If they weren't so heavy then I would have tried them in different positions already 🙂

Each speaker weighs over 40lb and they are awkward to move by myself due to their weight, shape and the fact they they are on spikes so I can't drag them across the carpet!

Well I'm back to this again now! One of the speakers has developed quite a rattle from the bass cone when any kind of bass sound is played so I have to do something 🙂

I'm still trying to decide between the HS7 and HS8. I don't know if the HS8 speakers will be too big?

I suspect that the sound quality from the HS8s will be better though and I am the kind of person who prefers to buy the better option if possible.

The room that I'm in is about 10 and a half feet wide and 19 feet long although my synth gear is just at one end. I'm not looking for loud volumes but would like good sound quality without spending a fortune. The HS8 speakers would be the top of my price range really because I still mostly play through my headphones.

So the question is, should I just go for the HS8s? What would you all do?

Get the 8's

They have a flatter curve, that goes better and further into bass territories, which helps enormously with a capable, multitimbral instrument.

Every review also points out that the 8's are louder, but it's really that flatter curve, for further, that's way more important.

Especially for piano sounds and anything to do with FM sounds.

And the 8's are almost an industry standard, you can rely on them.

Whilst the 7's are really 6.5's, and made to fit a market segment and price point rather than be the industry standard that the 8's aim to be.

Get the 8's

They have a flatter curve, that goes better and further into bass territories, which helps enormously with a capable, multitimbral instrument.

Every review also points out that the 8's are louder, but it's really that flatter curve, for further, that's way more important.

Especially for piano sounds and anything to do with FM sounds.

And the 8's are almost an industry standard, you can rely on them.

Whilst the 7's are really 6.5's, and made to fit a market segment and price point rather than be the industry standard that the 8's aim to be.

Thanks for the reply and it pleases me to read this so it must mean that I really do want the HS8 speakers!! I'm hoping that with the bigger drivers, the mid tones will be better handled than on the smaller speakers, but that's me guessing to be honest 🙂

I started to move the stuff around this afternoon, the computer desk is now in the left hand corner which leaves me room to place the speakers in 1 of 2 positions and I'm still not quite sure which one will be best. For neatness they might be better off either side of the DSI synths but if I place them either side of the Yamaha synths it might be best as I tend to play those more than the others.

I need to deicde on one position to start with and then see how it goes. If it doesn't suit, I'll try the other position.

There is a bit of cunning thought here too because I've always been limited to the size of keyboard I can buy with the Montage 6 being the longest I could fit in there. If I place the speakers either side of the DSI synths on the right hand wall, that means I have a lot more space on the back wall for a longer keyboard 😀 😉

I've been looking into cables and I assume the connecting the speakers to my MG10XU mixer by XLR cales would be the preferrable option?

I've searched my usual places and every time I search for XLR monitor cables it gives loads that seem to be microphone cables.... are they the same thing? Can any microphone cable be used to connect the monitors to the mixer?

XLR describes the type of connector. This the basic/familiar 3-pin connector (hot, cold, ground). In general, the type of connectors is more important then the exact type of signal... you will find XLR (sometimes called “Cannon” connectors after the company that first made them) are used for several different type os signal..

The description “monitor cable” is not really used. You can connect your mixer to your monitors using a standard XLR cable — it is “balanced”, meaning any interference will travel through both the hot and cold wires, but be cancelled completely by the ground.

What you need to know is a standard 3-pin female-to-3-pin male cable is what you need. Most commonly referred to as a “Mic cable” in common language.... but used in any situation you need to send balanced audio signal over a distance (interference-free). The Mixer is sending Out, the Monitor speaker is receiving signal In.

The 1/4” TS (Tip-Sleeve) “unbalanced” cables used for keyboards, guitars, basses, etc, are commonly called “guitar cables” or “signal cable” with male Phone connectors on each end (the “phone” refers to when used to ‘patch’ old style telephone switchboards - their original use).

When it comes to cables and connectors, it is always best to ask when you don’t know. There are many conventions and protocols. An important and sometime HARD LESSON, occurs when you use the wrong type of cable in a critical situation. Just because the connector fits does not guarantee it is the correct cable for the task.. Trust me.

This is where your preferred music store retailer can be invaluable.
Any musician who has even worked part-time in a music store for a week, learns that knowing the differences in cables is a very important thing to get under your belt immediately. If you use a “speaker cable” where a “signal cable” belongs or vice versa, you run the risk of serious trouble.... electrical trouble, even fire or damaged gear.

Not to worry — using a common XLR ‘mic’ cable will be fine to connect the mixer to your monitors!

Extra Credit:
When you really need to be careful is connecting devices like power amps (this is where no guessing is allowed, knowledge is required).

Excellent reply BM, many thanks for the reply 🙂

OK I've got a pair of HS8 monitors and trying them out in this position to start with. (I've taken the photo from a different angle this time)

When I first powered them on I had a constant hiss and thought something was wrong but then I messed with my mixer and it was the fact that the RX RTN was at maximum. As soon as I turned that down the hiss disappeared. I don't know if that is expected or not to be honest! I haven't got the XLR cables yet, I am getting them at the weekend so using the other connectors in the meantime.

