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Studio monitors for a living room setup?

JaccoW

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So I'm currently rebuilding my audio setup from scratch again and as a stop-gap solution I moved my computer monitor speakers down to the living room.
As it is I'm using a pair of Presonus Eris 3.5 studio monitors in combination with a Topping E50 Dac. This sounds great but they are slightly lacking in the bass department (and were pretty boomy before adjustment) and seem to be slightly directional, as in you need to be sitting in front of them for the best results. (I am aware this is probably intentional)

For a stop-gap solution, while I save up money for a high-end setup, I was thinking of getting a pair of affordable powered speakers in the €200-300 range. Once I save up in a year or two these will either move to the computer upstairs or I will sell off the Eris 3.5's. They weren't that expensive.

The room:
My room is a bit atypical in that the living room + kitchen around the corner is about 33m² (355 sq. ft.) but has tall windows and a ceiling that is 6m (19+ ft.) high.

For reference, the carpet in the pictures below is 2.5 x 3.5m (8 x 11 ft.), against a 5.5m (18 ft.) wall. The couch is 2.35m (7.7 ft.) wide.

Top View:


Back wall:


The question:
While I generally like the Eris 3.5 I was looking at something with a bit more 'oomph' so I was considering the PreSonus Eris E5. These can be had for about €229 ($267) around here and seem to have good reviews. They will be a slight faff to set up with their own internal amp and individual TRS connectors per speaker but that shouldn't be too hard.

Then again, perhaps it would be better to look at something else entirely. Should I forget studio monitors in this situation and just look at a regular bookshelf speakers like a pair of Klipsch R-41PM or similar? (Though the external DAC would become unnecessary in that case)

Any suggestions in that price range in Europe?

Old setup:
I plan to rebuild it to something like this but with the speakers on better stands:
 
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JaccoW

JaccoW

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Right, so I have been doing a lot of reading and it seems like I should up my budget a little bit so it can include 5 inch woofers for the extra bass. So let's say €400.

The E5 are good monitors when connected with balanced cables but they too are really designed for a nearfield setup. They do require some EQ to make them good though.

Some other options I have come across are:
  • Argon Audio Forte 5 - for €399 ($465) sale till Oct 10th, otherwise €499 ($588)
    (Hifi Klubben house brand). Frequency range: 40-20,000 Hz ± 3dB, 2x 80W
    + Very few reviews but the ones that are there seem to be positive. Actual loudspeakers + phono input + auto powerup.
    - Speaker cable interface
  • Argon Audio Forte 4 - for €319 ($371)
    Same as above but with a 50-20,000 Hz ± 3dB frequency range
  • Argon Audio Alto A5 - for €329 ($383)
    + Banana plugs for other speaker. Actual loudspeakers + phono input + auto powerup.
    - Frequency range: 55-20,000 Hz, 2x40W
  • Klipsch R-41PM - for €369 (€430)
    +Phono in, design
    - Frequency range: 76 - 21,000 Hz (needs subwoofer), 2 x 35W, limited inputs
  • Monkey Banana Lemur5 - for around €400 ($465)
    + Balanced inputs, EQ, 55 - 30,000 Hz, auto-standby
    - Nearfield speaker, not easy to switch between inputs
  • JBL 305P MkII - for €360 ($420)
    + Well tested, 43 - 20,000 Hz (-10dB)
    - Nearfield, not enought volume in larger rooms, IMHO design, lack of inputs
Anyway, I'll keep searching.
 
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sweetchaos

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I would sell the Presonus Eris 3.5, since the frequency response looks like it was made in the year 1950's, when we didn't understand anything about speaker design.
Spinorama:
CEA2034.jpg



Don't get the Klipsch R-41PM (active version) which is similar to the R41M (passive version) that Amir reviewed.
Spinorama:
CEA2034.jpg

That looks aweful and full of resonances. You can't pay me to listen to this speaker!

