Final decision: cast your vote for BM6A, ASP8 or JBL LSR6328P?

[leon]

Room 15x20, treated with real traps.

Being I was able to hear all of these monitors but not side by side I am having difficulty making my final decision. They are all great - though I do like the 8" woofer JBL and ASP8 offer.

What would you vote for given this:

Record/mix/master acoustic music
Prefer great sound at lower volumes
Room treatment is very good but not perfect
Translation, translation, translation

Thanks guys!

[Bang]

I just tried the JBLs. I found them rather light in the 100-200Hz area compared to other monitors I was comparing against. Dynaudios have an exciter like distortion on the top, never liked those. ASP 8s were nice but you'll want a sub imo. You should check out the Truth Audios, their low end translates amazingly.

Steve

[Jim Williams]

I'm using JBL's but with custom crossovers. Not too keen on the amps and the active crossovers they put in these things. Try out a LSR 12" active next to a passive one with a great amp.

No comparison.

Jim Williams
Audio Upgrades

[leon]

I actually had seriously considered the Truth Audio TA-1A. My only concern was that should somewhere down the road the company fold, and I needed a part, it could be a major hassle. I do like the $1299 price though!

[leon]

I'm amazed at all of the votes coming in for the BM6A.

[lucey]

Originally Posted by leon

I actually had seriously considered the Truth Audio TA-1A. My only concern was that should somewhere down the road the company fold, and I needed a part, it could be a major hassle. I do like the $1299 price though!

The Truth 1A's are full in the low mids, good for cleaning up the meat range, if that helps at all. I doubt they'll go broke anytime soon.

The BM6Aa, of those 3, would be nice. More detailed top than the 1As.



There's no way you can say for sure until you try them ... but one thing is for sure, you cant master on any of the 3

[loopy]

Originally Posted by leon

Room 15x20, treated with real traps.

Being I was able to hear all of these monitors but not side by side I am having difficulty making my final decision. They are all great - though I do like the 8" woofer JBL and ASP8 offer.

What would you vote for given this:

Record/mix/master acoustic music
Prefer great sound at lower volumes
Room treatment is very good but not perfect
Translation, translation, translation

Thanks guys!

Personally I don't think you can go wrong with the ASP8's. I have heard the others and if money were no problem I would have gone for the JBL's.

I too am surprised at the number of Dyna BM6a votes.
They are nice, have a very flat midrange but the ASP8's blow them away in the full range IMHO.
The BM6a's are just too weak on the low end for my taste.

I have not heard the Truths, but the ASP8's don't need a sub IMHO. If the source material has low end in it, you WILL hear it. If not, you won't.
Play some Oscar Peterson stuff with acoustic bass in it and you will hear it loud and clear.
I have had no trouble with translating mixes done on the Events but I DID have to get used to having so much real/honest low end after mixing on KRK's prior to getting the Events.

Again it's all about preference and all of these monitors are very good, just different.

[shaddai]

I have not heard the Truths, but the ASP8's don't need a sub IMHO. If the source material has low end in it, you WILL hear it. If not, you won't.

He's right. If it's there, the ASP will play it...but you might have to get up out of your chair & walk to the other end of the room to hear it all...at least I have to. I have a smaller room than you do though..

Todd

[loopy]

Originally Posted by shaddai

He's right. If it's there, the ASP will play it...but you might have to get up out of your chair & walk to the other end of the room to hear it all...at least I have to. I have a smaller room than you do though..

Todd

Placement is everything!
In my room, putting any monitor in the typical "on top of the console" position results in horrid sound. I am setup with the Events at 5ft apart and 56 inches from my listening position and 4 feet from the rear wall.
The Events, much like the BmM15a are more like midfield than nearfield monitors.
Sounds very nice and smooth to my ears and the sweet spot is wide.
My room is similar size to the OP, just a wee bit smaller.
The Mackie's sounded very similar to the Events in both positions.
So did the BM15a when I borrowed them.
The BM6a actually sounded better in the on the console position but I think that was just because the low end isn't as good as the Event/Mackie/Bm15a.
I never got to try the JBL in my room, but I have heard them in a friends studio and they are indeed very fine monitors, just out of my price range at the time.

[leon]

Monitor trends sure do get everyones blood going. The BM6S is still in the lead in poll. I think the JBL's would be great but I would like to save a little money. I think I'm gonna narrow it down to the ASP-8 and the BM6A. I like the 8" woofer in the ASP8 but I want truer not more bass. Can anyone vouch for the 8" giving an accurate description of what's coming out of it?

