elwoodblues1969
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Studiophile,Audiophile & Synthophile.
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« on: August 09, 2011, 07:46:45 PM » |
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Just received my D5's today and first off,I'd like to mention that with regard to the lack of markings around the areas of the volume & room correction knobs as indicated in the photos on the website,is false(for anyone who may have concerns about this).
There are in fact,A multitude of precision markings around the "sensitivity" knob,as well as 3 numerals to indicate 3 different settings on the "boundary" knob.
Speaking of which-the tactile aspect of the knobs alone,is a good indication of how solid & precise these monitors are,as they are built like an armored truck.
The face plate surrounding the drivers appears to be plastic,but feels very well in tact,so I can't be sure of what the material really is.I love the fact that the D5's are more compact than my CX5's and still manage to deliver an adequate amount of low end to mix effectively(though I haven't actually mixed on them as of yet).
The boundary settings are marked as 1,2 & 3...three being the most bass,which is what I had presumed as being the ideal setting,being that the spec sheet indicates 53Hz and has it turns out,it seems to be the right setting at this point in time.
My room is small,moderately treated & has an overabundance of furniture in it,as well as my monitors being placed away from the corners.
I've listened to several songs I've recently recorded & mixed on my Adam A7's and everything was spot on...tight & ample bass & impeccably smooth & articulate mids & highs.
I set the volume levels of my D5's at 75%,as well as my audio interface,which is an effective level of volume I like to work with.Most of my songs have a fair amount of punch to them and the D5's can really take a beating,as the driver cone did not falter at all.
The details revealed in the reverbs & delays-as well as other nuances were as clear to me as if I had a pair of high end headphones on(certainly on par with my Adam A7's,but more of a plug & play factor with the D5's).
The ultimate listening test for me,was when I listened to a tune I arranged & recorded,using only a vocal track in MP3 format and adding all of my own instrumentation.
I used Suzanne Vega's vocals(so I obviously had to guess what the tempo was) and I ended up making a series of several splices,just to get the vocals to fit my music.
That being said,there was quite a few artifacts of areas where I made the splices,but I did my best to conceal them.
It's something you couldn't really hear on average monitors like my CX5's,but those splices were clear as day,on the D5's & that was the defining moment,when I new I had bought something really special!
The true test of course,will be to mix on them,but thus far,I am really shocked at how accurately the D5's represented my recordings and I never even dreamed of getting this kind of quality out of a $300 pair of monitors.
The D5's are really a purchase of a lifetime....as I don't think I'll ever come across a deal like this again!
-Thom
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« Last Edit: August 10, 2011, 01:08:00 AM by elwoodblues1969 »
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elwoodblues1969
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Posts: 4478
Studiophile,Audiophile & Synthophile.
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« Reply #1 on: August 10, 2011, 01:10:40 AM » |
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Oren
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« Reply #2 on: August 10, 2011, 04:16:34 PM » |
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...the tactile aspect of the knobs alone,is a good indication of how solid & precise these monitors are...
...more compact than my CX5's and still manage to deliver an adequate amount of low end to mix effectively...
I've listened to several songs I've recently recorded & mixed on my Adam A7's and everything was spot on...tight & ample bass & impeccably smooth & articulate mids & highs...
The details revealed in the reverbs & delays-as well as other nuances were as clear to me as if I had a pair of high end headphones...
...you couldn't really hear on average monitors like my CX5's,but those splices were clear as day,on the D5's & that was the defining moment...
... never even dreamed of getting this kind of quality out of a $300 pair of monitors... Sounds like you have a big winner there, Thom. If I find some excess cash in the next little while, these puppies may also be gracing my mixing/mastering set-up...  |
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elwoodblues1969
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Posts: 4478
Studiophile,Audiophile & Synthophile.
