best monitors for £400
- Thread starter davecg321
- Start date
Martin Maniac
New member
I bought my Yamaha HS8 monitors used off of eBay for $450. Including shipping. Seller says they are like new. If you buy them new, these monitors cost $349 each plus tax and shipping. So I'm saving about $350 bucks by buying used.
CrowsofFritz
Flamingo!
+1 on the Yammies. If you don't get the 8 inch, you'll definitely need a sub, though.
yeahimsteve
New member
My first post here. I clicked this post to say the same thing as the two gentlemen above me: Yamaha HS8 is what you want for your budget. I bought mine new for $490/pair at a Guitar Center in Austin, TX in 2013. Go into a GC and tell them that you only have $500 and that you want a pair of HS8s and they will likely get right around that price for you.
BroKen_H
Re-member
Be an expensive pair of speakers if he has to fly to the US to spend his 400 quid. 
When I bought my speakers a couple of years ago, I actually took some tones, sweeps, reference tracks (ones I knew really well) and a few of my own mixes and listened to 14 different sets of speakers. I would recommend this.
When I walked away, I bought the M-Audio M3-8s which would be above your price range. My second pick would have been Behringer B2031A (which are at the bottom end of your 300-400 quid mark.)
I still stand behind the LSR 308's (which were my third pick and actually are better on the bottom end than the Behris.
I'll throw in a compromise with the Yamaha HS7s (which fit your budget), but I found them to be less accurate on the bottom end than any of my top three and the drop off was around 50 Hz...might as well go with 5s and a sub. They actually hit #6 on the list.
The thing is, everyone's ears are different. ALL of these speakers are outstanding, and ANY of these speakers will get you going. At 400 quid you're not going to get nice Focal or ATC or Genelec monitors. You're looking for a good solid pair you can work with while you build your skills. Go listen to a few sets or better yet, work out a deal locally to bring a set home every week for a month or so and take notes (most stores have a 14 day return policy). Get what sounds best to YOU.
When I bought my speakers a couple of years ago, I actually took some tones, sweeps, reference tracks (ones I knew really well) and a few of my own mixes and listened to 14 different sets of speakers. I would recommend this.
When I walked away, I bought the M-Audio M3-8s which would be above your price range. My second pick would have been Behringer B2031A (which are at the bottom end of your 300-400 quid mark.)
I still stand behind the LSR 308's (which were my third pick and actually are better on the bottom end than the Behris.
I'll throw in a compromise with the Yamaha HS7s (which fit your budget), but I found them to be less accurate on the bottom end than any of my top three and the drop off was around 50 Hz...might as well go with 5s and a sub. They actually hit #6 on the list.
The thing is, everyone's ears are different. ALL of these speakers are outstanding, and ANY of these speakers will get you going. At 400 quid you're not going to get nice Focal or ATC or Genelec monitors. You're looking for a good solid pair you can work with while you build your skills. Go listen to a few sets or better yet, work out a deal locally to bring a set home every week for a month or so and take notes (most stores have a 14 day return policy). Get what sounds best to YOU.
jimmys69
MOODerator
I'm going to be the dick that says that 'if you have to ask' then you will need to take the time to know how to answer this question yourself. Or ask why the monitors you already have are not doing it for you.
What do you have now? Room size? Room acoustic treatment? Type of music you work with? Recording or mixing? Are you a cat or dog type? Asking for yourself or your wife's allowed budget?
What do you have now? Room size? Room acoustic treatment? Type of music you work with? Recording or mixing? Are you a cat or dog type? Asking for yourself or your wife's allowed budget?
jkuehlin
New member
Second that. +1
jkuehlin
New member
I'm going to be the dick that says that 'if you have to ask' then you will need to take the time to know how to answer this question yourself. Or ask why the monitors you already have are not doing it for you.
What do you have now? Room size? Room acoustic treatment? Type of music you work with? Recording or mixing? Are you a cat or dog type? Asking for yourself or your wife's allowed budget?
I'm going to be a dick and suggest that at $400, room treatment, room size, acoustic treatment, as well as DA converters, mic pres, and DAW choice are all completely irrelevant. Monitors at that price point are pass or fail.
BroKen_H
Re-member
What was that new rule the mods made?...oh yeah, don't be a dick. 
Sorry, was I being a dick? 
Some of the answers are actually in another post. He's got M-Audio av40s and a PreSonus firestudio project. No room treatment, but an SE vocal booth (whatever that is).
A pair of decent R0DE mikes and Cubase.
Sorry, was I being a dick? Some of the answers are actually in another post. He's got M-Audio av40s and a PreSonus firestudio project. No room treatment, but an SE vocal booth (whatever that is).
A pair of decent R0DE mikes and Cubase.
jimmys69
MOODerator
What was that new rule the mods made?...oh yeah, don't be a dick.
Some of the answers are actually in another post. He's got M-Audio av40s and a PreSonus firestudio project. No room treatment, but an SE vocal booth (whatever that is).
A pair of decent R0DE mikes and Cubase.
That is why I specified that I may be a dick. It's ok if you acknowledge it right?! Well, the rules are vague so I made it clear right off.
lol
jimmys69
MOODerator
Seriously. 
jimmys69
MOODerator
Back to the topic...
Low budget monitors will give you results that your budget you put in. Likely even in a crappy room, you will at least be 'out of the cans' (headphones). That being said, the room size can have an extreme effect on what is actually heard from them.
