# Best monitors under $300?



## Mike Fox (Jun 21, 2017)

I'm looking for some monitors that are flat and accurate for mixing. Something that will translate well. Anything better than the JBL lsr305 at that price point? I can spend a little more If theres a noticeable difference. Im just tired of mixing on "everything", including car stereos.


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## rvb (Jun 21, 2017)

My Yamaha's are really good. I think they were somewhere around that price range.


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## Rohann (Jun 21, 2017)

JBL 308's, find them on sale, really excellent monitors. Yamaha HS80M's used, or HS80's used.

Avoid KRK Rockit's like the plague. Also, making some sound treatment panels at home will go a long way to accurate mixes. You can have $3k Opal monitors in an untreated room and they won't sound flat.


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## Mike Fox (Jun 21, 2017)

Rohann said:


> JBL 308's, find them on sale, really excellent monitors. Yamaha HS80M's used, or HS80's used.
> 
> Avoid KRK Rockit's like the plague. Also, making some sound treatment panels at home will go a long way to accurate mixes. You can have $3k Opal monitors in an untreated room and they won't sound flat.



I'm in a really small studio right now. Its basically a closet. What do you recommend for room treatment?


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## Rohann (Jun 21, 2017)

mikefox789 said:


> I'm in a really small studio right now. Its basically a closet. What do you recommend for room treatment?


I wouldn't be the foremost expert in regard to this topic, but Google "DIY studio room treatment" or something similar and you'll find lots of helpful articles. I've just been in enough engineer's studios to hear a significant difference, as well as take their word for.


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## creativeforge (Jun 21, 2017)

Yamaha HS5 full stop. 

https://www.sweetwater.com/store/detail/HS5

I A/B the JBL LSR 305 in the shop against Mackie CR5BT as well. Mackie hands down. JBL are nowhere a nearfield. Just bookshelf speakers. Not serious for a project studio.

http://www.guitarcenter.com/Mackie/CR5BT-5-in-Bluetooth-Multimedia-Monitors-Pair.gc

Hope this helps!


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## Rohann (Jun 21, 2017)

creativeforge said:


> Yamaha HS5 full stop.
> 
> https://www.sweetwater.com/store/detail/HS5
> 
> ...


The JBL308's sound excellent, however. Close to on par with Yamaha HS8's.

I don't get the appeal of 5" monitors, personally, even in a small studio.


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## galactic orange (Jun 22, 2017)

Rohann said:


> The JBL308's sound excellent, however. Close to on par with Yamaha HS8's.
> 
> I don't get the appeal of 5" monitors, personally, even in a small studio.


I use Yamaha HS7s and they're quite good to my (novice) ears. For a smaller space I'd give the HS5s a chance.


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## jononotbono (Jun 22, 2017)

mikefox789 said:


> I'm looking for some monitors that are flat and accurate for mixing.



For $300 you won't find anything. Sorry, I know it sucks to be that person to say that but I really think you should save more money and buy something actually decent. You really do get what you pay for in the monitor world. If you are expecting accuracy and a flat frequency response, a pair of £300 "monitors" will never give you this. They will only lead to frustration, you will never hear anything accurately on them, the bass response will be all over the place and in the back of your mind you will always be thinking "Why didn't I save up for better ones? I can't believe I listen to anything through these pieces of..." 

And no. I'm not a wealthy person with money falling from trees. I actually went from a pair of Behringher "Truth" Monitors (that are in this price range) to a pair of Adam A7Xs and I worked on a Garlic Farm, breaking my back for 6 months to get the money together. It was worth every one of the 10,000 bulbs of Garlic I pulled and cleaned (if anyone has done that job they will know it's borderline slave labour).

When I bought my Adams it was like pulling a blanket off the monitors and I can could finally hear Reverb Tails and Gates opening. The difference was staggering. People that tell you otherwise are people that are using cheap Monitors themselves and simply trying to justify to themselves that they were worth buying. Or just don't know any different. Of which case, ignorance is bliss. Sorry, I'm just being honest and don't want you to waste your money.

Edit...

Treating the room is actually more important and like someone else has said, you could have the finest pair of monitors costing £50k but if the room sounds rubbish they will too.

If your room is tiny then your best bet is a decent pair of headphones with room correction software and forget about monitor speakers. The hassles you will get from a tiny room, bad quality monitors and all the chaos from reflections and sitting in a Bass node is just simply a nightmare and not worth the hassle.


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## Daisser (Jun 22, 2017)

jononotbono said:


> For $300 you won't find anything. Sorry, I know it sucks to be that person to say that but I really think you should save more money and buy something actually decent. You really do get what you pay for in the monitor world. If you are expecting accuracy and a flat frequency response, a pair of £300 "monitors" will never give you this. They will only lead to frustration, you will never hear anything accurately on them, the bass response will be all over the place and in the back of your mind you will always be thinking "Why didn't I save up for better ones? I can't believe I listen to anything through these pieces of..."
> 
> And no. I'm not a wealthy person with money falling from trees. I actually went from a pair of Behringher "Truth" Monitors (that are in this price range) to a pair of Adam A7Xs and I worked on a Garlic Farm, breaking my back for 6 months to get the money together. It was worth every one of the 10,000 bulbs of Garlic I pulled and cleaned (if anyone has done that job they will know it's borderline slave labour).
> 
> ...



I agree with you Jon but that part you added in the Edit is critical and more depressing. Most rooms would fall into this, although room correction software like ARC can work very well on monitors in smaller rooms. One company has software which can correct a headphone but since there is no 'room' on a headphone you can just buy a good flat set. 

This is to the OP - AKG701s and Sennheiser 650s are pretty honest and not too expenaive. With a good headphone amp an you could get both for the price of good monitors.


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## jononotbono (Jun 22, 2017)

Daisser said:


> I agree with you Jon but that part you added in the Edit is critical and more depressing. Most rooms would fall into this, although room correction software like ARC can work very well on monitors in smaller rooms. One company has software which can correct a headphone but since there is no 'room' on a headphone you can just buy a good flat set.
> 
> This is to the OP - AKG701s and Sennheiser 650s are pretty honest and not too expenaive. With a good headphone amp an you could get both for the price of good monitors.



