Cheapest pair of not-entirely-worthless speakers/"monitors"

[joey2000]

Prefer experience talking but will settle for 2d-hand info of people you trust music-wise. I say "not-entirely-worthless" because I know how in love people often get with gear and insist you have to get something pricier/trendier/etc than what is really necessary, esp for a home studio type who has zero commercial aspirations. And this will be in a smallish bedroom so smaller/weaker the better, frankly. It's not like I'm making any "it has to be loud to be good" tunes.

 

[Massive Master]

Equator D5's. One of few sub-$1k speakers I didn't want to throw into a tire fire.

 

[mjbphotos]

JBL LSR305, only drawback is they need to be away from front wall or have bass traps behind them, due to the rear port. You can usually get them on sale for <$240/pair.

 

[cavedog101]

For accuracy and fidelity in a small package it doesn't get much better than a pair of Genelec 1029's. Add the sub for more of it if needed but in a small space at low volumes you can get the low-end extension correct with just the mains.

A relatively low profile monitor that you don't hear a lot about is the Alesis Monitor One MkII passives. These were released when Alesis went all-in on their RA series studio amps. Both are excellent performers and I've seen the speakers for as cheap as $100 for a pair in great condition. NONE of the recent year Alesis products gets close to these.

 

[joey2000]

JBL LSR305, only drawback is they need to be away from front wall or have bass traps behind them, due to the rear port. You can usually get them on sale for <$240/pair.

This is about where I'm at now. Nice and might be the ones, but I'm hoping for cheaper.

I repeat these do not need to be great. "Decent" should be more than enough. And just a general FYI to all that if you consider the JBLs only "decent"(or worse), you can't help me.

For accuracy and fidelity in a small package it doesn't get much better than a pair of Genelec 1029's. Add the sub for more of it if needed but in a small space at low volumes you can get the low-end extension correct with just the mains.

Stopped making them in 2005. Oh well.

passives

Then I need an amp, also defeating the budget issues but thx anyway. Oh and I don't buy used.

 

[Steenamaroo]

Would you entertain second hand, and what's your budget?
I've been running Mackie HR624 for years and am happy with them.

I'm not necessarily recommending them; They're the only speakers I really know,
but I'm throwing out the fact that I'm happy with them and would need to seriously improve my environment before entertaining anything better.

I've had super cheap Samsons and cheap Alesis (active) which were a total waste of money, in my opinion.

Would be better to hear from someone like John but I *think* the Mackies are, at least, considered respectable.

 

[JG96]

Equator D5's. One of few sub-$1k speakers I didn't want to throw into a tire fire.

I'm curious what makes the D5's stand out to you? I have a set of KEF speakers with a coaxial design which I enjoy greatly though they are not truly monitors.

 

[garww]

Cheap wise, I had been considering the Eris 4.5. This is Quality Control Out To Lunch pricing, so I'd be taking my chances. With pre y2k stuff I usually get a better build for less money. What are you mixing - two violins ?

 

[cavedog101]

This is about where I'm at now. Nice and might be the ones, but I'm hoping for cheaper.

I repeat these do not need to be great. "Decent" should be more than enough. And just a general FYI to all that if you consider the JBLs only "decent"(or worse), you can't help me.



Stopped making them in 2005. Oh well.

Then I need an amp, also defeating the budget issues but thx anyway. Oh and I don't buy used.

Yes I'm well aware of when that model (Genelec 1029) was set aside for something new. I've had my pair since way before then. My opinion about 'used gear' is this....High quality remains high quality no matter what. But each to his own. There are a few pairs of the Genelecs floating around on Reverb/Ebay/whatever.....

 

[ecc83]

Joey, I can understand your reluctance to buy used 'transducers', speakers, mics because they can be damaged in subtle ways that don't show up at a casual listen.
An amplifier is rather different though', they tend to work to specc' or not. Charity shops are a great resource for electronic gear. I have had an XP computer for a tenner. Ok, won't score Pirates on it but it did infernalnet and stuff for grandson. Bought 2 CD players and the DJ mixer will all the cables for a fiver, coz it was there! Never used it and gave to another shop. Bought a stonking 24" JVC FSTV for grandson £20.
I have seen integrated Denon and Pioneer amps in these places. If they make a good noise then they are ok.

