I need monitor opinions!

[mathboogs]

I'm on a slightly tight budget and need a new pair of even monitors. My mixes sound pretty bad due to innaccurate mid-range on my current monitors.

I'm looking into Yamaha HS50M, KRK RP6, Event ALP5. That's about my budget, the $400 or under range. I know you guys have to know your gear and if you suggest something else that'd be helpful too. Thanks.

[kayagum]

What's your situation with room acoustics? If you're tight on $, maybe it's better to spend it on rigid fiberglass....

[T-rex]

If your current monitors have decent high end and bottom end and you just need accurate midrange, I have to highly recommend the Avantone Mixcubes. I just got my pair and I absolutely love them. I have been listening to albums all week through them and the midrange detail is crazy. I am hearing things on these that I have never heard on my other monitors or even through nice systems. I was comparing them with my little computer speakers that I had been using to reference the midrange and there was no comparison. The Avantones revealed everything and the computer speakers were just really scooped out sounding and muddy in the midrange in comparison. My Tannoys sound a lot "nicer", but they aren't nearly as detailed as the Avantones in the midrange.

It's a little weird hearing vocals on these, but I think that's part of learning the speaker. Anyway, they probably can't function as your only monitor, but as a second pair for comparison they rule. You would have to shell out for an amp, but you would still be under your budget.

[garret]

If your current monitors have decent high end and bottom end and you just need accurate midrange, I have to highly recommend the Avantone Mixcubes.

+10!

Particularly if your budget is that tight... just get the avantones, and learn to mix with them.

For the money, heck for three times their price, the avantones simply sound amazing. I'm all about mid range... acoustic guitar, vocals, keys, snare, etc... that's all mids. And on the Avantones, the mids are silky.

They're full range speakers, so they don't have any crossover points. (On cheap monitors, it's often the crossovers where you find the worst problems -- spikes in the spectrum, phase problems, distortion, etc.). The avantones aren't flat, but they're smooth and consistent, from 200hz to 10hz.

If you fill in the bottom with a subwoofer, and check the very top end on another reference system (even a good hifi), you might find (as I have) that you can get by on these for a while. Best thing is, they're not a wasted purchase. If if you some day find the cash for the $800-1500 monitors of your dreams, your avantones will be useful.

-Garret

[DGoody]

Dude, if you have that budget, do yourself a favor and look into buying used "high end audio" speakers. I'm a believer in the idea of amps and speakers being serparate, as I think dedicated power amps are better equipped to the task.....

Either way, you have literally dozens of options in the used high end market, due to low resale. Check audiogon and other sights..... I bought my main mixing monitors (Linn Kan) for about $350, and they're an incredible pair if speakers. Similar to the LS3/5a.....

Snell made fantastic speakers, the Type K being a good monitor option. Vandersteen also made several small monitors, as well as B&W. All can be had for little money.

These speakers will DEFINITELY be a VAST improvement over these garbage powered monitors being peddled today.....

[DokorderFreq]

I'm on a slightly tight budget and need a new pair of even monitors. My mixes sound pretty bad due to innaccurate mid-range on my current monitors.

I'm looking into Yamaha HS50M, KRK RP6, Event ALP5. That's about my budget, the $400 or under range. I know you guys have to know your gear and if you suggest something else that'd be helpful too. Thanks.

I'm in the same boat, and today I feel like I scored the greatest deal at GC (I KNOW I saw a related thread here days ago about stupid sales reps & the sweet deals they let go out the door but can't find it now, so I'm hi-jacking this thread - it related here too). I've been loosely eyeing the KRK RP6s for a spell just for their price advantage. Never heard one or any other brand for that matter although the Yamahas sure looked tempting! Anyways, I went to kick about at the local GC, learning that they were doing this "Guitar-A-Thon" promo thing (10% off a single item), and end up in pro audio last pass. I witness they have the RP6 'limited edition' (black cone) on sale at $170 ea. I think that's pretty good, but wonder if I can do better on line, so I pass them up. Do some homework & realize that the cheapest out there is $400/pair with free shipping, and that no one has given a bad review about these things. Figure that even with local sales tax I'd be ahead of the game. So with an hour to spare I bolt back down to GC and pick up a pair off the floor (only 6 units left from what had to have started out at 20 units). Get to the counter asking for the promo pricing. The counter boy says "Do you have the coupon?" I says "Well. . .I printed it out from the website & left it on the printer, can you still swing it?" He says "Sure, no problem . . I'm just going to ring it up as one pair rather than single units to make it easier". OK. Takes my GC card, punches in some numbers, and then says "OK, that'll be $305 for the pair, $322.70 with tax". "Cool!" says I. Sign the pad, take the receipt and a monitor under each arm & out the door I go, all the while saying to myself "That's not what the promo sign read!". I think the kid rang me up for RP5s which were $150 ea!! I feel like this was the deal of the year for me, for I doubt I could touch these at this price even if used!! Can't wait to hook em up & give them a listen. Even still, I'd also like to hear some 'real world' opinions about these monitors from anyone here. Particularly how flat (truthful) they are. I don't see me abusing them, but I do want to hear an accurate description of my work. Pros and/or cons anyone, please? Thanks in advance.

[sad iron]

I had similar problems to yours even after treating my room. I went out and got a pair of KRK V4ii's. I A/B'd them to everything in the GC at the time and they beat every set of monitors they had for under $1k. They came out with a newer model several months later, GC was still blowing them out the last time I was there (about a month ago. You might still be able to find a deal.

[KilledByAlbany]

On the Avant Electronics site they list a a pair of Active Mixcubes as "coming soon" for somewhere in the neighborhood of $350.