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Powered monitors

Posted: Mon Nov 12, 2018 9:39 am
by burpgun
Hey all. I've been using a set of Tannoy monitors for years, and quite honestly, they've been a pain in the ass. I have to hook them to a power monitor with wires that you screw onto little posts, and these points of contacts have been a chronic issue. The monitors also seem to have issues under representing the high end, which messes up my mixes.

I'd like to go with powered monitors. Anyone have any particular luck with anything in the $1K range, for both speakers? I wish I could go higher price wise, but that's where I'm at. I've looked at Yamahas but I have no real inclinations toward any company.

Re: Powered monitors

Posted: Mon Nov 12, 2018 11:42 am
by burpgun
Thanks for the thoughts. Yeah, I realize this is a high subjective subject. And it is overwhelming how many choices are out there, so you'll always be able to find a fan of some particular offerings. My belief was my Tannoys were good but I've struggled to get good mixes. Now, it may be operator error, but even day to day I've spent more time than I like trying to figure out if one of those cables is coming loose, crap like that.

I'll definitely look around the used market and will check out what you've suggested. I was interested in the Yamahas in part because of the NS10 heritage. Not great gear but if you can get a good mix on them, it'll work anywhere. Or at least so I've read!

Re: Powered monitors

Posted: Tue Nov 13, 2018 12:08 pm
by øøøøøøø
I love NS10s. Yamaha's powered contemporary offerings are a bit different to me; not terrible, but not really the same kind of "good" an NS10m.

And NS10s do have very real advantages, btw-- they're often billed as "crappy monitors that make you work hard" but I don't agree. Their time domain performance is excellent and they're very revealing of issues in the critical midrange. A colleague describes them as "work lights for audio," and I could not think of a better description. They're supremely unflattering but revealing of certain types of details.

The modern powered Yamahas are not quite the same-- they're less unflattering and also less "challenging" (in a good way) to me.

Re: Powered monitors

Posted: Tue Nov 13, 2018 6:08 pm
by burpgun
Damn, now you are making me want to run down a set of NS10s! Of course, then I've got get a power amp, 'cause I'm no fan of this Samson thing I've got now.

Re: Powered monitors

Posted: Tue Nov 13, 2018 7:56 pm
by øøøøøøø
NS10s are VERY sensitive to what you amp them with.

With a cheap amp they're garbage.

With a Bryston 4B (or even 2B) they're doing what you want them to do. But that's not always a cheap proposition.

I think your idea to run down a mid-priced set of powered monitors is probably a good one.

The tricky thing is, everything I think of to recommend that I think is a really GOOD idea is way out of your price range, except for the old KRKs. And I'm fully aware that the KRK thing is probably just "my deal" especially nowadays (their heyday was a solid 15-20 years ago by this point).