What is a good studio monitor/PA speakers that I can use for apartment volume playing with HD500x?

[kingneptune117]

Hello all,

 

I am getting my HD500x this week.  I am really excited!  I am getting the HD500x since I simply cannot play my Marshall tube amp in my apartment.  It is simply too loud.  

 

I will mostly be playing the HD500x through headphones, however, it would be nice to have some sort of PA/speaker setup so that I can play out loud if I want too.  

 

Currently, the only speakers I have are the Logitech Z523.  I currently use these with my computer for just playing music, and they sound great for that.  Will these be good enough to get me a decent enough sound for playing my HD500x through?  If so, then great.  Here is the link to the Logitech Z523's that I currently have:  http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16836121036

 

However, if my current speakers will not be good enough, can someone recommend me a studio monitor/PA speakers for use in my apartment?  There was a couple of cheap Kustom PA speakers I was looking at:

 

http://www.musiciansfriend.com/pro-audio/kustom-pa-pa50-personal-pa-system

 

http://www.musiciansfriend.com/pro-audio/kustom-pa-kpc10-10-pa-speaker-cabinet

 

Would these be too loud?  Are PA speakers similar to guitar amps where they sound better when they are cranked?  

 

I am not looking to spend more than $100.  Please let me know if you think my current computer speakers I talked about above will do the job to get me a decent tone to jam with, and if not, could you tell me if the ones I linked would be better?  Or maybe recommend some?  It is crucial that they sound good at apartment bedroom volume levels.

 

Thank you!!!

[radatats]

the set you have now will be fine for apartment use.  Really, you won't do better with your budget and you don't need serious volume anyways.

[kpsion]

Every decent speaker would do the job

 

I play on a 40$ 2.1 advance pc kit, upgraded with 29$ Yamaha satellite and that's nice

[DunedinDragon]

A lot depends on what your intentions are for the HD500X.  In essence, do you intend to eventually use it live or is this just for practice at home?   The reason I say this is because the output mechanisms do make a difference in setting up the patches.  If, for example you intend to use your Marshall as the live output mechanism for the POD, that's going to be an entirely different setup than going direct to speakers (or what we currently refer to around here as FRFR - Full Range, Flat Response) and there will be some significant differences in the configuration of your patches.

 

As far as the speakers, I haven't personally owned any of the speakers you referred to, but I can give you some generalizations about the differences that may help you decide.  Most consumer stereo equipment whether it be headphones or speaker systems aren't typically flat response.  The manufacturers add a bit of coloration to accentuate certain aspects of modern music such as heavier bass and mid response.  The PA speakers you provided a link for generally are much flatter in their response, but are specifically designed for projection over a longer distance.  The effect this can have is the sound can vary if you're too close to them because the sound cone they produce tends to be more rectangular than circular so they don't waste energy projecting toward the ceililng or floor as much as they project wide across an audience.

 

Sitting somewhere between these two are studio monitors which still project in the same type of sound cone as a traditional speaker but are designed for flat frequency response similar to a PA speaker.  There are some pretty efficient studio monitors in your price range of under $100 that might work pretty well, but they tend to be mostly designed for dual purpose music, studio reference and have, in some cases, a bass boost circuit that can be enabled for a more consumer-friendly audio output.  But you could potentially keep that turned off to get a more flat-response for adjusting your patches on the POD.

 

I personally use a higher end set of studio monitors at home which are specifically designed for flat response, the Yamaha HS8.  But that's because I use a FRFR system for live performances and those match up pretty well to what I use there.  Eventually no matter what speakers you get, if you're going to go through the Marshall for live performances be prepared to do some changes in the POD when moving from FRFR speakers to an amp output.

[pianoguyy]

Take $20-50, and run down to Wal-Mart. Buy yourself some computer speakers. 

Or Best Buy or Radio Shack. 

 

And probably a 3.5mm to 1/4" converter, because the Pod outputs are 1/4".