Cheap Studio Monitors

beavislong

I'm looking to buy some cheap studio monitors to play my GNX4 through. I'm already in the doghouse for spending so much money lately so I'm looking at desktop monitors. A couple that I have looked at are the Alesis M1Active 320 USB Studio Monitor Pair, M-Audio Studiophile DX4 Powered Monitors Pair. I don't need them to be loud. Just accurate. Any experience with monitors in this price range???

jamminmj

Unfortunatley Cheap and Accurate don't really go together. That being said it doesn't mean you cant get a reasonable sound from a lower budget set of monitors. I know alot of people really like the Beringer 2031a's. I for one will not buy their products for professional reasons. But if you want cheap they may well suit you. There are many used monitors for sale on ebay and if you go to guitar centers website and look under used equipment you may be able to get a better pair for less money. There are also many Brokers of used sound gear that have some great prices on good used studio monitors. It's always of course better if you can hear them first to know the components all work proper. Krk and MAudio and Yamaha have monitors that are in the lower budget that have gotten good reviews. JBL's have long been a standard. I have seen used JBL's so cheap on the web that even if I had to recone them they would be a deal. Just as with anything else the first thing is how much can you spend, and what is the best you can do for the price point. Before anyone can really give you a specific Brand or Model they need to know what you can spend. My four top choices are Genelec,Adams, JBL and KRK. Figure out what you can afford and then got out and listen to a bunch of them. You might hate the monitors I would suggest, but they would be accurate and probably not real cheap. Or as the saying goes, Buy Cheap, Buy Twice. $300.00 will get you a stellar pair of headphones or a cheap pair of monitors. Food for thought.

iliace

What MJ says is correct. You don't want to short-change yourself - if anything, save up and get a decent set for when you're about to be getting out of the doghouse and don't mind getting back in there to get some nice-sounding monitors.

I, for one, did not like the sound of KRKs. I know there are people who love them, and more power to them, but I just didn't find them to be accurate.

As far as not-terribly-expensive, since you aren't going for loud, I have 20-watt version of these and LOVE them:

http://www.edirol.net/products/en/MA-15D/index.html

There doesn't seem to be a set of the ones I have, but it's certainly something to take a look at.

That said, I've also used my 10+year-old stereo with GNX3, 4, and 3000. It does the trick. Not \"accurate\" in the pro-studio sense of the term, but what difference does it really make to you? Have a look:

philflood

I have the M Audio DX4 set. I like 'em. Obviously they lack in the bass end. For playing the GNX4 at low to moderate volumes, I don't have a problem with them, although lately I've been thinking about getting something a little more beefier.

beavislong

Not \"accurate\" in the pro-studio sense of the term, but what difference does it really make to you? Have a look:

I guess acuuracy isn't my main concern. I just want something to play through when I don't want to use my amp. Also something to help me mix with when I actually get to that stage....

I'm sure they aren't great but the speakers I listed originally while only around 100 bucks get decent reviews and would be better than my computer speakers....

pumarolo

Look on the new MAckies MR5. They are amazing and they are only $300 a pair. Go to GC test them there, I just bought mine!

iliace

\beavislong\ wrote:

I guess acuuracy isn't my main concern. I just want something to play through when I don't want to use my amp. Also something to help me mix with when I actually get to that stage....

And that's my point. If you have a home stereo system with decent wattage, try this. Find the aux in RCA connectors (on the mixer if you have one). Get a cable that connects 1/4\" to RCA - I use these:

http://www.musiciansfriend.com/product/Monster-Cable-DJ-Cable-Dual-RCA-to-14?sku=331690

Set your GNX to have 1/4 in stereo (Mono XLR, Stereo Fx, Stereo All, etc). Turn 1/4 speaker compensation ON (at least to start). Plug into your home audio - be careful to start out with low output on the GNX and increase it gradually. I think you will be pleased with what you hear. For full effect, try some stereo delays on it.

jamminmj

Great point, and after all Yamaha NS 10's made many a million dollar selling album and they are by far not one of the best sounding monitors ever produced.