Please recommend monitors for jamming only

The Lounge Other Gear
1

Hello,

I’ve had a pair of Yamaha HS-8 a few years back which I enjoyed, before i stopped making any music entirely.

Before that, only had random HiFi systems (you know the ones with cd players, radio and tape players integrated), so i don’t have many references as to what a “nice” monitor is.

As i live in a smallish apartment, they were probably overkill for my use.

I’ve recently picked up a small electric piano (Reface-CS) and an OP-1 F and rediscovered the joys of playing some music.

I’ve read that accoustic treatment of a room is equally as important as the monitors, but i don’t have the means nor the will to do that; i just want to play quick jams, and am not planning to record/compose tracks

A friend gifted my his old minirigs which was a significant upgrade from the random logitech 2.1 speakers i had lying around

Although i’m quite happy with the minirigs, they have some annoying quirks and i’m thinking of upgrading.

My question is, what would be an appropriate upgrade to the minirigs?

I’ve been eyeing the Yamaha HS-5, but was wondering if there is anything more appropriate than studio monitors in my case?

Basically some “typed” monitors that can sound decent without being at ear level, in an un-treated room etc…?

Again, only for jamming purposes, not recording/composing.
Maybe KRKs? Or should i look at another class of speakers entirely?

Any recommendations would be greatly appreciated !

Thank you

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I use PreSonus Eris E3.5-3.5" in my untreated room. Very affordable and good sound. Sounds good to me. I even check my mixes using them.

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Check what you can get used. Speaker prices seem to mostly fall to around very roughly 50% of list price and then stay there, and that’s irrespective of their actual quality compared to what’s new. Getting used speakers also sets you up for listening before you buy which is important although the result isn’t transferable to your own room.

I don’t see why the yamaha’s would be too big unless the physically don’t fit. Small rooms require decent size elements and large rooms usually are too much for regular speakers.

Acustics are important but you can only do so much and its extremely difficult to predict what will work. Make a hobby out of it and test through trial and error, I think it’s worth it. Try a mattress in a corner or cut up inside along the back of wardrobes for reduced low end, try hanging different absorbant materials in the corners, try folding heavy curtains where the depth of the folds match a troubling frequency.

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My friend bought Rokit RP5 G5 and they are great for jamming, very punchy. He has a small room about 6-7 m2 (untreated). Considering the price I was surprised how good they sound. I was thinking of buying the same ones but I will still buy Adam D3V when they come back in stock, the smaller the better because I am very limited with space.

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JBL LSR305. Mk 1 or mk2, doesn’t matter. Great speakers that have been recommended many times on this board. I’ve had mine for ten years. No issues, love them.

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the bigger, the better.

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Got a pair of used Adam A8X for 700€.

I play with up to 3 other people on these + a sub on a room that is 35m2, and the sound is very good.

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Adam T7v or T5v are great, especially at the price.
They’re much deeper sounding than the Yamaha’s (I have T7v’s and HS-7’s), and mine give my A77x’s a good run for their money too.

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My suggestion for this use case is probably more about convenience than sound.

I have these speakers which I use for gaming, listening to music and occasionally with music gear. I don’t love or hate the sound. Definitely better than general PC gaming speakers, but not as good as my entry level 5” Mackie monitors.

But they do Bluetooth, TRS input, RCA input, and 3.5mm input, and you can set these to all be active at the same time. No mixer needed for a small 2-3 synth jamming setup.

My biggest gripe is like a lot of Bluetooth speakers they have a weird powering on sound they think it’s supercool to play and not let you disable. It’s obnoxiously loud and the only way to override it is to leave a set of headphones plugged into the headphones jack when you power it up.

https://www.jbl.com.au/JBL-104-BT.html?srsltid=AfmBOooDnExAFwaJ4l2mOCMcs7QK7yvbav-a9Cl9iriZEs1vkgeVLgLC

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Kef LSX. So good for their size.

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I don’t think you need to overthink this, you won’t go wrong with the HS5s. KRKs will vary depending on model and what you’re looking to spend.

FWIW my main bedroom studio is a pair of HS8s and my old Rokit RP5s are on turntable and guest room studio duties.

For any of the “don’t spend any money until you’ve acoustically treated your room” folks, they can come assist me with that :wink:

I would really rather make music and I’m not mastering for fuck’s sake. That helpful internet advice has sold all manner of worthless foam wedges to no better end.

One benefit of the Rokits is that they’re omnipresent on craigslist or local sales sites and you can probably pick up a pair for a song. Listening experience-wise, the Yamahas are a bit more “neutral” and duller I believe, but again, that’s probably a worry when you feel you need more.

Either will do you fine. Adam Audio is also great but less common in the US if that’s where you’re looking.

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IK Multimedia iLoud MTM.

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Clean sound is such a treat!
If you believe it’s less fun than another synth, you’re wrong: I find decent monitors one of the most important gear: do yourself a favor and get something that goes with your budget.
Even if it’s just for jamming.

Btw, I’d suggest to get a little subwoofer to compliment the pair of monitors you choose.

No clue if you have the budget for these, but Genelec 8010A are adapted to close/low volume listening.

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I got betrayed by KRK 8 for several years, they produce so much bass, that i lowerd my low end too much. Get something accurate, idealy with measurement build in. (Neumann, Genelec or at minimum SoundID reference) to calibrate them.

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I’ve been working through a similar situation recently — have had KRK 8’s for a decade but now I want something that’s better suited to jamming in a small apartment — and I ended up going with a Teenage Engineering OB-4.

I wasn’t particularly attracted to any monitors in the OB-4’s price range ($500) and I liked the extra flexibility that the OB-4 offered (battery powered, bluetooth, etc.) so I think it’ll be a good fit. I already know I like how the OB-4 sounds since a friend of mine got one.

If I need more precise monitoring for mixing purposes, I’ll throw on headphones, but for everyday jamming, I think the OB-4 will be a good solution. It gets delivered this weekend so TBD, fingers crossed that it gets the job done.

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I should open a company called adult engineering! Or put a john lennon sticker on something, and add 400 euro on top.

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I’d recommend the KRK Rokit. The newer models have a flatter, more studio monitor-like sound, while the older Rokit Classic models tend to have a stronger low-end. The newer ones are a better choice.

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Ended up getting the Adam D3V

The bass is surprisingly good and the size/loudness is perfect
Wasn’t sure i’d use the USB-C input but it turns out it’s quite useful

Thanks for the recommendations everyone !