Crown and Crest amps but the Hafler P3000 is a perfect match in sound and watts at 150watts into 8 ohms. There's something about this amp-speaker combination that my mixes translate better into just about all other playback I've played them on, more so than the Crest and Crown amps. I've mixed on Mackies , Yamahas, Jbl's, Tannoys, DynaAudios, Adams and Genelecs but I always go back to my trusty KRK 7000B's. To think, I bought these used in 1996 for $500 a pair. For me to write all this about a speaker? My 2 cents.

[krksys]

Good to see the old stuff still working for a lot of people. Opinions may differ on how the newer speakers compare to the older ones, but for what it's worth it's the same engineer working on them. He's not much into the "flavor of the week" philosophy when it comes to monitor design, rather accuracy and clarity are words that are thrown around a lot. Just my 2 cents.

We'll do our best to continue to support the older lines though. As always, please contact me if you need anything at all.

[bobby yarrow]

Sorry to bring this thread back from a few weeks ago, but I'd missed it.

I own a pair of KRK 9000b's, loved them, but I can't get a replacement driver for the one that's blown. It's just a Focal driver, but I can't buy it from Focal or KRK. This may explain why I have a bit of bone to pick with KRK.

Which brings me to my point: I don't think it's quite fair to suggest that KRK is the company it was when it was making the 7000 or 9000 series. Since the release of the V8 and subsequent acquisition of KRK by Stanton Magnetics, KRK has primarily gone for a very different sound and has tried to compete with the Mackie & Event set. One of the reasons the earlier KRK's aren't better regarded is that the present offering are mostly not in the same market.

I'm curious about the 'same engineer' claim. It's my understanding that KRK was created by 3 designers, who saw the company through it's golden age in the 80's and 90's. I'm pretty sure at least 2 of them have moved on, and that there's very little crossover between the pre-acquisition company and the present KRK. Certainly, with the except of the E-series, there's very little of the KRK sound in the present offerings.

/rant

[MJGreene Audio]

Originally Posted by bobby yarrow

Sorry to bring this thread back from a few weeks ago, but I'd missed it.

I own a pair of KRK 9000b's, loved them, but I can't get a replacement driver for the one that's blown. It's just a Focal driver, but I can't buy it from Focal or KRK. This may explain why I have a bit of bone to pick with KRK.

Which brings me to my point: I don't think it's quite fair to suggest that KRK is the company it was when it was making the 7000 or 9000 series. Since the release of the V8 and subsequent acquisition of KRK by Stanton Magnetics, KRK has primarily gone for a very different sound and has tried to compete with the Mackie & Event set. One of the reasons the earlier KRK's aren't better regarded is that the present offering are mostly not in the same market.

I'm curious about the 'same engineer' claim. It's my understanding that KRK was created by 3 designers, who saw the company through it's golden age in the 80's and 90's. I'm pretty sure at least 2 of them have moved on, and that there's very little crossover between the pre-acquisition company and the present KRK. Certainly, with the except of the E-series, there's very little of the KRK sound in the present offerings.

/rant

I couldn't agree more. As I have said in previous posts somewhere else here on Gearslutz. KRK of today is a joke. Their customer service is more than a joke. The fact that they had such a bad separation with Focal, to the point where you can't get any drivers for old products anymore is an even bigger joke. Its nice that every once in awhile someone from some division of "KRK" stops in here to try and put water on the bonfire but give me a ****ing break. How about actually servicing the customers. How about actually fixing the products when they are broken. Hell how about actually answering the phone when a customer needs service or to check on his repair. Whomever is to blame should be fired but I gather that it is just a bigger example of what a shitty company Stanton is. Just like Harmon they don't care about anything other than the up front sale. Screw you if you want service.

And the comment about design based on "clarity and accuracy?" Ok sure. Whatever. How about a design that may start off that way but then when it gets shipped to China and thrown together with a bunch of shit parts at the cheapest cost, what does the designer thing about it then?

I have owned ALOT of KRK products over the years. Starting with the 703's, 7000's, 7000B, E7's, V-8's. The only product I still own is a pair of E-7's and really the only reason is because they sit at home in my office attached to my 003 for vocal tuning and editing when I would rather be at home than at the studio on the weekends. They aren't worth anything to sell because you can't get replacement parts for them. I am sure the day one or both of them blow up or break they will both be a pile in my trash bin. They will go the same place my memories of Keith, and Craig from the old KRK Systems have gone. Into the long fond memories in my brain.

Because I am on one hell of a rant here I would say that in my professional opinion, anyone who buys the current line of KRK products has been very mislead, or is really really new. There are a lot of offerings out there that will actually take care of their product once you buy them and all of them are in about the same price point.

KRK?= Don't bother!

[Ken Walker]

Originally Posted by bobby yarrow

Sorry to bring this thread back from a few weeks ago, but I'd missed it.

