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Desktop speakers for mixing AND music?

It has been a long time since I posted here, but only because I have been living in audio bliss. My two channel system is perfect (for me). Refurbished HH Scott 222 (not Mapleshade), Omega speakers and an iMac with a 2 TB 7200 rpm drive serving up about 600 lossless CDs to my Schiit Bifrost. My movie/tv set up is fine too - older B&W C series all around and an older Rotel AV receiver that (knock on wood) won't die.

However, now I have a minor problem. I have a third system that is in the works. My home office desk. Yet another two Macs are set up with a Steinberg UR22 audio/midi interface I use with Logic, Final Cut and more for recording, including music, voice, interviews and for video, though not too serious. Now, I find myself wanting to listen to music here too. So, what kind of speakers should I get? Can I get monitors that also are great for casual listening? Right now I only have the iMac built in speakers (I know...) and a pair of Audio Technica M50X headphones (in effect my Steinberg UR22 audio interface is my "headphone amp").

If I am going to use this as a true studio set up, many people are recommending monitors made for this purpose and people seem to really like JBL LSR305 5" Active Studio Monitor‎s. I can get a pair at about $300. However, it really isn't a studio as much as it is a place to work, so should I be thinking of something else? Dare I go passive and try to get some kind of little power amp? Can I do this for $400ish (and I am open to used). I do have a very old (90s era) pair of passive Tannoy monitors, but they are kind of big and I don't have a spare amp. I'd hate to go buy an amp and not be happy with the Tannoys...

However, if I go the more "audiophile" route, I might I have better sound, but not a good reference source for mixing. Right? Or am I being ridiculous? Any suggestions highly appreciated. Remember, budget of, let's say, $500.
karavite
karavite OP
36 posts
 
FYI, apparently Tannoy has acknowledged and addressed the problem with the hissing/buzzing issue in their Reveal monitors:

http://support.tannoy.com/entries/60922977-Reveal-502-802-My-monitor-emits-a-static-electrical-buzzing-noise-What-do-I-do-
zd542
5,339 posts
 
"08-30-14: Karavite
FYI, apparently Tannoy has acknowledged and addressed the problem with the hissing/buzzing issue in their Reveal monitors:

http://support.tannoy.com/entries/60922977-Reveal-502-802-My-monitor-emits-a-static-electrical-buzzing-noise-What-do-I-do-"

Out of curiosity, I went out a couple of weeks ago and bought a pair of Tannoy's. Reveal 502 is what it says on the box. If you get the hum, you're not hooking them up properly. Depending on what type of connection options you are going to use, the fix may be different. But if you have a pair of them and want to prove that nothing is wrong with them and the hum can really go away, try this: First, take a stereo 3.5mm to 3.5mm interconnect and go from the output on something like an ipod, pc, or something similar, to the 3.5mm input on one of the speakers. (You need to make sure the cable is stereo, not mono.). Take another cable exactly like it, and connect it to the monitor link input on both speakers. Just to clarify, one cable goes from a source to 1 of the speakers and the other cable goes from one speaker to the other. If you connect everything this way, you shouldn't get a hum.
lewinskih01
906 posts
 
If you are going active, listen to Audioengine A2+ and A5+. I have A2 connected to a Squeezebox Touch and for the money it is a very good setup. They are carried at Best Buy's Magnolia store, I think (don't live in the US and recall seeing them there).
ddd1
261 posts
 
Kudos to Tannoy for looking after this quickly. They are good guys in my books.
karavite OP
36 posts
 
Ddd1 I agree and with that acknowledgement from Tannoy I am going to get the Reveals. It is so rare for a company to step up and admit anything these days, even when it is clearly the right thing to do to build customer trust. Lewinskih, thanks for the tips. While people do need to follow directions it seems clear from Tannoy they had a quality issue resulting in the hum. I'm sure people wiring things oddly added to the confusion. Zd542 I was looking at the AudioEngines very seriously. I think they are probably great for listening, but I do want to do some mixing too, though not up to the level of professionalism promoted by some people here. On the positive side, I think it's great there are so many choices out there. Almost too many!
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