I need better monitors

[matonanjin]

What does everybody use?  What do you recommend?

It has become obvious that I need better monitors for my home studio.  I have been using tiny little speakers hooked to my computer which has worked fine for just listening to music.  But I have finally gotten my guitar running through my computer for recording.    I should say I finally got it hooked up properly.  My Line 6 POD HD 500X is serving as my sound card and my DAW recognizes it!  Woo Hoo!  It's only taken about a year?

What do you knowledgeable users recommend for monitors? 

 

[Fretless]

I recommend something within your budget, which is how much: $100, $1,000, $10,000?

Edited July 19, 2018 by Fretless

[Six String]

I use M-Audio BX5's.  Got them on sale at GC for $75/each, so about 1/2 price at the time. 

Based on prices, it would appear that near field monitors have to be one of the highest profit products in all of the audio world.  The water gets deep really fast.  If you can, try to go listen to a bunch at your nearest guitar center.  

Then as stated above buy the ones you like best that fall in your price point.

Good Luck! 

Edited July 18, 2018 by Six String

[Randy120]

I have Mackey MR5 monitors hooked up with balanced cables to my M-Audio FastTrack C400 audio interface. The MR5 are powerful dual amp monitors. A 55 watt amp drives the 5 inch speaker and a 30 watt amp drives the high frequency tweeter. The MR5 also has connections for RCA, TSR, and XLR. 

Edited July 18, 2018 by Randy120

[John Wells]

Just checking, but if you have a hi-fi receiver, you can take the output from your POD6 and route it through the auxiliary input of your receiver. I have a PreSonus AudioBox for my computer sound card and connect it to my Pioneer stereo receiver, which has a pair of Bose bookshelf speakers, and it works nicely. I play my tele through the AudioBox when I feel like I don't want to light off the amp. Just a thought. Lotsa luck.

[matonanjin]

On 7/18/2018 at 2:06 AM, Fretless said:

I recommend something within your budget, which is how much: $100, $1,000, $10,000?

Great point, Fretless.  I used to frequent a lot of photography forums and I would hate it when someone would ask for equipment advice and not state a budget.  Then that is exactly what I did.?  No, I'm not going to spend $10,000 or even $1,000.   But beyond that there isn't much budget restraint.  I don't want to spend as much as a guitar but I don't wnat to get something that a year from now I will wish that I got something better.

On 7/18/2018 at 4:44 AM, Six String said:

I use M-Audio BX5's.  Got them on sale at GC for $75/each, so about 1/2 price at the time. 

Based on prices, it would appear that near field monitors have to be one of the highest profit products in all of the audio

Yours is the 3rd or 4th recommendation (other forums) for those M-Audio BX5's.  So they must be well liked.  You know how I hate GC but our two locally owned stores don't have monitors to listen to.  So I am off to GC today?

23 hours ago, Randy120 said:

I have Mackey MR5 monitors hooked up with balanced cables to my M-Audio FastTrack C400 audio interface. The MR5 are powerful dual amp monitors. A 55 watt amp drives the 5 inch speaker and a 30 watt amp drives the high frequency tweeter. The MR5 also has connections for RCA, TSR, and XLR. 

Thanks, Randy.  Apparently Mackey has upgraded the BX5's with a MK2 version.  But I can't find them anywhere.  When I go into GC later I'll see if they carry them.

[Randy120]

@matonanjin The BX5's is from M-Audio. 

Mackey has upgraded and changed the name several times since I purchased my MR5 monitors years ago. Sweetwater has the MR524 on the link below.

Mackey MR524

 

 

[matonanjin]

1 hour ago, Randy120 said:

@matonanjin The BX5's is from M-Audio.

Thanks Randy.  I meant MR5's.

[Randy120]

@matonanjin I have the 2009 version so they have changed a little. Mostly new names and minor cosmetic changes over the years. 

[gotto]

On 7/18/2018 at 2:44 AM, Six String said:

I use M-Audio BX5's.  Got them on sale at GC for $75/each, so about 1/2 price at the time. 

Based on prices, it would appear that near field monitors have to be one of the highest profit products in all of the audio world.  The water gets deep really fast.  If you can, try to go listen to a bunch at your nearest guitar center.  

Then as stated above buy the ones you like best that fall in your price point.

Good Luck! 

I use these also,  adequate for my needs, sound quality pretty good for the cost.

Greg

[Ice9]

I've been using Alesis Elevate 5's for a good while now. Not expensive and sound great with my Line6 Podxt.

[Randy120]

@matonanjin What did you decide? 

[matonanjin]

On 9/8/2018 at 5:51 PM, Randy120 said:

@matonanjin What did you decide? 

Randy, thanks for the reminder that I didn't share what I went with. I can't believe it's been two months!   I ended up getting JBL 305P MKII monitors. 

I listened to a lot of them and they were the ones I liked best.  And I am really liking them hooked up.  And I went in with what I thought was a lower price from Amazon trying to get GC to match the price.  The kid caught the fact that it was a previous model of the monitors.  I wasn't trying to be sneaky; I didn't realize it was a previous model.  But he still took $25 off per speaker.

AND,  best of all, my wife bought them for me for my birthday back then AND took me to lunch after we got them!  Life is good.

As I said, I'm really liking them.

[Randy120]

JBL makes good stuff.