Pipes got a good explaination there.
I always tell people that studio monitors are meant to be accurate and let you hear all the details of the music in a way that will help you create mixes that will translate to other systems (which use speakers). More of a clinical, accuracy thing.
Speakers are meant to make things sound as good as possible regardless of the material (though it can be argued that high end speakers are meant to be very accurate and are getting into the monitor area). More of a "please the customer" thing.

>Moreover, I bought a pait of near-field monitors (BX5), and wanted >to ask if y'all think these would be acceptable in regards to >showing a documentary for about 40-50

Provided you don't need to turn them up too loud they will be fine. Inside they won't be a 'cinema' experience but certainly would be clearly audible in a room with 50 (quiet) people. Outside they may be a bit weak....which may lead you to turn them up too loud...

There is nothing magic about near-field monitors, they are just speakers after all, they (supposedly) have been designed with a flat frequency response and with mixing music in mind...but there is no such thing as a speaker with a flat response, hi-fi or 'monitor' there are both good and bad examples of both.

Regards Scott

There is nothing magic about 'Studio Monitors' either.

They *should* sound good - very good - but have the extra requirement of needing to be a little more rugged (those clicks and pops ; when somebody unplugs something they shouldn't at the wrong time, that fader left up, the solo level too high, etc).

Of course the 'sound good' counts out the NS-10s, but their use is/was not as studio monitor, but 'mix-check' speakers, to find out what a mix sounds like on a crappy home stereo.

geoff