Best Powered Monitors

Genelec The Ones are very, very good.

The 8331, 8341, and 8351 are point source designs based on a 3-way coaxial driver system.

@donpen21 - not a monitor, but I would love to hear the B&M Line 35
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ekoV1EDemEg

Very good active monitors to use in home audio, not in studio are German Backes&Muller. They are not so clinical like most of studio monitors and have incredible slam and controlled bass impact.

I have a pair of Focal CMS (Compact Monitoring System) 50s and the manual states listening distance is 1-3 M. In the Pro line (like the CMS 65) they don't have the Be (Al/Mg instead) tweeter, but compare favorably to the soft Esotec tweeter in the Dynaudio BM5A my son uses.

Will serve as a very nice desktop PC speaker, if that is your interest. I haven't had the time to put them up on stands yet. The 65s have been preferred by some if the bigger size and price work for you.

These have a nifty little spikes and a rubber mat to reduce resonance with solid Al cabs. I like them.

What is your budget? At $500 max,look for Yamaha MSP 5(avoid anything else).At $1000-KRK vxt 6-8,Yamaha MSP 7,Event asp 8.Mackie HR are worth checking too.Adam A7 are very revealing,due to the ribbon tweeter.Also check the new JBL 2xxx series.Between $1000 and $2000-Focal CMS 65,Quested S8.Above $2000-Focal and Genelec,s are very good.You,ll need subwoofers.Check the new line of Epik sealed subs.2 studio monitors+2 subs can sound very,very good.TREAT YOUR ROOM ACOUSTICS(bass traps on all corners+multiband on the reflection points).Good luck.

I have Genelec and ATC. Genelec is more colored and easier to live with. The ATC's are ruthlessly revealing. However, with the proper ancillaries, the ATC are wonderful.

Jim

I had mackie 824 in home stereo enviornment. Did a lot of things well, but after awhile I had less desire to go listen and enjoy. Now I am very happy with quad 12L active. They seem to translate on a more emotional level if that makes any sense. I would not describe them as laid back, although they are not edgy or aggressive in their presentation.
I would like to try adam A7 in my room to compare

There is a comment in this thread that hi-end enthusiasts don't usually like pro audio components. Why is that?

They tend to be revealing, harsh, clinical and inflexible - often designed to hear into the mix. They make an excellent choice for critical listening. A good recording will sound extremely good but a bad one may be revealed to be bad - warts and all. Many enthusiasts like to color the sound to their individual tastes and to have something they can really call their own. Many professionals want something accurate and standard that can be relied upon for consistent reproduction at any SPL level - this means what they hear can translate to other systems and still sound as intended.

If you accept higher expert authority (i.e. Artists and Presitigious Studios use XYZ active speakers => so they must be OK), then go for it! If you trust your own senses and want them to be the final judge/expert then a mix/match system tailored to your tastes may be a better investment.

Remember that many studios and high end professional system are in bespoke acoustically treated facilities. This probably ensures that these type speakers perfrom their best. In the wrong untreated room, active speakers may be disappointing compared to someting appropriately colored.

NHT is closing out their powered monitors for <$1K pair. The company is shutting down, so buyer beware.

Marty

There is a comment in this thread that hi-end enthusiasts don't usually like pro audio components. Why is that? I am thinking about having some active speakers custom made by John Janowitz, but having never heard them (or active speakers at all) before I am a little nervous.

All the brands you mencionated are excellent.
The Meridian are too expensive but work wonderfull. But they are not minimonitors.
For me, try the Genelec and Dynaudio.

How about Yamaha hs50m, it is active biamp with 45 watts to woofer and 25 watts to tweeter.

Meridian?

Dont forget KRK systems......good luck,Bob

The Genelec 8050A is one the best speaker monitor I heard for the money.
If you want to hear the music and you don´t need the speakers as a furniture to visual pleasure, the Pro audio monitors is your way.
Good luck.

IMHO the best powered monitors are ATC. Just remember studio monitors are designed to give the listener a clear window into the recording. There should be very little or no coloration. Many find studio monitors a little flat and unemotional sounding for stereo play-back.

Jim

Hi, if you like analytical or clinical sound, this is the choice: the sound of today. But, if you would like more "flesh", more denser sound, I really urge you to look for active monitors done in the late seventies, early eighties. I am using such active monitors, and they have a completely different sound-print. They have the dynamism, speed and control, without any added artificial - but musically nice - warmth, but they have a different sound. Through such an old monitor you really hear not only the string of the violin but the resonances of the wood body of the violin.

All three of your choices are good. More analytical or clinical is a good description...you will find less flavor from pro gear and generally more dynamics - it just tries to reproduce what is on the source as accurately as possible. There will be less coloration, bad recordings will sound bad, great recordings will sound great, differences between recordings will be more apparent then you are probably used to - no general characteristic sound and no window dressing. If you can live with some of your recordings sounding clearly bad (beacuse they are) then go for it!

I heard the Genelec 8050A. They are very analitical but musical.
Yes, you have to spend a lot of money to get similar sound in Hi-End. Remember that with powered monitors you replace the amplifier, the speaker cables and the speakers.
And we are forgeting that the Genelecs are Biamp. with electronic crossover.
Unfortunally, Hi-End enthusiast don´t like pro-audio components.
If you can, try a pair in your system.
Good luck.

Plz also consider Mackie powered monitors of a different sizes depending on your room...

I had a pair of Quad 12L pro's. Very laid back but very detailed.