Best monitor for Axe-Fx III

Giordydiver

Inspired
Hi guys, i need an advice about monitor for home playing.. I want monitors that give me a full and rich sound when i play at home without headphone. For monitors what is the best amplification class? I see there are class A/B and class D...
For my budget the option are yamaha Hs8, ktk rp8-g3, presonus eris E8 or somewhat in this range.
thanks
 
I second HS8 from that list - but although they are decent, remember that your rig is only as good as the weakest piece and the monitors are crucial.
If at all possible I'd stretch the budget a bit further and get better monitors.
With the HS8 you are driving your Ferrari i 2nd gear IMO.
 
Isn’t going to be a huge difference between any decent 6-8” active near fields honestly.

That said, I enjoy my CLR far better than the Presonus S6 with sub. The problem with nearfields is they are just that. Sound great right in front of them but not as great across the room

Plus I can put my foot on my CLR when playing lol
 
Yamaha HS8 from that list, easily.

Also check out JBL LSR308 monitors as those are in the price range and sound fantastic, just a bit smoother than the Yamahas I think. The Yamahas are surgically accurate monitors, while the JBL's strike a slightly better balance between sounding accurate and just sounding great to listen to music through.

Isn’t going to be a huge difference between any decent 6-8” active near fields honestly.

That said, I enjoy my CLR far better than the Presonus S6 with sub. The problem with nearfields is they are just that. Sound great right in front of them but not as great across the room

Plus I can put my foot on my CLR when playing lol

With regards to your comment about there not being a huge difference between any decent 6-8" active near fields, I respectfully disagree... completely. Go to any Guitar Center and A/B a bunch of monitors. Even in that acoustically bad environment, there are huge differences between near fields.


I also love my CLRs too by the way.
 
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Yamaha HS8 from that list, easily.

Also check out JBL LSR308 monitors as those are in the price range and sound fantastic, just a bit smoother than the Yamahas I think. The Yamahas are surgically accurate monitors, while the JBL's strike a slightly better balance between sounding accurate and just sounding great to listen to music through.



With regards to your comment about there not being a huge difference between any decent 6-8" active near fields, I respectfully disagree... completely. Go to any Guitar Center and A/B a bunch of monitors. Even in that acoustically bad environment, there are huge differences between near fields.


I also love my CLRs too by the way.



I’ve owned probably ten different pairs, taken mixes to other facilities with different monitors etc and stuff transfers pretty well. They are more similar than they are different.

Yes you can tell differences if you a/b direct but regardless of the pair you get, after a few days you’ll be used to it, and given that all the models have lots of happy users, they will get the job done.

There simply is no one “best” monitor out there. Certainly one will perhaps prefer something, but it’s not going to make their mixes better than someone else using a different product.

All are pretty flat, and none are totally flat.

Essential point is there is no right or wrong choice. It’s not like ten are crap and if you didn’t buy choice 11 you’ll regret it. People worry and obsess over it too much. You need to learn any monitor and how it translates.

Also remember that the most musically pleasing isn’t per say the most accurate.
 
Also remember that unless your treating your room, ideally placing them etc, that room acoustics are going to be a far bigger variable than any other metric of the monitor performance.

You can spend $4000 on a high end monitor with about as flat of response as possible, but then if you put them on your desk a foot from the wall, becasue your room isn’t big enough to otherwise accommodate them, they suddenly are anything but flat, same goes for untreated corners etc.

Mine aren’t Ideally positioned either. I simply can’t deisgn a room around my monitors, as most can’t. Really isn’t this big of deal though as the main use of mine is playing YouTube videos lol. If I was mixing for commercial clients it would be different, but basically my S6 with T10 sub system is 1000 watts of active coaxial performance serving as a multimedia computer speaker.
 
