Nice choice. Only knock I've heard on the 824's is that they're somewhat 'bass-heavy'. For that reason, lots of semi-pro's and not-so-wealthy pro's (home and project studios) opt for the 624's, which they claim is more accurate (and cheaper).

Monitors are such strange beasts. There is the old "if they sound good on these (auratones, ns10's), they'll sound good on anything" school. There's also the Hip-hop producers who love the extended bass of the 824's. There are those that LIKE color and those that like absolute transparency (adams, etc.). I think most people (with good ears) can learn to get a decent mix out of whatever they get used to (in the thousand dollar range). I suppose ear fatigue is a factor if you're doing a long session but I've never experienced it myself.

Although I've got a Alesis RA-100 hooked up to a pair of Tannoy's on the computer, I use a pair of Roland digitals on my DPS24 and I've gotten pretty used to those after 5 ot 6 years. As a general rule, I think powered monitors are going to give you superior performance than unpowered (amp/speaker compatibility). I tend to go for what reproduces my KB's best in the studio; not the best criteria, probably. Anyhoo, good luck. BTW, are there any advertised advantages or improvements with the new model 824's?

chas