Used to work on professional editing systems, I was made to the idea of not being able to offer me - for a reasonable price - a good monitoring system for my personal studio. I got used to my mixes with a reputable helmet for its neutrality. But after a few setbacks, I finally fell for these small M-Audio who enjoyed a flattering reputation. I do not regret my purchase. For the price, these self-powered speakers have a sound absolutely fantastic! I mix in a fairly small room, and the bass is still both powerful and vigorous, without slurring. As for the treble, they are clean, clear and subtle. But more extraordinary is the fleshy side these mignonettes give music and voice. When you listen to the piano, for example, you can hear the sound of the "wood" of the instrument, which is precisely in space without a stroll speaker to another. And I have seen personally that these do not color AV40 blatantly they reproduce. A correct mix on your computer, will be just as on a CD, DVD or on Youtube. And when we know all the hazards that encodings can be subjected to the sound ... However, there was some defects to report, even if they are not insurmountable: The cables supplied are of poor quality. Thus, the mini-jack cable to connect a second source façade, has sheets which produce false disastrous contact. You will need to buy another one. Similarly, when you connect headphones to the AV40, the tweeter immediately chirps shrill whistle. Same problem when connecting a line input (Audio In). Think about it, if you make of the sound in your room. Also note that these monitors are quite "large" compared to traditional systems called "office", but personally I forgive them this overweight because when I close my eyes, they sound "enormous". Finally, these speakers feature bass-reflex speakers with a vent to the rear. To get good sound, you must place, in principle, at least 30 cm from the back wall. From experience, I did notice that if you do not activate the bass boost, you could significantly get closer to the walls. Make your own tests. Anyway, to repeat a point noted by another commenter: M-Audio was taken by AVID society. For audiovisual professionals, it means a lot. And for you, it should sweep doubts.
