After half a year of ownership, I've determined my M-Audio AV30's are simply not meeting my needs. The midrange is richer and more accurate than any multimedia/computer speaker set I owned in the past, but something still isn't quite right.
Basically, the AV30/AV40 sound is too "sterile" or "dead" for my tastes. Drums/cymbals just don't sound crisp or lively at all. It's like music is trapped within the speakers themselves, and is not being projected forward to my ears. That probably sounds ridiculously stupid, but I can't think of any better way to describe it. I hate to invoke audiophile terms I don't really understand, but I'd say the "soundstage" is focused too much in front of me, whereas I want it to be centered on me. I have them set up as the manual recommends, about 3 ft. apart and facing 30° inward, and I'm sitting 2-3 ft. in front of them with the tweeters at ear-level.
So now I'm looking for replacements, but I want to stick with a 2.0 setup. My highest priority is to find a set that sound more "forward" and lively. Just to be clear, lack of bass isn't my problem with the AV30; it's just the subjective character and soundstage of the mids/highs. If anything, I'd sacrifice bass to get better mids and highs, if I must.
I care exclusively about music -- specifically, modern rock/alternative/progressive type stuff. I game and watch movies from time to time, but couldn't care less about wall-shaking bass when I do. I don't plan on mixing my own music on these, either. Oh, and I'll be using them on my desk and sitting just a couple feet in front of them, so they don't need to sound good from across a room.
I'd really like to hear people's subjective descriptions of the sound put out by various popular 2.0 bookshelf and monitor sets, especially relative to one another. I see a lot of brands recommended here -- Polk, Energy, KRK, Mackie, etc. -- but rarely does anyone compare and contrast how they differ from one another. I'd love to find a store that lets me try them out myself, but unfortunately I don't have that option, living where I do.
I'm open to both active and passive options -- although if I go the passive route, I'm not sure whether to get (a) a receiver, or (b) a USB DAC + T-amp. Budget is around $250-300 total, so for passive options, I'd prefer the speakers themselves to be in the $150 range.
Basically, the AV30/AV40 sound is too "sterile" or "dead" for my tastes. Drums/cymbals just don't sound crisp or lively at all. It's like music is trapped within the speakers themselves, and is not being projected forward to my ears. That probably sounds ridiculously stupid, but I can't think of any better way to describe it. I hate to invoke audiophile terms I don't really understand, but I'd say the "soundstage" is focused too much in front of me, whereas I want it to be centered on me. I have them set up as the manual recommends, about 3 ft. apart and facing 30° inward, and I'm sitting 2-3 ft. in front of them with the tweeters at ear-level.
So now I'm looking for replacements, but I want to stick with a 2.0 setup. My highest priority is to find a set that sound more "forward" and lively. Just to be clear, lack of bass isn't my problem with the AV30; it's just the subjective character and soundstage of the mids/highs. If anything, I'd sacrifice bass to get better mids and highs, if I must.
I care exclusively about music -- specifically, modern rock/alternative/progressive type stuff. I game and watch movies from time to time, but couldn't care less about wall-shaking bass when I do. I don't plan on mixing my own music on these, either. Oh, and I'll be using them on my desk and sitting just a couple feet in front of them, so they don't need to sound good from across a room.
I'd really like to hear people's subjective descriptions of the sound put out by various popular 2.0 bookshelf and monitor sets, especially relative to one another. I see a lot of brands recommended here -- Polk, Energy, KRK, Mackie, etc. -- but rarely does anyone compare and contrast how they differ from one another. I'd love to find a store that lets me try them out myself, but unfortunately I don't have that option, living where I do.
I'm open to both active and passive options -- although if I go the passive route, I'm not sure whether to get (a) a receiver, or (b) a USB DAC + T-amp. Budget is around $250-300 total, so for passive options, I'd prefer the speakers themselves to be in the $150 range.