PC Speaker Recommdations - Help needed

[JimmyiovinE]

Ok, 

 

So I have been looking for ages, nearly bought a pair of Focal CMS50's but as a more proffesional studio monitor I think that would be to revealing with very little bass for what I'm looking for.

 

So I need recommendations, I will use the speakers for Gaming, EDM music and movies so they need bass but don't have to blow my head off and I definitely don't want ear piercing trebble or have them become fatiguing after an hour or so.

 

i can spend about $2k on a pair, but don't want them to be massive things as I have a medium sized desk. 

 

I have a Chord Hugo 2 that already has in built pre amp, I'd atleast like active speakers with a built in amp as I beleive my Hugo 2 will more than cover the dac side of things.

 

Please, any redommendations will be greatly appreciated. 

 

Thank you! 

[Guest Misterioso]

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Edited July 13, 2017 by Misterioso

[Janjuggler]

Hi @JimmyiovinE

 

Just some thoughts to think about:

 

Focal XS 2.1 

 

KEF X300A plus KEF Q400B

 

DALI ZENSOR 1 AX plus DALI SUB E-9

 

Perhaps even go floorstanders DALI ZENSOR 5 AX

 

JJ

 

 

[PleasantSounds]

If desk space is at a premium, perhaps you should consider smaller monitors with a sub?

I have run a setup like that for several years and it performed quite admirably, even on a bit smaller budget.

 

[JimmyiovinE]

43 minutes ago, Janjuc said:

Hi @JimmyiovinE

 

Just some thoughts to think about:

 

Focal XS 2.1 

 

KEF X300A plus KEF Q400B

 

DALI ZENSOR 1 AX plus DALI SUB E-9

 

Perhaps even go floorstanders DALI ZENSOR 5 AX

 

JJ

 

 

 

Awesome thanks so much for your recommendations. Those focals look amazing, and nice and neat for a desk as well. I will look into all of them, thanks again!

[Cardiiiii]

I've owned the KEF X300A and they are pretty damn good!

[shogun2]

JBL LSR305 and LSR sub would fit the bill.

[Hippy]

Its worth adding a small 8 or 10" sub under the desk to fill things out a bit also.

[bzr]

40 minutes ago, Hippy said:

Its worth adding a small 8 or 10" sub under the desk to fill things out a bit also.

Yeah, that'll blow your skirt up! 

[DoggieHowser]

I have the Focal XS Book - still an amazingly cracking good speaker. I have an iFi iDAC hooked to it.

[JimmyiovinE]

On 14/07/2017 at 6:35 PM, DoggieHowser said:

I have the Focal XS Book - still an amazingly cracking good speaker. I have an iFi iDAC hooked to it.

 

They look nice, where did you buy them from, I can't find them anywhere for sale

[Pagand]

Hi Jimmyiovine,

 

Any Genelec 8000 Series would do well for what you need, recommend starting off with 8010A's, doesn't hurt to look into more pro grade gear as quality for the price usually beats consumer grade or something a bit more subtle on the consumer side are Bose Music Monitors. Have both these so I can state with real world experience you can't go wrong. Been using the 8010A's as reference for a few years.

 

If you need a but of bass for that low end fill, look at Sunfire SDS 8. Good value & quality for size & price.

 

Hope this helps.

 

 

 

 

[DoggieHowser]

4 hours ago, JimmyiovinE said:

 

They look nice, where did you buy them from, I can't find them anywhere for sale

 

Got it many years ago now. 

 

It is still a PC speaker - decent but not a hifi speaker

 

[Janjuggler]

On 7/14/2017 at 6:35 PM, DoggieHowser said:

I have the Focal XS Book - still an amazingly cracking good speaker. I have an iFi iDAC hooked to it.

 

Hi

 

Have these too, through an Audio Quest Dragonfly, only problem is keeping the top flock less dusty 

 

JJ

Edited July 16, 2017 by Janjuc

[Al.M]

Yamaha HS 5 or 8

 

very crisp, punchy and detailed sound. The 8 will have more bass but 5 is very good for its size. The matching Yamaha subwoofer would be good.

