monitor upgrade from krk rockit 5

jkretz · Post by **jkretz** » Mon Dec 07, 2009 12:06 pm

well i've got gear frenzy again and am thinking that my monitoring needs to be upgraded or perhaps "aided" by another set of monitors...

what would be the best step up from the krk rockit 5 (first generation) ? i always feel like these are lacking in low end articulation, and thusly i cut a lot of lows out of my mixes because they sound "muddy".

i'd like to try to keep the upgrade around 700 bucks.

ideas?

calaverasgrandes · Post by **calaverasgrandes** » Mon Dec 07, 2009 2:30 pm

I went thru this conudrum earlier this year. monitors are a personal preference bla-blah-blah.
I initially wanted to get something other than the krks because I just had a bad impression of them somehow but settled on them after I listened to everything else under $600.
Though after I retired my previous monitors I went and hooked them back up a few months later. Not because the KRK RP5G2 I got werent good enough. More that I figured out its always helpful to get another perspective on a mix.
and yeah, they have no bass extension.
Long story short, I couldnt find anything I liked better than the krks for under $1000.

Warhead · Post by **Warhead** » Mon Dec 07, 2009 2:37 pm

The Yamaha MSP5 is an excellent small monitor. The midrange detail and clarity is great at any price point, the bonus is they are affordable. The low end response is very even handed, not muddy (like those RP series KRK...yes they are muddy).

The HS80M continues to be a top choice in that price range also, offering more volume and bass extension and certainly more of their own "sound" (they have a bit of sheen to the top end) but still a very good speaker top to bottom and priced right.

Those two come to mind anyhow in that price range.

I never liked the Rokit series much from KRK, the old "V" series rocked. If you like KRK you could find some used 6" V series and really hear a huge difference.

War

getreel · Post by **getreel** » Mon Dec 07, 2009 3:15 pm

I have KRK RP6s and they have reasonably good low end but for some reason in my room, I cannot hear it enough. Just ordered a KRK sub to use with them and that way I can stay with monitors I like and add more low end. The newer KRK 10 inch sub has a defeat footswitch jack to turn off the sub and send full range to the RP6s. Seems really cool. I have been referencing the low end on my mixes in mine and my wife's car and then remixing, burning another ref disc and checking again, etc ,etc. GEtting old so go tthe sub! Yay!

calaverasgrandes · Post by **calaverasgrandes** » Mon Dec 07, 2009 3:18 pm

I keep hearing folks say good things about the Yamahas. Maybe I need to give another listen, I seem to recall alow mid boxiness that was pretty annoying, but then that is the kind of thing that forces you to mix better right?

sir hills · Post by **sir hills** » Mon Dec 07, 2009 4:24 pm

I'll start this with a shameless plug: I have a set of Yamaha HS80M's for sale in the buy sell trade forum here, $500 shipped.

Okay, so that's out of the way...now for my novella:

I used the HS80M's with great success for several years, they were an upgrade from Event TR8's which were very misleading for me. I also had a set of Tannoy PBM 6.5's with a Haffler amp as my secondary set. I was in a similar situation with poor bass response from my monitors & the HS80M's fulfilled that for me. They don't sound AMAZING but I felt they represented the mids & lows much better than the TR8's & (obviously) the PBM6.5's. The highs on the HS80M's are a little "forward"...not completely in your face or anything but I found I had to let it ride when I felt like tracks or mixes were too "crisp". Another point is that the bass response is much better when the monitors are at least a couple feet away from the wall. The air-ports are in the rear & need some room to let it move freely. That leads me to why I'm selling mine. I moved to a smaller space & had them maybe a foot off the wall & was back to overcompensating for bass. I really don't even have another foot of space so I started investigating other options & ended up buying a set of B&W 602's & a Bryston 3bst amp that have made for a wonderful solution. The 602's have the air-ports on the front, really work well in my space & give a better picture/feel for what's going on in the low end.

So, if you have the space, the HS80M's are a great monitor, if your mixes sound good on them they will likely sound good most places as they are not overly flattering, you have to work a little to get things sounding good. In that respect they do have something in common with the NS10's (they are advertised as such) but are more "hifi" & definitely more flexible with the frequency cut/boost switches on the rear. If you are limited on space & can't keep 'em off the wall you should look for something else...maybe front-ported or possibly a combination with a sub. The 602's & 3bst (both used) set me back a little over a grand with shipping, I've been very pleased with them, they're comfortable to work on at length & my mixes are translating better every time I use them.

Let me know if you have any interest in the HS80M's I'm selling & good luck with your search.

LazarusLong · Post by **LazarusLong** » Fri Dec 11, 2009 3:39 pm

Tannoy Reveal 5As. Hands down great monitors. Smooth and listenable, but not smiley faced and dishonest. Only monitors I'd ever consider buying under $1000.

Artifex · Post by **Artifex** » Sat Dec 12, 2009 1:43 pm

getreel wrote:I have KRK RP6s and they have reasonably good low end but for some reason in my room, I cannot hear it enough. Just ordered a KRK sub to use with them and that way I can stay with monitors I like and add more low end. The newer KRK 10 inch sub has a defeat footswitch jack to turn off the sub and send full range to the RP6s. Seems really cool. I have been referencing the low end on my mixes in mine and my wife's car and then remixing, burning another ref disc and checking again, etc ,etc. GEtting old so go tthe sub! Yay!

Have you considered acucostically treating your mixing space? If your low end is disappearing that could be a huge reason why. It would be much better o spend 300 bucks on some treatment than on a low-quality sub.

iamthecosmos · Post by **iamthecosmos** » Sat Dec 12, 2009 1:47 pm

LazarusLong wrote:Tannoy Reveal 5As. Hands down great monitors. Smooth and listenable, but not smiley faced and dishonest. Only monitors I'd ever consider buying under $1000.

Definitely +1 on the 5A's. They good, but not amazing. The thing is, they're not amazing in a way you can learn and work with.

FBH · Post by **FBH** » Sat Dec 12, 2009 2:58 pm

Warhead wrote:The Yamaha MSP5 is an excellent small monitor. The midrange detail and clarity is great at any price point, the bonus is they are affordable. The low end response is very even handed, not muddy (like those RP series KRK...yes they are muddy).

I had a pair of those. For the price, I thought they were fantastic. They just got out of the way and let the music through. Very neutral IMHO.

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