Monitors - I finally got 'em - compared 3 in store BX5, tr5, 65a

[junplugged]

Cigars. I finally got monitors.

I made a CD with 20 mins of cuts of stuff I listen to a lot and some of my own. There's only one place around that I found that has a couple of shelves of monitors and a switch and cd player and someone who'll actually help you.

After research and a $300 budget I made a list of 5. There's so many variables, like my room vs. theirs - size, carpet, etc., my gear vs. listening on their gear, etc. So really, whatever they had I was ready to get, but luckily they had 3 out of 5 from my list of: Berry Truth 2031A; Event Tr5; Samson Resolv 65a; M-audio BX5; Fostex PM05.

65a was a bit harsh on the upper mids and highs for some reason for my ears and tunes. Tr5 was really smooth, but after hearing the BX5 reproduce my tape hiss on my old mixes from tape, I noticed it wasn't there on the tr5. I want to hear if I have hiss so, even tho they seemed really smooth, maybe flat, no emphasis anywhere, they were also a bit too dead for me and my audio examples.

The guy said that I need 8 inch speakers. I said that would be nice, but.... I listened since he said that I deserve to.... I heard the M-audio BX8. I was glad about that tho, because to me, man, I couldn't stand them. Harsh to me on everything I played thru them. You couldn't give them to me free. Also odd, that the BX5 are the smallest of all that I heard, that's lucky for me, I'm in a shoebox here.

I remember hearing some very awesome 8 inch monitors when I was there last time, but I don't remember what they were, maybe Event - I think it was. I didn't want to feel I had to settle a lot so I didn't bother this time, but the bX8 listen was enough. Also I remember the bass being huge on those bigger one's last week.

These BX8 are at 1/4 volume on the built-in amps and coming stright from my CD player at the moment, and they are sweet. I have yet to play with all the adjustments in the back.

The only thought I had was about the hiss, I was wondering if it was at all internal, but I just listened again to my sample CD and it's not there at all anywhere except my own recordings from the old 4track, so I'm happy with them.

I'm sure a lot of people like the other models, and I'm sure I must be 'crazy' for not liking them myself.

 

[jeffree]

Congrats! You'll find quite a few very satisfied M-Audio owners here. I've been using the BX5s with great results for a year, and I'm looking forward to adding a sub this summer. I'd suggest that you take your time positioning and adapting your new monitors--small changes in location and changes to the switches on the back do produce subtle but important differences. Listen carefully to many CDs while setting things up, and then listen for many many more hours to get to know your new monitors. IMHO, if you don't take some learning time now, you probably won't get the results you want later.

Enjoy,

J.

 

[junplugged]

I've spent hours so far and stayed up till morning. I've moved them a lot. It's amazing how much a few inches and a few degress changes stuff. I had to put them wider apart already. It's amazing how much I'm picking out of CD's that I notice what they're doing. I can hear the room Alanis is singing in, I can hear the mouth sounds Sarah McLachlin is making in Surfacing CD. James Taylor best of is different, Soundgarden was always so dark and moody, now it's too bright. I can't stand it on the monitors....