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Need advice on 2.0 system

F

forgot2yield28

n00b
Joined
Aug 26, 2009
Messages
5
Hello all, lurked [h]ere for a while, but first time posting, hoping to gain from your vast array of knowledge.

I've recently moved into a new apartment for grad school. An apartment featuring very tiny bedrooms. My old setup consisted of a 10 year old sony ES receiver, insignia b2111 fronts, el cheapo back sats, and a 10 year old HSU VTF sub. This setup was fantastic for my needs. Highs were crisp, mids were present, and the bass from the HSU was delightful. The insignia fronts were not really made for near field listening the way I was using them (simply placed on the desk top) however. When I finally got a chance to listen to them properly positioned, the imaging was impressive. This setup has since moved into the living room, as I need something more compact for my bedroom. I primarily listen to music, most of that in the form of >256kbps mp3's. I also do a fair bit of movie watching. I don't do much gaming, so it doesn't factor at all into my decision.


Basically, I need something that doesn't have the footprint of two large-ish bookshelves, a receiver, and a sub. Presence of mids, accurate highs and lows, and a good sound stage are important to me...extension of lows aren't as important, as I know I'd need another dedicated sub to recreate the lows I'm used to from my HSU. I'd rather have the low notes that are reproduced be accurate and musical. Also, whatever I get will be placed on my desk, so near field listening is important. I've been looking into powered monitors; the Behringer MS-40 and Swan M200MkII intrigue me. The Swan M10s are also a candidate. They feature a separate bass module, but with a 5" woofer, I'm wondering how much air it's actually capable of moving. Budget is 150-200ish, but I'd be interested in hearing suggestions above or below this range too.

Additionally, I have an old Creek stereo amplifier sitting around. If there's a good pair of bookshelves a little smaller than my old insignias someone knows of, there's a chance I'd be willing to make room for the amp on my desk too. Come to think of it, I'm wondering how the powered systems I mentioned stack up against the passive Insignias.

Any insight would be appreciated!
 
If you can afford the M200MKIII's, go for it, if not grab the MKII's and don't look back.

Pick up a S/PDIF DAC while your at it.
 
Any advice on a DAC? I like running sound through the s/pdif outs on the computer, as I'm sure the motherboard's on board DAC is less than stellar. The Behringers have s/pdif inputs build in; can anyone weigh in on their onboard DAC, or their overall sound? It'd be nice to have one less component to buy.

Also, where does one go to audition lower priced studio monitors like these?
 
IIRC, the Behringers onboard DAC was reviewed to be less than stellar. Might want to get a second opinion though. As for a DAC, I LOVE my Fubar II.

Auditions can be done at alot of music stores like Guitar Center and Sam Ash. Hell, even the Best Buy near me has a new music section with alot of M-Audio and Mackie monitors.
 
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