Should I keep my KRK 6 G2 + KRK10S or use Gaming PC Speakers?

arachn1d

Gawd
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Jan 7, 2005
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I dabbled in music production two years ago. I bought KRK 6's, KRK 10 Sub, and a soundcard for around $900-1k for all.

I've maybe used the system about 10 hours since then. Unfortunately I didn't realize producing music was more than a full-time job so I simply haven't had time to use my "studio" that I built.

Anyway, I'm thinking of either selling that setup for what I can get (maybe $650ish?) or just using it.

My concern with using it as that I've been told that Studio Monitors aren't good for multimedia and gaming.

I was thinking about getting these: http://www.corsair.com/pc-computer-...-sp2500-high-power-2-1-pc-speaker-system.html

However if I already have a way better setup then I'll just use the monitors I already have. In order to use it for my gaming pc area I'd have to put them on a shelf as well. Is it safe to put monitors on a shelf? Hopefully I can otherwise it just won't fit on my desk. I'd need to find some strong shelves too because they're rather heavy.
 
My concern with using it as that I've been told that Studio Monitors aren't good for multimedia and gaming.

Don't listen to the person who told you that. Studio speakers work very well for gaming/computer use.

I would 10x rather keep a KRK speaker setup and deal with the space requirements / footprint rather than switching to the Corsair setup.

First, the resell value is probably only 60% of the price you paid for the KRK speakers. Now you're talking saving roughly $600-$250 (tax) = $350. .... if you can find a buyer for the KRK speakers.

Second, the KRK speakers are 10x superior to the Corsair set. I've never heard the Corsair set, but I've heard KRK speakers. So now you need to decide if you can tolerate the space requirements for the KRK speakers.

They have bookshelf speaker stands for $30. A shelf is nice, but optimal placement is on your desk. I use a fancy $50 plastic folding table that I bought from Lowes. I have my receiver, bookshelf speakers and 27" LCD. It's not pretty, but it gives me 6 feet of space.
 
To be clear, it's not even a fair comparison and a disgrace to think that the $250 pair of Corsair speakers can even compete with the KRK setup you have. You will be sorely disappointed if you sell it and then buy the Corsair speakers.
 
Yeah keep them. They make for a very nice pc gaming setup. Unless you want to go 5.1 which is a different ball of wax.
 
Don't listen to the person who told you that. Studio speakers work very well for gaming/computer use.

I would 10x rather keep a KRK speaker setup and deal with the space requirements / footprint rather than switching to the Corsair setup.

First, the resell value is probably only 60% of the price you paid for the KRK speakers. Now you're talking saving roughly $600-$250 (tax) = $350. .... if you can find a buyer for the KRK speakers.

Second, the KRK speakers are 10x superior to the Corsair set. I've never heard the Corsair set, but I've heard KRK speakers. So now you need to decide if you can tolerate the space requirements for the KRK speakers.

They have bookshelf speaker stands for $30. A shelf is nice, but optimal placement is on your desk. I use a fancy $50 plastic folding table that I bought from Lowes. I have my receiver, bookshelf speakers and 27" LCD. It's not pretty, but it gives me 6 feet of space.
You guys rock. Thanks.
 
KRKs rule. If you have them, stick with them. Have to spend a good bit of coin to get better speakers.
 
Yeah I'd absolutely stick with them, they'd blow the Corsairs out of the water without even trying. I wouldn't necessarily say optimal placement is on your desk tho, as someone suggested, since sound can bounce off the desk (not to mention you'll feel them if it's a relatively flimsy desk), and they'd be below ear level...

A strong shelf might actually not be too bad with those monitors since they're front ported, you still don't want them flush against a wall but you won't need as much clearance as with many (ironically labeled) bookshelf speakers that are rear ported. Just make sure you end up with the tweeters around ear level.

You can get some pretty solid floor stands for $70-90 at Crutchfield tho (that's per pair, shipped), if the shelf mounting gets complicated or expensive. If you decide to put them on your desk just elevate them a bit and isolate them from the desk in the process, a stack of textbooks works as well as anything.
 
If you're looking for space and want a little more convenience try the Swan M50Ws. I had rp6s before this. For critical listening I use headphones anyway.

Good luck!
 
