speaker dilemma

[pellgarlic]

my current setup is this - i record onto my pc, which is hooked up to my sony mhc-551 hifi (about 12 years old now!) for listening back. i want to replace the hifi with something more appropriate to my audiophile ambitions, but which will also be comfortably accommodated by my sparse budget!

i figure i have 3 options to consider:

1. replace the entire setup with active monitors.
2. replace the entire setup with passive monitors and an amp.
3. replace only the stereo (with an amp) and keep the ss-h551 hifi speakers.

i can spend no more than £100, so i have been looking at these possibilities:

m-audio studiophile dx4
m-audio studio pro 3
Edirol MA 7A

all of which are within my budget. i am also interested in these:

Axiom M3it
Axiom M2i
swans m200

but cannot find suppliers in the uk.

i would consider keeping the sony hifi speakers as part of my setup, if i could find any info on their frequency response, or knew a way to measure it myself, because they appear to be pretty good quality. then i could ditch the hifi unit and get an amp, but i have no idea about good amps for this purpose.

i am more tempted to go for active monitors, because it would be simpler, and i am aware of those which have good recommendations, but it would be daft to abandon the speakers i have, if they would be good enough, meaning i could spend all the money on a good amp, rather than a lesser quality set of active speakers.

anyone got any thoughts on this?

 

[gecko zzed]

In your shoes, I would be inclined to keep the Sony system, but invest in a pair of decent monitors. Whether you go active, or passive plus amp, is up to you. The advantage of going passive plus amp is that you can get a pair of speakers that you could upgrade later. However, I have a preference for active. I would keep the Sony system hooked up so that you can switch between it and new monitors. It is always handy to have alternative ways of listening to your mixes so that you see whether they hold up on different systems.

I would not like to recommend any particular brand. You must make that choice, and you do it on the basis of your ears. If you seek advice, make sure that you can trust the advice-giver. In this forum there is a mixture of objective, professional advice and advice based on personal preference. Personal preference doesn't always reflect the true nature of the beast. While faithful reproduction of your recorded material is the key role of monitors (the more faithful the better), there is a fair degree of latitude. By listening to material that you know is well recorded on your system, you can 'tune' your ears to the system, mentally allowing for quirks it may have when you listen to your own playbacks.

If you can find something in your affordable price range, go for it. Many will suggest more expensive alternatives, and with good reasons. However, if something good comes from your work (which can happen no matter what price range), then you always have the option to get better gear later.

This, of course, is the subject of another debate: is it better to buy once, buy expensive, or buy twice, cheap now plus expensive later. My own general approach is to buy what I can afford now (even if I would prefer something better), use it as long as I can, and when circumstances change (it breaks down or I get more money), then upgrade.