I simply don't think Room Correction software is any good. Every time I have used it I thought it was terrible. However, for headphones I think it's actually ok. They are a controlled environment and believe me, I would never advise anyone to just mix on headphones normally but times have changed, software is great in the box and to get things done we have to work at all sorts of times in the day and most people don't have decent rooms to work in. At least until they are established enough.

Sonarworks. Get that if you are mixing just on headphones. Honestly, people shouldn't waste their money and time trying to treat a tiny little room, ready to put cheap dishonest sounding monitors in them. No matter what you try, the end result is always the same. Sonic Dogshit. Sorry, there goes my potty mouth.


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## gsilbers (Jun 22, 2017)

Rohann said:


> I wouldn't be the foremost expert in regard to this topic, but Google "DIY studio room treatment" or something similar and you'll find lots of helpful articles. I've just been in enough engineer's studios to hear a significant difference, as well as take their word for.



ebay acoustic foam. Lesser known companies (even ones from ex auralex employees) have really great prices for very good bass traps, acoustic foam and wedges.
then again, you have to check to see if you need it.
also maybe get the sonarworks plugin for room correction.

fyi if you are near LA I can give a pair of M-Audio Studiophile BX8a for $250.


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## Daisser (Jun 22, 2017)

jononotbono said:


> I simply don't think Room Correction software is any good. Every time I have used it I thought it was terrible. However, for headphones I think it's actually ok. They are a controlled environment and believe me, I would never advise anyone to just mix on headphones normally but times have changed, software is great in the box and to get things done we have to work at all sorts of times in the day and most people don't have decent rooms to work in. At least until they are established enough.
> 
> Sonarworks. Get that if you are mixing just on headphones. Honestly, people shouldn't waste their money and time trying to treat a tiny little room, ready to put cheap dishonest sounding monitors in them. No matter what you try, the end result is always the same. Sonic Dogshit. Sorry, there goes my potty mouth.



Jon

I had serious reservations about room correction software myself but after applying correction and independently testing it (using a beringer ECM8000 and a few of the guides linked from VI-C) the 'math' showed a drastic improvement in response across the spectrum. Also people noticed a much bigger improvement in my mixes esp in the bass area.

I put math in quotes because there are two ways to analzye how honest your sound is in the room - your ear or measuring it maticulously. If you go with the first way, you have to ask is your or my ear as good as Sean Murphy's or the like? Yours might be Jon but most of us have no idea what honest is and its guesswork. At least with correction software you can get some idea of what happening in your room and either correct it with the software, treat your room and fix it that way or conceed your screwed and get headphones.


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## gsilbers (Jun 22, 2017)

jononotbono said:


> I simply don't think Room Correction software is any good. Every time I have used it I thought it was terrible. However, for headphones I think it's actually ok. They are a controlled environment and believe me, I would never advise anyone to just mix on headphones normally but times have changed, software is great in the box and to get things done we have to work at all sorts of times in the day and most people don't have decent rooms to work in. At least until they are established enough.
> 
> Sonarworks. Get that if you are mixing just on headphones. Honestly, people shouldn't waste their money and time trying to treat a tiny little room, ready to put cheap dishonest sounding monitors in them. No matter what you try, the end result is always the same. Sonic Dogshit. Sorry, there goes my potty mouth.



im trying sonarworks plugin for speakers now... still ongoing tests. trying to calibrate and also fix some acoustic issues.
its mostly helping with the bass. seems cool though but I am stil lon the fence. Id have to listen on nicer rooms and see how it translates.
I might have to get the system wide because listening to commercial music via iTunes or streaming it sounds very different than importing the audio to Logic and having the plugin.


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## gsilbers (Jun 22, 2017)

jononotbono said:


> For $300 you won't find anything. Sorry, I know it sucks to be that person to say that but I really think you should save more money and buy something actually decent. You really do get what you pay for in the monitor world. If you are expecting accuracy and a flat frequency response, a pair of £300 "monitors" will never give you this. They will only lead to frustration, you will never hear anything accurately on them, the bass response will be all over the place and in the back of your mind you will always be thinking "Why didn't I save up for better ones? I can't believe I listen to anything through these pieces of..."
> 
> And no. I'm not a wealthy person with money falling from trees. I actually went from a pair of Behringher "Truth" Monitors (that are in this price range) to a pair of Adam A7Xs and I worked on a Garlic Farm, breaking my back for 6 months to get the money together. It was worth every one of the 10,000 bulbs of Garlic I pulled and cleaned (if anyone has done that job they will know it's borderline slave labour).
> 
> ...




You should try the weed farms up in North California. I friend got mad dough for one summer.

I also had the same experience with smaller speakers and then going to focals solos. much better clearer picture.
I used to do a lot of QC for TV shows with the adams but decided for the focals at the end. I might go back


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## jononotbono (Jun 22, 2017)

Daisser said:


> If you go with the first way, you have to ask is your or my ear as good as Sean Murphy's or the like?



Well actually it's nothing to do with comparing our ears to other people. It's just what our own ears tell us. Of course, you can use the worst gear in the world and have a horrible room and still get results but you have to know what you are doing, what the room sounds like and you have to know what your gear sounds like to therefore be able to compensate for the problems. This just takes experience (I'm sorry if you know all this - I don't know who you are - Hi, I'm Jono). I've never had good experiences with room correction software. It always just sounds, to my ears, like an EQ curve is slapped over the master bus but hey, we are all different. I'm glad you have got good results but I gave up on that stuff a while ago. The best way to learn what your room is doing is to just use the room and listen to it. Not just slap a plugin on the master bus and let it do it's "thing". There's nothing to be learnt from that. 



Daisser said:


> but most of us have no idea what honest is and its guesswork.



When I say "Honest" I am purely talking of the speakers giving the flattest and most transparent sound possible that will translate one mix and represent that mix on other speaker systems to how you actually mixed it, for example, not listening back and thinking "Why is the bass so loud? I didn't mix it that loud. God, it sounds terrible" Nope. You didn't but those monitors were lying to you and that is how anyone can tell how "honest" their monitors are. Put these same dishonest monitors into a terrible room and well we've all been here...





Anyway, I'm sorry if I have derailed this thread a little. And don't let me discourage anyone from buying anything. I just know from experience that this price bracket is just not worth it in the long run! Could talk all day but I have some music to get on with!


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## Mike Fox (Jun 22, 2017)

Headphones? Really? Damn...

I've never had good results with headphones, and I've used some high end ones. Everything ends up sounding drastically different on pretty much every stereo.

