Looking to switch from PC speakers to Bookshelves - Questions

[Pia]

I'm honestly not 100% sure. I would think that it has to do with dispersion, off-axis response, the way that frequency response varies with distance (directionality of higher frequencies vs. omnidirectionality of lower frequencies), and intended listening volume. Here is a chart from Genelec:

http://www.genelec.com/documents/other/step_by_step.pdf

Thanks for the well thought-out response. I did some websurfing too, and found that treble attenuation in air is actually very small, something like -0.3dB per additional meter of distance at 15kHz, while the monitors themselves are rated to accuracy of about +/-2dB across their frequency range. So in a typical home use scenario of maybe 3-4m the attenuation shouldn't be a big deal and I certainly don't see it making a difference in favor of "HT" designed speakers. The chart you linked doesn't contradict this view. It doesn't indicate longer distances are a total no-no, it just warns that longer distance potentially allows room characteristics to alter the sound. What the chart makes me wonder is, why would the room not affect the larger speakers as much?
Genelec naturally has reasons besides absolute sound accuracy to push the larger speakers. You need more powerful speakers to put out the same reference sound level farther out; larger speakers with a wider freq range manage better without a sub; and I bet they wouldn't mind selling you a more expensive speaker, either 😉
My own system is actually the 6010a monitors and the 5040a sub in 2.1.

The 8030A is a studio monitor with a 5" bass driver, a 3/4" tweeter and 40W each to bass and treble (and retail for $700 per speaker). So in terms of drivers and amp power, they are comparable to the KRK Rokit 5's. According to Genelec's chart, the sweet spot for listening to these begins at 0.5 meters, peaks at 1.3 meters, and ends at about 2 meters.

I don't think that comparison tells much about the sweet spot of the KRK. In any case, the RP G2 series has a +1dB HF adjustment which, according to the data I dug out above, should fully compensate for HF attenuation ~1m farther from where the optimal position without adjustment is.

OT: Genelec chart doesn't really specify a sweet spot peak, at least their labeling simply calls it a 'typical' distance in a studio. Could be just because a single recommendation is easier for some people to wrap their head around than a range.

 

[alcoholbob]

That's what I was afraid of. Since it's just a bedroom setup, I was hoping to keep the number of devices down to a minimum - I'm fairly pressed for room as is. Also, I was under the impression that receivers have their own DACs, opamps, and whatnot - wouldn't that make the sound card pointless anyway? I mean, for the price of the sound card and some extra, I should be able to get an external receiver and connect it to the motherboard's onboard S/PDIF, right?

Thanks for the help everyone.

Most receivers have a "Direct" mode where the analog inputs go straight into the pre-amp section.

 

[alcoholbob]

I also don't understand why something that is accurate at 3 feet would no longer be when it's 5 feet farther.

It is highly dependent on a lot of factors like crossover type, crossover frequency, woofer and tweeter type, but the crux is, most near-field speakers are not tuned for a wider listening axis.

This is an intentional design goal. In the near-field, especially in a crowded studio with bad acoustics like your typical recording/mixing room, there are a lot of reflections which can color the sound.

For this reason you would not use near-fields in a situation where you need to fill the room with sound, particularly if you have to deal with a wider sitting position.

Here's an example of deviation from on-axis frequency response. This is considered pretty good off-axis frequency response.

 

[Pia]

It is highly dependent on a lot of factors like crossover type, crossover frequency, woofer and tweeter type, but the crux is, most near-field speakers are not tuned for a wider listening axis.

This is an intentional design goal. In the near-field, especially in a crowded studio with bad acoustics like your typical recording/mixing room, there are a lot of reflections which can color the sound.

But a typical room at home is entirely not designed or treated for acoustics. Doesn't that mean it's even more crucial to limit speaker dispersion there to only cover the intended listening positions?

For this reason you would not use near-fields in a situation where you need to fill the room with sound, particularly if you have to deal with a wider sitting position.

Here's an example of deviation from on-axis frequency response. This is considered pretty good off-axis frequency response.

That's a pretty terrible graph to read accurately. But as far as I can tell, the monitor quoted as an example earlier on the thread stays more accurate farther out:

 

[CurseTheSky]

Good God guys - lots of great information here, but definitely beyond what I want to get myself into. 😉 For example, I have absolutely no interest in rearranging / treating the room for acoustic properties, and as I mentioned before, I really can't afford the space for a dedicated receiver and / or other external devices. Some day I'd love to, but this is for a bedroom setup, not a living room HTPC. 🙂

With all of that said, I am intrigued by the idea of the Essence STX + active monitors. For that setup, would I still need a receiver, or will I simply be able to plug the speakers directly into the 2 channel RCA output on the sound card? And since they're active (amplified?) monitors, I shouldn't need an external amp either, correct?

