Monitors dilemma : AX8 vs JBL PRO LSR2328P vs FOCAL CMS65 vs FOCAL SOLO6-BE

[anterak13]

Hi *slutz*!

my first post here !

After working for years with a toneport UX2 and a pair of yamahas HS50m.

The lack of bass on the HS50M has been a pain, so I upgraded to a Focusrite Saffire Pro 24 DSP and ended up tracking all my bass lines on cans and trying to mix and master on cans ( the DSP 24 has this virtual room thing which somehow simulate a room through cans).

I'm fed up with this way of working, and decided to get above average monitors with more low end.

On paper, the monitors that go to the lowest freqs are the ADAM AX8 and the JBL PRO with 37Hz.

The Focal CMS 65 and SOLO6 don't go as low (45 and 40 Hz) but seem to be of better quality, and I've read a few times that the low end on the SOLO6 was extremely good (better than other ~40Hz monitors).

Prices are similar, so do you think I should go for one of the 8"inches, or that I should rather get a pair of better 6.5" and add a sub later when my finances are back to green?

I can't go & listen to them because where I live there is no place that has this sort of gear, I'll have to order on-line.

thanks!

[garryrobson]

If you can afford them, go for the Solos. Incredibly accurate, right across the spectrum - especially the low end - and beautiful highs thanks to that beryllium tweeter. The 65's are the next best thing if you can't justify the Solos or Twins.

[t0yz]

Have you thought about getting the Yamaha HS10W sub for the HS50Ms? That will solve the low-end problem...
I'd like to hear the new AX8 too, I'm pretty sure Adam did an amazing job.
The Focals seem a bit too pricey for me, although I would buy a pair if i had some money to throw away.

[garryrobson]

Originally Posted by t0yz

Have you thought about getting the Yamaha HS10W sub for the HS50Ms? That will solve the low-end problem...
I'd like to hear the new AX8 too, I'm pretty sure Adam did an amazing job.
The Focals seem a bit too pricey for me, although I would buy a pair if i had some money to throw away.

Monitors are the most important part of a control room. Better to buy smaller accurate ones than larger inaccurate just because of the need for more volume.

[t0yz]

Man, I'm not at all saying Focals are bad (pretty sure anyone who sees the Utopia Grande videos on the web falls in love with Focal), they're just not for everybody, because of their forbidding price... I only had the privilege to listen to CMS50, but I had only a KRK VXT4 pair to compare them with, and I pretty much liked both, but the 1/2 hour I had was not nearly enough...

As I say, if you have the money, buy what makes you happy... I know some Focals would make me happy.

[garryrobson]

Originally Posted by t0yz

Man, I'm not at all saying Focals are bad (pretty sure anyone who sees the Utopia Grande videos on the web falls in love with Focal), they're just not for everybody, because of their forbidding price... I only had the privilege to listen to CMS50, but I had only a KRK VXT4 pair to compare them with, and I pretty much liked both, but the 1/2 hour I had was not nearly enough...

As I say, if you have the money, buy what makes you happy... I know some Focals would make me happy.

Understood and agreed

You must, in that case, take a listen to the brand new Focal CMS40. They sound very much like mini-Twins, if there could be such a thing, and the list price is €520/pair so will be giving all the competition under €750 or so a run for their money.

[genieg]

thumbsupFocals ... if you can afford to stretch that far. I own CMS.

the top is so open and airy you need a bit of a time to adjust because they are so good to listen to (non fatiguing)

Having owned/used Adam, Genelec I love them thumbsup

[Speeddemon]

Originally Posted by anterak13

The Focal CMS 65 and SOLO6 don't go as low (45 and 40 Hz) but seem to be of better quality, and I've read a few times that the low end on the SOLO6 was extremely good (better than other ~40Hz monitors).

Take in account that the CMS65 claim is actually a FACT! They have been measured to go to 45Hz at -3dB and 35Hz at -10dB. (there's an article around somewhere on the Focal site, by some reviewer)
I haven't seen such objective measuring about the Adams yet.
The thing is, not much people have heard the Adam A8X yet. They weren't around, when I bought my CMS 65's, but were released a few months later.
Versus the ADAM A7's, the CMS 65 clearly wins in the low extension (and clarity)... I'm curious to see how the CMS65's stack up against the A7X and A8X's.