[pslate]

1/2 active the Soundfeild Monitor 1 is pretty incredible, also Soundfeild 2. I have both but the 2 is not active. The m1's do things that no other speaker it's size can do, big claim but if you have heard one you know what I mean. I like it a lot better than the LS50, not even close for me personally. These are the only speakers to get me off the merry go round about three years and counting. Soundfeild 2 is more transparent but a little less forgiving, still no where near a lot of hifi issues that some speakers have. M1's are just set and forget sound great with any darn thing you can think of. This is off topic my apologies, just needed to give these a shout out. I don't even have a good spot for my m2s to live now, and have Ascends and other monitors in storage too. Who else has a monitor storage problem 

[maty]

[Review] Fostex PM0.5d Active Loudspeakers

-> http://hifipig.com/fostex-pm0-5d-active-loudspeakers/

[maty]

EVE audio SC205

-> http://www.eve-audio.com/index.php?page=SC205

-> http://www.thomann.de/gb/eve_audio_sc205.htm

-> -> http://www.thomann.de/gb/eve_audio_sc205_reviews.htm

[maty]

Eve SC205 2-Way 5" Monitor - Review

-> http://www.pro-tools-expert.com/home-page/2014/7/22/eve-sc205-2-way-5-monitor-review.html

[Russell Dawkins]

Here's a recommendation from the far left field: the APS Klasik from Poland. Nothing but very positive reviews so far, but the reviews are a little hard to find. They look conventional, but are not supplied with grill cloths. They sell for around €905 including tax and are flat ±3dB from 35Hz to 22 kHz.
I was offered them to try for $1270 USD ($1600 CAD) including shipping.

Comparisons in various reviews suggest they rank up there with the very best—beyond the likes of KEF, Focal, Eve, Adam, Dynaudio and Neumann. I have seen specific comparisons with Neumann KH 120s and KH310s.

I am very tempted. The background of the designers is impeccable, but I hate to buy before hearing. It is often said in reviews that they compare with the very best monitors, such as those selling for more than twice the price. There has been a lot of good stuff coming out of Poland recently.

Here's one of many mentions on Gearslutz:
https://www.gearslutz.com/board/product-alerts-older-than-2-months/986444-new-aps-monitors-klasik.html

and a review from the same source: https://www.gearslutz.com/board/11831517-post1.html

...and the only review I've seen with a frequency response. It appears to be only 10dB down by 20 Hz! The graph doesn't show in the Google translation, so here's the German version:  http://www.soundandrecording.de/equipment/aps-klasik-nahfeldmonitor-im-test/

[Mortsnets]

I like the Serene Talisman, Tannoy Reveal 402 and the discontinued NHT M00 and Quad 9L

[markie]

+1 for aesthetics, budget, and overall sonic character match.

Heard the Transparent One briefly at Axpona 2015, well featured, but note it is powered - not active.

I don't understand how the Vanatoo is not considered active as well, since it has a built in DSP ?

[srb]

I don't understand how the Vanatoo is not considered active as well, since it has a built in DSP ?

It may have DSP for equalization and compensation, but it doesn't have an electronic crossover between the drivers with separate amplifiers for each driver.  It still uses a passive crossover between the drivers regardless of any signal manipulation in the digital realm.

Steve

[maty]

Interesting reading:

-> http://www.sereneaudio.com/drivers

[JLM]

Here's a recommendation from the far left field: the APS Klasik from Poland. Nothing but very positive reviews so far, but the reviews are a little hard to find. They look conventional, but are not supplied with grill cloths. They sell for around €905 including tax and are flat ±3dB from 35Hz to 22 kHz.
I was offered them to try for $1270 USD ($1600 CAD) including shipping.

Comparisons in various reviews suggest they rank up there with the very best—beyond the likes of KEF, Focal, Eve, Adam, Dynaudio and Neumann. I have seen specific comparisons with Neumann KH 120s and KH310s.

I am very tempted. The background of the designers is impeccable, but I hate to buy before hearing. It is often said in reviews that they compare with the very best monitors, such as those selling for more than twice the price. There has been a lot of good stuff coming out of Poland recently.

Here's one of many mentions on Gearslutz:
https://www.gearslutz.com/board/product-alerts-older-than-2-months/986444-new-aps-monitors-klasik.html

and a review from the same source: https://www.gearslutz.com/board/11831517-post1.html

...and the only review I've seen with a frequency response. It appears to be only 10dB down by 20 Hz! The graph doesn't show in the Google translation, so here's the German version:  http://www.soundandrecording.de/equipment/aps-klasik-nahfeldmonitor-im-test/

My interest has been peaked with the APS Coax speaker, a sealed coaxial design with the electronics in their own chamber (about $1500 USD/pair) based on encouraging review from Sound on Sound.

