Active studio monitors for Home audio

Thanks. These are my Geithain RL 901K mentioned in the post before.

 

I’ve read this thread with interest and it has opened up different options for future upgrades in my current small listening space. Has anyone heard these: LYD 48 - Professional near- to midfield monitor for studios - Dynaudio ?

I’ve read some reviews that describes them as non fatiguing and a bit more ‘musical’ than similar active monitors. They also seem very tweakable for the listening room. And they are described as near-midfield, so maybe more suitable for a home environment? Even in my small space I’m still 9 feet from my speakers which i guess is outside of ‘nearfield’. I know that some of the technology in their cheaper studio monitors is also found in their home speakers that cost twice as much, so in theory at least these could be an excellent choice for the home in terms of cost.
Also as they are analogue only I guess the type of DAC used to feed them would influence the sound somewhat? I’ve been looking at DACs made by the likes of Schitt (their higher end) and Teddy Pardo, and many reviews describe them as having a less fatiguing, less digital sound to them than others. Opinions appreciated! Thanks

 

Go audition them. I think the Dynaudios look very appealing. I use my Quads which are about the same size, about the same distance away and they work fine.

 

Bringing this thread back from the dead...

My main system is located in our small home office - 10'W x 12'L x 9'H. I've installed some DIY acoustic treatments that utilize Roxul Safe & Sound in the form of soffit traps that run the entire perimeter of the room as well as floor-to-soffit "super chunk" style bass traps in the front corners. This made a remarkable difference in the sound when combined with careful speaker and listener placement, the latter resulting in a near-field setup.

The recent stay at home orders have given me a chance to spend more time with the setup and prompted me to experiment with digital room correction as some icing on the cake. This in turn has led me to question whether I might be better off with a simpler pair of active speakers than my KEF LS50W, something without a preamp and wireless streaming (I don't use). So I've begun looking at the three-way studio monitors that @Silverwolf mentioned above. Having had a pair of Dynaudio BM5A MKIII before I'm familiar with their sound and wonder if the LYD 48 might give an even better near field presentation than the KEFs.

The room is still set up somewhat similar to this though some equipment has changed on the digital side:



Sources are:

• Mac mini running Roon->USB->miniDSP DDRC-24->RCA->KEF LS50W/Elac SUB3010
• Cambridge Audio CXC->Toslink->miniDSP DDRC-24->RCA->KEF LS50W/Elac SUB3010
• Technics SL-1200GR->PS Audio NuWave Phono Converter->RCA->miniDSP DDRC-24->RCA->KEF LS50W/Elac SUB3010

As you can see there are a number of D/A A/D conversions in the chain along with volume controls. The miniDSP requires me to leave about 10dB of headroom in it's digital volume control to allow for the Dirac Live corrections, and still use the KEF's digital volume control as the "master volume".

The thought would be to swap out the KEFs for the Dynaudios, and the DDRC-24 for miniDSP's SHD which is a full-fledged preamp with digital and analog inputs and outputs.

I should mention that I also use an RME ADI-2 DAC for headphone listening through a pair of AKG K872 Pro headphones.

Again, I have no need for the wireless/streaming functionality of the KEFs and I think moving the preamp facilities outside of the speakers might be a little more flexible. I've also (obviously) gotten over the digitizing of my precious analog signal coming from the turntable. The benefits of digital room correction so far seem to outweigh and conversion that's going on there.

Long story short, thoughts on whether the 3-way Dyns would be an improvement over the KEFs in my setup?

 

@wgb113: With such a narrow room, I would probably try to find some speakers that work ideally with full toe-in. The LS50s are not in that category.

 

Firstly I think raising the speaker level (higher stands?) or lowering the LP level ( different chair?) would improve your SQ.

In your pics the KEF's look a bit low for your seating height.

Always better to know you have fully optimized something BEFORE you look at replacing it.

Just my 2c

 

@noway not sure I understand what you mean? The LS50 measures well both on and off axis.

@Linger63 perhaps that picture doesn't give a sense for how close they are - only off a matter of inches

 

Most people into HiFi don't like active speakers because they can't use (and change often) their fancy amps & cables. There are also those who think Class D is still new and/or inferior to Class A/AB. You can't have power tube amps with actives, they usually don't have wood veneers or even different colors and the list goes on and on for the "cons".

