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10-23-2006, 01:40 PM
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#1
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Human being with feelings
Join Date: Apr 2006
Posts: 2,957
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recommend/discussion...DECENT computer speakers for recording.....
dunno about the rest of you but i would like to free up some real estate.
DONT LAUGH.....I KNOW COMPUTER SPEAKERS ARE PRETTY BAD....THATS WHY I'M asking.....
ie...get rid of the typical studio power amp/monitor set up and hook up a DECENT pair of speakers to the sound card output which are self powered and include also a headphone jack for monitoring.
any ideas ?? there are some many computer speakers (with subwoofers)
BUT as we all know they often are NOT ACCURATE for use as monitors.
whats folks thoughts on this ??
heres my needs....
1. good freq range (go down pretty low.)
2. faithfully repro as far as possible.
.ie...MIXES MADE ON THEM TRANSLATE WELL TO OTHER SYSTEMS.)
3. site either side of a center computer monitor.
4. affordable...lol.
any ideas ??
ive looked at a bunch but not found anything for a second little recording set up i'm building. a lot sound pretty trashy.
i'm sure i'm not the only one with this need.
would appreciate any recommendations.
(ps.....i'm happy to say i'm a proud registered rpr user...lol.)
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10-23-2006, 02:03 PM
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#2
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Human being with feelings
Join Date: Oct 2006
Posts: 23
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Define "affordable"!
There are tons of low-end powered studio monitors, but you're going to spend a couple of hundred dollars for them. Of course, many would argue that this is the single most important piece of hardware in your studio, so better to invest in good monitors. As it happens, I am in the market for monitors myself, and I got the following recommendations from a friend who is a video/recording professional:
Quote:
I would take a good look at these:
Fostex PM0.4 and PM0.5 Sub 2.1 System
Get the Fostex PM0.5-Sub MKII Active 8 Studio Monitor
Subwoofer together in one cash-saving bundle. The
PM0.4 monitors feature 4" Kevlar-cone low...
Price: $279.99
M-audio LX4 2.1 System (speakers + Sub)
Surround-Sound Expandable Reference Monitors
USD 349.95
If you dont want a subwoofer, try the
M-Audio Studiophile BX5a
70 Watt Bi-Amplified Studio Reference Monitors
USD 399.95
These are all manufacturer pricing, so you can
obviously get a better price.
I have been using the STUDIOPHILE (LX4 2.1) setup at
work for year to preview broadcast spec and I'm very
pleased. Very sensitive, havent heard much in the way
of distortion. Great nearfiled set. But the Fostex are
really impressive.
Hope that helps
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I'm planning on getting the Bx5a speakers soon.
The other option is to invest in a good set of studio-quality headphones (which you'll want to have anyway) while you save up for good monitors. [Let the "You can't mix on headphones!" flame-war begin!] Not an ideal solution, but many of us have to do a lot of work with headphones to preserve domestic tranquility, if you know what I mean...
Good luck!
PR
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10-23-2006, 02:27 PM
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#3
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Human being with feelings
Join Date: Jan 2006
Location: Port Neches, Texas
Posts: 1,948
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Manning, I use to have a pair of these:
http://cgi.ebay.com/Roland-Stereo-Mi...QQcmdZViewItem
I was always very suprised at how well they translated. They were also pretty loud. I think I paid around $100 for them new, and the've been updated, so these older models would probably go pretty cheap.
__________________
IT'S A TROMBONE !!!
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10-23-2006, 03:16 PM
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#4
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Human being with feelings
Join Date: May 2006
Location: L.A. Cahleefornia
Posts: 305
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I've heard good things about the TASCAM VL-S21 system. They're around 100 bucks.
http://www.tascam.com/Products/VLS21.html
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10-23-2006, 03:49 PM
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#5
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Human being with feelings
Join Date: Apr 2006
Posts: 2,957
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thanks for the ideas chaps.
i dont want to spend a lot cos wifey just retired and we might decide to move to a new place. and i'm saveing up for quad core or octo pc...lol.
anyway we are trying to minimise the amount of junk built up over the years.....lol.
i got studio ref akg phones. thus no prob there.
and ive moved away from huge studio monitoring systems.
been there done that.
(yehhh...i KNOW blah blah...but believe it or not ive sometimes found for me i mix better with a boombox.......dunno why. )
from my look at the marketplace it seems that its not being addressed. which i found rather surpriseing.
thanks for the ideas. and any more i would appreciate.
another idea i had was to get a new boombox with a good spec
and line input of course...but i'm not up on current models.
ps...by the way i was at the music store and apex have some pretty cheap mics out. includeing a large condensor it looks like cheap. dunno how good they are tho.
the guy at the store didnt know bout rpr....so of course..lol...
i educated him.
