Should I use studio reference monitors as regular computer speakers?

[rekced]

I don't think I'm asking a dumb question here. Maybe I am...

Here's my situation. I am a musician with a separate computer for recording. The computer for recording has fairly expensive KRK 8'' monitors that was set up by a friend of mine who is very experienced in the studio. My home computer is a 24'' iMac and all I'm doing on there is blasting music out of my iTunes library. Everything is encoded at 320Kbs and really sounds quite good as far as I'm able to tell.

So the time has come for me to purchase some new computer speakers because I would really like a louder, fuller sound. I've been told that monitors are generally made for recording (ie preparing the music to be listened to) and regular speakers are for, well, listening... I think I understand that.

The problem I'm having is that every single pair of regular computer speakers I look at just SUCK. I mean holy crap I couldn't listen to that junk for 5 minutes. The best example is the Logitech Z-2300 "THX-Certified" that received Cnet's honorary Editors Choice award and were placed in the "Outstanding" category. If that isn't a load of crap. I played with those things for 30 minutes trying to figure out what anyone could possibly find remarkable about them. Never found it.


I do remember playing with the reference monitors in iTunes back when I first got them a few years ago. With the EQ set flat, yeah, they were really boring for regular music listening. But when I played with the iTunes EQ feature I remember them sounding pretty darn nice. They were loud, clear had sharper mids and higher highs than I have ever heard from a consumer product in that price range. That was even with the mids turned down to sound something like regular speakers.

Oh, another thing I'm finding annoying about computer speakers are the plastic enclosures. The tones/resonance or whatever you want to call it just seem rubbery with these plastic enclosures. That's another advantage for inexpensive monitors. I have never been annoyed by this kind of thing when I listened to any monitor in any price range.


That brings me to my question.. What does it take to get nice sound from a 1/8'' output? Monitors? Coputer speakers? A 3mm bullet? I hope you guys will understand what I'm looking for. This will only be for listening to iTunes. I was hoping to spend somewhere around $250 or less.

I am currently considering a pair of M-Audio BX5A for $205. There is also the M-Audio AV-40 out there, but I find the punchiness of that little 4'' sub to be kind of annoying when it tries to produce lows. The BX5A seems to sound a lot better to my ears. But then again, I am no expert with sound. I assume regular computer speakers that are nicer than the ones I've been looking at would be more satisfying for me than the BX5A monitors. I just don't know what's out there for people like me besides the Audioengine products. The cheapest thing I found from them was $200 and I remember being unimpressed by their maximum volume and low frequencies for the money.

Any advice?

PS. Please don't tell me that M-Audio, KRK, Audioengine, or whoever else is junk. I've heard it all from salesmen who don't know squat the last couple days I'm a little tired of people dogging products that clearly have a reputation for being high quality. I'm allowed to talk crap about Logitech and Bose because I am not claiming to know a damn thing.

 

[nova]

Sure, the M-Audio's will work as would Behringer's, Audioengine, Mackie (the Mackie MR5 may be just the thing for you?) and all sorts of others. Or you could do like many others have and use a regular HT receiver and some good old fashion speakers that you may have laying around.

 

[phlakvest]

One think to keep in mind. The KRK's your used to listening to are 8" woofers which go down to 46hz. When you get into smaller woofers you start loosing the deep frequency's you are used to hearing with your 8" woofers. The 5" from the BX5's do pretty well at 56hz, but the 4" M-audio's taper off around 80Hz.

If I were you I would stick to the larger woofer models if you can afford them.

Is your budget $200 a set? or $200 a speaker?

 

[rekced]

Sure, the M-Audio's will work as would Behringer's, Audioengine, Mackie may be just the thing for you?) and all sorts of others. Or you could do like many others have and use a regular HT receiver and some good old fashion speakers that you may have laying around.

I do own a Teac Reference MD-X220 with receiver and speakers that I purchased a few years ago for about $40. The speakers are not that great, but the quality of the receiver looks awesome. Any suggestions on some awesome sounding speakers that I can get with this?

 

[businessjeff]

Well, studio monitors I think have their own category because of the level of performance they need to have. The louder you play music (to a point) the easier it is for our ears/brain to interpret what we are hearing. So level isnt the focus with studio monitors.

This is kind of the problem im being faced with now. When editing my audio I was using a decent pair of headphones, I would do some eq adjustments, then play it loud on a quality loud system and the equalizing I did was way out of proportion, put it back on the headphones and it sounds fine again. Thats why they have studio monitors. You need a reliable speaker thats going to play your audio for what it is and cut off the highs or the lows.

Like they were saying with the 4" woofer vs. the 8" and it not being able to handle much below 80hz. Studio monitors are compact 2 ways self powered. They arent meant to be extremely loud, but are built for precision.
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I would pick a price range, and just give some monitors a listen to. Be sure to sample them with the same audio clip, and be sure they are all set up properly. I dont think that the 1/8th jack will be any sort of problem or bottle neck. If anything your bottle neck will be on your 320Kbs mp3's. Try getting some uncompressed audio if you want to benchmark speakers, amps, or connections. Otherwise you are cutting off your audio experience at the audio clip itself.

This store in Flint Michigan, has these advertised big time, idk if its even a good price or good speakers, but it may be worth looking at.
http://www.guitarcenter.com/KRK-Rokit-Powered-6-Generation-2-Studio-Monitor-Limited-Edition-Glossy-Yellow-105015283-i1415316.gc

 

[WmAx]

I'm sorry to inform you, but the best computer speakers ARE studio monitors.

I used to recommended the Generation 1 KRK Rokit 5. It was superb for it's price. But it was discontinued over the last 6 months. I have not measured the Generation 2 model currently out, however, there for I can not comment on it's performance with any level of certainty.

-Chris

 

[businessjeff]

so I can call my compaq speakers that came with my old computer Studio Monitors??? WHOO!!!!!


No computer speakers and studio monitors make reference to 2 very different things. To use your logic, everything would be computer speakers because you can hook them too a computer, but thats not the case.