My only major concern with that setup is my distance to the speakers (~3 feet, but I need the sound to fill an entire room comfortably, which the 5.1 setup does nicely though not accurately), and the distance from the speakers to the wall / computer / monitor, etc. (only a few inches. I'll take a picture of the setup later). I heard that active monitors should be at least 6-12 inches from a wall or another surface for heat dissipation, and these would probably be 3-4 inches away tops.

Thanks again for the awesome info everyone.

 

[sdifox]

Good God guys - lots of great information here, but definitely beyond what I want to get myself into. 😉 For example, I have absolutely no interest in rearranging / treating the room for acoustic properties, and as I mentioned before, I really can't afford the space for a dedicated receiver and / or other external devices. Some day I'd love to, but this is for a bedroom setup, not a living room HTPC. 🙂

With all of that said, I am intrigued by the idea of the Essence STX + active monitors. For that setup, would I still need a receiver, or will I simply be able to plug the speakers directly into the 2 channel RCA output on the sound card? And since they're active (amplified?) monitors, I shouldn't need an external amp either, correct?

My only major concern with that setup is my distance to the speakers (~3 feet, but I need the sound to fill an entire room comfortably, which the 5.1 setup does nicely though not accurately), and the distance from the speakers to the wall / computer / monitor, etc. (only a few inches. I'll take a picture of the setup later). I heard that active monitors should be at least 6-12 inches from a wall or another surface for heat dissipation, and these would probably be 3-4 inches away tops.

Thanks again for the awesome info everyone.

Active monitors are self amplified, so you don't need a receiver. But you do need ac outlets (duh!).

how big is the room?

 

[Pia]

With all of that said, I am intrigued by the idea of the Essence STX + active monitors. For that setup, would I still need a receiver, or will I simply be able to plug the speakers directly into the 2 channel RCA output on the sound card? And since they're active (amplified?) monitors, I shouldn't need an external amp either, correct?

Correct, you just need the active speakers.

My only major concern with that setup is my distance to the speakers (~3 feet, but I need the sound to fill an entire room comfortably, which the 5.1 setup does nicely though not accurately), and the distance from the speakers to the wall / computer / monitor, etc. (only a few inches. I'll take a picture of the setup later). I heard that active monitors should be at least 6-12 inches from a wall or another surface for heat dissipation, and these would probably be 3-4 inches away tops.

That's false info. As you can see from the wattages quoted in specs, the maximum heat these things could theoretically produce is less than a bright light bulb. Heat is not an issue.

Pretty much any speaker would be better slightly farther from a wall, but most active monitors tolerate closeness of wall better to begin with, and give you adjustments to compensate (bumping down bass level, because the wall bumps it up). So don't worry about this either.

One thing you should do which noticeably improves sound is to lift the speakers up, at least off desk surface but preferably to ear level. Doesn't matter how. I saw a fun setup on the net where someone took big blocks of styrofoam and stapled black cloth tightly in place all around it; looked very civilized and probably worked well at zero cost.

 

[CurseTheSky]

What do you guys think of these? Yamaha HS50M. They are a bit out of my price range ($180 / each or so), but I've read a number of people calling the Rokit's muddy compared to the Yamaha HS50M's.

Again, I'm still not 100% sure that I'm going to keep the Essence STX and go with active monitors (I may just stick it out with the Z-5500s for the moment until I can afford a 5.1/7.1 receiver and other parts), but if I do go with a stereo active monitor setup, I definitely want something that will blow me out of the water without doing the same to my wallet. 🙂 For only $20-30 more per speaker, would they be worth it?

I'm not even sure if the HS50M's will work with the sound card's RCA out or if they're more intended for actual studio equipment, but I figured I'd ask anyway. If they won't work with my PC setup, I'll fall back on the Rokits. 🙂

Edit: on a second thought, what about the M-Audio Studiophile BX5a Deluxe? They're about $60 cheaper than the Rokits, which is very welcome. If they sound 90% as good without lacking in a specific area, I'd probably be plenty happy with them. Any opinions?