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10-23-2006, 06:58 PM
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#6
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Human being with feelings
Join Date: Feb 2006
Location: Canberra, Australia
Posts: 177
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Quote:
Originally Posted by fluffy
Manning, I use to have a pair of these:
http://cgi.ebay.com/Roland-Stereo-Mi...QQcmdZViewItem
I was always very suprised at how well they translated. They were also pretty loud. I think I paid around $100 for them new, and the've been updated, so these older models would probably go pretty cheap.
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The slightly bigger MA-15 version in wooden casing is cleaner and louder and sounds great near-field. Not sure exactly which model I have at home but they have digital inputs, two analogue inputs and a headphone output on the front. They were $200AUD about 1 year ago so should be able to get cheap...
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10-23-2006, 07:07 PM
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#7
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Human being with feelings
Join Date: Aug 2006
Location: Stockholm, Sweden
Posts: 147
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Tascam's VL-X5 are also remarkably good monitors for the price ($300 for a pair).
I don't think there are any other monitors in the price range that compete. Might be wrong though. The tascams I heartily recommend though. Quality monitors for an uncommon price.
If you're looking to spend more, the new Adam A7 are wicked.
Last edited by dln; 10-23-2006 at 07:32 PM.
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10-24-2006, 02:07 AM
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#8
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Human being with feelings
Join Date: Oct 2006
Location: Linkoping, Sweden
Posts: 242
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Quote:
Originally Posted by catscandal
The slightly bigger MA-15 version in wooden casing is cleaner and louder and sounds great near-field. Not sure exactly which model I have at home but they have digital inputs, two analogue inputs and a headphone output on the front. They were $200AUD about 1 year ago so should be able to get cheap...
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I second that, The MA-15D (EDIROL by ROLAND) Looks great too, sounds great both as Monitors and for regular music listening, I paid about 1500 SEK wich today translates to about $200 for them, they have two channels in, both digital and analog, with separate volume knobs. You can see them here:
http://www.thomann.de/gb/edirol_ma15d.htm
What would be bad with them is that they have color the sound quite much for a pair of monitors (not nearly as much as normal speakers though), and they have a threeway basenhancement switch, when that switch is off, they are quite accurate.
__________________
/Rickard Haake
AMD Athlon-XP 3000+ @ 3200+, 1GB DDR-RAM, Presonus Inspire 1394, Edirol MA-15D
It is always good weather indoors!
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10-24-2006, 03:18 AM
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#9
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Human being with feelings
Join Date: Feb 2006
Location: Canberra, Australia
Posts: 177
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that's them
I am looking at them now Edirol MA-15D Digital Stereo Micro Monitor 24bit/192kHz Digital. Yes, the bass enhance switch must be off for accurate monitoring!
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10-24-2006, 05:19 AM
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#10
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Human being with feelings
Join Date: Jun 2006
Posts: 270
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I went through 3 sets of PC speakers. Two sets had the sub woofers.
Finally I broke down and bought a pair of Behinger Truths 2031s while not the best choice I know. I noticed a few things.
1)I could hear stuff I did not hear before like not just hearing a reverb but hearing the actual tone of the room the reverb was simulating.
2)Finally when I set the bass level in a mix it was not a guessing game anymore, IMO a sub is only good if it has a level control and you can set it up in a room acurately (read pro setup).
3)The PC speakers were coloring my sound SO! much
4) When I do a mix now it holds up pretty well on any other test systems I play it on. The PC speakers were maddening! I had to listen to the mix on several systems adjust and start over. Adjustments now are a db or two here or there.
While any speaker system will work once you get to know it. Having even a budget pair of monitors is way better IMO.
I bought the Behingers for 3 reasons. 1)Cheap price 2) Sound-on-Sound gave them a D rating. Sounds bad I know but a 150.00 pair of speakers that scored a D up against Mackies is ok for me. 3)The larger woofer gives me bass that is real, given all the bass level problems I have had I was not going to chance having a smaller woofer make me mix all myt stuff too bass heavy (I lean toward heavy bass already and if I'm not carefull I can cross that line) Also I mix at a very, very low volume level. My theory is if I keep the level down I keep the reflections and standing waves in my untreated room down LOL!! I don't know if there is any truth to this theory or not LOL!!
my 2 cents
Last edited by sharkfin73; 10-24-2006 at 05:22 AM.
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10-24-2006, 05:55 AM
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#11
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Human being with feelings
Join Date: May 2006
Posts: 1,361
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Yamaha MSP-5
Hello,
when I was looking for "affordable" active monitors, I hesitated between Yamaha MSP-5 and Behringer something, but the latter was not available anywhere where I live, so I went for the Yamahas.
