Great actives for the less well heeled.

[davedotco]

Given all the love for the new Kef LS50w, I thought I would suggest something that will give you a taste of that level of performance for a fraction of the price.

Whilst I am not suggesting that these speakers are in any wityay an alternative to the LS50s, active or passive, they do offer a remarkable level of performance for less than a quarter of the price.

I am referring to the Equator D5 a compact studio type speaker costing typically £400-450. It has some similarities to the LS50s, a 5 inch (ish) coaxial driver, advanced dsp and a performance way in advance of it's modest cost. It has it's differences too, a soft dome tweeter for example and it is a 'straight' monitor, ie line in with no additional functionality (so you will need a pre-amp of some sort).

Sound wise, the bass is very decent given it's modest size but it's strength is the superb midrange controlled by the dsp 'engine'. The result is a level of clarity unusal at anything like this level and a balance that is very even, the bass levels can be tweaked too, this may help room positioning. Downside is that hi-fi users may find this clarity a little unsettling, particulaly if used to the 'warmth' and 'body' of most budget hi-fi speakers.e

Like any budget speaker it is important to audition to be sure they meet yout requirements, but if they do....

Equator D5 Series2

 

[chebby]

Sound wise, the bass is very decent given it's modest size but it's strength is the superb midrange controlled by the dsp 'engine'.

Why not have the bass as well? ...

https://www.thomann.de/gb/equator_d8_mk2.htm

8" drivers and 'only' £745 per pair.

 

[muljao]

If you are primarily using a chromecast or a quality bluetooth device, these ones get you a set of 5" active speakers that have no problems filling my friends medium sized room for 298 euro/250 ish pound. This guy has a cyrus amp with power supply and castle floorstanders (so his standards are pretty respectable) and can not get over how good these are for the price

https://www.thomann.de/gb/presonus_eris_5.htm?ref=search_rslt_presonus_317500_0

 

[muljao]

Sound wise, the bass is very decent given it's modest size but it's strength is the superb midrange controlled by the dsp 'engine'.

Why not have the bass as well? ...

https://www.thomann.de/gb/equator_d8_mk2.htm

8" drivers and 'only' £745 per pair.

House party time*dance4* *dance4* *dance4* *dance4*

 

[drummerman]

Another case of clarity above musicality?

Seems to be the norm these days.

Having said that, I of course haven't heard these speakers so I could be wrong.

Still, having spent a little bit of time on youtube lately the place is full of 'high resolution' stuff which sounds like it'll strip the enamel of your teeth in the long run.

The nicest systems (imho) are the ones that add a little warmth or bloom into the equation. Not always 'budget speakers' as in davedoctos description.

A few even harmonics are probably a good thing as are perhaps the result of a slightly under damped speaker in combination with a sympathetically matched good amplifier (or vice versa).

Rant over 🙂

 

[muljao]

Another case of clarity above musicality?

Seems to be the norm these days.

Having said that, I of course haven't heard these speakers so I could be wrong.

Still, having spent a little bit of time on youtube lately the place is full of 'high resolution' stuff which sounds like it'll strip the enamel of your teeth in the long run.

The nicest systems (imho) are the ones that add a little warmth or bloom into the equation. Not always 'budget speakers' as in davedoctos description.

A few even harmonics are probably a good thing as are perhaps the result of a slightly under damped speaker in combination with a sympathetically matched good amplifier (or vice versa).

Rant over 🙂

Maybe I'm wrong on this, but these speakers are supposedly very detailed and nuetral. So say you use them with a dac or indeed a source that has a little warmth they should show this as well.

I bought a similar set of them for a setup in my shed where I can go when the kids are in bed and listen to slightly above a whisper. I also bough a marantz av receiver to use the preouts. I think generally marantz give a slightly warm sound, I am kind of expecting this to materialize in the overall sound a little (This is all recent, speakers will arrive today, receiver still in transet somewhere over the sea)

 

[Vladimir]

The JBL LSR305s.

Originally Posted by GREENFENDR

I was at Dale Pro Audio and got to check out the 305's. I was very impressed as we put them up against the new Genelec's and a pair of K&H (ahem, Neumann) O310's, (that just happened to be up in their demo rom) I didn't like the new Genny's at all, kind of muffled and peaky sounding, but man the JBL's held their own against the 3-way Neumanns... No, they'll never get as loud as the Neumanns, and JBL's did feel smaller overall, but they matched up well tonally.

Originally Posted by aoc

You say the Genelec M series were peaky and muffled? Care to ellaborate a bit? What material were you playing through them etc..?

I mean you're now comparing GENELEC to an entry level JBL monitor, and saying things like that so something must be wrong.

Originally Posted by GREENFENDR

I was at Dale Pro Audio in NYC picking up some cables and nick/nacks two weeks ago or so, and my buddies pulled me into the demo room and asked me to check out the 305 and the Genelecs.