Edit 2: After reading this thread over at [H], I'm leaning more and more toward the BX5a's, especially considering the price difference. The closest Guitar Center (or any B&M store that has a chance of having these hooked up on display) is roughly 45 minutes away, and I won't have a chance for a few weeks to stop by one, which is cutting it too close for returning the Essence STX. So, it looks like I'm going to just have to go by other peoples' opinions.

Finally, what cable(s) and adapters would I need to hook these up to the 2x RCA out from the Essence STX? TRS 6.4mm -> RCA adapters?

 

[sdifox]

What do you guys think of these? Yamaha HS50M. They are a bit out of my price range ($180 / each or so), but I've read a number of people calling the Rokit's muddy compared to the Yamaha HS50M's.

Again, I'm still not 100% sure that I'm going to keep the Essence STX and go with active monitors (I may just stick it out with the Z-5500s for the moment until I can afford a 5.1/7.1 receiver and other parts), but if I do go with a stereo active monitor setup, I definitely want something that will blow me out of the water without doing the same to my wallet. 🙂 For only $20-30 more per speaker, would they be worth it?

I'm not even sure if the HS50M's will work with the sound card's RCA out or if they're more intended for actual studio equipment, but I figured I'd ask anyway. If they won't work with my PC setup, I'll fall back on the Rokits. 🙂

Edit: on a second thought, what about the M-Audio Studiophile BX5a Deluxe? They're about $60 cheaper than the Rokits, which is very welcome. If they sound 90% as good without lacking in a specific area, I'd probably be plenty happy with them. Any opinions?

Edit 2: After reading this thread over at [H], I'm leaning more and more toward the BX5a's, especially considering the price difference. The closest Guitar Center (or any B&M store that has a chance of having these hooked up on display) is roughly 45 minutes away, and I won't have a chance for a few weeks to stop by one, which is cutting it too close for returning the Essence STX. So, it looks like I'm going to just have to go by other peoples' opinions.

Finally, what cable(s) and adapters would I need to hook these up to the 2x RCA out from the Essence STX? TRS 6.4mm -> RCA adapters?

something like this. 2 of them of course.

http://www.monoprice.com/products/p...=10244&cs_id=1024404&p_id=4776&seq=1&format=2

 

[CurseTheSky]

something like this. 2 of them of course.

http://www.monoprice.com/products/p...=10244&cs_id=1024404&p_id=4776&seq=1&format=2

I've read that the RCA out from the STX is unbalanced, whereas XLR cables / inputs on the BX5a and others are balanced. See post #10 here: http://hardforum.com/showthread.php?t=1396276. Would that cause a problem?

What about these? http://www.amazon.com/Monster-DJ-CR-.../dp/B0001MHZM8. Ignore the fact that they're by Monster (I'll be looking for a different brand, I hate endorsing overpriced junk) but would this STYLE of cable work? Alternatively, BX5a -> http://www.amazon.com/RCA-Jack-Mono-Plug-Adapter/dp/B0002KR5PG -> RCA male to RCA male cable -> Essence STX?

Thanks a ton. 🙂

 

[sdifox]

I've read that the RCA out from the STX is unbalanced, whereas XLR cables / inputs on the BX5a and others are balanced. See post #10 here: http://hardforum.com/showthread.php?t=1396276. Would that cause a problem?

What about these? http://www.amazon.com/Monster-DJ-CR-.../dp/B0001MHZM8. Ignore the fact that they're by Monster (I'll be looking for a different brand, I hate endorsing overpriced junk) but would this STYLE of cable work?

Thanks a ton. 🙂

This explains the wiring. Basically you are using the balanced input jack as an unbalanced input.


oops, forgot the link


http://www.mediacollege.com/audio/connection/xlr-rca-1.html

 

[CurseTheSky]

This explains the wiring. Basically you are using the balanced input jack as an unbalanced input.


oops, forgot the link


http://www.mediacollege.com/audio/connection/xlr-rca-1.html

Gotcha, thanks.

After spending another hour or so researching, I've come to the following conclusions:

1. No matter how "decent" a set of speakers are, there's always someone calling them crap and suggesting the potential buyer spends "just" another $200 for something "far superior"
2. The M-Audio BX5a's, KRK Rokit 5 G2's, and Audioengine A5's all appear to be decent powered bookshelf speakers
3. The BX5a's are the cheapest of the bunch ($240 at multiple stores) while the RP5 G2's and A5's are around the $300 price mark

I'll spend the extra $60 if the Rokit 5 G2's or A5's are really worth it over the BX5a's, but I can't find anyone giving a straight opinion. I mostly find people going back and forth about which sounds muddier or has highs that are too harsh. Essentially, all of them have some kind of trade-off.

