Active near-fields under $400...

  • Thread starter Thread starter acermove
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acermove

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Hi there,

I've started looking at different active near-field monitors around the place. My limit is about U$400 to get some half-decent ones for recording vocal, acoustic guitar, bass.

A couple of basic questions before I make a fool of myself looking in stores.

How do most monitors connect into the computer? I have an external audio device/soundcard, the Aardvark USB3, which uses 1/4" jacks.

And could I connect a 220W PSW2000 sub-whoofer to whichever monitors I end up getting? It's actually my brother's which he bought with a home theatre system. I don't even know if it would sound good to connect it up.

Any thoughts are welcome...acer
 
Yorkies without a doubt. About the subwoofer, KEF is very discrete about it's specifications (curse them), so I cannot tell exactly how the subwoofer is constructed.

Anyways, that's for you to check. If it has a high pass filter, a 50Hz rolloff would be beneficial. If it only has thru-put, that's fine too. Whatever the case, there shouldn't be any problems getting it all to work.
 
Thanks for the info. guys, appreciate it.

I'm actually down in the land of oz, so I want to avoid paying shitloads for shipping and the like...if possible...

Any aussies know of places around Sydney/Newcastle/Central Coast area that sell these monitors?

Cheers...acer
 
If you are in Australia, why arent you looking at Aussie made speakers. They are much better value than imports as you arent paying shipping costs, customs duty and profit margins for a distributor.

Aussie speaker manufacturers are world class and make accurate speakers suitable for monitoring.

www.vaf.com.au
www.sonique.com.au
www.duntech.com.au

The above 3 companies use time and phase accurate designs that are more accurate than any import in their price range. Duntech Sovereigns are used in top mastering studios around the world. The VAF DC-2 or Sonique 3.5 are suitable for your needs and budget.

Explanation of time and phase coherency
http://www.meadowlarkaudio.com/TC1.htm
http://www.meadowlarkaudio.com/Dbench.htm

Other aussie speakers are:
www.legendspeakers.com.au
www.krix.com.au
www.orpheusaudio.com.au
www.noteperfect.com.au

Match them with an aussie made amp from Redgum. RGi35 has a rrp of A$999.
www.redgumaudio.com (ignore the US prices)

If that is out of your budget then go with a NAD or Rotel integrated. The Redgum is far superior for only a little more.

The only fairly priced import is the Behringer Truth (~A$800) as behringer distributes it themselves. All other imports are overpriced.
 
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Thanks for the links alfalfa. Those time and phrase pages were exactly what I needed. Before that I was reading a bunch of gibberish and understanding little. It gave me basic essentials to look out for.

I recommend it to anyone who is looking to buy monitors. Good read.

However, it also put me in the bind of now knowing that any set of monitors I buy within my current budget will have fundemental flaws. Guess I have to get over it.

When business hours start up I'm gonna give NotePerfect and the Legend guys a ring to ask about a few sets of monitors. I have a hunch that they will be out of my price range, as well as being passive, so I would still need to fork out more cash for an amp. I'll see how it goes.

More probably, I'll end up going for some Behringer Truth's or M-Audio BX8's.

I'm leaning toward the BX8's because of a place in Sydney that has them on special for A$895 (me dad said he'd help out a little with a small no-interest loan).

I can't tell from any photos on the Net whether the BX8's have a slanted baffle or not.

Anyway, if any Aussies are interested, it's at Venue Music in the City (right next to Town Hall). Ring Stefan on 9266 1903. He's a pommie from the Eastend yeah... :)
 
Just to let you know, Behringer, M-Audio and Legend speakers are not time and phase accurate. Some noteperfect speakers are. That doesnt mean they may not be suitable for your needs and budget. The legend joey got a very positive review in the sydney morning herald for example. However I reckon VAF is better value for money (especially as you can assemble it yourself) and you arent paying for a retailer's profit margin or a fancy wood cabinet. Give them a call and explain your needs to them. You can try them out for a week in your home and return them if you are not happy.


Another great site for info on speakers and hifi is:

www.audioperfectionist.com

The first two issues are free to download.
 
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Thanks again alfalfa...the audio perfectionist journals were interesting. It seemed he was more associated with home theatres, rather than studios. It's all sound I guess...

The fact that Behringer and M-Audio aren't time and phase coherent is the reason I am reluctant to buy them- because they have those fundemental flaws.

It was funny reading the explanations of the links explaining time and phase coherency and then reading the sales pitches of the respective monitors at zzounds- it was nearly word-for-word descriptions they said to look out for!!!!!

The fancy talk really is there to lull an un-informed customer into a false sense of security. Ignorance is bliss.

And you mentioned the legend joey- I'm gonna check one of those out at Bondi. Meanwhile, I've emailed VAF and I'm eager to find out what they have to say. I might ring them in a couple of hours when the world wakes up (I'm that anxious)

But if it all turns out to be too expensive, like you said the other ones might do the job fine. My ears probably can't tell the difference anyway. It's worth a try though- why settle for less?

acer
 
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