Time to add an extension on to my house then.


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## jononotbono (Jun 22, 2017)

mikefox789 said:


> Time to add an extension on to my house then.



Now we are getting somewhere!


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## Mike Fox (Jun 22, 2017)

gsilbers said:


> ebay acoustic foam. Lesser known companies (even ones from ex auralex employees) have really great prices for very good bass traps, acoustic foam and wedges.
> then again, you have to check to see if you need it.
> also maybe get the sonarworks plugin for room correction.
> 
> fyi if you are near LA I can give a pair of M-Audio Studiophile BX8a for $250.



I wish I lived near LA (man, i miss the beach) but I am currently stuck in Utah, which makes me a utard.


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## Mike Fox (Jun 22, 2017)

Daisser said:


> I agree with you Jon but that part you added in the Edit is critical and more depressing. Most rooms would fall into this, although room correction software like ARC can work very well on monitors in smaller rooms. One company has software which can correct a headphone but since there is no 'room' on a headphone you can just buy a good flat set.
> 
> This is to the OP - AKG701s and Sennheiser 650s are pretty honest and not too expenaive. With a good headphone amp an you could get both for the price of good monitors.



Thanks for the recommendations. 650 vs 701? I'm doing orchestral horror music with some sound design. Also, do i need an amp or can i just use my interface?


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## Daisser (Jun 22, 2017)

mikefox789 said:


> Thanks for the recommendations. 650 vs 701? I'm doing orchestral horror music with some sound design. Also, do i need an amp or can i just use my interface?



That's a tough comparison they are both very good. Some have argued that the 701s do the orchestral stuff very well but the 650s are just amazing all around. Whatever you get make sure to buy and amp. I would demo both if you can. I use the Fio e12 and it works well and not that expensive.


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## Mike Fox (Jun 22, 2017)

Daisser said:


> That's a tough comparison they are both very good. Some have argued that the 701s do the orchestral stuff very well but the 650s are just amazing all around. Whatever you get make sure to buy and amp. I wold demo both if you can. I use the Fio e12 and it works well and not that expensive.


Thanks! Is there a comfort difference?


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## Daisser (Jun 22, 2017)

jononotbono said:


> Well actually it's nothing to do with comparing our ears to other people. It's just what our own ears tell us. Of course, you can use the worst gear in the world and have a horrible room and still get results but you have to know what you are doing, what the room sounds like and you have to know what your gear sounds like to therefore be able to compensate for the problems. This just takes experience (I'm sorry if you know all this - I don't know who you are - Hi, I'm Jono). I've never had good experiences with room correction software. It always just sounds, to my ears, like an EQ curve is slapped over the master bus but hey, we are all different. I'm glad you have got good results but I gave up on that stuff a while ago. The best way to learn what your room is doing is to just use the room and listen to it. Not just slap a plugin on the master bus and let it do it's "thing". There's nothing to be learnt from that.
> 
> 
> 
> ...



Hi Jon, I'm Lou! Love the picture and I totally get that and have been there. My comment about honest sound was to elude to what you describe and I know and understand all of what you said up there. And your right, you can't just slap a plugin there and call it a night. You need to test, analyze, treat the room and of course listen when using correction or something else. And even if you hate the correction part, at least you have some emperical idea of how your room sounds from those tools. You can get free ones as well to analyze your room with a flat mic.

Experience is key here but just like learning an instrument, training your ear takes time, practice, and SOME guide as to what you should be listening for and how. Heck I have Bob Katz book on the subject of mastering and he has exercises where you test your ears and calibrate them to hear the spectrum properly. It's crazy stuff.

I hate the idea of room correction but I joke that because of what you and I are taking about here, music is the most expensive hobby / profession. Your either renting out a commercial space or buying a house (town houses, condo's and apartments all might end up in your eviction due to noise) to build the right room.

I don't think these responses is as off topic as it seems because you cannot ask the question about monitors without taking about the room.

Edit

BTW a lot of my response isn't really directed at you, it's for the OP and anyone else who want to read up on this subject.


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## catsass (Jun 22, 2017)

jononotbono said:


> Sonic Dogshit


Great name for the nonsensical and goofy (by request) cue I just completed. Thanks!


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## Rohann (Jun 22, 2017)

jononotbono said:


> For $300 you won't find anything. Sorry, I know it sucks to be that person to say that but I really think you should save more money and buy something actually decent. You really do get what you pay for in the monitor world. If you are expecting accuracy and a flat frequency response, a pair of £300 "monitors" will never give you this. They will only lead to frustration, you will never hear anything accurately on them, the bass response will be all over the place and in the back of your mind you will always be thinking "Why didn't I save up for better ones? I can't believe I listen to anything through these pieces of..."
> 
> And no. I'm not a wealthy person with money falling from trees. I actually went from a pair of Behringher "Truth" Monitors (that are in this price range) to a pair of Adam A7Xs and I worked on a Garlic Farm, breaking my back for 6 months to get the money together. It was worth every one of the 10,000 bulbs of Garlic I pulled and cleaned (if anyone has done that job they will know it's borderline slave labour).
> 
> When I bought my Adams it was like pulling a blanket off the monitors and I can could finally hear Reverb Tails and Gates opening. The difference was staggering. People that tell you otherwise are people that are using cheap Monitors themselves and simply trying to justify to themselves that they were worth buying. Or just don't know any different. Of which case, ignorance is bliss. Sorry, I'm just being honest and don't want you to waste your money.


While I agree with this partially...

One also will literally _never get anywhere_ if waiting for the highest quality available. While Yamaha or JBL 8" monitors won't get you top-of-the-line mixes, we're primarily composers (I'm assuming), not engineers who are getting paid to mix things to technical specifications. I know mixing is an important part, but a good amount of records have been mixed on NS-10s, HS80M's, etc. Your mix won't sound the greatest, but if you're not doing feature films shown in theaters, most likely your music isn't going to be heard in a place where the nuances you'd be able to hear in a perfect room will be noticed anyway.
Now while I'm the last person to say that's unimportant, I think a start point is very important. HS80M's or NS10's or the like will still make for usable reference monitors down the road. I understand that a mix will _never_ be as good (most likely, unless you're someone like Steven Wilson) on $300 monitors as on Genelec or Adam monitors (assuming one knows what he's doing), but getting better with mixing on decent monitors is still miles and away better than mixing on computer speakers. Similarly, a small untreated room will never result in as good mixes as a treated room, but the point is to work with what one has and gradually improve. I'll be buying Adam's or Genelec's (haven't done the research yet) eventually, but I'm glad I have something until then.