Here's my final quesiton, I guess - given the A5's inputs, would they be substantially easier to hook a subwoofer to if I decide to go that route in the future? Is it even possible to hook a sub up to the BX5as or Rokits without getting a receiver?

Once again, thanks for the info.

 

[sdifox]

Gotcha, thanks.

After spending another hour or so researching, I've come to the following conclusions:

1. No matter how "decent" a set of speakers are, there's always someone calling them crap and suggesting the potential buyer spends "just" another $200 for something "far superior"
2. The M-Audio BX5a's, KRK Rokit 5 G2's, and Audioengine A5's all appear to be decent powered bookshelf speakers
3. The BX5a's are the cheapest of the bunch ($240 at multiple stores) while the RP5 G2's and A5's are around the $300 price mark

I'll spend the extra $60 if the Rokit 5 G2's or A5's are really worth it over the BX5a's, but I can't find anyone giving a straight opinion. I mostly find people going back and forth about which sounds muddier or has highs that are too harsh. Essentially, all of them have some kind of trade-off.

Here's my final quesiton, I guess - given the A5's inputs, would they be substantially easier to hook a subwoofer to if I decide to go that route in the future? Is it even possible to hook a sub up to the BX5as or Rokits without getting a receiver?

Once again, thanks for the info.

well, if you are going to introduce a sub, usually you would get a sub and run the 2 RCA to it and then from the sub's line level out you feed the speakers.

Speakers really are taste based. I like the Rokit, almost bought a pair for myself. But decided against it since there is really nothing wrong with my current setup (using a kenwood mini-component) for what it is. I have a proper sound system so I did not bother to upgrade sound of this old machine.

I have not heard the M-Audios so I can't even give you my opinion on them.

you can also use this cable if you want to output through minijack.

http://www.amazon.com/Hosa-CMP159-St...y_01_02_t_lht2

M-Audio Studiophile AV 40 is 147 but I wouldn't get those 😎

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00...=ATVPDKIKX0DER

 

[CurseTheSky]

Yeah, I read quite a few reviews of the AV 40's and the consensus seems to be spend an extra $100 or so for the BX5a's or something else.

 

[sdifox]

Yeah, I read quite a few reviews of the AV 40's and the consensus seems to be spend an extra $100 or so for the BX5a's or something else.

ultimately you are the only one that can decide if you like a particular speaker. All other people can do is steer you away from the really shitty ones.

 

[CurseTheSky]

Yep! Pretty much sold on the Audioengine A5's after doing 3+ hours of reading user reviews. They have the most people that are generally happy with them whereas the BX5a's seem to have crystal clear highs, but a number of people complain about the lack of bass and some problems in the mids, and the Rokit 5 G2's seem good all around but some complain that they're either muddy or too harsh. They also look the best aesthetically, which does matter a bit to me, and they have the simplest option for hooking them up to a PC.

The drawback is the fact that they offer only one connection method - 3.5mm audio jack. No digital in, no separate RCA or XLR connections, etc. Just one option. They do have a second 3.5mm audio jack on top (designed for an iPod dock), but I doubt they have any way to switch between the two. So, if I decide to hook a TV up to them later, I'll have to buy a receiver (ugh!), but for now it's not a concern. They're also only 45w RMS, which bugs me until I remember that I rarely turn the Z-5500s above the third "bar."

Overall, they seem like the best all-in-one package to get a bit closer to audiophile equipment without going nuts. I'l likely keep them paired with a computer / Essence STX for years to come, and move the Z-5500s to Home Theater use for the moment, until I can build a proper setup.

Thanks again for all the help!

 

[Pia]

I'll spend the extra $60 if the Rokit 5 G2's or A5's are really worth it over the BX5a's, but I can't find anyone giving a straight opinion. I mostly find people going back and forth about which sounds muddier or has highs that are too harsh. Essentially, all of them have some kind of trade-off.

All known-brand studio monitors from BX5a upwards are decent, because they have to be. They are tools for consistently reproducing sound, and would be useless for their intended purpose if they had what you or me would consider a major weakness. Like with most other tools, you can always spend more money, but prices rise exponentially in relation to the gains in accuracy and build quality.

I'd personally pay a little extra for the RP5G2's over the BX5a's. KRK's upmarket speakers have very good reputation and I'd expect that expertise to show in the low end as well.