Hi guys, i need an advice about monitor for home playing.. I want monitors that give me a full and rich sound when i play at home without headphone. For monitors what is the best amplification class? I see there are class A/B and class D...
For my budget the option are yamaha Hs8, ktk rp8-g3, presonus eris E8 or somewhat in this range.
thanks


https://www.americanmusical.com/Item--i-ADP-T7V-PKI

I love Adam Monitors. Don't buy any monitor with a dome tweeter. They are easy to blow at high volumes. I had some Yamaha NS - 10 with dome tweeter and alway blowing the tweeter. Ribbon tweeters is what I use and they will hold up. I have upper line Adams and love them. I will never use dome tweeter ever again. If you don't get studio monitors, Yamaha has some cabs with 2 inch tweeters where most have smaller ones. I also have QSC k12s which I thought was the best PA active in a the $800 price range, but the tweeter is a lot smaller than the Yahama. I use those for smaller clubs as a PA, but they also work well for the Axe. I really like the Friedmans but they are really overpriced I think.

https://www.sweetwater.com/store/detail/DSR112--yamaha-dsr112-1300w-12-inch-powered-speaker

These are the best of the Yamaha but they have 3 models below this still with 2 inch tweeter.
I watched several reviews that states that my QSC K12s distort at higher volumes where the Yamaha DSR did not.

https://www.sweetwater.com/store/detail/DXR12--yamaha-dxr12-1100w-12-inch-powered-speaker

https://www.sweetwater.com/store/detail/DXR10--yamaha-dxr10-1100w-10-inch-powered-speaker

Also using active 2 Yamaha cabs, you can use it for studio monitors in a crunch, guitar cabs, and front of house cabs
 
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Isn’t going to be a huge difference between any decent 6-8” active near fields honestly.

That said, I enjoy my CLR far better than the Presonus S6 with sub. The problem with nearfields is they are just that. Sound great right in front of them but not as great across the room

Plus I can put my foot on my CLR when playing lol

Firstly, as somebody who has spend his life in studios from the lowest of the bedroom variant to the fully spec'ed world class ones out there, I respectfully but strongly disagree that there wouldn't be a huge difference between near field monitors.

The room, the acoustic treatment and the monitors and their placement naturally all matter - but there is no denying that the monitors matters, and pairing the Axe III with a budget monitor can give you decent but not good or great results with regards to playing pleasure. Recording and mixing is a different story, as that is more about knowing your monitors and their strong suits and pit falls.

Secondly, the part about putting your foot on your CLR while playing sounds like something I posted 5 years ago :)

Atomic CLR = Sonic bliss !!! In depth review

with ah highter budget?

CLRs would be my first choice, great for bedroom and stage alike.
If you want studio monitors then the new Dynaudio LYD series are great and as are many other choices out there.
There is no "best" monitor, try some different brands and models out to see which type you prefer.
ATC and Amphion is at the top of the heap when you land that big gig / bonus check / lottery or whatever
 
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Don't buy any monitor with a dome tweeter. They are easy to blow at high volumes. I had some Yamaha NS - 10 with dome tweeter and alway blowing the tweeter.
Any current day active monitor worth their salt, you likely won't be blowing any tweeters.

NS-10 were passive, and depending on the power amp used, you could blow them easily. But the active powered monitors these days don't really have this problem. You're likely going to hit the LF limiter (at which point you're using the monitor beyond its intended use and should back off the volume) before you blow any tweeters.

The Adams you propose have ribbon type tweeters, which actually tend to be more fragile. For what it's worth, I tend to see more "my Adams A7 tweeter is blown" posts on the forums or "replaced tweeters" on online sales of Adams than "Yamaha HS8 dome tweeter blown" posts. But this is just anecdotal from me, so take it with a grain of salt.

Firstly, as somebody who has spend his life in studios from the lowest of the bedroom variant to the fully spec'ed world class ones out there, I respectfully but strongly disagree that there wouldn't be a huge difference between near field monitors.
What are the huge difference between near field monitors that you suggest? Could you describe the differences in technical measurable terms?
 
I've been using the FBT 112MA's since they were the flavor of the month years ago. They sound fabulous so I haven't been tempted by more recent popular choices. I'd only switch if there was something lighter or significantly cheaper....which is not likely. You can find they on ebay, etc for a great price these days.
 
