Rather than starting with "good ears," we should say good tools for your ears. Few users still fail to realize how important it is to have faithful, reliable studio monitors in their "home" recording "facilities"
Sometimes I hear or read comments on forums about how good this or that hi-fi speaker sounds in home studios. Obviously, the mix will sound good on those speakers, but it will probably sound horrible on any speakers that don't color the sound the same way as the ones we mixed on. The need for flat studio monitors arises whenever we need (that is, always) to hear our recordings cleanly and "truthfully." That way we can mix in a true, neutral way that can later be heard on hi-fi systems faithfully to our original mix intention.
Active?
Having active, that is, self-powered, monitors gives us two advantages: first, we save the physical space of one more box (the amplifier). Second, we assume the manufacturer has developed an amplification design that is ideal for our purpose: getting clear, neutral sound with accurate frequency response.
So many options: how do I choose?
There is indeed an enormous number of references, brands, models, types and prices. The first selection criterion is price. Based on the budget we can allocate to this item of our "studio," we should make the first cut. As in all (or almost all) product categories, there are entry-level, mid-range and professional ranges. Entry-level products are characterized by very affordable prices and probably poor reliability; mid-range ones by moderate prices that don't go crazy and reasonable quality. Professional ones, for their part, are extremely reliable, with prices aimed at those who can recoup the cost through their work.
For "home studio" setups, I would recommend looking for a modest but effective mid-range option. Going high-end would take a big chunk of the budget away from other items. On the other hand, falling short will make our monitoring system unreliable and, therefore, force us to buy something better in the future.
M-AUDIO'S OFFERING: STUDIOPHILE BX8a
Bi-amplified. We start with a sturdy offering (among this brand's various models): well-finished, good-looking, large and robust monitors. These are two-way active monitors. Their amplification system delivers 70 W to the lows and 60 W to the highs.
About the woofer. They feature a magnetically shielded 9-inch woofer, a high-temperature voice coil and a rubber surround. The material chosen for its construction is Kevlar. Generally, in this price range we find products made of paper or polypropylene, so the manufacturer's effort to raise the level of the components in this respect deserves to be highlighted.
The tweeter. A magnetically shielded 1-inch silk dome, intended to deliver a clean, crisp, distortion-free sound with a natural character. The manufacturer also mentions a good internal damping design that reduces resonance and improves results.
Low-frequency port. The rear panel has a port for air to escape. Its job is to release the lowest frequencies, around 30 Hz and below.
The cabinet. Made of MDF, it incorporates internal bracing designed to absorb vibrations and dampen movement under extreme operating conditions.
Rear panel
As for connections, we have a balanced XLR input and a balanced/unbalanced TRS input. On the back we also find the volume control, the power socket, the voltage selector and the power switch.
Other details
Little more to mention, except for the external main fuse holder, the on/off switch and the front LED power indicator.
Our impressions
This is an option that offers a good finish, size and power at a relatively low price compared with what is on the market. Rather large speakers that could be compared in size to Genelec's 1031A. They don't come with extra frills such as frequency correction switches. Sometimes the monitor's position in our room can harm the linearity of the sound; to avoid these possible deviations, some monitors come with switches that can correct a certain amount of coloration caused by poor placement or the room's acoustic influence. In any case, for the price of this pair, it seems to us a more than reasonable offer, and it is understandable that the product isn't made more expensive with additional features. We understand the manufacturer's intention to be offering a good-looking, well-finished, respectable and interesting pair for a small studio and, most importantly, at an eye-catching price.
A welcome detail (since not all manufacturers include one, although they should) is a satisfactory manual in Spanish that includes placement guidelines, basic explanations of the connections and, in short, everything you need to know for the optimal operation of your new pair of active monitors.
The test and the results to our ears
Although this review is not meant as a comparison, it is inevitable that our ears pick up the acoustic differences of each monitor. Keep in mind that what we are looking for in this listening is truth, fidelity and help with the mix. It's of little use for the monitor to fatten up the material, making it more appealing to our ears. What we need is to know, as accurately as possible, how our mix really sounds.
In the case of this pair, we found sufficient power, a moderate low-end response despite the larger cabinet and woofer, and a notable presence of highs. We have more volume than in the other two cases. A clear sound, without distortion, with a certain naturalness and bright overall. It is easy to locate all the instruments (tracks), which indicates a fairly acceptable frequency distribution considering its tight price.
We liked the price, the transparency and the well-compensated balance between lows, mids and highs. An interesting option for moderate budgets looking for near-field studio monitoring in their first forays.