Anyway, had a first little play to make sure they are working OK and they sound great. Finally the pianos sound more like pianos should do through the speakers. Before I got these, the pianos sounded decent through my headphones but through the hifi speakers they didn't sound like I thought they should.

I'm not sure if I'm going to keep them on top of the old speakers or if I will buy proper stands, I'll have to see how things go and then decide.

Anyway that's me happy now - it's my treat to myself for my 60th Birthday on the 22nd of this month - I'm trying to pretend it's not happening 😉

Happy Birthday!. You should always have your speakers at ear level (tweeters at ear height is optimum or aimed there). The first rule of audio is aim the speakers at the ears.
If you cannot see the tweeter you can’t really hear the tweeter, is the rule of thumb.

They make sound, of course, but the importance of speaker placement cannot be stressed enough.

One of the lessons I used when I was teaching audio engineering was getting the students to understand how sound travels. The lesson would begin with the statement of fact: a Speaker is the opposite of a Microphone.

One takes air molecules in motion and turns them into electrons, the other takes electrons and turns them into air molecules in motion.
They are both Transducers (devices that convert energy).

Both have (invisible to the eye) pick-up patterns — areas where what they do is optimized. To experience this, the class surrounded a speaker in the center of the Studio room. And as they moved around it they were asked to observe the change in the quality of the sound based on their position to the speaker.

And then with every one in the Control room we would have a person walk in a circle around an active microphone out in the Studio... again the observation was immediately clear. You began to visualize where the microphone was best receiving sound. Of course, with microphones we delved into those with multiple settings for pickup patterns, etc.

But sound travels (invisibly) in predictable ways. If your tweeters are not aimed at your ears, while you are attempting to EQ a sound, then you will increase the high frequency content until you have compensated for the poor placement.

Try to avoid music aimed at your shins. Once you observe this difference you will not forget. Turn your speaker around. Listen to a song you know well... as soon as the speaker is off axis the sound is degraded severely! Remember: critical listening is when you want what you decide on as sounding good, will actually sound good when played back on a proper system.

Have a Happy Birthday! Enjoy!

Yupiiii...I see some explanations are due/being offered when a birthday is approaching...

Well, I am not revealing mine for the time being, but since I am about to leave the sunny side of the sixties, I wish I could attend once more BM good teaching, this time on speakers and phase, please.

Then, I might become a very happy and proud owner off HEDD's new Mk2 speakers and subwoofers... enjoying its technology to match phases.

Thanks everyone for your help, kind words and comments on this thread. I'm a happy HS8 owner and quite pleased that my broken hifi speaker forced me to buy them 🙂

I've worked out what was causing the hissing noise... I thought it was the FX at fault but it was a combination of that being turned all the way up plus the first 3 inputs had their Gain turned all the way up - I didn't even notice this until I played my Moog through the speakers last night and even at minimum volume on the Moog it was too loud. Once I turned the gains all the way down, I could then turn the FX up without hissing 🙂

When I finally get a visitor, I will ask them to help me straighten up the foam isolation pads that sit between the new speakers and the old ones. I can't lift the HS8 and reposition the foam by myself, but for the time being they're OK.

I do now have my eyes on a 4 tier synth stand and if I get that I will be able to bring my MOXF and Minilogue back into the synth corner. Yes I admit, I'm a synth adict, I need help 😉

I don't think you are a synth addict...

No, no.

Definitely no.

It is simply the trail we people leave behind as time passes by.

Those keyboards, side by side, simply voice the love you think they deserve, not leaving them behind as they age, recalling those passed good old times.

El tiempo que va pasando, como la vida, no vuelve más.
https://youtu.be/UmBUqwxUvWM

Now, I have been watching your collection very carefully and I see there is no Roland Fantom around.
You think adding a Fantom will then confirm your addiction...?
Sure not, go back and read from the second line, please.

And if once Fantom is added (hurry, May 22nd is round the corner) you think you better keep only just both, Montage and Fantom, while removing the rest, it will surely be a complete step further in my opinion confirming you as not being a synth addict at all !!!!

PD: this is all based on the scientific assumption that you do play what you buy.

Indeed I do play all my synths and can’t bare to part with any of them to be honest. I try to play the ones in synth corner at least once a week but the MOXF and Minilogue have been upstairs and unused for some months now, which is why I want to bring them back to join the other boys!!

I did look at the fantom when it came out, but even the 61 key version was too long to fit into my corner. Now that I’ve moved things around though, I could accommodate longer synths 🙂

Think about bringing them alive regardless of the corner they are placed in by simply using state of the art technoly. No need to reach the keyboard, just turn them on and play from your Montage.

My old and barely used Yamahan CVP-96 is now giving me as many as 16 voices thanks to CME WIDI Master. It seems it can manage 5 MIDI devices simultaneously, so to speak: they call it 5 nodes (1+4 or 4+1) !!!!

Bought a pair of the bundle to connect a Fantom 8 and the CVP-96 and it is certainly outstanding !!!!

Come gather around people, please, and let's sing Happy Birthday to John.

Happy Birthday, John !!!!

Just made a little version of the song for you, showing, depicting, the World going on and around not exactly matching our own tempo as we celebrate our birthdays and, ultimately, that last missing beat...

How are you doing with that Montage, the new HS8s and all the rest...?

Everything already set as you planned, got that 4 tier synth stand ?