Best Studio Monitor

[LincolnT]

I am currently using consumer quality speakers for my studio monitors on my MBox Pro.

If money is not an issue, what is the commonly accepted industry standard best studio monitors that any manufacturer makes?

What should I get?

[albee1952]

Loaded question there. There really is no "best" as every room can make or break any speaker, no matter how good it may be on paper(or in someone else's review). Some excellent choices to consider are:
Genelec 8030A
DynAudio(any)
Adam(A7 or higher)
Mackie 824 MkII
Event SP8
Keep in mind that any monitor with a 6" or smaller woofer is probably going to need a subwoofer. Also, remember that the room will be a major part of the overall sound. An untreated room that is on the small side(like most home studio's) will have serious low end problems and bass trapping is really needed for accurate listening. Check out John Slayer and Ethan Whiner(google them) for some excellent info.

[LincolnT]

Thank you, albee1952. That is the kind of info I need.

I don't know how to test the frequency response on the speakers I have. I kind of hope the speakers I have are good enough. They are 12 inch two way MTX speakers that sound real good. I just realize that studio monitors are supposed to have a certain kind of eq balance and I don't know what to compare my speakers to.

[chrisdee]

I'v got the Genelec 8040a and I'm quite satisfied with them. But since becoming a gear freak I'm also looking into getting either Adam A7 or Mackie 824 MkII, or maby both at some point.

A/B'ing the Genelec 8020, 8030 and 8040 in the music store, I had no doubd what to pick. The 8020 and 8030 lacked the bass response of the 8040. But as already stated, it also depends on the size of your room and how treated it is.

[BradLyons]

There is no real answer here. I consult with many every day and I can tell you that from experience! The reality is, however, there are some amazing solutions---- but EVERY user is unique, EVERY room is different, etc. Many look at the issues of treating a room---but they forget about the construction of the room and that has a HUGE impact on the monitors and how they work within that environment. Personally, I use the JBL LSR6328's because I wanted a monitor that had a huge sound and non ear-fatiguing. HOWEVER it had to be accurate and translate well---and that it does. Previously, I had some ADAM monitors that were amazing---but they gave me far too much detail for what I was mixing. I went from $4,000 monitors to $2700 monitors---and these monitors work far better in my room, as well as for me. Price isn't always an indicator.....and just because someone is using one pair doesn't mean that you should too.

[albee1952]

Don't forget; just because a speaker sounds "good" does NOT mean it sounds accurate. If there are any PA companies in your town, probably someone there has SMAART or Spectrafoo and a measurement mic(for PA tuning) and you could trade a few hours of studio time to have them bring in their laptop and measure your room(put the mic right where your head is at mix position). Measure that and a few other spots in the room to get an idea how much it can change by a small move. Sometimes you can move the speakers a little and gain a lot in improvement(but bass trapping and acoustic treatment is a must for getting acuracy). Where you place the speakers makes a big difference as well(see John Slayer and Ethan Whiner for more on that).

[TOM@METRO]

I have always been a believer in having at least 2 pairs of good monitors for comparison. We use large JBL4411s/4412s and Yamaha NS10s. The rooms are tuned to the JBLs, But that's just us.

[BradLyons]

And I graciously disagree wtih TOM, I believe in having ONE pair of great studio monitors...and at least one pair of real-world speakers such as a stereo, computer speakers, etc. Studio Monitors can confuse you if you go from one model to the next. But having a real world reference, that is worthwhile.

[gvees]

I'm currently running through a set of APS monitors - Link...

Very accurate and nice definition. Also not to expensive and they a nice set of features. I use these (at the moment) right next to a set of custom made passive speakers. I've been testing a lot of monitors, the big names, as well as smaller names in the industry but I think I really like these. What I first noticed was that after a long day of mixing and recording my ears weren't tired at all! usually I needed 'the night off' so to speak. Now I can just keep on goin'..!