Passive studio monitors

[itamar2312]

Hello people!

I thought that if I buy passive speakers there prices will be lower...

I need a pair for mixing purposes, my room is greatly treated. 8" driver is the maximum.

There are Amphion's but they're very very expansive since I don't want to go lower then 6.5" driver... And I don't want a sub.

My budget is 1,500$.

 

[shadyJ]

Not many studio monitors are passive. I certainly would not make a point of getting passive monitors to save money. Given your criteria, I would be looking at the Dynaudio LYD 8 or the Focal Alpha 80 Evo.

 

[itamar2312]

Not many studio monitors are passive. I certainly would not make a point of getting passive monitors to save money. Given your criteria, I would be looking at the Dynaudio LYD 8 or the Focal Alpha 80 Evo.

I thought that way I can get stronger speakers which can handle high watts. I have a strong amp.

Also thought that way the companies can invest more in the drivers.

 

[shadyJ]

I thought that way I can get stronger speakers which can handle high watts. I have a strong amp.

Also thought that way the companies can invest more in the drivers.

Nope. Wattage has very little to do with bass extension, just SPL capability.

 

[everettT]

The Neumann KH120II is $500 above your budget, 5.25" woofer, and also powered but is ruler flat to 45hz down 6db at 41hz and capable of high spl in half space. If you're mixing, they're hard to beat unless it's electronic music where you need high output below 38hz and don't have a sub.

 

[Eppie]

What about Genelec powered studio monitors? A pair of 8030c should be between $1500 and $2000. Or are you set on using the amplifier that you already have?

 

[prerich]

There is a studio monitor that sells for about $700 each, you don't hear about often - but they perform. The BagEnd M6 - owned 3 of these - great in the nearfield. I sold them when I stopped doing a lot of nearfield listening ($500 for all 3...a steal). You may want to see if you can acquire some. They have a 6.5 inch woofer with a concentric tweeter. Here's a link to them https://bagend.com/product/m-6-bag-end/

 

[itamar2312]

I don’t want No generic no neauman and no bastards that want 6500$ for a speaker.

I liked the bag end m6 idea, I know there are good companies out there who sadly gets burried by the marketing business.

 

[Verdinut]

There is the Danley Studio monitor which can handle 600 watts peak and output 122 dB:

TDS-1 | 2-way Full-range Passive Studio Monitor - Danley Sound Labs

The Tom Danley Studio Monitor - a true work of art in audio engineering and craftsmanship. With its sleek and professional design, this monitor is a perfect fit for any professional or home studio setting. Whether you're recording and mixing music, sound designing for film, or creating podcasts...

www.danleysoundlabs.com

With small woofers, the low frequency output is rather limited. Danley offers a subwoofer to go with it:

TDS-Sub | Passive Studio Subwoofer - Danley Sound Labs

The Tom Danley TDS-Sub is a versatile subwoofer that seamlessly transitions from home to studio use. With a sturdy and sleek design, this subwoofer fits perfectly in any room or studio setup. Whether you're using the TDS-Sub to add depth to your home theater system or for monitoring bass in...

www.danleysoundlabs.com

 

[everettT]

I don’t want No generic no neauman and no bastards that want 6500$ for a speaker.

I liked the bag end m6 idea, I know there are good companies out there who sadly gets burried by the marketing business.

I'm not sure what you're trying to say about speakers costing $6500, but good luck on your journey.

 

[Trell]

I'm not sure what you're trying to say about speakers costing $6500, but good luck on your journey.

My guess is that he’s using a translator for his posts and that the Genelec Ones are mistaken for the far less expensive ones.

 

[BoredSysAdmin]

Combination of OP's budget and rejection of sub, I feel that Kali IN-8 v2 would be good choice, given their have 8" main woofer and 45hz (3db) bass extension. They also measure very well:

 

[Eppie]

Combination of OP's budget and rejection of sub, I feel that Kali IN-8 v2 would be good choice, given their have 8" main woofer and 45hz (3db) bass extension. They also measure very well:

I was thinking about the Kali speakers as well. They're not advertised as monitors but measure well and perform well near field.

Below is a link to the local PA supplier in my town with a list of small studio monitors. Many are below the ops price limit. PreSonus, Mackie and JBL are all in his price range as those are Canadian dollars (conversion to US dollars is 0.75). Even Genelec and Focal would be at the top of his price range. Would help to know what country he is in and brands he has access too, but all of those should be available in the US.
https://musiccitycanada.com/pages/search-results-page?q=monitors

 

[itamar2312]

Hello. I'm from Israel, the shipping isn't a problem most of the time.

By the way I talked with bag end, they cost 900$ each, without shipping and taxes, if I'd find on second hand I'd get it.

All the brands are available here, I can also buy from ebay, amazon...