Dave.

r

 

[garww]

Ya, the amp I've got in the Music Room right now is DC 45-watt with Darlington outputs. It will be 40 next year

 

[miroslav]

I say "not-entirely-worthless" because I know how in love people often get with gear and insist you have to get something pricier/trendier/etc than what is really necessary, esp for a home studio type who has zero commercial aspirations.

I can totally appreciate the need to be be budget conscious...and the terms "cheap" and "expensive" mean different things to different people...
...but TBH, I never, ever understood what "zero commercial aspirations" has anything to do with gear choices, which is a reason for going cheap that is often given on the home rec sites.

I mean...some of those same people will drop $3k-$5k on a week-long vacation and not blink, which is truly money gone with the wind, and all you have is that 1 week to remember...but then they will balk at more expensive audio gear because "it's just for my home studio" or something along those lines.
I say...enjoy it as best as you can if it's something you are passionate about...regardless of the non-existence of any commercial potential.
Like the guys who buy super expensive cars or boats, purely for pleasure...you should view your studio the same way.
Indulge as much as you can...don't down-play it just because it's a hobby and nothing more.

 

[RFR]

I'm curious what makes the D5's stand out to you? I have a set of KEF speakers with a coaxial design which I enjoy greatly though they are not truly monitors.

I can't speak for John (massive), but can share my own experience owning them.

They're just simply great monitors.

Solidly built, front ported to avoid boundry issues, small footprint.

Great smooth highs with ample bottom end for such a small speaker, good mids.
They seem VERY flat to me.
I've compared them with plenty of monitors in my studio and they are impressive.

I've always been attracted to coaxial designs since owning a set of the big boy Urei 813s.

The things about the D5s that impress me the most are the imaging and detail.
Reverb tails that dissappear in other monitors are very evident.

Simply put they're just great monitors that are a bargain.

I think they go for 4 or 500 bucks from the manufacturer and sometimes you can find them for 300 bucks used.

Since Equator direct sells them they bypass all the 'middleman' markups.
This is good for the buyer but also hurts the manufacturer in my opinion because they're not so well known.

Many know about the JBL 5 inch studio monitors and they are popular. But the Equator D5s run circles around them.

To the OP. I never saw mention about a budget. What is it??

 

[garww]

Co=ax have been around a long, long time, but the MFG give the buyer what is they wants is. I've got one here - a Lorenz 8-inch from around '63/65 ? Outside of computer speakers, it's my only amplified box. Two old shield Mullard el84 on the output. So, it's about 52-years old and still cookin'. The speaker is finally broken-in : )

 

[joey2000]

Would you entertain second hand, and what's your budget?

Not w/these speakers (which is partly the point; I'd like some small inexpensive ones in the "studio" and something else, also modest, out in the LR or whatever) and no set number on the budget...I was just curious how low I might be able to go and get away with it. So far the JBLs are my ballpark, but I'm thinking there are likely speakers out there which are notably less that even though they aren't as good, are more than good enough for my monitoring. It's not like I'm Steely freakin Dan.

Would be better to hear from someone like John but I *think* the Mackies are, at least, considered respectable.

And more than triple the cost of the JBLs.

TBH, I never, ever understood what "zero commercial aspirations" has anything to do with gear choices

? Since I have no intent of trying to make any money off of my music, I needn't be as concerned with what level of gear I get. I honestly don't get what you don't get there, but as you say, to each their own. We all draw our lines in diff places.

Speaking of which, thx to those of you touting the potential usefulness of buying used gear, but I don't and I won't, ever. It doesn't matter why, so sorry if this comes out wrong, but it's pointless to discuss w/me.

 

[miroslav]

? Since I have no intent of trying to make any money off of my music, I needn't be as concerned with what level of gear I get. I honestly don't get what you don't get there, but as you say, to each their own. We all draw our lines in diff places.