Keep in mind I've listened to 3 generations of Genelecs in Dale's demo room. I know how Genelecs sound (especially in that room). and the new ones just sounded wrong. Beatles, Beasties, Jay-Z, Miles Davis, Tom Petty, etc... all sounded very muffled, with a weird resonance in the low mids. The opposite of what you'd expect Genelecs to sound like. I checked the settings on the speakers and everything was set Flat.

The JBL's on the other hand were a complete surprise. I've also listened to 3 generations of JBL speakers in that demo room, and was never a fan. The 305s were incredibly even, with nice midrange details, I always demo Abby Road because on good speakers you can really hear the compressor working on the instruments, and subtle things like the reverb tails, the things you want to hear when your mixing. . and sure enough I could hear all that on the 305's. The highs are clean, not hyped or crispy, They reminded me of my BM6a's (original) but with a bit more forward mids. These are not your 'big bass, crispy highs' entry level speakers (meant to grab attention and move off quickly off of Guitar Center floors)

Like I said, we put them up to a pair of 0310's that just happened to be there, just to see, and overall tone, and stereo imaging were very similar. The 310's did sound better, but at that point I'm comparing a $300 pair to a $7000 pair. (and of course, the 305's would never fill the same space the 310's would)

Just this week, Dale lent me demo a pair for our facility as a speaker for our composers to work on... Not only did That pair not go back, I'm putting in a request to order 4 more pairs for the rest of the crew....

Anywho, it's a sign that great products are becoming cheaper to manufacture. JBL isn't a sexy brand, and I'm the first to bash Harmon, but they nailed it with this one.

Also you can read John57's views on the 305s, as he bought them and ditched the Equator D5s. Original thread at GC.

Or few GC reviews.

Too lazy to read? Have a video how 305 replaces coaxial Presonus.

 

[Vladimir]

Another case of clarity above musicality?

Seems to be the norm these days.

Having said that, I of course haven't heard these speakers so I could be wrong.

Still, having spent a little bit of time on youtube lately the place is full of 'high resolution' stuff which sounds like it'll strip the enamel of your teeth in the long run.

The nicest systems (imho) are the ones that add a little warmth or bloom into the equation. Not always 'budget speakers' as in davedoctos description.

A few even harmonics are probably a good thing as are perhaps the result of a slightly under damped speaker in combination with a sympathetically matched good amplifier (or vice versa).

Rant over 🙂

Some studio monitors and headphones have exagerated highs or upper mids to serves as sort of zoom lens for mixing. Such case are traditionally the Yamahas speakers and AKG headphones. But it's not something universally applicable to all studio monitors. For example KRK all sound muffled and bloated to me.

 

[avole]

reads a bit like a shill, but then so do so many "reviews".

Personally I chose m-audio speakers. They don't have the teeth-grating treble of some well-known marques, but retain the detail.

I'm yet to hear active speakers that can equal good passives.

 

[muljao]

reads a bit like a shill, but then so do so many "reviews".

Personally I chose m-audio speakers. They don't have the teeth-grating treble of some well-known marques, but retain the detail.

I'm yet to hear active speakers that can equal good passives.

Seems a preference that most of the music listening public share. It is nice to have alternative options to the norm though

 

[Vladimir]

reads a bit like a shill, but then so do so many "reviews".

I must not fall prey into buying these overpriced JBL placebo products. *lol*

 

[avole]

It seems their failings have to do with the cabinets, which are cheap plastic and not properly damped or stiffened, at least that's what I understood. I suspect that may be the problem with many studio monitors, including my own.

 

[Vladimir]

It seems their failings have to do with the cabinets, which are cheap plastic and not properly damped or stiffened, at least that's what I understood. I suspect that may be the problem with many studio monitors, including my own.

Build quality in budget studio monitors is rubbish. However, those Equators D5s look very nice and I wouldn't mind those in a living room setup. Easy on the eyes.

 

[muljao]

It seems their failings have to do with the cabinets, which are cheap plastic and not properly damped or stiffened, at least that's what I understood. I suspect that may be the problem with many studio monitors, including my own.

Build quality in budget studio monitors is rubbish. However, those Equators D5s look very nice and I wouldn't mind those in a living room setup. Easy on the eyes.

I'm not 110% in agrrement on the build of all them. I am certainly no advocate for actives, I have two (great to me) passive set ups. My friend who bought the Presonus commented on how heavy and solid they felt, and I blasted Rage againt the machine through them at stupid volumes and there was no distortion or vibration that I could detect. Of course there are way more solid/better built active and passive speakers alike, but I wouldn't say they felt like a cheap product

 

[drummerman]

It seems their failings have to do with the cabinets, which are cheap plastic and not properly damped or stiffened, at least that's what I understood. I suspect that may be the problem with many studio monitors, including my own.

Build quality in budget studio monitors is rubbish. However, those Equators D5s look very nice and I wouldn't mind those in a living room setup. Easy on the eyes.

They look ok and may sound it too.

As regards to Active 'Studio Monitor' voicing, The ones I've heard all sounded on the bright, revealing side and all, apart from Adams, sounded simply awful. They were all lower priced apart from a pair of very small Genelecs which I also thought would be less than ideal for home hifi.