Very compact, quite loud (I cannot use them at normal level anyway, given the fact I live in an appartment/flat and not a house), if you really need bass response, they are not the best I guess...
But I am very happy with them (6 years now), and it is around 450 euros for the pair.
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10-24-2006, 07:12 AM
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#12
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Human being with feelings
Join Date: Aug 2006
Location: Toronto ON
Posts: 314
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"Good computer speakers" is an oxymoron. OK... some are better than others and some with their subwoofers can be interesting, but few are accurate.
I have a pair of JBL CONTROL 1 speakers that were about CDN$300 the pair about 15 years ago. They're magnetically shielded so I can put them right beside the PC monitor. I power them with an old stereo receiver. This setup works great.
Anyways my advice is to find a halfways decent pair of small stereo speakers, and an amp to push them (check yard sales or the classifieds)
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10-24-2006, 07:49 AM
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#13
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Human being with feelings
Join Date: Aug 2006
Posts: 2,019
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I'm not really up on the new inexpensive "studio monitors," but I can make a couple of suggestions of small consumer audio speakers.
A tivoli audio model two delivers really good, accurate sound down to upper bass frequencies.
The old Radio Shack Minumus 7s (don't laugh) were actually surprisingly good speakers with surprisingly good bass handling. You should be able to pick them up on ebay for pretty cheap. They're passive, so you'll need to hook them up to something like one of these remarkable little buggers:
http://www.thinkgeek.com/electronics/audio/6cd8/
Unless you have a pretty good handle on how to properly calibrate a .1 system, I would steer clear of anything involving a subwoofer. Inexpensive subwoofer systems tend to be cruelly deceptive.
Keep in mind that speaker size will primarly comprimise low bass reproduction. Usually, if you're talking about good speakers that could legitimately be called "small," you're talking about speakers that give out on the low end at around 80 cycles or so. Which is to say, about as good as NS-10s in the bass department. Maybe not so good for reggae or club mixes or pipe organ, but you should be able to get by for rock and pop mixing if you roll off your extreme lows.
Also, in spite of my suggestions above, be careful of using consumer audio as a monitoring system. A great many hifi speakers that sound "great" actually function almost like broadcast processors-- they limit the dynamics, "hype" the highs and lows, and provide a "bass bump" in the lower mids. This is not what you want in your reference system. And even speakers that come with a response chart should be treated as suspect. There are about 7 billion ways to fake a response chart without outright lying, but that doesn't stop some well-known manufacturers from lying anyway.
Cheers.
Last edited by yep; 10-24-2006 at 07:56 AM.
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10-25-2006, 08:49 AM
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#14
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Human being with feelings
Join Date: Apr 2006
Posts: 2,957
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thanks to everyone for the suggestions.
much appreciated.
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10-25-2006, 09:23 AM
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#15
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Human being with feelings
Join Date: Sep 2006
Location: San Luis Obispo, CA
Posts: 21
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First of all, I'm fairly new to recording and I don't have a ton of experience to base comparisons on...
That said, Cambridge SoundWorks' "SoundWorks" computer speaker system gets good reviews and I've been a happy user of their smaller PCWorks system for years. They are the best reasonably-priced "computer speakers" that I've run across.
http://www.cambridgesoundworks.com/s...item=c1swzzzzz
Just a thought,
Bret
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10-25-2006, 03:27 PM
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#16
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Human being with feelings
Join Date: Jul 2006
Location: USA
Posts: 421
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I have the m-audio studiophile 2.1 speakers and have been happy with them.
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10-25-2006, 05:07 PM
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#17
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Human being with feelings
Join Date: Jul 2006
Location: Cowtown
Posts: 1,562
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They're maybe a bit more money (approx. $350 USD/pair), but not wildly expensive, and they improved my mixes a LOT!
Alesis M1 Active MkII
Scott
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10-25-2006, 07:59 PM
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#18
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Mortal
Join Date: Jan 2006
Location: Wickenburg, Arizona
Posts: 14,051
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theres only one speaker:
2 way jensen 6X9 in the rear decklid of a musclecar
however, 6x9's in wooden shoeboxes will do nicely for recording
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10-25-2006, 08:34 PM
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#19
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Human being with feelings
Join Date: Jan 2006
Location: Australia
Posts: 1,668
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Quote:
Originally Posted by pipelineaudio
theres only one speaker:
2 way jensen 6X9 in the rear decklid of a musclecar
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Don't forget the Sub!
http://www.digitalgrabber.com/audio/...subwoofer.html
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10-26-2006, 05:32 AM
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#20
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Human being with feelings
Join Date: Apr 2006
Posts: 2,957
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pipe...re jensens...
funnily enough your not the first to mention that to me.
but what about accuracy ??
do u have such a set up in your studio ??
how do you drive it ?? amplifier ??
