Please help me finalize which studio monitors to buy

[srkdummy3]

Hi,

I have been researching which studio monitors to buy for the first time on audiosciencereview forums, reddit etc. I have finalized it to the below 7 options (Starting from most preferred to last). For context, I have an untreated room for now -

https://imgur.com/a/GENLDFy

. I plan to add a large carpet and two sound diffusing panels on the corners to begin with and maybe a blanket on the wall opposite to my desk.

1. Iloud MTM - These have gotten amazing reviews throughout but some people mention the coil whine issues. As per my research, upto a certain decibel (85), the sound separation coming out of these is amazingly distinct and people have mostly fallen in love with these. I am also a bit inclined since apparently the ARC mic can help alleviate room issues. They are priced at 349 CAD per pair.

2. Kali LP-6 V2 - I think enough has been said about this that they are the budget king. They are also very affordable at 279 CAD per pair. They are also front ported and also offer room equalizing options for untreated rooms so they are attractive as well.

3. Kali IN-5 - I am really not inclined towards it because of the price but some reviews mentioned that the low end distortion which Kali LP6 v2 produces is not seen here

4. Adam T5V - Mainly inclined because of the price. They are the cheapest here at 210 per pair. But Apparently their sound is more 'colored' than netural?

5. Yamaha HS5 - There is criticism for the midrange and they are as expensive as Kali LP6 V2 here in Canada at 270 per pair. So I am not so inclined towards these. But it also has dials to compensate for the midrange it seems.

6. JBL 305 - These seem to have mixed reviews with some praising them to the moon while others

7. KRK Rokit G4 - Many reviews mention the added bass is muddy and not good for low end monitoring.

 

[3125b]

3. Kali IN-5 - I am really not inclined towards it because of the price but some reviews mentioned that the low end distortion which Kali LP6 v2 produces is not seen here

I vote for the coaxials. Your listening distance is minimal, coaxial will work best, both for driver integration and for vertical directivity.

 

[Penelinfi]

If you can, lift the monitors to ear level, perhaps space them out a little if possible/wider desk. Rotate keyboard to fit in?

 

[RobL]

That’s a pretty small desk…maybe KH80’s ?

 

[MrOtto]

MTM and 305P have noticable hiss from tweeter

 

[lowkeyoperations]

I know it’s not on your list, but how far beyond your budget is a used pair of original Neumann KH120s?

Here in Australia the iCloud MTM new are $850 but a used pair of KH120s is around $1000. The Neumanns are the best studio monitors available until you step up to a budget around $3000 AUD in my opinion having used them for years. They will last you a long time.

The other investment that I highly recommended, and perhaps even if you can’t afford the Neumanns is Dirac live plug-in or a umik microphone and REW.

I can’t stress enough just how bad the bass peaks and troughs will be with your monitors on a desk that’s up against a wall in an untreated room that doesn’t have significant bass traps. It’s not unusual in a room like that to have 20dB swings up and down all through the 50-400 hz region.

It really sounds comically bad when I switch Dirac live off just how bloated the bass can become without room correction of some sort.

If your budget is super tight, I’d even say go for the cheapest monitors on your list, then try to buy them second hand to save a bit, and then get the room correction software. I personally think from experience that will get you better results than a more expensive (but still entry level) monitor without room correction or treatment.

 

[DavidEdwinAston]

Not wishing to interfere with the posters thread. However, should I be able to use Dirac live plug-in on my hi-fi, which is accessed using Sonos?

 

[lowkeyoperations]

The Dirac live plug-in needs to be run on a computer.
I use it on my MacBook Pro in the studio, then run the Mac to my audio interface then to my studio monitors.
In my lounge room I run it on a Mac mini, then out to my active speakers via a USB to SPDIF converter.
The other way is via a MiniDSP device.

 

[daftcombo]

I guess you can also consider these, now:

Thomann/Swissonic A306 - Review & Measurements by Erin

Where’s vertical directivity?

www.audiosciencereview.com

 

[DavidEdwinAston]

The Dirac live plug-in needs to be run on a computer.
I use it on my MacBook Pro in the studio, then run the Mac to my audio interface then to my studio monitors.
In my lounge room I run it on a Mac mini, then out to my active speakers via a USB to SPDIF converter.
The other way is via a MiniDSP device.

Thank you for the helpful post!

 

[MrOtto]

Thomann Swissonic A306