Another Looking For New Monitors Thread, looking for ideas..

Electronic Music Production // Dark Arts
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Lost to the Void
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Re: Another Looking For New Monitors Thread, looking for ide

Post by Lost to the Void »

borg wrote:interesting matter...

Around Christmas, I looked around for new monitors, and narrowed it down to Sonic Eggs, Neumanns K+H, and something I can't remember, to take home for a test. Due to various reasons, no studio anymore atm for instance, I held off.
I never really thought of HiFi as an option, but then again, the first five years of my electronic music I used my NAD amp and old Scott speakers as I didn't know any better.

Now, it's only due to this thread that I just started reading up on this audiophile section. At the moment just the Golden Ears Triton 3+, as they seem to just be in my financial range. But, may I ask what amp you have, LttV? Or what amps I should look at to drive the 3+?
Depending on the cost of the future studio, I had a budget in mind of 3 to 5.000 Euros. A bit crazy, but hey, this would be something for the rest of my life.

Interesting...
I`m using a QUAD QSP Elite to drive my Tritons.
The great thing about the Triton (1, 2 and 3) is they have their own built in matched forcefield amps for the low end. Not shitty gainclone type digi amps, these are big fuckers (the kind of digi amps studio actives should have, but only barefoots have). So you only need to drive the mid highs, which are very easy to drive.
I`m running 140watts per side and it`s way more than I need for my room, but the quality is superb, I`ve always loved QUAD amps.
The Triton 3 has 800 watts driving the sub, you probably only need 50-100 watts to drive the mid highs (they are rated up to 400, but you`ll destroy your studio running em that loud).
So you can spend more money on quality.


Sandy ran a demo of the triton 2`s at a show, and he was running them on (albeit a very expensive) 12 watt tube amp, and they sounded lovely, with plenty of volume.


So based on your budget, with the T3`s U I figured you had around 7-800 quid to spend on amp, giving you 500 euro free in a 5000 euro budget.

So
you could go for good used amps
something like LINN LK240 monoblocks. Pair of them would set you back around 7-800 quid. They take up a lot of room though.

LINN AV5125 is a nice stereo amp.

I reckon probably a Marantz MM7025. They go for pretty reasonable money new now, plenty of grunt, good quality sound, low distortion, easily covers the frequency range of the T3`s, stereo and not massive.

Doubt you`ll regret it, there`s no porting on the T3`s it`s all passive radiator tech, and the racetrack bass drivers are the same as the 1s and 2`s, they really kick, plenty of good time response, the ribbons keep the image pretty tight too.
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Re: Another Looking For New Monitors Thread, looking for ide

Post by WOLF! »

Lost to the Void wrote:
Markus Wolf wrote:Havent listened to them yet but I found a pair of B&W 683 S2's. Good reviews. I would be buying them second hand. But just researching. There are a few decent looking models used.

http://www.bowers-wilkins.net/Speakers/ ... s/683.html

I'm not that familiar with those monitors but I just checked a bunch of frequencies response charts and water fall plots and if you take them all in I wouldn't say these particular speakers are all that flat.
I think the waterfall plots are more about the sound level decaying in the room?
So in my mind these are about the room accoustics and not the speakers.

Out of curiosity I've compared the factory frequencies response charts to my own messurements while I was experimenting with measurements. I did them outside in the garden far away from any buildings or trees (the 80 year old neighbours looked kinda strange when I performed those frequency sweeps :lol:).

I've seen a few mastering rooms that use the B&W 800 series.

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Re: Another Looking For New Monitors Thread, looking for ide

Post by Markus Wolf »

WOLF! wrote:
Lost to the Void wrote:
Markus Wolf wrote:Havent listened to them yet but I found a pair of B&W 683 S2's. Good reviews. I would be buying them second hand. But just researching. There are a few decent looking models used.

http://www.bowers-wilkins.net/Speakers/ ... s/683.html

I'm not that familiar with those monitors but I just checked a bunch of frequencies response charts and water fall plots and if you take them all in I wouldn't say these particular speakers are all that flat.
I think the waterfall plots are more about the sound level decaying in the room?
So in my mind these are about the room accoustics and not the speakers.