(i'm not wanting any more big power amps....lol)
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10-26-2006, 07:14 AM
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#21
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Human being with feelings
Join Date: Aug 2006
Location: Toronto ON
Posts: 314
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Quote:
Originally Posted by pipelineaudio
theres only one speaker:
2 way jensen 6X9 in the rear decklid of a musclecar
however, 6x9's in wooden shoeboxes will do nicely for recording
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How to align 6x9's: dump 73% of a strawberry milkshake into only one of the speakers, be sure to coat both the woofer and the pseudo-tweeter. Garnish with sesame seeds and park car in the sun for 8 months. Power with a slightly-fried booster with EQ set to full smile. Perfect for KISS Destroyer 8-track at full volume...
(are u serious about the 6x9s as monitors? bleah...)
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10-26-2006, 07:57 AM
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#22
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Human being with feelings
Join Date: Aug 2006
Posts: 2,019
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Quote:
Originally Posted by kenn
How to align 6x9's: dump 73% of a strawberry milkshake into only one of the speakers, be sure to coat both the woofer and the pseudo-tweeter. Garnish with sesame seeds and park car in the sun for 8 months. Power with a slightly-fried booster with EQ set to full smile. Perfect for KISS Destroyer 8-track at full volume...
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Don't forget to run a track of popcorn noise at 70 SPL, and monitor with your head 1" from the left speaker and 4' from the right...
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10-26-2006, 12:18 PM
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#23
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Mortal
Join Date: Jan 2006
Location: Wickenburg, Arizona
Posts: 14,051
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I got a 3 high stack of speakers, wish I had a pic, there may actually be one earlier in the forum
Ns-10's next to mackie 824's with 6x9's at the top
I just power them with whatever power amp is around, theyre in old NS-10 boxes, with a new deck. Everything that matters to me about music, is most revealed in a muscle car with 6X9's
I cant stick the muscle car in the mix room, but I can do the speakers
truthfully, the amount 6x9's in shoeboxes sound like ns-10's will give you the willies
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10-26-2006, 01:55 PM
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#24
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Human being with feelings
Join Date: Aug 2006
Posts: 2,019
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Quote:
Originally Posted by pipelineaudio
...truthfully, the amount 6x9's in shoeboxes sound like ns-10's will give you the willies...
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I totally believe it. NS-10s were never really "good speakers" so much as the sort of platonic ideal of inexpensive consumer speakers...
Thanks for the tip.
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10-26-2006, 03:52 PM
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#25
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Human being with feelings
Join Date: Apr 2006
Posts: 2,957
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pipe....
sounds interesting.
any chance you could post the particular jensen model number.
i might try them out.
most big studios ive been in seem to have a mixture including auratones etc. years ago i was in an la studio and i remember
they had a weird mono small speaker for spot checking.
maybe it was a car speaker....lol.
next thing is.if folks mixes start working good...they'll want to know a recommended car brand pipe....lol.
btw..when i was younger n crazy i had a mad pontiac with the 309 engine....lol.
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10-26-2006, 04:54 PM
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#26
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Human being with feelings
Join Date: May 2006
Location: NA - North Augusta South Carolina
Posts: 4,294
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I had some great speakers in a car once, MB Quart Reference series coaxials, that were some of most neutral and balanced speakers I've heard. I keep thinking I'm going to buy another pair (relatively cheap compared to "PRO AUDIO MONITOR" prices) and stick them in a pseudo-door kicker-panel box...
... which actually makes more sense in general for translation purposes than most anything, I think people listen to music in cars more than anything else...
/ had Jenson 6x9s in a 1968 396 SS Chevelle
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10-26-2006, 06:18 PM
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#27
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Human being with feelings
Join Date: Jan 2006
Location: Australia
Posts: 1,668
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Quote:
Originally Posted by chip mcdonald
... which actually makes more sense in general for translation purposes than most anything, I think people listen to music in cars more than anything else...
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I think more people listen to music on tiny white earphones attached to plastic encased hard-drives than in cars these days (or at least over here they seem to). Amazing the SPL you can get out of such small speakers. I get to listen to lots of music every day - mostly other people's music!
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10-27-2006, 01:23 AM
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#28
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Mortal
Join Date: Jan 2006
Location: Wickenburg, Arizona
Posts: 14,051
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My rollcage is going thru my speaker decklid unfortunately so I had to stick these in NS-10 boxes
Bear in mind I did this before the NS-10 going out of existence craze was hitting
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