Advise for buying monitors

Paulj

Hi guys,
I'm looking to buy a set of active nearfield monitors and my price limit is about 200euro. I'm just starting out so i don't want to spend more than this right now. I've been looking at thomann's selection:
http://www.thomann.de/ie/cat_PG_2.html?gf=active_nearfield_monitors&oa=pra

In particular i was thinking of either:
samson resolve a5 : http://www.thomann.de/ie/samson_resolv_a5.htm
OR
samson studio gt : http://www.thomann.de/ie/samson_studio_gt.htm

The 2nd one has the advantage of an inbuilt audio interface which i'll probably need to buy at some point anyway.

Does anybody have experience of either of these models? Whats the sound like... and would i be better going to a shop and buying there so that i can have a listen before i buy?

Any advice is much appreciated...

I'll be using these for production using ableton or Reason and also general listening to mp3s...

Thanks!!

splitrmx

Get these instead: http://www.thomann.de/ie/alesis_m1_aktiv_monitor_mk_ii.htm

old gregg

splitrmx wrote: »

Get these instead: http://www.thomann.de/ie/alesis_m1_aktiv_monitor_mk_ii.htm

Indeed, as entry level monitors these are great. I bought these, spent ages listening to reference tracks, getting the room somewhat right before using them in anger and was very happy with the investment. They aint going to be as good as pro monitors but nothing to be embarrassed about having in your room.

DamagedTrax

if you're going for the alesis i would strongly advise stuffing the sub ports with socks. while they sound very nice to listen to, you're mixes will always translate very bass light due to the hyped low end messing with your perception.

Paulj

Thanks for the recommendation but unfortunately i can't afford the Alesis... 200euro is all i can manage at the moment

madtheory

That EUR200 bracket for monitors is to fill a perceived need in the market, it's not going to get you decent monitoring. IMO you're better off with a good set of headphones if you don't have them already. Sennheiser HD25 II BE are superb and within your budget.

Look out for used Alesis, or any of the Tannoys.

DamagedTrax

Paulj wrote: »

Thanks for the recommendation but unfortunately i can't afford the Alesis... 200euro is all i can manage at the moment

in that case my honest advice is either save up until you can afford 500+ price range or go with quality headphones as MT suggested.

cheap monitors will do your mixing a lot more harm than good.

Paulj

Fair enough, might just stick with the headphones so!

seannash

Im pretty sure this has been brought up before but would it be a good solution to get 1 monitor?

Can you mixdown on a single monitor while you save for the other one?

empirix

man buy a decent set of headphones for around 100 quid, keep the other 100 in the bank and start saving for decent monitors, monitors and a decent audio card are two areas where you don't want to do it cheaply!

madtheory

seannash wrote: »

Im pretty sure this has been brought up before but would it be a good solution to get 1 monitor?

Can you mixdown on a single monitor while you save for the other one?

Nope. Stereo reproduction is totally different to mono. The timbre depends in a large part on where it is in the stereo image. Anyone can verify that, just playback a good stereo mix and switch it to mono, back and forth, and hear how the top end rolls off in mono. And equally, stereo gives a super illusion of depth, mono is so bad at that we might as well say it has no depth at all.

PS Please don't say mono has depth unless you've actually experienced genuinely accurate stereo imaging- the only way to hear that is in a properly treated room with good speakers (or suspended off a 30 foot crane in the middle of a field). It's amazing how good music sounds in a good room.

seannash

madtheory wrote: »

Nope. Stereo reproduction is totally different to mono. The timbre depends in a large part on where it is in the stereo image. Anyone can verify that, just playback a good stereo mix and switch it to mono, back and forth, and hear how the top end rolls off in mono. And equally, stereo gives a super illusion of depth, mono is so bad at that we might as well say it has no depth at all.

PS Please don't say mono has depth unless you've actually experienced genuinely accurate stereo imaging- the only way to hear that is in a properly treated room with good speakers (or suspended off a 30 foot crane in the middle of a field). It's amazing how good music sounds in a good room.

Cool i was just wondering if it was possible

madtheory

Well the crane can be expensive but it's good clean fun.

GTE

Saving a bit more and getting into the Yamaha HS series territory would be a good bet.

In the long run it would work out better that way.

henessjon

I have a set of samson rubicon r6a €150 brand new still in the box

You interested?

PMI

Buy a 200 quid set of headphones, or wait and spend more on monitors and then acoustic treatment as the monitors arnt worth jack unless the room is treated.