You know what?
As a music producer or singer, you need to know the best studio monitors on the market right now.
Why?
Simply because as the year rolls by new products jump on the scene and the only way to make sure the quality of your work improves is by knowing what’s hot in the market right now.
As audio enthusiasts, you know very well that the quality of your audio monitors determine the quality of your sound being produced.
Those cheap PC speakers by your side won’t do the job anymore.
You need to step up your game and get some quality studio monitors.
But the problem with this is that there literally thousands of brands of studio monitors in the market today.
Add to the fact that they have different price ranges and you might just get confused trying to make a choice.
Also there are some major factors you need to consider before you make any purchase.
We will be looking at these factors below but you need to be aware of them so that you do not make a mistake and get something that does not work for you.
In this article we will be reviewing the best studio monitors for 2019, a detailed and comprehensive buyers guide and everything you need to make sure that you get a quality and durable product.
What you need to consider before getting a studio monitor
1. Is it a near field or a far field monitor?
The first thing you need to consider is whether to get a near field or a far field monitor.
They both have their advantages and disadvantages.
Let’s take a look.
A near field studio monitor like the name suggests is usually placed very close to you as you are working.
This is ideal in a situation where you do not have a lot of space.
Also the sound is directly facing you and is not affected by the acoustics of the room.
The disadvantage of this is that because the monitors are placed directly in front of you, you might get confusing sounds when working.
Far field monitors on the other hand are usually placed a couple of meters away from the workstation.
The advantage of this is that you can handle much louder volumes without any distortion
Also because they are placed directly in front of you, you tend to get a much clearer and accurate picture of what you are working on.
2. What is your price range?
This is also very important.
Why?
Simply because you pay for what you get.
You can’t expect to pony up 20 dollars or some ridiculous price and expect to get awesome quality.
At the same time, you do not have to spend thousands of dollars before you are convinced that you have gotten the right type of studio monitors.
In this guide we will be reviewing products within the 200 to 500 bucks range.
At this price point you can be sure that you will be getting something that is good and delivers awesome result.
3. How is the vibration controlled?
When you are mixing and playing audio at a very loud volume, what happens?
Your studio monitors tend to vibrate.
If not properly checked this can cause a lot of problems for you.
How?
Let’s look at an example.
When mixing and listening to your audio, you NEED absolute silence.
This is because your ears tend hear even the slightest sound.
So you can imagine what happens when the vibration is not controlled and you mistakenly think it’s coming from your audio.
This will definitely cause unnecessary headache for you when mixing.
So you need to make sure that whichever one you buy has a vibra control or dampener to help take care of this pesky issue.
4. Durability
Who goes to buy something and hope it does not last?
No one… that’s who
So you need to make sure that you go with products that will last.
The best way to do this is to go with trusted brand names.
Nothing speaks trust and durability than going with brands that are trusted and have been in the industry for a while.
The downside to this is that most of these brand names usually come with a high price.
But like i said earlier, it all depends on what you want and the quality you need.
5. What is the power of the monitors?
Power here refers to the output of your studio monitors.
This is because when it comes to mixing and listening to audio, you need something that you can really turn up the volume.
At most you want something that can deliver 150W without any problem.
Another thing you need to consider is there should be no distortion.
You want to be able to increase the volume of your audio output without it distorting.
This way you can really get to give your audio a good mix without it clipping.
6. Do they come with any accessories?
While this is really not a big deal, you need to ask if your speakers come with any accessories.
It should come with connecting cables depending on the head of your mixer or workstation.
Also there should be a mounting stand to go with it.
The downside to this is that most of these accessories are usually not of good quality so you might need to get something better.
7. Does it have a subwoofer and a tweeter?
A subwoofer and a tweeter with your studio monitors is actually recommended.
The only thing is that they should be done based on the material.
This helps to give your sound more brass and make it sound clearer.
So always make sure that which ever product you get has sub woofers and tweeter considerations with them.
Why do i need good studio monitors?
This is one question that I keep seeing come up in forums and online discussion boards.
Here is the simple answer…
A good studio monitor will take your sound from mediocre to great…
….From bland to awesome
….From average to top 10.
You get it right?
Yes i know you have those headphones that you feel can replace your studio monitors.
But guess what? It does not work that way.
Headphones have their own uses but you cannot (and should not) use replace good quality studio monitors with a pair of headphones.
