Monitors for ~$500 - Recommendations?

If I confused anyone regarding my thought of "drag", I didn't get the info from any one person but from the pure mathematics involved. Just as a printed circuit board creates very small but measurable capacitance between etched traces, an amplifier or any other electrical device will create a magnetic field at a tangent to the wire. In our dreamworld of the "perfect" amplifier, we always refer to a "straight wire with gain". Well, according to Amperes law, if your powered (active) speakers have a total load of 100 watts, the amperage necessary for the circuit is then 115v*xamps=100 watts. Our hypothetical speaker then 'shows' a load of 1.15 amperes. In amperes law, the resulting magnetic field at 1 METER (around 3 feet) is a paltry 2.306x10^-6, but at 6 inches the overall field generated is 1.38x10^-5. The resulting drag, which you could also assume to be an extra field additive to the speaker, which for our example at six inches is creating a field strength of about .00019044. When we convert, we get an amplifier field (real world numbers) that can fluctuate between 0 and 1.9044 Gauss, and a speaker field,also fluctuating anywhere between 0 and 1.4 Gauss, also at a six inch distance. Now the actual gauss rating at the magnet is much larger. However, just as I may not "hear" the capacitance in a circuit board (altho all us old tubehead geeter players will argue that idea), I can't hear or see the magnetic drag. I can't see air either but I breathe it in all day long (at least MOST of the time I can't see it):rolleyes:
 
Oz,
I think you're contradicting yourself:
One final thought. When I buy tools anymore I try to buy them for a specific purpose and not a one tool does it all. I think amps are built for a specfic use and speakers can be built for a specfic use, for some reason combining the two does not seem like the best approach for a studio, but that is just my opinion.
Click to expand...

I bought one tool, powered monitors. For the specific purpose of monitoring mixes. The amps, speakers and crossovers are designed and closely matched to work with each other. My monitors are Bi-amped, separate amps for lows and highs. It makes no sense to me that buying components designed totally independent from one another would work better than a solution where everything is controlled, spec'd and matched.

Now if you said get an amp and a set of monitors, thinking that eventually you'll get another set, and A/B your mixes, then you've got me there....

And Bud,
If my monitors are shielded, is it possible that they also shielded the amps from the speakers and vice versa????

Queue
-loves his JBL LSR25ps-
 
powered verses non

Everything I said was just an opinion. A system desgined from start to finish should have excellent response. I think the only thing that is important is that you get a flat response, which from my experience is not so easily achived nor is it a point that I can expect everyone to agree with me about. It seems that everyones hearing is a little different and for those of us who work with machinery for long periods or listen to loud music to long, it begins to suffer, which is why I like being able to measure something by a known standard. But if you want to pick studio monitors by what your ear tells you, which is what I did, go for it. Powered or passive makes no difference to me. I was just giving my opinion with no particular type in my mind to defend. Powered monitors were not an option when I built or bought my speakers and since I do have an A/B setup it works for me. After all anyone building studio monitors should have done his homework and the big deciding difference should come in the market place.

About shielded speakers, it is my understanding that because of thier magnets and the effect they have on data stored in your computer that they have to be shielded. Want to ruin a credit card or floppy disk just get a good strong magnet and run over it and see what you have left. If I'm wrong let me know.

I am currently workin on a degree in electrical engineering so I am not ready to discuss all of the math, capicitance, and resistance involved, even though I have had to work out some of this stuff building crossovers. The ultimate test was the spectrum analyizer and our ears and it seemed like that came down to using pro componets, mostly JBL and EV, both of which are excellent in my opinion.

I knew I was going out on a limb about the mixing issue, but I think the point is worth considering. I will probably catch hell from that statment , but it will not be the first time. I just believe in considering every nuance of any effort in order to gain an edge or improve on your peformance. But when it comes right down to it the reason I read and post to this site is to learn and if possible share what I know, not to be a competitor.


Keep the Faith Ozlee:cool:
 
when it comes right down to it the reason I read and post to this site is to learn and if possible share what I know
Click to expand...

I'm with you there, OZ. Not trying to compete, just pointing out a difference in opinion. Things get a little screwey here, because all the communication is asynchronous, and without all the body language and vocal inflection that we rely on in normal communication.

So we'll agree to disagree on the active/passive thing.

As for the shielding, I understand that the main reason for shielding is to reduce/eliminate the effect the monitors would have on your, uh, monitor (the CRT), but wondered if it was possible that they were also shielding the built-in amps from the speakers...

Queue
 
uh? that monitor!?

The size of most computer speakers may not produce the same electro magnetic signature as a pair of effiecent JBL monitors with a power amp or not, but your computer's ram and hardrive will have an alergic reaction if they are not shielded and placed within the field they create. I think you are right about the monitor (crt) as well, but I do not think it is as permanent as it could be to your cpu, as in loss or corruption of data. I have not had the problem with our tv, now or in the past, from locating my speakers to close. But I do have everything well grounded.

I don't disagree about your monitors, especially since you have JBL. I studied thier enginerring, it is rock solid, and so is the quality of thier products. I appreciate bieng able to disagree with our respect for each other intact. I don't know everything and I am not afraid to admit it. I don't think anyone who posts at this site will be able to get away for very long with bullshit. I just hope people will give me a chance to recover from bieng stupid when the time comes I step in it, if you know what I mean.

The discusion of loud speakers and speaker desgin is something that every audio engineer has an opinion about and a favorite desgin or brand. I was hoping to offer the KLH SX-7 as one worth considering as a low cost quality component worth checking out. I think you can still buy these, and thier cost should be well under $200.00 for the pair.

I forgot to mention that each of my big cabs have a single JBL E110 that covers from 500Hz to 10,000 Hz, but I am still tinkering with the crossover points for it. This is one of the finest componets I ever tested or listened to imho. My big cabs just don't make good nearfield monitors. They beg to be played loud. They seem to come to life when you start getting em cranked.

Keep the Faith Ozlee :cool:
 
Everything else just screams Radidio Shaque!

Tannoy Reveals.

Screw the rest. No, wait a minute... I take that back!

UNSCREW THE REST!





In my humble opinion....

Faithmonster;)
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top