Are you looking for the best powered studio monitor? Or you need the best one under low prices?
If yes!
So, then you should read this article about Best Studio Monitors to Buy in 2017 before making a purchase.
Studio monitors are loudspeakers precisely manufactured for competent audio production applications. Some audio production applications can be film making, home studios, recording studios where definite audio production is compelling.
Studio monitors are exceptional in term of sound precision, they are mostly used by producers and musicians for mixing and mastering songs. They have a flat response in human audible range. These are essential part of any music recording audio, whether it is a home studio or a professional studio.
A best set of studio monitor offers you exact and correct representation of your music. With the help of these you can easily record and mix music in a home studio.
In this article you will get detailed information about 12 best studio monitors. It is not significant that the one with the highest price would be the best one. We will explore all aspects and prices of all 12. After a cautious research you can easily pick the one which suits your needs.
Before moving forward towards our main topic let us discuss some points which will help you know about desired monitor.
First we must decide our price range, because you get what you pay for. The more you will spend, you will get the best one. A lot of monitors with low prices and good features are also available. Most of the monitors discussed in this article are under $200.
The size of woofer and tweeter is also considerable point. Because the larger they are, the more frequency they are able to handle. But we should not only see the size, the important thing is overall build and the material used to make tweeter and woofer. While purchasing we should look for carbon and fiber.
Some speakers come in one and some in pairs. Before selecting confirm that which one you want.
Decide from the start about the size of studio monitor you want to buy. If you have a small home studio so you must be looking for the one with smaller size. If you own a professional studio so then size doesn’t matter you can arrange space for any size.
You need an active or passive speaker. Universally active speakers are more common. Passive speakers need some amplifications, those who want more customization over their sound and power they prefer passive speakers.
Below I have discussed 12 different types of studio monitors with prices mentioned. You can choose the best budget studio monitor with high quality. All information about the size of studio monitor, size of woofer and tweeter, their pros and cons are discussed with detail.
Let’s have a look
List of Best studio monitors
1. Genelec M040: (Editor Choice)
Genelec M040 is one of the best studio monitor designed for those musicians and engineers who are working on locations, in project studios or home studios. It is an active two-way monitor that is about 61% heavier and almost 25% greater than its previous model Mo30. This variation in size and weight is due to bigger transducers. It has an amazing response from 6.5” bass and 1” tweeter. To drive tweeter a 50 Watt class D amplifier is needed and an 80 Watt class D amplifier is needed for remarkable 6.5” mid and base frequency woofer.
Genelec has created a new class D amplifier that lowers power consumption up to 90%. On its back there is a panel, carrying all the connectors and switches which offers high, low and very low settings. It attracts people due to its environment friendly design and other technological modernization. One can say that it is ideal for home studios and small projects.
Pros:
- It has a big sound and small boxes
- Its high end is crisp and pure
- It has base tweaking option
- It has a flexible bass port design
- Its mid-range is exact and natural
- Its weight is 15.4 lbs. which is approximately 7.4 kg
Cons:
- It’s Bass may feel lacking
- Doesn’t have HF trim option
Price:
You can get Genelec M040 at only $795. As compared to its specifications this price is nothing.
Conclusion/ Recommended for:
If you are an engineer and has to work on projects in different locations or a musician who wants to work in his small home studio and sometimes in project studio then Genelec M040 is best for you.
2. Adam A7X: (Best sound quality)
The Adam audio A7X is one of the best-selling studio monitor. It is a powered monitor that has a reasonable price with great sound. In the market it is most well-adjusted and multipurpose speaker. Adam A7X has very flat sound. If you want your studio monitor for mastering and mixing then it is best for you.
From the front it has X-ART tweeter, a new designed 7” mid woofer and a control panel between two ports having an On/Off switch and a Volume control dial.
There are three connection sections on the back of A7X; input, control and power. The controls are for tweeter, the power section has a power input and voltage selector. Its input section has balanced XLR connections and unbalanced RCA. There are two built in amplifiers in the A7X. The output power has doubled as compared to their previous model Adam A7. To drive X_ART tweeter a 50 Watts class A/B amplifier is needed and a 100 Watts PWM is needed for the outstanding 7 inch mid and base frequency woofer. If you want a small home studio, so Adam A7X is best for you because of its low frequency.
Pros:
- Its frequency response is 42 Hz to 50 K Hz.
