$3.5k range of studio monitors, thoughts?

I think the OP should consider saving for longer and looking for a used pair of 25’s if the budget can stretch - I honestly believe they are the no comprise near field monitor.

In my room which is 3.5m x 4.5m the 25’s produce the perfect amount of clean punchy tight bass.

A sub would definitely excite the room to much and be a mistake as would the 45’s.

One has to consider the room you’re putting the monitors into.

Having now been on my 25’s for a year and a bit I can honestly they have not only transformed my mixes but critically they’ve transformed the tracking and arranging stages of a production.

The mid driver on the 25’s is imvho almost worth the price of admission alone (although the current price of a new pair is getting a bit silly)

I’m finding the 25’s are making choosing chord voicings and sounds so much easier as much of that important information lies in the mids.

I’ve become a huge fan of ATC - there’s no going back

When I semi retire in 5 years time my dream is to get a bigger room and add a pair of 50’s.

If the OP’s room is considerably bigger than 3.5m x 4.5m then he’s into 45’s and 50’s which do have a very hefty price tag and then the Core 59’s are looking to be fantastic value for money (though still not cheap of course)

There is of course an important difference between the ATC approach and Dynaudio approach. I personally prefer class A/B amplification and traditional driver technology to Class D amps and DSP controlled drivers.

There’s a difference I can hear. My Yamaha DZR12 PA system is Class D amp DSP controlled and they do sound great but it is a certain presentation of the programme material and I admit to being old school when it comes to studio monitoring and the sound and response of a system.

Just something subtle to keep in mind.

All these high end monitors are definitely a big long term investment.

Big (new) fan of Neumann monitors here!

Interesting as both these dynaudios are mentioned in the thread

Not in english, but you can certainly hear the differences in the monitors !

Weird the guy does this test but doesn’t set his mikes the same way:(

While JBL did try to market the controls as monitors, they are really all Contractor install speakers designed with dispersion in mind more than accuracy. Plus you need an amp. As Dan has proven a pair of used 305 MKII are probably a better investment. Sub wise ATC20's and SVS 3000 series match up well. if you use some passive high pass filters rather than the high pass in the subs.  The DSP on the subs offers a cheap way to deal with LF room issues.
2 subs will integrate much better with the 20's than a single sub.

Thank you for your insight, very much appreciated!

My friend has a studio and uses JBL 4311's with a cheap sub, and a fairly cheap crown amp. They actually sound fantastic and they definitely let you know when the mix is wrong. They get amazing mixes on them actually.

I actually have some JBL 305's that I use as mix checks sometimes, very different sound than the vintage controls monitors though.

I will keep that in mind on the double sub for the ATC's, but I am mostly only planning on using the sub for wowing clients and occasionally checking the below 80hz frequencies. As far as checking the phase, I usually have everything mono below 100 hz anyway, so it shouldn't be a huge deal w one sub. I'll keep that in mind though, if my budget allows for it.

Yeah they are really actually great for the price. The problem is they won't necessarily show you when a mix is bad. They sound too good sometimes

Dual stereo subs, especially with ATC is not about extreme LF, it’s about acoustical summing in the octaves above and below the crossover point it’s just so darn much easier if you have 2 subs each in close proximity to each high mid. Again Ask BradD who went from a very, very expensive single sub to a pair of the SVS 3000’s with a pair of Active ATC 20’s. Ask any real monitor builder stereo subs just make it easier.

Confirmed. I had the LSR308's and the sub briefly to track a band in their house / rehearsal space with the full intention to just return 'em. Frankly, I liked them - they were fun to work on for long tracking sessions and, to their credit, you could pace around the room and never leave the sweet spot.

Getting back to my own space for edits and overdubs, a LOT of things had evaded my ears. You could blame some of that on the fact I was using the bassist's bedroom as a makeshift control room of course. But things that once sounded big, open, and bright now felt like they'd been stuffed into a box. 

I never did return them though - they lived on as monitors with my trusty old 1200's and mixer. Yes, I still like to chop up some vinyl from time to time. Sue me.

All three points, edited of course. The 45's don't have enough low end, IMHO. Even for the room you're in, OP. I had them for six years, I think. Gotta be a reason Barefoot put out a sub for them was my conclusion as I had to put a sub in my own space just to hear what was going on down there.

Also, are you saying with the SCM25's I wouldn't need a sub, but with the 20's I would?