For inexpensive monitors, I've been really happy with my Yorkville YSM-1's. I have the older passive model and I'm powering them with a Hafler P3000 amp. They also have an active version of it out now. For about $225/pair (passives), they are hard to beat IMO. There are some on ebay right now too.

tim wrote:i just started working on the KRK K-Rock model. i've only done two or three sessions with them. the owner at my studio recently switched to them from Event 20/20s which i think suck. maybe they just sucked in our control room, i don't know. but i like the K Rocks much better already, and i can hear the improvement in my mixes. tighter bottom and smoother top than the Events.

Hey, I use K-Rock's too. Boy are they stupid looking, but I actually really like them as mid-fields. I drive them with a Crown DC-300. The bass got alot better when I put them on stands. My only complaint is that maybe they sound a little too flattering but that's what my NS-10's are for.

-Chas.

All the above suggestions are excellent and have their pros and cons - but only if you don't know what they are. I have an ordinary pair of Spirit Absolute Zeros. They have their near field sound and I have learnt to mix on them. But I have only done that by then taking my mixes to other studios and working out where they lie to me (or where other people's monitors lie to me). I also listen to my mixes on every conceivable device cruddy stereos, car stereo, my 5.1 system etc. (I know this is stuff that everyone knows but we loose site of the big picture sometimes.)

The point is I have heard plenty of discussions about monitors and they all are tainted by experience, naivity and general "mines bigger than yours". Mix and listen to other peoples mixes as much as you can on any of the suggested monitors and know them inside out that is the best way to find "your" monitors.

Cheers Luke.