Edirol monitors vs. hi-fi setup - Worth the money?

[Emp.Man]

Hi all, for the last couple of years I've been using a pair of Edirol MA-10A monitors through an M-Audio 2496 but I'm debating whether to upgrade or not. If I do it'll probably be to a used Audiolab 8000a and Bronze B2 combo and since I've no way of auditioning those without buying them I'm wondering if it's really going to be worth the £300-£400 it's going to cost. I know that's nothing to a lot of you hi-fi nuts but it's a hell of a lot to me, so I need to be sure it's the right thing to do before I dive in.

Feel free to suggest any other upgrades that might be worthwhile, are there any other monitors for less than the above which would significantly improve on what I've got? It's not just for music, I watch a lot of films and also play games on my PC so I need an all-round solution.

Cheers

 

[tom_nieto]

If you're spending that amount of cash, seriously go down to a hi-fi shop and listen to some things. I know they won't have the 8000a to try out, but you at least should be able to try the speakers. It's a very personal thing, and something that I like you might hate. I bought blind and imo got lucky. I did extensive research, but my next upgrade will definitely involve extensive testing.

Another factor is that I don't know how good your monitors are, and what you hope to achieve by upgrading.

 

[Emp.Man]

Sorry if the question is a bit vague, to be honest I was expecting a vague answer too since it's all so subjective. The monitors were reviewed as a decent budget solution a couple of years back but I've since read a fair bit of criticism on Edirol monitors - they're clear enough to me but they do lack bass. It's been a while since I listened to a proper hi-fi setup so the difference may well slap me in the face when I do, I'm having trouble finding a decent hi-fi place near me though (South Yorkshire/North Lincolnshire) since people on here always advise against places like Sevenoaks and Richer Sounds. I'm sure there are a few around but I'm obviously looking in the wrong places.

 

[tom_nieto]

Sevenoaks are very good, and if the richersounds has a demo room you should definitely go there! You don't have to buy there and then, but if you like what you hear...