Studio Monitors $1,000?

[audio-]

looking for some help regarding the choices that are available for active near field monitors in the $1,000 +/- range to fit into the picture below (those pictured are currently a pair of Yamaha MSP3s)

if anyone has any recommendations / advice to share, that would be most welcoming...



(is this the right section? apologies if I messed up)

 

[westrock2000]

If you wanted something more "hi fi" you could look at Paradigm Active 40's (or 20's). They are older though. But solid designs, and good 'ol fashioned class B amplification. But you really can't find them for sale.

I just don't think I would spend that kind of money for such a small space. I don't think it would be representational of how people listen (or maybe they do now-a-days).

 

[pippenainteasy]

Do you already have a DAC? If you dont you might want to consider something with a DAC built-in like the Kef X300A.

 

[B00nie]

If you're looking to improve your sound you need new monitors AND acoustic room treatment. Those hard flat walls (and a corner position) do you no favours.

 

[pippenainteasy]

Also worth mentioning if you stay with your current setup you might wan to flip your current speakers upside down to bring the tweeters down to ear level, as high frequencies beam in a straight line. It might also reduce reflections/diffraction effects of the woofer with the stand.

 

[HeavensCloud]

Also worth mentioning if you stay with your current setup you might wan to flip your current speakers upside down to bring the tweeters down to ear level, as high frequencies beam in a straight line. It might also reduce reflections/diffraction effects of the woofer with the stand.

Unless he's 6'6"+ aren't those stands a bit tall for desktop use anyways? I use full size bookshelf speakers on my standard height desk and the tweeters are right at ear level.

 

[Reimu]

Got a question. Do we aim to have our ear level inbetween the tweeter and the woofer at level or is it ok to tilt the monitors at an angle to achieve the same effect? Asking because placement is somewhat restrictive if we have to have stands. It's not really good to hang the speaker from the wall and all, so I am wondering about ideal placement.

 

[HeavensCloud]

Do we aim to have our ear level inbetween the tweeter and the woofer at level or is it ok to tilt the monitors at an angle to achieve the same effect?

Yea that's fine, that's why they make wedges.

 

[B00nie]

If you're looking for a professional quality studio monitor (as you should as it looks like you're producing music) look into Genelec. The M040 and a few other models fit in your price range.

http://www.genelec.com/studio-monitors

The SAM models enable digital room correction but are a bit pricey.

 

[audio-]

Thanks for the input, I went for these in the end...

Yamaha HS8

 

[audio-]

Do you already have a DAC? If you dont you might want to consider something with a DAC built-in like the Kef X300A.

Yes there is a Digital to Analogue Converter, the white box on the left is a ZOOM R24 that I use as an automation tool / sound card

 

[audio-]

Unless he's 6'6"+ aren't those stands a bit tall for desktop use anyways? I use full size bookshelf speakers on my standard height desk and the tweeters are right at ear level.

hahaha : P I think you need to take into account the prospective view of that photograph. My ears are in direct line with the tweeters, I'm 5'10"

 

[audio-]

If you're looking to improve your sound you need new monitors AND acoustic room treatment. Those hard flat walls (and a corner position) do you no favours.

yeah, that's not going to happen any time soon, nor is it likely to happen for 98% of the members on this forum I'd hazard a guess. In an ideal world we would all be sitting here:

or something along those lines anyway.

 

[B00nie]

yeah, that's not going to happen any time soon, nor is it likely to happen for 98% of the members on this forum I'd hazard a guess. In an ideal world we would all be sitting here:

or something along those lines anyway.

Not really. You can make a regular looking room treated.

 

[audio-]

Not really. You can make a regular looking room treated.

go on...

 

[audio-]

I mean, I say 'go on' because opinions seem conflicting...

here are two screen shots from two audio engineer web sites

 

[pippenainteasy]

I think what the second one is saying is if you have a 4 inch thick acoustic panel you can get away with putting the speakers close to the wall

 

[B00nie]

I think what the second one is saying is if you have a 4 inch thick acoustic panel you can get away with putting the speakers close to the wall

A listening room and a control studio have totally different requirements. Besides a room can look normal with 4" acoustic panels, it'll be just 8" narrower. You don't do just absorption, you need diffusion also (mainly on front and back walls). Correctly done nobody will even know there's any acoustic treatment. They look just like normal walls.

A 4" absorber can't absorb low frequencies so if you would pane your room with it, you'd end up with a muffled and horrible sounding space where bass and mids overpower the highs. This is the most common mistake when amateurs design acoustic treatments. Some acoustic panels include a membrane built in, this serves two purposes: It extends the absorption to lower frequencies and it deflects highs so that highs are not absorbed too much.

You need to measure the rooms problems, then address them smartly. For bass above 80hz you need diaphragmatic or helmholz absorbers or several feet of foam/wool. For bass below 80hz you just need to add 2-3 subwoofers and calculate their positions to get a flat response. It's counter intuitive but adding more subs to correct positions actually fix all sorts of problems starting with long reverbation to impulse response.

 

[rezerekted]

Also worth mentioning if you stay with your current setup you might wan to flip your current speakers upside down to bring the tweeters down to ear level, as high frequencies beam in a straight line. It might also reduce reflections/diffraction effects of the woofer with the stand.

I tried that because that is what that Z guy on youtube does with his speakers but I didn't like it because I don't like the tweeters going straight into my ears when the speakers are so close on a desk. I find it a bit piercing and prefer the tweeters above my ears.

 

[rezerekted]

I mean, I say 'go on' because opinions seem conflicting...

here are two screen shots from two audio engineer web sites

This actually depends on the speaker design, if a sealed or front ported speaker then it can be close to the wall, if a rear ported speaker than it should be out from the wall a two or three feet. My computer speakers are Paradigm Titan which are front ported and there is only about 1.5 inches between the back of the speaker and the wall. This is fine for that speaker design.

 

[B00nie]

I tried that because that is what that Z guy on youtube does with his speakers but I didn't like it because I don't like the tweeters going straight into my ears when the speakers are so close on a desk. I find it a bit piercing and prefer the tweeters above my ears.

This would indicate problems with the speakers. If they're not built for near field monitoring you may end up with a jilted frequency response on off angles. Sounds like your midbass was getting too directive off-angle.