KRK 5's vs. JBL LSR 2325P's

[Virgil.]

Hi all,

So the KRK 5's I purchased ended up being busted. They had been returned by someone else prior to my purchase, and the store clerks failed to check them before putting them back out. When I returned them, I got store credit since they didn't have any others in-stock.

While I was going to order some more online, I found the JBL LSR 2325's and wondering how they compare? http://pro-audio.musiciansfriend.co...BiAmplified-Powered-Studio-Monitor?sku=580377

I know I might be asking the wrong crowd; considering most of you probably have a lot higher end monitors. I'm on a fixed budget to get a pair for a MAX of $400. The reviews for the JBL's look great, and it looks like the bass freq response goes a tad lower than the KRK's. My room is untreated at the moment, and I know that won't help with anything I choose. But I'm trying to get the best bang for the buck that I can right now until I can save up and get some quality studio gear.

I've been mixing on my ATHM50s for a while and want some real monitors, as headphones seem to be misleading at times (for me anyways).

Any input or suggestions is greatly appreciated. Thanks!

 

[guitarguru777]

I cant say which would be better, but I can say that I do love my KRK5's. They are just hard to beat for the price. I never have tried the JBL's but most of the JBL monitors I have mixed on in the past bring me to fatigue very quickly. Of course you are not me, but I am just putting that out there.

 

[Virgil.]

Thanks. I would do an A/B comparison, but the closest GC to me (30 miles away) is always sold out of everything, and they are very lazy about calling potential customers when they have items in stock. Another reason why I hate GC.

Edit: I've heard great things about the KRK's and, for the price, are VERY hard to beat. I know the JBL's are usually $50 more (each) than the KRK 5's, and they have an instant-rebate going on now that make them ~$175, so since my budget is small I'd like to take advantage of that IF they're somewhat better than the KRK's. Even if they are just slightly better, that's better than nothing for me considering I won't be making another G.A.S. purchase like this for another year or so. I've heard the higher-end JBLs are great, but since these were just released in 2009, there hasn't been a lot of time to prove themselves really. Idk, maybe i'm making a bigger deal out of this than I need to and maybe they sound pretty close for the price range.
It also doesn't help that a lot of people on this forum have a lot higher-end gear and can't offer much in recommendations for this price range.

 

[guitarguru777]

Honestly there are tons of guys who use the KRK's including Andy in his mobile rig. Of course we do have a bunch of guys with NS-10's, Adams, and Genelecs, but the majority of us are in the "larger scale home studio" realm. Have you tried Google searching or checking to see if the guys at Gear Slutz have discussed?

 

[Virgil.]

Honestly there are tons of guys who use the KRK's including Andy in his mobile rig. Of course we do have a bunch of guys with NS-10's, Adams, and Genelecs, but the majority of us are in the "larger scale home studio" realm. Have you tried Google searching or checking to see if the guys at Gear Slutz have discussed?

Yeah, I've seen discussions over at harmony central, gearslutz, ss.org, etc. but honesty, I trust the opinions here on this forum more than any others.

Shane (Kazrog) messaged me and recommended the M-Audio Studiophile CX5
http://pro-audio.musiciansfriend.co...nitor?sku=581562&CJAID=10381297&CJPID=3082057

I think I am going to see if GC has those to test out. They might be worth checking out and just begging the wife to let me spend an extra $50 outside of my limit.

But you're right, the KRK's have a proven track record and a great sound for the price. If I can't get the M-Audio's, I may settle for the KRK's.

 

[WestCoastCrush]

As someone who works in a large music store, trust me, you'll be a lot happier if you get a set of reference monitors like the Rokit 5's as opposed to a hi-fi monitor like the JBL's or Genelecs. Reason being that they're scooped and can therefore be misleading, especially for beginners. 'Nuff said.

 

[Virgil.]

As someone who works in a large music store, trust me, you'll be a lot happier if you get a set of reference monitors like the Rokit 5's as opposed to a hi-fi monitor like the JBL's or Genelecs. Reason being that they're scooped and can therefore be misleading, especially for beginners. 'Nuff said.

Do you know much about the M-Audio CX5's I mentioned and how they compare to the Rockit's?

 

[Virgil.]

How about the Tannoy Reveal 501's? A rep from sweetwater is trying to get me to get those instead of the Rokits.

Edit: after reading some reviews, I've read one comment from a guy saying these are not magnetically shielded. Why wouldn't a monitor be magnetically shielded? Wouldn't they expect for them to be sitting next to/near a computer monitor/tv of some type?

 

[Kazrog]

Go to the store and bring a few reference CDs with you that you know well. Find the monitors that you like the sound of the most. Look at frequency response diagrams online and go for the monitors with the flattest (or most acceptable) response in your price range. I really think the CX5s are an amazing feat for low end 5" speakers, with a really nice even sound to them, but there may be other speakers in the price range that sound as good or close for less money.

Update: I can't seem to find any frequency response info for the CX5s, unfortunately, not even in the manual PDF. It does beg the question, what self-respecting speaker manufacturer wouldn't publish that information?

Mind you, I don't own CX5s, I just tried them randomly one day on the recommendation of a friend of mine who works at the local music shop. We were both really impressed, and felt they sound better than many 8" speakers on the market, and far better than any of the 5" speakers in the shop. Knee-jerk reaction, no science involved.

 

[mva801]

FWIW, I own the JBL LSR 2325's and love them to death. I've used KRK RP5's before and they're good, but I prefer the JBL's. I work on Genelecs at the studio I engineer for, but frequently mix from home on my JBL's. The JBL's build quality seems much better than KRK, and I prefer the way they sound. Your opinion may vary though...

 

[Virgil.]

Thanks Shane and mva801 for your input. I need to find another store nearby that actually has more than 1 person working the counter, has monitors in stock, and if they do have them in stock, make sure they're not broken from dumbass kids poking holes in the cones because they want to feel vibrations.
-_-

And I agree Shane... it does seem odd that M-Audio hasn't published the frequency response for the CX5's. I'm leaning towards a set of KRK 5's as just a knee-jerk reaction as they seem to be the most widely accepted and trusted for an entry level monitor; however, since I won't be able to upgrade for another couple of years, I'm definitely still wanting to find a shop that has some of these setup for me to test, so I can get the best bang for the buck on such a fixed and limited budget. With recent added expenses, I don't think I can swing the CX5's, but I'm still taking a look at the Tannoy's, JBL's and of course KRK's.