Hotel room monitors

[edwinhurwitz]

I am wondering if anyone has any recommendations for monitors for hotel room mixing. The criteria is that they be very portable and small (we have limited room in our vehicle) and not too expensive. They must also be capable of being bounced around and ill treated while not being used. This means either a good carrying case or nice strong grills.

I'm not concerned about high volume levels or reggae/hip hop bass. Just something that will be a good alternative to headphones and can get me 80% of the way there. I have some JBL LSRP25s which are close to ideal if they weren't so heavy. I listened to some KRK V4 IIs and I liked those but I don't think they would stand up to the abuse of riding in our vehicle without the right case.

Edwin

[Baithak]

Hi Ed:

K+H has a nice solution for this which they recently upgraded: the M52
Here is the quote from Mix Mag May 2007
KLEIN + HUMMEL M 52
The M 52 active reference monitor for small studios, broadcast vans and other remote applications is extremely compact with a less than 5x5-inch footprint, housed entirely in aluminum. Flat frequency response, increased SPL output, magnetic shielding and switched AC/DC powering options. The M 52 D version adds a digital input and D/A converter.

I have heard the 51s and they were pretty nice. I have the 110 which I use as my "computer monitor" along with a DAC1 and it is a very satisfying setup. If you don't want to take the 110 on the road, the 52s may just do the job?

The 51s are still available at about 600 bucks each if you look carefully.

Baithak

[audiothings]

i have nht m-oos... love 'em, but they ain't as tiny and light as what you're looking for. check out the audio engine a2... people are raving about it. oh, and if you are flushed with cash, the genelec 6010.

[markus enochson]

+ 1 6010

small size big sound

m

[Studiodawg]

Edirol MA-7A Stereo Reference Speakers come in a box with a handle. I just got them yesterday for $80. They were acquired specifically for non-critical (don't feel like using headphones) monitoring/listening. Small and will travel well...they sounded "good enough" especially for $80.

[NorseHorse]

Is a good pair of headphones an option?

[edwinhurwitz]

Thanks for all the replies! Headphones do work OK and I've gone with Grados, Ultrasones and now the ATH-M50s. They have all given decent results to a certain extent, but I find that they don't replace mixing on speakers, no matter the size and quality.

I would very much love to get some K&H monitors of any size, but $1200 is way above my price range at this time.

The Audio Engines look great and I've heard good things about them, but the lack of grilles worry me. My bandmates have inadvertently destroyed lots of things and I would imagine they will get tossed around quite a bit. There is a place down in Denver that carries them, so I will look at them in person.

The Edirols might actually do the trick, but I'd like to hear them first.

Thanks again!
Edwin

[d_fu]

Originally Posted by edwinhurwitz

The Audio Engines look great and I've heard good things about them, but the lack of grilles worry me.

This is indeed a design flaw, but there are ways to live with it. I've found a cute little case that will just hold my two AE2, the PSU and some cables... I've stuck little round rubber feet to the speakers, so they can be next to each other without touching. See attached pic below.
Soundwise, I can really recommend them. Almost a touch bass-heavy...

If you want solid grilles, good ol' Fostex 6301 comes to mind.


As an example of how both the membranes can be well protected without grilles, Fostex PM-04 has them below the surface, so you can actually put the speaker flat on its face without anything touching diaphragms. But they don't really sound all that good.

[ghellquist]

I use a pair of Yamaha MSP5. Sort of heavy but rather well protected. More sound than can be expected and quite truthful in the critical mid-range area.

My speakers each got a good sized handle on top, saves a lot of trouble. Just something I found and mounted there.

Gunnar

[edwinhurwitz]

Originally Posted by d_fu

This is indeed a design flaw, but there are ways to live with it. I've found a cute little case that will just hold my two AE2, the PSU and some cables... I've stuck little round rubber feet to the speakers, so they can be next to each other without touching. See attached pic below.
Soundwise, I can really recommend them. Almost a touch bass-heavy...

Thanks for the ideas! I have found a local hifi dealer, tweekgeek.com, who lent me a pair to listen to for the weekend. You are right, they are bass heavy (or mid bass heavy). I little dip at 250 on the iTunes EQ makes them more listenable. The vocal range seems interesting, with some vocals that never seemed too far back in the mix before seeming a little distant or dull. Not all vocals are like this, so maybe I'm hearing new things in the mix or maybe it's the speakers. Don't know if I am sold yet, though. Maybe with a crossover tweak to bring the woofer down a bit they might work a little better.

Still listening.
Edwin

[audiothings]

the jbl control 2p should interest you... its a time tested design (i mean the passive version, the control 1) and it seems to meet your requirements...

[Jam]

I used a pair of Genelec 8020A in this capacity for most of last summer

Here's my friend Kev in his hotel room happily mixing away.

James

[tsvisser]

not cheap,

but cool as sh**

http://www.elac-firm.com/en/products...310_ultedi.pdf

[edwinhurwitz]

Thanks for all the input! I went for the Audioengine 2s. They are the right size and after breaking them in, the sound improved considerably. They were also 1/8th the price of the 8020As. I would love to have been able to afford the K&H speakers, they look wonderful, maybe in the future.


Of course, that doesn't mean this thread has to end, I think it's great to hear from as many people as possible as there have to be others in my position and I'm sure some of them have a better budget.

Edwin

[d_fu]

Originally Posted by edwinhurwitz

Thanks for all the input! I went for the Audioengine 2s.

Do tell us what DIY solution for diaphragm protection you come up with...

[edwinhurwitz]

Originally Posted by d_fu

Do tell us what DIY solution for diaphragm protection you come up with...

I took my old Audix D series mic case and ripped out the panels and discovered the speakers fit face to face perfectly with room leftover for all the accessories and power supplies. The drivers don't seem to touch in this configuration, but I will probably add some bumpons for extra protection.

Very simple and it will fit in my travel suitcase with no troubles.
Edwin