 

https://usa.yamaha.com/products/proaudio/speakers/hs_series/index.html

 

 

[warweary]

 

[Fredrich]

I'm selling a set of Dynaudio XEO 2 which would sit nicely on a desk and offer great punch/bass for their size without being overwhelming. They might suit what you're looking for. They have the benefit of choosing desk/wall DSP options so the speaker is attuned to its environment.

[Frameperfect]

On 13/07/2017 at 2:38 PM, JimmyiovinE said:

Ok, 

 

So I have been looking for ages, nearly bought a pair of Focal CMS50's but as a more proffesional studio monitor I think that would be to revealing with very little bass for what I'm looking for.

 

So I need recommendations, I will use the speakers for Gaming, EDM music and movies so they need bass but don't have to blow my head off and I definitely don't want ear piercing trebble or have them become fatiguing after an hour or so.

 

i can spend about $2k on a pair, but don't want them to be massive things as I have a medium sized desk. 

 

I have a Chord Hugo 2 that already has in built pre amp, I'd atleast like active speakers with a built in amp as I beleive my Hugo 2 will more than cover the dac side of things.

 

Please, any redommendations will be greatly appreciated. 

 

Thank you! 

Hi Jimmy, I've been down the active speaker route so heres my 2c

 

2k buying new will get you to the entrance of decent active monitors, barely. Choices involving the Focals, Neuman Klein Hammel, and Adams are the better choices. I would not recommend Yamaha, Presonus, Event, Mackie and most other brands that don't have trickle down technology. The Yamaha is quite good but many actives in this range use 8inch woofers that will wreck havoc in a room that isnt quite sizeable and properly treated with bass traps or at least filled with some bookshelfs and furniture. Not to mention that most active monitors under 2k are quite harsh in the treble. They may seem revealing but in reality its harsh treble. They may seem bassy but in reality the frequency curve is not linear and they are notched up in the lower mids, giving an illusion of bass whilst filling your room with mud. The next thing to consider is they are amplified by Class D modules. Now Class D, properly implemented works great, but this is not cheap, and not likely in a sub 2k active monitor aside from the few class leaders. Another thing to consider is that nearfield monitoring with actives is not that enjoyable, especially in the sub 2k area. Some of the cheaper speakers will cheat with notched lower mods and treble. Others will try and get the frequency curve flat and this translates to a flat, anemic and uninspiring sound that is not in the least conducive to a pleasurable listening experience. If you consider what goes into 1-2k active monitor the economics reveal their limitations. The speaker cabinet is often sealed and made of plastic. The woofers vary in quality. The tweeters are often metal based and not implemented so well, money gets saved to pay for that Class D amp. 

 

Im not having a go at Adams, Focals or NKH but for most active monitors in this price bracket I would not touch with a 10ft pole. I would try and buy second hand this way you can get into the good territory of actives where they start to sing. Event Opals are excellent speakers but rarely come up. Second hand Dynaudios, Focals and Adam could also be solid choices. In the 5k plus area is when actives get interesting, but still they are made for mixing in film and audio studios, not for pleasure.

 

My advice is do NOT go down the active monitor route. For 2k used off the forums you would buy a passive system that devastates anything a new active is capable of. $1300 or so on a second hand pair of bookshelfs and $700 on an integrated will provide more power, real bass, revealing but smooth treble, and mids that actually sound good, really good. I know because I ditched actives. There are some

great models out their (Event Opals and Neuman being my favourite, excluding the big boys like ATC etc). But even the top of the line Focal 3 ways are not enjoyable to my ears. The flat response and detail retreval is great for production though. 

 

Figure out your room dimensions and limits first. Decide the woofer size and spend the money on the best speakers you can get. Many nice Amps in the budget range of 500-700 will do 80% of what much more expensive amps are capable of (on a bookshelf). So yes please reconsider Actives they can be good but at this price range passives will eat them alive in my experience. Good luck.

[Guest Misterioso]

Just shows how different tastes are. I sold a pair of Dynaudio Contour 1.3 speakers and an Accuphase E-207 integrated amp because this combination was put to shame by a humble pair of Neumann KH120A monitors. Needless to say that the Dynaudio/Accuphase combo was much more expensive than the KH120A.

