So, am i crazy for asking this about my monitors?

[That_One_Guy]

Ok, i have this set of Bose Reflection Speakers: (2001 models i believe)

And a set of m-audio BX8 active monitors

i cannot tell a LICK of difference between the sound, exceot that no matter where i am in the room the Bose still sound the same, yet with the M-audios i gotta be ear level with them (essentially they have to be playing directly into my ear) for the best quality sound

The bose can get FAR louder without breaking up, and have a little bit more clarity in the high end

would i be considered an Idiot for choosing to use the Bose speakers for mixing? or are my ears just cheating me again?

yes i know monitors are designed for a flat as possible frequency reproduction, but when the human ear cant discern the difference does it really matter?

(mainly curious cause i found these Bose at goodwill for $15 and im STILL within the grace period to return the m-audio monitors i paid $400 for lol)

it just doesnt sound like a justifiable price gab for almost identical sound

 

[MatrixClaw]

BX8a's are kinda meh anyway.

If you feel like you're getting a similar sound through the cheaper speakers, then you might as well return the M-Audios. Then once you start hearing the flaws of the Bose speakers, you'll be able to really appreciate a good set of monitors.

 

[Kita]

How is your room treated?

 

[That_One_Guy]

How is your room treated?

2 inch raised floor with 2x2's, with carpet padding filling the empty space. half inch pressboard over top the 2x2's to create the floor. Carpeting placed on top. And just a shitload of foam tacked to the ceiling and walls that i got from a dumpster behind a matress outlet that makes their own bedding A little over the top for my needs but i went all out cause all the material i already had or had permission to retrieve from dumsters, so it was free. It's not sooo dead that it kills sound, but it removes all the un-wanted reverberation

this was mainly just because we had hardwood floors and sheet rock walls and the room reverberated like a concert hall :/


and i agree, after hearing the Bose speakers the BX8's do seem pretty meh. But at the time of perchase they were in my price range and seemed like a sweet deal.
as of a few months ago i am eployed, so i am open to monitor suggestions. as long as the price isnt over $500-ish new or used lol

passive/active, brands to stay away from etc.

ive only been at this for a few months, any input appreciated (lol, since i ve had my own means of income. been interested in the whole recording and production, mixing and mastering etc for a few years lol, i just dont think i quite have the ears for it yet

will be returning the m-audios this weekend lol

 

[Kita]

Foam does absolutely nothing for room treatment except killing the high end if you have too much of it. Get some proper bass traps in there. Then spending money on monitors will actually be worth it.

 

[JakeAC5253]

I always try and stay away from things in audio in the echelon of Bose. I understand you got a great price for it, but from a product standpoint Bose and other companies like them tend to go far out of their way to get sort of a 3D lift effect from their speakers and sometimes audio processing/software. The fact is that audio doesn't normally work that way, audio from a driver is directional and will react with room nodes and nulls to change the sound as it bounces from surface to surface around the room. I don't know how they do it, but to get the output sound so that the room's very real and calculable nodes and nulls seemingly disappear... to me says they're meddling. And in my experience in circuit audio, things should be kept basic and relatively un-meddled with. On the other hand, that's a great price for that set, and those M-Audio monitors are damn expensive. Here's what I'd do. Return the M-Audio monitors, keep the Bose, buy a pair of mixing headphones, use the BOSE for referencing ONLY, and save for a nicer set of monitors when you can afford it. By the way, you want diffusors on your walls, not padding.

 

[That_One_Guy]

I always try and stay away from things in audio in the echelon of Bose. I understand you got a great price for it, but from a product standpoint Bose and other companies like them tend to go far out of their way to get sort of a 3D lift effect from their speakers and sometimes audio processing/software. The fact is that audio doesn't normally work that way, audio from a driver is directional and will react with room nodes and nulls to change the sound as it bounces from surface to surface around the room. I don't know how they do it, but to get the output sound so that the room's very real and calculable nodes and nulls seemingly disappear... to me says they're meddling. And in my experience in circuit audio, things should be kept basic and relatively un-meddled with. On the other hand, that's a great price for that set, and those M-Audio monitors are damn expensive. Here's what I'd do. Return the M-Audio monitors, keep the Bose, buy a pair of mixing headphones, use the BOSE for referencing ONLY, and save for a nicer set of monitors when you can afford it. By the way, you want diffusors on your walls, not padding.

elighten me on the difference between diffusors and padding i just used it to get rid of the crazy amounts of reverberation in my room, i could have probably made a decent reverb impulse had i known how before i raised the floor and shit

well, after i return the m-audios thats $400, plus my check, which after taxes and expenses and whatnot, i should have about another $400 to add, saying $500 was the worst case senario, my budget this weekend should be in the neighborhood of $800, and if i save till 2 weeks from friday i should be able to have a budget in the neighborhood of $1200..but thats best case scenario, we all know things hardly ever go according to plan lol. (i usually have a net gain of 350-400 every two weeks lol)

So ima take a wild guess and say i will be able to purchase some monitors within about two weeks at the <1200 price point, i have to order online to aviod m-audio, as my local music shop ONLY carries m-audio studio equipment (interfaces, monitors, etc.) If i wanted anything else they would order it for me and charge extra :/ So im kinda limited to ordering from musiciansfriend, zsounds, etc.

i found these, no reviews yet...anyone have any experience with em? and they would leave a little excess in my budget for a better interface
http://www.musiciansfriend.com/pro-audio/jbl-lsr-2328p-8-bi-amplified-powered-studio-monitors-pair

not to mention they look pretty classy

 

[Manicompression]

I have the JBL lsr monitors and I like them for what they are. They actually sound kind of hifi probably like an accurate version of the bose you already have, they are easy to listen to for extended periods, the sweet spot is pretty wide on them and I find my balances translate generally well. On the negative side the low mids and lows are kind of relaxed on them and Ive had to learn to compensate for that to some degree. My opinion is that you should get the newer yamaha white cone monitors and toggle between those and your bose speakers or do as Jake said above and get some really nice headphones and room treatment and toggle between when listening.

I say this because the previous poster is correct that the bose although probably nice for listening are hiding the flaws of any mixes you might be doing, because they are designed to be put in any crap room and sound like a million bucks. The yamaha speakers are an excellent and popular choice because they sound like complete shit, and they force you to focus on the mids and really carve out space for each bit of your mix. If you can make your music sound good on those it will translate pretty well most anywhere. I know this seems crazy but its just plain true.


Diffusers interrupt the flow of sound around your room in an acoustically pleasing way, blankets or padding just attenuate high frequencies and are not effective sound treatment otherwise. You would be better served by taking those down and having nothing more than likely. You can make your own stuff by googling diy bass traps, or you could buy them pre-made here http://www.atsacoustics.com/page--Free-Online-Room-Acoustics-Analysis--ora.html amongst other fine places. Room treatment is the most un-sexy purchase ever, kind of like buying a tuner or a noise suppressor for your guitar but its a worthy and worthwhile investment.

 

[Charlie E.]

Return the speakers and get some really good headphones. Once you save up enough to properly treat your room (I recommend a free Auralex consultation) and have enough money to get some really nice speakers, then go for it.