Roland and M-Audio

[lcswoosh05]

I currently own the M-Audio BX5a monitors but I was wondering if the Roland DS-30A is better since it has digital inputs. But I guess I would like to also know if the DS-30A sounds better too or do they sound the same or are my BX5a far much better monitors then the DS-30A even it doesn't have digital inputs.


Also I did notice that the BX5a doesn't have the tone controls to adjust the sound so that's another reason I thought the DS-30A monitors are better since they have those controls.





Here is some details about the DS-30A monitors.


http://www.roland.com/products/en/DS-30A/index.html


Here are some details for the BX5a.

http://www.m-audio.com/products/en_us/StudiophileBX5a-main.html




If you goto the owners manual they have alot more details about the monitors.

[BountifulStudios]

I can only let you know my personal experience and what I have read. I used to own the DS-90A Roland monitors which I did not like. One of them had a intermitent buzz that was causing me some problems. While they had digital inputs, I eventually went with the analog inputs. But again compared to other monitors I have previewed, the Roland DS-90A's weren't the best (and I have heard others with the same opinion). That said the new Roland monitors have been redesigns slightly from the ones I bought 6 years ago. (I am not knocking Roland overall, because I love many of their products.)

I have heard good things about the M-Audio monitors, you own them so you have that experience. I now own some Event ALP5 monitors which are really really nice for the price - around $300. You may want to assess them and read the reviews. I am hoping to buy some ART A7 monitors when I upgrade - they are really nice and around $1000.

[lcswoosh05]

I thought that it was the monitors not working but I did exchange the BX5a with the DS-30A monitors this morning and I did notice the buzzing sound too when I connect them to my PC. I thought it was the monitors were defective but I guess not. But I do like the sound of them better than BX5a is because the bass extends alot lower then the BX5a does. Since BX5a has subsonic filiter it cuts all of the bass under 56hz which is bad since I want to be able to her sounds lower then they and the DS-30a I can hear lower bass since it doesn't have that filter.

[lcswoosh05]

I forgot to ask this but if something goes wrong with the DS-30A monitors since it's a discontinued model will they still be able to support and fit them? Since I think I should get back the M-Audios since those are not discontinued monitors. Also I did notice that from listening to them for a while that the Rolands have not really low good clear bass as the M-Audios do so I think I should get the BX5a back. The DS-30A monitors have a bass that sounds like a normal stereos speakers but the mids and highs are good.

[RotorOnTop]

most of the time companies have a 1 year warranty on their gear, if you bought the monitors with-in this time period you'd get service, or if your music store owner is a friend he can get it fixed. I've owned a pair of M-Audio (midi-man?) pre-digi reference monitors for 5 years and like them alot, they are bass heavy and took some time to learn their translation, but now I think they are $500 a pair. Now I'm going to get a 2nd set of reference monitors, probably something like these:http://www.sweetwater.com/store/detail/EXO21
the Event 5's and KRK 5's are supoose to be very good reference monitors too.

[lcswoosh05]

most of the time companies have a 1 year warranty on their gear, if you bought the monitors with-in this time period you'd get service, or if your music store owner is a friend he can get it fixed. I've owned a pair of M-Audio (midi-man?) pre-digi reference monitors for 5 years and like them alot, they are bass heavy and took some time to learn their translation, but now I think they are $500 a pair. Now I'm going to get a 2nd set of reference monitors, probably something like these:http://www.sweetwater.com/store/detail/EXO21
the Event 5's and KRK 5's are supoose to be very good reference monitors too.So you do have a pair of the BX5a? Since if you do you are right that there is alot of bass for these monitors. I do like the good deep clear bass and clear mids and highs that the BX5a make. But also for it's size I really thought the AV 30 monitors sounded great from M-Audio too. I like the compac size that the AV 30 has. I guess M-Audio was right that the only difference between the AV series and the BX series is that the BX has more power but the clearness of the sound and how the highs and mids and lows make are the same. M-Audio does a good job on making affordable studio monitors for all sizes meaning compac small ones like the AV 20, AV 30 or AV 40 to big ones like the BX5a or the BX8a.