Hi,
I've come to a final choice for close-field monitors and need Your help, Folks.
What I'm looking for is a monitor system that would make me hear what I mix in the lowest bass string area (some 41 Hz). I don't need floor-shaking bass, just one thet stays linear as far to the bottom as possible. With this in mind, which one would You recommend:
a) Yamaha HS80M
b) KRK RP6 G2
What I think:
Yamahas have great opinions, as having plenty of bass and good detailing of sound, with a bit severe timbre. Their frequency response is 42 Hz - 20 KHz. That looks great but these values include -10 dB tolerance and, as shown on frequency response graph, 42 Hz is a pure theory. HS80M have rear-firing bass ports, and that's something I'm afraid of because I'll hang them on the wall mounts. Yamahas also have more sophisticated EQ options, but I prefer to leave the sound untouched anyway. For me it's better to know the monitors than trying to tailor their performance with filters that always add some unwanted variables.
KRK's are a different philosophy, have smaller bass driver but more sophisticated shape that should prevent inner cabinet resonance. Specs say they start at 48 Hz but... measured with +/- 1,5 dB tolerance. It means that in fact they can be better at the low end than Yamahas - even when HS80M sound deeper on the bass, that power may sit higher in the frequency range. KRK's also have front-firing bass ports, which makes them more suitable for wall mounting (yes, I know that's not optimal position, but I have no choice). KRK gives no frequency graph for the RP6 G2...
What more can I say... By close-field configuration I mean that the front of the drivers are about 1,2 m from my ears. I don't need a power bass, just one, that could reproduce all the bass strings with a proper accuracy. I can get used to the monitor's characteristic, but - as for now - It's hard to judge the sound as the drivers say "ya what?" at some 60 Hz and "no way, man!" at 55 Hz.
Personally I would choose the Yamahas as they are taken as a kind of benchmark, but is it only the power of a legend, or a real value? They also sound more agressive in the middle-highs when compared to KRK's, which means some extra work to be done on mixes, but also a better final effect, as Yamahas reveal week points of the mix that KRK's could hide in the background. On the other hand, I'm afraid of the bass build up because of HS80M's reaf ports. And that 42 Hz with -10 dB tolerance... I don't like it. As the frequency graph shows, they start to apply their "hidden filtering" as early as at 60 Hz.
Of course, some might say "listen to both and buy the one you like". But I don't need "what I like", but what's more accurate for mixing (especially on the low end) and honest to my ears.
And what do You say?
mike
I've come to a final choice for close-field monitors and need Your help, Folks.
What I'm looking for is a monitor system that would make me hear what I mix in the lowest bass string area (some 41 Hz). I don't need floor-shaking bass, just one thet stays linear as far to the bottom as possible. With this in mind, which one would You recommend:
a) Yamaha HS80M
b) KRK RP6 G2
What I think:
Yamahas have great opinions, as having plenty of bass and good detailing of sound, with a bit severe timbre. Their frequency response is 42 Hz - 20 KHz. That looks great but these values include -10 dB tolerance and, as shown on frequency response graph, 42 Hz is a pure theory. HS80M have rear-firing bass ports, and that's something I'm afraid of because I'll hang them on the wall mounts. Yamahas also have more sophisticated EQ options, but I prefer to leave the sound untouched anyway. For me it's better to know the monitors than trying to tailor their performance with filters that always add some unwanted variables.
KRK's are a different philosophy, have smaller bass driver but more sophisticated shape that should prevent inner cabinet resonance. Specs say they start at 48 Hz but... measured with +/- 1,5 dB tolerance. It means that in fact they can be better at the low end than Yamahas - even when HS80M sound deeper on the bass, that power may sit higher in the frequency range. KRK's also have front-firing bass ports, which makes them more suitable for wall mounting (yes, I know that's not optimal position, but I have no choice). KRK gives no frequency graph for the RP6 G2...
What more can I say... By close-field configuration I mean that the front of the drivers are about 1,2 m from my ears. I don't need a power bass, just one, that could reproduce all the bass strings with a proper accuracy. I can get used to the monitor's characteristic, but - as for now - It's hard to judge the sound as the drivers say "ya what?" at some 60 Hz and "no way, man!" at 55 Hz.
Personally I would choose the Yamahas as they are taken as a kind of benchmark, but is it only the power of a legend, or a real value? They also sound more agressive in the middle-highs when compared to KRK's, which means some extra work to be done on mixes, but also a better final effect, as Yamahas reveal week points of the mix that KRK's could hide in the background. On the other hand, I'm afraid of the bass build up because of HS80M's reaf ports. And that 42 Hz with -10 dB tolerance... I don't like it. As the frequency graph shows, they start to apply their "hidden filtering" as early as at 60 Hz.
Of course, some might say "listen to both and buy the one you like". But I don't need "what I like", but what's more accurate for mixing (especially on the low end) and honest to my ears.
And what do You say?
mike