Near fields - what do you use?

[mayfly]

Gentlepeople,

I'm mixing CFBlue's second album, and I was going to use this as an excuse to get some near-fields. However, these will be used on either side of our big-ass TV as well (i.e. in a listening environment where I don't want ear fatigue).

I'm a bit old school and have experience with the Yam NS-10s, and was just going to get the modern equivalent (HS50-M or the MSP5A).  But I don't want them to rip my ears off when we're watching a movie either.  Adding to this, I've noticed that there are a billion types of 5" powered near-fields out there right now, so I started to get confused about what I might want.

So at the risk of making myself more confused, I'm turning to you all for your opinion. 

What's your near-field and why?

 

[swarfrat]

Maybe it's my anti-ipod/hometheater/satellite/sub bias coming out - but I don't like the idea of monitors that won't render 40hz - I can accept kick drums that are kind of evocative of a thud, but if they won't handle commonly encountered pitched notes - you're not getting the real thing.  I'm contemplating building a set of 8" NFM's this summer using the Dayton DC200-8's.  30hz -3db , 88db 1w/1m in a reasonably sized box.

 

[pabloman]

I have a set of BX-5'S that are really good. Priced right. Mine were free. But this is a situation where GC comes in very handy. Take an ipod and demo some speakers. With their return policy nothing is final. The KRK stuff sold really well also. In this range there didn't seem to be one clear winner.  Good luck.

 

[AndyG]

Maybe it's my anti-ipod/hometheater/satellite/sub bias coming out - but I don't like the idea of monitors that won't render 40hz - I can accept kick drums that are kind of evocative of a thud, but if they won't handle commonly encountered pitched notes - you're not getting the real thing.  I'm contemplating building a set of 8" NFM's this summer using the Dayton DC200-8's.  30hz -3db , 88db 1w/1m in a reasonably sized box.

+1
8" LF drivers will give you a much better idea of what you're hearing "down there  :icon_biggrin:" without needing a sub.

The KRK speakers are alright, but (and I think I may have mentioned this in another thread) my "bang for the buck" award goes to the Tannoy Precision series.  The Reveal series is also nice, but the biggest woofer you can get with those is a 6.5".

I have always loved the old, passive NS-10's .... the newer active ones don't really float my boat.

 

[TBurst Std]

Well after a good amount of auditioning, I really like Adams A7s, but I got my second choice, Dynaudio BM5As, as they went on sale for about $400 off the pair.

 

[jackthehack]

I've been using a pair of these for about the last 6 years:

http://www.nady.com/sm250a.html

When I replace them, I'll probably go with these: http://www.guitarcenter.com/JBL-LSR6325P-Near-Field-Active-Studio-Monitor-600437-i1152825.gc

 

[OzziePete]

I was asking this same question about a year or so ago and ended up buying Mackie MR5s.

I have used them sparingly in working out my home studio and their interpretation of what sounds I am working with is reasonably transparent, given the room I am working in (just a spare bedroom, not acoustically treated). There is a bot of bass boost in the mix, but that could also be the room's effect too.

I use them as my main PC monitors too, watching You Tube footage is grand! I found out the other day that if I sit back from the desk (where the monitors are also mounted) the mix is quite articulate - meaning you can pick out where the instruments are in the mix. So when it comes to mixing with these monitors I will be sitting back in future.

I couldn't find Adams A7s anywhere at the time and really wanted to hear what they were like before paying for them, at least with the Mackies I got to hear them in the store first.
http://www.mackie.com/products/mrseries/

 

[swarfrat]

I'm not opposed to subs, if they're really subs. Its putting the (unsub) woofer in a separate box from the mid/tweeter that I despise. 40-50hz xover is fine, 100-200 is not. Even after compression and recording and playback at appropriate levels  my B1 and E1 honk really bad with my tiny sat/subs.

Driver cost on those Daytons come in under $100, plus a weekend and some MDF.

 

[animal control]

I have had a pair of HS80's for a couple of years now and really like them. I bought them for mixing but use them for general music listening. They do not have the brutal honesty of NS10's, which to me makes them great for enjoying the sound. NS10's were for hard work - great for exposing problems but not easy to listen to. NS10's are like looking at pretty girls with X-ray machines - way more than I want to know if I want to enjoy the view. I thought I might add a subwoofer at some point when I got them but the 8" version doesn't need them IMO.

 

[Steve_Karl]

I have a pair of Mackie HR824 since 2002. I love 'em. They took all of the effort out of mixing for me.

 

[mayfly]

Gentlemen,

Thanks for your input.  I ended up going down to Steve's Music and auditioning a pile of speakers, including all mentioned here.

I ended up with a set of Tannoy 501's.  Very nice, pretty honest, and won't kill me like the NS-10s would have.  I even like the look!

Too bad my wife does not like them - they are too  big for her (??!?)

 

[AndyG]

Gentlemen,

Thanks for your input.  I ended up going down to Steve's Music and auditioning a pile of speakers, including all mentioned here.

I ended up with a set of Tannoy 501's.  Very nice, pretty honest, and won't kill me like the NS-10s would have.  I even like the look!

Too bad my wife does not like them - they are too  big for her (??!?)

Rather than indulging in the obvious joke about a 5" driver being too big .....  :confused4: :laughing11:
Congrats on your purchase.  Nobody seems to talk much about Tannoy speakers.  Back in the day my main nearfields were a set of Tannoy PBM-8's powered by an Austrialian Monitor power amp ... which is another brand many here in North America don't know much about (http://www.australianmonitor.com.au/).
Enjoy mixing on your new speakers!

 

[animal control]

I ended up with a set of Tannoy 501's.  Very nice, pretty honest, and won't kill me like the NS-10s would have.  I even like the look!

I have heard nothing but good about them. Good luck with them.

 

[Stew]

I'm a Tannoy fan too ... passive System 1000's (10" driver) from my studio days  :headbang1:
Problem is they're far too big for most small rooms without a fair amount of treatment!

It's funny but many working pros don't really use pro monitors for the majority of the mix process. Most guys I know slam the main monitors for an hour or so to get rough balances and freq response sorted out, then they go to little stuff: shitty computer speakers, boom boxes, headphones (can get weird balance wise but I've seen guys do it) or some kind of mono speaker—think aurotones or a monitor out on a tape deck—oops, showing my age. 

One mix engineer I know in Aus gets two little PC speakers and throws them on the couch (that's sofa for you yanks!) on the other side of the room. They're not even pointing at him! He's one of the most respected mix engineers in Aus (personally I'm not really a fan but that's another story) so he must be doing something right.

Bottom line is, get to know whatever you're working on. Listen to as much stuff as you can on your new Tannoys and your mixes will translate well to any system. I mean come on, NS10's sound like poop ... it's just that everyone knew what they sounded like that mixes done on them sounded any good outside the studio.

Just my 2 cents ... that's 2.5 cents US  :laughing7:

 

[AutoBat]

throws them on the couch (that's sofa for you yanks!)

either term is acceptable.  i've never heard one more than the other.

my grandparents always called them Davenports, even if they weren't made by them (kinda like Qtip & Kleenex, eh?)

and +1 to listening on subpar speakers.