M-Audio M3-8 Studio Monitor`s,compared to the new Denon DN-508SA monitors,whats the difference?

[Ponzio]

View attachment 15678 Hi ,I was considering purchasing a pair of M-Audio M3-8 Studio Monitors,untill I saw an ad for the new Denon DN-508SA monitors.Both appear to have the same specs,Does anyone know if there is an internal difference in the quality of components,or are they just the same animal in different cages?-Thanks.

very sharp looking ... impressions? the spec's look good. pic's? placement, stands or near-field's? c'mon man, chop! chop!!

Enjoy.

 

[Georgel]

My messy office-

very sharp looking ... impressions? the spec's look good. pic's? placement, stands or near-field's? c'mon man, chop! chop!!

Enjoy.

{FIRST IMPRESSIONS- Bass,smooth top end,even flat sound,and great imaging.After a week of break in,I will do a review.I can say this though,my Emotiva DC-1 never sounded so good as a pre amp before,sounds like it finally grew a pair.}UPDATED-They are big,near-field`s,I think stands will be preferred.

 

[KEW]

I would consider these mid-field,and they make a good crossover from the pro sector ,to the home listening arena.I wonder if there really is a 13lbs difference in weight between the two versions,if so I`m glad I got the M-Audio`s.
Last night I was thinking those covers offered on the Denon version could be a good idea,because it looks like cleaning any dust accumulated between the tweeter, and mid range driver could be a complicated task.I will search for a couple of extra pillow cases for when I tuck them in at night

They make pretty slender (synthetic) feather dusters that might work. Thinking they are sold under the "Swiffer" name.

http://homeparents.about.com/cs/householdtips/gr/duster.htm

But the pillow case is not a bad thought

 

[Georgel]

They make pretty slender (synthetic) feather dusters that might work. Thinking they are sold under the "Swiffer" name.

http://homeparents.about.com/cs/householdtips/gr/duster.htm

But the pillow case is not a bad thought

I have one of those,thanks for reminding me The mid driver has a smooth finish ,and hopefully will not trap much dust,unlike the woofer

 

[Kaikias]

Looking forward to your review- one of the options I'm looking at.

 

[Georgel]

Looking forward to your review- one of the options I'm looking at.

If they survive a week with me,I would highly recommend them,because they will be playing 16 hrs a day minimum,and they sound great.

 

[Georgel]

UPDATE- First off,I`m a Flathead,I never use tone controls or EQ`s,and my preamp is always in the by-pass setting. I started testing these with the Emotiva DC-1 as a preamp.While the Emotiva DC-1 is a great DAC in my opinion ,it has always fallen short as a preamp,on every amplifier I ever tried it on.
Why would I think any different now?Well I figured its short comings were because it is pro gear,and I wasn`t using in on pro gear,so it should work better on pro studio monitors,WRONG!!!
When I first listened to the m3-8`s with the DC-1,I could not sit close enough to the speakers to be in the near field due to the thump in the bass.This caused me to assume they are more of a mid-field than a near field speaker.Well that assumption was wrong,though I felt forced to back away from the speakers due to the bass.When I sat back about 8 ft,the bass was more tolerable,but there was hardly any top end.
I waited 2 days of break in to see if this changed,no change.
All I could think is that the DC-1 failed again to perform as a preamp,I was correct.
I hooked the DC-1 back up to my B&K MC-101 preamp,and ran balanced out to the monitors.
WOW- What a difference,I`m now able to listen in the near field comfortably.
These sound good in mid field,but you miss a lot of detail that was in the near field sound stage.Bottom line -do not buy them for any other purpose other than near field listening,If you want to fill a room,you may consider something more like the JBL EON`s..
I will include this in my full review next week,after full break in,and my stress test...peace

 

[KEW]

Thanks for the update!
What are you calling near field? How close are you?

 

[Georgel]

Thanks for the update!
What are you calling near field? How close are you?

I have them in a 5x5x5 triangle,this means for my listening position to be at the keyboard,the speakers had to be set back slightly behind the desk.I`m still in the sweet spot when I tilt back in the chair.
My present stands are only 36 inches,they were perfect for the Focals,.These are heavier and much shorter,plus the manual says your ears should be level with the blue lights,located between the low, and high drivers.That means I need a tall adjustable wide pro studio stand to handle the weight at an extreme height.

