[DaveC113]

My friend is going to buy powered monitors. Bass extension and dynamics are probably at the top of the list for him, he's a dj. The monitors are for home use both to listen to music and mixing. Medium to high end is probably the way he'll go, so recommendations starting at $1k or so new and higher would be appreciated, unless theres a standout good value priced a bit less. Thanks for the help!

Dave

[bpape]

Good powered monitors are going to be tough to find in that price range.  The only 2 I personally know of that would work in the studio and I'd want to listen to for home audio would be Dynaudio BM-6A's (1500/pr) and Adam A-7's ($999/pr).  Of the 2, I prefer the Dyns.

The Dynaudio BM-5A will also come in right around $1k I think.

Bryan

[DaveC113]

Thanks!   

... over $1k is fine too, maybe up to $2500 max.

Dave

[bpape]

Well, a bit over the $2500 you can get into the Barefoot MicroMain27 (like $1k over at a discounted price...)

If he's really looking for more 'monitor' than 2 channel, he might also want to look at the Genelec's

Bryan

[spence]

If you look around (Gearslutz.com for instance) you can find a used pair of Focal Twin 6BE's for around $2400. I just sold a pair there. I still have a pair in my home studio. The Solo 6's aren't too shabby either. I looked at the Barefoot's, but couldn't find any used and couldn't afford the $6500 for a new pair. 

[refmedia]

Fostex powered monitors are way way above average for the price! Most important quality in a studio monitor is to know them well and the best way to do that is to have ones you enjoy listening too

[Russell Dawkins]

they need to be powered, eh? (I'm Canadian).

I ask because D.A.S. is a little known company making some very decent monitors, but which require a sub for bass extension. None are powered. I think KRK make decent powered monitors, but you will never get real extension in anything powered and affordable without an auxiliary sub, and subs can be tricky if not impossible to mate properly with most small speakers.

An exception for me was the Timepiece 2.1 by SP Tech which was very easy, so maybe the mini Timepiece would be similarly easy to mate with a sub.

I would go with quality in the speaker first, even if it meant making temporary compromises with the amps and sub.

I imagine a Timepiece mini driven by a 200 watt Art amp

http://tinyurl.com/ywr5qq

and aided by a Hsu sub would be sweet.

Or skip the sub and buy it later, so you can afford one of those Vincent amps (seriously under priced at the moment):

http://www.robertsacoustics.com/amplificationsto.html

or

http://www.audioadvisor.com/prodinfo.asp?number=VISP331

[refmedia]

D.A.S. I have used their PA speakers on a few occasions the molded ones and some touring models. I would like to hear their studio speakers I am sure they are good? Excellent PA speakers with a more refined sound than the EAW's I have used which usually require more EQ to smooth out but always have impressive output capabilities. I would compare D.A.S. to some of the more refined speakers like Meyer or L-acoustics though the latter are among the finest speakers I have ever used at any point. The Meyer HD-1s are a tried and true studio monitor that are as honest as anything and stand the test of time IMHO, though they are very expensive. I wish L-acoustics made studio monitors as their coaxial speakers sound so good they could probably be used in a studio, seriously?
 aa

[fly_fish_nz]

Blue Sky System One: integrated powered monitors and sub - incredibly dynamic and flat for the $$, about $900 used, $2000 new.  Take a look at Blue Sky's website for enthusiastic press.

[Russell Dawkins]

Just became aware of these - ADM9s

http://avihifi.com/index.html

The credentials of the designers seem pretty solid.

These are powered 6 1/2" two ways with @250w to the bass and 100w to the tweeters. They have USB and analog inputs. A new version has toslink and analog.

They are designed to play loud with low distortion. It is encouraging to note that the designers are well aware of the performance of ATC speakers - this is a partial quote by the designer from a different forum:


The advantage of greater headroom is not being louder but being much clearer.

I'd be more than happy to have these compared with the speakers you mention and ATC50A's because our(s) have better mid range and a far better stereo image. I've either owned or had most of the ATC models in my house over the years so know them well.

They sell for £1000/pr. I don't know if they are adaptable to 115V though.

