JBL LSR305 or Yamaha HS5

A

andycii

New member
So I'm returning my Mackie CR3's because they just aren't good for mixing. I'm in between the JBL LSR305 and the Yamaha HS5. I have a fairly small space I work in and the monitors are only 6" from the wall.

JBL claims there monitors are great regardless of room acoustics so that's a plus. The JBL's I can get for about 220 while the Yamahas (new) go at 400. I personally like the smaller footprint and look of the Yamahas much more than the JBL's but not enough to justify the $180 price difference. Alternatively, the Yamahas are being sold on Ebay buy some company in "Perfect perfect condition" for just 275...so I might have to splurge.

Does anyone have experience with either of these monitors?
 
I tried out a load of monitors in store (they didn't carry the JBLs) and fouled the HS5's to lack bass extension - I'd sum miss that even in a small room you might need a sub which in itself is likely to cause more bother than it's worth.
i ended up walking out with a pair of HS7's which were a whole other story and I'm still happy with them to this day.
I've previously owned (as part of a collective) Tannoy Reveals (the old blue actives) which have recently undergone a design revision and been rereleased. If they're as good as the old blues then they're worth looking at IMO.
Otherwise... The LSR305's get a lot of love...
 
I'mNoGuru said:
I tried out a load of monitors in store (they didn't carry the JBLs) and fouled the HS5's to lack bass extension - I'd sum miss that even in a small room you might need a sub which in itself is likely to cause more bother than it's worth.
i ended up walking out with a pair of HS7's which were a whole other story and I'm still happy with them to this day.
I've previously owned (as part of a collective) Tannoy Reveals (the old blue actives) which have recently undergone a design revision and been rereleased. If they're as good as the old blues then they're worth looking at IMO.
Otherwise... The LSR305's get a lot of love...
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Great to know. Yeah I've heard things about overhyped mids and lack of bass on the HS5. I'll just be using them pretty close to the wall in a small room without a sub. I've seen the JBL's being recommend left and right here and on other forums/sites. It seems like they're just overall great monitors. HS7's would be great but my room/budget is small lol. I really like the HS5 aesthetics but I should probably focus more on the performance of the two.
 
andycii said:
Did you ever take a look at the HS5? I really think it would look nicer with my setup but I don't want to sacrifice the appearance for the quality. I also know Yamaha is a more reputable brand than JBL
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Watch this. Thank me later.
I am open to donations for saving you tons of money hahaha :D

 
Paschalis I. said:
Watch this. Thank me later.
I am open to donations for saving you tons of money hahaha :D

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Wow what a difference. I wonder if the Yamaha is simply up charging it just because of the brand name. I'm definitely going to go with the JBL's. Could I hook them up using unbalanced cables do you know? I know it's not the best way, but it's the most cost efficient at this point.

I'm looking at these: Amazon.com: Hosa CMP159 Stereo Breakout, 3.5 mm TRS to Dual 1/4 in TS, 10-Feet: Musical Instruments

Perhaps I could invest into an audio interface down the line.
 
No please invest in an audio interface, focusrite scarlett 2i2 can be your best bet too :)

Edit: Yes brand name i suppose ^^ and marketing...
 
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Paschalis I. said:
No please invest in an audio interface, focusrite scarlett 2i2 can be your best bet too :)

Edit: Yes brand name i suppose ^^ and marketing...
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Should I wait to purchase the monitors then until I can afford to buy an interface? The interface you recommended is about $150 which is kind of a lot of a college student like myself. Unless theres one thats under $50, I might just have to use those cables for the time being. The reviews on Amazon say a lot of people have been successful hooking it up to the LSR's.
 
Small room would be better suited for nearfield monitoring(close to speakers) and 5" monitor would be fine. Nevet heard either speaker. You will want to get some type of treatment. Hard to make mix decisions with incorrect environment, alot of reflections. Nearfield somewhat addresses this, but some treatment can help.
 
Yes I looked at the best near field monitors and it seems the JBL has a lot of praise on these and other audio forums, so I think I'm going to go with that. In terms treatment, these monitors say that even in untreated rooms they have adjustments to make that will sound accurate. If anything, I'll add some foam pads and bass traps if needed. So with near field monitoring, it's easier to mix at low volumes right?
 
Room acoustics will always be a factor. The monitors have what many other monitors have. Shelving filters to adjust the higher and lower frequencies to taste. Too bright, ability to adjust higher frequencies down some. This function does not correct major issues you may have in a room. If you have a real reverberant room (alot of echos), that is a time domain issue as well. "LF and HF Trim “TRIM” switches for both the Low and High Frequencies give you excellent control over the 3 Series sound in “your” room. Use these to fine-tune the amount of bass and treble you hear to compensate for room acoustics, program material and your personal taste."
If you find your mixes are too bright on other playback systems, you could adjust the HF trim up 1 or 2dB. You possibly mixed too bright because you are not hearing a good representation of them from your monitoring. They sound dull, so you compensated by boosting high frequencies.
So boosting the high frequencies on the monitors, will somewhat prevent you from adding them to the mix.
 
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DaGSpotSoldier said:
Room acoustics will always be a factor. The monitors have what many other monitors have. Shelving filters to adjust the higher and lower frequencies to taste. Too bright, ability to adjust higher frequencies down some. This function does not correct major issues you may have in a room. If you have a real reverberant room (alot of echos), that is a time domain issue as well. "LF and HF Trim “TRIM” switches for both the Low and High Frequencies give you excellent control over the 3 Series sound in “your” room. Use these to fine-tune the amount of bass and treble you hear to compensate for room acoustics, program material and your personal taste."
If you find your mixes are too bright on other playback systems, you could adjust the HF trim up 1 or 2dB. You possibly mixed too bright because you are not hearing a good representation of them from your monitoring. They sound dull, so you compensated by boosting high frequencies.
So boosting the high frequencies on the monitors, will somewhat prevent you from adding them to the mix.
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Great to know. My room is pretty non-revertant. Small and packed with furniture lol. But good to know about the LF/HF trims. I don't think I'll be using them unless it's really boomy
 
For what it's worth, I've had the LSR305's for quite some time now. I think they're fantastic and I've even ordered the LSR310 subwoofer to go with them. I decided on them after asking around extensively and by far, those were the ones people kept recommending more than any other speakers in the $300-$400 range.
 
MattyJones said:
For what it's worth, I've had the LSR305's for quite some time now. I think they're fantastic and I've even ordered the LSR310 subwoofer to go with them. I decided on them after asking around extensively and by far, those were the ones people kept recommending more than any other speakers in the $300-$400 range.
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I actually just got them and they're incredible. Significantly better than the Mackie CR3's which I don't even believe should be categorized as a studio monitor. Very impressed with these

The only thing I can't figure out is what do you have the SPL knob set to? My speakers are about 2 feet from my ears and 2 feet from each other so I'm wondering what the best setting should be.
 
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Ken Cole said:
Thinking about getting some HS5's...
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I found the HS-5's in store severely lacking in bass extension... You'd probably end up wanting a sub (which in a small room could create more problems than it's worth)

They don't often get a lot of love on forums but KRK Rokit-5's are one of the best selling small monitors worldwide for good reason... I have several friends that use them in their setups (and we all have small rooms here in the UK) and they get good results...
 
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