What is the best Active Nearfield monitors on the market for around about 500 bucks?

DIRTY69

I have been reviewing all of the monitors in this price range.
I know a fair bit about monitors and that but i have no access
to try them myself : i will most likely order from thomann.

what is your experience with them and which ones do you have some
experience with?

some of the ones i am looking at are here:

http://www.thomann.de/ie/genelec_8020apm_anthrazit_bundle.htm
http://www.thomann.de/gb/krk_rp8_rokit_g2bundle.htm
http://www.thomann.de/gb/fostex_pm1_mkii.htm
http://www.thomann.de/gb/samson_rubicon_r8a.htm

there are a few more too but i am open to suggestions.

I keep hearing to pay as much as you possibly can for the *best* pair that you can afford and that you will thank yourself for that later. I guess i am not sure if that is true, but i am willing to take their word for it and see.

Also, portability or resale value is an issue for me... i might be moving to berlin and need a pair over there if/when i decide to go.

Can I get a decent pair of monitors for €500?

PaulBrewer

Out of that lot I'd vote the 8020s.

The Adams A5s are also worth a gawk ....

All available from your local dealer

Fstudios

If you are looking for resale value stick with the bigger brands, ie genelec and Krk. You'll find the Genelec's a little more top end heavy than the KRK's. If it were my choice i'd go for the KRK but it is really down to personal taste. What really matters is that whatever pair you go for you have to learn the monitors and know how they'll respond to different influence.

How do you do that?? Listen to your favorite music on them, mix on them and then compare on a hi-fi you know and just about every other set of speakers you can get your hands on. Know your space, know your monitors what ever you get, then you can pretty much do anything...

DIRTY69

Cool. I will have a look at the adams and the KRKs. I am doing electronica on them so the bass is important. i havent heard great things about the bass response from the Samsons although i like them a friend has a pair.

i will probably move to berlin in january. I guess the genelecs are fairly portiable with the case that they supply in thomann. i don't know about bringing them over though. i really need some monitors now though.

I have Kef Reference series 102 and sony E400 speakers.. but no amp to power them and also i am not sure if they are up to the job.

madtheory

Looking at the specs, your KEFs are pretty good. Maybe you should spend the money on making bass traps when you get to Berlin, and pick up a used amp- Kenwood, NAD, Sony etc.

DIRTY69

I couldnt take the kefs or the sonys over. too heavy and too bulky

these are the models here:
http://www.audiogon.com/cgi-bin/cls.pl?spkrfull&1262378442

there seems to be similar bookshelf ones as well but they are the tall ones that i have. i am not sure what amp to use to power them. I don't know if it makes more sense to sell these and the sonys and just get the more portable genelecs ..it might make more sense at the moment.

shayleon

+1 on the Adams. Definitely check them before making any decision.

DIRTY69

I will. I gave pauls place a shout on the email i might call up and see if i can have a listen there to decide if they are right for me.

I decided i might sell the others for the right price. i think its fair.
http://www.adverts.ie/showproduct.php?product=159551&cat=500
http://www.adverts.ie/showproduct.php?product=159546&cat=500

hopefully one pays for the other and we're away!

msl

I'd spend a tad more and go for A7s, or the A5s with sub, the 8020s are just too small. I had Rubicons but the smaller ones r6a, no comparison with the A7s, Fostex I wouldn't even bother with. DV generally has better prices lately then Thomann cause of the exchange rate.

petermaher

I agree, go with the A7's. I've had 8020's and 8030's. A7's are way better for the money. Try them anyway.:)

kfoltman

Peter, what about portability aspect? I haven't seen 8020 in person, but seen the A7s, and they're far from portable

madtheory

The 8020 are certainly portable, but they're heavy. I'd prefer Adams to Genelec generally, but that's a big generalisation, I haven't heard all of the models! Speakers can be quite a personal thing.

petermaher

kfoltman wrote: »

Peter, what about portability aspect? I haven't seen 8020 in person, but seen the A7s, and they're far from portable

Well the A7's aren't heavy anyway, what do you mean by portable? They're all small speakers but it's going to take two hands to carry a pair of anything around. If you're thinking of putting them in a flight case it's as easy get one for the A7's as the 8020's. I'd go for the A7's anyway, as I said I've had the 8020's 8030's I also had 1032's, have used 8050's and 1039's(18k stg a pair at the time I think), 1032's were ok, the rest I wouldn't bother with again.
The 8020's are much smaller than the A7's but they also sound much smaller.
The 8020's are tiny in fact but you'd still need two hands to carry a pair around. For 600ish squid i can't think of anything even close to the A7's.:)

JJV

I opted for a pair of A7s as well, mainly based on the lavish praise they receive from users over on Gearslutz. Have to say I'm very pleased with them coming from a pair of KRK V4 Mk1s. (Would have loved a pair of the little PMCs but they were a bit too pricey for me.)

www.jjvernon.com

msl

There's a reason why everybody praises the A7s, great value for money, I love mine. I guess if you really need portability maybe Yamaha MSP3s they are tiny, supposed to be quite good haven't used them though.

TelePaul

DIRTY69 wrote: »

I will. I gave pauls place a shout on the email i might call up and see if i can have a listen there to decide if they are right for me.

And then buy them on Thomann!? :eek:

DIRTY69

hehe. if i get them i'll get them off paul i'd say. now lets see if i can come up with the cash!! :$

TelePaul

DIRTY69 wrote: »

hehe. if i get them i'll get them off paul i'd say. now lets see if i can come up with the cash!! :$

Fingers crossed!

godfrey

for bang-for-buck I'd recommend a used pair of Genelec 1029's. they come up on shEbay now and again and are still a broadcast standard monitor in small spaces and OB trucks. I have 2 pairs: one for my mobile studio and one for 'carry in' jobs. I wouldn't trade them for anything.

g

DIRTY69

what about a set of these i guess they are not bad for the price

http://www.adverts.ie/showproduct.php?product=158219