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!

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.

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. :?

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

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?

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.

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.

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: [="http://electro-music.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=6655"]What is bass[/]="http://electro-musi…"]What is bass[/]

A link to a review of the [[url=http://="http://electro-musi…"]ASP8[/]="http://electro-musi…"]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.

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.

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.

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

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.

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. :?

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.

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 :lol: .

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.

.....TOOO.....Many......Buzzwords......must.....get......air!
:lol:

Speakers "not loud enough", "poor bass response", "Too big for room"

These are signs of the marketing hype working.

A loudspeaker or monitor is designed to be linear. If it doesn't work for one type of music, it shouldn't be considered a quality loudspeaker.

Bass should rolloff quite naturally. If there are lumps giving the impression of "more power" in the bass region, the monitor should be avoided at all costs. Bear in mind, the specifications quoted by manufacturers are in their controlled environment, meaning they can essentially get the speaker to perform the way they want it to or until they are satisfied. The proof is in the pudding. Listen to them in *your* environment (hopefully a suitably treated room) and see how they work.

I have yet to hear of a mini-monitor that wasn't loud enough. With even modest power, an inefficient monitor placed at 1 meter or so should be borderline painful at its extremes. Considering most monitors are spec'ed at a minimum efficiency of 86 dB/1 watt continuous power at 1 meter, and that the optimum output of any system should be around RMS 85 dB with peaks extending up to 14 dB or so higher, I would tend to believe that any system could be powerful enough - even if using the most boutique 1 watt tube amp on the market.

Now, being too big for a room - this is a possibility, but none of the speakers mentioned here are running the risk of this even in the smallest of rooms (with the possible exception of the Event ASP 8).

I will personally weigh in favor of the Dynaudios. They are magnificent monitors, quite linear with a smoot and controlled roll off in the lower frequencies. With these monitors, what you hear is what you get. Even their "lower end" BM5As are frikkin awesome. They should be suitable for use in ANY environment with ANY music! :D

In a word - the are "BAD-ASS!" 8-)

I can only urge enough though to avoid the cliche's so often associated with monitors or loudspeakers and simply give them a listen. You'll find that many monitors are good, few are bad and few are truly excellent (kinda like a bell curve...)

I hope this helps without me being too much of a dork.... 8)

J.

Cucco wrote: .....TOOO.....Many......Buzzwords......must.....get......air!
:lol:

Speakers "not loud enough", "poor bass response", "Too big for room"

These are signs of the marketing hype working.

I understand what you're getting at, but I'm gonna have to disagree.

"not loud enough"
This could probably be better said as "not loud enough without distortion" or some other modifier. I'll agree that they all get plenty loud, but some monitors start distorting or changing their frequency response at higher volumes.

"poor bass response"
You're just not going to great bass out of a 4" driver. Rolloff and flatness aside, getting 35hz out of a 4" or even a 6" driver is questionable at best.

"too big for the room"
I think you already spelled this one out yourself, although I'll comment that the Dynaudio BM6's, although a physically small speaker, may be too powerful for a small room.

Now I'm going to quit nitpicking and go listen to my BM5a's because they "produce an absolutely linear phase response with excellent sound dispersion and stereo imaging, while maintaining a small footprint"
:twisted:

Thanks for everyone's responce! Now I'm completely sure that I will be making a great choice by investing in the Dynaudios. :)

hey all, just ran across this post and thought i might as well chime in... i actually *just* ordered myself a pair of BM5a's after believing my current monitors to be a weak link in my chain.

and briefcase:

thats great to hear about how much better they are than the wharfies cuz thats what im upgrading from. i think the wharfies were alright, but... hopefully not in the same league as the dynaudios.

Well, have you gave a listen to the Yamaha MSP% monitors...

are the yamahas even close to comparable with the bm5a's?

BM5a Speakers

Hi all,
Just received my BM5a speakers today. Fantastic. I've mixed on Tannoy, KRK, Yamaha NS-10s, Mackies, all fine in their own regard. I worked with Dyne Air 6s and BM15s, and thought they were fantastic. In my home studio where the gear fingerprint needs to be small, I thought the BM5a would be a reasonable compromise. They don't disappoint. Imaging was great, not hyped in any area in particular. A friend put them up to comparable Genelec and preferred the Dynes. I think it's a solid investment.

Best of luck in your quest

Stewart

I was just at Bango Mart listening to monitors and out of everything they had the Bm5a's and Krk V6's were by far my favorites. They both seemed balanced and had great imaging. I doubt you could go wrong with either of these. I didn't really dig the ASP6's though the ASP8's were better.

