For most home recordists, the first set of monitor speakers (often simply referred to as monitors) consist of a home stereo system. But sooner or later, you're going to want a real set of monitors. Studio monitors come in many varieties, but the home recordist's best bet is a set of near-field monitors. Near-field monitors are speakers that are designed to be positioned close to you (which is often the case anyway because most home recordists have very little room in which to work).

Near-field monitors come in two varieties:

• Passive: Passive monitors are just the speakers themselves, which means that you'll need to buy a separate amplifier to use them. If you go this route, make sure to save some bucks for the amps because they can cost as much as the speakers. Also keep in mind that the kind of amp you get will impact the sound of the speakers -- not all amps sound the same.
• Active: These monitors come with their own amplifiers. Going the active route has a couple of advantages: First, the amps are matched to the speakers, so you can (theoretically) get a better sound from them, and second, you don't have to buy amps separately. This keeps you from having to make yet another difficult decision when gearing up your studio.