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Post by M57 on Nov 22, 2022 16:15:32 GMT -6
I mix on headphones (AT-50M) at least 99% of the time, in large part because I've never had a decent pair of monitors. I'm only moderately embarrassed to admit that I have a pair of M-Audio BX5a's on my desk, and pretty much the only time I use them is when I want to get out of my chair and move around the room to practice a part, watching youtube, pleasure listening, etc. So really I've been using them in mostly musically non-critical situations, and occasionally as mid-fields to listen to a mix while away from the desk. Up until recently, I've always been on the fence about getting a set of quality near-fields because I just haven't sure that I'd be using them for mixing enough to justify the cost.
However, these days I'm spending a lot more time in the studio and I'd like to spend a lower percentage of time with cans on my head. My room is reasonably well-treated and not too small (It's above my garage), though it only has an 8' ceiling. I'm easily able to place the monitors 3 or 4 feet away from walls, I don't mix bass-heavy music and I don't listen at loud levels. I've always had my sights on the Focal Shape Twin Dual 5" monitors. They were recommended to me by a visiting engineer who was helping me reconfigure my setup a few years ago, but at close to $2400 with tax and all, they sit pretty much on the high end of what I'm willing to spend for a pair of powered monitors. I should say that I will continue to use them for a lot of pleasure listening, so while accuracy is important, they need to sound good. I was thrilled to sell my NS-10's a few years back for 4x what I paid for them. I hated them.
It's been a few years, so maybe something better than the Focals are out there now ..and if it's under $2k that would make me very happy. I know this is a super-subjective subject, but all thoughts and/or recommendations are appreciated.
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kcatthedog
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Post by kcatthedog on Nov 22, 2022 16:53:46 GMT -6
If you can do $2500, I’d suggest you stretch to $3k and demo the dyn lyd’s as a proper 3 way: just to see ?
Have fun, figuring out what’s right for you and your space !
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Post by thehightenor on Nov 22, 2022 17:06:12 GMT -6
This ^
Good advice on getting a proper 3 way, especially as M57's music is focused around piano and vocals.
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Post by kcatthedog on Nov 22, 2022 17:27:40 GMT -6
Seeing new dyns on reverb for $2400.
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Post by M57 on Nov 22, 2022 18:17:02 GMT -6
They need to sit on their sides, right? With nearly 15" of width each because I currently have a 4 space lunchbox on the upper tier, I'd have to reconfigure my desk a bit. It's nearly 6' across, but with two big 27" monitors taking up a good swath of it, things will be tight. I'd be sitting only 3' away from the tweeters, with along with my head will make a 90 degree isosceles triangle. That sound about right? Here's an older pic. Most of the hardware is different, but I'm using the same screens so you can see it will be a squeeze.  Or perhaps do they need to be more distant from the chair? ![]() |
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Post by kcatthedog on Nov 22, 2022 18:26:35 GMT -6
Ragan and shadow have/had them so hopefully they chime in!
I have my 2 visual monitors stacked vertically; frees up some horizontal space.
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Post by M57 on Nov 22, 2022 18:32:26 GMT -6
..I have my 2 visual monitors stacked vertically.. That would freak me out! lol |
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Post by kcatthedog on Nov 22, 2022 19:15:46 GMT -6
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Post by kcatthedog on Nov 22, 2022 19:28:58 GMT -6
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Post by bradd on Nov 22, 2022 19:52:24 GMT -6
That price seems a little too good to be true. If it’s real, these should be gone. |
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Post by kcatthedog on Nov 22, 2022 19:54:54 GMT -6
The add was pulled by the mod a couple of days ago but allowed to be relisted: says they are still under warranty.
Does paypal still protect your purchase in the states ?
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Post by Ward on Nov 22, 2022 20:14:17 GMT -6
The add was pulled by the mod a couple of days ago but allowed to be relisted: says they are still under warranty. Does paypal still protect your purchase in the states ? Looks like they're sold. It was a fantastic deal! |
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Post by plinker on Nov 22, 2022 21:42:05 GMT -6
Like mine, your room is compromised. I wouldn't advise spending on larger bass drivers -- that will just have to be corrected by Sonarworks, or other types of room EQ.
Good luck!
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Post by M57 on Nov 23, 2022 6:08:58 GMT -6
Like mine, your room is compromised.. I have a lot of treatment in the space and traps in the corners, but I won't disagree with you. The 8" woofer on the dyns might be too much. That's one of the major reasons I've been leaning toward the Focals. My understanding is that combined surface area of the two mid-range drivers along with the passive radiators enable it to produce low frequencies very efficiently, with the caveat that it rolls off steeply at the very bottom of its range. My recordings are largely in the folk and jazz genres, and I don't pump up the bass. That said, I would like to hear more about the Dyns. |
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Post by kcatthedog on Nov 23, 2022 6:19:59 GMT -6
The dyns have dsp so you can control bass response. I think you would value the true mid driver more.
