Recommendations for Monitors w/out Sub?

[leaveittothepros]

I have a friend dead set on buying monitors but he doesn't want to get a sub.
$500 range- what are some good options for self powered monitors that have powerful bass w/out needing a sub?

[SPAWNmaster]

If you're looking for "powerful bass" then you're defeating the idea of monitors...

they give a flat frequency response so if your track has lack of bass, no matter how high your turn up the low end it's going to be the same ratio to maintain flat response.

anyways to answer the qeustion i HIGHLY recommend the "behringer 2031a truth" actives...absolutely amazing for the price. I have compared them side by side with the mackies from a year or so ago and they blow them out of the water for the value. very similiar sound quality to the krk rp8's and i personally use the truths in my studio. cheers

[leaveittothepros]

thanks for the input... I use a sub with my set up..but my friend is adamant about not using one...so to clarify a bit..i have read reviews of monitors that say they lack bass and that you pretty much need a sub with them..for instance the maudio b5a's.
so what I mean is flat monitors that will allow you to accurately monitor deep bass frequencies without the need for a sub.
maybe there isn't such a beast but I figured maybe there is a way to get as close as possible.

[SPAWNmaster]

thanks for the input... I use a sub with my set up..but my friend is adamant about not using one...so to clarify a bit..i have read reviews of monitors that say they lack bass and that you pretty much need a sub with them..for instance the maudio b5a's.
so what I mean is flat monitors that will allow you to accurately monitor deep bass frequencies without the need for a sub.
maybe there isn't such a beast but I figured maybe there is a way to get as close as possible.

you can get subs for near-field monitors but all it will do is give more punch to the freqs that are already there...it's the same effect. i'd trust your friend's adamancy as subs arent necessary unless for very specific projects. typically they are as much as buying individual monitors if not more.

monitors are highly misunderstood technology among amateur producers which is why many perceive them to need a subwoofer. at the end of the day you wont be giving your track more punch by adding a sub, it will only give you the impression that your low end is stronger than it really is. For DJ'ing and such purposes it's not a big deal but for production you need to be as accurate as possible.

[leaveittothepros]

I prefer having a sub. especially for 5.1
works great for me.

must be just a question of knowing how to use one correctly?

[icedsushi]

you can get subs for near-field monitors but all it will do is give more punch to the freqs that are already there...it's the same effect.

Huh?! This part simply is not true.

A sub serves to extend the flatness of the frequency response of your monitors into the sub bass range, like below 60hz or so. This is where most of them, due to physical limitations, cannot extend down that far with a flat response. So no, it's not enhancing what's already there. It's adding something that's not there. Whether someone needs to hear/feel down there or not in order to make a good mix, that's a whole other issue and up for debate.

If you adjust the crossover point and volume of the sub properly, it can enable you to hear or feel what's going on down there that doesn't speak so easily from nearfields. When adjusted properly, it can do all this that I have already mentioned without adding a false sense of punch or boosting the overall bass range.

monitors are highly misunderstood technology among amateur producers which is why many perceive them to need a subwoofer. at the end of the day you wont be giving your track more punch by adding a sub, it will only give you the impression that your low end is stronger than it really is. For DJ'ing and such purposes it's not a big deal but for production you need to be as accurate as possible.

Not sure what you're saying here at the end. Monitoring without a sub is most accurate? Again, disagree on that point. It's a matter of tuning the sub properly. Of course if you crank the sub and it's out of proportion to the volume of your nearfields, it's not going to be accurate. That is a given really, and goes without saying...

[Mesmer]

For your budget, seems to me the only real options are:

Rockits8 KRK.
Have heard them, they sound accurate for their budget. No-frills stuff. sounded flat (meaning castrated, in character) enough.


I bought Alesis M1620 and can't regret it. They seem to present a more open space.


If you wan't to stretch your budget ups, the yamahas HS80 can't hurt, at $700.

best of luck

[pabloaugustus]

I have a friend dead set on buying monitors but he doesn't want to get a sub.
$500 range- what are some good options for self powered monitors that have powerful bass w/out needing a sub?

