KRK RP8 monitors

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Mr. Moon

Mr. Moon

Force of Naked
Hi.

I will soon be upgrading monitors from my Alesis M1 MkII's to something with an 8" driver and in the $500.00-$700.00 (per pair) price range. I will be using them to mix (and quickie-master) songs which will mostly range from acoustic guitar type stuff to guitar-based hard rock, there will be no thumping rap tunes crossing my path (I hope, I hope!!), so getting the deep-super-thump-bass is not my main priority. I am looking for monitors which will be more accurate accross the mids and bass, as the M1 MkII's are a bit "mushy" for me. I have learned to mix fairly well with the M1 MkII's, but I believe that need to upgrade as when I listen to project tunes on other systems with better monitors, my ears can now hear all the details that I'm missing.

I have researched the following monitors:
1. KRK RP8's
2. Tapco S8's
3. Event TR8XL's
4. M-Audio BX-8's

I was able to check out the KRK's and the Event's at the local Guitar Satan, but their monitoring setup was totally f#cked, and everything sounded like sh1t, even the Mackie 824's they had there (...but that's a whole other story which I will not go into now). No other local dealer carries these monitors in stock, so to hear them I'd have to order them, major suckage!!

At this point, I am leaning heavily toward the KRK RP8's. I have only heard one bad review of them, so I asked for some clarification, but have not heard back yet. And yes, I have tried searching the forum here for info on the KRK's, but there's not too much useful info about them that I could find...

So, I need help from folks who have good and bad comments on any/all of these monitors. Any feedback on any of these, or any additional monitor suggestions, would be much appreciated. I should note that I cannot go above my price range at this time, so there's no need to discuss how great the Adam's, Mackie's, and other higher-cost monitors would sound. :)

Thanks!

-mr moon
 
Yo Moon of the fullest:

I have just upgraded to KRK ST8s == about the same price as Yorkvilles but, as you mentioned, the KRKs have an 8 " woofer -- Yorkvilles have only 6.5 woofer.

I liked my Yorks but like the KRKs better -- richer sound.

Try to hear the monitors before you buy or buy with a well-defined return policy from the vendor.

Green Hornet :eek: :eek: :eek: :D
 
I got my RP-8s about a month and a half ago. I love them. They're loud as shit and sound good all the way up. I thionk they'd be a good investment. They sounded amazing at the guitar center i heard them at. They sounded better than the 20/20s when I listened to them side by side.

I've recorded/mixed a progressive metal band, a rock band, an acoustic song, and even done up a dance mix on them. It all sounds great. I think I like them so much because the midrange sounds alot like the midrange of the speakers I used to use.

Try them out again if you can. I love them.
 
I own a pair of the KRK RP8s and they rock. Mackie Tapcos are good to but a little hyped in the top and bottom. RP8s are flat +/-1db all the way up. You will be very very happy with the KRKs.
 
Yes..........Go KRK

I've had the RP-8 monitors for about 2 months now. I to listened to them next to every other monitor in the studio monitor rig at Gutiar Center, even the brand new top of the line Event Studio Precision 8 monitors, and these KRKs flippin blew the rest of them away.
I've mixed and listen to mixes from Hip Hop to Modern Rock to remixed Worship, and they handle it all with a flat range all the way up and down.
For sure get the RP-8 monitors.

AlexAsay
 
There was a great article in a recent "Electronic Musician" that reviewed and compared 6 different monitor sets in the $500-$700 range; I would recommend trying to find a copy, and if you can't, I (or someone) could try to paraphrase the article for you.
 
I just bought the RP8s online a few seconds ago. I have the rp5s right now, and love them, but I just got a deal to buy a pair of RP8s new for $320! I'll post a review once I have a chance to break them in. Oh, and if you're interested (not spam, just thought you would be interested), I am selling my rp5s now.
 
OK here goes

I hate to be the odd guy in here. But in my opinion I didnt really like the krk's

about 2 weeks ago I went to the local pro shop and tested the

KRK r8
KRK r5
Mackie hr828
event tr8
event tr6

Well I now am a very happy owner of the event tr6's
To me they where very detailed and very flat at the same time.
But that is what I look for in a monitor. Many people who say the KRK's "rock"
and im not sure what that really means, cause if that means it makes all the
music sound better? Then that is what I call a monitor that "lies" and that doesnt rock at all.

Dont mean to step on anyones toes, monitors are about as subjective as mics, but in my opinion , the KRK's where a little hyped in the top end, and way scooped in the mids. I felt the events where the least hyped.

peace
 
RP8's

same as i always say-

I liked the RP8's but once I had em at home in
my 10x10x8 rooom on sitting on my small desk
3-ft infront...they were "too big" for my
taste...I could feel the woofer blowing air
in my face.

They are sweet, loud and clean...
this size would fit nice in more of a "pro" studio...larger room
or maybe further away? just my opinion to consider.

go read about some speaker dispersion threads- (distance)
smaller speakers are generally "nearfield".
yes, there is a difference between Kevlar,Aluminum, etc...
the physics and design guys aren't totally insane looneys.

sound is about moving air.
lo freqs=slower/longer wave= require bigger cones, (slow)8,10,12,15"
hi freq's=faster/shorter signal= require smallcones(fast)1"2"
mid freq's? you get it. 4,5,6.5,7, "
you get it.

