MAC Nearfield Monitors

[seraider]

I am about to purchase a MAC and have looked at the Soundsticks as a possible speaker system. I like the application of line array concepts to the desktop. Is there any other nearfield monitors that can be run directly from a USB port like the soundsticks? Are there any nearfield monitors you can recommend, and with what sound card. Best possible sound quality is the goal.

[shawn_a]

IMac G5??? Mini??? G5 tower??? If you are going for the big dawg G5, they have digital input and output via Toslink connections. A very nice way of implementing some sound for a computer lemme tell ya. Now if you are looking at the iMac G5 or Mini, I probably would go for the USB as upgrading either one of those machines with a new sound card is damn near impossible. That brings me back to the G5 tower. With those you have more options as to which sound card you want to run.

I've heard the soundsticks and they are okay. Not what I would put on my desktop for that price. If you have an Apple store nearby I suggest you go. It's a place where they want the people to touch, feel and hear everything. The only thing I would change would be having a nice little Apple logo emblazoned towel that is handed to you at the entrance to catch all the drool. A souvenir for you to keep when you leave. Have fun.

shawn

[seraider]

> IMac G5??? Mini??? G5 tower??? If you are
> going for the big dawg G5, they have digital
> input and output via Toslink connections. A
> very nice way of implementing some sound for
> a computer lemme tell ya. Now if you are
> looking at the iMac G5 or Mini, I probably
> would go for the USB as upgrading either one
> of those machines with a new sound card is
> damn near impossible. That brings me back to
> the G5 tower. With those you have more
> options as to which sound card you want to
> run.

> I've heard the soundsticks and they are
> okay. Not what I would put on my desktop for
> that price. If you have an Apple store
> nearby I suggest you go. It's a place where
> they want the people to touch, feel and hear
> everything. The only thing I would change
> would be having a nice little Apple logo
> emblazoned towel that is handed to you at
> the entrance to catch all the drool. A
> souvenir for you to keep when you leave.
> Have fun.

> shawn
One of the options I have considered also is using a Behringer DEQ2496 I have and getting a crossover and Panasonic Sa70 and powering a set of DIY Monitors, maybe with the Reference Drivers. Is the Behringer input compatible with the Toslink?

As far as which MAC, I'm trying to decide how deep to go. I really like the 23 inch HD monitor and I found out tonight it can be used with either the Mac-mini or the G5 tower. I am torn between taking the less expensive route with the mini, or going with the G5 Tower which I think will be more obsolesence-proof. Then again, the Imac G5 is an exceptional value. What are the relative advantages of each platform as you see it. I would appreciate the advice of a non-sales guy, and you seem to know Macs. I have grown tired of the PC hassle. The Dell I am typing on limps along with 128K RAM. It will cost more to upgrade the memory and go to XP than it costs to buy a new PC. My perception is that the Mac will be easier to use for downloads, and seems to be on the edge of development in that direction. The reduced virus profile of the MAC is attractive as well. I'm on the bubble to convert over...
From the standpoint of music downloads and music interface what are your thoughts? What monitors other than the Soundsticks have you heard that impressed you?

[shawn_a]

Okay. I'm not all that familiar yet with the DEQ2496 but it's on my list of things I want to get to know. Upon looking at the manual I downloaded from Behringer's website, it looks like it is indeed Toslink capable. Good thing there.

Upon a bit more reading and looking, it looks like the iMac G5 has an optical mini jack output. It's like an ordinary mini-jack only it has optical capability too. Just use one of the PE number 180-968 adapters so you can use a regular Toslink terminated optical cable. Again, a good thing there. Here's the link:

<A HREF="http://www.partsexpress.com/pe/showd...ID=16155&DID=7">http://www.partsexpress.com/pe/showd...ID=16155&DID=7</A>

Now when it comes to which Mac to buy, how much do you really want to spend. The Mini is a cutie-pie but it has very limited expansion possibilities. As you mention the G5 tower will serve you well for many years. It's just a pricier piece than any other new Mac out there. In the middle you have the iMac. Still limited expansion but a few more features than the Mini such as a built-in monitor. Seeing how you have your eyes on the 23" Studio Display (can't blame ya there) even the largest iMac (20") probably won't slake your lust for all those pixels hehehe.

I'm no where near a salesman so rest assured what I've told you so far is no more than the opinion of a long-time Mac user. I would just bite the bullet and get the big G5 and the monitor. You will have expansion possibilities out the wazoo and it won't be a piece of crap years down the road. At home I have an old G4 (450 screamin' MHz buddy) that is still going strong. I've upgraded the optical drive to a Pioneer dual layer DVD drive and things are just peachy running OS 10.4.3. I also have a newer G4 Quicksilver (867 MHz chip) with 1 GB of RAM that is my everyday workhorse. If for some reason you need a Windows machine get Virtual PC from (gasp) Microsoft. I run it on the Quicksilver and while it's not a speed demon like a dedicated native PC it's still pretty darn good. All of the things you said about Mac life are true. I have had no problems with viruses at all. The OS is rock-solid in my experience. I think you will do alright with the switchover to Macintosh.

For speakers I would go DIY and use the audio gear you mentioned. You will be leaps and bounds ahead of anything out there that can be bought in a store. I will be working on some computer speaker ideas over the winter. I will keep you in mind if I come up with something that is noteworthy. Good luck.

shawn