- It has an X-ART tweeter along with diaphragm of 4 inches.
- It has a warranty of 5 years.
- Adam A7X has 7 inches mid woofers.
- It is an amplified two way studio monitor.
- Its weight is 20.3 lbs. which is approximately 9.2 kg.
CONS:
- A little bright tweeters
Price:
Its price is only $700. In this range it is one of the best studio monitor with all essential features.
Conclusion/ Recommended for: If you want your studio monitor for mastering and mixing then it is best for you. It has reasonable price with great sound quality
3. KRK RP6G3-NA Rokit 6 Generation 3: (Moderate Size )
KRK is also one of unbeatable studio monitors in term of its price and quality. If you need a monitor with low price so go for it as it is among one of best budget studio monitors. Globally it is a top selling monitor. It has 1” soft-dome silk tweeter with a 6” woofer built around its glass -Aramid composite cone material. It is bi- amped through a conventional class-AB amplifier offering large headroom and little distortion. Soft dome tweeter delivers original sound and extended response up to 35 k Hz. To drive tweeter a 25 Watt class D amplifier is needed and 48 Watt class D amplifier is needed for remarkable 6.5” woofer. Its frequency ranges from 47.5 Hz to 34.5 K Hz.
The RP6 are middle in range, neither very bigger to adjust in room nor very small. For high class imaging proprietary wave guide is there. The tweeters have a new proprietary wave guide designed to optimize imaging. They are ported monitors that help in base extension. Its front firing port minimizes boundary coupling and all issues with placement that you face while setting up monitors with rear-firing ports. Controls and connections are on the rear panel. High frequency level adjustment, low frequency level adjustment and volume (-30 dB to +6 dB), can be adjusted through these controls.
PROS:
- Inexpensive
- Lots of connection and EQ options.
CONS:
- Less clear sound as compared to expensive speakers
Price:
Its price is only $499.99.
Conclusion/ Recommended for: They can easily be adjusted anywhere due to their moderate size. Most important if you need inexpensive monitors for home studio or small professional studio then KRK is best for you.
4. Equator D5:
Equator D5 is also one of the best budget studio monitor. Its “coaxial” driver combines the tweeter and woofer into a single driver. It is an amazing combination of a classic design topology with cutting edge DSP control.
It has a very flat response, its stereo separation and sound stage are excellent and the base is very effective, the detailed mid-range is best as it allows for clarity in complex 900 Hz to 3 K Hz. Their sound performance is superb for their price point.
It has coaxial designed 5.25” diameter polypropylene woofer, coaxial designed 1” diameter silk tweeter.
Recently some improvements have been made in equator D5.
To reduce chaffing and low frequency distortion the port system has been redesigned. The front fascia has been redesigned and to prevent air leakage the back has now new sealing process. The gap between tweeter and woofer has been minimized to reduce air leakage which also reduced low-frequency distortion. To avoid internal vibrations mechanical improvements to the electronics have also been made. The HF/ LF transducer has been redesigned to more efficient and more sensitive.
Pros:
- Inexpensive
- Clarity and precision in sound
- Its mid-range performance is wonderful
Price:
- Its price is only $499.99
Conclusion/ Recommended for: It is popular for the clarity and precision. It is mostly used in the professional studios. If you are a professional user so these monitors are best for you.
5. Yamaha HS8: ( Crystal clear audio)
The Yamaha HS8 studios are outstanding monitors. They are known for providing crystal clear audio. Their base reproduction is cleared and focused. Its non-colored sound mark these monitors best for studio mixes. Their flat response make them perfect for studio mixing.
They are a 2-way bass-reflex bi-amplified near field studio monitors with 8” cone woofer and 1” dome tweeter. There is 45 Watt for the 1” tweeter and 75 Watt for the 8” mid range. The resonance, which can interfere high-end clarity is minimized due to extra thickness of tweeter.
Well-designed white-cone speakers are used in all the HS series delivering unmatched audio performance further improved by a sensibly engineered mounting system.
PROS:
- Stylish look
- Flat response
- Hard build quality
CONS:
- Must keep a few feet away from wall to avoid distortion.
- Not that ideal for casual listening.
Price:
- Its price is only $349.99.
Conclusion/ Recommended for: Yamaha HS8 is best for those who need a stylish studio monitor with flat sound. They are known for providing crystal clear audio.
