Can I somehow turn these speakers into studio monitors ?

[Reedt2000]

OK, so resetting a bit, am I right in thinking the situation at the moment is that you have a Focusright interface, presumably plumbed into your PC and appropriate software, but nothing to playback from whatever software you are using.

So you either need powered speakers, or else an amplifier and speakers. Bearing in mind your budget situation you are probably not immediately in the market for a decent pair of powered studio monitors. So you need an amplifier.

The first questions is what were those speakers connected to? Do you still have it? Does it have an Aux input with a pair of phono sockets? If so that should function at a basic level until you are ready for better. You'll then need a couple of TRS (1/4in stereo jack) to phono cables.

If you haven't already got something then at the budget end of the game any half decent stereo amplifier with an input for a separate tape player, cd player or "Aux", using phono sockets will do. You can usually get something operational very cheap and secondhand. If it comes with reasonable speakers so much the better, or you can use these Aiwas. You'll need the same cables, then you should be able to make sounds.

Obviously the better the gear you can find the better it will be, but a half decent old school stereo system will be usable and beat the hell out of nothing.

This is accurate

I see stereo receivers at thrift stores all the time for cheap. Just be aware those speakers don't handle a lot of power so don't go feeding them a ton of wattage.

 

[hbarcat]

Instead of buying a power amp to drive these completely inadequate and inappropriate speakers for use as reference monitors, you should buy a decent pair of reference headphones. They don't need an amp. You can drive them with the headphone out from your interface.

These particular phones always appear as the most recommended ones in TB threads about the best headphones to use for hi fi listening and reference.



BEST VALUE HEADPHONES FOR CRITICAL LISTENING

-AKG K240 ($80)
-Sennheiser HD280 ($100)
-Shure SRH440A ($100)
-Sony MDR 7506 ($100)
-Audio Technica ATH M40X ($120)
-Beyerdynamic DT 770 ($160)
-Audio Technica ATH M50X ($170)


Prices are new. Used cans are typically ½ to ⅔ of new.