Fender vs Gibson...a lot of personal taste too.

If i was rich I'd have about 4 or 5 pairs!
 
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Frusciante_Fan said:
Dont mean to step on anyones toes, monitors are about as subjective as mics, but in my opinion , the KRK's where a little hyped in the top end, and way scooped in the mids. I felt the events where the least hyped.
Click to expand...


Wow. I feel completely different about mine. I just bought the V8's and the 10" KRK sub, and I have had to turn my 1db switch up to allow more high frequencies in to the mix. My mixes were translating to bright and too brittle. I had used the Events, and I thought they were great at making the loud stuff shine (like kick drum and high SPL instruments) but I felt a little robbed by everything else they translated as well as had real bad ear fatigue after just a couple hours at a time. But, to each his own. I am glad you are liking your Events.

Pete Kopplin
Meter 12
Burn Cycle Records
 
Im sure your right dude. I havent heard the "V8".
I can only comment on the rp8. Im sure the V8's are much better.

What kind of events where you using before?
 
Update: KRK RP8's

I ended up purchasing a pair of the KRK RP8's about 10 months ago to replace my Alesis M1 MKII's that I had grown out of after about a year and a half or so. I chose the KRK's because they were the least pretty-sounding, most accurate monitors I was able to personally audition. I compared them to the Event TR-8's, Alesis DSP 8's, and Tapco 5's. Later, I was able to hear the Behringer 2301b's too, but they were not available to me before I made my purchase.

*TO MY EARS* the RP8's were much more accurate in the mids and bass, without the hyped sound that the Behringers and Events seemed to have to me. The DSP's sounded way hyped in the high-end, and the Tapcos just sounded like a cardboard box with speakers in them, really thin and funky. The representative at the store told me that he had not heard the Tapco 8's, but that he had been told their sound was similar to the Tapco 5's, with a bit more low-end, but with the same boxy sound.

The KRK's are great to mix with and produce mixes that translate really well. The only *minor* issue I have with them, and it is a minor issue, is that they are a bit shy on the low-end, so my mixes tended to translate out a bit bass heavy, but after a couple of mixes, I have learned to mix with them well. The midrange accuracy blows me away!! These are VERY accurate for their price range, I will say this again to drive (pun intended) the point home: ...FOR THEIR PRICE RANGE.

-mr moon
 
I've had M-Audio BX8a's for about a year and a half now and my first comment is they are pretty bass heavy. I thought perhaps it was the acoustics in my room (which is another issue) but after reading some specs and reviews online I realized other people had the same comments. Though it does sound cool to have thumping bass we're looking for accuracy, not thump.

Also, I noticed my mixes were translating to be lacking in the highs and upper mids and were coming out mushy. I did some more research and found people who agreed and belived the BX8a's to be too top heavy as well, producing mixes lacking in the upper register.

These were my first monitors ever and thats why it took me over a year to come to accept the goods and bads of these monitors. It took a lot of poorly translated and wasted CD's to come to this final realization.

In my honest opinion, don't get the BX8a's. I'm considering selling mine and going over the the KRK's.
 
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Oh man, nice ultra bump.

For that matter, I was in a demo room where I tested the KRK RP5, 6, and 8, and the 6 was the best sounding IMO. The guy who was demoing the units said that it wasn't just the individual unit, he's tested multiple models of each and almost everytime the 6 came out on top.

I ended up buying the 6's. Sound great. Just need a good room to put them in :P
 
Huh! I didn't realize the thread was so old...! I just did a search for BX8a's and KRK's.

Seafroggy's howz the low end on those RP6's?
 
Well my listening enviornment is shit so they sound muddy. But when I put my hands behind my ears to remove reflections and get more of the direct sound, the low end is pretty good. Granted I'm a complete novice when it comes to monitor usage, so take my opinion with a grain of salt.
 
From my research i found that The krk's have a very good price to performance ratio, and considering that ive seen some videos of timabaland also using them im guessing they are good.

check link
http://www.djzone.net/pg/news/wire/krk-systems-monitors-feat.shtml

My only alternative would be the yamaha hs 8 but im also going for the krk for 2 reasons

1 curved box (which reduced bad diffusion of sound) kinda like the genelec monitors

2 : they have the air hole from the front , so if your in a limited space and have your monitors in front of a wall you will be hearing the lower range clearer cause the air wont be bouncing of the wall and giving wrong levels and clarity on bass sounds

and thirdly ,...that yellow cone just looks awsome :P
 
I wasn't at all impressed by the BX8s when I compared them against the Mackie HR824mkII and the KRK Rokit RP8-G2. The BXs had harsh distorted highs and absent mids. I bought the KRKs. I'd still have bought them even if I'd had the money for the Mackies. The Mackies sound great (as you'd expect at that price) but aren't as revealing as the KRKs. The RP6 and RP5 sound good too - they both have those nice smooth revealing tweeters. Some people turn up the HF control and I did during the listening test but since I got them home I've kept them flat.
 
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