I've considered headphones myself, but my engineer friends had mentioned doing that in early days even with good headphones (Sennheiser 650 and better) leads one to underestimate panning, etc. A combo of cheap-ish monitors and decent headphones would probably be a good start, I would think.


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## Tiko (Jun 22, 2017)

I used to have JBL LSR305's, and I liked them a lot. I did my first feature film using those. And my first feature length documentary. And a bunch of shorts. And commercials. I won my first 'best original score' award with music I composed and mixed with those. So yeah, I don't think that's a bad way to spend $300.

There's always a better pair out there but what really matters is creating music and working on your mixing skills. You don't need high end monitors for that.


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## jononotbono (Jun 22, 2017)

Tiko said:


> I used to have JBL LSR305's, and I liked them a lot. I did my first feature film using those. And my first feature length documentary. And a bunch of shorts. And commercials. I won my first 'best original score' award with music I composed and mixed with those. So yeah, I don't think that's a bad way to spend $300.
> 
> There's always a better pair out there but what really matters is creating music and working on your mixing skills. You don't need high end monitors for that.



Nice. What was the film you got "Best Original Score" for if you don't mind sharing? Would love to hear it! 

Also, just incase anyone gets the wrong end of any stick I have previously said...



jononotbono said:


> Of course, you can use the worst gear in the world and have a horrible room and still get results but you have to know what you are doing, what the room sounds like and you have to know what your gear sounds like to therefore be able to compensate for the problems.



So you are quite right. You don't need high end monitors. Providing you know what you are doing!


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## Mike Fox (Jun 22, 2017)

I used the JBL lsr305's for a song I sent to Mike Verta for an Unleashed episode. I thought for sure he was going to bash the mixing, but he actually said the mixing was just fine. That was probably one of the best compliments I could have received for that piece. Maybe I'll just keep doing what I'm doing.


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## Scrianinoff (Jun 22, 2017)

This advice will get you a long way for a tiny fraction of the cost of commercial room treatment. I am not kidding, and neither is this guy:


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## ctsai89 (Jun 22, 2017)

JBL305 definitely. I used to have those before I switched to rokit 6 which is no where close to as good as JBL305 was. I switched only because I was having trouble trying to find white colored monitors since my eyes were strained from screen that's right in between 2 big black blocks of speakers. Needed something my eyes feel better with. But in terms of sound, JBL305 goes up against adam a7x.


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## jononotbono (Jun 23, 2017)

Scrianinoff said:


> This advice will get you a long way for a tiny fraction of the cost of commercial room treatment. I am not kidding, and neither is this guy:




Yeah, that's fine for taming High Frequencies and will certainly help. But don't over do it otherwise the room becomes lifeless. However, what he makes in that video Won't do a thing for Mid or Bass Freqs. If you're in the UK, make some traps using 100mm thick Rigid Rockwool. I think in USA it's called Corning 707 (I forget the number). You will need more mass for Sub but for the average room and small sized Monitors, Rockwool is an amazing thing. The only thing that can sort Bass out is Mass and some Towels stuck to a wall aren't going to help with that and Bass is the biggest problem for any room. I think you would need about half a million towels to make any difference for Bass. Hence why if you have a tiny room, putting monitors in with too much bass is the worst thing ever. I have created quite a few panels and it really does help. Although this heatwave is saying otherwise. Remember not to over do the room treatment because that is just as bad as not enough. Just putting shelves up, thick curtains, a sofa, anything like that can make a world of difference before anyone starts going mad with insulation 



ctsai89 said:


> But in terms of sound, JBL305 goes up against adam a7x.



They absolutely do not go up against the A7X. They are really coloured and harsh sounding. Amazing how different everyone's ears are but to say the JBL305 goes up against the A7X is just ridiculous. Sorry. The Adams are in a different league.


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## ctsai89 (Jun 23, 2017)

@jononotbono  ok

@Scrianinoff are you a combo of Scriabin + Rachmaninoff?


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## jononotbono (Jun 23, 2017)

Haha no problem.


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## Illico (Jun 23, 2017)

+1 for JBL 305
I'm a beginner on mixing
I'm not an award winning composer
I'm happy with this cost effective product.
But, I'll probably make some accoustics adjustments on my home studio.


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## ctsai89 (Jun 23, 2017)

by the way, with JBL 305's you'd almost never have to worry about not sitting right in between your 2 monitors L/R. Pretty much most other monitors will have different frequency bumps to your ears at different sitting positions or if you turn your head down up left or right alot. For JBL305's I'd say there are 2 really bad spots but the overall frequency doesn't change. Only resonance in one area of EQ and you can easily tell that it's there then you would know to avoid listening at that spot. 

Only talking to the OP now (honestly my bad because Adam a7x was irrelevant at this price range) but I don't see any reason to not choose JBL305 over anything else below $300.


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## Gerhard Westphalen (Jun 23, 2017)

jononotbono said:


> They absolutely do not go up against the A7X. They are really coloured and harsh sounding. Amazing how different everyone's ears are but to say the JBL305 goes up against the A7X is just ridiculous. Sorry. The Adams are in a different league.



I'd say the exact opposite thing based on my experiences with the A7 

I really like the JBL's. I got them after having heard a raving review from a mastering engineer who's ears are those I trust most. They're pretty much just a smaller version of the M2 which are among the best monitors around (apart from JBL's Everest speakers). I have 2 pairs in my studio and was about to buy a third before something else came up. I like them almost as much as my Dynaudios and a lot more than speakers I've heard with much higher price points.

When comparing the A7 to a Quested I much preferred the Quested and I'm not a fan of Questeds 

I suspect it may have been the room you listened to them in. In the place I have the ones I use for rear channels they sound god awful. When I use them for cable testing I move them to a different place in the room.

Those M2 pseudo-horns are magical.