Unfortunately my budget didn't allow me to get either of them. A few days ago I bought the KRK Rp5's and I actually went back to look for a good reason to try and convince myself to spend more dough. Rating the V6's and Dyn's as a tie, surprisingly I liked the Rp5's next, over everything else, regardless of price.

Other than a little less extension in the highs and a little (very workable amount) of boominess in the bass, the Rp5's realy sounded like the V6's. The imaging was equaly good. Flipping back and forth I didn't feel like the Rp5's were really lacking anything. On other monitors it was imediately apparent.

Anyway, I am thrilled. For anyone loking for small near fields I recommend listening to the the V6's and Bm5a's and definately if your on a budget give the Rp5's a listen.

I'm not a fan of KRK's at all. To each his own I guess.. It's definitely BM5s for me.

By the way, is it just me, or do the small aluminum Genelecs sound kinda crappy?

I'm looking at the BM5a for my home studio. I see there is a BM9s sub to accomodate the BM5a which is nice. But has anyone compared the BM5a to the Blue Sky System One or Pro Desk?

20 by 20 is terrible for a studio, because it's square. I'm not an expert, but I believe the height of 10 might also be bad, because it's an exact multiple of the width and height. I'd choose another room if I were you.

I don't have the exact dimensions in front of me. Something like 20' W x 14' L x 9' H.

The BM5A and the BM6A might be a little small for that room. Both speakers will put out a decent amount of sound, but you're talking about a lot of air space. You'll need/want a speaker that can put out a little more air-movement.

Check out the BM15 (passive w/ external amp) or BM15a (pricey, but nice.)

Also, consider the new Event ASP8.

J.

Cucco wrote: The BM5A and the BM6A might be a little small for that room. Both speakers will put out a decent amount of sound, but you're talking about a lot of air space. You'll need/want a speaker that can put out a little more air-movement.

Check out the BM15 (passive w/ external amp) or BM15a (pricey, but nice.)

Also, consider the new Event ASP8.

J.

J - Thanks for the info..I was concerned about the power of the BM5a versus the amount space in the room. I pretty much had narrowed it down to the following:

1) BM5a with the BM9s Sub

2) Blue Sky Pro Desk or System One

3) Event ASP8

The Event ASP8 seems to have 100% praise from the reviews I've read and most user stories are purely positive. I have yet to meet anyone who isn't happy with their Blue Sky either. Both have a reasonable amount of power and either an 8" or 12" sub.

Thanks,
MarkH

Yeah, I don't think you could go wrong with the Events - they're quite nice. (Albeit a little big and a tad pricey, but still cheap in comparison to many others.)

As for the Blue Sky - it's a GREAT system. Its price belies its quality. In the very near future, I'll be picking up one of the 5.1 systems for surround mixing/monitoring.

J. 8-)

I went to Guitar Center and listened to the BM5a and Event ASP8 (among others) in a 20' x 35' room and monitoring on a Digi 002R and using the monitor knob to adjust volume. There was no computer attached to the 002R and it was acting stand-alone.

There was something that sounded "right" about the BM5a. The ASP8's were not bad by any means, but I went into GC expecting the BM5a to sound good but possibly underpowered. Given the size of the room I did not feel they were underpowered at all. Maybe my requirements are less than the average person, but if they sounded good in a 20' x 35' room I can't imagine them sounding bad in my 20' x 15' room unless I'm seriously overlooking something. The bass wasn't as "booming" as the newer M-Audio BX8a or the Event ASP8, but I could feel the bass from the BM5a and it sounded proportionate with the rest of the sound coming from the monitors. They grew on my fast. But for those who need or want more bass I suppose this is why Dynaudio released the BM9s 10" 200 Watt Sub which is specifically designed to accomodate the BM5a.

FWIW, the ASP8 are a decent set of monitors and maybe some people will like them better. However, for someone like me who is a self-proclaimed artist writing and remixing music in the home studio, I think the BM5a will fulfill my needs.

Regards,
MarkH

@MarkH - How do you like your BM5A so far? Actually, I have almost made up my mind to buy the Event ASP8. However, after reading your posting, I would like to think about it a bit longer. Can you elaborate a bit on the statment "There was something that sounded "right" about the BM5a"? What make you prefer BM5A to ASP8, thanks a lot!

arznable wrote: @MarkH - Can you elaborate a bit on the statment "There was something that sounded "right" about the BM5a"?

