Miro made some valid points on the preference thing. It really doesn't apply.
My preference in many things is so high above what I can get. As an example, how many men on this forum have a "preference" for a sports illustrated model as a spouse? And then you look at the wife you actually have.
Preference is controlled by ability to obtain.
Then we have familiarity.
I like using NS10s. The debate over the years that they're great /they're crap has been hotly raging.
Why did I get them? A pro with lots of studio experience said I should. He happened to work with Prince, so who was I to Aurgue. They were also in every 'real' studio. So, with an endorsement like that and evidence in the real world of them being 'The' nearfeild monitors, I got em and learned them.
Do I prefer them??? I don't know. I know that I'm familiar with them.
So in the ongoing monitoring discussion, it is a very confusing time.
1) so many choices
2) so much hype
3) so much fashionable thinking as in this is the new 'hot' monitor
3) so much snobbery on other forums like gearslutz. The attitude of "you couldn't possibly make good mixes if you didn't have a set of (insert current trendy, super expensive speaker)
Yet for years, great, and great sounding, records were made with NS10s in the monitoring chain.
How could this be if they are such shitty speakers?
Talent. That and all the other factors involved.
You had a great room, great mics, great instruments, great players, seasoned engineers, arrangers, producers etc.
Also you had something that the average home studio doesn't have.
Expensive soffit mounted tracking monitors..
When an expert mics up a drum kit with good mics, the kit is tuned, and you have a great player, it's borderline a religious experience.
In that control room listening on the big boys, it sound like real life.
Most of the basic mixing stuff is done in the tracking stage.
You're not gonna get the same vision on a set of 5 inch krks
So in a home recording environment the mixing monitors do double duty as tracking monitors.
So get the best you can afford and learn them.
And like Miro did with his focal upgrade,
when you outgrow your current monitors, get better ones.
Sorry for the longer than usual post from me.