Blue Sky = best inexpensive system for the money (we bought a set for our second edit suite) What ever you buy, make sure you get a powered sub with it.

But I'd highly recommend a mixing board. You won't ever regret buying it.

-place to plug in a microphone
-place to plug in headphones
-place to plug in the outputs of a variety of gear
-volume controls within easy reach
-metering so you can monitor your levels accurately

Plus, they always impress the clients! :)

Finally, somebody that knows Event monitors!! Was it the TR8's or something more high end?

By the way, did you ever get a chance to try the Yamaha's HS (50's or 80's) with or without the HS10w sub?

I believe it was the TR8's (larger main driver) and found them completely unrealistic and boomy, often even muddy in the low end. The Yamaha's were surprisingly no better than the M-Audio's; noisy, poor midrange and very poor imaging.

Just thought that I would add a word to the mix.
A mixing board is a great idea, if you have the room, but inputting directly into the Mac might require some level of sonic compromise.
We have a separate audio suite for voice overs and for laying down tracks, however, the video editing suite (FCP 7/Logic 9, etc.) employs a Presonus Central Station to feed a pair of Event 5 (not the least bit muddy) and or Adam (more natural mids and high freq. than Events but more costly) monitors plus sub. The Central station receives its feed from a Black Magic Multibridge Eclipse which is interfaced to an 8 core Intel/Mac. There is less expensive hardware available to accomplish the same end, but this basic chain concept, for our purposes, has proven to be the most flexible and sonically sound approach, not to mention the video capability of the Blackmagic Design box.

Hi Ron -

Are you saying that a mixing board has a lesser sonic quality than using a device such as the PCS unit you mentioned?

I'm a total novice, so that's why I ask this.

I'm looking at getting a pretty decent set of powered monitors w/a sub .... and of course, am looking at all the options on how to connect them to my (2009) MacPro. Looking at the PCS unit, it looks like I would be able to connect the optical out from the MacPro to the PCS unit?

And yes, keeping cost down would be nice....but would also like to have clean, quality audio too!!

No, not at all, just that the devices that I described are rack mountable and take up less real estate in the studio. When I suggested the possibility of sonic compromise, I was referring to powered speakers connected directly to the mac, without any intervening interface that should allow for a balanced signal.

I guess it all depends on your budget & requirements. Even the bottom of the line EXO are double the price of the Roland/Edirol MA-15D. The Media Desk are about 4X & the Pro Desk >7X the price of the MA-15D.