From my research it boils down to the following in the $200 - $400 range:
Behringer Truth series ( in particular the B2031A )
http://www.behringer.com/B2031A/index.cfm?lang=ENG
Alesis series (in particular Alesis MK One MK II Passives )
http://www.alesis.com/product.php?id=28
I allready have a reasonable amp to push the Passives.
Please dont start mentioning other brands... I'm allready exhausted from all the information Ive been swamped with looking into it.
I just want to hear other peoples experience with these brands.
Thanks.
I can indeed start to talk about other brands (although I don't know any for the moment) but my only advice is this:
Specs say nothing. You need to listen to the speakers and act on instinct. Speakers can have a great sound, but if its not your taste, it will become a burden and influences your own work.
Its true, The only thing is I have so little experience in the world of monitors, so Im not sure what even I consider a good sound. I suppose if you fall in love with it that says something, but in the world of monitors you're looking for flatness and and thats something I am not yet accustomed to so its hard for me to make a good comparison.
Then maybe now isn't the right time to get them. You should buy those if you feel that you need it.
I hear ya. The only thing is I do need them. Im going Pro and building my portfolio and since I'm mixing on Hi-fi speakers, my mixes sound lousy on other systems apart from mine.
I was potentially rooting for a cheaper monitor in the meanwhile until I know enough to get what I truly want & need. I wish experience wasn't so expensive ;)
Personal taste of 'how things should sound' is a risky criterium. If you're a fan of metal, you'll probably like a fat bass sound. If you're a fan of classical music, you'll probably want a 'clear' sound, not any bass-boost.
So keep it technical, not personal. Studio-speakers should be as flat as possible.
They should be able to handle at least 175 % as much power, than the amplifier, set on 10, can deliver.
The question 'which speakers are the best' is not helpful. It depends on too many factors. The shape of the room they're placed in, the dampening of walls, their position, the other objects in that room.
In reality no speaker is 100 % flat. Due to the used material, thickness of the case, size, internal form of empty space, there will be frequency regions where some resonance will occur. So will sound somewhat stronger.
So the real finetuning for flatness comes down to the amplifier, to correct such deviations. Testing could be done with sending pure white noise to the speakers, then picking it up with a quality microphone, and check that signal with a spectrum analyser, to see if the curve of all freq-ranges is still as flat as it should be.
A thing about their position in the studio (supposing you work with a stereo-system with Left-Right) : Of course if you place them too close together you spoil the stereo-panorama. But if the distance between them is too big, you will spoil the panorama too.
It has a relation with the usual output volume of the monitoring. If the power of Left and Right is below a certain point, there will be a 'sound-gap' in the center-area of the stereo. Imagine the speakers at a distance of 100 meters of each other. You will need quite some power to hear something actually in the virtual center.
I've purchased the Behringer B2031A, and a whole lot of acoustic room treatment. They give a very good flat response. I heard some other monitors that clearly enhance certain frequencies. I'll give a follow up on them when I've given them a full test.