Speaking of which, thx to those of you touting the potential usefulness of buying used gear, but I don't and I won't, ever. It doesn't matter why, so sorry if this comes out wrong, but it's pointless to discuss w/me.

OK, I'll explain more...
What I don't get with that perspective...is you're basically saying that since you're not going to make any money off the recording...you don't really need better quality gear.
Sorry...that just makes little sense to me.
I mean...you're on here a lot asking about this or that, so I get the impression that your recording means something to you, that it's important enough for you to want to record as best as you can.
So then, what's earning money got to do with anything...?

No one's talking about the level of gear it takes to open a commercial studio...just saying that even as a pure hobby, there's a value, and it could be a very big value...exactly because it is a hobby that gives you pleasure. There's no "job" associated with it...and that to me warrants investment.
TBH, I would invest more in a pure hobby that is my passion, than then a half-assed money-making studio venture, which often makes little to no money.

Let me put it another way...would you rather buy a small old-style TV or a big new 60" LCD?
I mean...you're not making any money off of it...so might as well buy the cheap one...right?

I totally get when someone simply doesn't have the budget...that's a different thing.

AFA used gear...I don't know if I would get used monitors, but my studio has a lot of gear that I purchased used.
Quality used gear is not a big risk as long as you are comfortable with the source.

 

[jimmys69]

OK, I'll explain more...
What I don't get with that perspective...is you're basically saying that since you're not going to make any money off the recording...you don't really need better quality gear.
Sorry...that just makes little sense to me.
I mean...you're on here a lot asking about this or that, so I get the impression that your recording means something to you, that it's important enough for you to want to record as best as you can.
So then, what's earning money got to do with anything...?

No one's talking about the level of gear it takes to open a commercial studio...just saying that even as a pure hobby, there's a value, and it could be a very big value...exactly because it is a hobby that gives you pleasure. There's no "job" associated with it...and that to me warrants investment.
TBH, I would invest more in a pure hobby that is my passion, than then a half-assed money-making studio venture, which often makes little to no money.

I totally get when someone simply doesn't have the budget...that's a different thing.

AFA used gear...I don't know if I would get used monitors, but my studio has a lot of gear that I purchased used.
Quality used gear is not a big risk as long as you are comfortable with the source.

That ^^^ does make sense man...

I must say that I found my way by purchasing used gear to find what worked for me. Thankfully I did because it gave me a chance to learn by doing. And not spending beyond what I needed.

Now I just spend more and get better. It can be addictive....And that is not a bad thing.

Whether you intend to go as far as making a recording viable in the commercial market, or you just want the get the best recordings you can for yourself, it don't matter. Either way you need something viable to get to the level you want. You can just record via your phone and be happy? Maybe that is good enough.

It up to you. Better to take small steps to get there. Not sure what the issue is with buying used gear is. Maybe you had a bad experience? I have not yet myself, but if that is important to you then that is cool.

 

[miroslav]

Right.

A small budget may keep you from getting or doing what you want...but it doesn't necessarily change what you would LIKE to get or do.

I was nickle-n-diming it back in the day...didn't have the budget, but I always thought about what I wanted to do when the budget allowed...and it was always about raising the bar.
I've considered doing a more commercial studio...and I've even done some "commercial" recording occasionally...but none of that was ever the driving force behind my studio build.
It was always about my own passion and wanting to raise the bar for my own pleasure, not because I was calculating how much money I would get back in return.

 

[garww]

Well, when we missed the boat as it was passing through, used is about the only alternative. Never the less, that $300 a pair is a fair price point. The AV-40 (42?) can work

 

[joey2000]

I'll be honest I didn't read the replies about used gear/etc; thanks but as I said before it is a pointless discussion for me. Back to speakers. New ones.

Has anyone used anything significantly less than the JBLs (about $300 a pair) that sounded at least decent, and I don't mean "decent for a pro-level studio" or other similarly high standards, but just in general a respectable, accurate, even modestly acceptable sound quality?