I just posted a thread like this a few weeks ago, was titled something like Studio Speakers for Axe III. In the end I went with Presonis Sceptre S8's and just love them. I don't think I'll ever blow a driver cuz they get RIPPING LOUD! and it's too loud even for this old metalhead.

My next choice were the JBL LSR308, they have a wider sweet spot than most other monitors so you don't have to fidget around as much trying to find that perfect place to sit. Next were the Yamaha HS8's, read lots of great reviews, and recommendations from forum members. I went a little above my budget and got the Sceptre's. I liked their coaxial, or Coactual as they call it design, the only other coaxial designs I found were from Equator (powered) and Tannoy (looked really nice but were passive). Definitely get powered monitors, the amp is designed to the drivers and takes into account frequency response, impedance curves, power handling, limiting, DSP, etc. Good luck in your search and hope it doesn't drive you nuts like it did me. :)

BTW I went with the S8's rather than the S6's on advice from a forum member cuz the size of my room. I didn't realize how big the S8's really were until I got them via UPS from GC. :eek:
 
.......

What are the huge difference between near field monitors that you suggest? Could you describe the differences in technical measurable terms?

Hey yeky83,

Firstly - the very important premise here is that the OP asks for advice on studio monitors to give him a full and rich sound when playing his Axe III - so he is asking for a "pleasure listening option" and not a mixing / analysis tool.

I know you have knowledge in this field, so you probably know as much or more than me about this, and I don't want to get into technically arguments or specs here for a couple of reasons (although most or all of this is technically measurable).
1) the OP asks for something pleasant sounding and I think that should remain the focus in this thread
2) the published specs often don't tell the entire story - the specs are often not correctly or fully reported from the manufacturer, info is often lacking especially in the low to mid budget range.

Regarding 1)
The trusty NS10 is a respected studio stable for a number of good reasons, it's super useful and revealing as an analysis / mix tool and I like them for that - but I don't know many if any that think that they are the best or even a great playback option for pleasure listening. Makes sense ?
I find something like Dynaudio far more pleasing to listen to for music playback or for getting a great rich and full sound from when playing your Axe III or another monitor through them.
In the same way I know that many love the Adams range of monitors. They are great to mix on as due to their ribbon tweeters you can hear the treble freq content very clearly. Personally though I don't like to listen to music on nor to work on Adams monitors (unless we are talking the very top of the range Adams) as the extended (and IMO hyped) treble freqs sound unnatural to me and causes ear fatigue fairly quickly for me.
I prefer to work on Dynaudio, ATC or Amphion monitors or other monitors in that vein - I get all the detail I need with none of the ear fatigue (for me - others can have other experiences and preferences).
So when talking about monitors as mixing tool, it's all about finding monitors that are analytical and revealing and about finding a pair that fits your room, doesn't cause ear fatigue for you and very importantly getting to know their strong and their weak points - where finding a full and rich sounding monitor for playing your Axe III through is about just that.

Ideally the best sounding and best analysis tool monitor are not different monitors but one and the same, but that is in my experience only true for the uber hi-end variety of studio monitors, and even here there personal preference varies greatly.
The Axe through a pair of ATC ASM50SL Pro's is a near religious experience and at the same time a very revealing one for dialing presets or mixing - the famous ATC mid-range microscope is amazing.

It's late, I'm tired and rambling, but I hope it makes sense.
 
Hey yeky83,

Firstly - the very important premise here is that the OP asks for advice on studio monitors to give him a full and rich sound when playing his Axe III - so he is asking for a "pleasure listening option" and not a mixing / analysis tool.

I know you have knowledge in this field, so you probably know as much or more than me about this, and I don't want to get into technically arguments or specs here for a couple of reasons (although most or all of this is technically measurable).
1) the OP asks for something pleasant sounding and I think that should remain the focus in this thread
2) the published specs often don't tell the entire story - the specs are often not correctly or fully reported from the manufacturer, info is often lacking especially in the low to mid budget range.

