Ok, how about this:
Good monitors in the $500 to $1000 ish range (new msrp anyway) for my setup/tastes? :D
(SS preferences being, again: neutrality and transparency, detail and accuracy, articulation and revealing, tight/taut/lean bass instead of tubby/loose/overdone, realistic and uncolored mids, sparkling highs...slightly bright, forward, and energetic SS overall but not harsh, aggressive, shouty/in your face...i.e, I don't like "warm" or "natural", "mellow" or "laid back" sound.)
I get the sense browsing around here that unless you spend that much (or more) you are decidedly "low-fi" and not serious about audio and not too worthy of consideration.
I contest that, and think there are huge markups in audio just based off this assumption (if it's less than such and such it can't be good, so let's make sure to price our product at a "serious" price point...we'll make more money anyway...), and that, especially these days and with monitors, one can get great sound around $300ish that was unavailable just 10 or so years ago (better design, technology, and ID pricing). I also know about the whole problem of listening to the speakers more than the music; a "recovering audiophile" friend of mine has warned me off that and now "only" has a $2500 2 channel set up (he lives in a different state and I've never heard any of his gear). But I am willing to spend up to $1000ish on some good monitors since I have the money and it is worth it to me to try anyway.
Ok, wrote too much again! :P
Good monitors in the $500 to $1000 ish range (new msrp anyway) for my setup/tastes? :D
(SS preferences being, again: neutrality and transparency, detail and accuracy, articulation and revealing, tight/taut/lean bass instead of tubby/loose/overdone, realistic and uncolored mids, sparkling highs...slightly bright, forward, and energetic SS overall but not harsh, aggressive, shouty/in your face...i.e, I don't like "warm" or "natural", "mellow" or "laid back" sound.)
I get the sense browsing around here that unless you spend that much (or more) you are decidedly "low-fi" and not serious about audio and not too worthy of consideration.
I contest that, and think there are huge markups in audio just based off this assumption (if it's less than such and such it can't be good, so let's make sure to price our product at a "serious" price point...we'll make more money anyway...), and that, especially these days and with monitors, one can get great sound around $300ish that was unavailable just 10 or so years ago (better design, technology, and ID pricing). I also know about the whole problem of listening to the speakers more than the music; a "recovering audiophile" friend of mine has warned me off that and now "only" has a $2500 2 channel set up (he lives in a different state and I've never heard any of his gear). But I am willing to spend up to $1000ish on some good monitors since I have the money and it is worth it to me to try anyway.
Ok, wrote too much again! :P