Speakers VS. Monitors?

Hi,

I've been looking into buying a pair of nice computer/multimedia speakers for my new powerbook. However, because I use garageband for recording music, I've recently looked into buying a pair of monitors instead. Whatever I buy will be used for general music listening as well as for listening to garageband recordings. Any feedback would be great. Right now, because of my pressing financial situation, I'm not willing to spend more than $200. Please help me decide....Speakers or monitors???

You can only run 1 external monitor off your powerbook.

I have my B&W hooked to my stereo and some Bose bookshelf speakers. Personally I think monitor speakers are a little overkill unless you do it for a living. Get what sounds good to YOU and you can afford.

Just get a decent set of speakers and use those. It'll sound fine.

mynameis said:

You can only run 1 external monitor off your powerbook.

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He's talking about audio monitors...

For $200,- I would suggest to get a good 2.1 speaker system, like the Harman/Kardon Soundsticks II. They sound incredibly good, and as a nice side effect look very pretty.
If you want to by monitors for that same price, they won't sound any better anyway, and certainly take up more space.

Avalon said:

audio monitors.

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What would you use that for? I don't even know what that is

mynameis said:

What would you use that for? I don't even know what that is

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Audio monitors are special speakers that are used by sound professionals. They are of higher quality than standard HiFi speakers, and have an amplifier on their own (each speaker has it's own amp built-in).They are mainly used in recording studios, for monitoring the music being recorded...that's why they call it "monitors".

For $200,- get JBL's encounter speakers. They're in the same price range as the soundsticks II but they sound better IMO.

Avalon said:

Audio monitors are special speakers that are used by sound professionals. They are of higher quality than standard HiFi speakers, and have an amplifier on their own (each speaker has it's own amp built-in).They are mainly used in recording studios, for monitoring the music being recorded...that's why they call it "monitors".

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Exactly. They're also unbiased as far as reproduction, so the output will be truer to what you've created, not adding bass/treble like standard stereo speakers do.

Out of my: Samson Reslov65's, my Yahama Ns-10's, and my Behringer B2031. I would defiantly pick the B2031. They come in passive and active...... The passive version is under $200 (no amp), the active version is over $200. So if you just happen to have a 75-150W rms 2x 4-ohm amp laying around go with the B2031's.