The Right C2D monitor for the home

[Ole Plunkster]

Thank you all for a great forum. It helped me a lot in the short time I've been using it. I recently got a C2D to fulfill my lifelong desire to own a B3. I felt it was a better solution than contending with the mechanical complexities of the original.

By way of background, I am not a musician, neither by training nor talent, but I have a lot of fun playing with my C2D and had a keyboard years ago which I used with a sequencer, to my great joy, and everyone else's great consternation. Now that I have more time to dedicate to keyboard, I hope it's never too late to learn enough that I get requests other than "Use your headphones."

So I am here seeking your suggestions for an amp / speaker combination or active speaker which I can use as a monitor for the C2D in my home.

I would not ever carry it to gigs, so compact size is not pre-requisite. It will stay put once it is positioned in my 55ft L x 32ft W x 25ft H open space Living Room / Dinning Room. All the surfaces of the room are "hard" and the "ceiling" is a barrel roof, so the space is very "live", with extended echo times. Generally, I have a preference for "bullet proof" products and have little patience for things which require maintenance. I have a pretty well developed ear, having been an audiophile for over 50 years. I like deep, defined bass but hate "boom". I prefer smooth, precise treble to the peaky treble exhibited by some speakers in an effort to achieve a sense of "clarity". Unlike many audiophiles I have no objection to well executed DSP.

Thank you for sharing your knowledge and experience.

[cgiles]

My first choice would be the 'new' Leslie 122 (the wooden one). I have the 3300 which I use with my C2D and it sounds great in large club spaces similar to your proposed use area. Second choice would be a PAIR of HIGH QUALITY (EV or Yamaha) 12" powered monitors run in stereo no more than 8ft apart (to optimize the 'Leslie' simulation). I use EV SXa250's with my KeyB Duo Mk111 in a 25x30 studio/rehearsal room in my home and they sound very good. They have been replaced now by EV but I don't recall the model number of their replacement. Some prefer smaller (8 or 10 in.) powered monitors used in conjunction with a subwoofer, but that's a matter of space, complexity of hookup, and personal preference. Certainly a high quality sub would give you a more defined bass than a full-range 12 or even a 15. Of course there is also the financial component which may or may not be a factor.

In any case, enjoy your C2D. I love the 'playability' of mine and have yet to have anyone complain that it's not a B3.

chas

[Ole Plunkster]

Gotta luv my Bag Ends! I use a pair of Bag End MM-8s powered by Hafler for top end and a powered 18" Bag End sub for bottom end. They never fail to impress.

Pablo

[Ole Plunkster]

Much as I hate to bring a wet blanket to the party, but from the way you describe it, your room acoustics are likely to be in conflict with your listening needs. I understand it's a living room and there's probably only so much you can do, but some thought about deadening your acoustics - or finding a better place for your keyboard setup - might pay dividends.

The good news,though, is that by and large, the quality of powered speakers available today is very high, and if you stick to one of the name brands that people are bound to suggest, I think you'll be very happy with the outcome. It should largely be a case of choosing something in your price range and meeting your personal preferences. The days of struggling to find something that actually sounds good are largely over.

As always, try before you buy.

[Ole Plunkster]

RedLeo, your point is well taken. I have long considered hanging acoustic "clouds". If any of you have a product of that nature to suggest, I am eager to hear about it.
My stereo minimizes the reverberation in the room through careful speaker placement and the use of (Quad) bi-polar Electrostatic Panels.
Unfortunately electrostatics are too delicate for use as musical instrument speakers.

[Ole Plunkster]

CGiles, your thought about using a smaller pair of NFMs and a Sub is appealing also because it offers more placement flexibility to minimize echo when sitting at the keyboard. I like that.

[Ole Plunkster]

Gotta luv my Bag Ends! I use a pair of Bag End MM-8s powered by Hafler for top end and a powered 18" Bag End sub for bottom end. They never fail to impress.

Pablo

That's a product line I've not heard of before. At a glance it looks very interesting. I will look into it further. Thanks, Pablo