The best active I've heard was a pair of Dynaudio Focus 110A's. They looked superb but there was a harshness to lower treble which intruded and which couldn't be dialled out with the rear adjusters. Still, lovely pair of speakers.

 

[Andrewjvt]

It seems their failings have to do with the cabinets, which are cheap plastic and not properly damped or stiffened, at least that's what I understood. I suspect that may be the problem with many studio monitors, including my own.

Build quality in budget studio monitors is rubbish. However, those Equators D5s look very nice and I wouldn't mind those in a living room setup. Easy on the eyes.

They look ok and may sound it too.

As regards to Active 'Studio Monitor' voicing, The ones I've heard all sounded on the bright, revealing side and all, apart from Adams, sounded simply awful. They were all lower priced apart from a pair of very small Genelecs which I also thought would be less than ideal for home hifi.

The best active I've heard was a pair of Dynaudio Focus 110A's. They looked superb but there was a harshness to lower treble which intruded and which couldn't be dialled out with the rear adjusters. Still, lovely pair of speakers.

Try have a listen to avidm10s if you can

 

[drummerman]

It seems their failings have to do with the cabinets, which are cheap plastic and not properly damped or stiffened, at least that's what I understood. I suspect that may be the problem with many studio monitors, including my own.

Build quality in budget studio monitors is rubbish. However, those Equators D5s look very nice and I wouldn't mind those in a living room setup. Easy on the eyes.

They look ok and may sound it too.

As regards to Active 'Studio Monitor' voicing, The ones I've heard all sounded on the bright, revealing side and all, apart from Adams, sounded simply awful. They were all lower priced apart from a pair of very small Genelecs which I also thought would be less than ideal for home hifi.

The best active I've heard was a pair of Dynaudio Focus 110A's. They looked superb but there was a harshness to lower treble which intruded and which couldn't be dialled out with the rear adjusters. Still, lovely pair of speakers.

Try have a listen to avidm10s if you can

Admittedly, my experience with actives is very limited.

 

[insider9]

I hope I'm not too early with praise but it seems that actives are more accepted nowadays 🙂

Great to see, as it's all the same and matters not whether active, passive or powered we use it for the same purpose to listen to music.

Also, an interesting pair of speakers in the OP for what seems a very good price.

 

[Vladimir]

The industry is obviously changing as more 'domestic' active offerings appear. The pro stuff is still questionable choice for many.

 

[davedotco]

My post was prompted by the sudden enthusiasm for the LS50w and Equator D5s are speakers I have tried in the past.

Chebby - The D5s are, to my ears, better balanced, in an untreated home situation i feel the D8s will be much more difficult to place. The D5s are easy to place, I have had them at home and the bass is absolutely fine for my needs though I am aware that some listeners require more.

Muljao - The Eris 5 is cracking value, I have recommended them many times in the past. The D5s are a class or two better though, I prefer them to the Adam A5x which are £150 more and that is from an Adam user!

Voicing - In much the same way that hi-fi speakers conform to the preferences of hi-fi buyers, pro type speakers are built for pro users. The requirements are different and one way of giving a pro user the 'detail' that he wants is to 'hype' the sound with some lift in the bass and treble. Many cheap pro monitors are like this but, just as in hi-fi, there are some good products that are really balanced and work really well for hi-fi, whether you like the lack of (fake) warmth and body that so many hi-fi speakers have in abundance is, of course, down to you, the listener.

Don't fall into the trap of thinking that because some 'pro' type speakers sound awful, then all such speakers are the same, they're not.

I don't really want to get into the old pro/hi-fi, active/passive debates, just suggesting a more afordable option for those whose interest has been piqued by the LS50w but find the cost a littly high.

 

[avole]

The industry is obviously changing as more 'domestic' active offerings appear. The pro stuff is still questionable choice for many.

that is winning, not the active part. Bluetooth and wifi is the way to go, as KEF, Dynaudio and Devialet have shown. I don't think consumers give a stuff about the active part, and, to be honest, they have a point. I doubt many could pick between passive and active in a blind test, the difference is minimal. I also doubt many would pick the difference between first and eighth order analogue crossovers either. The big difference is DSP.

 

[plastic penguin]

They look good. Kinda like well sorted speakers and I could see these fitting nicely into someone's system, but I can also see why their signature might divide opinion.

 

[Vladimir]

Idiotproof environment breeds idiots.

 

[Infiniteloop]

Another case of clarity above musicality?

Seems to be the norm these days.

Having said that, I of course haven't heard these speakers so I could be wrong.

Still, having spent a little bit of time on youtube lately the place is full of 'high resolution' stuff which sounds like it'll strip the enamel of your teeth in the long run.

The nicest systems (imho) are the ones that add a little warmth or bloom into the equation. Not always 'budget speakers' as in davedoctos description.

A few even harmonics are probably a good thing as are perhaps the result of a slightly under damped speaker in combination with a sympathetically matched good amplifier (or vice versa).

Rant over 🙂

I'm totally with you on this one. *i-m_so_happy*

 

[Vladimir]

I'd like to hear a pair of these in my life.

Slim chances though.