Event studio precision 6 would be a great fit. $495 @sweetwater. Bass ports provide great low end response, no need for a sub. http://www.sweetwater.com/store/detail/ASP6/#anchor

[sqook]

When you ask a question like this here, you'll get a 1-2 page thread with everyone chiming in about their personal favorite monitors and home setup. People are obviously going to be very brand-biased, but this information won't really help you get the kind of sound that you're looking for..

Really, the best thing I can honestly recommend is to burn a CD (or bring an iPod or something) with a few tracks of yours, or from other artists with the style of music that you're interested in. Take them into a store, and ask to hear what they sound like on different pairs of monitors. This will give you a much better feel as to what you're looking for.

As my dad always says, "I never bought a horse I didn't ride." Likewise, it's practically insane to drop 500$ on a pair of monitors without having heard them first.

[jasefos]

If you're stuck in high density living (i.e. an apartment where people live above, below and to the left and right of you) it's almost impossible to use a sub.

I should know - I've been kicked out of 3 such living arrangements when I first started with a 2.1 system - a pair of KRK V4s and KRK S8 sub.

If your monitors have small boxes and a small LF drivers (like my V4s which have only a 4" LF driver) using a sub is almost obligatory.

I've finally found a great place to live - an apartment in a complex of populated largely by musicians which is above the carports for the complex where nobody lives below, above, left or right!

I upgraded to a KRK S12 sub (awesome !!). When I give the system a bit of stick the V4s and S12 flatten out very nicely. Small drivers in a big room give you much less "room" problems.

I'm now considering upgrading the V4s to the new KRK VXT8s - these sound exceptional largely due to cabinet design. Basically the VXT series have inherited a similar cabinet design principle to KRKs much more expensive Expose series ($$$$ each).

http://www.krksys.com/index2.php?cat=prodland&page=vxt

Although I have a sub and a living space which permits use of it without giving everyone the shits, I'll be adding VXT8s to my rig as soon as they arrive.

I'd definitely recommend these to anyone in a living situation which cannot tolerate a sub. Their low frequency extension on paper reaches to 22Hz (however to my ears they sound flat to around 40Hz ish).

Cheers

[Jazzy J]

KRK 6's. Ther are the shit!

[pabloaugustus]

When you ask a question like this here, you'll get a 1-2 page thread with everyone chiming in about their personal favorite monitors and home setup. People are obviously going to be very brand-biased, but this information won't really help you get the kind of sound that you're looking for..

Really, the best thing I can honestly recommend is to burn a CD (or bring an iPod or something) with a few tracks of yours, or from other artists with the style of music that you're interested in. Take them into a store, and ask to hear what they sound like on different pairs of monitors. This will give you a much better feel as to what you're looking for.

As my dad always says, "I never bought a horse I didn't ride." Likewise, it's practically insane to drop 500$ on a pair of monitors without having heard them first.

Good points, all true, and the ears are the only test that counts. I live 300 miles from the nearest place where this kind of test would be possible however, so I look at specs and reviews. I recommended the Events based not on personal preference (though I've heard & love the 8" version) but on the assumption that the OP was looking for monitors that featured low bass response without the need for a sub. The Events have the lowest bass response (40Hz) of any 6.5" monitor I've seen, and great reviews in the mags. If bass response isn't a main consideration there are a lot more options. (I would love to try the Adams A7 with the folded ribbon tweeter) Another consideration is quality. You usually get what you pay for and for $500 I would rather get a pair of high quality 6" or 5" monitors than a pair of 8s, especially for a small room.

Posts like 'for your budget the only option' are definitely BS as my sweetwater catalog is full of quality monitors @$500/ea and all price ranges, and they only carry a few brands.

-pablo

[Mesmer]

When you ask a question like this here, you'll get a 1-2 page thread with everyone chiming in about their personal favorite monitors and home setup. People are obviously going to be very brand-biased, but this information won't really help you get the kind of sound that you're looking for..

Really, the best thing I can honestly recommend is to burn a CD (or bring an iPod or something) with a few tracks of yours, or from other artists with the style of music that you're interested in. Take them into a store, and ask to hear what they sound like on different pairs of monitors. This will give you a much better feel as to what you're looking for.

As my dad always says, "I never bought a horse I didn't ride." Likewise, it's practically insane to drop 500$ on a pair of monitors without having heard them first.

+1
That's why I tried to be explicit about it.

[smartabletonuser]

dude.... get those new JBL joints with the sub package. it's totally worth it