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Compact budget active's

istari_knight

pfm Member
Due to an impending change in circumstance a traditional separates system with boxes and wires everywhere will no longer be suitable so I'm looking for a small pair of budget actives. I've narrowed it down to either ADAM F5 or Focal Alpha 50. I discovered the F5's first and was all set to press the button but having spotted the Focal's I must admit I'm a bit of a tart and do prefer the cosmetics !

Any of you chaps had the pleasure of hearing either of these models ? Any input most welcome... If its a toss up I'll just go for the better lookers as there's not much difference in price (£50).
 
I was impressed with the Adam speakers but have to say the Focals really impressed me for the size and price and I could happily live with them, they didn't go deep but they went plenty loud. If they are the same ones as I'm thinking off, about a 4" woofer and anout a 10" cabinet for less than £500.
 
Thanks for the input chaps, much appreciated.

Whilst those Adam Artists do look to be very good value they are both over budget and too large [whatever I get will likely be desk mounted via Mopads]. As for the Tannoy's, they may be a world away from the companies consumer speakers but I've already been scared off the brand by those consumer models... I've tried a few & they are without reservation the least "to my taste" of any speaker I've heard so will pass on those.

I think I'm going for the Focals, there appears to be quite a few open box pairs filtering onto eBay every few days with savings of up to 20%.
 
Thanks for the input chaps, much appreciated.

Whilst those Adam Artists do look to be very good value they are both over budget and too large [whatever I get will likely be desk mounted via Mopads]. As for the Tannoy's, they may be a world away from the companies consumer speakers but I've already been scared off the brand by those consumer models... I've tried a few & they are without reservation the least "to my taste" of any speaker I've heard so will pass on those.

I think I'm going for the Focals, there appears to be quite a few open box pairs filtering onto eBay every few days with savings of up to 20%.

Do make sure you can return them if you're not happy. Me experience of focal is that they can be quite bright, bordering on harsh. That said, my experience is limited to passive models driven by linn and they may well just not gel too well. The actives may well be very good.
 
Used Tukans in the classifieds at the moment - Use LK100 with aktiv cards as a speaker stand :)

Sorry.

Actually...how budget? I've heard active SCM10's sounding very good. Still a bit 'pro', but not as tiring as most of the 'home studio monitor' types I've heard.
 
Used Tukans in the classifieds at the moment - Use LK100 with aktiv cards as a speaker stand :)

Sorry.

Actually...how budget? I've heard active SCM10's sounding very good. Still a bit 'pro', but not as tiring as most of the 'home studio monitor' types I've heard.

Now Tukans are lovely things but they would need an amp, a good one at that. A linn Majik is a minimum IMO. Might be achievable within budget at a push but there would be another box.
 
Now Tukans are lovely things but they would need an amp, a good one at that. A linn Majik is a minimum IMO. Might be achievable within budget at a push but there would be another box.

:)

I was envisaging them sat on LK100's as part of the stands, with short jumper speaker cables :)

Off topic, but I have a lot of love for the Tukan, I bough a pair form Sound Organisation in York about 17 years ago (!?), and they still get used. Aktiv on LK100's with sonos as a source lol. :p

I tried with a friend some time ago to audition some Focal monitors (mid level ones with the Be tweeter), but even living in London it was impossible to hear them before buying. Obviously they didn't get bought!

From being in and around a section of the dance music scene some time ago, I was exposed to a lot of home, semi-pro and pro studios, along with people tending to have active monitors with their home DJ'ing setups, and without fail they were tiring.

That being said I ran a setup with my decks for ages with a Linn 2250 driving some Martin Audio 10" 2-ways, and it sounded epic. Not hifi - too much shout in the upper mid, but like a REALLY good live/club system.

If you want as close to live as possible, get a PA system and listen exclusively to desk rips of live performances :)
 
Do make sure you can return them if you're not happy. Me experience of focal is that they can be quite bright, bordering on harsh. That said, my experience is limited to passive models driven by linn and they may well just not gel too well. The actives may well be very good.

Open box isn't a bad idea here - distance selling will cover you if you want to return them, and they can't complain that you opened the box!

Buy over the internet from a company using your personal credit card, and your statuary rights plus the option to request a charge back form your credit card company will see you safe.
 
Do make sure you can return them if you're not happy. Me experience of focal is that they can be quite bright, bordering on harsh. That said, my experience is limited to passive models driven by linn and they may well just not gel too well. The actives may well be very good.

Ah yes, thanks for the warning Linfo. I've listened to some Focal standmounts with Naim amplification in the past and was not impressed but having since heard the same speakers on a Micromega amp it was the polar opposite... Quite remarkable. French amplifiers for French speakers... Maybe there's something in it ? :p

Not really interested in separate amps with active cards etc Ping, its just too much faff (but even if It were acceptable I never wish to own anything produced by Linn ever again - Sorry Linfo!)
 
Open box isn't a bad idea here - distance selling will cover you if you want to return them, and they can't complain that you opened the box!

Buy over the internet from a company using your personal credit card, and your statuary rights plus the option to request a charge back form your credit card company will see you safe.

That's the plan ;)

... Scan have some in now for £350pp but I can afford to wait.
 
Ah yes, thanks for the warning Linfo. I've listened to some Focal standmounts with Naim amplification in the past and was not impressed but having since heard the same speakers on a Micromega amp it was the polar opposite... Quite remarkable. French amplifiers for French speakers... Maybe there's something in it ? :p

Not really interested in separate amps with active cards etc Ping, its just too much faff (but even if It were acceptable I never wish to own anything produced by Linn ever again - Sorry Linfo!)

No need to apologise, if linn isn't for you that's fair enough. There's a few brands I would touch due to personal taste/experience.

On a side note, I couldn't imagine Naim and Focal partnering well to be honest based on what I have heard with linn. They were bright on linn, I'd imagine they would be even more so with naim. Just because Focal own Naim, it doesn't make them natural partners.
 
Well after all that I ended up with a pair of s/h Wharfedale Diamond 8.1 "Pro Active's" - I thought I'd give them a go for £60... Whats to lose ? :)

I'm mightily impressed with them so far, a real gem for the money. They're basically Diamond 8.1's with proper active crossovers [using a pair of TL072 each, oh well they seem okay in this application] powered via bi-amped TDA7294 chip amps.

Highly recommended if you're after some inexpensive/small active's... Certainly in a different league to comparable Behringers etc.
 


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