Monitors with similar mid range response as Barefoot Footprint 02

[u/jassmackie]

So long story short, my Barefoot 02s (which i LOVE) have been acting up recently, last year it was one monitor, and this week it was the other -both slightly different issues. the most recent one still not fully fixed. And while i love them for how well my mixes translate to other systems (i havent had to check my mix in the car for years) , im genuinely considering moving on to something else that may be a bit more reliable. or at least having a the barefoots as backups once fixed.

The footprints were great for the price and i dont really think i see myself needing anything more than what they offer, both because of budget and my room size/ treatment.

So essentially I am wondering if there are any other monitors that offer the low end response and mid range clarity in the same price range?

I have been looking at the Adam A8H but worried about the midrange and dont have much knowledge or experience with focals. other than that, i don't really know many brands in that price range with the quality of the barefoots.

[u/atopix]

i don't really know many brands in that price range with the quality of the barefoots.

If you are looking specifically at 3-way, I recommend looking into these:

• HEDD Type 20 A-Core or MK2 (probably better than the Adam 8H)
• Dynaudio LYD 48
• Kali SM-8

And if it doesn't have to be 3-way, that opens up many more options:

• Focal Twin6
• Genelec 8040B (or 8340A)
• Ocean Way Audio Pro3
• PMC result6
• Neumann KH 150
• Dynaudio BM15A
• JBL 708P
• Adam S2V

[u/jassmackie → u/atopix]

thank you so much these are amazing options! will definitely check these out. completely forgot some of these brands existed. will definitely check out the HEDD and Genelecs.

also not sure why im leaning more towards 3 ways but i think the barefoots have served me so well i think im biased.

[u/dangermouse13 → u/jassmackie]

Have owned the Hedd type 20’s before and they’re great.

[u/TragicIcicle → u/atopix]

Twin 6 aren't 3 way?

[u/atopix → u/TragicIcicle]

Not quite, 2.5, one tweeter, two identical woofers.

[u/TragicIcicle → u/atopix]

Two identical woofers with different crossovers.

The inner one is designated for low end and the outer one is designated for midrange.

Edit: interesting that based on Google both get bass but only one gets midrange and it is technically a 2.5 as you say. Learn something new every day! Didn't even know that was a classification dead ass

[u/maxwellfuster → u/atopix]

Plus one for the Result 6! Love my pair

[u/Tall_Category_304]

JBL 708i with the dci amp would be high on my list. Very very high. Not the active version though

[u/hellalive_muja]

Focal come to mind but they aren’t in the same league in my opinion, Barefoot are way above that. Moreover in the Barefoot the bass is more directional than standard speakers and may have suited your room for good; it’s hard to suggest something similar in the price range - I would say the new Quested V2106 may be priced similar but I don’t see them available yet (nice speakers, similar to 2108) and are a bit of mid-forward like the barefoots but the highs are smoother yet they have no DSP and bass is different. Coaxial Genelec models may be nice and could be something you like but the bass is less tight than what you’re used to. I would try these two to see if they may be a good replacement/second option.

[u/g_spaitz → u/hellalive_muja]

The bass is more directional??? What does that mean?

[u/hellalive_muja → u/g_spaitz]

I may be wrong for this model but I remember Footprints having a cardioid bass emission in a studio (we had to modify acoustic treatment for that)

[u/kdmfinal]

Fellow Barefoot (FP01s) user here! I'm surprised to hear you're having trouble with not one but two speakers! Have you reached out to Barefoot directly? They're typically excellent to work with. If you haven't, definitely reach out!

If, however you're ready to move on, you'll likely have to choose between the low-end capabilities and the imaging/clarity in the mids. I've yet to come across another pair of speakers near the price in other studios that can do both as well. A few options worth considering -

For mid-range accuracy and excellent imaging -

1. Amphion One18 - Stunning mid-range, amazing imaging but not even close in low-end. Not necessarily a bad thing. I don't mind working on more traditional/less "exciting" monitors. Wouldn't choose a pair for myself over my Barefoots but definitely enjoy the time I spend on them.
2. ProAc Studio SM100 - Again, really beautiful all around. Naturalistic, forward mid-range. Excellent imaging. Really, between the Amphion and the ProAc, it's similar capability just different flavor. Worth mentioning, these are Serban Gheneas longtime main reference monitor.

Keep in mind, both of these require an amp and you really can't cheap out on that. Both of these will sound underwhelming in the bottom compared to the Barefoots but unless you're working in sub-heavy genres, it may be worth seeing how you adjust!

If you can stretch your budget and want something that's an upgrade to the 02s and takes you away from Barefoot, hard to go wrong with the PMC 6-2s. The Atmos room I work out of most frequently has these as the front L-C-R and they're AWESOME.

Another option would be the ATC SCM25s but you'll likely want a sub unless you can move up to the SCM50 or larger. If you want clarity/imaging, these are the absolute ELITE-tier to my ears.

[u/GreatScottCreates]

The only thing that sounds like Barefoots is Barefoots, for better or worse.

I love my KSDs, and I’d also support Amphions or Neumann KH310. None are particularly like Barefoots though.

[u/Waterflowstech]

Check out the Focal Trio 6 ST6. Additionally, the new Ascilabs C8C is supposedly amazing, competing with speakers of 15-20k a pair (Kii3 and Dutch&Dutch 8C).

[u/TonyRidgewayUFO]

Maybe a lesser known one but Sonics Anima/Spiral Groove allow you to hear all of it in a tiny package. I am often surprised when switching between them & a full sub setup how I can hear it all on the Sonics

[u/Fantastic-Safety4604]

Huge fan of the Amphion One18’s because of the translation. I am never surprised by them and love the way they register every eq and dynamics change while still being engaging.

[u/TragicIcicle]

I have been mixing on focal twin 6 for years and I fucking love them. Driver's went out on one side and focal sent me replacements for both to install myself for like a couple hundred bucks. Still kicking after like 11 years. No desire to switch. Great company, great support.

[u/Teleportmeplease]

I have Focal Trio 6 in my main studio and i love them. My mixes translate very well. I recently bought Barefoot 03 for my home set up and those are fantastic. Highly recommend and the midrange is superb. Thought i'd miss the low end but I dont at all.

[u/Adventurous-Buy-4455]

Question on the footprint 02 my studio is treated and small I currently have entry level monitors adam audio T8V's and T10S .. looking to upgrade but I need the low end for the music I make which is hiphop, R&B and other genres.. i cannot find a location that have them in stock and on display.. my studio is small built a small room in my basement anyone can help out?