Monitors: Tannoy Reveal Active & Alesis M1 Active

[Marcus Güelbi]

Hi all,

I'm going to buy some near field monitors. My room studio is a small room of an apartment.

The M1 are priced $400 here and the Reveal $800

It's not possible for me to hear them before buying but of course I don't want you to say which are better.
I just would like to know whether it's worth buying the Reveals instead of the M1 or not. I mean, is the difference between the prices equivalent to the diference between their qualities? Do they really play in different leagues?

I've heard some people comparing the Reveals to the Genelec 1030APM, but not comparing the M1 to the 1030APM, what do you think?

Thanks in advanced.

[KreXX]

I have both of them! I like the reveals better!! The M1's have a little better bass respons but they are not as clear on the mid and highs as the reveals

[Marcus Güelbi]

Thanks for your early answer KreXX.. and for having the two monitors!, it seems today is my lucky day :)

Do you think I can find the same Reveal Active sound quality in the Reveals (passive) plus Alesis RA-150 amplifier?

[Byll]

Our studio uses two different models of Tannoy monitors. One of these models is the Tannoy Reveal. It is an excellent monitor for the money - transparent and with lots of detail. We drive them with 80 watts per channel, but do not use Alesis amplification. I am not a fan of powered monitors, for many reasons. I don't think you can go wrong with the Tannoy Reveal passives. Our choice has been to use no sub. Without some type of bass management, the sub in a small control room can create more problems than it solves. Using Reveals and System 600's, our mixes translate very well to different listening venues.

Good luck in your endeavors.
Best.
Byll

[Marcus Güelbi]

Thanks both.

I think I'll go fot the M1's. The price of the Reveals is double the price of the M1's but it seems the differences between them aren't so important.

[soundworx]

I have an old pair of M1's( i think they were called Monitor 1's back then) that I've had for over 10 years. what I like the most about these speakers is the translation. MY MIXES SOUND GOOD ON ALMOST ANY SYSTEM!!! They do not however, sound great themselves. Don't get me wrong, they sound fine, just not great. They give me fatigue alot quicker than other speakers too. I don't even know how close the new Alesis M1's even compare to these so this might not even be relevant

Mick Haensler
Soundworx

[tchipman]

Marcus,
If you're just beginning the M1's might be fine but you'll end up spending alot more later. If you're willing to spend the $800, look on ebay for a pair of Mackie HR824's for around that price. They're close to $1400 new and blow either one of those speakers out of the water.
Tim:bounce:

[xstatic]

There are a lot of the HR824's out there for sale, and there is a reason. They do sound pretty good, but after while people tend to discover real problems with them. The low mids are very muffled, and the lower frequencies (60 - 100) are pretty exagerated. The newer 624's seem to have solved a lot of that problem. The good news is that they are cheaper than the 824's as well. Even better news, Dynaudio BM6a's are also cheaper than the Mackies.

[djui5]

I love the HR824's. They sound really good and are easy on the ears. If given the chance to pick a monitor..it would be the 824's...but then everyone's ears are different, so make sure you listen before you buy. Thats the safest bet

[Rodney Spaulding]

I own the M1' actives, bought (3 years ago) primarily because I could afford them at the time. They are a great speaker for what they are and once you recognize your mixing enviroment for what it is, you can get terrific results with them. I use the Yamaha msp5's now along with the M1's, great compliment to each other. Ultimatley with monitors it just comes down to different strokes and needs (And budget). There are more great monitor choices available now for a budget than in any other time in music gear history.The M1's will serve you well.

Cheers and good luck.

[Rodney Spaulding]

I recieved the Tannoy Reveal Actives today and have just sold my Alesis M1's on Ebay (The M1's sold fast!). I was stunned when I heard the Reveals, extremely musical in my studio. I played several mixes and several commercial CD's through them today. I am really happy with my purchase.
Between the 2, M1's and Reveals, the Reveals are worth the extra money hands down. Actually I won't ever go back to the Alesis Quality of sound again.
I was able to get good results from the M1's over the 3 years but it was alot of work. I really had to learn thier sound in my studio and I always kept both bass ports filled. Plus most of my mixes I would several cut anything below50hz. Had to.
I bought the Yamaha MSP5's because I needed more clarity and wanted a better speaker or a smaller compliment with better detail.
Now I have the Reveals and the Yamaha's. They are a unique blend. I am highly anticipating re-mixing on the Tannoys.

Cheers.

[xstatic]

There are two problems with monitors. First, you never realize just how bad your monitors sound until you start working on a better pair. Two, even on really nice monitors, you often get tired of them after a couple years. Also, many people don't realize just how montiros affect the way they work on their projects until they get better ones and realize how much easier it is to get the same or better of a mix.