A5's are designed for home use and are not fully active speakers (one is passive and fed by the other; among other things, this means tweeter and woofer don't get separate amplification like they do on a true active speaker). I would not expect them to quite match the others in raw sound quality. They obviously win on convenience though. BTW, I'd expect the two jacks' inputs are mixed together so you don't need to physically switch anything to use two sources.

It's worth noting that due to the different focus of these products, I'd expect most A5 reviewers to compare the speaker to home hi-fi or multimedia speakers, because that's what those reviewers have experience with, while the studio monitor reviewers' likely yardsticks are better studio monitors or live instruments, and they have more rigorous training to be able to pick out any shortcomings. For instance, I'm sure the KRK RP5G2's are "muddled" compared to the KRK VXT4's which cost over twice as much, but that doesn't make them bad.

 

[CurseTheSky]

Good points. Different markets mean different ratings / comparisons.

I was pretty much sold on the BX5a's until I read several reviews from people (who seemed fairly well versed in all things audio) at both [H] and Head-Fi claiming that the A5's sound a bit better overall than the BX5a's, strictly as far as home music listening is concerned. Again, they said that the M-Audio's had much clearer highs due to a superior tweeter, but the bass was lacking and the overall sound was a bit more "normal", whereas the Audioengine's were warmer or brighter, thus giving richer (though less accurate) overall sound out of the box. Since studio listening / production isn't my goal, I'm not all that concerned.

Overall, I think the Essence STX + A5's + eventually some decent headphones (ATH-AD700s most likely + mic / mic mod) will make a good all-around PC setup. Again, when I have the money later on, I'll be putting together an entire home theater setup including a 5.1 / 7.1 receiver, amp, bookshelf speakers, proper sub, etc. I'm not quite there yet - maybe in a few years - and I'll still want a somewhat decent PC setup regardless.

The fact that the A5's also include the extra connectivity options may be a blessing later on. When I do have a complete HT setup and no longer need decent PC-only speakers, I would probably have a hard time finding a use for two average active monitors. The A5's on the other hand could just be plugged in somewhere in the kitchen or another room and used with an MP3 player when needed.

 

[Pia]

I was pretty much sold on the BX5a's until I read several reviews from people (who seemed fairly well versed in all things audio) at both [H] and Head-Fi claiming that the A5's sound a bit better overall than the BX5a's, strictly as far as home music listening is concerned. Again, they said that the M-Audio's had much clearer highs due to a superior tweeter, but the bass was lacking and the overall sound was a bit more "normal", whereas the Audioengine's were warmer or brighter, thus giving richer (though less accurate) overall sound out of the box. Since studio listening / production isn't my goal, I'm not all that concerned.

I researched this stuff a good bit, and my current thinking on this goes something like:
- For someone like me who is untrained at audio, it's really hard and takes a lot of time to do a valid comparison of speakers by listening, even if you have the gear at home and are testing for "which sounds better" instead of "which is more true".
- The majority of reviews out there are useless because they fail at being objective or outright refuse to be. People largely hear what they want to hear, which obviously doesn't help the reader in determining what the sound actually is, and even less what the reader's own subjective experience would be.
- There is such a thing as objective sound quality which can, at least to a large degree, be measured.
- Pro speakers mostly shoot for said objective sound quality.
- Professionals can distinguish a good deal of the objective quality even without measurements because they are trained for it.
- Whether you prefer true or modified sound is largely a matter of what you are used to.
- So when you are just getting into more expensive equipment, and have no real preference yet, why not get the ones where you know you are getting quality for the money?

And finally,
- Who's to say I don't prefer "warm" today and "bright" tomorrow? Speakers are by far the most expensive component of any reasonable system, and also always the bottleneck in sound quality. If, over time, you form a preference for specific kind of sound, it can be modified before it reaches the speakers. Why tie a fickle preference to the most expensive and hard-to-change component?

I sometimes visit a non-english forum where quite many users are professional or amateur musicians and/or sound engineers. Virtually all of them use studio monitors for home listening as well, so obviously they are not collectively too "harsh". A few have chosen to add a (headphone) tube amp between the source and the speakers, having come to prefer that type of sound. This way they can remove or replace the sound-altering component and upgrade the raw performance of their system separately; there is no big commitment.

Overall, I think the Essence STX + A5's + eventually some decent headphones (ATH-AD700s most likely + mic / mic mod) will make a good all-around PC setup.

