outside of the cans: suggestions for portable speakers while on the road?

[sines]

the last "real" post on this subject was about 3-4 years back so I figure it's time to rekindle it.

I'm a producer + DJ who travels for a couple weeks out of the year and would like to continue to make music -- without having to use headphones while away. Yes, I'll use them but want to have something in addition that allows me to get a good reference without being loaded down with powered 8" Genelecs.

I just bought a pair of JBL Duets, geared for PC / laptop / MP3 player use. They are light and I think I can use a universal voltage adapter with them. But for some reason, I think there's something both lighter or smaller and maybe even louder. I am looking for suggestions for something ultra compact and as full of a frequency response as possible.

Have any ideas?

[Cody]

Genelec 8020's? Those are pretty small, and rugged to boot.

[summer_room]

I got a pair of audioengine 2 thumbsup

Ultra light, and very small. The bass is boosted and the top is muffled, but I use them to get stereoimage, and check the sound on headphones.

Some post have been made here about them, do a search to find them.

/ Jon

[c.gymer]

+1 on the Genelecs. small and rugged, but still reasonably accurate.

[John Willett]

I use the K+H O110 in a padded bag made by KTS.

[sines]

The Genelec 8020s sound great.. but at 8 lbs they seem a bit heavy. I'm thinking something lighter and / or smaller? What about the 6010 range?

The Audioengine A2s sound like they're about 6 lbs total and a smaller footprint. Any US dealers in the NYC area to check them out in? Seems like they just ship direct.

[John Willett]

Originally Posted by sines

The Genelec 8020s sound great.. but at 8 lbs they seem a bit heavy.

Actually, that's pretty light for an active monitor.

My small K+H O110s are 11lb.

But they transport easily in the bag.

Going lighter and you are looking more at PC loudspeakers than proper monitors.

[Dissdnt_penguin]

You might want to check Bose Computer MusicMonitor.

I had the same problem you do and solved it this way. They are overpriced at 400 USD plus 60 for the travel case, but you can hear what you're doing, so good enough for composing. Way better than cans IMHO.

A bit exaggerated on the 1 - 15 kHz range, but really sturdy aluminum case and amazing bass response for the size. Just check the bass is enough for your needs.

Bring your ipod with you and a cable to connect it to a TRS 1/8'' socket, and make sure the salesman leaves the remote on the table. I almost kicked him when he tried to blow my ears to impress me with the volume they can get.

The AC adapter is a bit over sized (The size of a laptop's), but can handle 110/220 V so they're ideal for traveling composer.

Very easy to transport with the travel case. Lightweight and small.

I used to hate Bose myself, but these small speakers were exactly what I needed, and since I couldn't find any alternatives I ended up buying them. Even though the price tag bothered me at the beginning, after using them for around a year I can tell you I couldn't be happier about this purchase.

They're also great for watching DVD's on your laptop, so my girlfriend is also happy I got them.