Desktop speakers for mixing AND music?


It has been a long time since I posted here, but only because I have been living in audio bliss. My two channel system is perfect (for me). Refurbished HH Scott 222 (not Mapleshade), Omega speakers and an iMac with a 2 TB 7200 rpm drive serving up about 600 lossless CDs to my Schiit Bifrost. My movie/tv set up is fine too - older B&W C series all around and an older Rotel AV receiver that (knock on wood) won't die.

However, now I have a minor problem. I have a third system that is in the works. My home office desk. Yet another two Macs are set up with a Steinberg UR22 audio/midi interface I use with Logic, Final Cut and more for recording, including music, voice, interviews and for video, though not too serious. Now, I find myself wanting to listen to music here too. So, what kind of speakers should I get? Can I get monitors that also are great for casual listening? Right now I only have the iMac built in speakers (I know...) and a pair of Audio Technica M50X headphones (in effect my Steinberg UR22 audio interface is my "headphone amp").

If I am going to use this as a true studio set up, many people are recommending monitors made for this purpose and people seem to really like JBL LSR305 5" Active Studio Monitor‎s. I can get a pair at about $300. However, it really isn't a studio as much as it is a place to work, so should I be thinking of something else? Dare I go passive and try to get some kind of little power amp? Can I do this for $400ish (and I am open to used). I do have a very old (90s era) pair of passive Tannoy monitors, but they are kind of big and I don't have a spare amp. I'd hate to go buy an amp and not be happy with the Tannoys...

However, if I go the more "audiophile" route, I might I have better sound, but not a good reference source for mixing. Right? Or am I being ridiculous? Any suggestions highly appreciated. Remember, budget of, let's say, $500.
karavite
Ddd1 I agree and with that acknowledgement from Tannoy I am going to get the Reveals. It is so rare for a company to step up and admit anything these days, even when it is clearly the right thing to do to build customer trust. Lewinskih, thanks for the tips. While people do need to follow directions it seems clear from Tannoy they had a quality issue resulting in the hum. I'm sure people wiring things oddly added to the confusion. Zd542 I was looking at the AudioEngines very seriously. I think they are probably great for listening, but I do want to do some mixing too, though not up to the level of professionalism promoted by some people here. On the positive side, I think it's great there are so many choices out there. Almost too many!
I think you meant Lewinskih01 and not me. He's the one that brought up the AE's. I haven't heard them myself, but they do look like an excellent option.
Karavite,

Out of curiosity, what makes for a good speaker for listening but not for mixing? I never mixed so I'm lost with my admitedly basic thinking of "both need to reproduce as acourately as posible, right?"
I have the Audioengine D5+ at home and I have to say it is *way* too bass heavy for desktop use. They sound great when I haul them out to the patio or poolside for a party but indoors, for near-field desktop listening, too much BOOM. Otherwise, a solidly built product.
"Out of curiosity, what makes for a good speaker for listening but not for mixing? I never mixed so I'm lost with my admitedly basic thinking of "both need to reproduce as acourately as posible, right?"

I've noticed some differences between the 2 types of speakers. Studio monitors don't seem to have the same imaging qualities of regular speakers. They just need to be detailed enough to let you hear whats on the recording. Probably the biggest difference is that most monitors are meant to be listened to near field. People tend to sit very close to them. Also, there's really no need to use expensive, exotic materials, like they do in some high end speakers. Not only that, a lot of regular speakers sacrifice studio monitor qualities in order to gain others. A good example is Magnepan. They measure terrible. A frequency response print outs look like a heart rate monitor when someone's having a heart attack. They wouldn't make for good monitors, but people buy them anyway because they like other qualities that monitors typically don't have.