Studio Monitor Choices

[PatF]

Thread for general studio monitor discussion. Please share your experience with your monitors.

I would appreciate any recommendations, I am in option paralysis. I have a 1K budget. I am going to build some bass traps as well. Main priorities are geeking out on guitar tones, having enough bass extension for a 5-string bass sometimes tuned as low as A, and eventually mixing some completed songs. I've been changing my mind every day on which ones to get. Trying to decide between Kali IN-8 / IN-5 / LP-6, Presonus Eris Pro 6, and Adam T7V. Also on the fence about a sub. Leaning towards a Presonus 10". I only have about 6 inches clear from the back wall. 10" x 12" dedicated room.

I've had Event TR-5's for 20 years and they have performed pretty well for me.

 

[TheTrueZoltan!]

Neumann KH 120

Thank me later.

 

[jellodog]

LOL. Saw the thread title and came here to say Neumann KH 120 before reading @TheTrueZoltan!'s comment

 

[MirrorProfiles]

Kali IN-8 and an SVS SB-2000 (if you need a sub too) would be a great choice in that budget.

Neumann KH120’s and 150’s are solid but I’d probably say you want the KH750 sub (at least with the smaller ones). I’d also recommend the KH310’s if you’re spending a bit more, I think they’re REALLY hard to beat without spending significantly more.

 

[TJontheRoad]

Another vote for the Neumanns.You will need a sub for your 5 string bass.

Save more cash for complete room treatments. It make zero sense investing in higher end monitors and placing them in an untreated room. 6 inches from the rear wall isn't enough to make it worth while.. You're better off sacrificing some space.

 

[Blix]

And yet another vote for the Neumanns I have in front of me :)

 

[Sedaxel]

I understand the room is aprox 3x3.6 m? About 11 m2.

Doesn´t it influence in the size of monitors?

Those wise mates here, please school us on this: isn´t the room limiting to aprox 4 - 5" monitors?

 

[MirrorProfiles]

Those wise mates here, please school us on this: isn´t the room limiting to aprox 4 - 5" monitors?

Not really but physical space will require some thought because huge monitors take up a large chunk of room and typically want to be a bit further away (like at least 1.5m). Smaller ones are a bit easier to position and won’t need so much space to integrate. A sub will likely make it easier to position things for the low end, but smaller speakers tend to have less headroom so I’d still go for the biggest size that makes sense.

Placing monitors as close as possible to the wall is going to be preferable for basically everyone, and is arguably better than doing a bad job of soffit mounting. The boundary reflections you do get from the wall will be more in phase with the source and less problematic than having boundary reflections that are more out of phase.

 

[Sedaxel]

Not really but physical space will require some thought because huge monitors take up a large chunk of room and typically want to be a bit further away (like at least 1.5m). Smaller ones are a bit easier to position and won’t need so much space to integrate. A sub will likely make it easier to position things for the low end, but smaller speakers tend to have less headroom so I’d still go for the biggest size that makes sense.

Placing monitors as close as possible to the wall is going to be preferable for basically everyone, and is arguably better than doing a bad job of soffit mounting. The boundary reflections you do get from the wall will be more in phase with the source and less problematic than having boundary reflections that are more out of phase.

And how about long waves? I read somewhere that small rooms are a problem for low frequencies, since waves can be even longer than diagonal lengths of the room. With that in mind, I was making my mind to 4" monitors if I build a 10m2 room.

 

[MirrorProfiles]

And how about long waves? I read somewhere that small rooms are a problem for low frequencies, since waves can be even longer than diagonal lengths of the room. With that in mind, I was making my mind to 4" monitors if I build a 10m2 room.

smaller rooms will have more problematic modes because they’ll be higher frequencies (where we can hear them rather than below 20hz), and the reflections will have more energy because they’ll walls are closer together.

If the room dimensions are similar to each other; the problem areas get multiplied and the response can be quite uneven.

Every room is going to have unique challenges anyway, so either way you’ll have to work out what the main issues will be and plan accordingly.