[lucey]

Originally Posted by leon

Monitor trends sure do get everyones blood going. The BM6S is still in the lead in poll. I think the JBL's would be great but I would like to save a little money. I think I'm gonna narrow it down to the ASP-8 and the BM6A. I like the 8" woofer in the ASP8 but I want truer not more bass. Can anyone vouch for the 8" giving an accurate description of what's coming it of it?

all 2 ways are a major compromise on 'true bass' ... only a nice 3 way gets that.

a 3 way has bass-mid-treble, in the way you think about them ... 2 speakers and a port is just not as true




for this choice, you really have to hear them in your room.

[Fleaman]

Originally Posted by Jim Williams

...Try out a LSR 12" active next to a passive one with a great amp.

No comparison.

Jim Williams
Audio Upgrades

LSR 12" Active???

They made this?

...maybe you are talking about their sub?

Fleaman

[Rodney Gene]

Another vote for BM6a's...I am using Dyns and Mackies at ther moment but the stuff I have been mixing is very single dimensional..straight ahead. I will be working with very unique and dynamic music in a couple of months so it may all change then.

The best advice I have heard so far is...make a choice and check them out in your room.

Between ANY of the 3...none are better, none are worse. They are all just different.

I originally chose the Mackies over the Events and Dyns...and recently went back to investigate the Events and Dyns again...and skipped the Events again...and bought the Dynaudios.
The ASP8's are just kinda plain to me, like my Mackies. Too smooth? Don't know...But I suspect they will be great in the right room with the right ears.

BTW...The 8" speaker will not give you more 'bass' response or clarity, but it may give you more output and punch when cranked. If you are not going to crank the speakers, I wouldn't bother.

I wouldn't rule out the 824's...they are boring and sterile sounding but they translate great...The Dynaudios definitely couldn't replace them altogether for me.

Good luck bro...whatever you get will be fun. Monitor shopping is fun to me..even funner to buy!!

[loopy]

Originally Posted by leon

Monitor trends sure do get everyones blood going. The BM6S is still in the lead in poll. I think the JBL's would be great but I would like to save a little money. I think I'm gonna narrow it down to the ASP-8 and the BM6A. I like the 8" woofer in the ASP8 but I want truer not more bass. Can anyone vouch for the 8" giving an accurate description of what's coming it of it?

First I do mostly acoustic stuff, jazz, lite pop and so forth. No rap/hip-hop and so forth so I am not interested in subsonic bass but I need a low end. To my ears, the Events and the Mackies are very smooth in the low end. Like I said, if the source material has a true low end, like acoustic bass for example, you will hear it with good balance between the rest of the spectrum. If the recording has no low end, you won't hear any and cranking up the monitor will not change anything.

When I first auditioned the Events they sounded "nice". Nothing spectacular, just "nice". They were not as analytical as the Mackie's sound (midrange) but smoother IMHO which made me a little nervous at first because the last thing I need is another set of Hi-fi speakers. I already have a set of KeF's and BW in my home system.

But....and this is important, I discovered that the more I listened to the Events with different source material, some good recordings and some terrible ones, the more I realized that I was hearing more of the recording and less of the speaker, for better or worse. I know this sounds like a cliche' but it's true IMHO.
IOW the speaker is translating the recording and doing very little to alter it.
I know this sounds weird, but it's the only way I can describe it.

One thing you will notice with the Events is that you will easily hear things in recordings you might not have heard before and not due to some hyped frequency response (NS10 for example) that makes bad splice points rattle your teeth, but in a natural way.
Imaging is excellent and the depth of stage is as well.

I suggest you take a selection of good and bad recordings and go listen for yourself. Like others have said, there isn't a bad monitor in the bunch but you need to pick what works for you and your style of mixing and music. For me, the Events or the JBL's fit the bill.

FWIW I think that the BM6a get high marks is because, not only are they very good, but some engineers prefer mixing on monitors with less low end and a predictable midrange. I call it the NS10 syndrome and it is a perfectly valid way of mixing because if you take the time to learn how your monitors translate, you can produce excellent results. You also don't have to worry about all the low end nasties associated with room treatment.
However, I personally don't like to mix like that because I have a difficult time imagining what I can't hear and tend to screw up in that venue.
I prefer a full range system that is as flat as possible, set up correctly in a room that is treated properly because then I know what I hear is true.
That's just me however

Search the group for ASP8 and BM6a and you will find lot's of information to assist you in your choices.