6. PreSonus Eris E4.5 2-Way:
If you are looking for alternative of your computer speakers then best quality, high value PreSonus Eris E 4.5 is best for you. It delivers true studio-monitor accuracy with the help of Kevlar woofer and a light silk-dome tweeter that produces flat and polished sound.
It has responsive 25 Watt class AB amplification and expert audio adjustment controls. PreSonus Eris E4.5 has frequency range from 70 Hz- 20 K Hz. It has been proven that in $200 range Eris 4.5 is the best one with small size as compared to its other series. It is a top performer in its price series. This monitor has many functional features like volume control and power switch on its front side. This feature attracts consumers who are not interested to create music just looking for high quality desktop speakers with proper sound quality.
Eris E 4.5 is not fully active system, it is a passive powered system. We can say that both speakers are passive, one of them has built in stereo amplifier that feeds both speakers through passive crossovers.
Its performance is outclass having 4.5” driver, we can compare its sound with more expensive models.
Pros:
- It has Balanced 1/4″ TRS , unbalanced 1/8″ TS, RCA, and bare-wire inputs
- It has an impressive tone
- Possesses 1/8″ stereo headphone output
- Its build quality is great
- Acoustic Tuning controls allow you flatten response for mixing accuracy
Cons:
- It has Shaky quality control
Price:
- Its price is only $195.95.
Conclusion/ Recommended for: These monitors are mostly used as an alternative of computer speakers. It has an impressive tone and great build quality.
7. M-Audio Studiophile AV 4 0h: (Best budget studio monitor)
The M-Audio Studiophile AV 40 studio monitors are popular because of their reasonable cost and ability to work.
They are best choice for the desktop studio use. Each speaker contains 4” polypropylene woofers and 1” fluid-cooled, silk dome tweeters. In term of frequency they are very clear and just perfect. While mixing they deliver same attention to vocals, bass, drums or even higher threefold noises.
All its ports, controls and amplifications are on the left speakers. The right speaker is connected to the left one with the help of a very thin piece of speaker wire. Both the speakers weigh 14 pounds, the left one is considerably heavier as compared to right one.
These perform extraordinarily well at high volumes. They provide solid listening experience across the whole frequency range. There is no distortion even at near maximum volume. The problem occurs when the volume of speakers is slowed down.
Pros:
- Clean and powerful sound reproduction
- They have a lot of connection options
- hard physique quality
- Lots of connection picks
Cons:
- Large for powered PC speakers
- Power switch is located behind the left speakers so difficult to access
Price:
Its price is only $188. When I mentioned that it is not mandatory that just best priced monitor is the best the M-Audio Studiophile AV was in my mind. It possesses all those features which a high priced monitor has.
Conclusion/ Recommended for: It is best for desktop studios and computer musicians on budget. The technology used by AV 40 s is trusted by top musicians, composers and engineers. If you are looking for a monitor with reasonable price then go for it. They are perfect for producing all kind of media.
8. M-Audio BX8 Carbon
If you need a precise audio performance with clear and strong base presence then M-audio BX6 carbon are best for you. They are ideal for home studio mixing and recording. They are two way studio monitors with 6” woven Kevlar woofer. It has 1.25” silk dome tweeter and Bi-amped A/B 70 W LF and 60 W HF amplifier that helps deliver a flat frequency response with low noise.
It has a series of acoustic control calibration switches on the back of the unit with the help of which response of the monitor can be adjusted to different acoustic environment. To connect your audio interface both XLR and TRS inputs are available. Its wave guide LED placement enables best stereo imaging and placement.
Pros:
- Precise audio performance
- Clear, strong bass presence
- Compact and good value
- It has waveguide with LED placement cue.
Cons:
- High- Mids are a little dampened.
- Doesn’t have HF trim
- Volume knobs are difficult to adjust according to one’s need.
Price:
- Its price is only $199.
Conclusion/ Recommended for:
Monitors for home studio mixing, recording and precise audio with clear and strong base are only M-audio BX6.
9. Alesis elevate 6:
Alesis elevate 6 are Bi amplified monitors with overall 75 Watts of power, 6” Kevlar woofer, 1” silk dome tweeter. There is 25 Watt for the 1” tweeter and 50 Watt for the 6” Kevlar woofer. It has an on board HF and LF trim switches providing a professional reference monitor setup that can be adjusted in your production environment. Alesis elevate has a very clear and precise sound quality. It has a great accuracy in highs and lows. This monitor delivers flat frequency response, clear stereo imaging and outstanding bass transient response for professional mixing and monitoring. On its rear panel there is a volume control knob, high and low frequency trim, a 1/4” balanced and RCA unbalanced input.