Regarding 1)
The trusty NS10 is a respected studio stable for a number of good reasons, it's super useful and revealing as an analysis / mix tool and I like them for that - but I don't know many if any that think that they are the best or even a great playback option for pleasure listening. Makes sense ?
I find something like Dynaudio far more pleasing to listen to for music playback or for getting a great rich and full sound from when playing your Axe III or another monitor through them.
In the same way I know that many love the Adams range of monitors. They are great to mix on as due to their ribbon tweeters you can hear the treble freq content very clearly. Personally though I don't like to listen to music on nor to work on Adams monitors (unless we are talking the very top of the range Adams) as the extended (and IMO hyped) treble freqs sound unnatural to me and causes ear fatigue fairly quickly for me.
I prefer to work on Dynaudio, ATC or Amphion monitors or other monitors in that vein - I get all the detail I need with none of the ear fatigue (for me - others can have other experiences and preferences).
So when talking about monitors as mixing tool, it's all about finding monitors that are analytical and revealing and about finding a pair that fits your room, doesn't cause ear fatigue for you and very importantly getting to know their strong and their weak points - where finding a full and rich sounding monitor for playing your Axe III through is about just that.

Ideally the best sounding and best analysis tool monitor are not different monitors but one and the same, but that is in my experience only true for the uber hi-end variety of studio monitors, and even here there personal preference varies greatly.
The Axe through a pair of ATC ASM50SL Pro's is a near religious experience and at the same time a very revealing one for dialing presets or mixing - the famous ATC mid-range microscope is amazing.

It's late, I'm tired and rambling, but I hope it makes sense.
Thanks for the response! I'm not a pro audio guy or anything, just like learning about it a lot :p So I appreciate the input.

Point 1) is well taken, OP asks for pleasant sound and that's preferential. Different monitors certainly do sound different and we can prefer different ones with regards to fatigue, analysis, enjoyment, etc.

Point 2) is well taken as well, and I agree specs don't necessarily tell everything and are very lacking in the low to mid budget range.
Resolution Magazine ($5 a pop) is a great source for most of the popular monitors of any budget. Keith Holland who is a PhD and professor in this stuff, and wrote a textbook on loudspeakers, makes measurements for their reviews. In his words,
It may well be that the dynamic ebb and flow of the music, the subtle timing differences and other characteristics are better exhibited by some loudspeakers than by others, but these are things for which we have no reliable, measurable descriptors. However, the overwhelming tendency is for a loudspeaker which scores highly in all the objective measurement regimes... to show the musical characteristics in a more artistic and exciting light.
The measurements I've seen of HS8, E8, LSR308, etc. are pretty good, nothing major to fault about them. And so I would think the "overwhelming tendency" would apply to these monitors, as it would to those expensive monitors you list. So I tend to view it like @lqdsnddist does, unless there's something real special about a set of monitors (like Kii audio, Genelec coaxial, Sceptre/Fulcrum, etc.) that's doing something special, I think monitors that measure objectively similarly are probably more same than different.

Perhaps there is something special to the Dynaudio, ATC, Amphion, etc. that are beyond objective measurements. But it's unfortunate that they don't seem to at least make good objective measurement data available. The only popular brands I know of (I don't know a lot of brands so take it with a grain of salt) that do give thorough objective measurements are Genelec, Neumann, and a few Adams high end monitors.
 
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It's late, I'm tired and rambling, but I hope it makes sense.

Late? on my clock it says you posted the above at 4:30 pm. You in Australia or something?

What are the huge difference between near field monitors that you suggest? Could you describe the differences in technical measurable terms?

Ok I'll take a stab at embarrassing myself...

When you have a speaker like the Presonis Sceptre with its coaxial drivers and horn loaded tweeter it only stands to reason (btw why does it stand to reason? much easier to reason laying down) that it's going to sound different than the HS8's and their separate woofer and dome tweeter. The JBL LSR308 has a horn loaded tweeter too but it is not in the center of the woofer, therefor their sound will be different too.