Our Top 5 Studio Monitors
1. Yamaha HS5 Powered Studio Monitor
The Yamaha HS5 is a quality studio monitor made by the well known brand Yamaha.
It is a nearfield amplified monitor with a 2 way bass reflex.
It has a 5 inches cone subwoofer and a 1 inch dome tweeter.
It has a frequency response of 54Hz to 30KHz. This means that you can be sure of clear and quality audio signal each time you use it.
It has a power of 70W which makes it ideal for mixing and listening to sounds at very loud volumes without distortion.
It is designed and enclosed in cabinets that help to reduce unwanted resonance and improve the clarity of the audio you get.
This is extremely helpful when dealing with resonance and echo in your recording room.
It’s unique cutting edge technology helps to reduce and eliminate unwanted noise from your surroundings.
This gives you crisp and clear audio quality every time.
It comes with a set of controls and dials that helps you regulate the signals that you receive when using this product.
For example, you might experience some form of noise or bad signal when your studio monitors are placed very close to the walls.
With this dials and knobs you can effectively cancel this signal out.
If you are looking for a budget friendly studio monitor that delivers awesome quality, then this is your best bet.
2. KRK Rokit 5 Generation 3 Powered Studio Monitor
The KRK Rokit 5 Studio Monitor is a product that offers professional performance and accuracy.
It is ideal for you if you are interested in mixing, mastering and even for playback.
It has a unique class A/B amplifier that offers a large headroom and has zero distortion.
It consists of a 1 inch soft dome tweeter and a 5 inch subwoofer.
With this bad boy, it delivers frequencies of up to 35KHz and offers unique voice clarity and extended bass response.
It’s special Rokit Waveguide helps to ensure detailed imaging in the listening position.
This helps to deliver a “surround style” feel when being used.
It has a front firing bass port that helps to reduce boundary coupling and allows for flexible when being used in your studio.
Also the surface is well constructed and engineered to reduce any distortion issues you might experience.
It has a wide range of input connections which helps to ensure that this studio monitors can integrate with any system configuration.
This is one studio monitor that is used and trusted by a number of professionals in the industry. You simply can’t go wrong with it.
3. Yamaha HS8 Studio Monitor
The Yamaha HS8 is a “cousin or older brother” to the HS5 discussed above, only that it comes with it’s own set of goodies.
It is an 8 inch subwoofer cone and a 1 inch tweeter dome. This gives you optimum sound clarity and audio.
It has a frequency response of 38Hz to 30KHz
It has a power of 120W making it ideal for your home studio.
It also has a unique set of controls and knobs that help to control the room acoustics and trim out unwanted frequencies.
This helps to give your audio that needed clarity and sharpness especially when mixing.
You have the option of XLR or TRS audio inputs for connecting to your
If you had fun with the HS5 studio monitor, then you are going to be completely blown away by this one.
4. Event 20/20BAS Monitor
The Event 20/20 BAS Monitors are an upgrade from the classic 20/20 nearfield monitors that revolutionised the audio industry in the 70’s.
It is a two way front ported speaker that delivers original and awesome audio quality when used.
It is designed and engineered in such a way as to deliver optimum audio quality while also cutting out unwanted noise and reducing distortion.
It’s unique high and low end frequencies have been designed to provide clear audio.
This bad boy with it’s unique class A/B amplifiers can deliver 250W of raw power. This gives it the ability to sound good and create audio without distortion.
This is one studio monitor that does not fail to deliver and stands the test of time.
5. Neumann KH 120 A – Active Studio Monitor
The Neumann Studio Monitor is a bi amplified two way monitor that has a 5.25 inches sub woofer and a 1 inch titanium dome tweeter.
It can be used as a nearfield or rear field monitor making very versatile.
It features a Modeled Dispersion Waveguide that delivers smooth off axis response.
It’s 4 position bass, low mid and treble acoustical controls helps you to control and direct how you want your audio to sound.
It has a wide range of input gain and output levels that gives you easy access to control the level of power you are comfortable with.
It’s bi amplified class A/B amplifiers help in delivering exceptional sound every time.
This is one product that is perfect for tracking, mixing and for post production use.
Conclusion
When it comes to choosing the best studio monitors for 2017, you need to stick with brand names and products that have been used by actual customers.
There are also a lot of factors you also need to consider before you make a purchase.
Hopefully this buyer’s guide will show you all you need to know to make a purchase and have fun.
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