Anyone using m-audio's BX-8a monitors? I'm in trouble

tomperson · Post by **tomperson** » Wed Apr 19, 2006 1:06 pm

I'd like to know if anyone here has experience with the new "a" version of BX-8 monitors, the BX-8a. It has kevlar cones. I can get a sweet deal on those, and don't know what to do, there are no reviews out there...So I don't know how it compares to similar products.

My other option are KRK Rokit 8'', but they have no stock left on them (and I've been waiting since christmas), and they are like 20% more $$$.

Should I wait (for only god knows how much time) or should I get the BX-8a and be happy making music?

HD1 · Post by **HD1** » Wed Apr 19, 2006 1:10 pm

man, if you get the maudio monitors I wouldnt be surprised if you were back here asking 'hey has anyone else got this problem...'

dr k · Post by **dr k** » Wed Apr 19, 2006 1:13 pm

ive been using them for 2 months and not only do i think they sound great, they are easy on the ears at close positioning, and everone who has heard them said they sounded fabulous for the price (i got a demo set for $500 canadian). they can be heard clearly against 2 - 12" 2-way loudspeakers at fairly high output, like above normal (and i think they are 300 watt loudspeakers)

i own bose 901's at home and have 2000 watts of v12 f1 power in my car, so i think i have a fairly discerning ear for quality

dr k

edit : i also have a perfectly working fw410 as well hehe. but i have read alot of complaint posts from users about m-audio stuff. my personal experience has been great with their gear

HD1 · Post by **HD1** » Wed Apr 19, 2006 1:15 pm

get those maudios and you WILL be back tomperson, and you WILL be complaining. Mark my words

tomperson · Post by **tomperson** » Wed Apr 19, 2006 1:47 pm

I know, I know. My best bet still is to get the KRKs, but I'm slowly starting to lose hope they'll ever arrive. It's been like 4 months, and still no luck, and I'm getting to the point where I need to do some serious mixing.

Here in Montevideo I can get:

Mackie HR824: way out of my league, discarded
KRK Rokit 8'': out of stock for who knows how much time
Behringer Truth: mmmmmmmmm, i'd better avoid them
M-Audio BX-8a: My second best choice
Alto Pro Audio model whatever: don't even know them
Some JBL 5'': I want bigger monitors.

My experience with M-Audio stuff so far has been good, I have a FW410, no probs, nevertheless I think its sound is not the *best*. Some people have told me that the BX-8a sound really good.

Dr K, have you had the chance of comparing the BX-8a to other models of monitors?

C.S. · Post by **C.S.** » Wed Apr 19, 2006 2:16 pm

tomperson,

I understand what sort of a jam your in. My advice, sometimes we take what we can get, unless you are planning a trip to the US (and have a really big suitcase). If where you are is anything like here, they might never get those KRK's, someone eles will buy the M-Audio's, and you'll end up spending way more then you expected on the mackie's.

hambone1 · Post by **hambone1** » Wed Apr 19, 2006 2:16 pm

I sold my BX-8s. I really liked them at first, then I bought some little BX-5as for rear surround. In comparison, the BX-5as made me realize how muddy the midrange on the BX-8s was, and how loose and boomy the bottom end was. Maybe the BX-8as are better than the -8s.

FWIW, I ditched my M-Audio Ozonic, too. I couldn't deal with the pops and clicks any more. I avoid M-Audio stuff now. I'm glad it works for some folks, though.

My advice would be to listen to as many different (affordable!) monitors as you can, then decide.

You get what you pay for!

snowtires · Post by **snowtires** » Wed Apr 19, 2006 2:18 pm

yeah, i’ve have the bx-8as (NOT MY FAULT! they were recommended as a good buy from someone whom i thought actually knew what they were talking about) for about three months now. they sound decent, and you can actually get them with an educational discount (i think i paid $350 for the pair!).

but, thanks to the project mix i/o being a big ol’ hunk of crap (that purchase WAS my fault, i should’ve gotten a bcf2000 and a fireface 800), it decided to produce the most god awful digital noise i’ve ever heard in my life, as LOUD as the project mix could go, while both of the speakers were on full volume. i immediately turned the i/o off and emailed m-audio. their advice? ‘power cycle the project mix and it should be fine’ so i did. hey! there was that noise again! so now i have to send one of the speakers back because it got blown out and now it only works half the time.

other than that, they sound fine although in the room where i have them, they tend to boost the highs artificially, so i’ve had to compensate for that a lot when mixing. i’m not sure if that’s the room or the monitors, though. they also have a problem of popping when things from my firewire bus spin up, but i’m not sure if that’s the monitors or the project mix or a grounding problem.

in conclusion, they sound fine, so long as you don’t use them along with any other m-audio projects.

