Best Studio Monitors Under 500 in 2020

Your studio monitors are very important.

Why?

Simply because the kind of monitors you have determine the quality of sound that you produce.

If you have some cheap and rusty crap that you got from the pawn shop by the corner then do not expect your works to sound good.

The simple truth is that your near field monitors plays a huge role in the quality of the sound that you produce

There are lots of studio monitors in the market today and so many price ranges.

Picking the one that you need to get depends on a number of factors.

We will be looking at some of these later, but the most important one that you need to consider is price.

While a huge price will get you a good studio speakers, it might not necessarily be the best one for you.

Ideally you want something that is within your price range, fits into your studio comfortably and has the produces the right sounds of the bat.

In this guide we will be looking at the different price ranges and what you can expect if you get any product within this range.

For example you know that a product you get for less than 200 bucks will definitely not be the same as the one you get for say 500 bucks.

While I am not saying that the high priced monitor might be better, it would have some features or specifications that you will not find in the lower priced model.

What this means is that the one you go for will depend on what you need it for.

There is no need going for a 1000 bucks option when the 500 bucks will definitely do the job.

Top 5 Best studio monitors under 500

• Yamaha HS5 Powered Studio Monitor
• JBL LSR305 Studio Monitor
• M-Audio Studiophile AV 40 Active Studio Monitor
• Alesis Elevate 6 Studio Monitor
• PreSonus Eris E5 2-Way Active Studio Monitor

What to look for before buying a studio monitor.

Before you go out and pick a studio monitor, there are a couple of things you need to consider.

These are very important because most times they can be the difference between buying a crappy thing that barely works and something that will last you for a very long time.

Price

Without a doubt, this is simply the most important/

Why?

Because the amount of cash you have will determine the type of speakers you will get.

One thing you need to know especially when it comes to things like this is that, you need to spend some top cash to get a quality product.

This does not mean you need to spend all you gat just to get a studio monitor.

But also remember that a 50 bucks crap will also not work.

What you need to do is to go through the products listed below in the different price ranges and then see the one that matches your price range and make a selection.

The Subwoofer and tweeter size

This is where it gets a little complicated so make sure you are paying attention.

When it comes to having subwoofers or tweeter in your studio monitors, this is a good thing and you want to make sure you get a big size.

This is because they greatly improve the quality of your audio.

So make sure that your studio monitors come with a subwoofer and tweeter. Your mixes will greatly improve and you can thank me later.

What is the size of your studio monitor?

This point here has to do with the size of your workspace.

If you have a very large room, then there is no need bothering with this point.

But if you have a tiny space, then you need to take into consideration the size of the studio monitors that you are getting.

Are they passive or active speakers?

This point here has to do with whether they have amplifiers that power them.

The truth is that a vast majority of speakers out there are passive. This means that they need to be connected to an amplifier before they can work.

This is not necessarily a bad thing. It is just a matter of convenience

Now it depends on you and what you feel comfortable doing.

If you prefer working with an external amplifier then go for it.

For me i prefer working with a studio monitor that is active and has it’s own amp built in.

Best Studio Monitors Under 200

In this category we are looking at studio monitors that are between the range of 0 to 200 bucks.

These are usually the some of the studio monitors you want to get when starting out.

While most of these are very good you should know that as you progress, you will definitely need to get something better.

Here are some of the things you can expect to get within this price range

• Excellent sound quality
• A quality and durable product

1. Yamaha HS5 Powered Studio Monitor

The Yamaha HS5 studio monitors is a 2 way bass reflex studio monitors that come with a cone woofer and a dome tweeter.

What this means is that this product has in built bass in it.

While this is not really a good thing when mixing (you want to clearly hear the sounds as they come out without any added interference) it can be of added benefit.

It has a frequency response of 54Hz to 34KHz.

What this means is that this is one studio speakers that gives you clear and quality audio everytime.

It comes with an impressive array of newly developed transducers that delivers superb high resolution sound.

It’s high performance amp makes sure that you never have to deal with low audio signals again.

One impressive feature about this studio monitors is the design and the way it was built.

It was specially designed to cut out and reduce all background noises and to eliminate resonance. This is very useful when you consider the fact that you do not want any outside interference when recording your vocals.

