All user reviews for the Mackie HR824

The technical features that motivated my choice to get a pair of Mackie HR824 monitors are the size of the monitors and the sound quality. The size is the perfect size for near field monitors and perfect for near field listening. I also like that these monitors are self powered and do not require an external power amp. I use these speakers with Pro Tools and a Digi 002 rack version.

SOUNDS

The sound quality of the HR824s is very full and clean. They represent an accurate portrayal of what is being played and it is nice to be able to get a mix that sounds good on these and that will transfer well to other sets of speakers. The stereo image is more than satisfactory as it portrays a wide sound that covers the full range of human hearing. It is crisp sounding and has a nice low end response as well as a nice sounding mid range and high end. The dynamics are accurate as well, and I would say that these monitors have an overall great sounding that is true to what you are playing through them.

OVERALL OPINION

I've been using the Mackie HR824s for about three years. My favorite thing about them is just the overall sound quality. The price is also a big upside for these monitors, as they are very reasonably priced. I also have a pair of Yamaha NS10s and these are much fuller sounding in comparison, although they are more expensive. These have come down in price in the last few years, making them an even better choice for monitors. Mackie is known for making well made products, and these monitors are some of their best. I plan to hold on to my HR824s for a while as they are great sounding monitors at a great price.

I like the name brand Mackie in general. You can trust the products and know that they are not cheap. The Mackie hr824 is out of stock now, due to the new model. What appealed to me is when I bought this the websites and magazines said it was the industries standard for monitor choice. Some of the higher studios use these and most of the lower end to home studio.

SOUNDS

It carries a lot of punch in sound. The bass is right there. The clarity is right on. The upper range of frequencies are good. You can make out if there is any damaged audio in the mix. All instruments come out very pronounced. It really is a truth monitor speaker. No EQ's to mix up your train of though. Just the truth. What you hear is what the recording sounds like. You can hear you own mix with all the frequency regions with no fake hype on your hearing. They sound great enough to be used in not only as mix-critical reference monitors but as living room audiophile speakers. The Mackie is extremely loud at the center position of the control room pot. I would set these 4 feet away to create good room sound and understand whats coming out. The headphones out, XLR in and RCA in make good connectors also.

OVERALL OPINION

I've used these for one CD. Now, the other CD I made I did not use it and you can tell the difference. The quality is much better. In the conclusion, good speakers. Industry standard, powered sound=great mix. I've had my monitors for 1 year now and I'm happy. Looking at the other models, this one was the one to go with. I thought the $499 was a lot for one monitor a piece, wait until they go out of style and the new model comes in and you can get them at a better price. I would make the same purchase again.