Topic: active monitors - recommendations?

[Evil Taper]

What about the Tannoy Ellipse series monitors?  I found a ridiculous deal on these bitches and am going to pick a pair up this weekend.  Low response has been a little thin on the pair I've heard previously, but the room is tuned to not bump so we'll see how they sound once I get them set up here.

[mwz]

Blue Sky International EXO - 2.1 Stereo Desktop Monitoring System with Controller

The EXO from Blue Sky International is a perfect solution for your desktop monitoring needs, particularly in a home or project studio. Each of the satellites provides a full range of audio, thanks to 3" and 1" speakers in each enclosure. The separate subwoofer has an 8" cone to provide a low-frequency experience that you can really feel. Isolation feet on the subwoofer help to reduce rumble and reflections.

A convenient desktop remote control unit allows you to control overall system volume, as well as the bass level. It has a 3.5mm input jack for connecting an iPod, CD player, or similar players, and a 3.5mm headphone output for private listening. It has XLR/TRS combo input jacks, as well as RCA jacks for accepting stereo audio signals from professional and commerical gear.


Key Features

Compact 2.1 monitoring system for home and project studios
High level of audio quality
Each satellite has 3" and 1" speakers for a full frequency response
Satellite cabinets are angled to reduce reflections and help direct audio towards your ears
Subwoofer has 8" cone for great low-frequency reproduction. Isolation feet reduce reflections and rumble
Convenient desktop control/preamp has an overall system volume control, bass level control, XLR/TRS input jacks, RCA input jacks, a 3.5mm headphone output, and a 3.5mm input for connecting an iPod or similar audio device.
Magnetically shielded for use near video monitors
Adjustable gain controls for each channel
High-quality binding post connectors on rear of subwoofer
160W of total system power

 Low Frequency Driver
   8" (203mm) Cone with 1.5" Voice Coil (Subwoofer)
Mid Frequency Driver
   3" (76mm) Neodymium Hemispherical Driver (1 Per Satellite)
High Frequency Driver
   1" (25mm) Soft Dome Neodymium Tweeter (1 Per Satellite)
LF Amplifier
   90W (Subwoofer)
HF Amplifier
   35W Per Satellite
Crossover
   Satellite Low-Frequency Crossover: 140Hz
Tweeter Crossover Frequency: 2.2kHz
Frequency Range
   Satellites: 140Hz - 20kHz (&plusmn3dB), 200Hz - 10kHz (±2dB)
Subwoofer: 20 - 200Hz (Typical), 35 - 140Hz (±6dB, Anechoic)
Maximum Sound Pressure Level (SPL)
   90dB
Connectors
   2 x XLR/TRS Combo Inputs
2 x RCA Phono Inputs
1 x 3.5mm Input
1 x 3.5mm Headphone Output
2 x Pairs of 5-Way Binding Post Connectors
1 x Remote/Preamp Connector
Input Impedance
   XLR/TRS: 60 kOhms (+0dBu), 200 kOhms (-12dBu), Balanced
RCA: 30 kOhms, Unbalanced
3.5mm: 15 kOhms, Unbalanced
Controls and Indicators
   1 x Power Switch
1 x Main Volume Control Knob
1 x Bass Level Control Knob
2 x Input Gain Switches
Shielded
   Yes
Dimensions (HxWxD)
   Subwoofer: 12 x 12 x 13" (305 x 305 x 330mm)
Satellite: 8 x 5 x 5" (203 x 127 x 127mm)
Weight
   Subwoofer: 25 lbs (11.4kg)
Satellite: 3 lbs (1.4kg)
   

[growltiger]

I just got new monitors for my home studio - my budget was also about $300-$500 dollars. Ended up going with the KRK RP-5s and I'm quite happy with them, both for casual listening and for mixing. I thought the Blue Sky's had a slight hole in the midrange and the KRKs just sounded a little cleaner to my ears. I might actually return them and spend the extra scratch for the RP6s just to get a little more bass, but I would recommend the RP5s with no hesitation.

[rokpunk]

HD-1's.

[Jamos]

HD-1's.

c'mon, you know no common man can afford a pair of HD-1's...!

I use a pair at work and they are best sounding near-field I've ever heard, but certainly could never justify spending so much on a pair of monitors. 

List price: $4050 each.

Luckily Meyer gave us ours for free.

 

[rokpunk]

HD-1's.

c'mon, you know no common man can afford a pair of HD-1's...!

I use a pair at work and they are best sounding near-field I've ever heard, but certainly could never justify spending so much on a pair of monitors. 

List price: $4050 each.

Luckily Meyer gave us ours for free.

 

In the grand sceme of studio equipment, $8k for a pair of monitors isn't THAT bad.....
And damn they do sound good!

[Brian]

i've got a pair of KRK V6's and there are nice and punchy.  saving up to add a sub in the future.  my only beef with them is, IME, that they need a really clean supply of power or you'll get a low volume ground buzz. (octaves of 60Hz)

Tannoy's are nice. And the Events are decent as well.  What about some smaller Genelecs? that might be out of your budget tho. 

[MattH]

HD-1's.

c'mon, you know no common man can afford a pair of HD-1's...!

I use a pair at work and they are best sounding near-field I've ever heard, but certainly could never justify spending so much on a pair of monitors. 

List price: $4050 each.

Luckily Meyer gave us ours for free.

 

In the grand sceme of studio equipment, $8k for a pair of monitors isn't THAT bad.....
And damn they do sound good!

I found my used pair for $2,100. They last forever too.

[rokpunk]

HD-1's.

c'mon, you know no common man can afford a pair of HD-1's...!

I use a pair at work and they are best sounding near-field I've ever heard, but certainly could never justify spending so much on a pair of monitors. 

List price: $4050 each.

Luckily Meyer gave us ours for free.

 

In the grand sceme of studio equipment, $8k for a pair of monitors isn't THAT bad.....
And damn they do sound good!

I found my used pair for $2,100. They last forever too.

man, that's a hell of a deal!
i'd love to have a pair. for most of the mixdown stuff i do i just set up a pair of meyer upa-1p's.
they are not exactly bookshelf size, but they do sound great.

[JasonR]

Used Mackie HR824 pairs could go for near a $500 budget... more likely in the $650 range, but still worth considering if someone has a similar budget.  I have the Genelec 1031s and absolutely love them for near field monitoring, and honestly, side-by-side with the Mackies, the similarities are pretty staggering to my ear.  A used 1030 pair won't fetch much more than $1k either - great speaker.

- Jason

[moooose]

my .02: Genelec 80x0... IMHO worth every penny.