We don't have any spinorama for Argon Audio or Monkey Banana speakers, so we really can't say whether they are good or bad. I wouldn't purchase speakers that we don't have spinorama for.

The speaker that I have and I recommend is JBL 305P MKII.
Spinorama:
CEA2034.jpg

It will hook up nicely to your Topping E50 (which also has a remote, so you can adjust volume from a distance).
For this speaker, if you're listening without digital EQ, I would personally set the dip switch "HF High Frequency Trim" on the back to -2db, which should lower the overall *brightness*.


Here's studio monitors below 400 EUR from Thomann:
So many good options...Kali's, Focal's, JBL's, KRK's, Adam's.

An easy recommendation is the Adam T5V (which Amir highly recommended).
Spinorama:
CEA2034.jpg
 
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JaccoW

JaccoW

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I would sell the Presonus Eris 3.5, since the frequency response looks like it was made in the year 1950's, when we didn't understand anything about speaker design.
[...]

We don't have any spinorama for Argon Audio or Monkey Banana speakers, so we really can't say whether they are good or bad. I wouldn't purchase speakers that we don't have spinorama for.

The speaker that I have and I recommend is JBL 305P MKII.
Spinorama:
CEA2034.jpg

It will hook up nicely to your Topping E50 (which also has a remote, so you can adjust volume from a distance).
For this speaker, if you're listening without digital EQ, I would personally set the dip switch "HF High Frequency Trim" on the back to -2db, which should lower the overall *brightness*.


Here's studio monitors below 400 EUR from Thomann:
So many good options...Kali's, Focal's, JBL's, KRK's, Adam's.

An easy recommendation is the Adam T5V (which Amir highly recommended).
Spinorama:
CEA2034.jpg
My biggest issue with the JBL's is that I think they are really ugly. :p
Keep in mind the PreSonus are €100 for the pair. So that's a lot cheaper than most other monitors and they stack up well in their price range. Just not when actually measured.

The Argon Audio do a whole lot better in that regard. I might even consider buying them and doing some measurements, or have another Dutch forum member borrow them for measurements so that we have more data!

But thanks for the link to the Thomann website. Lots of well-priced options there like the Yamaha HS7.
 

sweetchaos

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I might even consider buying them and doing some measurements, or have another Dutch forum member borrow them for measurements so that we have more data!
Great idea. Make sure to follow this amazing tutorial:

This will create a quasi-anechoic measurements, which is basically 80% of the way vs having a Klippel NFS. :)
 
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JaccoW

JaccoW

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So I actually took a chance and ordered the Argon Audi Forte A5's after listening to them twice in a store.

Anybody in the Netherlands interested in coming to do some audiotesting or borrowing me a microphone so we can do some measurements?
Otherwise I will buy a mic next month and get down to add something to the forum.
 
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JaccoW

JaccoW

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Picked up the Forte A5 yesterday and put them to work. Just set them down with the included rubber pads for now but I will be getting the matching Argon Audio Stativ 62 when they are back in stock in December.

First impressions is that they are a lot fuller in the mid- and low range, which I like. Maybe not as crisp as the PreSonus Eris 3.5 but it's not a big difference. Good detail as well. I switched back a forth between both speakers a couple of times to compare the same song.

On the practical side of things;
  • They pair nicely with the Topping E50 DAC. Shame there is no balanced input.
  • Auto-on/off is a nice addition. When I switch on the PC, the DAC turns on and the speakers turn on immediately as well. They need a couple of minutes to switch off.
  • Sound quality over bluetooth is surpisingly good. My Sony Xperia 5 mk1 immediately picked it up as Bluetooth aptX (AAC support included as well)
  • Magnetic speaker grills. Not sure if I like them better with grills or without.
  • Will try out with a record player in the following weeks. Should hook up nicely with the phono input.

Setup for now


Size comparison. 5 inch driver v.s 3.5 inch driver


Top view
 
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JaccoW

JaccoW

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