Shopping for reference monitors - again

can you listen to these at a local music store?  you're not going to get a good true representation of what they would sound like in your studio, but you would be able to do a relative comparison there.
 
2. Presonus R80 $1000 (pr)
    Pros: Kevlar woofer, ribbon tweeter, adequate power, cheap
    Cons: Presonus isn't known for speakers, no tolerances given for frequency response
 
This statement alone would steer me away from them.  I understand those freq response stats can easily be manipulated to what the mfg wants them to say - and they don't always disclose where the tests were performed (i.e. Fred's Semi-Anechoic Chambers Are Us.), but if they can't even bother to lie to you about it, then I wouldn't trust them! 

Have you checked out the Dynaudio BM Series? I have a pair of the 8's and I love them.
 
Regards,
Dan

There are an awful lot of good choices for $2K and under. Dan's Dynaudio suggestion is good, but I'm going to mention the Presonus Sceptre S8s. I have the S6s, I could not fit their 8" model in the cramped space, and they are a little light at the bottom end they are deadly accurate throughout the rest of the spectrum, and they are very easy to listen to - and the stereo field is awesome, which you'd expect from a coaxial design. You'd also expect the horn to honk - it doesn't, and you'd expect to hear some nonsense in the cross-over regions, and you won't.

Only negative is that it took me several days of listening to get used to them. Of course there are worse things than listening to one's favorite music for several days<G>...

Beagle
I understand those freq response stats can easily be manipulated to what the mfg wants them to say - and they don't always disclose where the tests were performed (i.e. Fred's Semi-Anechoic Chambers Are Us.), but if they can't even bother to lie to you about it, then I wouldn't trust them! 

 
Good point, which is why I consider it a "con". A willingness to clearly describe the product is one of the things that delineate the good stuff from the stay-away stuff. But even reputable manufacturers don't discuss many important characteristics. Like whether the speakers sound the same after a few hours' use. Surprisingly, many do not (a complaint of entry-kevel KRKs, for example). They are compact enclosures that often lack adequate heat dissipation. And reliability isn't easily measurable. One reviewer said (not of any of these): "great-sounding speaker, although the first one was DOA and the other died after 6 months". 
 

Jim Roseberry
I've head some say the newer mk2 speakers don't sound as good (no longer made in the USA).
I've heard others say they sound better.

 
Now that's just the kind of hard-hitting no-nonsense info I'm seeking! :)
 
Seriously, I realize that monitor preferences are somewhat individual. Lots of people don't like ADAM because they don't always sound good. Personally, if my mix isn't up to snuff I don't want the speakers to coddle me. Bad stuff sounds bad on ADAMs, but good stuff sounds absolutely delicious. My experience with Mackie and JBL is that they tend the opposite, glossing over flaws in the mix. I have not heard the newer Mackies, though.
 

dcumpian
Have you checked out the Dynaudio BM Series? I have a pair of the 8's and I love them.

I have not heard the 8's, but I have heard the 6's and they are quite impressive, especially given their compact size. In fact, I nearly bought the 6's back in 2008 but the ADAMs narrowly edged them out due to the ribbon tweeters' crystal clarity and more powerful amplifiers.
 
The Dynaudio MB12mkIII was actually on the first draft of my list, but I eliminated it because at $2k for the pair they're up at the high end of my budget. They also don't give tolerances for frequency response (at least, not on the Sweetwater page) even though they say 38 Hz. But I don't know if that's -3dB or -10.
 
I will note, however, that at least one person whom I respect has them and loves them. That's a plus in the Dynaudio column.
 

wst3
...but I'm going to mention the Presonus Sceptre S8s.

 
Those were on my first draft as well. But I'm having trouble reconciling the difference in price from the R80s. The latter has the Kevlar woofer and ribbon tweeter, and is therefore closer in construction to my beloved ADAMs. The Sceptre is $200 more, has a paper cone, and lists is lower limit as 46 Hz (-3dB). On paper, the R80 appears to be the superior product.
 
Still, I'll be making local inquiries to see who's got either of the Presonus products. Although listening in a music store isn't a very good test. Part of why I describe this process as "less fun" than buying, say, a new synthesizer is you have to try and listen while some kid is wailing Stairway to Heaven.
 

wookie
Being slightly biased but what about of Adams A7x's or A8x's with the matching Sub 8 Dave. 

I'm hoping not to replace the subwoofer. My previous ADAMs had 7.25" woofers and faded out just below 50 Hz, prompting me to fill in the first octave with a sub. It occurred to me - too late - that had I spent just a little more and got the 8" P-22s instead, that I wouldn't have needed the sub. So that's the plan this time around - no sub. Plus the ADAM sub is kinda pricey.
 
But I hadn't considered the A8x. I see they've come down in price from their predecessors, which were around $2600. Now they're a grand each, a price point that qualifies under my criteria. So thanks for that suggestion, Wook!
 
