Headphones: AKG K240
Monitors: Depends on $$$ and taste. I really like my KRK V6. Best would be to take some CDs you know very well and go to a shop to test different makes. If you can afford it, go for biamped active ones (separate amps for low and hi drivers).
I read up on that, the CD testing thing. What kind of CDs should I bring if I was going to try some out?
And I don't know about $$$ or taste since I'm a newcomer to them.
Bring something that you know well and that represents the kind of stuff you wanna mainly do. So if for example you're into metal and you love Killswitch: Engage, bring Killswitch:Engage.
No point in testing monitors with classic if you wanna use them to do hardcore metal.
I would say 500 a pair is what you should spend to have decent quality, 500 a piece will give you something solid that you might wanna keep for long (I've had my KRKs since 1999 and I have the feeling they will always stay with me). Everything above that is real high end for connaisseurs or pros.
thats good advice and a reasonable assesment of the pricing trends in monitors.
I would argue though that if youre going past about 500 a pair, maybe even less, youre going to get diminishing returns not in the quality if the sound out of the monitors (in my limited experience that starts at about £1000 a pair) but because of your room.
And thats assuming you have a well set up listening position to begin with.
I assume you arent going to get any acoustic treatment, but the least you can do is set up a proper listening position. Putting the speakers in the best place and in the correct place relative to each other and your head is half the battle (if not more).
