From Sound On Sound, reviewing the MR5 and the MR8:

(excerpt)

If you’re after an affordable monitor but don’t want to skimp by buying something too cheap that you might later regret, both of these Mackie models perform well given the price range they inhabit. The larger MR8 Mk2 model is best reserved for larger rooms, while the MR5 Mk2 is ideal for many small and medium‑sized rooms, especially if used up close. While there are inevitable compromises when building a speaker to this price point, the reality is that both models do a good job of letting you know how your mix really sounds, and your hearing system will have no problem tuning out the subtle tonal anomalies. If you like the idea of a Mackie HR‑series monitor but can’t justify the price, you might find that these MR Mk2s get you close enough for significantly less outlay.

All the above being said, you need to make sure that you are monitoring in a room without significant acoustical issues. As stated many times before in various threads all over this forum, the room you are mixing in is just as important as the speakers you are mixing through.

If your room has issues with standing waves, flutter echo, ringing, etc., then you could be using the best monitors money can buy and you're still going to have problems.

source: [[url=http://[/URL]="http://www.soundons…"]Mackie MR5 & MR8 Mk2[/]="http://www.soundons…"]Mackie MR5 & MR8 Mk2[/]

fwiw
-d.

If you mix through phones,your mixes will not transfer well to speakers.If you are using reverbs the mixes will be ambience heavy(as reverb gets enhanced by the early reflections in a room),and the bass will out of wack.You will have to play your tracks on as many systems outside of your studio as you can,and go back and tweek the mixes until they sound good on all of the systems.
If you are mixing in a small, untreated room,too many untreated early relections will cause you comb filtering at the mix position,and your bass will be out of wack,so you will have to test your mixes on many system either way.The Mackies would require a sub for accurate Low end end,as they are only a 5 inch driver,so even in a treated room,you will have to check you mixes on other systems.Even the Adam A7 would benefit from a sub.

Headphone Mixing Article >>>> [[url=http://[/URL]="http://www.bluebear…"]Whad'ya Mean I Can't Mix With Headphones????[/]="http://www.bluebear…"]Whad'ya Mean I Can't Mix With Headphones????[/]

Great Article

bruce,

that's a great article. you should post it as an individual post ... maybe it will be turned into a sticky. thumb

One has to wonder though,with alot of music being listened to smokeon buds,perhaps we should be checking our mixes on them as well.

Audiofreek, post: 401946 wrote: One has to wonder though,with alot of music being listened to smokeon buds,perhaps we should be checking our mixes on them as well.

there's lots of things people are doing. but doesn't mean we should be all going to hell with them (rap/ dubstep / noise / and electronic music in general in mind). stupidity has to be stopped somewhere. here is as good a place as any other.

JEBUZ! duh

the blurb Bruce just put up ... read the part where it says people all hear differently and headphones (ear buds) exacerbate the problems.

the alesis m1 mk2 active are very nice in the price range, i thoroughly enjoyed them for a few weeks when my cousin let me borrow them.

Kurt Foster, post: 401939 wrote: bruce,

that's a great article. you should post it as an individual post ... maybe it will be turned into a sticky. thumb

Thanks Kurt!

The only problem with posting it separately is that if I make changes/updates to the article (as I occasionally do) they won't get propagated to the thread....