The question of what you should be monitoring through is a very subjective and broad subject. It really is up to you and what your goal is. If you are attempting to create a recording studio atmosphere in your music area, then definitely look into a pair of quality monitor speakers. Today powered monitors are very common and very popular. I use a pair of Yamaha HS7's. As a former full time recording engineer, I count on accuracy in my monitoring system.

You can use a home hi-fi system, if you wish. There would many who would argue that consumer gear will not allow you to create mixes that sound good and balanced. Studio Monitors are designed to be accurate - delivering a proper balance of high and low frequency to the "sweet spot" (a sitting location that forms a equalateral triangle with the speakers). Not only are they optimized for near-field listening but they are designed t give you a clear picture of exactly what you have sonically.

If you opt to use your home hi-fi system just make sure you verify the Input sensitiity of the jacks you use to connect. What you get will depend on the size and amount of gear you need to connect. Some connect their keyboard diretly to monitor speakers; some connect through a small format mixer - this allows you to combine multiple devices into a small home studio. How you setup your studio can vary greatly.

I highly recommend a pair of dedicated Studio Monitors. If you go with small speakers (5") you may want to get a sub woofer. If you go with 8" monitors you probably do not need a sub woofer (again the type of projects you do will determine whether a sub woofer is something you need - if you are doing EDM then sub woofer makes a lot of sense. I cut my teeth on Yamaha NS10M's back in the day when they first came out. So the current HS7's (same size as the NS10) are my personal preference.

I have a studio which constantly gets reconfigured (more than any normal person would ever do) - some times I work direct to monitors, I work sometimes work through a small format audio interface, I work sometimes through an analog mixer, I work sometimes through a digital mixer... I do so because it is my job to experience and walk a mile in all of those different pairs of shoes!

You can find a workflow that is best for you - base it on your goals, what you need to plug in at one time (is it just you, is there an ensemble of musicians that you record, etc). How do you like to work. Let that be your guide in gear acquisition. Near-field (studio monitors) are good only for the purpose of engineering and mastering your recordings... they are not for gigs or filling large spaces with music. They are designed to focus on the engineers sitting position... line of sight, equilateral triangle, near-field!

hi BM - whats your latest in recommendations for personal stage sound? usually just as monitors, with pass throughs to FOH, but on a rare occasion to project to small venue as primary keyboard sound?