Seeking active (powered) studio monitor recos

[bduersch]

So, I'm in the process of going through my official bi-annual studio redesign (which isn't really that official, but seems to happen more by coincidence every 2 years). Over the years I've probably sold as much gear as I've bought, and ultimately ended up with a home studio setup that's a little more simple to use and better sounding every time.

Anyway, in the past I've focused on preamps, microphones, sound cards, etc., but the one thing I've neglected the whole time is monitors. I started out using a set of Carvin PM5 monitors with a HT150 power amp; later used a Sony stereo system with the Sony 3-way speakers; then finally switched to a Legion Sound PA system. Needless to say, over the years my monitoring setup has gotten bigger, more complex, and less "flat" sounding than when I started. (Though, perhaps due to experience, I'm producing better mixes now.)

What I'd like to do is get a decent set of active monitors for my studio. I'd like to keep it below $500 a pair. I've heard some good things about the M-Audio BX8's (which seem to be discontinued), and haven't gotten any other recos.

So today's simple question is... what active monitors do you like and recommend? (Or, if you want to recommend passive monitors and a good power amp, that's fine, too)

Thanks,
--Brent

[Harry_D]

Hey Brent,

I really like (and use) a pair of blue Tannoy's.

http://www.tannoy.com/RevealActive

They sounded best in the pricerange when I compared them to a bunch
of other monitors at the shop, even better than the non-active Tannoy Reveal's combined with an amp.

[shredchris]

Some people are gonna cringe here, but what the H ell : behringer b2031A all the way...They're really good and cheap. The BX8 are a good choice too...

[SuperJemBoy]

Wharfedale Diamond Actives 8.1 (or 8.2)

These things are great, me and a friend of mine have been using them for ages, I've never heard a bad thing said about them!

That said, I hear good things about the M-Audio BX-8s too.

Joe

[Tsorovan]

I do not like Tannoys, and rarely have I liked a mix coming off Tannoys, if ever. They're fishy, especially in the bass/treble department.

I guess the M-Audio's might be ok... it's a tricky price bracket you've settled on.

[bduersch]

Well, my quest for monitors ended up being a lot shorter than expected...

I went to Sam Ash today to audition some active monitors... I knew they had the BX8's in stock along with quite a few others. Anyway, I knew going in that most places were selling BX8's for $479 a pair, a few places (like Sam Ash) were selling them for $399 a pair, and Musicians Friend / Guitar Center had been closing them out for $299 a pair.

So I audition them for a few minutes, like what I hear, then ask the clerk if he can match MF's price. He disappears for a small eternity, comes back and tells me that they can't match MF's price because MF is out of stock, but he did me one better, searched around the 'net for me and found them for $239, so he'd match that price. So needless to say, I swipe the ol' credit card faster than you can say "fat a$$ discount" and head for the car with my BX8's.

Well, I wanna go get these hooked up. Got some recording to do!

--B

PS--Thanks for the input, by the way... I had been looking at Behringers & Wharfedale 8.2's already. Had never even heard of Tannoys, but they seem to get really good reviews as well.

[frankfalbo]

If you have the space, keep another set hooked up, like the Sony home stereo ones, or at least something that's more liberal with the bass. Today's music has so much more program below 100hz than just 15 years ago. So I like to make sure I'm not going to "fart out" any particular system with the lows. On certain systems I find that my "perfect mix" can get a little bass intense, and it's not because the bass is too high necessarily, but because of the way it's compressed/limited in relationship to the other frequencies during mastering. Studio monitors are just so tight with the lows because they don't push the air like a big 'ole house speaker. A sub won't really show you that either, because it's designed to handle the lows appropriately. So I keep some mid-sized stereo speakers around and when I'm almost done with something I toggle back and forth.

Really it can be anything, as long as it's very different sonically. Maybe the "acoustic space" compensation on those BX8's can act as a toggle, I don't know. Maybe if you get the sub you can try it with and without the sub crossover engaged, so that you intentionally do get the frequency overlap in the lows, just as a means to check the low end/midrange differential.

Actually, in this day and age, 100 pack of CDR's are so cheap that I usually burn a few "testers" anyway and get them out into different systems. Congrats, they are great monitors.