Now of the three I'd be willing to wager that the JBL's would be best for enjoying music, as well as mixing because they have a wider sweet spot than the others, or at least so people claim. ...and they remind me of my old Klipch Ref. 4's. :)
 
When you have a speaker like the Presonis Sceptre with its coaxial drivers and horn loaded tweeter it only stands to reason (btw why does it stand to reason? much easier to reason laying down) that it's going to sound different than the HS8's and their separate woofer and dome tweeter. The JBL LSR308 has a horn loaded tweeter too but it is not in the center of the woofer, therefor their sound will be different too.
First, PreSonus! ;)

And yeah, they'll sound different cus of their different designs. But HS8 and E8 sound different from each other too, yet they're basically the same kind of design. So it's kind of reductionist to look at things only in those terms, everything sounds different.
Now of the three I'd be willing to wager that the JBL's would be best for enjoying music, as well as mixing because they have a wider sweet spot than the others, or at least so people claim. ...and they remind me of my old Klipch Ref. 4's. :)
Wider sweet spot, it depends. JBL LSR308 has a way narrower vertical sweet spot than the Sceptre (due to lobing), and the Sceptre has a narrower sweet spot in general than the LSR308 (due to Sceptre's controlled directivity). Depends on what kind of "sweet spot" you want.
 
First, PreSonus! ;)
"Us," as in you and me? Tomato tomoto, I was using the Europeaon spelling ;). Thanks for the correction btw.

What are the huge difference between near field monitors that you suggest? Could you describe the differences in technical measurable terms?

I must have misunderstood this post, it sounded to me you were saying there are no differences in near field monitors. To which I responded mentioning a few differences. Didn't feel the need to get technical after stating the obvious.

And yeah, they'll sound different cus of their different designs. But HS8 and E8 sound different from each other too, yet they're basically the same kind of design. So it's kind of reductionist to look at things only in those terms, everything sounds different.

Reductionist? Are you sure you don't mean reductionistic? All speakers are different, even with the same model #. Frequency spectrum allowances for + or - 3dB for instance. Caps, inductors, resistors all have +- tolerances as well. They don't matter much in this thread however. ;)

Wider sweet spot, it depends. JBL LSR308 has a way narrower vertical sweet spot than the Sceptre (due to lobing), and the Sceptre has a narrower sweet spot in general than the LSR308 (due to Sceptre's controlled directivity). Depends on what kind of "sweet spot" you want.

Considering we are talking about studio monitors. Most folks I know are sitting down while listening to them, and if they're being used for living room enjoyment, (which they're not really designed for) most folks will be sitting down for that too, so vertical response is kind of moot as long as they're at the same height as your ears. Exception; for those doing housework, and chances are they aren't thinking about any sweet spot.








 
I must have misunderstood this post, it sounded to me you were saying there are no differences in near field monitors. To which I responded mentioning a few differences. Didn't feel the need to get technical after stating the obvious.
I'm not saying there are no differences, did you really perceive that from my writing? o_O I questioned the claim that there are huge differences.
Reductionist? Are you sure you don't mean reductionistic?
Both seem to work according to da dictionary, reductionist is apparently both a noun and adjective.

Considering we are talking about studio monitors. Most folks I know are sitting down while listening to them, and if they're being used for living room enjoyment, (which they're not really designed for) most folks will be sitting down for that too, so vertical response is kind of moot as long as they're at the same height as your ears. Exception; for those doing housework, and chances are they aren't thinking about any sweet spot.
Off-axis response contributes to reflected room tone that will affect your perception of music. e.g. If you have a monitor that measures flat on-axis, but off-axis has a deep cut at 3 kHz, the sound you hear in the room (which is a sum of on-axis and reflected) will sound deficient in 3 kHz.
Depends on the type of room acoustics and treatment you have, but to say "vertical response is moot" doesn't consider the whole shebang.
 
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