I wish you all the best of luck and like the other guy said HAVE FUN!!
Buying monitors can be a lot of fun!
It sure beats buying patch cords

[Rodney Gene]

Originally Posted by loopy

FWIW I think that the BM6a get high marks is because, not only are they very good, but some engineers prefer mixing on monitors with less low end and a predictable midrange. I call it the NS10 syndrome and it is a perfectly valid way of mixing because if you take the time to learn how your monitors translate, you can produce excellent results. You also don't have to worry about all the low end nasties associated with room treatment.
However, I personally don't like to mix like that because I have a difficult time imagining what I can't hear and tend to screw up in that venue.
I prefer a full range system that is as flat as possible, set up correctly in a room that is treated properly because then I know what I hear is true.
That's just me however

Hey brother Loopy...No flame...but where did you come up this? Can you point me to your references for that remark?

The Dynaudios are nothing like NS10's and certainly don't make you 'guess' at what is there...Where did you see that? And what would make you print it?

Dynaudios don't require 'less' room treatment or produce less bass 'room' anamolies...(Especially compared to something like the Events) Again, where is the references for that?

You say you prefer a 'full-range' system but you are using 2-way speakers?
Are you suggesting that the Events have 'more' range than the other speakers here...particularly the BM6a's, since you used them as an example?

...Thanks.

[Reptil]

I checked the mackies and I didn't like their bottom end. too big. just my personal opinion because the studio who uses them are happy with their translation.
Also checked genelecs (big and small) and it feels like someone is sticking a needle in one ear and a brick in the other. also just my personal opinion because the artist who owns them produces mixes that translate well.
I found the Emes black tv to be really nice sounding, a real working nearfield.
Lately I got a set of old K & H s and they are very balanced across the spectrum.
But for working I came back to the Emes. just so nice. the lower mids are incredible, highs that you can listen too for several days, and the stereo image when working in a close distance is unbeatable. And I check on the K & Hs for frequency balance.
so I'm a sucker for boring german monitors. love them in fact.
some other threads, and user reports on atc monitors makes me a bit curious. But for now the monitor lust is over.

[Oldone]

I concur that the ASP8s reveal elements of the mix that other speakers don't come close to revealing, that is why I bought a pair. However, if I had been able to come up with additional funds, I would have gone with the JBLs. They provide everything the Events have plus more upper midrange detail.

[Brian Brock]

Originally Posted by lucey

The Truth 1A's are full in the low mids, good for cleaning up the meat range, if that helps at all. I doubt they'll go broke anytime soon.

I found the first statement to be very true. I loved the sound of the ta1as, but according to the guy at the company who I communicated with, these have been discontinued until they work out some issues with the power amps. I really wish I had known this before I bought them used, because I would obviously have thought twice about them, and mine had a nasty buzz. They do intend to fix this, but apparently to make matters worse the factory that makes the amps got totally wiped out in the hurricane.

It feels weird to break this news that really should be coming from Truth, but like I said, if only I knew...

Brian

[Rodney Gene]

Originally Posted by Oldone

I concur that the ASP8s reveal elements of the mix that other speakers don't come close to revealing, that is why I bought a pair. However, if I had been able to come up with additional funds, I would have gone with the JBLs. They provide everything the Events have plus more upper midrange detail.

I love these comments.

Just for clarification, and for the best interest of FACTS and reality...can you name the speakers that aren't capable of even coming close to reproducing the detail of the Events?

I assume you meant the others listed here? The Truths, Dynaudios, Mackies?

What source material can you recommend that only the Events can reproduce accurately, and none of the others can even come close to?

It would be appreciated. I have access to my Dyns and Mackies and I can get the Events here tommorow. I will test this myself.

Actually I tried to order a pair of Truths yesterday but haven't heard back from Shannon or Tommy.

Thanks.

[Rodney Gene]

Originally Posted by Brian Brock

I really wish I had known this before I bought them used, because I would obviously have thought twice about them, and mine had a nasty buzz. They do intend to fix this, but apparently to make matters worse the factory that makes the amps got totally wiped out in the hurricane.

It feels weird to break this news that really should be coming from Truth, but like I said, if only I knew...

Brian

Sorry to hear that. I guess that explains why they haven't returned my calls? Best to them.

[Oldone]

[quote=Rodney Gene]I love these comments.