 

[Kaikias]

Thanks for the update and looking forward to your full review. Little disappointing to hear about the loss of detail in the mid field, might have to look elsewhere if they don't work out.

 

[Georgel]

Thanks for the update and looking forward to your full review. Little disappointing to hear about the loss of detail in the mid field, might have to look elsewhere if they don't work out.

I only recommend between 5 ft to 6 ft tops,perfect triangle positioning, and you will get a beautiful full sound stage,as long as you feed it with a good quality preamp.These are great for listening at a desk while on the computer.
Don`t even wait on me my friend,these are only audiophile quality in near field.Its like wearing earphones that rest on your ears,they sound great there,slowly pull them apart ,and listen to the difference,turning them up louder will not bring back that near field detail,you will see what I mean.Studio monitors are like headphones,they do not push a lot of air,and have low excursion drivers.
If I play Bass I Love You on my Focals 807V`s which are NOT nearfields,visually they move big air,but I do not hear much bass.When I play that song on the M-audios I hear more bass,and the woofers hardly move at all.Both speakers serve different purposes,the Focal 807v bookshelves will fill the room with a great sound stage further back,but try listening to them at 5 ft ,not as pleasant.

 

[Georgel]

Anyone considering studio monitors should do some research on them first.I understand it is easy to be confused,thinking the 8 inch pro studio monitor is going to fill a room better than your 6 inch long throw home hifi speaker,but it wont ,because it is not designed to do that.
I did not feel comfortable sending a link with the information from another audio sight,so I hope posting a WIKI link to help educate members will not annoy anyone.If so please forgive me,thank you.
Please read - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Studio_monitor
If you look at the USES section on WIKI ,notice something is missing-Audophile computer speakers,they need an update

 

[slipperybidness]

UPDATE- First off,I`m a Flathead,I never use tone controls or EQ`s,and my preamp is always in the by-pass setting. I started testing these with the Emotiva DC-1 as a preamp.While the Emotiva DC-1 is a great DAC in my opinion ,it has always fallen short as a preamp,on every amplifier I ever tried it on.
Why would I think any different now?Well I figured its short comings were because it is pro gear,and I wasn`t using in on pro gear,so it should work better on pro studio monitors,WRONG!!!
When I first listened to the m3-8`s with the DC-1,I could not sit close enough to the speakers to be in the near field due to the thump in the bass.This caused me to assume they are more of a mid-field than a near field speaker.Well that assumption was wrong,though I felt forced to back away from the speakers due to the bass.When I sat back about 8 ft,the bass was more tolerable,but there was hardly any top end.
I waited 2 days of break in to see if this changed,no change.
All I could think is that the DC-1 failed again to perform as a preamp,I was correct.
I hooked the DC-1 back up to my B&K MC-101 preamp,and ran balanced out to the monitors.
WOW- What a difference,I`m now able to listen in the near field comfortably.
These sound good in mid field,but you miss a lot of detail that was in the near field sound stage.Bottom line -do not buy them for any other purpose other than near field listening,If you want to fill a room,you may consider something more like the JBL EON`s..
I will include this in my full review next week,after full break in,and my stress test...peace

Interesting.

I'm curious as to why the DC-1 is making out as a poor pre-amp. Design flaw of some sorts?

Granted, it really is a DAC and NOT a Pre, but Emo sure promotes it that way.

 

[Georgel]

Interesting.

I'm curious as to why the DC-1 is making out as a poor pre-amp. Design flaw of some sorts?

Granted, it really is a DAC and NOT a Pre, but Emo sure promotes it that way.

I think it lacks a wide dynamic range,and needs more power to perform as a DAC,and a preamp at the same time.As a headphone amp it is so so,I`m not impressed.
When I bought it ,I was hoping it would replace the need for a preamp.I was never so disappointed ,with a product I purchased before.

 

[Georgel]

My thoughts on the M-Audio M3-8 active studio monitors
click- http://forums.audioholics.com/forums/threads/my-thoughts-on-the-m-audio-m3-8-active-studio-monitors.94593/
Pic was taken on my cheap cell phone (The Audio-Pacifier)