Some thoughts:

There is no flat speaker, passive or active. The Yamaha NS10 is the opposite of flat and it's a legend in recording studios, still used by some engineers. The engineer will use the speakers he/she knows & trusts.
All speakers play music, you can mix and listen music with either passive or active.
There are cheap & expensive, bad & exceptional passive & active speakers.

Facts:

Having an active crossover, either in the speaker or in an external box, is an advantage. Having monoblocks for each driver is an advantage. How the engineering team will make use of these advantages is up to them, they can design a good or a bad speaker but they start with these advantages passive speakers don't have.

With actives you'll get more if you are on a budget, you'll get even more if you can spend a few thousands. 5000 - 10000 are a lot of money for most people but you can get TOP active speakers. Geithain, Dynaudio, Adam, Neumann, Genelec make excellent speakers and the amps are included. Try buying Tidal, Boulder, TAD, McIntosh, Wilson, Accuphase etc with 10000, I'm talking about their top models.

BTW...Class D is a bless for active speakers because they don't get hot unlike Class AB. I'm glad more brands put Class D modules in their speakers.

The S3H would be in my room if I could afford them, I'm hoping someday. 3 way Adams have something special, the S-ART tweeter has so much clarity without getting fatigue but it needs a mid dome, it's so quick the woofer can't follow. The mid dome gives the balance in the high end Adams. These speakers are the definition of uncompressed/undistorted sound, you'll become deaf before you'll make them distort.

 

@Kostas no need to sell me on the benefits of active speakers - I'm a believer. The LS50W are my third pair after having Dynaudios mentioned above and a pair of Quad 12L before them.

My other thought as to why the Dynaudio LYD 48 might be better for me than the KEFs is that they're built for near-field listening. Whereas the KEF work well in that type of setup, they were likely designed to sound good in a "normal" living room environment as well.

 

Like many users I found that their response was better a bit off-axis, which made them easier to listen to longer. I had them toed in only slightly. Many prefer to point them straight ahead.

BTW, Purolator just knocked on the door and delivered a pair of RCF Ayra Pro 8, which I had cancelled earlier this week and refund received but somehow they slipped through the cracks. I called the dealer and I'm allowed to try them out over the weekend and decide whether to keep them. First impression (one song, lol) is impressive. They are also pretty much dead quiet, which is unusual for active speakers. Not even sure if I'll need to use my sub.


AYRA PRO8

 

I disagree. HiFi brands are not as specific as studio brands, there is a lot of lifestyle hype involved in their marketing. Τhe KEF's are also for nearfield listening, no need for KEF to declare them as nearfield, their size says it all. We can use any speaker any way we want but we'll get more from a small speaker in the nearfield position. Sound is subjective, you may like one more than the other but the LYDs will sound bigger than the KEFs, it's a 3-way speaker with a larger cab. Judging from your photos they will have no problem to fill your room even if you move your seat backwards.

 

@wgb113 - i don't think you'll get particularly better sound by switching to dyns (except of course for more lows). have you considered adding a small subwoofer? i think that would probably make the biggest difference.

also, the ls50w look awesome in your room. they're very attractive speakers, imo.

 

Neumann.

KH310ALG

Incredibly revealing active studio monitors, yet totally non-fatiguing (unless the recording is nasty, then ... they tell the whole truth and nothing but). Very musical (I'd rate them with the very best of Tannoy and Harbeth). I'd imaging running a Naim, Shindo or Audio Note preamp into them would be music heaven.

Note: these are @ $2.5k each (you need a left and a right, in mirrored configuration). However, good news: Neumann makes much more affordable models in that line.

 

Thanks! I do have a sub in the mix, an Elac SUB3010 that’s crossed over at 75Hz. I wonder if I’d be able to cross the Dyns over even lower.

 

That’s more than I want to spend on this setup. If my room was a bit bigger perhaps but I’m not sure I want to throw that much money at this room.

It seems unlikely now that I’ll ever be back in the office five days a week so the thought’s even crossed my mind to ditch the shelving units and chair for a desk setup to both work from and listen to tunes, not too unlike a mixing desk setup.

 

They make other, less expensive models.

