Due to my ex’s intolerance of sound and tidyness I did most playin with earphones and had small 4" monitors (M-audio Studiophile av 40) on the bookshelf that I used when she managed to step outside. But now that I live with a more sound and space tolerant girlfriend and recently purchased a Voyager, I thought it’d be madness not being able to hear what the Voyager really sounds like. I think the small ones sound allright, but then you never know what you’re missing until you experience the options, do you? (Hmm, am I still talking about monitors? 
) So, I thought I’d ask you about your experiences with the Voyager and monitors. I can imagine the low end of the Voyager being muddied or hidden by my small speakers so speakers that go down to about 45-50 Hz would be preferable. But what about those highs that isn’t too prominent on the Voyager, do I risk a duller sound if choosing size (w deeper bass) over more detailed high frequencies? I can’t spend that much cash at the moment on monitors, so I have to choose between the two (uuh, even still talking about monitors?)
i use 2 peavey eurosys speakers ( 12"+2 piezo’s each ) and an old bell amp, if it really has to go extreme or if i want to tweak around.
only danger is blowing up the piezo’s which can cheaply be replaced.
for recording i rely on the dynaudio bm15p with samson amp,
both systems give good sound , are not too expensive.
best thing i guess is to go for full range, no danger that the bass will be too overweighted then.
A pair of inexpensive near field monitors with 5 or 6 inch woofers and a subwoofer is a good inexpensive way to do it and stay small.
Ahh MBlom, more tolerant grilfriend, Voyager… life is going better and better right? 
I cannot really give advice about monitors since I never got any. I use an AER Compact 60 most of the time, which allows me to move it around, plug a second instrument/microphone without the need of any mixer (I had my first mixer few months ago).
I goes down to something like 45Hz, and a friend of mine told me lately: “aren’t you concerned bout having Moog synths and not being able to enjoy their full bass potential?..” He sees some 12" or 15" speakers as the ideal system for them (Compact 60 = 5-6" I think…)
I say, for home use, 45Hz is ok.
It sure is!
Think I’ll save another month and buy a pair of used 8". There’s an ad for a pair of passive Alesis Monitor one mkII with amp for $250. Should do the trick, no? Or used Behringer Truth B2031A for a little less.
For years I used the original Event 20/20bas monitors, worked fine. Later updated to the Event ASP 8. Used they will be more than the Alesis combo but I think worth it. The new version of the 20/20bas are also supposed to be very nice, pretty much the same design as the original but with more power.
If you want a really nice set of monitors, save up and get the Event Opals…
From a non studio monitor perspective, look at the QSC K 10 or K 12, either are going to give you a nice warm detailed sound very close to studio monitors. The new Yamaha DXR line has also been getting good reviews. Inexpensive are the Altos, they do no have the same sound quality of the more expensive ones but they work pretty well. JBL and Mackie also have nice ones but I think the QSC has the edge.
in that case i would also go for the events.
however, once too loud with high resonance a sweep, will ruin your tweeters…
Or your ears
I’ve been using various bass amplifiers with my voyager and little phatty for years now. I find mst 1x15 cabs actually do a decent job of reproducing highs and thy absolutely allow the low end shine! The voyager can get super deep and a bass amp really helps bring those tones through. Studio monitors are probably fine for jamming at home but they’re not really going to give you the full experience of a 15 inch speaker with a decent 200 watt bass amp connected to it.
Well, home use is what I was thinking about. And I think I’ll stick to studio monitors instead of instrument amplifiers or sub/satellite systems since I from time to time make the odd song and mix. Leaning towards used 8" monitors.
But sometime I’ll definitely bring my Voyager to my metal bands rehearsal room and connect it to my 100 W Marshall Super Bass tube amplifier with a biiiiig 4x12" cabinet. That’ll be pure pleasure!
Just found out there’s a pair (I guess, doesn’t say if it’s a pair) of used Event 20/20 bas V2 at the music store for $350. Can’t try them out though since it’s a 4 hour drive from me. Thinking about adding those to my order for a Voyager ATA hard case.
I mean, those 4" monitors I have now. Can’t imagine them faring well compared to larger monitors and drivers, no? I mean, they only go down to 85Hz. Of course I could bring them and the Voyager to a music store to compare them with other monitors. But I think that’ll just be a hassle with an obvious result. Please tell me if I overexagerate the importance of getting larger monitors! I can get really tired of myself always planning for the next piece of music equipment.
Bummer. Those Events were broken and might be unfixable. Well, I guess I need to cool this thing down a bit. Play some music and save some dough.
Can’t stop praising my new monitor set at home: A pair of ADAM A77x. They are affordable, at least here in Germany. They producing the whole frequency band easily without the help of a sub, but they are also far from a boomy or resonating bass sound.
Get a decent pair of 8" active monitors. Then later you can add a sub. I’m using Mackie HR824’s which I picked up for $800 used plus a Blue Sky 12" sub that was $400 new.
Congrats on the GF upgrade… Does she have a sister?
Stephen
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I’ve been thinking a lot about what way to go. The thing is that I stand when I play and make music, so there’s the issue of placement. Large speakers will have to be on tall stands that will make me nervous, if I get hold of such at all. Smaller 5-6" speakers could be hung on the wall but not deliver sufficient bass. I started thinking about getting a sub system and found out about the M-Audio SBX10 Subwoofer that’s reasonably priced for my needs. Then I could use my M-Audio Studiophile AV 40 4" speakers as satellites hung on the wall. What do you think about that?
Get the sub. I’ve got that SBX10 in my studio (paired with some adam A7’s) and the low end is magic with the voyager. You would be doing yourself an injustice missing out on the insane moog low end without a sub. Quality headphones and a “bass shaker” transducer for your chair might work as well if volume is an issue.
He he. Actually she does, though they’re under aged. I just barely made it
Good to hear! I’m just gonna try some other speakers first to make sure I don’t miss out on too much high frequencies with my AV 40s. Borrowed a pair of Dynaudio from the music store, but they’re XLR in and I don’t have that cord at home. Bummer! A/B testing tomorrow then, so for now it’s just play play play fun fun fun!
Tried a Dynaudio BM5A MkII next to one of my AV40 today and there was as expected a difference in clarity but not that obvious, to my ears at least. So I’ll be allright with my small monitors together with the SBX10 sub for quite a while and then if I feel the need I’ll get a pair of expensive small monitors. Glad I tried another set of monitors so I know how my monitors are compared to some one or two steps up the ladder.
Got the SBX10 today and it delivered bass allright. Unfortunately waaay too much. I could only use the volume control up to 5%. I didn’t realise a sub would give that much power. Should’ve taken the 240W spec more into account. Think I’ll try to return it tomorrow. Or exchange for a pair of 6-7" monitors. Bummer. Really thought this sub would be great, but it’s just too much. And I won’t enjoy playing if I too easily will worry about disturbing the neighbours.