I have a £300 budget and i'm looking for any set of speakers that will play with a 3.5mm audio jack. I mainly listen to house and deep house music. I have been going round in circles for ages looking at floor standing speakers, an amp, recievers, 2.1 speakers, ipod docks and really don't know which to choose. I have heard good things about the Q acoustic 2020i's but i'm not sure I can fit a reciever in with that price range and good etc etc. Basically help would be much appreciated.
HELP PLEASE. STUDENT IN NEED
- Thread starter Ed_lum
- Start date
nopiano
Well-known member
Would a pair of powered speakers suit? If so, maybe Audioengine A5+. You can find a review on this site.
Welcome!
Welcome!
BenLaw
Well-known member
Ed_lum said:
I'm guessing that's not a student bedroom? Is this party room, so loud volumes required?
I'd wander down to your local pro music shop and have a listen to some powered studio monitors: that sort of money should get you a decent pair of monitors plus a suitable lead to hook them up.
For example a pair of KRK Rokit RP5 G3 speakers is about £250 or so, and the M-Audio BX8 Carbon speakers are about £140 each.
And if you go to a music shop wherever you're a student, you might even get a student discount, too.
If they don't have a suitable lead, Maplin or somewhere like that will have a lead or lead and adapter to do the job.
For example a pair of KRK Rokit RP5 G3 speakers is about £250 or so, and the M-Audio BX8 Carbon speakers are about £140 each.
And if you go to a music shop wherever you're a student, you might even get a student discount, too.
If they don't have a suitable lead, Maplin or somewhere like that will have a lead or lead and adapter to do the job.
jmjones
Well-known member
BenLaw
Well-known member
I agree with spiny, that approach gives you the best chance of value, robustness, volume and quality.
You can buy a DAC but it's not completely necessary. If you're running music from a PC then something like a Behringer UCA202 is great for the money (About £25).
Otherwise just stick to the recommendations that have already been given.
Otherwise just stick to the recommendations that have already been given.
matthewpiano
Well-known member
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/KRK-Rokit-RP6-G3-Active-Studio-Monitor-Speakers-pair-black-with-yellow-cones-/400662000975?pt=UK_ConElec_SpeakersPASystems_RL&hash=item5d4950f54f
Agree that the simple answer is a pair of active studio monitors, with a dac if needed.
If you have a local music shop/pro-dealer local you should look to see what they have. As a general rule, US style models, Mackie, M-Audio, Rokit etc, tend to be louder and less refined, european models, Adam, Presonus etc the other way.
The best all round speaker that falls within budget is, to me, the Presonus Eris5, about £220. However it is only a 5inch bass driver and if you want to make a bit of noise it may not be potent enough.
Look around the big pro dealers, there are always deals to be had, at present Thomann in Germany are selling Neusonic NE08s for just £150 pair, big 8 inch drivers and 70 +70 watts per speaker. Given the music style and roomsixe these are something of a steal.
Order the Behringer dac or some cables at the same time and get free shipping. (Orders over €200)
If you have a local music shop/pro-dealer local you should look to see what they have. As a general rule, US style models, Mackie, M-Audio, Rokit etc, tend to be louder and less refined, european models, Adam, Presonus etc the other way.
The best all round speaker that falls within budget is, to me, the Presonus Eris5, about £220. However it is only a 5inch bass driver and if you want to make a bit of noise it may not be potent enough.
Look around the big pro dealers, there are always deals to be had, at present Thomann in Germany are selling Neusonic NE08s for just £150 pair, big 8 inch drivers and 70 +70 watts per speaker. Given the music style and roomsixe these are something of a steal.
Order the Behringer dac or some cables at the same time and get free shipping. (Orders over €200)
Ok thank you all for your help, just one last quesiton. Is it worth me buying Studio speakers, I don't have much knowledge of the speaker world but do have a couple of friends who produce music, and was under the impression studio speakers were used specifically for music production?
Gazzip
Well-known member
Ed_lum said:
No, don't do this. Studio speakers are designed for use in studios where a lot of money has been spent on acoustically treating the space. HiFi speakers are specifically designed for domestic environments which are not prepared in this way. As such HiFi speakers are more forgiving.
