Event 2030s VS Yamaha HS80Ms VS Mackie HR824 MKII

[JoRillo]

I can't compare them - but I have the HS80's and like them a lot. Great buy for the price. You can even look into ZenPro Audio mods for them which are supose to be very nice. The owner of ZenPro stops by the forum. I'll see if i can't dig up the modded speaker thread for you.

[JoRillo]

ZenPro Modded HS80M???

Here ya go. Read up if your interested.

[Plasma]

Interesting stuff...

Not as turned on by the idea of modding the speakers.
Im sure the mods are great, but where could I hear these monitors locally?
You cant... So I would never be able to justify the expense.

[JoRillo]

Originally Posted by Plasma

Interesting stuff...

Not as turned on by the idea of modding the speakers.
Im sure the mods are great, but where could I hear these monitors locally?
You cant... So I would never be able to justify the expense.

You could purchase the modded speaker directly threw ZenPro (not send it in for the mod) and if you weren't satisfied with them, return them.

Either way I was just throwing it out there for you, to see if you were interested in it.

[Plasma]

Originally Posted by JoRillo

You could purchase the modded speaker directly threw ZenPro (not send it in for the mod) and if you weren't satisfied with them, return them.

Either way I was just throwing it out there for you, to see if you were interested in it.

The reviews make me rethink things.....
I just wish I could A/B them.

[warhead]

We A/B them all the time as we are constantly modifying them at this point, at the time of this writing I can tell you that it's the most significant mod we've developed to date. It really does transform it and open it up.

Having said that, I am a fan of the 2030 3 way from Event!

The 2030 are a bit smoother on top, and require at least 4 to 5 feet of distance before they focus correctly. That is based on using them in my 12' x 14' treated room, and not a negative statement. I just like to be sure people aren't going to be shoved right up against them as the 3 way design just needs a bit more space typically.

War

[Plasma]

Originally Posted by warhead

We A/B them all the time as we are constantly modifying them at this point, at the time of this writing I can tell you that it's the most significant mod we've developed to date. It really does transform it and open it up.

Having said that, I am a fan of the 2030 3 way from Event!

The 2030 are a bit smoother on top, and require at least 4 to 5 feet of distance before they focus correctly. That is based on using them in my 12' x 14' treated room, and not a negative statement. I just like to be sure people aren't going to be shoved right up against them as the 3 way design just needs a bit more space typically.

War

Can you tell me a bit more about what exactly you mod, and how exactly that effects the sound of these monitors?
Also, I wasnt following your pricing... Its $400 to mod an existing pair, or $470ish to buy a single new speaker, with the mod?
That pricing doesnt really add up to me....

Would you go with the 2030s over the Modded HS80ms...
I guess the answer is yes.... If you use them in your personal studio..?

[warhead]

We charge $400 for the mod on mail ins (don't know how long we will continue with mail ins) if you own them. We sell new mod pairs at the moment I am writing for $950. You can read the mod product page ($475 each listing) for text on what we do, and what we hear.

We use the modified HS80M in our room now. There are things about the 2030 I prefer as well, it's hard to say somebody would like one speaker over the other as tastes vary.

War

[Plasma]

War -

I appreciate your comments!
I may look into getting a pair.

PS - Interesting comments about cables in this thread:
AD/DA Comparison

[Plasma]

bizzump

[kasmira]

Hmm..for mixing? Do you have any other pairs of speakers?

I have the new Event 2030s and I'm really digging them. In my experience, I've really come to dislike the HS80m's, but not because of their ability for mixing. They are just too 'intense' to my ear to use them for things like production, and sitting in front of them all day makes me want to stab my ears. That being said...I've achieved good mixes on the Yams and that's what matters. I haven't mixed on the Events yet, but I have a feeling it will be an enjoyable process, though whether or not it translates is definitely a more important question. I will try to remember to post in here when I have done a mix on them, but this might not be till after the weekend.

My room is acoustically treated too, so hopefully my experience mixing with them shouldn't be too clouded by my room.

Also, just to boot, I can see War's point about having them farther away from you, but in my room they don't sound bad close either. (He isn't suggesting they need to be 3 meters away or anything, just not on your desk 2' away from you, which I agree with)
My Events are roughly 5' apart, but about 3.5' away from me. I have superb imaging at this distance, but that may be due to my acoustical treatment.

As per the modded HS80ms, my friend with the Yams is considering the mod - but looking at the cost he may just end up selling the Yams and buying the Events (depending if he likes them when he comes over). If the mod settles down the high end a bit, I would imagine the Yams to be more pleasant to work with for longer periods of time. If bought new with the mod already done to it at Zen Pro Audio, the price seems to be quite fair IMO.

War, if its worth any comment, I will be hopefully using you guys for some future purchases. I like to support small community minded businesses - I would have bought the 2030s from you guys if I didn't have to rely on Sweetwater's 3 payment plan for the speakers.

