Monitor Recommendation for Small Space

[CoolCat]

interesting, these D5 have actually gone up in price. reading tape op, the $300 pair new, is used Reverb price of $650-$500...
and only 2 pair for sale. I dont see that very often, if ever?

 

[RFR]

I'm biased being an owner, but I got in the door when the 300 introductory price was offered. I think that now that they are scarce the market is starting to correct. They were always very underpriced for what they are. Which is very, very good monitors.

 

[Zargg]

Hi. I was also bummed to hear that Equator was out of the marked
I was hoping to get a pair of D5's autumn, but I'm hesitant to buy anything that's going to be hard to maintain/find parts for.
All the best.

 

[mjbphotos]

Hi. I'm hesitant to buy anything that's going to be hard to maintain/find parts for.
All the best.

Its rare when speakers/monitors fail, and even rarer when someone tries to repair them.

 

[ecc83]

Its rare when speakers/monitors fail, and even rarer when someone tries to repair them.

Sorry, can you explain that last part Mike?

Asitappens...I am casting about for a single 100mm (4") bass/mid drive unit to make a decent centre speaker for a 5.1 system I have acquired. The "thing" that cam with it sounds horrendous! Two 75mm speakers in 1/2 a "shoebox" made of plastic (rated at 250W! Yeah, in a pig's...!)

Now, in my investigations I have come across units by Audax, SEAS, Peerless and others and many of these speakers are used in commercial speaker systems so there is a good chance the D5s use something fairly readily available. The other factor (and more likely to fail but not much) is the amplifier/PSU and that likely uses pretty common power ICs.

Dave.

 

[RFR]

Its rare when speakers/monitors fail, and even rarer when someone tries to repair them.

Morons blow up spkrs all the time.

@ ecc83 The Eguators use a made to order coaxial driver (s) I'm sure one could find a suitable commonly available driver, but you'd have to learn them all over again.
And then there's the issue of DSP.......still don't know what that's all about yet. (They're tuned via computer????)

All that aside, I'd still have no issues buying a used but working set.

 

[ecc83]

"@ ecc83 The Eguators use a made to order coaxial driver" Hmm? Well yes ok. I bet more like the co axial drivers were "discovered" and some very clever people found they had inherently good sound and with a little DSP tweaking could be made better? This sort of design process is rife in the electronics industry but the AdPuff depts. have to put a spin on it! N.B. I am NOT saying they are not very good speakers, just that engineers and marketing depts often disagree.

Making a really good drive unit from scratch is I would bet a $1,000,000 exercise (look at the retail price of the wee co-incident Genelecs!) such an investment would surely be kept going?

Or! Maybe I am just a cynical old bugger!

Dave.

 

[Deleted member 196982]

I had one of my (previous generation) JBL 5” monitors develop a bad electrical buzz out of the blue after about 4 years. I’m pretty sure I’m not a moron (but don’t ask my wife!) and I assure you I worry enough about my remaining hearing they were never abused in my little room. Just a (probably cheap) component failure. Cost of repair for something like that makes no sense so I just got a new pair of Yamaha’s and trashed the bad one. GC gave me $50 for the working one.

 

[ecc83]

I had one of my (previous generation) JBL 5” monitors develop a bad electrical buzz out of the blue after about 4 years. I’m pretty sure I’m not a moron (but don’t ask my wife!) and I assure you I worry enough about my remaining hearing they were never abused in my little room. Just a (probably cheap) component failure. Cost of repair for something like that makes no sense so I just got a new pair of Yamaha’s and trashed the bad one. GC gave me $50 for the working one.

The fact is we's ALL right! For many decades "monitors" were passive* and driven from amplifiers of no greater power than 50W until the coming of the transistor. The spekers themselves were large (think Tannoy Reds, and across the Pond JBL Sentry) and of potent sensitivity. I dare say some "rock people" blew out Tannoys in later years but most of the time, for classical, jazz and band music they were never in danger.

Today the active monitor is the norm and only time will tell if the enclosed electronics will have a similar 20yr+ life span!

*BBC monitors had a valve amp (Quad lls?) slung underneath and fed from balanced line but not really "actives".

Dave.

 

[RFR]

The fact is we's ALL right! For many decades "monitors" were passive* and driven from amplifiers of no greater power than 50W until the coming of the transistor. The spekers themselves were large (think Tannoy Reds, and across the Pond JBL Sentry) and of potent sensitivity. I dare say some "rock people" blew out Tannoys in later years but most of the time, for classical, jazz and band music they were never in danger.

Today the active monitor is the norm and only time will tell if the enclosed electronics will have a similar 20yr+ life span!