Out of curiosity I've compared the factory frequencies response charts to my own messurements while I was experimenting with measurements. I did them outside in the garden far away from any buildings or trees (the 80 year old neighbours looked kinda strange when I performed those frequency sweeps :lol:).

I've seen a few mastering rooms that use the B&W 800 series.
Hi Wolf,

If im not mistaken the plots that I linked to on pg 3 where taken in an Anechoic Chamber so room modes where not an issue. But yes measurements taken in a less than perfect typical studio room will definitely show allot more variation than the plots taken at a professional facility. I guess we see now how a slightly coloured or hyped speaker in a very untreated room can lead to disaster. The speaker I chose (thanks to some timely advice) are fairly flat so somewhat uncoloured speakers check! But my room may not be as flat as I would like with room modes being present which im sure they are and my room is treated with bass traps, acoustic panelling and acoustic clouds. I also have a sofa at the back of the room..... Ive seen some measurements taken in anechoic chambers and the same speaker measurements taken in a typical home studio and sometimes you see quite large variation especially in the low regions somewhere south of 100hz or so. This is just what ive seen online through various posted images.

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Lost to the Void
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Re: Another Looking For New Monitors Thread, looking for ide

Post by Lost to the Void »

WOLF! wrote:
Lost to the Void wrote:
Markus Wolf wrote:Havent listened to them yet but I found a pair of B&W 683 S2's. Good reviews. I would be buying them second hand. But just researching. There are a few decent looking models used.

http://www.bowers-wilkins.net/Speakers/ ... s/683.html

I'm not that familiar with those monitors but I just checked a bunch of frequencies response charts and water fall plots and if you take them all in I wouldn't say these particular speakers are all that flat.
I think the waterfall plots are more about the sound level decaying in the room?
So in my mind these are about the room accoustics and not the speakers.

Out of curiosity I've compared the factory frequencies response charts to my own messurements while I was experimenting with measurements. I did them outside in the garden far away from any buildings or trees (the 80 year old neighbours looked kinda strange when I performed those frequency sweeps :lol:).

I've seen a few mastering rooms that use the B&W 800 series.
No, these were direct speaker response waterfalls looking at the transient response of the speakers and how the ports work (ports resonate)

Loads of mastering rooms use 800 series B&W. Can`t be compared to the 600 series though, they are worlds apart.
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Re: Another Looking For New Monitors Thread, looking for ide

Post by borg »

Thanks a lot, Mr Voidloss! These days I have way more important things to think about than GAS/boyish midlife crisis consumerism, so sorry for not getting back sooner.
I had noticed Linn amps were used quite often with the Goldenears. I had seen a showroom amp at a nearby hifi center going for 25% of it's original price (now €500), but it's a bit too soon. I hope I can start thinking about it more seriously in September, if the new studio is indeed finished by then...
I hardly find the time to make the slightest bit of noise at the moment.

cheers!
Andy
the lunatics are in the hall...

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Re: Another Looking For New Monitors Thread, looking for ide

Post by buffered »

Sorry for getting back into this but am curious if anyone has experience using Unity Audio - The Rock monitors?

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Lost to the Void
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Re: Another Looking For New Monitors Thread, looking for ide

Post by Lost to the Void »

Nope, but only heard good things, normally sceptical of ribbon tweaters in two ways, but these things are closed boxes so the woofer will have better upper mid performance.
Good amps in them too, which reflects the high price.
Sceptical of the frequency range claims though. 37hz 3db down from a sealed box 7 inch driver. Doesn`t seem very likely considering on their own frequency response tests the curve shows 4db down at 40hz.
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