[Plasma]

Originally Posted by kasmira

I haven't mixed on the Events yet, but I have a feeling it will be an enjoyable process, though whether or not it translates is definitely a more important question. I will try to remember to post in here when I have done a mix on them, but this might not be till after the weekend.

Please let me us know what you think.
I've heard the HS80Ms in several studios...
They didn't sound bad at all to my ears.
I can see, however, how they would be fatiguing over time.
With that said, I've never heard the 2030s, so I'd love to see what you have to say about them after a few mixing sessions.
Please share.

[JoRillo]

Originally Posted by kasmira

In my experience, I've really come to dislike the HS80m's, but not because of their ability for mixing. They are just too 'intense' to my ear to use them for things like production, and sitting in front of them all day makes me want to stab my ears.

Do you happen to know the settings on the speakers you used? I felt the same way after about a month of having them, then I cut the Highs -2 rather then 0 where they were, and it became a whole new experience.

[kasmira]

Originally Posted by JoRillo

Do you happen to know the settings on the speakers you used? I felt the same way after about a month of having them, then I cut the Highs -2 rather then 0 where they were, and it became a whole new experience.

I've used them in many rooms, with and without the highs cut. I suppose its not that they are insanely harsh, because they aren't, but I still find them more "in your face" than I like. I know Adams are in the next price bracket up, but I feel if you're in a room with A7Xs and HS80ms, the A7Xs are going to sound more relaxed, the HS80s will sound more intense. That's the difference to me - they're all great speakers for a cheap solution for good mixes, I just would rather have the HS80ms for reference every now and then, not as my main set of monitors.

Sent from my ADR6425LVW using Gearslutz App

[Bullseye]

Unless your room is acoustically sound (treated is the operative word around here) the Yamaha HS 80 M's will be problematic. They are rear ported and the bass can get very muddy very fast.

Probably the Event 20/20s which I think are from ported, so maybe placement and room acoustics will have a lesser effect on the bass, are a better option.

I say this as an HS 80 M user. I would not even consider a serious mix on these speakers unless the room were well treated. One plus though is that oddly, even with an untreated room, the mix that I do actually translate well however, that is more a matter of having gotten used to them rather than the actual sound coming from them. This, as I understand it, is true of every speaker from the most expensive to the cheapest.

That old adage that if you cam make it sound good on the Yamaha's it will sound good on anything might hold some truth with respect to the HS 80s.

[mattjew24]

I am a fan of Mackie HR824s...but what I use in my home studio is Behringer Truth 2031a's which sound very much like the Mackies.

[FLYINGJAY]

Originally Posted by mattjew24

I am a fan of Mackie HR824s...but what I use in my home studio is Behringer Truth 2031a's which sound very much like the Mackies.

Sent from my PC36100 using Gearslutz App

[mattjew24]

Originally Posted by FLYINGJAY

Sent from my PC36100 using Gearslutz App

I've used a lot of monitors and I love the Behringers :D

[FLYINGJAY]

Originally Posted by mattjew24

I've used a lot of monitors and I love the Behringers :D

I'm not saying they sound bad and you should not used them.if your music sound great,that's all that matter!

Behringer sound like mackie uhhsorry dude,it just seem like the right thing to do?

Would you like another one?it'll be my pleasure...

Sent from my PC36100 using Gearslutz App

[kasmira]

Just a quick update..

I haven't written a review yet as I haven't compared to a ton of monitors in the same room that I'm in now. Hopefully I will be listening to my friends HS80Ms in here soon so I can really get an idea on the difference of these speakers compared to them. I also haven't done a ton of mixing in here yet, but I do have some experiences to share:

Really enjoying them, honestly. They aren't mid forward, they aren't bright, they aren't boomy. They sound really quite flat, and surprisingly relaxed. The low end goes down quite low, but I don't really think it goes that much lower than HS80Ms. Plus, these bass drivers are only 7.1" compared to HS80Ms 8" (however, the 7" driver only has to play <400Hz) so I feel they're pretty comparable on the frequencies reached. Perhaps a littttttle lower (few Hz) on the Events than the HS80Ms.

Stereo imaging is incredible. I haven't had the opportunity to listen to a lot of high end monitors really ever, so bare with my inexperience. I don't think I've ever listened to anything more expensive than $1,200 a pair (at least for long enough to have an opinion on them). That being said, these monitors have the best imaging I've heard in a pair of monitors. It is instantly obvious when a sound is stereo or mono. You can hear the slightest pan. Mono sounds more like its coming directly out of a third speaker in front of me, not like its coming from the sides (its kinda weird actually, never really had that experience with speakers before)

They go pretty loud, I've never had to turn them up all the way before (although I pushed them to limit once, just to know the sound of limiting so I wouldn't accidentally push them there).

In terms of transient reproduction and low end clarity on them, my mixes have so far been way, way better than prior on the Rokits (which should be expected, at the very least). My bass has become much more tight, punchy, and translatable since the introduction of the Events in my studio.