This is the part that is so incredibly hard to put into words. The best thing you can do is take a CD with you that you know really well and play it on the CD player and listen to how it sounds on the different monitors. The music I was listening to sounded completely wrong on the M-Audio BX8a, which I never seriously considered but I was curious anyway. It sound like a hi-fi stereo on the showroom floor at Circuit City. I had an expectation going into Guitar Center knowing what I wanted to hear based on the CD I had. I switched back and forth between the BM5a and ASP8 at least two dozen times while the music was playing (and repeating the same track over and over). I could really FEEL the presence of the music with the BM5a. And I don't mean physically feel the music, but I could feel it in my soul (I know, corny?) that it was proper.

Maybe this all psychological, I don't know. I have to trust my instinctiveness. I think the best way to summarize is that the ASP8 is a great prosumer monitor, like the high end of the low-end market. The BM5a goes one step further and feels like the entry level of the professional market (given that BM6a would be mid-high-end and BM15a the high-end in the series). The BM5a is built upon the same quality high-end components as its bigger brother BM6a, just the Watts on the BM6a are 200 instead of 100 and costs $700 more. Both speakers are the same 6.9" woofers and 1" tweeters. Of course the BM5a uses the newer cabinet style from the Air series.

Regards,
Mark

Studio Monitors

Up until now, i have used my Celestion PA system in my home studio as monitors. What is the advantages of getting studio monitors? Please explain as knowledge limited on studio monitors. Also am considering Event TR8XL. Mackie 824 sounds good but out of price range.

@ashari - The main purpose of studio (or reference) monitors are for mixing and mastering. The main characteristic is that the frequency response is flat throughout the entire frequency spectrum which human can hear (usually 20Hz - 20kHz). During a mixing session, you would like each music instrument or voice sounds exactly like its original, therefore it is important that studio monitors are not coloured in any ways. On the other hand, Hi Fi speakers are for the enjoyment of listening to our favorite music. Therefore, they may be coloured and tuned to be in favor to our ears. If your main purpose is listening music, you may not need a pair of studio monitors. Hope this help.

comparing Dynaudio, ADAM, Genelec and KRK

Today I went to a local music store for 1.5h of monitor testing. I was mainly interested in the Event ASP8 (read only good reviews) and Dynaudio BM5A (heard that they translated well) and wanted to compare them. They didn't have the Events, but the Dynaudios and an array of other monitors. I ended up focusing on:

- Dynaudio BM5A
- Dynaudio BM6A
- ADAM P-11 A
- Genelec 1030 A
- Genelec 8040 A
- KRK RP 8

My focus was on assessing bass, since I do a lot of Drum'n'Bass and Jungle.

My subjective impressions:

Dynaudio BM5A:
Despite my positive expecations, these monitors had a narrow (not spacious), thinnish sound. There was clearly less bass than in other models, and, more importantly, the bass response sometimes seemed uneven, inconsistent.

ADAM P-11 A:
These are about the same price class (somewhat more expensive) as the BM5As, but sounded better: The sound was much more spacious, warm and rich. The bass was fatter, and extended further down.

Dynaudio BM6A:
These are a higher price class than the BM5As, and sounded definitely better: The sound was more spacious, the bass response was even and well-defined and the bass range extended further below. Compared to the ADAMs, they sounded more restrained and controlled (in terms of spaciousness and bass), particularly the bass seemed more-well defined. Actually, the bass of the ADAMs almost seemed a bit boomy compared to the BM6As.

Genelec 1030 A:
They sounded quite pleasing; warmer than the BM5As with better bass. The BM6As sound better, and I also preferred the ADAMs, but I can't clearly pinpoint the difference.

Genelec 8040 A:
Interestingly, the guy at the store said that the 8040As are much better (and newer) than the 1030As, but I immediately disliked their sound. They sounded thin. They sounded as if some part of the frequency spectrum was missing (mid-range, I'd say).

KRK RP8:
I didn't listen to them much, but it was quite obvious that they were inferior. They sounded thin, without spaciousness.

I also listened to a song with female vocals:
The BM5A sounded congested in the vocal range, while the ADAMs and the BM6As sounded natural.

My subjective rating for this mostly bass-oriented material:
1. Dynaudio BM5A
2. ADAM P-11 A
3. Genelec 1030

I still want to test the Event ASP8s, but wasn't able yet to find a place where they have them.

aleph

error: BM6A is on top of ranking list!

Sorry, a typo creeped in.

My correct ranking is:
1. Dynaudio BM6A (*not* BM5A)
2. ADAM P-11 A
3. Genelec 1030