Pros:
- It has frequency response from 35Hz to 50K Hz.
- It has high-density wood cabinet with dual base porting
Price:
It costs only $200. Not every product offers so many features in this price range as Alesis elevate 6.
Conclusion/ Recommended for:
It is recommended for all. There is nothing which lacks in Alesis elevate 6. Those who need a monitor with low price it is best for them.
10. JBL LSR305:
JBL LSR305 is best in terms of its price range. If you are an audio engineer or music producer then JBL LSR305 is the best choice for you. It has remarkable bi-amped active studio monitors with 5” LF driver and 1” HF driver. LF and HF drivers let you adjust the speakers to your room’s audibility. You can get more accurate mixes with amazing wide frequency range.
One of its best feature is image control wave guide that generates a comprehensive and dimensional stereo image. Its connectivity is designed for professional users, it has just XLR and TRS 1/4-inch input jacks it doesn’t possess RCA inputs.
Its 5” woofer and 1” tweeter each have their own built-in, class-D 41 Watt power amplifiers.
Pros:
- Inexpensive/ best budget studio monitor
- Wide sound stage
- Built in filters
- Excellent imaging
- Frequency range 43 Hz- 24 K Hz
Price:
Its price is only $149.00. In this affordable range all these features is not less than a gift. Just go and grab it
Conclusion/ Recommended for: It is best choice for the engineers and musicians. It is an inexpensive and best budget studio monitor with many ideal features.
11. M-Audio AV32 :
M-Audio AV 32 are compact studio monitors, if you are thinking to build a small home studio so it is best choice for you. It has 3” polypropylene coated woofer with 1” ferrofluid cooled silk cone tweeter. Clarity robbing resonances are eliminated by acoustically-inert MDF cabinets. On board amplification provides 10 Watt of power per channel into 4 ohm per channel into 3” polypropylene woofer in a bass reflex design. To deliver extended base and crystal clear highs, the two way design features an optimized bass reflex design and optImage IV wave guide. The AV 32 speakers are compatible with all the electronic devices like your mobile phone, tablet, and computer etc. offering 1/8” stereo jack and input RCA.
Pros:
- Its frequency response is from 80 Hz- 20 k Hz.
- It weighs only 5.6 lbs.
- They are flexible and versatile
- They are compatible with different electronic devices
- One of best budget studio monitors
Cons:
- Cables are not included with the package
Price: Its price is only $129.95.
Conclusion/ Recommended for:
If you are thinking to build a small home studio so it is best choice for you. If you want a studio monitor just for fun and are not an expert user so I would recommend it to you. The best thing about them is their compatibility. They are compatible with all electronic devices mobile, tablets, computers etc.
12. Event 20/20 BAS
The Event 20/20 BAS is also one of the most demanded bi-amped powered studio monitors available. Its first pair was released in 1995, till now their demand is increasing day by day. Continuously updated with modern technology including 250 class AB power amplifiers. Its frequency response is 35 Hz-20 k Hz ±2 dB. It has rear panel hosts, balanced and unbalanced inputs and controls for input gain and to manage high and low frequency. All these control settings are built in a 15 mm thick MDF cabinet and weighs 17 kg.
Event 20/20 BAS, known for their ability to provide clear audio with desired output, low distortion and superb dynamics are best choice for your studio. It has an incredible sound. Its professional and simple design helps us to fit it in any studio, home, office or club. It has fully discrete class AB amplifiers for the tweeter and woofers yielding up to 250 Watts of burst power with less than 0.1% Total Harmonic Distortion.
Pros:
- It has Very clear and definite mid-range
- It is a Rock solid build and durable
- Outstanding stereo imaging.
- Decent bass extension.
- Durable and well-built
Cons:
- Lack automatic shutoff
- Low-end focus can cause some lower, mid/high sounds
Price:
- Its price is only $100.
Conclusion/ Recommended for: You need a durable and well-built studio monitor with decent base extension, then event 20/20 base is best for you.
Summing it up these were all best studio monitors which are most demanding now a days. All important features which you had to know before buying are discussed with detail. I tried my best to make it easy for you to decide which one you want.
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