Budget monitors

[Ree Fungorio]

Can some of you folks recommend a fairly decent, no-frills pair of studio monitors and an amplifier to match in the under $500 range? I have been monitoring by phones until now but want to get more accurate and less ear fatigue. I bought a powered fostex PS3 system but in my opinion it sounds like crap.

Thanks,
Ree

 

[S8-N]

You can get the Event 20/20P's for this price but you need a decent sized room to hear them properly... and you best not be concerned with hearing the low end... With the 20/20's it just isn't there...

S8-N

 

[Jim Marquard]

I have had the pleasure to hear a set of Alesis M-1 biamp powered monitors. They were pretty sweet and run right $500. Events seem to be very popular at this sight. If you already have a power amp for the monitors, both companies make passive versions. Again, Alesis makes a Monitor 2 system which looks to have some lower frequency (bass) response. Just know that all "proper" monitors are supposed to have flat frequency response, meaning that all the music should have equal "volume" comparitively. Listen to the radio and you will hear a very "non" flat response--lots of emphasis on the bass. Just be prepared for a very different sound then a radio station or your home stereo.

Along with this question, does anybody have any opinions using some of the better bookshelf type speakers for monitoring. They don't seem to have huge differences in their frequency response and are a heck of a lot cheaper than "pro" monitors.

Peace, Jim

 

[dobro]

Jim - yes, I want to know about the shelf speaker thing as well. Have you checked out any brands in particular? I'll be in the market for a new sound system soon (bits of the present one are starting to either come loose or not work), and if shelf speakers could serve double duty as reasonably accurate monitors, I'd be happy to sacrifice studio 'credibility' for something that works.

 

[drstawl]

The Event 20/20 passives are the flattest bookshelf system I've ever heard. And that includes Advents, Polks, Rogers, Fultons etc.
all in the same size range.
I've seen them for $159 each.