Although as I said, I prefer an "unknown" brand who sell high-end passive studio monitors. seriously, for 1500$, how is it possible that you can't get some GREAT studio monitors? Second hand maybe?

I also examines Kali in 8 2nd wave now... Although they may be too big, I have 10m^3 room but with GREAT acoustic treatment.

What do you think about JBL 4312M II?

 

[MrBoat]

Hello. I'm from Israel, the shipping isn't a problem most of the time.

By the way I talked with bag end, they cost 900$ each, without shipping and taxes, if I'd find on second hand I'd get it.

All the brands are available here, I can also buy from ebay, amazon...

Although as I said, I prefer an "unknown" brand who sell high-end passive studio monitors. seriously, for 1500$, how is it possible that you can't get some GREAT studio monitors? Second hand maybe?

I also examines Kali in 8 2nd wave now... Although they may be too big, I have 10m^3 room but with GREAT acoustic treatment.

What do you think about JBL 4312M II?

Just about anything JBL makes is going to be satisfactory, or you can at least pretty much believe the reviews.

If mixing is really the most important goal, I would save the amp for something else. Since you are having to ask, perhaps you are new to mixing?

I have many amps, some of which are very powerful for my space but I still use some powered speakers like the JBL LSR305, and now they have the LSR306P. I only mention these because you said you wanted to use the amp to save money. The LSR306P is a pretty good bargain.

 

[everettT]

Hello. I'm from Israel, the shipping isn't a problem most of the time.

By the way I talked with bag end, they cost 900$ each, without shipping and taxes, if I'd find on second hand I'd get it.

All the brands are available here, I can also buy from ebay, amazon...

Although as I said, I prefer an "unknown" brand who sell high-end passive studio monitors. seriously, for 1500$, how is it possible that you can't get some GREAT studio monitors? Second hand maybe?

I also examines Kali in 8 2nd wave now... Although they may be too big, I have 10m^3 room but with GREAT acoustic treatment.

What do you think about JBL 4312M II?

The Kali is only a few inches taller then the JBL, with and depth are about the same and you get DSP settings via dip switchs to accommodate different placement options and output FWIW. The LSR series Mr. Boat mentioned are nice, just note if you sit very very close there is an audible hiss at very low volume.

You might search for some JBL 705i if you're absolutely hung up on passives but you would need to apply JBLs DSP files in order to correct the raw response. What music are you mixing and how far away from the speakers will you sit?

 

[itamar2312]

Hello friends. To your questions:

1. I sing and write music and my friend does the mixing. He needs something flat...
2. I mix pop-rock, singing and guitars mostly.
3. I sit 2 meters away from the speakers, not more.

I want to stick to my amp because it's very special, its strong and it has xlr connection so I can plug it to the audio interface, which is pretty rare. I'll examine the 705i.

Update: I pass the 705i.

 

[Eppie]

The 705i will likely be top of your budget new (they are usually priced as singles) but they come up on the used market now and then.

The bargains will be with Kali or PreSonus. There are a couple of reviews on PreSonus speakers on Audioholics, but they are powered speakers. The advantage with powered monitors is that they have DSP built into the speaker which can yield a very flat frequency response. If you insist on going passive to use your amp, you'll want a very neutral speaker or you may need to add DSP or EQ to flatten the response to where you need it.

 

[everettT]

Hello friends. To your questions:

1. I sing and write music and my friend does the mixing. He needs something flat...
2. I mix pop-rock, singing and guitars mostly.
3. I sit 2 meters away from the speakers, not more.

I want to stick to my amp because it's very special, its strong and it has xlr connection so I can plug it to the audio interface, which is pretty rare. I'll examine the 705i.

Update: I pass the 705i.

Ok now I'm curious, what amp is it that you use?

 

[TLS Guy]

Hello friends. To your questions:

1. I sing and write music and my friend does the mixing. He needs something flat...
2. I mix pop-rock, singing and guitars mostly.
3. I sit 2 meters away from the speakers, not more.

I want to stick to my amp because it's very special, its strong and it has xlr connection so I can plug it to the audio interface, which is pretty rare. I'll examine the 705i.

Update: I pass the 705i.

I have done a lot of recording and mixing in my time. I think you have some misconceptions. You are setting up a close mix situation, that will tell you the detail, however the MOST IMPORTANT mix is the far mix. To get an accurate balance for modern conditions, you really do need an FR down to 30 Hz at least. So I think you do need a sub or larger speakers.

In addition, I suspect that you room may well be over treated, many are, and that will not give you a good final product. If you sit close to the speakers in a dead room, you might as well use headphones. As with all speakers, no matter what you are doing, the key is flat mid band response and an off axis response that accurately mirrors the on axis response.

This drive to dead rooms has come from BAD speakers, that have a poor off axis response.