 

Have had a series of home studios for many years now and have, as a result, accumulated a variety of monitors -- Tannoy Reveals, Stealth 6s and 8s, and am now using Genelec 8351s in the studio -- these are superb but are saddled with poor GLM room software that is better left unused.
Take the old monitors and try and use them in other rooms. The Stealth 6s work fine in one study where they can be directed in nearfield fashion over the desk. They sound accurate and mostly listenable. The Stealth 8s are combined with a sub in one room in order to play cinema feeds. They work but are not impressive -- the problem with nearfields is that they always seem to lack quality soundstage when listened to from afar.
The Genelec monitors are an interesting case because they use both class D and class A/B power amps. Works fine with the A/B used for the tweeter. Since the speakers are space and time aligned, they will shock you with their ability to probe into textures -- no matter how dense.
Genelec monitors are considered world class and should be for their excessive prices. Have heard from numerous Gearslutz posters that the Neuman monitors are very close and at substantially less cost. The line among studio folks is that as you spend more on studio monitors, they get better but just a little for a lot more cash. Sound familiar?
There was a review of the 8351s asking whether they could be used as home speakers and the conclusion was "no" not quite yet.

 

Yeah...…..you got me with that first pic.
ALL GOOD

 

My reaction when I read that...

Excluding detailed measurements everything else in a review is personal opinion, e.g. subjective. Genelec makes high quality speakers, they can be used anywhere provided you know how to set them up. You can't put the 8010A (3" woofer) and expect to fill a room. The Ones line is their most advanced & expensive line, they can be used by themselves or with room correction and the matching subs for a state of the art system.

 

Have a house that eats 80hz bass
Tried about 40 different speakers and a similar number of amps
Early Emerald Physics CS2's with a couple of Perreaux 8000s (DBX equalised) worked well enough (Until they disappeared)
Started the journey again and had a pair of Genelec 8330 speakers - not the last word in bass but clean and flat down to about 30hz in room.

Sold a car and spent 2 weeks with both Genelec 8260s and 8351s sitting side by side - decided the 8351s had advantages and purchased those.
Invested quite some time moving them around the roomand up and down minimising the 80hz suckout - now they are flat to 22/24hz left and right.
(The top is shelved down - most wont enjoy a flat music presentation)

The 8351s are run as electronic speakers - fed a digital signal the DAC, room correction, pre and power amps are all on board.
Simple clean adjustable no need for a sub.

Open your mind listen to the music and active speakers make a lot of sense.

Pro gear will provide about 4 x the music for the dollar - if you are listening with your eyes, a brand follower or prefer man jewellery home audio is for you.

 

@Kostas those "Ones" line Genelecs sure are interesting from a design standpoint. Sounds like @phred is a big fan!

 

I consider Genelec one of the top loudspeaker brands, the design of their speakers is different than most. Here's a nice relaxing video about the 8000 series, their shape is what most people think when they hear the word Genelec.


And one about their impressive LSE subwoofers, they stand out from every other sub.
Speaker Talk | What makes Genelec subwoofers unique? | Episode 3

 

This is painful to watch in its dumbed-down meandering inaccuracy. I have a Genelec sub. It is not technologically impressive.

It is simply a ported enclosure with a flared-mouth port. The larger the area of a port (to reduce port velocity and noise), the longer the port must be to maintain the same tuning frequency. Novel is wrapping the sheet metal port around the round sheet metal enclosure without taking a sharp corner, but corners are more philosophical, since only the air spring mass really matters. The same dimensions can be made with a rectangular slot port, it would just need a taller or deep enclosure to have the port be straight, or take a corner.



Genelec: Peerless 12" dual voice coil sub from the XXLS line. Amps in sub (and monitors) made of a toroid, capacitors, and $10 Sanyo mini-component amp modules, ran at Vcc max and bridged below the minimum load. 7->1 mixer and crossover filters covered in $0.15 TL072 op-amps. $3400. Newer ones replace that BOM with an AVR's ADC->DAC.

 

I used a pair of Yamaha HS8 monitors in my room for quite some time paired with a Sonic Frontiers Line 1 tube preamp with great results. I had just sold my Harbeth Compact 7s and was prepared for a huge disappointment and found that wasn't the case at all. They were very enjoyable and would have no problem using them again, especially given their price. The only reason I am not using them now is that I bought a pair of vintage Wharfedale W60E speakers that I am using currently.

 

Been using PMC MB2S-P near field monitors now for my main home rig for about 5 years now, nothing comes close that I have heard , at any price point. So yes is the answer to the OP question, you can use them and with wonderful results.

My big challange was getting the room right , so they played best. My old room was tuned just right. I have since moved and am not happy with the sound, nothing else has changed ion my setup but the room which really drives home to me just how damned important the room really is when it comes to reference level audio.