Budget monitors for mid/far field listening?

[Nytrex]

I'm looking at active speakers/studio monitors purely for listening to things (mainly music and movies). I know that this is not really what they're made for but they usually have have better performance and bass extension that passives of the same price.
Budget is around 200€ each.
The speakers would be around 3.5 meters away.
Room is around 4.5m x 4m. I don't plan on adding a sub in the near future.
Here are the speakers I found, I'm having a difficult time deciding between them :
JBL 305P MKII 140€
Pioneer DJ VM-50 160€
Adam T5V 170€
Kali LP6-V2 208€
JBL 306P MKII 200€
Adam T7V 200€
M-Audio BX8 D3 180€

All of them has been reviewed either here or on EAC.
There's also other speaker that have not been reviewed but that I could afford like the M-Audio Forty Eighty and so on...
They will be connected to a DAC using XLR (likely a fosi ZD3).

 

[staticV3]

Of the JBL/Adam/Kali trifecta, Adam has the most capable woofers, which would be my top concern at 3.5m listening distance.

See here: https://www.audiosciencereview.com/...ng-producing-and-listening.60286/post-2207672

And at 3.5m, I'd honestly choose the T8V.

Here in Germany, I see some for 220€ so not outlandish, though the deciding factor is obviously your local market.

Edit:
Highly recommended that you factor in room correction as well.

As an example, here's a well extended speaker in a domestic listening environment:


W/o room correction (green), bass response is a mess and spoils the entire experience.

This is par for the course.

 

[Nytrex]

Of the JBL/Adam/Kali trifecta, Adam has the most capable woofers, which would be my top concern at 3.5m listening distance.

See here: https://www.audiosciencereview.com/...ng-producing-and-listening.60286/post-2207672

And at 3.5m, I'd honestly choose the T8V.

Thanks a lot for the recommendation! The T8V is 100€ above my budget for the pair, is it really worth pushing the 100€ instead of getting a pair of T7V?

 

[Nytrex]

Of the JBL/Adam/Kali trifecta, Adam has the most capable woofers, which would be my top concern at 3.5m listening distance.

See here: https://www.audiosciencereview.com/...ng-producing-and-listening.60286/post-2207672

And at 3.5m, I'd honestly choose the T8V.

Here in Germany, I see some for 220€ so not outlandish, though the deciding factor is obviously your local market.

Edit:
Highly recommended that you factor in room correction as well.

As an example, here's a well extended speaker in a domestic listening environment:
View attachment 485768

W/o room correction (green), bass response is a mess and spoils the entire experience.

This is par for the course.

Just saw the edit, the difference is massive! Do that also happen with passive speakers? If it doesn't, it may be better for me to go with something like Aiyima A80/O-Noorus D3 Pro and a pair of Polk ES20.
How do you add room correction? I was planning to run optical from my TV to the Fosi then XLR to the speakers, I don't think I would be able to add room correction with this setup right?

 

[DVDdoug]

I don't plan on adding a sub in the near future.

It's hard to get good, strong, low bass from a small woofer, and personally I consider 8-inches "small".

And with movies the "point one" LFE channel isn't normally included in the normal downmix so you need a surround decoder and separate subwoofer. (You still get the "regular bass" from the other channels.)

I'm NOT saying you NEED a sub... just sharing some information...

is it really worth pushing the 100€ instead of getting a pair of T7V?

Only you can decide the "worth".

 

[Karmacoma]

Kali LP6-V2 208€
JBL 306P MKII 200€
Adam T7V 200€

All solid choices, great value, I'd go Kali though.

 

[DVDdoug]

How do you add room correction?

Normally with an audio video receiver or it can be done in software if your only audio source is a computer. Or the miniDSP seems popular around here but it's kind-of "techie".

You need a calibrated measurement microphone which will be included if your AVR has room correction. Some room correction requires an extra-cost download.

My AVR doesn't have it (and it doesn't support software downloads/upgrades). I would be nice if I ever upgrade but I'm satisfied with the sound (including my pair of huge DYI 15-inch subwoofers).

 

[Nytrex]

It's hard to get good, strong, low bass from a small woofer, and personally I consider 8-inches "small".

And with movies the "point one" LFE channel isn't normally included in the normal downmix so you need a surround decoder and separate subwoofer. (You still get the "regular bass" from the other channels.)

I'm NOT saying you NEED a sub... just sharing some information...


Only you can decide the "worth".