Well guys, I got set it up at home today. Migration complete. Good choice. Unfortunately there's no way I can use my eyefinity setup so I opted to use my 30" monitor. Oh well. Do you guys see any way mounting it on an upper shelf to continue to use eyefinity? If not then I guess I'm just back to 30" gaming!

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I've been using monitors for almost 10 years now on my setup for gaming and multimedia use.
Soundstage imaging in games is incredible.
desk-2011.jpg
 
Nice desk Zepher.

@arachn1d You could place them horizontally on a strong shelf above your displays, and angle them down a bit with those same mopads you're already using. Tweeters on the outer sides, since they're front ported it should work alright, as I mentioned earlier. That or stands, that desk looks small for EF regardless.
 
You would be INSANE to think you could match the sq and general performance of your rokits with a consumer pc speaker setup. I want to both laugh and cry at you.

Get you a good sound card. No, a GOOD sound card. use the XLR's not any other connection and play you some FLAC's. If you can hear the quality then it doesn't matter what you buy or use as it seems to me sound goes in one ear and out the other.

I have G2 8 rokits and the KRK 12' and im more than pleased
 
You would be INSANE to think you could match the sq and general performance of your rokits with a consumer pc speaker setup. I want to both laugh and cry at you.

Hey don't hate on him, there's a lot of bullshit out on the net and it isn't labeled as such. There really are many people who will tell you that only certain kinds of speakers work for certain things. They'll tell you that studio monitors aren't suitable for anything but studios because they sound too "harsh" or some other such BS. Hell I've seen people say you have to use computer speakers with computers, they won't talk to anything else.

I've seen the opposite too, people who say you can't use home theater/audiophile speakers for audio work. Only studio monitors are neutral enough, etc, etc. Of course if we go and look at EMI Abbey Road what do we see in their mastering rooms but B&W 800D speakers.

So it is easy to see how he'd get confused.
 
Yeah. All I read what that Studio monitors are only meant for mixing because they are "flat."

Then I read that means it doesn't sound good for games because they need a lot of "coloring" to sound good.


Anyway, I love the setup so far. It sounds great. I have a great soundcard. I have a Focusrite Pro 24. I built this setup for a studio when I was getting into producing two years ago. I just never got to bite into the hobby due to work. So now I'll just enjoy it for my gaming environment.

Thanks all.

P.s, anyone know why the mopads have one pad that's higher than the other? (the thing that slips in to make it not angled came in different heights so it's uneven.)
 
Yeah. All I read what that Studio monitors are only meant for mixing because they are "flat."

Then I read that means it doesn't sound good for games because they need a lot of "coloring" to sound good.


Anyway, I love the setup so far. It sounds great. I have a great soundcard. I have a Focusrite Pro 24. I built this setup for a studio when I was getting into producing two years ago. I just never got to bite into the hobby due to work. So now I'll just enjoy it for my gaming environment.

Rokkits aren't exactly the most flat speaker anyway. If you were using ADAM S3A, Dynaudio, Genelec or something similar, you may run into the problem of something being poorly tracked and sounding out of phase or hyped in the mix. But as it stands, although you can learn to mix on those speakers, I meant what I said -- they're really good multimedia speakers. Audio engineers don't track things to be played on colored speakers, they track things to be played on anything so nothing stands out. A lot of them, do final checks on their car stereos, and their notebook speakers (or alarm clock) before the final mastering process.
 
Yeah. All I read what that Studio monitors are only meant for mixing because they are "flat."

Then I read that means it doesn't sound good for games because they need a lot of "coloring" to sound good.

Mostly just bullshit. The only kernel of truth is that games often have somewhat low quality compressed audio and you can get some nasty high frequency artifacts in there. Well poor quality speakers won't reproduce those so you won't notice them, but good ones will. However the answer isn't to get worse speakers, just to get an EQ and adjust it, if that kind of thing bothers you. In the case of the Rokit 8s the including HF attenuation will normally do the trick. If the speakers are too "bright" or "harsh" for a given kind of material just knock the HF down by 2dB and that should do the trick.

The funny thing about the BS is that in high end home theater, it is all about having an uncoloured signal matched as precisely as possible to an X-curve. You treat the room to reduce reflections and cure room modes, and use something like Audyssey MultEQ to correct any remaining errors.