Correction: it will make an excellent all-around PC setup. 🙂
(Don't be discouraged by my yammering. I'm not trying to talk you out of a choice as much as looking to test my own data and thinking by exposing it for others to refute. Convenience is important too and the A5's will be better on that front.)

 

[slashbinslashbash]

I concluded several years ago that, for real-world purposes, merely "competent" speakers (able to take a good amount of power without audibly distorting) such as $200 Polks combined with a nice sound processor that does real room corrections (such as the Audyssey system found in my Onkyo receiver) is better than spending a lot of money to get a little more accurate speakers (5 times as much money to get +/- 2dB instead of +/- 3dB in an anechoic chamber, oooOOo). Any competent speaker can be corrected by sufficient processing power. Audyssey Multi-EQ is quite effective, but I've no doubt it will continue to be improved. DSPs are our friends.

It looks like there is an open-source PC software solution available to do this, along with expensive software such as ARC (which licenses Audyssey Multi-EQ).

But really, if I want the most accurate sound possible, I'll go with headphones.

 

[joetekubi]

It's a mistake to think of active monitors as somehow inferior to, or a stepping stone along the way to a "real" setup with passive speakers and a receiver. It's actually the other way around. Nearly all professional sound work is done on active speakers because they are easier to make highly accurate, more robust by nature, and space efficient.

Much professional sound reinforcement (live concert sound) uses active monitors. For arena rock, though, you will see banks of amplifiers, and stacks of passive speakers. What makes that setup efficient is active crossovers and horn loaded speakers.

Professional music recording typically uses passive main speakers with active crossovers.

 

[joetekubi]

My only major concern with that setup is my distance to the speakers (~3 feet, but I need the sound to fill an entire room comfortably, which the 5.1 setup does nicely though not accurately), and the distance from the speakers to the wall / computer / monitor, etc. (only a few inches. I'll take a picture of the setup later). I heard that active monitors should be at least 6-12 inches from a wall or another surface for heat dissipation, and these would probably be 3-4 inches away tops.

Thanks again for the awesome info everyone.

ANY speaker should (if possible) be placed 12-24 inches from any wall.
It's not heat dissipation, it's the fact that bass (low) frequencies naturally get louder when a speaker is placed close to a wall, and they get much louder if the speaker is placed in a corner. Why is that a problem you say? Well, if you mix with that setup, your mixes will tend to not have enough bass.

http://www.audioholics.com/tweaks/g...er-placement-the-place-for-bass-part-1-page-2

So, you can place speakers near a wall, but you should use some kind of equalization to lower the bass level a bit.

 

[CurseTheSky]

ANY speaker should (if possible) be placed 12-24 inches from any wall.
It's not heat dissipation, it's the fact that bass (low) frequencies naturally get louder when a speaker is placed close to a wall, and they get much louder if the speaker is placed in a corner. Why is that a problem you say? Well, if you mix with that setup, your mixes will tend to not have enough bass.

http://www.audioholics.com/tweaks/g...er-placement-the-place-for-bass-part-1-page-2

So, you can place speakers near a wall, but you should use some kind of equalization to lower the bass level a bit.

Good info. Luckily I won't be doing any mixing or recording, and the speakers will just be for listening. So, I can just use an equalizer to turn down the bass if I find it too overpowering and not worry about it. 🙂

I'm still concerned about desk space. The Z-5500 satellites take up a considerable amount of room horizontally, since I have the L/R/Center sats on the desk (though I really shouldn't), plus the "receiver" / control pod. I'm just afraid I'm going to unbox the A5's and go "Oh God, what did I get myself into?!" Not having a subwoofer taking up space and the associated cable clutter will be a welcome change, though.

 

[CurseTheSky]

After reading more reviews and beating myself up over the decision (hovering over the Cancel Order button on Amazon), I think I'm just going to stick with the A5's. The BX5a's and Rokit 5 G2's are tempting due to the lower price, bi-amplified design, and more accurate sound quality, but I feel that they would receive little use when I get the upgrade itch later on. The A5's, on the other hand, could just be stuck in a corner somewhere or bagged up and dragged around with an iPod or laptop for quick, small room-filling sound. The others require a bit more planning as far as cables and setup.

Oh well. No matter what you buy, there's always something that would be a better choice in some way. 🙂

 

[Tiamat]

I just wanna say that there are plenty of active studio monitors that are midfield although they aren't usually entry level. So active studio monitors aren't restricted to only nearfields.

JBL LSR6332 would be sweet 🙂