I know that a sub improves the experience but I was saying that I don't plan on adding one because I won't be able to afford one for a while especially if I need another decoder. I have been gathering money and information for months. I'm very lost between all the options and things to consider. All I know is that I have around 600€ and I would like to have the best sound possible for watching movies and listening to music. Why is it so hard to get?

 

[Nytrex]

Normally with an audio video receiver or it can be done in software if your only audio source is a computer. Or the miniDSP seems popular around here but it's kind-of "techie".

You need a calibrated measurement microphone which will be included if your AVR has room correction. Some room correction requires an extra-cost download.

My AVR doesn't have it (and it doesn't support software downloads/upgrades). I would be nice if I ever upgrade but I'm satisfied with the sound (including my pair of huge DYI 15-inch subwoofers).

I don't have anything that is required to add room correction and I definitely don't have the money to buy those things. So no matter what I do the sound quality will be bad? That's very sad news

 

[DVDdoug]

I know that a sub improves the experience but I was saying that I don't plan on adding one because I won't be able to afford one

Perfectly understandable! Almost nobody has an unlimited budget, or wants to spend all of their money on audio!

All I know is that I have around 600€ and I would like to have the best sound possible for watching movies and listening to music. Why is it so hard to get?

It depends on how you define "good sound". Different people have different standards/expecations.

Good speakers are expensive (and more surround channels require more speakers).

If you live near an audio/video store it can be educational just to listen to a variety of speakers. When I was a kid many-many years ago I used to go to the stereo store and dream about "good sound".

You can get excellent sound economically with headphones or in-ears. It's the best way to be an "economical audiophile". But many people (including me) prefer speakers, or more than one person has listen at the same time, etc. With headphones/in-ears there is almost no correlation between price and sound quality. You can get good headphones for around $200 USD or in-ears for less than $100. Or you can spend a LOT more and get worse sound.

Inexpensive electronics are often fine too. It can be "free" if you already have a phone, computer, or TV. If you need more amplifier power (not an issue with active speakers/monitors) the costs go up, and more surround channels increase costs. But my cheap 5.1 channel AVR was only about $300 and it's got 80 Watts x 5 channels (with separate amplification for the subs).

I know that a sub improves the experience but I was saying that I don't plan on adding one because I won't be able to afford one

Like I said, I don't have room correction and I'm happy! It sounds good to me and I can "rattle the walls" and annoy the nearby neighbors! It could probably sound better but it sounds great now (to me).

 

[Nytrex]

It depends on how you define "good sound". Different people have different standards/expecations.

Good speakers are expensive (and more surround channels require more speakers).

If you live near an audio/video store it can be educational just to listen to a variety of speakers. When I was a kid many-many years ago I used to go to the stereo store and dream about "good sound".

Thanks for taking the time to write this! I don't really know how to define "good sound" for me as I don't have much experience. I get I like a neutral sound and hearing little details. Good bass is really nice but I hate when it overwhelms everything. I don't have any audio/video store near me unfortunately.

You can get excellent sound economically with headphones or in-ears. It's the best way to be an "economical audiophile". But many people (including me) prefer speakers, or more than one person has listen at the same time, etc.

I have heard of audiophile headphones/iems, it seems nice but I really like speaker more.

Since you have far more experience than me :
Can I ask you, if you had my budget (600€ for the whole setup) what would you get? TV has ARC and Optical.
I probably use the speakers for 70% movie watching and 30% music. Used market is useless for me btw, there's nothing interesting and everything is overpriced.

 

[kemmler3D]

Just saw the edit, the difference is massive! Do that also happen with passive speakers?

It's because of room acoustics, it happens with every kind of speaker and even things that aren't speakers!

The good news is you can do room correction with a WiiM mini which can be had for less than $100, I got a bunch on eBay for $60 each.

 

[Nytrex]

It's because of room acoustics, it happens with every kind of speaker and even things that aren't speakers!

Alright thanks

 

[Talisman]

Don't be discouraged; there are people here with extremely high-performance systems, but sometimes we forget that enjoying good music (and movies) doesn't require exorbitant prices.
The extended, powerful bass is very pleasant. Sometimes, depending on the room, it can overload certain frequencies, sure, but I'd prefer a few frequencies a little more boosted than no low frequencies at all. Moreover, in movies, sometimes that extra bass boost is really necessary if you don't have a subwoofer. So, I suggest you get speakers with 8-inch woofers that have good reliability and that fit your budget.
For now, forget about room corrections, subwoofers, and other things that you can (eventually) think about later—or not, if you like what you have!
I recommend buying from someone who doesn't mind a return if you're not satisfied with what you have (typically Amazon).
And then have fun.

