Cheap Monitors

Hi,
I need a pair of monitors, for as little money as possible. Ideally they should also be as small in size.
It's for occasional mixing/mastering use in a very simple home studio.
All I want is excellent sound quality, in a very small size, for almost no money. That's not too much to ask is it?!
I'd be very grateful for any suggestions as I know NOTHING about monitors.
Many thanks,
benstat

Scoobie


What do you consider to be ............."almost no money"  ?????
That just might help someone answer your question.

Tim

Fair point - I suppose I would like to pay up to £150/$250, but I accept I may not be able to get much at all for that kind of money. If there is a particular make/model that is known to be a good budget buy, and it's more than that, then I would still consider it.
Thanks again.

I likewise, needing to be conservative, spoke at length with my friend at a local music store. Understanding my budget needs he recommended a pair of Fostex PM0.4n speakers. The owner of the place also has a pro studio in the adjacent suite where we hooked up the speakers for 'preview'.  I bought the pair and they have worked very nicely in my little home setup. Musician's Friend is listing them atm for $199 usd.

Thanks for the advice everyone. I did wonder if I'd be wasting my time getting cheap ones. I'll look into the Fostex PM0.4n's (I have a pair of 10 year old Fostex phones and they are great), so maybe A/B'ing between those two might work?
Anyway, thanks again.

benstat


Hi,
I need a pair of monitors, for as little money as possible. Ideally they should also be as small in size.
It's for occasional mixing/mastering use in a very simple home studio.
All I want is excellent sound quality, in a very small size, for almost no money. That's not too much to ask is it?!
I'd be very grateful for any suggestions as I know NOTHING about monitors.
Many thanks,
benstat

These are wonderful (IMO)! Prodipe Pro 8 Powered monitors
In June I purchased them for $209 a pair - they are listed at $289/pair now. Read the reviews on them. They are well respected, especially in Europe. Initially I wanted them as a second reference set for my KRK RP6's which I have had for a while. The Prodipe 8's give me much better low end definition, and overall my mixes translate better.
I know there is at least 1 SONAR user of the Pro 8's with ribbon tweeters which are a bit more. His assessment caused me to look more closely at them, and in the end I decided I wanted the conventional (dome) tweet instead of the ribbons -
Do a search - you might be able to locate them cheaper elsewhere. Amazon/Music Factory Direct is the only on-line outlet I could find them at in NA - but there seem to be a few selling them oversees. Mine came with switchable voltage, and I had to change the fuses and the power cord (both supplied) for NA.

<EDIT> - the Pro 5's are going for $229. Can't say how they would be  - if size really is a critical consideration maybe they would suit you better. For the $60 difference I personally would go with the 8's without hesitation.

Here are couple to consider:

Alesis M1 Active MkII $300

Behringer Truth B2031A were $350 IIRC, but have been superseded by a newer model.

For folks on a tight budget, I always recommend buying used speakers. It's not like buying a used bass amp or PA - studio monitors are usually kept in good condition so second-hand purchases are pretty safe. There is always a supply of entry-level monitors available because everybody eventually upgrades.