I own a pair of KRK 9000b's, loved them, but I can't get a replacement driver for the one that's blown. It's just a Focal driver, but I can't buy it from Focal or KRK. This may explain why I have a bit of bone to pick with KRK.

Which brings me to my point: I don't think it's quite fair to suggest that KRK is the company it was when it was making the 7000 or 9000 series. Since the release of the V8 and subsequent acquisition of KRK by Stanton Magnetics, KRK has primarily gone for a very different sound and has tried to compete with the Mackie & Event set. One of the reasons the earlier KRK's aren't better regarded is that the present offering are mostly not in the same market.

I'm curious about the 'same engineer' claim. It's my understanding that KRK was created by 3 designers, who saw the company through it's golden age in the 80's and 90's. I'm pretty sure at least 2 of them have moved on, and that there's very little crossover between the pre-acquisition company and the present KRK. Certainly, with the except of the E-series, there's very little of the KRK sound in the present offerings.

/rant

I picked up a pair of 7000b's for $200 on ebay. I still use them. They sound so much better than the current crop of KRK stuff, and frankly, better than anything I've heard for under $1000.

There is a company that makes replacement parts for older KRK's. Someone posted this a while back, and I believe the company is in Europe.

[bobby yarrow]

I mixed on the 7000's for years, and probably prefer them as nearfields to the 9000s. I'm using the 9000's as mid-fields, really, with other nearfields. Actually, I'm not using the 9000's at all, til I get a driver . . .

[bobby yarrow]

Want to report that, whatever's happened at KRK, their customer support has changed dramatically for the better since I last called (maybe a year ago). Eric (above) emailed me the general support number, and I quickly talked to a real person who understood what I was asking for. He couldn't find any drivers in the system, took my number, and called me back to say that they had a diaphragm for the 9000, for a very reasonable price. He'd gone physically searching for it, and found it. So, yeah, happy to report good support from KRK for sure.

[jamesblond]

Hi,

I've found a pair of 7000b's on the internet fot about €900,--. I have a Quad 520f laying around. Would that be a good match for the KRK's? And is it a good deal? They seem to be in good condition. Though a lot of people seem to really like them, I can't find any detailed specs or measurements of the speakers on the internet... If I end up buying them, they will be used in a less then optimal room, until I have the means to upgrade the room.

Thanks!

James.

[Mr. Light]

Originally Posted by MJGreene Audio

I couldn't agree more. As I have said in previous posts somewhere else here on Gearslutz. KRK of today is a joke. Their customer service is more than a joke. The fact that they had such a bad separation with Focal, to the point where you can't get any drivers for old products anymore is an even bigger joke. Its nice that every once in awhile someone from some division of "KRK" stops in here to try and put water on the bonfire but give me a ****ing break. How about actually servicing the customers. How about actually fixing the products when they are broken. Hell how about actually answering the phone when a customer needs service or to check on his repair. Whomever is to blame should be fired but I gather that it is just a bigger example of what a shitty company Stanton is. Just like Harmon they don't care about anything other than the up front sale. Screw you if you want service.

And the comment about design based on "clarity and accuracy?" Ok sure. Whatever. How about a design that may start off that way but then when it gets shipped to China and thrown together with a bunch of shit parts at the cheapest cost, what does the designer thing about it then?

I have owned ALOT of KRK products over the years. Starting with the 703's, 7000's, 7000B, E7's, V-8's. The only product I still own is a pair of E-7's and really the only reason is because they sit at home in my office attached to my 003 for vocal tuning and editing when I would rather be at home than at the studio on the weekends. They aren't worth anything to sell because you can't get replacement parts for them. I am sure the day one or both of them blow up or break they will both be a pile in my trash bin. They will go the same place my memories of Keith, and Craig from the old KRK Systems have gone. Into the long fond memories in my brain.

Because I am on one hell of a rant here I would say that in my professional opinion, anyone who buys the current line of KRK products has been very mislead, or is really really new. There are a lot of offerings out there that will actually take care of their product once you buy them and all of them are in about the same price point.

KRK?= Don't bother!

I couldn't disagree more (which goes to show that it's all personal taste). I have tried everything under the sun, both cheap and expensive, and settled on the V8's. A lot of talk about hyped midrange but I feel that they're more accurate than anything out there, most speakers are slightly scooped because people don't want to hear mids most of the time.

Final mixes on the V8's (with slight help from a good sub) sound good on any system I test it on, boom boxes, car stereos, audiophile systems.........all good. I love 'em.

I was felt validated when seeing that producer Howard Benson and his engineer have a pair V6's in every room.

Agreed, they've gone through so many different drivers that replacements can be a bitch but I have never had a problem with mine in 6 years.

They're cheap as balls too. Yeeaaaahhhh!