just got my first set of monitors and i have some questions

[s34nsm411]

the monitors i got are krk rp8s. the first thing i noticed was it isnt very bassy, or very loud, but before this i had some klipsch computer speakers with a subwoofer, is this how it should sound?

these things are bigger than i expected, i almost want to return them and get the v4s since they were the same price, would that be a better solution or would the smaller speaker size be too much of a loss of bass?

also, im using a podxt as an interface with the krk's connected to the two audio outs and the usb as the connection to the computer. is this fine for an interface setup or am i getting some sort of signal degradation this way?

 

[pdadda]

You are used to HI-FI consumer speakers. The EQ on these has a smile shape with a boost in the lows and highs. Be careful-monitors are supposed to sound accurate, not flattering. I have no experience with your monitors though. Listen to some CD's you are familiar with through them to get used to how to mix the way you want.

 

[NegadivOne]

I have some krk rp5s and I have them hooked up to the audio outs on my guitarport. I tried a bunch of different combinations and I didnt notice anything bad this way.

 

[Lambo]

That's a very nice set of monitors and definitely a major step up from computer style speakers! Congrats! As pdadda said monitors are not meant to be flattering (hyping low/high frequencies) but are made to be accurate in that you only get out of them what you put into them. There is a learning curve involved and therefore as was suggested listen to some of your favorite CD's and hear how they sound through speakers having a flat frequency response. Your favorite songs will sound different unhyped. Don't attempt to apply eq to force your near field monitors to sound like hi-fi speakers; a common mistake with people being exposed to near-fields for the first time. I've heard of people adding subwoofers to achieve that "thump" but that is defeating the purpose of a near field monitor. Again, congrats on your new monitors!

 

[CIRO]

Congratulations! (no more "smile eq", excessive bass "boomy" ,no more ear fatigue cause by "HI - Fi" high frequencies)

 

[GmanJeff]

I have a pair of RP8s and they can play to deafening levels in my fairly large basement, so your characterization of them as not playing very loudly is puzzling. You may want to compare yours to a pair in a store, adjusting both pair to the same settings, to make sure yours are functioning properly. As for the bass, as others folks have said, it's just not unnaturally hyped, but it's definitely there. The V4s, which I also considered buying, may (or may not) offer you some qualitative advantage in the mid-high region, but will certainly reproduce less bass than the RP8s. The V4s have a smaller woofer and much less speaker cabinet volume, and don't have as much bass extension. The published specs for both models will probably bear this out - I expect they are available on KRK's web site.