Biggest improvement for me, and the reason I feel these are helping me significantly is how easily these show distortion. For me, they really tell me such a bigger picture than my Rokits did. All my previous songs that never translated well all still sounded great on my Rokits. Now...I can hear these mistakes I've made. I can hear where the kick or sub bass is too loud and overpowering. I can hear when the bass is flabby, I can tell when the sub doesn't cut through, etc.

All in all, I'm sure I would have a few similar experiences with other monitors in the price range (A7X, VXT 6s, etc) but I'm really glad I got these. Low end is really, really impressive. Imaging is great. Instantly shows distortion, really easy to compress with these. I will probably be suggesting these often on the web.

[kasmira]

Originally Posted by Bullseye

Unless your room is acoustically sound (treated is the operative word around here) the Yamaha HS 80 M's will be problematic. They are rear ported and the bass can get very muddy very fast.

I honestly don't understand how rear ports can really have much effect on any frequencies under a few hundred hertz. Bass is omni-directional sub 250hz or so, maybe even higher than that. It can create a bit of a difference comparatively, but I don't see how pushing out air in a different direction can really cause room problems. The room problems will be there no matter the speaker.

Originally Posted by Bullseye

I would not even consider a serious mix on these speakers unless the room were well treated.

I wouldn't consider a serious mix on any speaker in a non-treated room..

[andrew caramia]

[andrew caramia]

Ive owned all those monitors. and more. i bought the hs80ms just for some studio bling to impress clients as they look like the famous ns10s. boy was i surprized how good they are! my other monitors ended up on ebay and i concluded that these are the best for mixing and are real keepers. ill never sell them. even if you already have another pair of expensive monitors, buy these as a secondary pair to flip the difference. the mid range on the yamahas will rip your eyeballs out but is at the same time warm and forces you to produce a smooth mix. every other monitor i owned had a hollow midrange honk just for the sake of sounding good. these are brutally honest speakers, cheap, blow other monitors out of the water, and if you pair it up with the yamaha hs10w sub you will be rewarded further. go for it!

[kasmira]

Originally Posted by andrew caramia

Ive owned all those monitors. and more.

You've owned the Event 2030s?

Sent from my SCH-I535 using Gearslutz App

[andrew caramia]

Originally Posted by kasmira

You've owned the Event 2030s?

Sent from my SCH-I535 using Gearslutz App

sorry not the 2030, i misread that... ive owned the studiopresicion6 and 2020bas and demoed the opals here in oz.
the event 2030 look like a great 3-way! fostex have a new 3-way also, but the events would surpass it imo. the yamaha hs80m+hs10w sub partnered with the event 2030 with a switch box like the presonus monitor station would be very tasty, indeed.
like i said before, if i was stuck on a desert island, the yamaha+sub combo would serve me well.
partner them with another monitor brand and you will have a very powerful referencing setup, as the yamahas have such a midrange forward sound....marry it with a pair of monitors that has titanium, aluminium or ribbon tweeters (and around 8" for the woofer) and you will have a lot of interesting range to mix/master with.
heres a review i did a while ago that talks about the yamaha hs80m and msp7studio you might find interesting- http://www.gearslutz.com/board/revie...80m-hs10w.html
cheers
andrew
punkabub sound

[FLYINGJAY]

[QUOTE=andrew the yamaha hs80m+hs10w sub partnered with the event 2030 with a switch box like the presonus monitor station would be very tasty, indeed.

cheers
andrew
punkabub sound[/QUOTE]

I have a JBL msc1,its corrects the room and have speaker selection like a monitor station.it has a subwoofer on/off button.

A room correction on/off button.3 stereo inputs,2 sets of speakers for output plus sub.

Sent from my PC36100 using Gearslutz App

[andrew caramia]

Originally Posted by FLYINGJAY

I have a JBL msc1,its corrects the room and have speaker selection like a monitor station.it has a subwoofer on/off button.

A room correction on/off button.3 stereo inputs,2 sets of speakers for output plus sub.

Sent from my PC36100 using Gearslutz App

Perfect!

[worshipbrat]

I thought I'd chime in briefly since I just bought and installed a pair of 2030's.

To start with, everything people say about the stereo field on these is true. You can make vocal tracks sound like they are inside your head. In general, they sound flat, tight and smooth. You can work on them for long periods without ear fatigue, and the bottom end is tight enough to make good mix decisions. The first mixes I did, using a pair of Auratones for a cross check, translated better than anything I've done before in my home studio. I suspect this will continue to improve as I learn them more.

Bottom line is I love them. The 2030's give you the advantages of midrange articulation you'd expect in a good three-way monitor, for a very reasonable price.

[MattHiHat]

I have both the Hs80 and a pair of Adam A7x. I would really urge you to save up for the Adams even though you were not asking about them in the original post. But they're extremely good in my IMO.

Compared to the hs80 the Adams are much better even though I like the hs80's as well. I use the hs80's for tracking.