SubFunk · Post by **SubFunk** » Wed Apr 19, 2006 2:22 pm

monitors around that price range, look into genelec (first choice, even if you pick the smallest model!) dynaudio, KRK, AND HANDS OF M-AUDIO MONITORS and BEHRINGER. you will end up paying twice! shurely.

tomperson wrote:

Some JBL 5'': I want bigger monitors.

don't be fooled by the size, bass is not everything, especially for doing a good balanced mix which will rock. take your ears with your fave CD to a dealer and simply give the suggested brands a listen. if you get a mix right on a set of even the tiny small entry level genies you will set any dancefloor on fire and the PA 18" bass cans will popp out. believe me.

if not, don't blame the [genelec] monitors.

tomperson · Post by **tomperson** » Wed Apr 19, 2006 2:40 pm

Subfunk:
As I said, unfortunately I have only a handful of choices. Genelecs and Dynaudio are not available here, and importing a pair of monitors would eventually cost more than getting the mackies (which already are out of my league).

I'll give you numbers so you can understand. The pair of Mackie HR824 cost 1600 US dollars here. My salary as a systems analyst is 800 US dollars. So you can figure out how difficult is for us to get stuff, we pay twice and earn a third of what people on other countries do (US, Europe).

Hambone:
The BX-8a have nothing to do with the BX-8. The cones are of kevlar, and the tweeters are of silk I believe. The old BX-8 were much crappier.

Dr K:
Have you A/B'ed your monitors with other "known" brands/models?

I'll talk to those useless bastards again to set a deadline. I think I can wait one or two months, but not more. As CS said (thanks for the understanding) I could end up with nothing in my hands, which would suck big time...

udp · Post by **udp** » Wed Apr 19, 2006 2:45 pm

Sorry I can't speak to the BX8a, but I do like my BX8s. I think a lot depends on positioning. I've got mounted 1 foot from the wall on TV stands. I've not found the problem with war fatigue that others claim, but my mixing sessions rarely extend past 1 hour. My lifestyle doesn't allow for long sessions.

metaforensics · Post by **metaforensics** » Wed Apr 19, 2006 3:04 pm

I've been producing DnB on my BX8's for 2 years now and they haven't given me one problem..They still sound great, they've really help improve my mixes..If you going to save your money either go with the krk V8s, or the mackie 8s..

SubFunk · Post by **SubFunk** » Wed Apr 19, 2006 3:19 pm

sorry tomperson, for the missunderstanding. i know how that is, i am from germany, lived 5years+ in london, and now i am here in the same situation, NO PRO AUDIO SUPPLY, at least nothing really serious, i have to get everything from germany, austria or the uk. just ordered a plex716 and i am waiting already over 1 month.

however, the mackies for 1600usd, few ha!
they are not even worth the normal on sale price.

if i understood you right you can choose KRK's go for it, by all means a better monitor then m-audio or any other possibilty for you so far...

sorry again for missunderstanding you, but i can feel with you about the supply, i know what people here think is good gear, because they never had the chance to audtion something really nice. they have to believe advertising.

tomperson · Post by **tomperson** » Wed Apr 19, 2006 6:03 pm

Yeah, the lack of proper audio equipment is awful. And as you can see, it's so frigging overpriced due to taxes and international delivery costs. That's why we try to get friends bring equipment when they go abroad, but who would be willing to carry 2 monitors along with their bags? (assuming they would go past the customs office)

Nevertheless, I just talked to the audio shop guys. They expect KRK shipment to arrive at the end of June. I hope it does, that would make a nice auto_birthday_gift.

I'll have patience up to then.

Zen spirit.

SUBFUNK: thanks for the understanding, bro.

sweetjesus · Post by **sweetjesus** » Wed Apr 19, 2006 7:49 pm

what about krk rokit's

i use RP6 and get pretty damn good mixes out of them!