[jimdgoulding]

Russell-  I read the HiFi Choice review (linked to the site) about these with a lot of interest.  My goodness gracious . . 250w to the mid/bass driver and 100w to the tweeter!  I own self powered MTM monitors with less that half that wattage to my drivers and can tell anyone that I'm not lacking for bass or dynamics in a mid size room.  I'm trying to imagine what these puppies are capable of.  This is half a system for very reasonable money considering.  Put a quick little tube pre in front of these and that makes a LOTTA sense.  Nice work!

[refmedia]

Just became aware of these - ADM9s

http://avihifi.com/index.html

The credentials of the designers seem pretty solid.

These are powered 6 1/2" two ways with @250w to the bass and 100w to the tweeters. They have USB and analog inputs. A new version has toslink and analog.

They are designed to play loud with low distortion. It is encouraging to note that the designers are well aware of the performance of ATC speakers - this is a partial quote by the designer from a different forum:


The advantage of greater headroom is not being louder but being much clearer.

I'd be more than happy to have these compared with the speakers you mention and ATC50A's because our(s) have better mid range and a far better stereo image. I've either owned or had most of the ATC models in my house over the years so know them well.

They sell for £1000/pr. I don't know if they are adaptable to 115V though.

Great find and good point by the designer about head room too. Another advantage to head room in a studio environment is the ability to listen to a recorded sound at volume before any processing is applied. Put another way a monitor with good head room is required to really hear a low level sounds prior to applying dynamics or EQ. So many recorded sounds are not that high level especially in the digital domain compared to finished recordings on CD for example. This becomes an issue too when mixing multiple sounds together as all the sounds can't be at high level and fit into two channels of a stereo mix bus.

[Daygloworange]

Ian Gillan from Deep Purple's famous quote was  "Can you make everything, ....Louder?"

Cheers   

[darrenm]

Hi, I've just stumbled across this.

I own the ADM9, they are excellent, and replaced a more expensive Plinius/Dynaudio setup.

It is refreshing to see some positive comments on the design of these speakers on this forum, as there is nothing but controversy on the UK forums because traditionalists don't believe that such a modest speaker can outperform expensive separates.

The comment about the engineering is spot-on. AVI design by textbook science, not snake oil overpriced audiophile nonsense. The owner is ex-ATC and "put them on the map", if those credentials reassure you.

As well as being an excellent speaker, they incorporate many useful features, such as a world class DAC and analogue, remote-controlled volume. They are available in real wood too so are perfect for the home where a typical black monitor might not be.

[Russell Dawkins]

Turns out they do come in 115 v flavor. The sub is £750. The D/A converter in the Toslink version uses the same converter as the Benchmark, and Ashley was with ATC from 1985, resigned in 1995 to do AVI.

[darrenm]

Yep, the DAC is the Wolfson WM8740, as used in many popular CD players.

Linn's new £10k digital streamer used the newer version, WM8741, and claims it to be the best in the world.

AVI are much more honest though, and less elaborate in their pricing.

[Ashley James]

Hello all. I'm Ashley James and half owner of AVI and I'd like (without falling foul of the moderators or appearing to do a hard sell) answer any points that may help to familiarise you with ADM9s.

There are couple of mistakes that need correcting first. The power amp for the tweeter is 75 watts not 100 and the although the DAC is currently a WM8740, it will be a WM8741 as soon as they start shipping, It's a direct replacement with a reduction in out of band hash.

Please advise me if I'm out of line in this part of the Forum

[low.pfile]

Hello all. I'm Ashley James and half owner of AVI and I'd like (without falling foul of the moderators or appearing to do a hard sell) answer any points that may help to familiarise you with ADM9s.

hi ashley, though I am not a spec hound, I was curious about any frequency response numbers for the ADM9 and the sub. I looked at the website and didn't find anything. I currently am using entry level Blue Sky MediaDesks (not a competitor to the ADM9) in my office with my mac so I have an appreciation for powered monitors.

From what I read your product is a very nice package with the integrated DAC and clock. Very cool. I would love to hear them.

thanks, ed

[low.pfile]

Please advise me if I'm out of line in this part of the Forum

I think there a request for representatives to include their association with any company or publication in the footer (aka 'signature') that is set in the Profile settings.

[Ashley James]

I'm hopeless with message boards and may have failed to supply the correct information but will keep trying.

The frequency response is minus 6dB at 60Hz and plus or minus better than 2dB to about 28kHz.

Ashley