Reasonfreaks

[liquidfx]

Please help me out with something...Which seems like the better buy?
I am looking for some near field monitors for my home studio. Its based of a PC & Mac running DAW software (such as PT, DP, Live, Cubase, Reason, etc...). My Setup is almost entirely digital & computer based. Money is not an issue, but I am limiting my options to these specific models (or if you have an alternative, it must be in the same price range)

M-Audio Studiophile BX5a
70 Watt Bi-Amplified Studio Reference Monitors
USD 399.95

http://www.m-audio.com/products/en_us/StudiophileBX5a-main.html

or

M-Audio StudioPro 4
Professional Desktop Multimedia Audio Monitors
USD 199.95

http://www.m-audio.com/products/en_us/StudioPro4-main.html

Thank You!

[mokum]

Hmmm, Monitors are a personal thing... I suggest you go out and listen to em and then decide for yourself which is the better model (I don't know the 2 you mention so I can't say anything sensible bout em)... I got myself a pair of Alesis M1's MkII Actives a couple months ago (around 350Eur->$410) Also worth a listen

Good luck on your monitor hunt,

Jamie

[liquidfx]

Hmmm, Monitors are a personal thing... I suggest you go out and listen to em and then decide for yourself which is the better model (I don't know the 2 you mention so I can't say anything sensible bout em)... I got myself a pair of Alesis M1's MkII Actives a couple months ago (around 350Eur->$410) Also worth a listen

Good luck on your monitor hunt,

Jamie

Whats your setup? Is it through a laptop? do you use a audio interface?

[mokum]

Whats your setup? Is it through a laptop? do you use a audio interface?

I have a PC and a M-Audio AudioPhile 24/96 USB where my M1's are directly connected to (main output)...

[liquidfx]

Me too, except MY 2496 is PCI not USB. Hows it sound? How much were they?

Would you buy the Bx5's?

[butchmanring]

The thing with monitors as a general rule --> Buy the most expensive ones you can afford! <--

However, the best thing to do is rock on down to the your local and test out as many as you can. Take your lappy, or a cd containing a bunch of YOUR songs. This way you'll be totally familiar with the sound and you can see how the speakers respond. You want speakers that are going to respond to all frequencies the same way (a flat response) and most good monitors will come with a frequency response chart for each speaker (e.g. pic below - although this isn't from a monitor speaker, it has a typical response curve for them from around 50Hz to 20,000Hz). You want this chart to be as smooth as possible with no booming at certain freqs.



Monitors are only as good as your understanding of how they respond to certain things. You kind of have to kearn how to listen to them. OK, as for the "which monitors" question, I'm not totally familiar with the ones you listed above, but do check out the new Tannoys Reveal series --> HERE. I hear they are the shiznit my friend.

B

[viba]

Sound post Butch !!