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Desktop speakers for mixing AND music?

It has been a long time since I posted here, but only because I have been living in audio bliss. My two channel system is perfect (for me). Refurbished HH Scott 222 (not Mapleshade), Omega speakers and an iMac with a 2 TB 7200 rpm drive serving up about 600 lossless CDs to my Schiit Bifrost. My movie/tv set up is fine too - older B&W C series all around and an older Rotel AV receiver that (knock on wood) won't die.

However, now I have a minor problem. I have a third system that is in the works. My home office desk. Yet another two Macs are set up with a Steinberg UR22 audio/midi interface I use with Logic, Final Cut and more for recording, including music, voice, interviews and for video, though not too serious. Now, I find myself wanting to listen to music here too. So, what kind of speakers should I get? Can I get monitors that also are great for casual listening? Right now I only have the iMac built in speakers (I know...) and a pair of Audio Technica M50X headphones (in effect my Steinberg UR22 audio interface is my "headphone amp").

If I am going to use this as a true studio set up, many people are recommending monitors made for this purpose and people seem to really like JBL LSR305 5" Active Studio Monitor‎s. I can get a pair at about $300. However, it really isn't a studio as much as it is a place to work, so should I be thinking of something else? Dare I go passive and try to get some kind of little power amp? Can I do this for $400ish (and I am open to used). I do have a very old (90s era) pair of passive Tannoy monitors, but they are kind of big and I don't have a spare amp. I'd hate to go buy an amp and not be happy with the Tannoys...

However, if I go the more "audiophile" route, I might I have better sound, but not a good reference source for mixing. Right? Or am I being ridiculous? Any suggestions highly appreciated. Remember, budget of, let's say, $500.
karavite
tortilladc
121 posts
 
I have the Audioengine D5+ at home and I have to say it is *way* too bass heavy for desktop use. They sound great when I haul them out to the patio or poolside for a party but indoors, for near-field desktop listening, too much BOOM. Otherwise, a solidly built product.
zd542
5,339 posts
 
"Out of curiosity, what makes for a good speaker for listening but not for mixing? I never mixed so I'm lost with my admitedly basic thinking of "both need to reproduce as acourately as posible, right?"

I've noticed some differences between the 2 types of speakers. Studio monitors don't seem to have the same imaging qualities of regular speakers. They just need to be detailed enough to let you hear whats on the recording. Probably the biggest difference is that most monitors are meant to be listened to near field. People tend to sit very close to them. Also, there's really no need to use expensive, exotic materials, like they do in some high end speakers. Not only that, a lot of regular speakers sacrifice studio monitor qualities in order to gain others. A good example is Magnepan. They measure terrible. A frequency response print outs look like a heart rate monitor when someone's having a heart attack. They wouldn't make for good monitors, but people buy them anyway because they like other qualities that monitors typically don't have.
karavite OP
36 posts
 
Lewinskih01, my apologies for not checking in here for so long. I think Zd542 explains things better than I ever could. For what it's worth, I went through quite a saga. I ordered Tannoy Reveal 402s, but they had a buzz or hum that Tannoy actually acknowledges as a known problem on their site. I thought this would be okay, but it was not. So, I had to ship my brand new speakers to Tannoy's service facility since they told me they couldn't just send me a pair that don't hum. Then they told me they couldn't fix them and sent me a new pair where just one buzzed and hummed. I gave up on Tannoy. I ended up with a pair of JBL LSR305s. They are kind of ugly (unless you like the Batman look) and a little big for my set up, but sound so much better. Imaging is very good. I am just a hobby person, so I can't say anything truly intelligent about monitors vs speakers, but I can tell you this. I had mixed something I recorded here and thought it was okay. On the JBLs I heard all kinds of problems, so I remixed. Now that recording sounds (to me) better on the monitors, but also on my 2 channel and in the car and on my laptop, headphones... everything. So, it seems monitors are somehow more transparent and revealing. As for casual listening I am very happy with these speakers.. I mean monitors. For me the test is this - I'm not thinking about them, I am enjoying the music (no buzzing helps too). Of course it doesn't sound as good as my dedicated 2 channel system, but I'd hazard a bet that in terms of computer audio I am a 1% er!
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