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« Reply #3 on: August 26, 2011, 01:39:30 AM » |
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Some good news for my friends abroad,which is that Equator Audio are making voltage modifications to 230v on their D5's,upon request(until such time as they can have 230v versions on a mass scale). I think the D5's would be of particular interest to Marc,as they present a significant monitor upgrade at an unprecedented low price!  -Thom |
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Marc JX8P
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« Reply #4 on: August 26, 2011, 09:05:19 AM » |
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They look very good but a bit on the wide side; I don't have too much space to the side of my monitors. Nevertheless, I am looking at getting some new monitors this year so I've been reading up on your reviews. You've become quite the KM-monitor expert!
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Also known as Marc JXP
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elwoodblues1969
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Posts: 4478
Studiophile,Audiophile & Synthophile.
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« Reply #5 on: August 26, 2011, 02:38:30 PM » |
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Marc, The dimensions of the D5's across the board,are smaller than you're KRK RP5's. You're KRK's: 11.1" 7.3" 9.1" The D5's: 9.75" 7" 8.5" I thought the ultra-compactness of the D5's was something you would appreciate and the reality is,you won't find any other monitors on the planet of this quality,for less than $1,000 As for me being a monitor expert,I'm far from it,as I merely try to gather up enough information to make a smart purchase on monitors...that's all.  -Thom |
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Moon
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« Reply #6 on: August 26, 2011, 06:45:54 PM » |
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These look very interesting, aspecially with a very modest pricetag. If these monitors can compete with your previous Adams, then they definetly have to be on your shortlist when you're looking for a new set of monitors.
Moon
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Marc JX8P
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« Reply #7 on: August 26, 2011, 07:33:38 PM » |
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Marc,
The dimensions of the D5's across the board,are smaller than you're KRK RP5's.
You're KRK's: 11.1" 7.3" 9.1"
The D5's: 9.75" 7" 8.5"
LOL - must be the form factor then; they seemed fatter and wider than my KRK's. They indeed seem very good. Unfortunately my usual music stores don't carry them (one of them does have a subwoofer model of this manufacturer though, so there's a chance that they might still get them). |
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Also known as Marc JXP
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elwoodblues1969
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Posts: 4478
Studiophile,Audiophile & Synthophile.
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« Reply #8 on: August 26, 2011, 08:12:25 PM » |
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Marc,
The dimensions of the D5's across the board,are smaller than you're KRK RP5's.
You're KRK's: 11.1" 7.3" 9.1"
The D5's: 9.75" 7" 8.5"
LOL - must be the form factor then; they seemed fatter and wider than my KRK's. They indeed seem very good. Unfortunately my usual music stores don't carry them (one of them does have a subwoofer model of this manufacturer though, so there's a chance that they might still get them). At this point in time,Equator Audio is selling to the consumer directly(hence the huge discount),so the D5's are not sold in any retail stores whatsoever and when they eventually make it to the stores,they will cost considerably more(bear in mind that the list price per pair is $749). The D5's come with a 60 day unconditional refund option,so they are available to you,if you're serious about buying them.I don't know the cost of the shipping to the Netherlands,but at $300 a pair,it's still a great deal. -Thom |
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SLD Music
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« Reply #9 on: September 07, 2011, 09:26:34 PM » |
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So, it's been about a month now... Still liking these? I need monitors at some point, and am trying to do my research. I couldn't help but notice you were using them in your picture with the MOX6...  |
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« Last Edit: September 07, 2011, 09:28:41 PM by SLD Music »
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elwoodblues1969
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Posts: 4478
Studiophile,Audiophile & Synthophile.
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« Reply #10 on: September 07, 2011, 09:56:18 PM » |
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So, it's been about a month now... Still liking these? I need monitors at some point, and am trying to do my research. I couldn't help but notice you were using them in your picture with the MOX6... Actually,I am currently using my Adam A7's with my MOX6,as I swapped monitors amongst my 2 workstations.Yes,I still like my D5's very much-as they are very useful for critical mixing....although I prefer my Adam A7's,as they have a bit more detail and an extended low end response. An integral part of liking your monitors,is having them in an acoustically treated room and the size of your room,also accounts for what monitors you will like best. If you have monetary concerns,then the D5's are the absolute best at this price,but I find the Adam monitors to be ideal. -Thom |
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