Rethinking office setup, monitors?...

[txbdan]

I apologize, I'm mostly just thinking out loud here. My office is 12x13x8'. I currently have NHT C3 bookshelf speakers and a NAD 3045 integrated amp along with an ol' Emotive Ultra10 sub. My source is my computer and I use Dirac Live software plugin for room correction. I listen to a lot of music in here, general computer audio, and dabble with music and guitar software a bit.

One problem is that I only have so much desk space and the C3s are quite large for bookshelves. They take up a lot of width and depth. Because of their depth, their fronts are past the halfway point of my desk depth. I have about 4" between the back of them and the wall. As I'm sitting now I can just touch each speaker, so an arms length away. The amp itself, event oriented vertically, does take up a little room as well.

When I got these speakers, they were my only speakers so having them on my desk was sort of temporary as I could also set up audio stuff in my basement which is much bigger. So I was sort of thinking dual duty. Since then I've gotten more speakers (floor standers) that will go in the basement so now this rig is dedicated to my office.

Thirdly, and sort of minor, I also dabble in music production and recording and at the least play my guitar through software amps, etc. I have a MOTU M4 interface.

All in all it sounds pretty darn good, so what's the problem? Why is there always a problem? -D) Well, I'm sort of thinking that for a dedicated office/computer rig, maybe active monitors would be the way to go. I'd be replacing the NAD amp with the MOTU interface which arguably takes even more desktop space... but many monitor options would be smaller. For example Genelec 8020Ds would be significantly smaller, especially in depth and even 8030Cs would be similar in width, but shorter and much shallower. Something like an IK iLoud MTM would really be a nice size and shape. I *think* I'd want to go with a Genelec/Neumann level speaker though.

But then there's the issue of a sub. My sub doesn't have audio pass through so I'm not sure how to integrate it with monitors. Another can of worms.

Summary: I'm wondering if for a strictly near-field situation if active monitors would do a better job while being smaller and simpler. Tempting.

Assuuummmmimg I went with active monitors, would a 4" woofer like a Genelec 8020D or Nuemann K80 get it done given the size of my office? 8030Cs are tempting at only $200 more for the pair, but they're a good bit bigger. Looking at each company's size/distance charts, the 4" monitors seem to be suitable.

 

[GD Fan]

I bought the Genelec 8320s for my desktop last summer. Having done that there are two things I'd do differently. First, I'd not pay up for the GLM room correction for such nearfield use. Maybe that would be a mistake but I kind of doubt I'd be able to tell the difference. And second, despite having bought the 8320s for their small size, I'd bump it up a little bit and go with the 8030. The 20s really don't take up a lot of space, especially once up on the stands, and proximity to the wall doesn't seem especially problematic.

N.b. My listening SPL tends to be fairly low sitting at the desk.

 

[Somafunk]

Once you go active there ain’t no going back, especially for near/mid field listening so take the plunge and you can’t go wrong with a genelec, if I had £700 I’d probably choose the 8030c.

I didn’t have that sort of budget so went for KRK G4 Rokit 7’s, very happy with them and I figure I’d need to spend considerably more to get a worthwhile increase in sound quality, My KRK desk setup here sounds similar to yours. Do you have any room treatment?, a few panels for first reflections really help when near field listening/mixing at a desk, you could treat left/right and ceiling for little over £300.

 

[txbdan]

Once you go active there ain’t no going back, especially for near/mid field listening so take the plunge and you can’t go wrong with a genelec, if I had £700 I’d probably choose the 8030c.

I didn’t have that sort of budget so went for KRK G4 Rokit 7’s, very happy with them and I figure I’d need to spend considerably more to get a worthwhile increase in sound quality, My KRK desk setup here sounds similar to yours. Do you have any room treatment?, a few panels for first reflections really help when near field listening/mixing at a desk, you could treat left/right and ceiling for little over £300.