Just for clarification, and for the best interest of FACTS and reality...can you name the speakers that aren't capable of even coming close to reproducing the detail of the Events?


What source material can you recommend that only the Events can reproduce accurately, and none of the others can even come close to?

QUOTE]

I think I must have repeated this information about 5 times on this site but here we go again....

I did a shootout against the Mackies 824, Dynaudio 6A, Blue Sky 2.1, JBL 6328 in several different locations here in LA. I wanted to hear them in different sized rooms and with different treatments. The JBLs won everything hands down. Just an incredible image and detailed. The next one down the list was the Event monitors.

The source material was varied, everything from Christine Aguilera, Coldplay, NIN and even James Taylor. There were a couple of old Doobie Brother tunes in there too.

The thing that won me over was actually one of the James Taylor cuts where we could hear a cello line that was not revealed on any of the other monitors save the JBL. Another point was the snare tail on reverbs was so much distinguishable on the Events.

There were 2 people in all tests, my drummer and myself. We both agreed the Events represented the best value/performance in my price range.

Hope that was specific enough for you.

[Rodney Gene]

Thanks Oldone...fair enough.

BTW...You can always point me to a specific link or thread in the future so as not to repeat yourself...I am cool with reading.

Hey just curious bro...what does several locations mean? Several studios? You and your drummer carried 5 pairs of speakers around in a truck or van and set them up / tore them down and A/B'd them? Several times?
Stands, console? All in the same mix position of course? etc. etc. I salute you...that is a TON of work. It is nice you were able to get 5 pairs to use. (I recently did the same here on GS with Interfaces)

I was fortunate to have spent a few hours in my own genuine mix space comparing the ASP8's and the results werenot the same as yours...I don't doubt that you liked them the best. That is totally legit and monitors are a personal thing....

The reason I am a sceptic or why 'blanket statements' instantly lose credibility is because surely if these $1200 speakers are so good and so far beyond anything else in thier 'class' and above thier class (like the more expensive Dynaudios)...then wouldn't more people be experiencing this?

I just assume so, but maybe not?...I do find the results of the poll interesting though. Although the ASP8's have only been around for a year, so perhaps that is why they haven't caught on as much? Not proven yet?

I will repeat what I believe...ANY of these listed monitors will do a great job...including the ASP8's...it is simply a personal taste and a personal choice and getting used to them in your room...

Discussing monitors is like discussing religion...Usually not worth the effort.

P&R,

[Oldone]

These were in rooms set up to demo speakers, fortunately no human backs were used in the experiment.

West LA Music - Santa Monica (Big room)
West LA Music - Hollywood (small room)
Guitar Center Hollywood (Probably the closest acoustic treatment to a real studio)
Guitar Center Fountain Valley - (All Wood treatment high ceiling)
Guitar Center Lake Forest - ( 20x 15 high ceiling)
Sam Ash Westminster - (20 x 15 low ceiling) Did not have the JBLs.

Yeah, I did my homework and probably spent about 2 weeks too many on this inane process.

If you tested these in your own space then I would bring room treatment into question. I noticed that the Events sounded entirely different, to be expected, in my 12 x 11 room at home. Substantial bass treatment is required in small spaces to evaluate speakers. After about $300 in bass traps. 4 inch rockwool in canvas treatment 2 x 4' in size, the Events sounded like I originally exerienced in the large rooms where build up is not a factor.

In a small, partially treated room, I would expect you would find some other speaker to your liking. That is why I tested everything in a variety of rooms.

[Rodney Gene]

Originally Posted by Oldone

If you tested these in your own space then I would bring room treatment into question. I noticed that the Events sounded entirely different, to be expected, in my 12 x 11 room at home. Substantial bass treatment is required in small spaces to evaluate speakers. After about $300 in bass traps. 4 inch rockwool in canvas treatment 2 x 4' in size, the Events sounded like I originally exerienced in the large rooms where build up is not a factor.

In a small, partially treated room, I would expect you would find some other speaker to your liking. That is why I tested everything in a variety of rooms.

I understand.

My main room is 15' X 25'... treated with GIK bass traps (10)...the floors are hardwood, the ceilings are 12' and half vaulted. It is nice sounding room. I feel blessed.

Peace.

[Oldone]

I just checked out your site. Your room looks like an advertisement for GIK bass traps.

But that's a good thing, as you know.

[thenoodle]

.........Guitar Center Fountain Valley - (All Wood treatment high ceiling)....

Hey, cool. That's where I did my comparisons.