The M-Audio Bx5a(the previous line,not the new Deluxe line).
Since I already have the 8" version of these,I had some idea of what I was in for,but unlike my home theatre configuration,my 5" BX5a's are 1' & 5" from my ears and the walls are acoustically treated,altering the playing field-considerably.
Overall sound quality;
Many dj's & strictly electronic musicians,as well as inexperienced ears,have a tendancy to complain that the BX5a's are lacking in the low end-which is a good thing-in fact,a very good thing,as who wants over-powering & boomy low end in a confined pc workstation area for critical listening?!
These monitors are built exactly for this purpose,as in a small,treated work-space,these monitors are balanced quite well in terms of low end,while also providing the necessary amount of bass to mix those electronic bass drums & synth bass riffs properly.
As the experienced ear knows,the smaller monitors have the advantage of better mid range clarity amongst budget monitors and the BX5a's are no exception.
As for the high end,the tweeters on the BX5a's are quite brite at close range,which may fatigue one's ears in a prolonged recording session,but I have never myself,worked such extremely long hours,without taking at least a 20 minute break every 2 hours,so I've never experienced ear fatigue.
Amplifier quality;
At a dead silence-with my ear inches away from the monitors,I heard about 2 to 3 decibals of amplifier hiss,but this is typical of a monitor in this price range and it does not,in no way,hinder the mixing or mastering process whatsoever.
In fact,my pc tower is reasonably quiet and even that is considerably louder than the noise of the BX5a's,because from a distance of a foot & a half,the ampilfier hiss is inaudible.
Amplifier power is more than ample,as my volumes are set at 1/3 of it's total power and that's all the power I can stand at close range!
At M-Audio's original street price of $300(USD),there was quite a bit of comparible monitors,so the determining factor for purchase,would be whether or not one required an RCA input,as the BX5a's only have TRS & XLR inputs.
Since this particular line on monitors are now replaced with the new Deluxe line,I got my pair for $150
!!!
Needless to say,for me,their worth every red cent & then some!
For those that are interested, bhphotovideo.com still has them in stock,but for a very limited time I'm sure...so snatch them up if you can!
-Thom