[Russell Dawkins]

My interest has been peaked with the APS Coax speaker, a sealed coaxial design with the electronics in their own chamber (about $1500 USD/pair) based on encouraging review from Sound on Sound.

Apparently it's the Seas coax and was actually preferred to the Klasik in a comparison, but only with the fairly expensive APS sub. Maybe it is fair to assume that a sub is needed with this, but apparently the Coax does sound good.

[eclein]

JBL LSR305 or LSR308.  Crazy good.

......they get my vote!

[Sonico]

So many options! And I'm sure there are a lot more...
Thank you everybody for the suggestions.
I don't know what will he prefer, but all your answers are helpful.

[Hogg]

Don't forget ATC and Genelec.  The ATC SCM-7 may fill the bill nicely.  Expensive but worth it.

                                                               Jim

[Cacophonix]

Have you checked out the emotiva stealth 6 or 8? Crazy good for the money.

[JLM]

If you're really interested in studio monitors (designed for near-field work, to reveal all the warts with tendencies towards dry/un-involving sound) vs. consumer audio speakers (designed for in-room enjoyment - emotional connection) recommend you go to Sound on Sound for lots of equipment reviews.

[Russell Dawkins]

If you're really interested in studio monitors (designed for near-field work, to reveal all the warts with tendencies towards dry/un-involving sound) vs. consumer audio speakers (designed for in-room enjoyment - emotional connection) recommend you go to Sound on Sound for lots of equipment reviews.

I should add that the best (not to say the most expensive) of the current crop of studio monitors can be deeply emotionally involving, but only with well produced recordings. With inferior recordings, they can be boring, undynamic, tonally weird or any one of a number of other flaws. That is what the mixing engineer needs to hear though. Consumer speakers tend more to having a character of their own which is overlaid on the recording. This, as often as not, follows a 'euphonic' pattern of a little general bass and treble lift (or a 'BBC dip') coupled with a slow rise time in the mid frequencies and settling time in the bass frequencies.

The passive (and that alone is unusual these days) Amphion series—the One12, One15, One18, Two15 and Two18—are representative of this new breed of monitor in that they are revealing and colourless, which makes them effective tools for the mixing engineer, in that they tell him/her where the problem is and when it is fixed. This enables quick, effective corrections and fewer hours spent not only on the mix process, but the re-mix process in response to the sound of the mix on other speakers.

The term coined to describe all this is "beautifully revealing" as opposed to "brutally revealing" which used to be used to describe what was thought to be needed in a studio monitor.

[JLM]

Thanks Russell for that elaboration.

By the way, just what are best current studio monitors in your opinion?

[Russell Dawkins]

Thanks Russell for that elaboration.

By the way, just what are best current studio monitors in your opinion?

If I had to commit before listening, today I would choose one of the Amphions, based on numberless positive reviews by very high end pros with massive collective experience. Being contradictory and independent by nature though, and ready to believe there are as-yet-undiscovered gems out there, often from far flung parts of the globe and un-connected to the marketing mainstream despite their real qualities, I find myself fascinated by the new, affordable, (by their standards) KS Digital D series, particularly the D-606 and D-808. Also, the APS series, unknown by me until a few months ago.
Other generally-agreed-to-be-outstanding monitors must include the entire Geithain series, especially the larger ones with their cardioid bass characteristic. Also at higher price points are the Grimm Audio LS-1 and the Kii Three, both Bruno Putzeys' designs.

I fear we have traveled far enough off the road to answering the original question, though! The Dalis mentioned in the original post might be the best bet for this application.

[jpm]

I had a pair of Quad 12L Actives for a long time. The intention was to use them attached to my computer but I was never able to get the setup quite right. The biggest problem was that they were hyper sensitive to noise and were never really happy with a computer source.  Then there was the crap in the household circuits which I could only mitigate by using cheater plugs and no ground pin. When they were doing their thing as god intended, the sound was beautiful, lush and engaging.

KEF X300As replaced the Quads on my computer and while they don't provide the same buxom comforting sound of the Quad's, the mesmerizing holographic quality of KEF's UniQ drivers still makes my jaw drop. As previously noted, it's important to understand that you won't be using a sub-woofer with the X300As unless your an avid electronics hobbyist and don't mind tinkering with the gubbins inside each speaker (in theory, a tap into the woofers amplified signal and speaker to line level adapter would do the trick).

While trying to solve the noise issues with the Quads I tried an Audioengine A2 + sub woofer setup. I realize I'm in distinct minority, but I found them to be severely overrated and not deserving of any special praise at all.

If the OP has places in the region where it's possible to audition the target equipment, that's amazing and very fortunate. Around my way, we only seem to have dealers that sell equipment priced in the "grounds for divorce" range. It's been a very very long time since I heard anything before I bought it. Worse still, for the life of me I fail to comprehend why so many outfits ignore emails. I have a sizeable list of dealers and vendors who've never replied to my email inquiries and the trend is only worsening.