[Dan Driscoll]

Musicians' Friend SDOTD

Tannoy Reveal 402 Powered Studio Monitors, $89.99/pair

Edit: My bad, they are $89.99 each.

 At this price they would make a very nice set computer speakers, as well entry level monitors.

[Jim Hamley]

Looks like $89.99 EACH!

[JLM]

Still $180/pair sure ain't bad (with it's 4 inch mid/woofer only really recommended for desktop use).  Audio Stream class B recommended and an encouraging review from the pro-audio Sound on Sound.

[Kenneth Patchen]

Still $180/pair sure ain't bad (with it's 4 inch mid/woofer only really recommended for desktop use).

Yes, but $139 at Guitar Center with free shipping is better.
http://www.guitarcenter.com/Tannoy-Reveal-402-109318642-i3219155.gc?country=us&currency=usd&isfullsite=1&source=4WWRWXGP&gclid=CNjf6YiDq8cCFZYWHwod_FsAtQ&kwid=productads-plaid%5E126872410602-sku%5E109318642@ADL4GC-adType%5EPLA-device%5Et-adid%5E57619015002

Cheerio,
KP

[JLM]

Well, maybe if you're shipping overseas, but the Guitar Center price is again for a single speaker (professional speakers are often priced individually).

[Kenneth Patchen]

Ugh. Quite right, quite right. But just be sure I emailed and asked and was told that if they were selling a 'pair' of speakers, they "would have shown two speakers in the photo" and then asked "who buys speakers in pairs anyway?". Such a radical idea.

[JLM]

Ugh. Quite right, quite right. But just be sure I emailed and asked and was told that if they were selling a 'pair' of speakers, they "would have shown two speakers in the photo" and then asked "who buys speakers in pairs anyway?". Such a radical idea.

Probably came from PA work where use of a single guitar amp/speaker is very popular in small venues or replacement for a blown speaker in a large concert setup (needed immediately) comes up from almost daily/complicated setups.  And of course for AV use you buy a single center channel.

Fickle consumers never buy the same speaker again, so we always buy in pairs (or sets in AV applications).  BTW have you ever heard of a single speaker bought for home audio use (since the days of monophonic, other than after an "accident")?  For that matter have you ever heard of an audiophile or A/V fan replacing speakers with the same model?

BTW the Tannoy Reveal 502 are now being advertised at $99 each (also included in the Sound on Sound review).

[srb]

BTW have you ever heard of a single speaker bought for home audio use (since the days of monophonic, other than after an "accident")?

Pretty rare, but I bought a single Yamaha MSP3 powered monitor for a bathroom/shower system.  2 channel stereo didn't make any sense in that location.

Steve
 

[Doublej]

Pretty rare, but I bought a single Yamaha MSP3 powered monitor for a bathroom/shower system.  2 channel stereo didn't make any sense in that location.

Steve

How is the Yamaha holding up with the humidity in the room?

[srb]

How is the Yamaha holding up with the humidity in the room?

In hindsight it probably would have made more sense to have gone for a sealed design (it has two small front ports), but located on a shelf just on the other side of the shower curtain, at 5-1/2 years it's still going strong.

On the other hand, this particular model helped me out of a bad situation, as the output from the A1264 Airport Express was severely distorted when its analog stereo outputs were paralleled with a Y-adapter (the previous A1084 AE could do this with no problem) and the MPS3 with its dual buffered inputs each with its own volume control allowed me to mix to mono.

The tone controls also came in handy - the bass control gave me a little more bottom end from the 4" woofer and the treble control helped to boost the highs over the shower white noise.

Steve

[JLM]

I now recall buying a single Radio Shack Minimus 7 speaker for my 1979 Saab 99 to go with the Blauplukt AM/FM mono radio.  I figured it was cheaper, less stereo distortion, and less desirable to steal.  I mounted it in the rear window, directly behind the driver's seat.

[Don_S]

It seems like the Tannoys would be harder to hook up than powered monitors designed to be used in pairs with a jumper cable and volume control on one speaker only.  Also, I only have a mini-phono plug output on my computer.

[JLM]

Yes, studio monitors (most are active designs, very few are powered or passive) are available with: no volume controls; individual rear controls (most popular); front mounted controls; shared via an optional plug-in; or front/rear mounted with link (usually combined power/signal with non-standard connectors).  In studio, it is assumed that individual volume controls will be readily available.

Powered monitors (one built-in amplifier for all drivers with crossover between amp and drivers) have little advantage over passive designs (amps are manufacturer matched to the speaker, fewer boxes) compared to active designs (one amplifier per driver, low voltage crossover that feed the amps).  Being active the amps can react directly to the drivers and the low voltage crossover design can be more easily finessed with the addition of DSP, etc.).  Years ago I auditioned Paradigm Studio 20 ($800/pair 2-way passive stand-mounts) vs Paradigm Active 20 ($1600/pair same drivers/cabinet) and it was no contest.  The Actives were extremely dynamic, had amazingly flat frequency response, and the unbelievably deep/full bass left passersby gobsmacked.

Powered speakers (like Audioengine) that have a single front volume control with the stereo power amp in one cabinet, so just have speaker wires running to the passive cabinet are seen more in home use.  That amplifier is a stereo unit and each cabinet contains basically a passive speaker.  This makes the Audioengine speakers more convenient, but not sonically competitive with active speakers (like Adam F5 or Emotiva Airmotiv S5).  Most powered speakers have one channel of amplification in each cabinet, so each are fed power and signal (and typically individual volume controls).

[Dan Driscoll]

BTW have you ever heard of a single speaker bought for home audio use (since the days of monophonic, other than after an "accident")?

Yes. When I was stationed in West Germany (early '80's) there were some guys buying 2 different brand or model speakers to make a mixed stereo 'pair'. Generally one had very good bass response and the other had really good mid-range and HF response.  It was a fad that I assume died out, but for at least 5 years it was not an uncommon configuration in Army barracks.