Am I Crazy?!

[Pedro Teixeira]

I've been in quite a dilemma regarding the current monitoring at the studio.

Although we're going to purchase a new pair in the next 4 months (we're looking at barefoots, opals, adam sx3 etc), the main pair I use atm are dynaudio bm5a's... Now here's the thing, for some reason, I can't stand these monitors, the mid response is weird, harsh high-mids/highs, every kick drum that has a slight ammount of click to it sounds like balls (the click I mean), it is actually offensive to my ears.
So I've been trying to adjust to them and although I've made a couple of releases with them it has been nothing but a struggle and a fight against these monitors, but today I got home and I turned on my pair of Bx5a's and lord, these sound SO much better and I don't mean in a "hi-fi" kind of way, the highs are smooth, I can actually hear the reverb tails, every single nuance of delays (I can't hear any fucking reverb tails on the bm5a's) and although lacking some low-end (I have a sub at the studio anyway) they're somewhat very punchy...

This came down really weird on me as I, in my head, refuse to believe that a pair of bx5a's are better than bm5a's... But I can't really say otherwise now... While the new monitors aren't bought I think I'm going to take these to the studio and replace the bm5a's for my personal use....

My point with this thread is, did you ever find that sometimes what seems apparently cheaper and more "low-endish" can actually blow a respected speaker out of the water? Obviously this comes down to personal preference as well... but it really caught me off guard.

Sorry for the, sort of, long *rant* text.

 

[The StabbinCabin]

I hate my BX5s :/

Not flat at all

 

[Spiritbeast]

I was actually considering buying BX5a's cause that's the best my brokeass can afford. Well unless I want to spend every dollar in my bank account on monitors, but then I wont be able to buy a mic. And those are sorta useful ....
So you'd recommend them then? Stabbin, I see you don't like them... any alternate recommendations around that price range?

 

[DominikJW]

I'd say try to do some mixes on both of them and see which translate better.

 

[Jarkko Mattheiszen]

You're not crazy at all. Different monitors in different rooms can sound very... well, different, and monitor choice is largely a personal choice. I haven't worked with the BM5's, but I've done quite a bit of tracking and rough mixing on a pair of BM15's. While they're ok and I can get along with them, I don't really see them as 2500€ monitors. Somehow I can't pick out the details on them as well as I can on my own setup, but of course, the room they're in does play it's role. On a further note, I absolutely hate working on the Genelec 8030's, which are double the price of my HS80's, and I've used them in several rooms, both tiny and not properly treated as well as a big, professionally designed control room.

I'm really curious to see if I like the Twins in this room. I'm optimistic, but I'll return them if they don't play along.

Just use what works for you, the price tag doesn't necessarily say anything

 

[Pedro Teixeira]

Are you gonna post your thoughts when you get the Twins Jarkko? I've been quite interested on those as well.

The mixes I've been doing on BM5a's have turned out well because I always carry my ATH-M50's to the studio to save the day. Best way to describe these monitors is, for example, any Lasse's kicks from his sample pack sound horrible (the most clicky ones), meanwhile on my cans or my bx5a's they sound good, I can tell which surrounding frequency the click is but it's not raping my ears like the BX5a's... I actually think the bx5a's in terms of highs blow the BM5a's out of the water, it's just bright enough but smooth, with the BM5a's I can't never tell when it's enough bright or not, if it's starting to get harsh or not, overall they're QUITE fatiguing.

@The_StabbinCabin:

Are yours the old ones or the new ones? When I started getting interested in AE these were what I had, I liked them but after half a year I started thinking that they were quite shit. I've had them packed for a couple of years, I decided to unpack them today and fire them up just for some casual listening and was blown away by the gigantic difference betwen the BM5a's. I'm definitely going to give them ago at the studio paired with a sub and see how they translate

 

[Jarkko Mattheiszen]

Are you gonna post your thoughts when you get the Twins Jarkko? I've been quite interested on those as well.

Sure! Right now they're in a ship from Germany, so I hope they'll be here by Wednesday. It'll take a couple of days to burn them in, but I'll post my thoughts once I get used to them. I'll borrow a proper measurement mic too once I get the chance.

 

[The StabbinCabin]

I have the deluxe BX5s. I don't have "proper" treatment though- and I'm no pro. AND the shape of my bedroom is retarded where my closet goes into each side of the wall about 20 inches or so- which can't be good. So I guess my opinion doesn't count for much...