Of course, just monitor at lower volumes as well.
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Post by mcirish on Nov 23, 2022 9:30:56 GMT -6
If you can swing the LYD48's, I would also recommend them. I was going to say to treat the room first, but it sounds like you already did. Last, I would very much say to get Sonarworks. It really helped me out. No room is perfect and I had a 8dB dip at 90HZ. That caused my mixes to always be off. Now, I rarely have any mix issues that a mastering house asks for correction.
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Post by kcatthedog on Nov 23, 2022 9:38:10 GMT -6
Sonarworks will have a bf sale, I have an email about it.
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Post by theshea on Nov 23, 2022 10:14:08 GMT -6
i have the lyd48‘s. you can adjust the bass a bit to your room. at low volume they do sound good. they translate really well. i don‘t think i am gonna change them in the near future.
i started out just like you wirh m-audios 5x-something and i mixed on headphones all the time as i couldn‘t make them translate.
i than switched to focal alphas 65. those worked very well and i had them some 5 years.
the lyd48‘s are step up and i call my monitoring situation „professional“ from now on. i can trust them.
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Post by chrissweet on Nov 24, 2022 15:01:05 GMT -6
If you can find them, the JBL 7 series is phenomenal. I believe the 705’s are around your price point. I’ve had the 708s since the summer and haven’t had to think twice about my mix translation. Incredible speakers.
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Post by M57 on Nov 24, 2022 19:03:50 GMT -6
If you can find them, the JBL 7 series is phenomenal. I believe the 705’s are around your price point. I’ve had the 708s since the summer and haven’t had to think twice about my mix translation. Incredible speakers. I have to admit I've never been a fan of the horn design that JBL uses, but my bias is based on the JBL speakers of the 80's. They sounded great with rock, pop and electronic music, but not so much with acoustic, symphonic, and music in more intimate settings. Has that changed? ..or perhaps was my bias ill-founded in the first place? I'm looking at the back of a 705p. I don't see any xlr inputs. |
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Post by chrissweet on Nov 25, 2022 2:37:28 GMT -6
If you can find them, the JBL 7 series is phenomenal. I believe the 705’s are around your price point. I’ve had the 708s since the summer and haven’t had to think twice about my mix translation. Incredible speakers. I have to admit I've never been a fan of the horn design that JBL uses, but my bias is based on the JBL speakers of the 80's. They sounded great with rock, pop and electronic music, but not so much with acoustic, symphonic, and music in more intimate settings. Has that changed? ..or perhaps was my bias ill-founded in the first place? I'm looking at the back of a 705p. I don't see any xlr inputs. I can’t speak to what they sounded like in the 80’s, but these compression drivers and the wave guide have insane imaging and phantom center (I had another producer looking for the center speaker). They also have tons of transient detail without harshness and tons of headroom (the speakers do not distort). They’re also just fun to listen to music on, while being a really accurate tool. The XLR input is vertical so you can’t see it. It also has digital in/thru. My only concern is if something happens I won’t be able to find a replacement! |
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Post by bchurch on Nov 25, 2022 6:01:16 GMT -6
"What monitors are the best?" is, of course, insanely broad.
I've owned a gazillion pairs over the years in the pursuit of 'what works for me'. As it turns out, my ears are in love with a discontinued 3-way design from Avantone (Abbey Pro). But that's me.
Worst part is that you can go into any music gear uberstore and audition every pair under the sun, but what you hear there will be different once you put them in your home environment. You CAN at least get a general sense of what you're buying into.
I'll say this: HEDD's are serious, uhm... hedd-turners. That's one worth checking and there are options in your price range. Even the Type 07's, which look like polite little nearfields, will absolutely rock the party.
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Post by kcatthedog on Nov 25, 2022 8:02:53 GMT -6
Calling Martin !, he loved the abbey too.
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Post by bchurch on Nov 25, 2022 8:43:11 GMT -6
Calling Martin !, he loved the abbey too. I love any nearfield that doesn't require a sub. Those things go deeeeep! I think my only complaint is that they are a wee bit underpowered / fart out at pretty conservative SPL's. But used responsibility, they really paint a big picture. |
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Post by M57 on Nov 25, 2022 10:48:12 GMT -6
ADAM has monitors in this price range, the AH77's, and they sport two 7" drivers. and it looks like they have the same tweeters as the Hedd 07's. Both are also ported in the front, which is not a look I'm particularly fond of. The ADAM's are new to the market, but has anyone heard them?
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