I've been using ATC SCM20A monitors for almost 10 years and for acoustic music its the best there is..

Strongly recomended!

/ptr

I would go for what sounds best to you. Buying a good pair of monitor speakers is a serious investment so I would do some homework and lots of listening. If you like a speaker that is a bit out of your price range then you have to look at it as a long range investment and not worry so much about the price but the price to performance ratio. I have heard all of the speakers you mentioned an find that they all have their pluses and minuses. The question is how do they sound to your ears and can you be comforatable with them for the next five to seven years? If you find a pair that you can work with then you should by them irresptive of their price.

Hope this helps!

For nearfields, I'm quite fond of ATC and Quested. From what I've heard, the smaller Lipinski's are also worth a look.

My monitors that I'm using here are Genelec 1031's in the field and for secondary reference here at home and then Norberg Model 28's powered by a Haffler 9505 for my mains. Bob Norberg is one of the main mastering and restoration engineers at Capitol Records here in LA. For awhile, he was making speakers that were reasonably priced and sound awesome.

Another manufacturer is another LA-based guy- Ken Goras (spelling?). He designs many of the speakers that Chris Pelonis uses in his rooms- they are also very good sounding speakers. In the audiophile realm, Paradigm makes a speaker that works quite well as a studio monitor. Before I got my Genelecs, I used to use my Paradigm Reference 20's in the field powered by Bryston 2B amplifiers.

My opinion is split on the powered versus passive monitors. If a powered monitor is made will with an amp that is powerful enough and fits the speaker, it will sound great, but I find that the lower end of the spectrum often have less than stellar amps.

Oh well, I've rambled enough...

--Ben

My main location monitors for large scale stuff in big enough control rooms are a pair of ATC SCM100A/SL.

I also have a pair of Quad ESL 989 electrostatics with Chord SPA1032 power amp and for surround work, a 5.1 set of ATC SCM20ASL-Pro (the die-cast metal ones) and an SCM0.15/ Pro active subwoofer.

On smaller scale jobs, or in venues with smaller control rooms, or with material lacking deep bass, I take a pair of the SCM20s.

I've used the SCM100As since about 199/91 and if the control room is large enough they're very hard to beat for a natural, clean sound and smooth stereo image with a usefully wide dispersion. Even in smaller rooms they work well if you're careful about not upsetting the room acoustic too much by driving them too hard.

The SCM20s are extraordinarily detailed and revealling; possibly the most neutral small speakers I've ever heard.

The Quads are lovely. Clear, smooth, non-tiring on long days but with plenty of neutrality and detail. For me they excel at vocal music and acoustic stuff which isn't bass heavy. The only problem I feel with them are that they don't go really loud or really low so they can have problems with some programme material. I have some clients who prefer the Quads and will put up with lower monitoring levels (I don't normally listen very loudly anyway) and a bit of bass lightness just for the way the Quads image and present midrange detail so transparently.

At home I'm currently using Dynaudio C2s (not the current "Contour" model; the old one that was a "professional" black version of their Kraft hi-fi speaker) with two bridged mono Dynaudio DCA450 amps, Acoustic Energy AE1s with an Omniphonics S300B, amp and the Creative Labs shoebox/matchbox sized sub/satellite things that came free with my PC soundcard.

Other speakers I particularly like include some of the B+W Nautilus range, various Questeds (especially the 3208s) and the very large PMC transmission lines - though really dislike the smaller speakers in the PMC range; and K+H O300Ds are pretty good - not particularly neutral but generally well balanced, clean and easy to get used to.

Choosing monitors is not an easy task. Currently, in one studio I have the complete NHT Pro surround sound system (2 pair A-20s, one C-20 and stereo subs - B-20s), which I use with the Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra, Opera and May Festival. I have always been fond of the NHT Pro product, though sometimes the metal dome tweeter can get a little bright - but I tend to like that.

I my primary studio, I have Quested monitoring. However, since that room is going to get a face lift soon and a new complete surround sound monitoring system will be installed, I am going to listen to some other brands once again. If you are in the area, you are free to listen with me.

I'll be comparing what I have (Quested VS2108s) with Lipinski's, PMC and likely new NHT Pros. In the past, I have not been particularly favorable of ported speakers, but I will say the Quested's are very well balanced. I have heard PMCs in the past, and have found those pleasurable as well. Only time will tell what I choose.

Pray tell, Alex, why no B&W or ATC?

Rich

Sonarerec wrote: Pray tell, Alex, why no B&W or ATC?

Rich

ATC is way more expensive and I have not been particularly fond of the 2-way/3-way B&Ws for the cost.

Alex

I've really been enjoying the Dynaudio BM15s.

As for ATCs - I also like them, but they are far more expensive than they are worth. Perhaps if they were half or less their price they would represent a reasonable value.

B&W and Paradigms are quite nice and are a good value for the $$.

Essentially, any speaker which is relatively linear and you can familiarize yourself with will work. The trick is more in the room itself and how you monitor (see Bob Katz's info regarding K14 and K20).

J.

I´ve just fetched a pair of Atc scm20asl.