There’s several factors to speaker design than just the size of the cone, but generally smaller speakers are going to lack headroom and probably have to work harder to get enough low end and volume. I have Amphion one15’s and they suffer from quite a lot of distortion due to their design. Neumann 310’s are fantastic monitors but the headroom is somewhat limited due to the sealed box and size of them (in a small room they’d be fine I think).

I’d recommend going for the best monitors you can afford and fit, they’ll be something you use a lot and base all your decisions from so it’s not something I’d compromise on if you can help it. But also include room treatment with the monitoring and approach them as one.

 

[Jarick]

I went through this many times...

Right now I'm using the iLoud Precision 5 set. These are not the cheap plastic speakers but are handmade in Italy. They use DSP to tune the drivers and response and have built in ARC which means you can hook up a reference mic (included) and then tune them to your room. They also have some EQ or response options.

Sonically they sound way bigger than you'd expect, flat down to about 40 Hz which is crazy for a compact 5" monitor. I replaced a pair of Yamaha HS8's which are twice the size because the iLouds were way clearer sounding but could hit the same low end notes. You can hear Michael Nielsen compare them to his ATC's in his video...no they aren't as good but they are like 10-20% of the price.

Prior to this I tried:

Yamaha HS8 - had a pair of these for a couple years because I wasn't happy with smaller monitors. They sound pretty decent and have low hiss which is an issue with cheaper monitors. Good build quality as well. But they were way too big for my desk and for my room; you really need these on stands with plenty of distance for the sound to develop.

Genelec 8020 - had these for a few years, I actually still have them and need to list them for sale lol. Genelecs are bullet proof, insane build quality, great product. I found them to sound small and boxy and considered adding a subwoofer but those are like $1000+ to get in the door. I think the 8330 would be the starting point where Genelecs make sense, as you can add the GLM kit and tune them.

Adam T5V - tried these for a couple weeks, they sound good but the hiss was driving me crazy so I returned them. They seem built a bit cheap too. I strongly considered the Adam A7V but checked them out in a store and they seemed to have the same hiss. I wasn't going to drop nearly $2k on noisy monitors.

Focal Alpha 50 Evo - also tried these for a couple weeks, they sound pretty big compared to the size, are well built, and don't have a loud hiss. I did find them just a bit scooped sounding though and ultimately I decided to return them to get the iLoud Precisions. I would recommend these though.

JBL 305/306 - pretty much the standard for cheap monitors nowadays. I had the 305's for a few years and they are pretty decent for the money, especially on sale or used. They do have a bit of hiss and aren't as good as some people hype them up to be. The 306's I also had for a while and they are are less bright and more punchy. Again good speakers for the money but not super flat.

When I was speaker shopping last year, I did check out a pair of Neumann KH120's, the older models. Be aware that the new versions have DSP and the old ones do not, so they may sound a bit different. The Neumann's to me sounded a bit bright and kind of distorted. They were used so there may have been an issue with them, but that's just what I heard. I also considered the KH80's but those felt like a sideways move from the Genelec 8020's.

-----

TL/DR - if you have a $1k budget right now, look for a deal on the iLoud Precision 5. Sweetwater has them for $450 each right now marked down from $900 each. That's a great deal. IMO they are the best speaker I've heard for under $2k/pair and getting them at half that price new is awesome.

Otherwise I'd check out the Focal Alpha 50 or 65 depending on your space. I think those are good, big sounding speakers. Probably not the flattest but cool regardless. Or PM me about the Genelec 8020's lol.

 

[Orvillain]

I have the Yamaha HS8's, and I actually really rate them.

I had Focal Alpha 65's. They were not really good. Quite hissy, also I'd often get enharmonic distortion from them in some way. Never managed to figure it out.

 

[AFKAEjay(retired)]

I’d determine what you need first….accuracy…or a pleasing sound.
If you don’t have an acousticly balanced room, ask yourself of the price of accurate monitors actually buys you anything…your room is gonna F it up anyway
If you don’t do mixing/mastering, id focus on “pleasent sounding”, and ability to do some filtering to adjust for your room.
Mind that the most accurate monitors are not the most pleasing sounding…there’s a reason studio monitors and hifi speakers are different things.