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## jononotbono (Jun 23, 2017)

Gerhard Westphalen said:


> I'd say the exact opposite thing based on my experiences with the A7
> 
> I really like the JBL's. I got them after having heard a raving review from a mastering engineer who's ears are those I trust most. They're pretty much just a smaller version of the M2 which are among the best monitors around (apart from JBL's Everest speakers). I have 2 pairs in my studio and was about to buy a third before something else came up. I like them almost as much as my Dynaudios and a lot more than speakers I've heard with much higher price points.
> 
> ...



Just goes to show how we are all different but I couldn't stand them. And the A7 isn't the same as the A7X. Different tweeters for a start. I love the clarity from the A7X Ribbon tweeters. There's nothing Pseudo about Ribbon tweeters they just sound different. Anyway, it's completely irrelevant. People are looking at buying sub $300 monitors. Good luck to all that use them and each to their own. Monitors are such a personal thing.


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## ctsai89 (Jun 23, 2017)

I like both Adam a7x and jbl305 equally. I love how jbl doesn't let you discriminate where you should listening in your room but it's missing high frequency clarity that you would other wise have in a7x. But I never got ear fatigue from jbl305. Love them and miss them so much


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## Tiko (Jun 23, 2017)

jononotbono said:


> Nice. What was the film you got "Best Original Score" for if you don't mind sharing? Would love to hear it!



It was a short film called "Jack Is Pretty" that still hasn't seen the light of day outside festival rotation.


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## jononotbono (Jun 23, 2017)

Tiko said:


> It was a short film called "Jack Is Pretty" that still hasn't seen the light of day outside festival rotation.



Well congrats man. And would love to check it out someday! Love to hear people being successful!


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## Mike Fox (Jun 23, 2017)

My only complaint with the JBL's is that they didnt do a good job with revealing the amount of reverb I was using. It wasnt until I listened to my songs on other systems that showed me that I was really caking the reverb on. It was a major disappointment too, because I had to go back and make adjustments on hundreds of individual tracks. Huge time waster.


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## Jeremy Spencer (Jun 26, 2017)

Rohann said:


> Avoid KRK Rockit's like the plague.



That's an unfair statement. I'm still on first generation 5's, I love them. All comes down to learning your monitors and figuring out their "sweet spots".


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## jononotbono (Jun 26, 2017)

mikefox789 said:


> My only complaint with the JBL's is that they didnt do a good job with revealing the amount of reverb I was using. It wasnt until I listened to my songs on other systems that showed me that I was really caking the reverb on. It was a major disappointment too, because I had to go back and make adjustments on hundreds of individual tracks. Huge time waster.



Well, you have just said exactly what $300 monitors are. Dishonest and a complete waste of time haha! Anyway, they will do you well till you can afford better ones no doubt


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## Rohann (Jun 26, 2017)

Wolfie2112 said:


> That's an unfair statement. I'm still on first generation 5's, I love them. All comes down to learning your monitors and figuring out their "sweet spots".


Somewhat facetious statement, but they're by far the least flat monitors I've heard, sounding much more like stereo speakers than monitors. I never understood the appeal.


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## Rohann (Jun 26, 2017)

jononotbono said:


> Well, you have just said exactly what $300 monitors are. Dishonest and a complete waste of time haha! Anyway, they will do you well till you can afford better ones no doubt


Imagine not having _any_ monitors to listen on. How hard would it be to mix reverb that way?


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## jononotbono (Jun 26, 2017)

Rohann said:


> Imagine not having _any_ monitors to listen on. How hard would it be to mix reverb that way?



With just headphones? Takes practise.


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## Rohann (Jun 26, 2017)

jononotbono said:


> With just headphones? Takes practise.


Haha no I meant with nothing at all. WAY harder than on cheap monitors.


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## jononotbono (Jun 26, 2017)

Rohann said:


> Haha no I meant with nothing at all. WAY harder than on cheap monitors.



Oh, right. Who would do that? Time for me to bow out of this thread.


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## Rohann (Jun 26, 2017)

jononotbono said:


> Oh, right. Who would do that? Time for me to bow out of this thread.


I'm only being ridiculous but dry humour tends not to translate well over text, my mistake.


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## jononotbono (Jun 26, 2017)

Rohann said:


> I'm only being ridiculous but dry humour tends not to translate well over text, my mistake.



No it's fine. I'm just a bit busy at the minute and haven't slept. Anyway, good luck everyone on their quest for a pair of decent monitors. Or mixing just off VU meters if that's your thing


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## Rohann (Jun 26, 2017)

jononotbono said:


> No it's fine. I'm just a bit busy at the minute and haven't slept. Anyway, good luck everyone on their quest for a pair of decent monitors. Or mixing just off VU meters if that's your thing


Now THAT would be skill.


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## Mike Fox (Jun 26, 2017)

jononotbono said:


> Well, you have just said exactly what $300 monitors are. Dishonest and a complete waste of time haha! Anyway, they will do you well till you can afford better ones no doubt


I think the trick is to really learn your equipment, regardless of the cost. I know some people who've used low end stereo speakers, and they're mixes are quite good. My problem is that I'm impatient.


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## Jeremy Spencer (Jun 27, 2017)

Rohann said:


> Somewhat facetious statement, but they're by far the least flat monitors I've heard, sounding much more like stereo speakers than monitors. I never understood the appeal.



What are the "flattest" sounding monitors you've heard? I'm keen on the Focal stuff, but open to other suggestions. Also looking at a set of Yamaha HS80m (second hand).


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## MarcelM (Jun 27, 2017)

my jbl 305 do sound great and actually reveal the amount of reverb iam using. in fact i hear every detail with em. iam running them with a tascam uh 7000.

have to say that iam also using sonarworks speaker calibration, but this combo makes it really awesome!

often its some configuration which gives you a bad sound. i fought with windows quite some time and still my mac osx sounds better. yah, weird issue but true. nvidia drivers on windows had bad influence for example.


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## Rohann (Jun 27, 2017)

Wolfie2112 said:


> What are the "flattest" sounding monitors you've heard? I'm keen on the Focal stuff, but open to other suggestions. Also looking at a set of Yamaha HS80m (second hand).


The HS80M's I have aren't the "widest" sounding, but I bought mine used on the recommendation from a few engineers in person and on Gearslutz as being monitors that are eventually useful for referencing, as well as the fact that if you can get a mix to sound good on them that it tends to sound good elsewhere. Not the easiest to work with, but for the price, they seemed like a good start.