P.s, anyone know why the mopads have one pad that's higher than the other? (the thing that slips in to make it not angled came in different heights so it's uneven.)

Sounds like a manufacturing defect. E-mail Auralex and complain, I dunno if they'll do anything but it can't hurt.
 
Anyway, I love the setup so far. It sounds great.

How's the krk10s subwoofer working out? I just recently saw one on Craigslist in my area for a good price and was considering buying it. I was thinking that being a studio sub, it might just offer tighter control and accuracy compared most home theater oriented subs. Since my own use for it would be nearfield, it might just be an interesting subwoofer option for me. Especially at the price I saw.
 
i have an ASUS STX connected to a pair of M-audio Bx5a deluxes using XLR to RCA cables from monoprice. This sounds fucking awesome for what i paid. The sound is extremely detailed and is very very loud. i only have the volumen on the m-audios half way. i use my keyboard for volume control with my stx. This setup works awesome. I would never go back to pc speakers ever !!. I have owned logitech 5.1 5500 or whatever and these blow those tiny satelite speakrs and subwoofer. I don't really miss the sub. the 5" woofer on the m-audio puts out some good bass. I think if i were to upgrade it would be to 8" monitor speakers probably a pair of mackies. Look for deals at your local guitar center or music shop sometimes you can score big on closeouts or clearance sales i did. I suggest against getting any kind of "pc speakers" get either monitors or a nice AV stereo 2.1 or 3.1 setup
or go 5.1 or 7.1 if your into surround sound. but on the pc i feel high quality stereo is where it is at.
 
Where are you putting your feet?

You can move the speakers onto mounts, stands or shelves on the wall and put the sub in the corner.
 
How's the krk10s subwoofer working out? I just recently saw one on Craigslist in my area for a good price and was considering buying it. I was thinking that being a studio sub, it might just offer tighter control and accuracy compared most home theater oriented subs. Since my own use for it would be nearfield, it might just be an interesting subwoofer option for me. Especially at the price I saw.

I leave them at a very low volume because they're so insanely powerful. I hope I move into a house soon so I can utilize them properly. I love how they sound and the depth they bring to my soundscape.

Where are you putting your feet?

You can move the speakers onto mounts, stands or shelves on the wall and put the sub in the corner.

I should do this. I rest my foot on top of the sub or the NAS right now. Or I sit lotus on my chair. :) I will probably move it though.
 
I should do this. I rest my foot on top of the sub or the NAS right now. Or I sit lotus on my chair. :) I will probably move it though.

Subwoofers can be placed pretty much anywhere you like in the room. Those low frequencies are very non-directional (often longer than the room itself) so sub location doesn't much matter. It can matter with regards to room modes and frequency gain and all that, but it isn't like you need close to you or in between the speakers or anything. Just avoid half or a quarter way along a wall (1/3rd of the way is fine and even recommended) and you are good in general. Corners work fine and lead to the loudest bass, though not the most flat.

No reason to keep it at your feet, unless you like it there.
 
Rokits are a near field monitor which in simple terms means you can basically place them anywhere you want. You don't need to worry about placement,echo, calibration, etc. Near field is a tool for the professional studio that recreates what the listener might be hearing in the bedroom, kitchen, garage, patio, car, etc and from there, you master your track. So yes, please do use them like any other speaker.

Also, a money saving trick. Don't buy those fancy isolation pads. Nearly all professional studio monitor stands come with isolation foam / rubber non-slip isolation padding. This saves you $40 - $50 dollars. My G2 8's take up too much room on my desk. If you have the smaller 5's or 6's, you might have the room and thus, need the pads.

Guitar World carries a set of stands that are $99 a pair and extremely well built and heavy. They are a wood composite, flat black and have built in isolation pads. You can even fill them with sand. Yes, they are designed to be filled with sand.

Your sub can be used anywhere you want. In fact, you really don't need a professional sub. You just need one that can handle lows. Most consumer subs lose their accuracy very easily. But, there are low cost consumer solutions out there that do work if you know what you are looking for. Most sound cards have a dedicated sub out and this is all most of you guys, including myself will need.
 
I got some Auralexs for $20. Use em on both satellites and the sub. They bring the music up and away from the desk/floor. Completely worth the $ IMO.
 
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