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Audio Monitors Suggestions Please.

Scottie_USAScottie_USA
edited January 2014 in Chit chat
Since moving over here I have been ruining my pc off of headphones as I only brought the one amp to the states. Now that I am established I've been thinking of getting some good speakers for my computer and decided that active audio monitors might me my best bet, a good balance between sound quality and space utilization.

I'm on a tight budget and only want to spent approx $100. Any recommendations?

I almost brought M-Audio AV40s but have heard of their atrocious reliability/ longevity issues.
Post edited by Scottie_USA on

Comments

  • pmsrpmsr
    edited December 2013
    That's very little for a pair of active monitors. At that price range you are really limited. But what about the Kurzweil KS-40a? They are pretty good for the money and not big at all.

    /Pedro
  • Scottie_USAScottie_USA
    edited December 2013
    Excellent Pedro,
    Those Kurzwiels look just what I need. They seem Keyboard orientated too which is a good thing as I wanted them not only for video editing, music and skype etc but for mixing music from my 3 synths. They look a good value all rounder without the reliability complaints of many others at its price point.
  • STeaMSTeaM
    edited December 2013
    I have a set of these babies Roth POWA

    If you can stretch to them moneywise, I can heartily recommend.
  • fogfog
    edited December 2013
    I wouldn't bother with m-audio now, as avid own em.. and I'm highly disappointed with their woeful support.

    you have an amp already ? or you want active ones.

    I'd save up ya money tbh, but the speakers I use aren't for home use really.. they are as near to flat as you can get. I do use mission 740's for reference as well as a logitech 2.1 setup... if your not gonna spend a large amount you might wanna look at logitech or yamaha I guess.

    have a look at sweet water, guitar center website.. and err sam ash 2 name 3.. there is another I forget..but coz I don't live in the US.

    but I'd save up , in the long run it's worth it. 20 watt isn't really enough.
  • Scottie_USAScottie_USA
    edited December 2013
    Those Roth do have great connectivity that's for sure. but how good the DAC is on them at 200 gbp I'd like to know.

    My Hifi system is centered arround Audiolab 8000a, so that's what I listen to for true quality. However, if I'm just tonking about on the PC. I believe some big hefty monitors are just going to be an encumbrance.

    I tried some BOSE companion speakers yesterday, as with their headphones I was like pah, that's the sound of some 40 quid computer speakers from PC World.
  • STeaMSTeaM
    edited December 2013
    Scottie_USA wrote: »
    Those Roth do have great connectivity that's for sure. but how good the DAC is on them at 200 gbp I'd like to know.

    Find a store that'll give you a demo...I was pleasantly surprised with them.

    I have mine connected via optical cable to the tellybox. But I do connect my Samsung Galaxy S3 to them via Bluetooth for playing music sometimes.
  • chevchev
    edited December 2013
    Mine are Edirols: http://www.roland.com/products/en/MA-15D/
    I don't think they make them any more but you might get a used set within your budget. I got them because I needed digital co-axial support. They sound great.
    zx.itch.io
  • Scottie_USAScottie_USA
    edited December 2013
    They look good but could not find any on Ebay. I've ordered some of the Kurzweil's anyway. They should be good for what I want them for.
  • Scottie_USAScottie_USA
    edited January 2014
    Today received my Kurzweil KS-40a speakers. For what they cost they are belters.

    The bass is a bit boxy, but the sound is very energetic and pacy, you might say quite exiting. The stereo imagery is very evident and any chorus or phasing effect in vocals and synths are exceptionally clear.

    I have not fully broken them in yet, but right now I'm pleased with my purchase so far. Certainly better than a pair of BOSE i auditioned recently.

    I could envisage a three way version of this speaker with the addition of a larger bass cone. I bet it would sound sweet.
  • pmsrpmsr
    edited January 2014
    You can glue some solid wood blocks inside to fix the boxy sound on the low end. Read that tip before i purchased my old pair, but never got myself to do it. And I wasn't counting with ground shaking bass anyway. For that it is best to get a second-hand sub-woofer anyway. But when tuning the crossover don't trust the 100hz limit of the specs of the KS40a. I suspect Kurzweil is being conservative there, so start lower. And you rather go a little too much down than up.

    In a nutshell, they are quite good, honest monitors for the price. I sold mine a few months ago and bought a set of Equator D5's, but had I more space in my studio/lab/man-cave and I would have kept them.

    /Pedro
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