one more thing .... i guess it is preferable to use the trs output of the console, this is always unbalanced like the rca output? so mono trs connectors?
Hello Ninosa,
I use both Monitor 5 and the older XPS 2.080 DJ (replaced by DJMonitor 42 in Hercules range), and both are OK:
- Monitor 5 are great, but heavy, I use them at home and I sometimes bring them with me for live events, I carry them with a Flyght Pro Gorilla GAC412 bag. As most medium-sized monitors, they are great as near field speakers or can be used to host a party at home with 30 people, but monitors cannot replace public-address speakers for a large audience
- XPS 2.080 DJ, as their follower DJMonitor 42, are perfect for mobile use: I use them as mobile solution when I visit my family or my friends and we do music together, but they are not powerful enough to be used as nearfield monitors for live events (when placed at 2m of public address speakers playing hundreds of watts, you cannot hear them).
My XPS 2.080 DJ were a replacement solution for my former Klipsch ProMedia Ultra 2.0 speakers, which were good for mobile use, but not very good in low frequencies playback (no bass reflex tube as they are small, no deep bass as light-weight speakers would move if they played strong deep bass).
You may use both balanced (symetrical input) or unbalanced (non symetrical input) monitors as balanced inputs (TRS) still work with unbalanced (TS) cables.
An important difference between monitors and hifi systems is that
- monitors have a flat playback, for musician to hear all the bad parts of a sound, and correct them: monitors forgive nothing,
- hifi systems have a flattering playback, for the audience to hear a nice sound: hifi systems are more tolerant than monitors,
you may hear the same type of difference between DJ headphones and hifi headphones.
Monitors with a power supply in each speaker unit generally have a clearer audio quality than speakers with a stereo amplifier in 1 speaker and an amplified audio output wired to the second speaker, as separating amplifiers avoids crossovers between left and right channels.
For a good response on low frequencies, I suggest you avoid small and light speakers, since even when their quality is good, being small and light makes it difficult to play back low frequencies, and I am not a fan of adding a subwoofer to small speakers playing just medium & treble as then the low frequencies are played in mono (on the other hand, adding a subwoofer to speakers playing already low, medium and treble is often good).
Monitors need a few hours running-in period: when you start them for the first time, the sound is not very precise and it takes some hours to get a clear and fine sound (I ran in my Monitor 5 24-hours to get the sound I have now).
alternatively can I always use RCA TS adapters?
Hello Ninosan,
You can use either TRS (balanced) or TS (unbalanced) cables: the good idea behind 1/4'' balanced input/output format is that it works both with balanced and unbalanced cables.
And you can also use RCA to TS cables, or RCA to XLR cable, or RCA to TS adapters.
