bitflipper


8" woofers are, IMO, the minimum size if you're planning on doing your own mastering. Yes, acoustics become more important when your speakers are capable of reproducing those problematic low frequencies. But I'd rather have that problem than not hearing the low bass at all.

The Mackies are good for small rooms because they're unported. Furthermore, they've long been a standard for small and home studios, assuring a good resale value if you decide you don't like them or want to trade up. The Yamahas, OTOH, are rear-ported, making them potentially problematic if space restrictions dictate situating them close to the front wall. So between those two, I'd go with the Mackies.

which actually is why I like my Behringers.  they're front ported with 8" woofers and they don't cost what Adams do.

My only concern with the Mackies is that it seems their quality control has really suffered in the last few years.  I've got some stuff from 10 years ago or more that still work great....

But, for my job, I recently purchased some PA speakers, personal monitors and a mixer....and each piece with the exception of one PA speaker has exhibited problems of one kind or another....(some more serious than others, but still...)

It may just be the luck of the draw on my part...but enough to give me pause.

I've also read some not so great reviews on them (not about the sound, but about the physical issues...sound dropouts, overheating, poor QC, etc)

My guess is that any speaker made in China (including the Yamahas) are going to potentially have all of these same issues...but with the Yamaha's I haven't found nearly as many..

(Personally, I do like the sealed box monitor, as Bit made mention of regarding the Mackies....My Hi-Fi speakers are sealed, and the subs I use have a passive radiator, rather than a port...and, I have to say, they sound awesome)

Sometimes I wish there were just one set of Monitors available....it'd make the choosing process a whole lot easier ;)

You're absolutely correct about Mackie's quality control compared to 20 years ago. Back then they made everything in the good ol' US of A. Right up the road from me, in fact. I used to have a mixer that had been hand-built by Greg Mackie himself. 

But no more. Now it's part of a conglomerate that also owns Ampeg, among other familiar brands. That's why you want to buy them from a local retailer if that's an option, or if not, at least from an online retailer with a good return policy (like Sweetwater).

Beagle: ...and they don't cost what Adams do.

Yeh, well but, but. But my ADAMs came with instructions in German, way cooler than Chinese on rice paper!

Ozz


My only concern with the Mackies is that it seems their quality control has really suffered in the last few years.  I've got some stuff from 10 years ago or more that still work great....

But, for my job, I recently purchased some PA speakers, personal monitors and a mixer....and each piece with the exception of one PA speaker has exhibited problems of one kind or another....(some more serious than others, but still...)

It may just be the luck of the draw on my part...but enough to give me pause.

I've also read some not so great reviews on them (not about the sound, but about the physical issues...sound dropouts, overheating, poor QC, etc)

My guess is that any speaker made in China (including the Yamahas) are going to potentially have all of these same issues...but with the Yamaha's I haven't found nearly as many..

(Personally, I do like the sealed box monitor, as Bit made mention of regarding the Mackies....My Hi-Fi speakers are sealed, and the subs I use have a passive radiator, rather than a port...and, I have to say, they sound awesome)

Sometimes I wish there were just one set of Monitors available....it'd make the choosing process a whole lot easier ;)

They come w/ the usual 1 year warranty. However, depending on who you buy them from, you could probably buy extra coverage. For less than $30, Guitar Center gave me 2 years - if the product fails at any time, I just bring it in and they'll replace it.

bitflipper

Beagle: ...and they don't cost what Adams do.

Yeh, well but, but. But my ADAMs came with instructions in German, way cooler than Chinese on rice paper!

true dat!

bitflipper


...my ADAMs came with instructions in German, way cooler than Chinese on rice paper!

:-)

In China hergestellt. 
 
:-)

Cool.

:-)

The equators are a great bang for the buck. I've used them for quite some time now. But I also use my 25 year old Yamaha NS10's and JBL 2325's        I've heard good things about the Yamaha's you're looking at. Between the two, I'd go with Yamaha.

In China hergestellt. 

Nein, meine wurden in Deutschland gemacht. Nur das wenig kommen von China, und sie sind scheisse. (Entschuldigungen für mein Deutsch, ist es viele Jahre gewesen.) 

As it turns out, based on some photos I've seen of the Mackies, it appears they are not a sealed box design...they have a port  in the rear of the speaker.

I'm referring to the Mackie MR series...

Failed to address this. Yes they are rear-ported, so the absence of a port shouldn't be factored in as an advantage. As is pretty common for budget monitors.


One of the most frequent comment I've read when evaluating my options was that the Mackies have a bit more bass than the Yamaha, and I have to agree - not that it's exaggerated or anything, but the HS50M seem a bit shy on bass. They're a tiny bit bigger too.