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Alexander MacLean · Mar 10, 2008, 11:49 PM

so i'm looking at getting some inexpensive, but decent, powered studio monitors for a keyboard. i like the look of the following, but would like to know what you guys think:

m-audio BX8a Deluxe

m-audio BX5a Deluxe

event tr6 tuned reference active 6 monitors

(i know that the BX8a are $599, but my company receives a substantial discount on M-Audio products, hence the sub-$400 requirement).

any thoughts or recommendations would be greatly appreciated - thanks!

The Godfather · Mar 11, 2008, 12:24 AM

Those would go great at either sides of my 1440x900 speaker.

brassplayersrock² · 01:28 AM

I have and use the previous versions of the BX8a (non-deluxe)

and for the money, they are the best bang. great sound all around. All I need now is the matching sub

M-AUDIO - BX10s - Professional Active Subwoofer

Looking at the specs and everything. Me a thinks the deluxe model and the bx8a's are the same monitors and m-audio just prettied the looks a bit.

IceEnclosure · Mar 11, 2008, 01:12 AM

Some retailers still have the previous BX8, and they sound great. My roommate has them and they're actually quite ridiculous.

I have a nice little Klipsch 2.1 thing goin' on but his speakers eat mine for a lite snack.

Shaddim · 03:41 AM

You might be able to find refurbed Mackie HR624s for about $400.

Actually your best bet is a pair of MR5s.

Amazon.com: Mackie MR5 MR5 Reference Monitor: Electronics

Will set you back $300+shipping.

analogika · 04:58 AM

The Behringer Truth series has several models that fit the bill, and they're (so I'm told) WAY better than they should be for the price.

Worth a listen.

Also, you can't really go wrong with Shaddim's Mackie suggestions (I was looking at the series myself).

I've also heard good things about the Yamaha HS80M speakers.

(I haven't heard them in person because, after having done some research, a friend gave me a good deal on his pair of Meyer Sound HM-1's...blew the budget, but...well...

)

A friend of mine has the little Event speakers as tertiary monitors on his editing workstation, and while they're pretty decent, they're too "hi-fi" for my taste. They're okay for getting a feel for how stuff is going to sound on a stereo.

Do not listen to people who recommend the Yamaha NS-10 as primary monitors. The reason they're in nearly every studio worldwide is that they suck so bad that if you can make it sound good there, chances are it'll sound good on almost anything short of a breadbox.

kikkoman · Mar 11, 2008, 06:06 AM

The Blue Sky EXO 2.1's are excellent for $350.

Doofy · Mar 11, 2008, 06:10 AM

Analogika and Shaddim speak the truth about Mackie and Yamaha.

d4nth3m4n · Mar 11, 2008, 08:58 AM

Originally Posted by The Godfather

Those would go great at either sides of my 1440x900 speaker.

i see what you did there.

Alexander MacLean · Mar 15, 2008, 01:04 PM

So the Mackie HR24s are definitely discontinued or hard to find... so it comes down to the Mackie MR5s or the M-Audio BX8s.

My choice now comes down to value for money: the best deal for the MR5s I can find is $149 per speaker. I can get get the BX8s for $360 a pair...

... the Mackie purchase sounds like a better deal, especially after the reviews I've read... right?

(apologies for my indecision

)

brassplayersrock² · Mar 15, 2008, 01:14 PM

not having listened to the mackies, and only the BX8a system, this is a little one sided, so bear that in mind that I'm just going off specs.

The frequency range between the two might be the deciding factor for you. The Mackie Frequency Range
is 60Hz - 20kHz (±3dB) while the m-audio BX8 Frequency Range is 40 Hz - 24 kHz.

You'll be able to get a lot more low end and a bit more high with the BX8 set. In other words you'll be able to hear more with the m-audio. True they're a bit more expensive, but compared to the contender set in freq. range, the BX8a set wins. I have a feeling you'd be way happier with the m-audio monitors.

analogika · Mar 15, 2008, 03:06 PM

Originally Posted by brassplayersrock²

not having listened to the mackies, and only the BX8a system, this is a little one sided, so bear that in mind that I'm just going off specs.

The frequency range between the two might be the deciding factor for you. The Mackie Frequency Range
is 60Hz - 20kHz (±3dB) while the m-audio BX8 Frequency Range is 40 Hz - 24 kHz.

Sorry, but frequency range is a completely useless spec, because it says absolutely NOTHING about how accurately the speaker plays back those frequencies.

You may note that m-audio doesn't mention how much the speaker deviates from linear response. I also note that their crossover is right in the middle of the vocal range, which means that anything with vocals is going to suffer from phase oddities.

There's lots of little adjustments on the rear of the m-audio speakers, and it appears that they are there because the speaker needs them.

From browsing a handful of reviews for both, and looking through specs, it's apparent that the M-Audios are not in the same league as the Mackies, at all.

Doofy · Mar 15, 2008, 03:17 PM

Originally Posted by Doofy

Analogika and Shaddim speak the truth about Mackie and Yamaha.

QFT.

brassplayersrock² · Mar 15, 2008, 04:03 PM

thanks analogika.

richwig83 · Mar 15, 2008, 04:19 PM

How about some reveals??

analogika · Mar 15, 2008, 04:31 PM

Originally Posted by brassplayersrock²

thanks analogika.

Just to clarify: I'm not saying your speakers are not excellent bang for the buck - I haven't heard them. They might sound great, and the little filter switches on the back might work additionally to their benefit. I have absolutely no interest in making you feel bad about your speakers, because they probably aren't.

But the Mackie HR624 and their current Mark II iteration are a different class of speaker - non-refurbished street price is about 2.5 times that of the m-audios, as well, so that makes sense.

chris v · Mar 15, 2008, 06:50 PM

I rather like my Alesis M1 Actives

Behringer stuff is good sounding, but not-so-sturdy, I'd say from anecdotal evidence, anyway. (3 different mixers just up-and-breaking over a 3 year period)

Doofy · Mar 15, 2008, 07:39 PM

Originally Posted by chris v

Behringer stuff is good sounding, but not-so-sturdy, I'd say from anecdotal evidence, anyway. (3 different mixers just up-and-breaking over a 3 year period)

Dude, Behringer stuff is pure shite. I'm sorry but there's no other way of saying that.

brassplayersrock² · Mar 15, 2008, 10:03 PM

I didn't mean it that way /opps. I meant thanks for the info

chris v · Mar 15, 2008, 10:12 PM

Originally Posted by Doofy

Dude, Behringer stuff is pure shite. I'm sorry but there's no other way of saying that.

Yeah, learned that the hard way. I understand that what they do is reverse-engineer someone else's good stuff, then figure out how to simulate it with cheap crap parts. Kind of like Peavy in the 70's, only Peavys not only fell apart quick, they also sounded horrible from the get-go. How they sold their first unit is still beyond me.

It's not like I bought 3 Behringers in a row, & had them break one by one. We bought one new, a channel upped & died, (we had it warrantied, & sold it immediately) a friend sold us another used (cheap) same thing happened, and our keyboard player brought his from home as a stop-gap, but something major malfunctioned on it within weeks.

analogika · Mar 16, 2008, 01:53 AM

I have an old Behringer Studio Denoiser that's actually really good - blackface with red lettering. This was back in the early days, when it was still German engineering, designed by the man himself. Solid build, great sound - but that was twenty-some years ago.

When my first and only Behringer mixer died due to obvious design skimping (undersized power supply), I just *gave* it away and never bought anything else of theirs.

However, the Truth speaker series supposedly *is* a lot better than their reputation.