*BBC monitors had a valve amp (Quad lls?) slung underneath and fed from balanced line but not really "actives".

Dave.

We will see. I have my concerns. I have a 20 year old Bryston 3B powering 20 year old Yammies. Everything still going strong and I don't do anything stupid so I expect them to go another 20 years.

Now the Bryston is a heavy beast, and there's lots of high quality heavy duty components in there.

As much as I love my D5s, there's not the components in there. It always intrigues me how they'll put in a relatively small box, not one, but two amps, and they share space with drivers and often a port.

I realise technology has come aways and making things smaller has been perfected but still.......

Time will tell the longevity of the modern stuff.
But my Bryston?? Bulletproof.

 

[mjbphotos]

Sorry, can you explain that last part Mike?

Asitappens...I am casting about for a single 100mm (4") bass/mid drive unit to make a decent centre speaker for a 5.1 system I have acquired. The "thing" that cam with it sounds horrendous! Two 75mm speakers in 1/2 a "shoebox" made of plastic (rated at 250W! Yeah, in a pig's...!)

Now, in my investigations I have come across units by Audax, SEAS, Peerless and others and many of these speakers are used in commercial speaker systems so there is a good chance the D5s use something fairly readily available. The other factor (and more likely to fail but not much) is the amplifier/PSU and that likely uses pretty common power ICs.

Dave.

You're a rare old tinkerer, Dave! We live in a 'use it once, throw it away' society. The cost to repair anything starts at $100/hour tech fee.

Morons blow up spkrs all the time.

Not so much these days with powered speakers. The old days of hooking up a 50 watt speaker to a 200 watt tube amp ("don't turn it higher than 4!") are slowly receding.

 

[ecc83]

Arf! Arf! Mike, a 200 watt stereo valve amp would be a thing to behold. And LIFT!

The 5.1. system? Panasonic SA-HT855. Specc says it is an 850W system yet draws just 120W from the mains! No matter. I have it setup behind my 42" JVC smart TV with the 1.3mtr outrigger side speakers (project for 2019!) and a sub I made years ago. Adds quite a bit of "heft" and quality to programmes but I want a better centre dialogue speaker. The unit is fed from the optical link from the telly and I was surprised to find my 3 HDMI linked recorders also play through the optical out. Thought I would have to get into some clever patching and routing!

Picked the whole lot up from a charity shop for £35. One problem? I cannot get the Component video to the TV (on a 4 pole 3.5mm jack to RCAs adaptor) to work. Any clever video bods about?

Dave.

 

[cyrano]

For that analog video out, check the source. It might only play from certain sources, as it might be blocked by DRM...

 

[ecc83]

For that analog video out, check the source. It might only play from certain sources, as it might be blocked by DRM...

Wilco, I shall try home garden DVD, but then I do not even get OSD? have to say, not delved deeply, seems it might be down to resolution. Will have a do over the weekend.

Thanks C.

Dave.

 

[mjbphotos]

Arf! Arf! Mike, a 200 watt stereo valve amp would be a thing to behold. And LIFT!

I was referring to old live gig equipment, not home stereo. Amazing what even a 75 watt valve head (an old Bogen PA) can do to cheap Allied/Radio Shack speakers when they're wired in parallel. Luckily replacements back then were $30 each.
Our PA system was the Bogen head, and two old Fender cabinets - one had been in a fire, and someone had spraypainted the wood black (Tolex all burnt off of course) and replaced the grill cloth with a black one - still had the Fender logo emblem on it! It was a Bassman size, and the other was a Showman size, both with the cheap 15" speakers.

 

[RFR]

In direct response to the original post.....

Kali audio has some affordable (299 pair) monitors

Saw them on produce like a pro. Warren Huart seems to like them.

I guess it's a company started by former jbl employees.

Worth investegating at least.

 

[sparky123]

Good to know, thank you!
Maybe I'm better off on my nice open back cans for now since the room will be a problem.
I don't plan to do tens of thousands of dollars in room treatment since it's just a hobby. This kind of sucks because I was hoping when I got out of an apartment and into a house I'd be able to build a music room. Unfortunately homes where I live are just so much.

Thanks Jimmy and others for the responses, too.

You definitely will have have to do some room treatment . And you don't have to spend more than a few hundred to get that room size under control. I basically have the same size room and spent 350 dollars to get where i wanted. I'm not a typical DIY'er but it wasn't hard .Built 6- 4'x2' x4inch deep traps, stuffed with rock wool and went purchase yards of material at Jo Anns fabrics. stretched the fabric tight around the frame ,stapled and it looks as good as artwork hanging on the walls. I use Presonus Sceptre 8's and couldn't be happier.