[JimmyiovinE]

42 minutes ago, Frameperfect said:

Hi Jimmy, I've been down the active speaker route so heres my 2c

 

2k buying new will get you to the entrance of decent active monitors, barely. Choices involving the Focals, Neuman Klein Hammel, and Adams are the better choices. I would not recommend Yamaha, Presonus, Event, Mackie and most other brands that don't have trickle down technology. The Yamaha is quite good but many actives in this range use 8inch woofers that will wreck havoc in a room that isnt quite sizeable and properly treated with bass traps or at least filled with some bookshelfs and furniture. Not to mention that most active monitors under 2k are quite harsh in the treble. They may seem revealing but in reality its harsh treble. They may seem bassy but in reality the frequency curve is not linear and they are notched up in the lower mids, giving an illusion of bass whilst filling your room with mud. The next thing to consider is they are amplified by Class D modules. Now Class D, properly implemented works great, but this is not cheap, and not likely in a sub 2k active monitor aside from the few class leaders. Another thing to consider is that nearfield monitoring with actives is not that enjoyable, especially in the sub 2k area. Some of the cheaper speakers will cheat with notched lower mods and treble. Others will try and get the frequency curve flat and this translates to a flat, anemic and uninspiring sound that is not in the least conducive to a pleasurable listening experience. If you consider what goes into 1-2k active monitor the economics reveal their limitations. The speaker cabinet is often sealed and made of plastic. The woofers vary in quality. The tweeters are often metal based and not implemented so well, money gets saved to pay for that Class D amp. 

 

Im not having a go at Adams, Focals or NKH but for most active monitors in this price bracket I would not touch with a 10ft pole. I would try and buy second hand this way you can get into the good territory of actives where they start to sing. Event Opals are excellent speakers but rarely come up. Second hand Dynaudios, Focals and Adam could also be solid choices. In the 5k plus area is when actives get interesting, but still they are made for mixing in film and audio studios, not for pleasure.

 

My advice is do NOT go down the active monitor route. For 2k used off the forums you would buy a passive system that devastates anything a new active is capable of. $1300 or so on a second hand pair of bookshelfs and $700 on an integrated will provide more power, real bass, revealing but smooth treble, and mids that actually sound good, really good. I know because I ditched actives. There are some

great models out their (Event Opals and Neuman being my favourite, excluding the big boys like ATC etc). But even the top of the line Focal 3 ways are not enjoyable to my ears. The flat response and detail retreval is great for production though. 

 

Figure out your room dimensions and limits first. Decide the woofer size and spend the money on the best speakers you can get. Many nice Amps in the budget range of 500-700 will do 80% of what much more expensive amps are capable of (on a bookshelf). So yes please reconsider Actives they can be good but at this price range passives will eat them alive in my experience. Good luck.

 

Thanks for your detailed response! I now have a mcintosh mha100 now, so def gonna pass on active speakers after doing more research, The amp can take 2 50watt passive speakers, so I'm looking at getting some ls50 kefs. Or is there anything else ypu might recommend at 50watts each speaker? I just hear good things about the kef ls50's, will use them for music, movies and gaming.

 

thanks again

[Frameperfect]

27 minutes ago, Monitor said:

Just shows how different tastes are. I sold a pair of Dynaudio Contour 1.3 speakers and an Accuphase E-207 integrated amp because this combination was put to shame by a humble pair of Neumann KH120A monitors. Needless to say that the Dynaudio/Accuphase combo was much more expensive than the KH120A.

For mixing duties in front of a PC a neirfield would provide better imaging and feedback than a passive. I had the KH120s for around 3 years. Have you heard Event Opals? Thats an active speakers I would love to own, but I think theyve cut costs over the years. Also a company called Geithain makes high end active monotors Im dieing to hear. I hope I didnt sound anti-active monitors, Im not at all. But in the sub 2k range theres a lot gear targetted at the amateur studio market that is not at all worth the money.