Gazzip said:
Sorry but this is just plain wrong.
Inexpensive monitors, of the kind we are discussing are designed for 'nearfield use', precisely because they are aimed at home/project studios, where acoustic treatment is likely to be minimal or non-existent.
Presentation is different though, the studio (active) speakers will be tighter, more dynamic and more focussed. The bass will usually go quite deep, often deeper than hi-fi speakers of a similar size and price and the mid-bass punch is usually superior too.
Where they differ from hi-fi speakers is that they do not have the warmth and 'bloom' that is the hi-fi norm, personally I think this is a huge advantage, particularly if you like to play a bit louder on occasions.
Gazzip
Well-known member
davedotco said:
Pretty sure the OP said his listening room will be 7m x 5m which is no good for nearfield. The differences that Davedotco has highlighted are exactly why you should use nearfield monitors with caution in the domestic environment you describe.
Studio ranges of speakers are voiced for studio use and are super analytical with more HF and LF and a different crossover setup from that used in HiFi. HiFi speakers usually have a sweeter top end and are are more forgiving of spaces prone to standing waves. It is also common for the dispersion baffles to be different from one another, with the HiFi baffle designed to avoid sending HF and MF sideways in to a wall or piece of adjacent furniture. This is also to prevent standing waves in an untreated room.
Some people on this forum seem very sure of their answers and are giving lots of advice to people who will be parting with their money. Myself included I guess! Why not borrow a pair of studio and a pair of HiFi speakers from dealers, (probably different dealers as HiFi and pro-audio are usually mutually exclusive in terms of stockists), and see for yourself which you prefer.
BenLaw
Well-known member
No, the 'smile' frequency response is found more often in hifi speakers, studio monitors tend to be flatter / more neutral. Not to say you can't find examples the other way round.
Gazzip
Well-known member
BenLaw said:
My experience is with PMC. I have owned examples of the "i" and the "S" range where S denotes the studio series and i the domestic HiFi. The main difference between the two is the HF unit. The tweeter in the studio monitors is the same as the one employed in their HiFi speakers, pre "i" suffix. The PMC/Solonex tweeter that heralded the coming of the "i" was introduced to sweeten the HF and to eleviate some of the original tweeter's harshness. The difference in sound between the two is marked, with the "S" being quite "zingy" at the top, which gives the impression of a heavier bottom. Great for extracting all of the HF detail but not so musical.
OK.
Speakers that are genuinely balanced for nearfield use have more bass, not more HF.
Think of dispersion characreristics, the effects of room gain etc, obvious really.
Not that it matters much anyway, near field monitors, as currently sold are nothing of the sort, this is just a name for smallish, inexpensive monitors designed for home and 'project' studios.
These days speakers of this type are built to suit all requirements, if you want the classic 'smile' type profile, NS10 'grotbox' or something more neutral in the modern style, all options are catered for. Just like hi-fi speakers they are all different and you need to listen and do your 'homework'.
For the OP, given the budget, room size and musical style, the monitor option with the inexpensive dac is easily the best solution.
The only real choice for the OP is whether to use the better allround but smaller speaker such as the Eris 5 or to look for something bigger, with more punch and presence and a slightly less refined sound.
As always, try before you buy....!
Speakers that are genuinely balanced for nearfield use have more bass, not more HF.
Think of dispersion characreristics, the effects of room gain etc, obvious really.
Not that it matters much anyway, near field monitors, as currently sold are nothing of the sort, this is just a name for smallish, inexpensive monitors designed for home and 'project' studios.
These days speakers of this type are built to suit all requirements, if you want the classic 'smile' type profile, NS10 'grotbox' or something more neutral in the modern style, all options are catered for. Just like hi-fi speakers they are all different and you need to listen and do your 'homework'.
For the OP, given the budget, room size and musical style, the monitor option with the inexpensive dac is easily the best solution.
The only real choice for the OP is whether to use the better allround but smaller speaker such as the Eris 5 or to look for something bigger, with more punch and presence and a slightly less refined sound.
As always, try before you buy....!
Facebook
Twitter
Instagram