 

Check out this video. It's a guy on an iPhone, so the audio quality is garbage. The video's pretty dull until around the 9:00 mark - watch his reaction when he hears the Presonus Sceptres.
 

You're welcome. I've seen that video before. Personally, the whole thing looks staged to me and that guy is the world's worst actor :)
He's like Ralph Kramden and Ed Norton from the Honeymooners when they try to make a TV commercial selling that kitchen gadget.
I'm dating myself here :)
 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xPq_lgtidbQ
 
Skip to 15:50 or so.
 
 
 
 

steveo42
He's like Ralph Kramden and Ed Norton from the Honeymooners when they try to make a TV commercial selling that kitchen gadget.
I'm dating myself here :)

You might be dating yourself, but trust me, you're not the only one in this crowd who'll get the Ralph Kramden reference. 
 
Evidence the guy in the video may be a shill: for starters, he says it's a "pre-production" unit, and where do you get a pre-production unit if not directly from the manufacturer? His YouTube channel's description is "Channel for the Artist producer / writer 5aint, Affiliated acts and / or products". It's also improbable that he hadn't heard them before - who starts recording a video without first checking connections and assuring that everything's working?
 
 
 
 
 

Heya Bit -
How about the Neumann KH 120's?
http://www.sweetwater.com/store/detail/KH120/
 
Those are close to the top of my short list of monitor replacements next year.  

I know a couple of studio owners who swear by their KRK VXT8s.
 
Just throwing them out there since they haven't been mentioned.

Bajan Blue
KRK user here as well - had a pair of V8 for about 10 years - just got a new pair VXT 8 - very happy with them - i do remember when I first got them took a while to get used to them but now I know them, good to mix on.
I also got, as they were on special at the time, a pair of KRK VXT 5's and use on my Computer system - they are pretty good as well especially for that use
Nigel
 

Now that you mention it I may as well state that KRK VXT8s are what I chose as well after my research. Now I wouldn't be able to part with them. Yes they are excellent.

This all reinforces my long-held presumption that beyond an acceptable level of performance, it comes down to whatever you get used to. I could probably adapt to any of the suggestions made in this thread. There's going to be an ear-training curve, no matter if one buys mid-level speakers or mortgages the house for ATCs. Thousands of successful records have been mixed on 604s and NS10s, which don't have a lot in common other than longevity and legend.
 
At the moment I'm leaning toward the ADAM A8X, mainly because they're most similar to the speakers I've been using for the last 8 years and might therefore have a shorter learning curve. But lawajava's been encouraging me to come listen to his VXT8s, so they're on my list now. They're also $800 less than the ADAMs, so that's a plus.
 
Plenty of time to agonize over this decision. I haven't settled the insurance claim yet (still scrounging around for receipts and serial numbers) and my first priority is to replace my live rig. Amplifiers, the Neo Ventilator and the TC Helicon VoiceLive Touch top the list. Then it'll take weeks to configure a new DAW, locating backups and begging vendors for new licenses. 
 
The good news is that not having a DAW has turned out to be a creative catalyst. Without the distractions of recording, I am composing more music and exercising my chops. I'm playing and singing better than I have in 10 years. I want to jam again. When I do start recording again, I'll probably do more collabs than before. Temporarily losing my engineer hat has reminded me that I was always a musician first and an audio geek second.

I'm so sorry for your loss. I'm sometimes afraid of giving gear lists for this reason. Trusting people I don't really know because they can play. And so many performers have habits. I often figure if I'm robbed it will probably be someone I've called friend.

That said, I regularly leave crowded bars in the middle of the night with everything I came with and should I leave a cable, someone will bring it by the next day.

I know nothing about monitors. I use speakers I bought in 1995. Inexpensive Celestions. Some kinda B&K amp.

I still use a set of the original Mackie HR824's. They've lasted over 15 years and still doing well. If you can find a used set, obviously, I'd recommend them. They were designed to use the amp not only for pushing the sealed enclosure, but forcefully keeping the woofer inline withe the signal should it start to lag behind, or flop in the wrong direction, causing distortion. They also do come with the passive radiator in the rear, which made a huge difference for me.
 
However, even the HR824 needs a sub if you do any Mastering exercises. Comparing them to my Polk 2.3TLs, definitely tells me they are weak in sub-ranges in an open room. Closer to a wall, they're better in the deep lows.
 
Dynaudio makes their own drivers, something many companies don't. I'd certainly give them a whirl, if you can get them. They know speakers!!

brconflict
 
Dynaudio makes their own drivers, something many companies don't. I'd certainly give them a whirl, if you can get them. They know speakers!!

Don't know if they still make all of 'em, as some production has been outsourced to China. But all-in-all Dynaudio is amazingly detailed, both high and low. I've been using them for some 20 years at home and wouldn't want to live without them.