budget nearfield monitor recommendations...opinions?

[comfortstarr]

I bought a pair of Equator Audio D5's based on recommendations here a few years back. They replaced some Event PS8's. I think they were in the $400-500 range, came with a pair of "vibration pads." Anyways... I'm not expert, but they are much better for both monitoring and just plain listening than the Events were to my ears--especially for monitoring (frankly, they expose me for the fraud I am, but I shall overcome!).

[Recording Engineer]

You could replace it with a MIT or InfiniCap but that would cost as much as the speakers.

I hear ya... But at $45 for the speakers, if replacing the bipolar cap at the cost of the speakers actually improved them, I certainly won't complain... But I have no idea if it would do much of anything though.