 

[Nytrex]

Don't be discouraged; there are people here with extremely high-performance systems, but sometimes we forget that enjoying good music (and movies) doesn't require exorbitant prices.
The extended, powerful bass is very pleasant. Sometimes, depending on the room, it can overload certain frequencies, sure, but I'd prefer a few frequencies a little more boosted than no low frequencies at all. Moreover, in movies, sometimes that extra bass boost is really necessary if you don't have a subwoofer. So, I suggest you get speakers with 8-inch woofers that have good reliability and that fit your budget.
For now, forget about room corrections, subwoofers, and other things that you can (eventually) think about later—or not, if you like what you have!
I recommend buying from someone who doesn't mind a return if you're not satisfied with what you have (typically Amazon).
And then have fun.

Thanks a lot for your recommendation! That what I was planning at first but everything gets so complicated. Idk if it's a thing elsewhere but in France (and all of Europe I think) there's a mandatory free returns period no questions asked of 14 days for every seller, some increase this period to a month or more so that shouldn't be an issue.

 

[dominikz]

Thanks for taking the time to write this! I don't really know how to define "good sound" for me as I don't have much experience. I get I like a neutral sound and hearing little details. Good bass is really nice but I hate when it overwhelms everything. I don't have any audio/video store near me unfortunately.


I have heard of audiophile headphones/iems, it seems nice but I really like speaker more.

Since you have far more experience than me :
Can I ask you, if you had my budget (600€ for the whole setup) what would you get? TV has ARC and Optical.
I probably use the speakers for 70% movie watching and 30% music. Used market is useless for me btw, there's nothing interesting and everything is overpriced.

For <600€ I'd personally probably look at WiiM Amp Pro + Polk Audio XT20, and add a sub down the road.
WiiM Amp Pro has both an HDMI ARC input and room correction, and XT20 are cheap but perform reasonably well (with some EQ). There are also bigger speakers in the same series - most of them were reviewed by Erin on EAC.
It's hard to say if you’d be happy with how loud it all plays in your home, however, so I'd advise shopping somewhere with a good return policy.

Good luck!

 

[Nytrex]

For <600€ I'd personally probably look at WiiM Amp Pro + Polk Audio XT20, and add a sub down the road.
WiiM Amp Pro has both an HDMI ARC input and room correction, and XT20 are cheap but perform reasonably well (with some EQ). There are also bigger speakers in the same series - most of them were reviewed by Erin on EAC.
It's hard to say if you’d be happy with how loud it all plays in your home, however, so I'd advise shopping somewhere with a good return policy.

Good luck!

Wiim Amp Pro is very expensive here (460€) but I suppose that I could afford 150€/200€ speakers like XT20 with it. I don't live alone so I rarely listen to anything loud so the power won't be an issue. I'll consider this thank you!

 

[staticV3]

Do that also happen with passive speakers?

Yes. Whether the speaker is active or passive does not matter.

How do you add room correction? I was planning to run optical from my TV to the Fosi then XLR to the speakers, I don't think I would be able to add room correction with this setup right?

For the graph above, I used the Parametric EQ built into the WiiM Mini.

Between WiiM's various devices, the miniDSP portfolio, CamillaDSP for Raspberry, the iLoud ARC Studio, and Topping's recent offerings with built in EQ, your can be sure that there's a solution which fits your budget.

 

[Nytrex]

Yes. Whether the speaker is active or passive does not matter.


For the graph above, I used the Parametric EQ built into the WiiM Mini.

Between WiiM's various devices, the miniDSP portfolio, CamillaDSP for Raspberry, the iLoud ARC Studio, and Topping's recent offerings with built in EQ, your can be sure that there's a solution which fits your budget.

I'll look into it thanks

 

[dominikz]

Wiim Amp Pro is very expensive here (460€) but I suppose that I could afford 150€/200€ speakers like XT20 with it. I don't live alone so I rarely listen to anything loud so the power won't be an issue. I'll consider this thank you!

If WiiM Amp Pro is too expensive, and if the regular WiiM Amp is significantly cheaper, that’s not a bad choice either. You lose PFFB (i.e. it is slightly load-dependent), but the rest is actually pretty similar.