 

Class leaders like NKH, Adams, Focal, Dynaudio are definetely solid active monitors. But, there is a lot of fatiging monitors which purport to offer the benefits of actives but really overempahsise the negatives.I have not heard that Accuphase or Dynaudio speaker, but I do agree that taste varies. If you are a fan of headphones like high end beyerdynamic and sennheiser headphones I suspect you might also enjoy quality active monitors for their resolution. The KH120 was easily the best nearfield in the price range for me. I did not get to hear Focal at the time though and I do not like Ribbon tweeters as a personal taste. The silkdome tweeter of the KH120 influenced my next choice of speakers in a positive way. When I did a/b comparisons to my friends passive I decided to switch from actives. The difference for me was volume. The KH120 would get harsher at higher volumes whilst my friends passives, powered by a tube hybrid were snoother. Overtime the KH120 would get a bit fatguing, even on low listening volume. I can listen through tubes all day. Finally on some songs like Enyas Orinoco Flow, the KH120s struggled to own the 50-200 hz region. I think its great you manage to get so much out of your pair. Being able to sell on expensive equipment for something far more economical because of personal taste is your win, would you ever consider the NKH 3 way? I was extremely tempted at one point, knowing it would solve my issues with the 120 except for fatigue. Another Idea I had was active monitors paired with a tube pre amplifier, If only I had the money to fund my curiosity

 

So to the OP, go second hand and get a good pair of actives, but for pure listening why ignore the passive option? Perhaps its a matter of space? But the peripherals matter a lot. Having any speaker sitting on a desk immediately puts your tweeter 40cm or so under your ears and the woofer reverberating off the table. Stands are the sensible option, which also allows for placing them a bit further back from the table, removing the need for nearfields and opening the door to passive options. The room also matters, small rooms and big speakers don't work, doesnt matter how many basstraps you use.

 

Finally, my experience with active

monitors is strictly limited to proffesional studio brands. Active Home Audio such as the ls50 and xeos Ive never heard, except from some very happy forum members

[LogicprObe]

 

If they are for gaming, you need a sub first, then choose your speakers.

[Guest Misterioso]

6 minutes ago, Frameperfect said:

Have you heard Event Opals? ... Also a company called Geithain makes high end active monotors... would you ever consider the NKH 3 way? 

I am familiar with all of these monitors and considered all of them before I decided to upgrade my KH120A with Quested V2108. 

[Frameperfect]

45 minutes ago, JimmyiovinE said:

 

Thanks for your detailed response! I now have a mcintosh mha100 now, so def gonna pass on active speakers after doing more research, The amp can take 2 50watt passive speakers, so I'm looking at getting some ls50 kefs. Or is there anything else ypu might recommend at 50watts each speaker? I just hear good things about the kef ls50's, will use them for music, movies and gaming.

 

thanks again

Woah there. You had a 2k budget for actives but brough a mha100? Congratulations You are a headfi listener first that wanted some speakers on the side? I gotta say Im pretty envious of you, its a delicious looking piece of gear and I didnt realise it does 50w too. Can you PM me the price you paid please.

 

From what Ive read the LS50s are very competant. I have heard them and thought they were a solid speaker. I have not heard the active LS50 but reviewers say its a big improvement over the passive, especially in the lows and I know of one forum user who sold his dynaudios to buy them. Youll have to listen first. Personally the LS50s look too overstylised for me, and the wacky colors arnt to my taste. Solid all rounder wasnt what I was looking for, I was after a particular signature. Theres so many speakers in the 1-2k price range which are competant enough that the choice will come down to signature, room limits and maybe even style. Best bet is to make a cd playlist, take a pen and paper and spend the day at a few hifi stores. 

I have a personal bias for Vienna Acoustics, I thought it was some stuffy brand for classical music heads until I heard the spider cone woofer absolutely destroying the alternatives with tight punchy bass, profficient mids and honey like treble. Another favourite is Focal with the W cone, superior to the flax cone in my opinion. The bass is harder and will slam more than punch. The mids more extended and cleaner than the Viennas. The treble is quite cold and too icey for more liking, due to the metal tweeter. I could go on and on with so many brands; paradigm, elac, spendor, proac, harbeth, sonus faber, b&w, pmc, atc, tannoy etc. They each have their own signature and some will pair with the McIntosh better, best bet is to take the Mac to a few hifi stores and slug it out. If I remember the Mac is an SS amp, so it would pair nicely with a warmer speaker, or not, ya gotta listen. Then either buy the best or camp the forums for a great deal knowing what you need. 

[Frameperfect]

19 minutes ago, Monitor said:

I am familiar with all of these monitors and considered all of them before I decided to upgrade my KH120A with Quested V2108. 

I think youre in a whole different league at this point. Did you buy blind? I brought the Neumanns blind, lucky it worked out so well. Congratulations.