Customer Reviews

Tapco by Mackie S.8 Studio Monitors, Set of 2

5 star:		(4)
4 star:		(0)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Imaging is impressive on the S8. I've mixed on NS10's, JBL 4208 and 4312, and various Genelec and Tannoy models. The S8 is not as pretty as the Genelec, but I prefer it that way. Some Tannoy monitors, especially the older concentric units, are cleaner than the S8 but not by much.

Build quality is excellent, too. These are heavy, solid beasts. I'm sure there are seams on the cabinets, but we couldn't find them. They are also good looking, much more dark and aggressive than photos can relate. Overall, we have no complaints at all, especially at this price.

This is what's so great about the S8: They are an astounding value. They will definitely show you what is right or wrong with your mix, and do so better than anything else in its class at high or low volume (yes, that is an option no one ever talks about). I had read some reports about bass power problems, but I believe they perform much better in an actual studio/room rather than in a store showroom where sales-staff have likely cranked the back-panel bass option beyond reason.

If you have a chance to listen before you buy, you should. If not, search online for reviews and comparison shootouts. The S8's are a solid investment for anyone shopping in this range.

Update, Feb 2008: It looks like Mackie (Tapco) might be replacing these with the new Mackie MR8 Reference Monitors. Same price for a pair, similar specs. Worth a look as well.

This is an absolutely amazing product. I bought these through amazon a couple weeks back from Musician's Friend for 200 for a pair on clearance. I bought these solely on a friend's recommendation and boy, I am glad I didn't pick anything else.

I can assure you of this, if you are a consumer listener and just listen to music or play games, these are honestly the best thing I think my friends have ever heard. They come over sometimes just to hang out and talk while listening to these (and I think they use it as an excuse, haha). The bass is magnificent when you turn up the switch on the back. It provides just the right amount of bass upping for casual listening.

I can also assure you that if you are a novice music maker on a budget, these are a great place to start. For this price, you are getting incredible quality. The linear sound produced by these when the switches are set to 0 are very close to what I know linear sounds like.

I recently started making my own electronic music and I felt like I was enjoying it enough to kick my music making into the next gear by buying studio monitors. I had been using Logitech speakers for years and years before I bought these and I think I may never dwell back into the consumer market ever again. Most computer speakers have the problem of being naturally high in bass and treble. My Z-4's were a great example of this because the mid-range is almost non-existent. All of my mixes done on my home computer were strong in mid-range whenever I listened on other's speakers. It was dreadfully annoying to run into this problem consistently.

Overall, these are the best looking and best sounding speakers I have ever owned in my life. I may say differently one day when I am buying 1000 dollar monitors in the future, but these are a great place to start.

Side Note: I recommend buying a Link.Firewire or Link.USB with these. The sound produced when not using the Link is noticeably less clear.

These were bigger and heavier than I imagined. The S-5's would have been fine. But I got them 3 years ago and am so happy I use them all day every day for music, spoken voice from PC to 4 track to iPod. They are in a class much higher than JBL's for example. The cleanness, rich, not lacking in bass or high's. I am picky about the voice and saxophone and I think this must be the intended texture and placement. This quality for this price was so fair...well I love Tapco by Mackie. I know that love is a strong word but I love music and at last in my 50's I found the answer to the mystical science of monitor speakers in these Tapco's outside of a recording studio, right at home. Holy Cow!

I've only had these for one day, but I couldn't wait to leave a review somewhere since I couldn't find very many when I was looking for reviews.

I'm exceptionally happy with the sound of these monitors. The highs are startling clear and lows very punchy without any muddled sounds. I things these things sound great! At the low volumes I usually listen at the S-5's might have been a better choice. (But when I crank it with a song with strong bass I'm so glad I got the 8's!)

The few times I've cranked 'em up (since yesterday mind you) they sounded exceptional. I'm usually not a fan of ported designs, but these have really changed my mind about that.

The greatest thing about these (IMO) is that for a small price you can have better sound coming out of your PC than 90% of home stereos. You don't have to worry if your amplifier is strong enough for exceptional bass, etc.

Remember that these are near-field monitors--they sound best by far when you're sitting in front of them. The off-axis response is not as good as a speaker made for home stereo use.

No issues whatsoever with the two units I received--they both worked and sounded perfectly. The size of the box they came in was a little bit of a shock though--these are not small, and they're packed to ensure their safety.

The only bad thing is now I'm shopping for a pro-grade sound card to do these justice. ;)

Disclosure: I'm a consumer, not a producer, of music. I use these solely for listening to commercial music, not for mixing, recording, etc.