It also has a unique noise reducing cutting edge technology, if you have been recording for a while then you know that one annoying thing to deal with is the vibrations caused by your studio monitors.

With this feature you can be sure that you do not have to deal with this anymore.

This is a very good studio monitor and it delivers excellent audio quality at this price.

Pros	Cons
1. Excellent sound quality 2. Very durable 3. Quality subwoofer	1. It might get damaged if not properly handled.

2. JBL LSR305 Studio Monitor

The JBL studio monitor is an awesome product that gives you greater depth and ambience in your recordings.

It is very room friendly and can easily cut out all external sounds and gives you clear mix even in a dense environment.

This means that most times you do not have to be right in front of your studio monitors to make any adjustments.

It has a unique 3 way sub speakers that is capable of delivering quality sound without sounding muddy.

One thing about this speaker is that it is usually not affected by your room acoustics.

So if you are recording in a room that is not well soundproofed then this is one product you should get as the audio quality will not be affected.

Pros	Cons
1. Accurate and flat studio monitors 2. Nice sound quality 3. Budget friendly	1. When not properly insulated you might hear some faint buzzing sound.

3. M-Audio Studiophile AV 40 Active Studio Monitor

The M-Audio studio monitors are a pair of very good speakers that deliver exceptional audio quality every time.

They are about 4 inch in height and include polypropylene coated subwoofers.

This feature makes it very reliable when delivering accurate and tight bass sounds.

With it’s unique 1 inch tweeter, you can be sure of clear and smooth highs with a smooth frequency every time.

If you are working in an environment where the stereo is not well balanced, then you can worry no more.

The Optimage III tweeter guides helps in delivering precision imaging and and a balanced stereo field.

It comes with a 20 Watt per channel amplifier that helps to deliver high audio quality.

It’s professional architecture and ergonomic design gives it an aesthetic look that is a great addition to your studio environment.

With it’s magnetic shielding feature, you can be rest assured that there will be no external interference from external sources such as a equipment.

This makes it perfect for use on other projects such as multimedia and video recording.

Pros	Cons
1. Great sound quality 2. Does not distort at moderate volumes 3. It is self powered so you do not need external amps	1. They are not very durable and might not last for a long time

4. Alesis Elevate 6 Studio Monitor

The Alesis Elevate 6 Studio Monitors is a great near field monitor with its flat frequency response that is very good for mixing and monitoring audio.

It comes with a kevlar low frequency and a 1 inch dome tweeter that ensures it delivers clear and natural sounding audio every time.

One thing about mixing and listening to a track is the ability to easily pick out where the fault is and do any corrections.

With it’s enhanced elliptical waveguides, you can widen the sweet spot which helps in improving the stereo listening and making quick easy adjustments to your audio.

Have you ever had to deal with the noise from a vibrating monitor?

It is not easy i tell you.

With this studio monitor, the noise from vibrations is well reduced and it does not interfere with with any sounds produced from your studio monitors.

This studio speakers comes with a set of High Frequency and Low Frequency trim switches.

What this switches do is that they help you to adjust your audio quality to the acoustic setup of your studio.

Very useful to have if you have a poor acoustic setup that keeps interfering with your audio quality.

Pros	Cons
1. Awesome audio quality 2. Switches help to deal with acoustic issue 3. Balanced listening	1. The dials and switches might be a little overwhelming to a new user

5. PreSonus Eris E5 2-Way Active Studio Monitor

The PreSonus eris E5 is a two way active studio monitor that produces great bass sounds every time.

With it’s 5.25 inch kevlar low frequency transducer and it’s 1 inch ultra low mass high frequency transducer, this bad boy delivers awesome audio quality whenever you call on it.

With this studio monitors you can be sure that all your mixes are going to sound good across all playback channels.

One thing about this speaker is that you can count on it to tell you the truth at all times.

There is nothing to hide. It delivers clear audio quality always.

It’s set of frequency controls helps to ensure that any unwanted frequency range is well cut off or minimized.

This is one product that you can count on whether you are recording at home or in a very large and expensive studio.

It delivers quality time and time again.

Pros	Cons
1. Amazing audio 2. Can be used as a PA monitor 3. Good frequency controls	1. It is very sensitive and picks up background sounds

Best Studio Monitors Under 500

Under this category, we will be looking at studio monitors within the 200 bucks to 500 bucks range.

