My Near-Field Monitor Shootout

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clivus

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I decided to bite the bullet and buy some REAL monitors after years of cobbling together monitor systems from various home stereo components. As I was going to be passing thru St. Louis today, I called ahead to the Guitar Center, where a knowledgable salesman named Scott agreed to arrange a shootout of powered monitors with 8" woofers. I took several CDs of familiar material and a sound pressure level meter and spent about an hour evaluating offerings from KRK, Behringer, Mackie, M-Audio, JBL and Yamaha. I had a budget of $700. My shootout winner (and newest residents of my mixing console) are a pair of Yamaha HS80M's. To my ears, they had the flattest response and clear, un-hyped bass. The (minor) downside--when no music is playing thru them they have a noticeable hum. I remixed a few things this evening and am pleased with how well the mixes translate to other systems, boom boxes etc.
 
cOol - Haven't heard those but new monitors are always a cause for celebration :)
 
post on..... great effort, ...thats a helluva a shootout..
 
I remixed a few more things on the new Yamahas--really like them a lot!
 
clivus said:
The (minor) downside--when no music is playing thru them they have a noticeable hum.
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This may be a simple case of removing the shield connection on the XLR (if you are using the balanced connections) at the speaker end of the cable. You may have a slight earth loop.

Alan.
 
witzendoz said:
This may be a simple case of removing the shield connection on the XLR (if you are using the balanced connections) at the speaker end of the cable. You may have a slight earth loop.

Alan.
Click to expand...

Thanks for this suggestion. I am using the unbalanced inputs directly out of a switching box (for A/B-ing my mixes) which is hooked up to a Lexicon Omega and a CD player. How would I check for an earth (ground?) loop with this setup?
 
You cant disconnect the ground on an unbalanced setup because the ground is also the negative. Are you using RCA's?
 
You could put one of these between the switch box and the monitors, that way the signal ground and signal positive are both lifted via a transformer.

Alan.
 
Murdersgalore said:
You cant disconnect the ground on an unbalanced setup because the ground is also the negative. Are you using RCA's?
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The output jacks of the Lexicon and the unbalanced input jacks of the monitors are both 1/4". The switchbox has RCA jacks.
 
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I try to avoid using RCA as much as possible. They are usually noisy.
 
Murdersgalore said:
I try to avoid using RCA as much as possible. They are usually noisy.
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Wrong: A good RCA connection is no more noisier than a Jack plug. The problem is you have to have a good RCA connection not some cheap cable that came free with the DVD Player.

Alan.
 
witzendoz said:
Wrong: A good RCA connection is no more noisier than a Jack plug. The problem is you have to have a good RCA connection not some cheap cable that came free with the DVD Player.

Alan.
Click to expand...

I will try this--I have some well-shielded RCA cables around somewhere that can be adapted to 1/4" at one end. Thanks for the suggestions!
 
GONZO-X said:
you should not hear any hum.
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I was wondering if it was 'normal' for these units, as both of them do it while connected to the output of my Lexicon Omega. Need to try other sources for comparison.
 
The Lexicon Omega outs are TRS...tip, ring, sleeve
The Inputs to the Yamaha HSM80 are XLR or TRS

Try to use TRS cables?

Then use good CD player cables to connect the CD to the Lexicon.

You'll probably be good to go.
 

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CoolCat said:
The Lexicon Omega outs are TRS...tip, ring, sleeve
The Inputs to the Yamaha HSM80 are XLR or TRS

Try to use TRS cables?

Then use good CD player cables to connect the CD to the Lexicon.

You'll probably be good to go.
Click to expand...

Ahhhh--got it! thanks!
 
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