need help, cant decide!! looking for 2.0 monitors.. av40, a2, rp5, etc

[koven]

hi,

my z2300 died so i'm looking to upgrade to something nicer.. this will be used for a nearfield desktop setup.. about 2.5ft from my seat, 12x9x8 bedroom

the main priority for me is listening to music.. i play games and watch movies on a different setup

so i'm looking at these two models:

- swan m10 ($100 pair)
- alesis m1 active 520 ($200 pair)
- krk rp5 ($240 pair)

i'm new to studio monitors and i'm just wondering what the best bang for my buck would be..

if i dont do any recording or mixing.. will the rp5's be overkill for just listening to mp3's? i found them for $240 a pair and i love how they look.. i really want a reason to buy them but i'm wondering if they're overkill for my situation..

is there a huge difference between the RP5 and M10 in terms of SQ? it's about $120 more so will the average user be able to justify the extra money? will i hear a noticeable difference between the 2?


is the m10 a noticeable upgrade from the Promedia 2.1 or Z-2300? Or are they the same level


or will a simple user like me be satisfied with the m10?


also, how does the alesis m1 active 520 compare with the rp5?


my genres: rap/hiphop (45%), alternative/punk rock (45%), trance (5%), pop (5%)


any comments/suggestions are appreciated... thanks

[Mr Peabody]

I bought the small Audio Engine for my daughter's computer and they sound great. At 10 watts with a 3 inch low/mid driver I'd recommend a sub or buying the larger pair which may be out of your budget. The sound quality of the mids/highs though are very good. I don't have any other spekaers of that type to compare them to though, just regular home speakers.

[koven]

anyone else?