I’ve used genelecs 8010, impressive for their size, enough reference to do a decent mix…not very inspiring.
These days I use Genelecs 8040, as a non metalhead more then enough low end, too much actually, but that’s probably my room. I’m happy with them, tbh, no clue how they compare to other current offerings..seems to me you see them a lot in multi media studios..so probably good reference.

 

[Orvillain]

Also, you should really have a decent pair of headphones to go with them. Good for checking how your mixes will translate.

 

[PatF]

Thanks everyone for all the excellent info.

@Orvillain - I have semi-decent Sony 7506 and Beyerdynamic DT-770 headphones.
@Jarick - Thanks for sharing your findings. I am eyeballing the iLoud 5's now.
@MirrorProfiles - I appreciate you sharing your knowledge. I've learned some things from your posts.

The dudes at Guitar Center were really cool and tried to demo some monitors. But their switcher system was acting up. I don't want to drive to L.A., but I could make an appointment at Vintage King to listen to a few pairs. I have an extra receiver and some some Polk and JBL stereo speakers that I'm trying out for the next few days.

 

[Someoldqueenorother]

I have the Yamaha HS8's, and I actually really rate them.

I had Focal Alpha 65's. They were not really good. Quite hissy, also I'd often get enharmonic distortion from them in some way. Never managed to figure it out.

I second this as I bought some Alpha 65's because you had them and they were hissy.

Kali IN-5's are ruddy lovely.

 

[Jarick]

I second this as I bought some Alpha 65's because you had them and they were hissy.

Kali IN-5's are ruddy lovely.

That's odd, were they the newer Evo models?

Did you find JBL and Adam hissy as well?

 

[Orvillain]

I second this as I bought some Alpha 65's because you had them and they were hissy.

Disavow! Disavow!

 

[Someoldqueenorother]

That's odd, were they the newer Evo models?

Did you find JBL and Adam hissy as well?

No, they were the older Alphas. The JBL LSR305's I had were worse when it came to hiss.

I use a pair of Adam F5's and Kali IN-5's after researching on ASR and other places about self-noise. One of the chaps involved in designing the Adam F-series talked on ASR about the hiss factor and why the F-series were much lower than other models. Way better than everything else I've tried in the lower end price bracket. I bought mine used and they're way better than the LSR305s. The IN-5's were bought on the strength of reviews. Without having measured them, I'd say there is a smidge more hiss than the F5's but that really is nitpicking. The bass on the IN-5's is fantastic, the high end a little tame. The F5's are not as good on the bass but the high end is good so the pair together complement each other well. As I don't have anywhere that is great acoustically, there's no point buying stuff that's more expensive.

 

[Jarick]

No, they were the older Alphas. The JBL LSR305's I had were worse when it came to hiss.

I use a pair of Adam F5's and Kali IN-5's after researching on ASR and other places about self-noise. One of the chaps involved in designing the Adam F-series talked on ASR about the hiss factor and why the F-series were much lower than other models. Way better than everything else I've tried in the lower end price bracket. I bought mine used and they're way better than the LSR305s. The IN-5's were bought on the strength of reviews. Without having measured them, I'd say there is a smidge more hiss than the F5's but that really is nitpicking. The bass on the IN-5's is fantastic, the high end a little tame. The F5's are not as good on the bass but the high end is good so the pair together complement each other well. As I don't have anywhere that is great acoustically, there's no point buying stuff that's more expensive.

I think they must have fixed the hiss between the older Alphas and the Evos. I'm pretty hiss sensitive...I returned the Adam T5V because of hiss, didn't like the JBL 305 because of hiss, but heard almost no hiss at normal distance for the Yamaha HS and the Focal Alpha Evo were good as well. iLoud Precision has no hiss either.

Also I returned a Roland JC-40 because of hiss but the updated Fender TM FR-12 has acceptable hiss. I hate hiss lol