The point of acoustically treating the space is not only valid, but every single person who has a clue what they are talking about will agree that that is necessary. Yeah, you can find a way to mix without, but the fact that the single 'least' expensive purchase you can make with the greatest end benefit is that of room treatments.
Sorry for being a dick...
Low budget monitors will give you results that your budget you put in. Likely even in a crappy room, you will at least be 'out of the cans' (headphones). That being said, the room size can have an extreme effect on what is actually heard from them.
The point of acoustically treating the space is not only valid, but every single person who has a clue what they are talking about will agree that that is necessary. Yeah, you can find a way to mix without, but the fact that the single 'least' expensive purchase you can make with the greatest end benefit is that of room treatments.
Sorry for being a dick...
Martin Maniac
New member
I heard a recording today that was made a few years ago. It was just a commercial for soap. The audio sounded horrible, the audio was bouncing around a kitchen and you could hear the echoes of the room. Then they panned to a newer recording and the same room must have been treated because the echoes were gone. Proof positive that room noise can be a factor.
I had a similar problem when I first put my studio together. I put up framed pictures of rock stars on the walls to create a mood for recording. I couldn't understand why I couldn't hear my mixes well enough to mix them. What I finally figured out was the glass on the pictures was reflecting the sound back into the room, creating a hodge podge of sound waves. I couldn't hear a decent stereo mix for anything. So I removed the pictures and put up quilts in my studio...maybe not the most professional treatment, but it worked. It was immediately noticeable. Definite improvement. I could finally hear my stereo mixes without all the reflections going on. The framed pictures are now sitting storage.
I had a similar problem when I first put my studio together. I put up framed pictures of rock stars on the walls to create a mood for recording. I couldn't understand why I couldn't hear my mixes well enough to mix them. What I finally figured out was the glass on the pictures was reflecting the sound back into the room, creating a hodge podge of sound waves. I couldn't hear a decent stereo mix for anything. So I removed the pictures and put up quilts in my studio...maybe not the most professional treatment, but it worked. It was immediately noticeable. Definite improvement. I could finally hear my stereo mixes without all the reflections going on. The framed pictures are now sitting storage.
Steenamaroo
...
Thread reported. Everybody banned.
BroKen_H
Re-member
Well, Ray, this is a virtual HR. We aren't really posting.
OT: Must agree with Jimmy. THE most important thing I did to date; great monitors, nice equipment, more practice time (well that helps a lot, too), etc. was treat my room. With good treatment and good skills, mixing becomes easier, getting better skills becomes easier, improving your ears becomes easier. When your room lies to you and exaggerates certain frequencies and hides others, $10,000 monitors just become better tools for lying to your ears...
That said, I still believe Mike had it right in the other thread. Get some decent monitors and then stick up your treatment. DIY treatment will run you about 10-20 quid per panel if you're handy (4x24x48, sorry, don't know mm). You can do them six at a time (cheapest to buy in 12-2"x24x48 packs) + wood, cloth and mounting (green cement helps, too) and you can do a normal sized room (including building your own superchunks in the corners for about your 300-400 quid budget. I spent $1500 on some "kits" that included the precut sheets or 703 (705 in the corners), prebuilt frames and precut cloth with mounts and green glue. 24 panels + 2 ceiling clouds + corner bass traps (I went 6", but I'm going to redo the two corners with superchunks when (if) I can afford it. My room has doors in the corners on the back wall, so I needed the mountable kit to hang in the ceiling/wall intersection instead of being able to put them in the wall to wall corners (that should make sense, but knowing me it probably didn't).
Definitely go with Roxul or OC 703/705 and don't bother with the useless foam that is sold so prominently...in a pro studio, with perfect dimensions, those may have some bearing, but in our imperfect little rooms, foam just doesn't make the grade.
OT: Must agree with Jimmy. THE most important thing I did to date; great monitors, nice equipment, more practice time (well that helps a lot, too), etc. was treat my room. With good treatment and good skills, mixing becomes easier, getting better skills becomes easier, improving your ears becomes easier. When your room lies to you and exaggerates certain frequencies and hides others, $10,000 monitors just become better tools for lying to your ears...
That said, I still believe Mike had it right in the other thread. Get some decent monitors and then stick up your treatment. DIY treatment will run you about 10-20 quid per panel if you're handy (4x24x48, sorry, don't know mm). You can do them six at a time (cheapest to buy in 12-2"x24x48 packs) + wood, cloth and mounting (green cement helps, too) and you can do a normal sized room (including building your own superchunks in the corners for about your 300-400 quid budget. I spent $1500 on some "kits" that included the precut sheets or 703 (705 in the corners), prebuilt frames and precut cloth with mounts and green glue. 24 panels + 2 ceiling clouds + corner bass traps (I went 6", but I'm going to redo the two corners with superchunks when (if) I can afford it. My room has doors in the corners on the back wall, so I needed the mountable kit to hang in the ceiling/wall intersection instead of being able to put them in the wall to wall corners (that should make sense, but knowing me it probably didn't).
Definitely go with Roxul or OC 703/705 and don't bother with the useless foam that is sold so prominently...in a pro studio, with perfect dimensions, those may have some bearing, but in our imperfect little rooms, foam just doesn't make the grade.