Of the cheaper monitor range (sub $1k for the pair), the JBL's and Yamaha's certainly outdid the KRK's. Yamaha HS8's had a pretty wide frequency range but were fairly bright monitors overall (I don't have much experience but I would probably hi-cut on the monitors themselves depending on the room).

I think the flattest sounding monitors were at my friend's studio, and I believe his monitors were Event Opals (I think he upgraded from Genelecs). The room was a large factor in that scenario, but it was, by far, the most unadulterated listening experience I've had. They didn't exaggerate and colour in a fantastic sort of way that a really good home theater system or the like would, it just sounded like there was no obstacle or filter in between the music itself and one's ears.


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## Jeremy Spencer (Jun 27, 2017)

Hey, thanks for that detailed reply. I'm also considering the HS80's based on engineer recommendations. So many darn choices! My consensus is that you get what you pay for, so you can't really go wrong with a quality set. I like those Opals, but they're $$$.


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## Rohann (Jun 27, 2017)

Wolfie2112 said:


> Hey, thanks for that detailed reply. I'm also considering the HS80's based on engineer recommendations. So many darn choices! My consensus is that you get what you pay for, so you can't really go wrong with a quality set. I like those Opals, but they're $$$.


No problem. Yeah I don't think I'd honestly get Opals as a composer. Engineering pop or dense metal records, sure. I think Genelecs or Adams will likely do the job, especially given a well-constructed room. What's more important, probably, at that tier of monitor is knowing them and one's room well.


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## Mike Fox (Jun 27, 2017)

I just wanted to reiterate what other have said in regards to using monitors in a small untreated room. I just tested the JBL lsr305 monitors in my crammed closet of a room, and they sound absolutely awful: muddy, undefined, and boomy. They sound NOTHING like they did when I had them in my normal studio. Jono, I wonder If you tried these monitors in a different room setup, you may like them? People praise the monitors left and right (no pun intended), even myself, but the room does need to be right in order for them to sound good. My $80 Alesis monitors sound light years ahead better than the JBL's. Crazy how much the room you're in plays a part in the sound you hear.


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## Rohann (Jun 28, 2017)

mikefox789 said:


> I just wanted to reiterate what other have said in regards to using monitors in a small untreated room. I just tested the JBL lsr305 monitors in my crammed closet of a room, and they sound absolutely awful: muddy, undefined, and boomy. They sound NOTHING like they did when I had them in my normal studio. Jono, I wonder If you tried these monitors in a different room setup, you may like them? People praise the monitors left and right (no pun intended), even myself, but the room does need to be right in order for them to sound good. My $80 Alesis monitors sound light years ahead better than the JBL's. Crazy how much the room you're in plays a part in the sound you hear.


Almost makes one think the monitors are broken, eh?


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## Mike Fox (Jun 28, 2017)

Rohann said:


> Almost makes one think the monitors are broken, eh?


That actually crossed my mind!


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## MarcelM (Jun 28, 2017)

mikefox789 said:


> I just wanted to reiterate what other have said in regards to using monitors in a small untreated room. I just tested the JBL lsr305 monitors in my crammed closet of a room, and they sound absolutely awful: muddy, undefined, and boomy. They sound NOTHING like they did when I had them in my normal studio. Jono, I wonder If you tried these monitors in a different room setup, you may like them? People praise the monitors left and right (no pun intended), even myself, but the room does need to be right in order for them to sound good. My $80 Alesis monitors sound light years ahead better than the JBL's. Crazy how much the room you're in plays a part in the sound you hear.



my room isnt treated at all and iam using the jbl 305 with sonarworks - they sound fantastic.

atleast iam getting a crystal clear sound with my combination.


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## Mike Fox (Jun 28, 2017)

Heroix said:


> my room isnt treated at all and iam using the jbl 305 with sonarworks - they sound fantastic.
> 
> atleast iam getting a crystal clear sound with my combination.


My previous studio/room wasnt treated either, and they sounded great, so just the room itself can make a huge difference.


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## kurtvanzo (Jun 29, 2017)

I have a pair of the 5" Yamahas mentioned but they weren't flat enough. The problem with many headphones (besides not giving you perspective) is the eq curve on most (and some monitors like the yamahas) are made to help the music sound better, which is not what you want for mixing. You tend to mix music on them that sounds flat on other speakers. Sonarworks helps (especialy on headphones) but I switched out to Equator D5's, which are nearfields that are very flat and accurate, although don't have a ton of low end (as expected).
https://www.equatoraudio.com/


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## ctsai89 (Jun 29, 2017)

you can also use the monitoring subwoofers that Monoprice offers to go with JBL. If you place the high cut at 80hz, volume all the way down on the subwoofer, with the volume knob on at 5.5/10 on the jbl 305, you're going not have almost no problems.


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## N.Caffrey (Jul 2, 2017)

does anybody have an opinion between adam a77x and neumann kh120? I see a lot of love for both


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## Mike Fox (Aug 8, 2017)

Seems I've found the perfect solution for the small room scenario...






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These are tiny monitors, but they sound quite large. They also seem to be flat and accurate, without much coloration. The reverb trails are very apparent as well. It was the large amount of great reviews that made me pull the trigger, and I'm glad I did!


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## Jeremy Spencer (Aug 8, 2017)

You want to use those as reference monitors?


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## ctsai89 (Aug 8, 2017)

mikefox789 said:


> Seems I've found the perfect solution for the small room scenario...
> 
> 
> 
> ...



Wow I've always found those too good to be true by the looks and price of it. I don't own them do I can't say but since you say theyre good I might actually consider them for composing on the go


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## gtrwll (Aug 8, 2017)

mikefox789 said:


> Seems I've found the perfect solution for the small room scenario...
> 
> 
> 
> ...



Really? I saw an article about them at SOS and they seemed too good to be true. I'm also about to turn a closet/clothes room to a studio and I'm looking for decent budget speakers as well. I've gotten used to mixing on headphones and getting more and more decent results with them, but I guess monitors and treating the room would make my mixes better, or at least give them the chance to be.


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## bigcat1969 (Aug 8, 2017)

A late agreement on avoiding Rokits. I have Rokits 8s. The first one died after a year and the company wouldn't even assure me they were covered by warranty. They said just send them in and we will see what we charge you and you pay for shipping both ways. I got a used Rokit 8 off Amazon fairly cheaply instead. Now about 3 years in the other original one has developed a bad hum.
By comparison I have Sony column speakers that are over 20 years old and sound beautiful.
This isn't an isolated incident. Do some research Rokots are notoriously poorly made.


