..perhaps it should be a good idea to change the Genos "mickey mouse" ie. GNS-MS01 speakers to...
Disclaimer: I haven't (couldn't) decide for external speakers yet.
I've watched
many reviews and at this price range, my choice will probably be
KRK Rokit 5-G4 (or
Presonus Eris E5 as second choice).
My conclusion is, that all these (similar priced) 5" active monitors sound quite similar -which is to be expected. So it comes down to built & material quality (brand we trust) and features we prefer -and many times minor details can matter a lot!
Example: most active monitors have "auto-standby" feature. That is, if there's no signal after certain period of time, speaker goes into standby and when we start playing again, speaker turns back on. The problem is (or can be), there's certain delay before speaker is ready again -this is problem for some, but not for others.
What I like about
KRK (besides hopefully sounding good as they say) is:
-standby time can be adjusted (or disabled)
-it has class D amplifier built in (less power draw and less heat dissipated than class A/B amplifier -sound quality pretty much the same, though)
-bass vent is on front side (bass comes directly to listener and so speaker position doesn't matter much)
What I dislike:
-yellow speaker membranes,
-price... one should always complain about that, right?
As other have mentioned, connecting unbalanced output to balanced input isn't a problem if cables are not too long (say, 2-3m).
Finally... I think GNS-MS01 can't be compared to stereo studio monitors. In case of GNS-MS01, we always hear bass from direction where subwoofer is placed -regardless of how much L or R bass (drum, piano, etc.) is defined inside style.
Just sharing my thoughts,
Bogdan