Another Monitor Question.....

L

loubeck

New member
Sorry guys. I'm planning to get a pair of budget monitors soon but I'm not sure which direction to turn.

I like the idea that I can get a decent set of Passive monitors (like Alesis Monitor One's or Yorkvilles) for $200. But if I do that, I'll be pushing them with a hi-fi reciever until I can afford a proper amp.

The other alternative for me is to look at the cheaper (smaller) active monitors like the M Audio BX-5 or Event TR5 (both $299).

So my questions is, would I be better off suffering with passive monitors driven by a hi-fi amp until I can afford a power amp?

OR

Would I be better off getting a set of 5" actives for a hundred bucks more?

What would you do and why?

Thanks for your input...
Lou
 
I'd go with the passives and save up for the amp. At least that way that you don't lose your investment in the speakers.
 
I'd save for the actives. They have matched amps for better performance, and some guy in a thread also discussed other benefits. I don't remember which thread, though.
 
When it comes to speakers and amplifiers - speakers are by far the weakest link. You're much better off using your money to by better speakers , rather than dividing it between the crap amplifiers and even crappier speakers you'll get with a comparably price active monitor. Actives are better overall, but only when the price effectively equals the cost of passive speakers plus a pair of stereo amps.

If you can afford the $299 right now, then spend it all on passives. Check out the B&W DM601. It's one of the most accurate speakers you can buy in this price range.

Thomas

http://barefootsound.com
 
barefoot said:

If you can afford the $299 right now, then spend it all on passives. Check out the B&W DM601. It's one of the most accurate speakers you can buy in this price range.

Thomas

http://barefootsound.com
Click to expand...

This is the way I was leaning. My only fear/concern was that I would be wasting the quality of a passive speaker by driving it with an inferior hi-fi amp.

It does seem to make more sense to buy more speaker rather than buy more features.

I'll definitely check out those B&W's.

Thanks for the replies so far...
 
You'll find 100 people with 100 opinions about monitors--very subjective. Use the search function above, read mags in stores, and see the current thread about the M-Audios you mentioned.
Personally, I prefer active monitors, even cheaper ones, and will never go back to passives. But that's just my experience and opinion.

Good luck,

J.
 
Well some things are subjective and some are not.

I design and build speakers - primarily active monitors. I can tell you, the quality of the speaker drivers is the most influential factor in the overall objective measured performance of a loudspeaker. Second comes the design and build quality of the crossover. Third comes the design and build quality of the cabinet. Finally comes the quality of the amplifer(s). Of course, this hierarchy assumes that the speaker designer is competent and doesn't make some bonehead mistake in any one of these areas.

If I were designing a set of monitors with a budget of say $200 in component costs and I was told that the customer could supply his own consumer grade receiver, I would definitely choose to design a passive speaker. $200 worth of drivers, cabinets, and passive crossover components coupled with a receiver would perform MUCH better than $200 worth of amplifiers, drivers, cabinets, and active crossover components. Given the same drivers and cabinets, plus extra money for amplifiers, then yes, I can design a better active system. Within that restricted budget, however, the passive speaker is a much better choice.

And speaking of people's opinions, there was a highly relevant study published last month in the Journal of the Audio Engineering Society. Double blind tests were conducted with 256 untrained listeners and 12 "expert" listeners over the course of 18 months. The study showed that both trained and untrained listeners clearly preferred the sound of loudspeakers having the broadest and flattest on-axis and off-axis frequency responses. Apparently subjective opinions and objective measurements aren’t that far apart. So much for the popular myth in the recording community that accurate speakers and "good sounding" speakers are two different animals.

Thomas

http://barefootsound.com
 
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