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## Mike Fox (Aug 8, 2017)

Wolfie2112 said:


> You want to use those as reference monitors?


Yup.


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## Mike Fox (Aug 8, 2017)

ctsai89 said:


> Wow I've always found those too good to be true by the looks and price of it. I don't own them do I can't say but since you say theyre good I might actually consider them for composing on the go


I'm not the only one. I was skeptical at first, until I read all the positive reviews. They're no miracle monitor by any means, but what I like most about them is how flat they sound. I have a hard time hearing any overhyped frequencies.


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## Mike Fox (Aug 8, 2017)

gtrwll said:


> Really? I saw an article about them at SOS and they seemed too good to be true. I'm also about to turn a closet/clothes room to a studio and I'm looking for decent budget speakers as well. I've gotten used to mixing on headphones and getting more and more decent results with them, but I guess monitors and treating the room would make my mixes better, or at least give them the chance to be.


Really. Don't get me wrong ,they don't sound as good as high end monitors, but I really do think these are the best solution for small room and mobile situations.


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## ctsai89 (Aug 8, 2017)

gtrwll said:


> Really? I saw an article about them at SOS and they seemed too good to be true. I'm also about to turn a closet/clothes room to a studio and I'm looking for decent budget speakers as well. I've gotten used to mixing on headphones and getting more and more decent results with them, but I guess monitors and treating the room would make my mixes better, or at least give them the chance to be.



Closet room? Does it have AC? I hope you don't live at very hot places


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## ctsai89 (Aug 8, 2017)

mikefox789 said:


> I'm not the only one. I was skeptical at first, until I read all the positive reviews. They're no miracle monitor by any means, but what I like most about them is how flat they sound. I have a hard time hearing any overhyped frequencies.



But JBL and those monitors they're the same price. I can't imagine anything to be more flat than the lsr 305 at that price range. I mean, is it logical to choose those monitors over the JBL's at all?


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## Mike Fox (Aug 8, 2017)

ctsai89 said:


> But JBL and those monitors they're the same price. I can't imagine anything to be more flat than the lsr 305 at that price range. I mean, is it logical to choose those monitors over the JBL's at all?


If you're in as small a room as I am, then yes, absolutely. JBL's sounded great in my apartment's studio, but with the room that I am currently in, they sounded like utter trash. I had to dump them, and find a much better solution. The iLoud's have the capability to sound nearly as good in confined spaces. I'd say they sound just as flat as the JBL's, If not more so. I'm not saying they are, I'm just saying that they sound like they are, considering the room I'm in. This company has figured out a way to make monitors that work for these kinds of applications. I don't know how they did it. I just know what my ears are hearing.

Also, I'm pretty sure that these monitors weren't meant to compete with larger ones. I just think this company saw a massive need for something in between headphones and monitors that were very useable in small, untreated rooms. They pulled it off.


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## gtrwll (Aug 8, 2017)

mikefox789 said:


> Really. Don't get me wrong ,they don't sound as good as high end monitors, but I really do think these are the best solution for small room and mobile situations.



That's good to hear. I don't expect them to at that price point, but I reckon I need monitors at least for referencing.



ctsai89 said:


> Closet room? Does it have AC? I hope you don't live at very hot places



Not yet. It's only a preliminary plan right now, I've been thinking of getting a cooler unit that I'd use when taking breaks or something in the vein, but I have to do some research first if that's a viable option.


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## ctsai89 (Aug 8, 2017)

gtrwll said:


> That's good to hear. I don't expect them to at that price point, but I reckon I need monitors at least for referencing.
> 
> 
> 
> Not yet. It's only a preliminary plan right now, I've been thinking of getting a cooler unit that I'd use when taking breaks or something in the vein, but I have to do some research first if that's a viable option.



Yea living in hot places during summer is a bummer. Acs are all too loud even the softest ones that's part of the building interferes and changes the way I hear my tracks, so I always eat and cool off my room as much as possible then I go back.


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## ctsai89 (Aug 8, 2017)

mikefox789 said:


> If you're in as small a room as I am, then yes, absolutely. JBL's sounded great in my apartment's studio, but with the room that I am currently in, they sounded like utter trash. I had to dump them, and find a much better solution. The iLoud's have the capability to sound nearly as good in confined spaces. I'd say they sound just as flat as the JBL's, If not more so. I'm not saying they are, I'm just saying that they sound like they are, considering the room I'm in. This company has figured out a way to make monitors that work for these kinds of applications. I don't know how they did it. I just know what my ears are hearing.
> 
> Also, I'm pretty sure that these monitors weren't meant to compete with larger ones. I just think this company saw a massive need for something in between headphones and monitors that were very useable in small, untreated rooms. They pulled it off.



Makes sense. Everybody is starting to realize that being a composer is currently not a cheap sport and are tirelessly working towards democratizing composer's hardware tools and softwares as well


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## jeffc (Aug 8, 2017)

I'd also check out M-Audio Bx5a. They sound fine, but more importantly, many film/tv edit bays have these speakers so you get an idea of what your stuff will sound like there. And the well recorded real scores sound pretty great on them, so if yours doesn't it's not the speakers....


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## Mike Fox (Aug 8, 2017)

jeffc said:


> I'd also check out M-Audio 5x5a. They sound fine, but more importantly, many film/tv edit bays have these speakers so you get an idea of what your stuff will sound like there. And the well recorded real scores sound pretty great on them, so if yours doesn't it's not the speakers....


Thanks for the suggestion. At their price point, maybe I'll just buy these as a second reference monitor.

Wait, do you mean the BX5a?


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## jeffc (Aug 8, 2017)

mikefox789 said:


> Thanks for the suggestion. At their price point, maybe I'll just buy these as a second reference monitor.
> 
> Wait, do you mean the BX5a?


Sorry, yes, I typed it wrong. BX5A. Super cheap. I've got them as a 2nd pair and sometimes I forget that I'm hearing them and not the expensive Dynaudio's that should sound way better..


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## Mike Fox (Aug 8, 2017)

jeffc said:


> Sorry, yes, I typed it wrong. BX5A. Super cheap. I've got them as a 2nd pair and sometimes I forget that I'm hearing them and not the expensive Dynaudio's that should sound way better..


