• WANTED: Happy members who like to discuss audio and other topics related to our interest. Desire to learn and share knowledge of science required. There are many reviews of audio hardware and expert members to help answer your questions. Click here to have your audio equipment measured for free!

Need a pair of monitors with better bass extension than the IK MMs (Budget less than $500 if possible)

Marasmic

Member
Joined
Nov 29, 2021
Messages
7
Likes
0
Location
Ohio
Hey all,

I'm currently in the market for a pair of monitors to replace the IK micromonitors I bought. The micromonitors are very impressive for their size, but they're very forward with the mids and they're not able to reproduce the bass tones in a lot of the music I listen to/make. I bought them primarily because I have an extremely space limited setup and I thought it would be easier to lay them down on my desk instead of buying stands and speakers. Unfortunately, they're not really what I'm looking for. So this means that I'll have to buy stands and tilt a larger speaker down towards me from above my computer monitors.

I'd like for the new speakers to be as balanced as possible. I'm not really looking for a boomy bassy speaker, I just want better extension. I'm also open to the idea of buying the monitors now and adding a sub down the road if what I'm asking for isn't possible out of a bookshelf speaker(or if isn't possible in my price range). After browsing the forum, I'm kind of leaning towards the Adam T5V.

Do you guys have any better options based on what I need out of the speaker?


As for usecase... I listen to a little bit of everything and play games, but the vast majority of what I listen to and make is electronic music. I also play bass so the speakers would be used for that as well. An example of what I'm looking to be able to play would be Into The Sun by Bassnectar. He repeatedly uses a really low D#1(39Hz) sub-bass in that song(most prominently at 1:48) that the Ik's aren't able to hit.
 
Last edited:

_thelaughingman

Major Contributor
Forum Donor
Joined
Jan 1, 2020
Messages
1,357
Likes
2,037
I think a decent set of speakers that are recommended by Erin's Audio Corner and measured are the Neumi B5SP. Neumi they are inexpensive and do have DSP to adjust sound according to your needs.
 
OP
Marasmic

Marasmic

Member
Joined
Nov 29, 2021
Messages
7
Likes
0
Location
Ohio
I think a decent set of speakers that are recommended by Erin's Audio Corner and measured are the Neumi B5SP. Neumi they are inexpensive and do have DSP to adjust sound according to your needs.
Hey thanks for the recommendation. I wish Erin would compile a list of his recommendations by price category, he does really good work.

It seems like based on his review that they're good speakers with EQ, but without they measure fairly poorly. I don't have the equipment to EQ the speakers with any kind of accuracy. I'm also not an expert.. So I could be completely ignorant and misinterpreting his charts.
 

dfuller

Major Contributor
Joined
Apr 26, 2020
Messages
3,392
Likes
5,234
At $500/pr, I don't think you can do better than Kali LP-6V2s.
 

Keened

Senior Member
Forum Donor
Joined
Nov 2, 2021
Messages
329
Likes
219
Get a subwoofer, get some isolation, and set the overall volume low.
 
OP
Marasmic

Marasmic

Member
Joined
Nov 29, 2021
Messages
7
Likes
0
Location
Ohio
At $500/pr, I don't think you can do better than Kali LP-6V2s.
I've seen a lot people recommending the Kali's and they seem solid for $200 a speaker. Any idea how they would stack up against the T5Vs? I'm only focusing on the Adam's because they're one of the few speakers in my price range that Amirm gave almost universal praise to.
 

dfuller

Major Contributor
Joined
Apr 26, 2020
Messages
3,392
Likes
5,234
I've seen a lot people recommending the Kali's and they seem solid for $200 a speaker. Any idea how they would stack up against the T5Vs? I'm only focusing on the Adam's because they're one of the few speakers in my price range that Amirm gave almost universal praise to.
I find the T5Vs to be unbearably bright unless you can shelve down the high end. Even then, there's something about AMTs I don't like.
 
OP
Marasmic

Marasmic

Member
Joined
Nov 29, 2021
Messages
7
Likes
0
Location
Ohio
I find the T5Vs to be unbearably bright unless you can shelve down the high end. Even then, there's something about AMTs I don't like.
Ok, definitely not for me then. I'm just gonna go ahead and give the Kali's a shot. Amirm said they had issues with distortion, but I doubt my ear is trained enough to notice. They also went all the way down to like 42Hz in Erin's testing, so they definitely have great extension for a 6" driver. Thanks for the recommendation.
 
Top Bottom