Heavy stuff, I mean, I could hardly lift them. Listening right now on my reference records. Not quite that "disco bass", but for acoustic music I immediately took to likening them. Only time will tell how well they work in mixing.

I got the pair for 20.000 SEK, with current exchange rate 7,77 it would be around 2574 USD. They have been around a while, quite a bit of scratches here and there. But they look they are built like tanks, so who I am I to worry.

Gunnar

ghellquist wrote: I´ve just fetched a pair of Atc scm20asl.

Heavy stuff, I mean, I could hardly lift them. Listening right now on my reference records. Not quite that "disco bass", but for acoustic music I immediately took to likening them. Only time will tell how well they work in mixing.

I got the pair for 20.000 SEK, with current exchange rate 7,77 it would be around 2574 USD. They have been around a while, quite a bit of scratches here and there. But they look they are built like tanks, so who I am I to worry.

Are these the Active "Pro" ones, if so then You've found yourself a gigant bargain. I bought mine from the swedish distributor for 21.000 Sek a piece (42.000 + sales tax for the pair {$5276).

If those are the passive ones, what dio You drive them with?

I love to mix with the SCM20's, even use them for lacation recording (despite their 30kilo/66lb each weight). Tho I have mine enhanced with a subwoofer in the editing room...

/ptr

I love ATC's here, but unfortunately I just can't afford them. A studio where I worked for a period of time as an editor and ME was based around ATC. They had SCM150's as mains in the "A" room and SCM 50's in the "B" room and SCM20's in the surround room. The SCM150's were probably the most revealing and smoothest monitors I've ever used. Ambient classical editing was a breeze with these things- I never had to double check anything on a secondary monitoring system (usually headphones for edits) as they were so revealing.

If I had to replace my beloved Norberg's, I'd look at them, Quested, Lipinski, the Genelec S30D, and probably PMC.

--Ben

It is the active, 30 kg (60 pound) ones. Used from Swedish Television. Probably quite old, with quite a few scratches, but to methe elements look like they have been changed recently.

This is really a link to look at:
http://svt.se/svt/jsp/Crosslink.jsp?d=12607
click on the link to get to the sales list. You never now what to find there.

Gunnar

ghellquist wrote: It is the active, 30 kg (60 pound) ones. Used from Swedish Television. Probably quite old, with quite a few scratches, but to methe elements look like they have been changed recently.

What is the word I've highlighted, it's not in my dictionary?

It seems like You have gotten a damd good bargain. The good thing with ATC is that their service department are quite nice to deal with. And their spareparts are quite sensibly priced for Pro stuff..

Thanks for the link, I'll keep an eye on that list! :shock:

/ptr

ptr wrote: [quote=ghellquist]It is the active, 30 kg (60 pound) ones. Used from Swedish Television. Probably quite old, with quite a few scratches, but to methe elements look like they have been changed recently.

What is the word I've highlighted, it's not in my dictionary?
/ptr

I think it's supposed to be "me the": two words, not one.

Mike

hughesmr wrote: I think it's supposed to be "me the": two words, not one.

Thanks Mike, sometimes its impossible to read some words when You've been staring into a computer screen all day!!!

/ptr

Indeed. It was supposed to be two words. Anyway, a lot of listening and I am very happy.

Gunnar

After auditioning several brands, I settled on a pair of Genelec 8040A's for location use. Quite different (and better to my ear) than the 103x series, and thier metal enclosures make them fairly durable.

recordista wrote: After auditioning several brands, I settled on a pair of Genelec 8040A's for location use. Quite different (and better to my ear) than the 103x series, and thier metal enclosures make them fairly durable.

Kurt -

Before you spend the money, I highly suggest you take a listen to some of the NHT Pro M00s. You'll find equal if not slightly better performance at less cost.

I've owned my 8040A's since December and am quite happy with them.

The M-00's would make an awfully nice pair of desktop speakers, though. Hmm...

I'll agree with Alex on this one.

Anyone in need of good portable (my definition of portable is tiny and easily moved in a small carry case - IOW, not Gen 1032s...)monitors have two choices :

Poor man - Audix PH5-v (great portables in their own right, especially given their price)

Slightly less poor man - NHT M-00 As far as minis go, there ain't much better. Plus, they're damn cheap and put out monsterous amounts of sound (and good sound at that.) True, they won't do ANYTHING for bass, but for portable monitoring, bass is the least concern (since most portable locations won't give you good bass anyway.)

Plus, they can be part of your regular rig - 5 of those and an NHT Pro (Verging) sub - a beautiful and cheap 5.1 rig.

Of course, if you want the real deal - the A20s and their matched subs are friggin great! I loved their pro speakers so much, that's what I used for my home and mastering set up. They're a slightly different breed (the 2.5i's) but the same engineering and build philosophy and AWESOME sound. (If clinical and linear is your definition of awesome).

Alex - I drool over your A20 setup. These are one of those rare speakers that are good at just about everything - near field, mid-field, mains and even mastering in the right situation!

Just make sure your floor is reinforced to handle the subs...

J.