Dynaudio BM5a vs. BM6a vs. Event ASP6 ????

Posted: Wed Aug 03, 2005 7:38 pm

I need new monitors for mixing, and I'm doing a lot of research and reading reviews. At first I thought of getting the Event ASP6, because I own some 20/20p right now, and I tend to be conservative in my choice of equipment. Then I heard about Dynaudio...

Everyone says Dynaudio translates incredibly well. The 20/20s didn't translate well, and I thought that's because I suck at mixing, but apparently it's a common problem.

My mind is set on the Dynaudio BM5a, because the BM6a cost too much. Will I be missing out if I choose the BM5a over the BM6a?

I deal with electronic music, so I need clear, deep bass. Can the BM5a's do the job?

I realize that the BM5a are not as loud as the BM6a, but it's ok, because they're for my home studio.

How do the Event ASP6 compare to the BM5a?

Please post opinions and reviews

Posted: Wed Aug 03, 2005 11:33 pm

I own a pair of BM6A's and they are outstanding monitors - HOWEVER - they are not noted for their exceptional bass response. The BM5A's have an even poorer bass response than the 6A's.

If you want to go the Dynaudio route and you need a monitoring system that can accurately translate very low bass frequencies than you will need to buy a sub which Dynaudio makes.

The other point to consider is that the 6A and the 5A are not very loud monitors.

You may want to check out a pair of Genelec 1031A's which are louder and have a better low frequency response. It may suit your purposes a little better. I hope that helps, good luck!

Posted: Wed Aug 03, 2005 11:54 pm

I'll second what Digger said. I have the BM5a's, and while they're aboslutely great monitors, they may not be very well suited for electronic music production. They have a bottom end to them, but it's not as pronounced as say, the ASP8's or the Mackie 824's, it definitely has a learning curve for the bass. I haven't heard the ASP6's, so I can't really comment on them, but I think you would be better off with something that has a 8" driver over a 6". The ASP8's would be awesome, and not a whole lot more than a pair of BM5a's.

On the other hand, you could take the time to learn the BM5a's and do just fine. Adding a sub is always another option, but you really have to have it tuned to the room, or you're going to go nuts trying to figure out the bass.

Posted: Thu Aug 04, 2005 11:22 am

Thanks for responding. I'm trying to avoid using a sub, and I'm trying to choose monitors which are specifically small, so I can take them with me when traveling.

I'd consider the Mackie HR624, but their bottom starts at 52 Hz!! Come to think of it, the Dynaudio is 50 Hz... Mackies are 100W though...

Help! I'd choose the Event ASP6, but I'm not sure they'll translate well. Confused

Many years ago, I was using M-Audio SP-5B. They were kinda crappy, and the bass wasn't great. But apparently they went down to 33 Hz

Posted: Thu Aug 04, 2005 4:44 pm

I have a little add-on question to stick in here. How about KRK V8's? I don't know if anyone here has used both, but between the BM5A and the V8 which do people like? I have been considering the Dynaudios or the KRKs for some new monitors. Possible the V6 + the KRK sub. Don't have a clue where I could try them out. Any thoughts?

Posted: Thu Aug 04, 2005 5:59 pm

The Dynaudio's and KRK's are worlds apart. To me the KRK sound more like higher-end home stereo speakers. A little more hype to them.

But really, if you just find something that sounds good to you, you can learn to mix on it. You're going to have to do some learning no matter what monitors you buy for what price.

Posted: Thu Aug 04, 2005 6:12 pm

on Monday, I'm meeting with a guy from Sweetwater to listen to the 6" Mackies, and compare them to the Dynaudio 5a. Should be fun. I'll post the results.

Posted: Sat Aug 06, 2005 7:22 am

The ASP 6 compares well with the Dynaudio monitor, but these have slightly different personalities.

If you are making popular electronic music then you won´t be really meddling with truly deep bass anyway, but it is a good idea to get monitors that goes deep and have the low end "cutoff" problem area pushed below 60hz. The ASP8s will do just fine.

However, your listening room must be properly damped. If you are having problems with your 20/20s now, then you should look into the room first. If you are lacking bass, then the room is most certainly having serious problems.

An alternative to buying bigger, "better " and more expensive speakers right now is simply to solve the room problems. You might even look into a pair of Yamaha MSP5s in addition to the 20/20s you already have.

A link to a thread about bass: What is bass

A link to a review of the ASP8

The way you describe your needs sounds to me like you have room issues. Solve that before you buy any new monitors. The Event 20/20s are no matter what pretty decent monitors with a sonic behaviour that is typical for a lot of mid to high quality monitors. This means that if you get the room right for the 20/20s then the room will be OK for much more expensive monitors too.

Posted: Sat Aug 06, 2005 10:39 am

Thanks for the reply. I've actually never heard the room yet; it will be a new apartment. I don't want to keep the 20/20s, because they're too big for a small room, and they have even too much bass, which is likely to disturb the neighbors.

About acoustically treating the room: I like when the room sounds like a normal room in which people live. Usually I minimalistically get rid of flutter echo by putting rugs or blankets on walls (so when I clap my hands, there's no echo). I will also use the switches on the back of the speakers to roll off the highs if the room is too bright.

Posted: Mon Aug 08, 2005 4:59 pm

Tested speakers today for 2 hours in a studio.

Dynaudio BM5a are a million times better than the 6 inch Mackies, and much better than the aluminum Genelecs of the same size.

Posted: Mon Aug 08, 2005 5:27 pm

Cool . Did you try the BM6A's or any other speakers while you were there?

Posted: Mon Aug 08, 2005 6:02 pm

about your comments regardig the 8's being to loud and that the neighbors will hear them, they'll hear the sixes too you're just going to have to pick a time to do it when nobody will be pissed. also you really won't get into the small monitors until you get down to the 5" models and you probably won't like those. If you like the way 8's sound to you then pick a good pair and find a time you don't piss the neighbors off.

Posted: Mon Aug 08, 2005 8:24 pm

I didn't get to hear the BM6a's. They're out of my price range anyway. The sound of the BM5a's just knocked my socks off! The other speakers sound like mixing speakers with different personalities, but the Dynaudios just sound.. magical.. They can get pretty damn loud too, and the bass is great. I don't know what people are talking about when they say there is not enough bass.. the Mackies had crappy bass; Dynaudios definitely have enough bass. This is one of those times when the reviews are right: they are pretty wonderful speakers.

PS: I was very surprised and dissapointed with the small aluminum Genelecs. I expected them to sound good, but they turned out to be kinda crappy. Confused

Posted: Mon Aug 08, 2005 10:28 pm

I think a lot of people that complain about a lack of bass in the BM5a's are dealing with either a poorly tuned (or too large) room or are looking for more of a 'sub in the car' type of bass that's really friggin loud. I have mine in a small room, and while I'm not rattling windows with them, they're definitely giving me a picture of the low end.

And don't feel bad about the Genelec's, they're almost as hotly debated as NS-10s. Personally I didn't like any Genelec I ever heard.

Posted: Tue Aug 09, 2005 12:44 am

I recently got the bm5a's from soundpure and I LOVE them! They are worlds better than the wharfedale diamond pro 8.2a's that everyone at homerecording.org raves about. Actually, it seems like all the recommendations I've gotten from that site have left me wanting more and I have sold or have wanted to sell......weird Laughing

.

Haven't tried any of the other monitors listed for comparison but I don't see how anyone could not like the dynaudio's. They show me exactly what was missing with my wharfedales that I was hearing on other playback systems. They translate very very well and are easy to listen to.

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