Inexpensive monitors sub connections

[Doc Kerash]

I'm looking for some inexpensive monitor speakers for mixing music that I write and perform, and a way to connect them to a sub.

I'm not really an audiophile and am mainly looking (I think) for fairly good sound with flat frequency response across a wide range, so that I don't mess up my mixes. (Unfortunately I have high frequency hearing loss above 12K and will be relying on others to occasionally listen to mixes and tell me if they're too bright or dark above 12K, or have some annoying whine or whatever, and looking at spectra to guess at what I'm missing.)

My question is mostly about subs. I've been looking the usual $400/pr or less suspects like the JBL 305P and the Kali LP6, plus random others I find in pawn shops (like the KRC Classic 5s I found today for $140 for the pair...)

And I don't know what to do about the low bass. Most of these small inexpensive powered monitors don't have a subwoofer out. I have inexpensive large consumer subs (with RCA connectors, not balanced inputs or crossover outputs) lying around that I think would be good enough for my purposes, but I don't know how to connect them with these monitors. It seems really weird that these small monitors have their own amps and nice balanced inputs, but no sub out, given that they do not generally have great bass extension.

I expect that I will mainly be using stereo XLR or TRS or TS outs from inexpensive USB audio interfaces, which don't have a separate sub out.

I may go with passive speakers and my old receiver, just because I know how to plug in a sub.

Am I missing something? What is the normal way to use a sub with these inexpensive, small powered monitors? (I'm not going to pay $400 for a matching compact sub that has XLR inputs and outputs to the speakers, that doesn't even have the bass response my big cheap consumer subs do... I'm not lacking for space under my mixing desk for a sizable sub.)

Is the normal thing to buy a "monitor" sub with an XLR crossover, or to buy a separate crossover, or what?

On a related note, I'm unclear on how to software EQ my speakers when I'm using a DAW like Reaper. Is there a standard way to interpose an EQ that works with various other audio software, on the particular audio interface outputs I'm using for my stereo mains? Or should I try to keep it simple, and get speakers that are flat enough (or can be using the switches on the back) without relying on software EQ? (EDIT: clarification: I will be using ASIO drivers for minimizing latency, e.g. lag when playing a software synthesizer. I am not familiar with the ins and outs of all the low-level software and don't know if the EQs that audiophiles use work with the software that performers use. I'm fairly new to all of this.)

 

[AnalogSteph]

Why do you think you need a sub in the first place? Your candidates like the LP6 or 305P tend to go quite deep enough that, assuming you stay well within their level limits, you should have a large majority of music covered adequately. It's not like there's a whole lot going on below 40 Hz or so in most cases anyway, in fact it's not uncommon to see deliberate highpass filtering around that mark.

In terms of EQ solutions for DAW users, Sonarworks would be one of the big names.

 

[Chrispy]

If considering the JBL 305s, their 310S sub can incorporate a crossover with those speakers (you connect via the sub primarily, speakers from the sub)

 

[Doc Kerash]

Why do you think you need a sub in the first place? Your candidates like the LP6 or 305P tend to go quite deep enough that, assuming you stay well within their level limits, you should have a large majority of music covered adequately. It's not like there's a whole lot going on below 40 Hz or so in most cases anyway, in fact it's not uncommon to see deliberate highpass filtering around that mark.

In terms of EQ solutions for DAW users, Sonarworks would be one of the big names.

I may end up basically highpassing my music around 40, but I want to be able to experiment with low bass, and if I leave any in the mix, I want to know what it will sounds like on a system that can reproduce that. (If only to avoid making the very low bass too loud by accident.) I play a 5-string bass with low B string fundamental of 31 Hz and would like to know what that sounds like when you can actually hear the fundamental. As I understand it, a 24-inch kick drum can have a peak as low as 30 hz (but usually more like 50, depending on how it's tuned) and some energy below that. That too is something I'd like to experiment with, even if I end up mostly leaving it out in the end.

I'd also like to be able to use a sub to increase the usable levels somewhat, so that I can back off and listen in the far field, pretty loud, and see how that sounds.

I suspect I'll end up agreeing with you, but I want to keep my experimentation options open, especially if I can do it with one of the big old subwoofers I have in storage, rather than shelling out for a new studio-type sub with a line level crossover.

 

[ozzy9832001]

IMO, the inexpensive small monitors are not going to give you the performance or accuracy that your looking for. They are OK for nearfield listening, but fail to provide the level of power in the farfield. You'd be very disappointed. They also will struggle with the bass. Without spending the money, it's going to be harder to find a decent set of speakers.

I've tried a lot of smaller speakers and they always end up disappointing me. The smallest I'd go now is something like the Edifier R2850 that I currently have in my office. They are great and affordable ($450 USD, new) but are massive and really not "bookshelf" speakers. However, they do have a crossover and it's hard set at 100hz. The speakers themselves go down to 43Hz before rolling off, and can produce sound down to 30hz @ -10dB with relatively low distortion.

I hooked up a cheap Kanto sub, but found the speakers sounded better. Far less boomy. It did help with a few modal problems, but decided I'd rather have a smal 5hz hole then deal with a bad sub.