Yep, my setup is similar to yours. My desk is 55" wide and I have the speakers pushed out to the far edges of the desk width-wise. That makes just about a perfect equilateral triangle with my head. The door to the room is on the wall I'm facing to my left. This width of speakers/desk just fits in the center of the wall. If I went wider, it'd have to extend rightward as the left speaker is up.

Actually, speaking of room treatment, that reminds me that I modeled my office in the GIK tool. Here's what my office looks like for fun. Speakers on sitting on the desk though, not on stands like that. I never pulled the trigger on any room treatments. It's tempting, but also sort of ugly. I also need wall space for shelves and stuff.

 

[txbdan]

Another thought is that I actually have two computers at this desk. I mostly use my MacBook Air plugged into a docking station, but I also have my gaming PC here. My NAD integrated amp has multiple inputs so this is no problem. I'd need some kind of input switcher. That's annoying.

Wait, not exactly. My M4 could do the switching/mixing. I can connect it via USB to my MacBook and run analog inputs from the PC to the M4's analog inputs. The only catch I think is that the M4 would need power via USB in order to pass through the PC audio. I wonder if my docking station would keep it powered with no computer attached. I guess a proper preamp would be better, but it'd prob cost more than the M4 and not provide guitar inputs. Blarg.

Regarding 8030Cs vs 8020Ds.. I think id give the 8020Ds a shot first. Their smaller size would really make this plan worthwhile and the reviews are quite good. I'd likely add a sub some day in either scenario. I'd buy them from a place with a good return/exchange policy so I could swap for 8030Cs if need be. But on the other hand it really does seem like the 8030Cs are the sweet spot in the lineup. But they're just as wide as the C3s. Granted much less deep which would allow much to push them away from me more.

 

[DJBonoBobo]

If you chose Neumann KH80, you could easily use the MA 1. This is very convenient and because you already have a M4, you don´t need anything else. Also, if you want to upgrade it with a KH750 some day, the MA 1 can do the integration automatically.

Edit: Oh, you already have a sub - i misread. Then this is maybe not the best advice.

 

[txbdan]

If you chose Neumann KH80, you could easily use the MA 1. This is very convenient and because you already have a M4, you don´t need anything else. Also, if you want to upgrade it with a KH750 some day, the MA 1 can do the integration automatically.

Edit: Oh, you already have a sub - i misread. Then this is maybe not the best advice.

The MA 1 is a microphone, what does it do? the KH series doesn't have built in room correction does it?

The subwoofer doesn't allow for additional inputs as far as I can tell. Either the Neumann or Genelec sub.

 

[DJBonoBobo]

The MA 1 is a microphone, what does it do? the KH series doesn't have built in room correction does it?

The DSP models have a built in parametric EQ that can be used for room correction. The new MA 1 allows automatic correction. Look: https://www.audiosciencereview.com/...umann-ma-1-automatic-monitor-alignment.17902/

You use the microphone with an interface like the Motu M4, the Neumann-software from their website and the DSP already built in the KH 80 DSP and/or KH 750 DSP. Settings for EQ, delay, phase and so on are stored in the loudspeakers, so after calibration you don´t need additional hard- or software.

Another alternative is to use the free iPad-App and control EQ and other DSP-settings manually in the KH 80 and/or 750 with the iPad.

Both the use of the iPad app or the MA 1 only make sense if you use either KH 80 alone or a KH 750 sub. It doesn´t work with another sub.

The subwoofer doesn't allow for additional inputs as far as I can tell. Either the Neumann or Genelec sub.

I do not know if I understand you correctly, but the KH 750 has analog and digital input. Maybe you could connect one device through MOTU -> analog -> sub and the other device directly digitally into the sub? I don´t know if and how this works, because i only use the analog input, but maybe it´s worth a closer look to the manual of the KH750?

 

[txbdan]

Oh I didn't realize that about the KHs. That's pretty compelling, actually. Granted the mic is $250, but maybe I could borrow one.