Cool. I'll check them out.


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## ctsai89 (Aug 8, 2017)

I wouldn't recommend m-audio over JBL to anyone to be honest. The back volume knob on them isn't very accurate and u'll have to keep adjusting so that both left and right would be outputting at equal volume. I've heard that on some of them the left deviate as much as a whole notch from the right.

Makes me kind of OCD


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## Piano Pete (Aug 8, 2017)

Not to throw a crowbar into the BX5 department, but mine had horrible frequency responses. I spent more time trying to account for my speakers than balancing the mix itself. My experience with Maudio's lineup is that they tend to color the sound.... a lot.

If that is the maximum you can afford, something is better than nothing. You may even consider getting a decent pair of headphones. If you can shell out some additional money, especially as an investment (Good monitors should last awhile) I would recommend it. Unfortunately, lot of the prosumer/budget monitors are not going to be as flat as something in the higher tiered price ranges (At a certain point it becomes more of a horizontal upgrade than vertical).


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## Mike Fox (Aug 8, 2017)

Well, I'm quite happy with the iLoud monitors. Only cost me $250 and they are very accurate. They work perfectly fine for my situation, and It's nice to know that I don't have to drop an insane amount of money to get great mixes. Once I get into a bigger room, I will probably go back to regular monitors.


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## Quasar (Aug 8, 2017)

My experience with monitors is extremely limited. I have an ancient pair of Mackie Tapco S5s (from eBay) that I like well enough. A couple of years ago I bought a pair of M-Audio BX5s and thought they sounded horrible. I don't know how to describe it, but there was a nasal, almost tinny overcast, almost akin to listening to a vinyl record without the amp or something infusing across the sonic spectrum, so I got rid of them.

A few weeks ago I was in a small studio that had Yamaha HS8s, and I was kind of blown away by how superior they were to my humble pair, and now I'm wondering if something like the JBLs (5"? 8"?) would be a step up from what I have. I know they're pretty highly regarded on music and gear forums, but I have no real world sense of what level would constitute that next step up.


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## Tiko (Aug 8, 2017)

Quasar said:


> A few weeks ago I was in a small studio that had Yamaha HS8s, and I was kind of blown away by how superior they were to my humble pair, and now I'm wondering if something like the JBLs (5"? 8"?) would be a step up from what I have. I know they're pretty highly regarded on music and gear forums, but I have no real world sense of what level would constitute that next step up.



They are a bit better than the Yamaha HS series, so you'd be quite satisfied I imagine. The room plays a big role in the equation too though, so if yours isn't treated already that's a big upgrade itself


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## ctsai89 (Aug 9, 2017)

The JBL has special shapes around the tweeter which dispenses sound in a way that comes out with the same frequency no matter where the listening position is. I suspect this can help a lot in rooms that aren't treated since you won't be getting reflection off one part of the wall more than another part


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## Gerhard Westphalen (Aug 9, 2017)

ctsai89 said:


> The JBL has special shapes around the tweeter which dispenses sound in a way that comes out with the same frequency no matter where the listening position is. I suspect this can help a lot in rooms that aren't treated since you won't be getting reflection off one part of the wall more than another part



It makes them very "forgiving" of listening position but I don't think it's effective in placement in the room. Moving them around the room can have drastic effects and make them sound horrible. Where I have my rear channels they sound horrible so when I use them for listening tests I move them to a different position in the room where they sound great. 

One thing I recently noticed with the 305 (and I have yet to look further into it) is that they have a ridiculous amount of distortion around the crossover frequency. I had never noticed it listening to music but when you put a sine sweep through it it's nasty. I always thought it was the metal stands I have them on rattling until I did a sweep with them on the floor. It's being caused in the driver and not the tweeter (I took the speaker apart to test each part individually).


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## ctsai89 (Aug 9, 2017)

Gerhard Westphalen said:


> It makes them very "forgiving" of listening position but I don't think it's effective in placement in the room. Moving them around the room can have drastic effects and make them sound horrible. Where I have my rear channels they sound horrible so when I use them for listening tests I move them to a different position in the room where they sound great.
> 
> One thing I recently noticed with the 305 (and I have yet to look further into it) is that they have a ridiculous amount of distortion around the crossover frequency. I had never noticed it listening to music but when you put a sine sweep through it it's nasty. I always thought it was the metal stands I have them on rattling until I did a sweep with them on the floor. It's being caused in the driver and not the tweeter (I took the speaker apart to test each part individually).



yep the distortion I forget I think it was around 1600hz. I sit up higher and that spike goes away. Besides those things though, I wish I had them again instead of the krk rokit6.


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## JPQ (Aug 19, 2017)

I just ordered JBL 305 beouse my current ones have problems and current budget dont allowed use bigger amount money. I need my main soundcard fixed.


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## ctsai89 (Aug 19, 2017)

JPQ said:


> I just ordered JBL 305 beouse my current ones have problems and current budget dont allowed use bigger amount money. I need my main soundcard fixed.



you made a great choice with JBL305. Why not get a focusrite scarlet 2i2 instead of getting the soundcard fixed instead?


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## JPQ (Aug 20, 2017)

ctsai89 said:


> you made a great choice with JBL305. Why not get a focusrite scarlet 2i2 instead of getting the soundcard fixed instead?



My soundcard has many inputs/outputs (its Roland Octacapture and i want use hardware synths what i have and maybe record even somethign acoustic someday and maybe even analog effects for my synthetic music side). and ia llready buyed 2i4 temporaily replacent. this model becouse i needed also midi. and maybe is 2i4 easier available here where i live.


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## JPQ (Aug 20, 2017)

And i selected this becouse 1khz spike with yamahas dont sound good and i heared krk quality problems and also they sound muddy says some users etc.


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## JPQ (Aug 22, 2017)

JBL 305 sounds at least quickly (it tested music what i mainly listen exepct movie music...) and these sound pair unlike my old Samson Resolv 50a stuff.


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## Woodie1972 (Sep 19, 2017)

Tiko said:


> They are a bit better than the Yamaha HS series, so you'd be quite satisfied I imagine. The room plays a big role in the equation too though, so if yours isn't treated already that's a big upgrade itself



Focal Alpha 50 here. Great sound, full and tight bass (without ever being too much) and loads of detail. Can listen to them all day without getting fatigued by their sound.


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