These are usually the standard for anyone who wants professional and quality nearfield monitors.

By getting any of the products within this range, you can be sure of getting something that will last for a long time.

1. KRK RP6G3-NA Rokit 3 Powered Studio Monitor

This is clearly one of the leading studio monitors in the industry today.

It has a class A/B amplification systems that allows for a lot of headroom and offers very low distortion.

This is very useful because most times when mixing or listening to your audio, you want to do so at very large volumes and make sure that you audio does not distort.

This comes in handy and prevents distortion from happening.

With this product you can be sure of good audio imaging. This helps in giving your sound a balanced audio.

You definitely do not want the sound coming from the right side to be harsher or louder than the left side.

With it’s 1 inch dome tweeter and 6 glass aramid subwoofer you can be sure of pristine sound quality.

Its unique front firing bass port helps to reduce the effect of boundary coupling and allows flexible positioning in the room.

This means that you can basically put this monitor anywhere in your room and still get the desired effect.

This is huge and very useful because it minimizes the chances of you having a muddy or unbalanced mix if your studio monitors are not properly placed.

It comes with a wide range of input connections which ensures that it can integrate with any system configuration easily.

Pros	Cons
1. Amazing sound quality 2. Well designed 3. Budget friendly	1. The amount of input connections might be a little overwhelming

2. Fluid Audio F5 2-way Studio Reference Monitors

The Fluid Audio Studio Monitors are one of the best you can get at this price point.

While most people refer to it as being a “budget” monitor, this bad boy can stand against other “high end” monitors and still deliver amazing audio quality.

It comes with an XLR, TRS and RCA input which means that it can be used with a wide range of applications.

One thing most audio engineers have to deal with it he heat coming from their studio monitors when mixing for an extended period of time.

With this product’s unique amplifier heat sink, you can be rest assured that this does not happen. This helps to ensure that you stay “green” and conserve energy in this day and age where green energy is the norm.

Also it’s MDF cabinet helps to reduce resonance giving you a clearer audio quality every time.

This is one product that helps make your mixing and audio listening experience much easier.

Pros	Cons
1. Budget friendly 2. Good sound quality 3. Can integrate easily with a wide range of systems	1. Might be a little heavy compared to other products.

3. JBL LSR 305 Pair of studio monitors

The JBL LSR Studio Monitors are a special type of nearfield monitors for your use.

For starters it comes packaged with a pair of studio cables and stands for easy setup.

It comes with a 20 feet XLR cable that can easily integrate into your amp, mixing console or any XLR output.

It’s two monitor stand ensures that the speakers are well balanced and removes any issues you might have with vibration.

It comes with it’s own power source which means that you can easily setup and begin work easily.

This is simply one of the best studio monitors on the market.

Pros	Cons
1. Amazing sound quality 2. Long Cables for easy setup 3. Very good for both mini and large studios	1. Depending on the user, you might not like the low end quality.

Best Studio Monitors Under 1000

Under this category, we will be looking at studio monitors within the 500 bucks to 1000 bucks range.

Most times these are usually gotten by people who need a little something extra from their studio monitors.

1. Yamaha HS8 120W Powered 2-way Studio Monitor

This is a 2 way bass reflex bi amplified nearfield monitor that delivers awesome audio quality.

It has an 8 inch cone woofer and a 1 inch dome tweeter that improves the quality of your sound and makes for a nice mixing experience.

This bad boy is capable of up to 120W of total output without distortion. This means that listening to your mixes at a very high volume without any hitch is absolutely possible.

If you struggle to deal with other products that mostly come with exaggerated bass and frequencies, then this is one product that you can absolutely trust.

Made by the trusted brand, Yamaha, their engineer make sure that all you get is flat and accurate response that you can trust anytime.

If you are looking to step up and get something that will take your mixing game to the next evel, then this is the right choice for you.

Conclusion

When it comes to choosing a studio monitor, you need to quality.

It’s as simple as that.

You need to make sure that whatever you get does not come with added stress of making your job harder.

Something that gives you clean and accurate audio quality is what you need to get.

Most of the products reviewed in this guide meet all the criteria and you should have no problem making a selection from them.