Speakers for listening - Studio monitors?

[skenderbeg]

Hi,

I have been thinking about/researching/listening to find a solution for ages. I don't want to stir up controversy but the wealth of experience here could prove usefull.

I produce music a bit, DJ a lot, and listen to music a lot. I currently have a (reasonably basic) hi fi system (amp + speakers). I am in the market for upgrading my home system. I have been dabating either home hifi speakers / studio monitors / small pa speakers and everything in between..!

Basically the conclusion seems to be hi-fi equipment (audiophile type gear) is overpriced. Or rather you pay for looks and design etc. whereas in bang for buck terms pro audio gear wins (whether pa or studio).

There are only two thing holding me back from monitors:

1) Does a flat respone designed to highlight inadequate mixes make casual listening sound wearring/aggresive/clinical or unpleasant over time?

2) Monitors are 'near field'. Some home listening will be in the near field (when working at a computer or DJing) but sometimes you just wonder round the room or sit in a chair. Can near field monitors sound bad at a distance / have unbalanced frequency response as you move out of the sweet spot?

This thread seemed most informative:

http://www.djtechtools.com/forum/sho...light=monitors

I have flexible budget but up to around $1000. This obviously goes a lot further for studio monitors than home hifi stuff. Listen to mainly electronic music (psytrance specifically..!).

Id like to get your ideas. Nem0nic and LanceBlaise seemed to have some interesting opinions.

Thanks.

[LanceBlaise]

Budget??

[n2hf1st]

I have flexible budget but up to around $1000.

..

[LanceBlaise]

..

Missed that, sorry.

Well that is a really good budget, Adam Audio A7 Powered Studio Monitors are pretty nice. You should be able to find a pair under $1000

[skenderbeg]

Thanks for the reply LanceBlaise. I found your comments in the thread I mentioned most interesting. I was mainly wondering about the pro's and cons of studio monitors (nearfield, flat response speakers) versus 'hifi' speakers. I will not be doing so much producing so it's primarily for home listening / preparing sets for DJing.

Some people argue you get much better bang for buck with 'pro' equipment. So for the money studio monitors would get me some really nice sound quality.

There are though disadvantages for listening, or so I have gathered.

1) The deffinition in the highs may lead to a fatiguing sound? Perhaps good monitors sound too precise / clinical for continued casual listening?

2) Nearfield. This means the off-axis response will generally be worse than 'hifi' speakers which I (again I imagine) tend to be more midfield. Is this correct? For listening I won't always be up close in the 'sweet spot'.

I basically would like to buy studio monitors (as they look a bit more 'you get what you pay for' than the mysterious hifi/audiophile world). However, perhaps there are disadvantages for my purpose and I'm better off sticking with the consumer / hifi world?

[LanceBlaise]

I don't think there is anything wrong with using the studio monitors for listening or DJing. I always tell people not to use the same monitors for DJing to produce on....

as for your questions:
1. I don't think you wil have a big issue with the highs.... and I don't think they are too precise for casual listening...
2. Alot goes into the room and positioning of the speaker. I do think there is a little bit of a difference in using a monitor when your aren't up close, all the technical jargin aside, I listen to my tracks on multiple systems etc. When I listen to my produced tracks in front of my monitors as opposed to not infront of the computer I can notice a difference. But do I think it should deter you from listening to music on them casually? No, if the room is proper and you have them positioned properly in that room then you should be ok...

Again, alot of this stuff I think is highly debatable, as everyone's ear is different, and some people train their ear differently than others...

[aviax]

I don't think there is anything wrong with using the studio monitors for listening or DJing. I always tell people not to use the same monitors for DJing to produce on....

Why would you suggest that specifically? (I'll be in the market soon for some new monitors)

[LanceBlaise]

Why would you suggest that specifically? (I'll be in the market soon for some new monitors)

Well mainly because people tend to abuse Dj'ing speakers a little more, turn it up , and up, and up , and up... There are the issues with different levels of tracks, pops in tracks etc... no matter how meticulous of a mixer you may be there is still the outside chance of what the track can do... I never let anyone touch my gear in the studio, but I don't mind letting a friend jump into a mix or whatever on my DJ gear, and well I just don't want that abuse on my production gear... its way more important to me.

[skenderbeg]

I too was interested why you recommended separate monitor and DJing speakers from the other extensive thread. I guessed that was the reason - protect from abuse. Nice to clear it up.

hmm... perhaps I will seriously consider studio monitors then. I will have to go round pro audio shops and hifi shops and see for myself.

Anyone have any experience of these?

http://www.avihifi.co.uk/adm9.html

They look like the best of both worlds (active biamped but presuably with hifi like characteristics such as midfield etc). Or are they just overpriced nice looking studio monitors?

[Bialykot]

I have the AFM9.1s and they are aimed more at domestic market but with some good attributes - proper active speakers with built in amps for bass and treble units. They have 3 high quality DACS plus an analogue input as well, are remote control switchable with the volume setting being remembered for each input. They play loud and very undistorted and sound great with good recordings, but revealing with poor ones. The bass rolls off quickly below 60Hz but is good and clean for most music other than electronic stuff with really low bass, in which case a sub helps. I had some B&W Nautilus passive speakers prior to these fed by a high quality 200W RMS /ch amp and these are comparable to that set up and in some respects play louder and cleaner. Very good value for domestic set up and look smart too in different finishes (I have the piano gloss black).