Markd102 said:
From what I understand, and I'm no expert so somebody carrect me if I'm wrong, bookshelf/hi-fi/consumer speakers are actually designed to color the sound, flatter it and sweeten it up to make it sound "nice".
This is true in SOME cases.
Many consumer/hi-fi speakers shoot for the same properties which make a good recording monitor. For the most part however, consumer models by Pioneer, Polk , etc., aren't up to the task of monitoring, not because of a particular design philosophy difference, but simply because they are not very good by any standard.
I have recommended some hi-fi speaker models on this bbs because they have outstanding linearity and easily out perform some of the common nearfield monitors. You can buy them as kits and are very cheap for their class, but still on the expensive side relative to common monitors.
Believe it or not, professional monitors are slow to embrace the newest technology. The Alesis M1 design has just recently changed and now incorporates driver designs and materials which have been common in hi-fi for almost a decade. The basic layout, drivers, and crossover of say an Event 20/20 are modeled after the common hi-fi 'monitor' (bookshelf on a stand) speaker designs from the mid 1980's. Active hi-fi systems like the 20/20bas also came out around that time but were not well accepted. The only thing really new about most of the common monitors is that they can now build these designs much cheaper than they could 15 years ago.
If you're going to spend a few hundred dollars, buy the speakers sold as "professional monitors" you normally see recommended on this site. If you can spend a $1000 to $1500, then seriously consider some of the kits I have recommended. They are cutting edge, high linearity devices. Of course you'll also need a good amplifier, so this is not and inexpensive alternative to a normal pro monitor. What you will get is world class linearity on a par with far more expensive Genelec or Quested hi-end professional monitors.
barefoot
Ps - True high accuracy also happens to be very, very nice on the ears.
