Im in the market for a pair of studio monitors for my small studio setup as my current monitors are awful for production (boosted highs and lows). The room I work in isnt too big so im thinking some small 5" will do. I have been doing a little research and have come across the KRK Rokit 5’s (seems to be everyones favorite), the M-Audio BX5 D2, the JBL LSR305 Studio Monitor, and the Presonus Eris E5. All have really good reviews and are around the same price. My budget is around $300
Which of these would you choose? and are there any other monitors in my budget I should look into?
Ok so after much research I’ve narrowed it to either the KRK Rokit 5s 3rd Gen, or the JBL LSR305s. Can anyone recommend 1 over the other? and if you have either, how well do your mixes translate on other systems?
I’ve just seen way too many pairs if krk’s wear out, have drivers die, or have shirting connection way before their time. I love jbl. if you want great sound go with Yamaha or Mackie . both companies make 5" drivers in the 150 dollar range.
Go for the jbl’s… Tht sound way better then the krk’s… And personally i think the new pioneer serie, which offcourse ain’t real studio, are very nice for the money. I have their 'old’ones and they really do a fine job(8 inch) . And also the m3-8 from m-audio
are underrated… But also a mix between studio and dj-monitor.
But the krk’s also ain’t studio-monitors and sound muffled… never liked them…
KRK’s are the least flat monitors, lack in Hi’s and accentuate the low’s, basically they lie.
I’d personally go for the HS5’s or the new Adam F5’s, which I don’t think have been mentioned, but would be over budget.
One thing to watch on the HS5’s, is that they are rear ported, so having them against the wall will impact the bass, giving a false image of the low end.
The coupling will happen whenever the source is less than 1/4 wavelength from a boundary. At 40Hz, 1/4 wavelength is just under 8ft. So, putting the cabinet more than 8ft from the wall would be sufficient to avoid the “bass boost” effect.
This is completely impractical in “small” rooms. At that point, it is hard to get more than 8ft from opposite walls.
I’ve had a look about, the manual states 1.5m, but this is a manual for all in the HS series so could be for hs8, as it seems rather a big distance for the HS5, have seen 6" mentioned as well as 1m.
Most important factor really is whether your mix will translate well on other systems, if it does then don’t worry.
Really you just need to learn how your speakers sound, and how your mixes translate.
I’ve been thinking about this and it’s driving me up the wall… sure I’m missing something basic.
My current interface is pretty budget and has 1 phono output, so if I wanted to hook up (say) a pair of Rokit 5s presumably I’d need to use a 1/8 inch to phono jack lead… am I right? I can’t find any ‘single’ leads online (1x 1/8 inch and 1 side of the phono), so would it just be a case of buying 2 with both phono connectors and only using one per monitor when plugging into the interface?
Just re-read my post and it makes little sense. Think my brain was fried from over thinking it when the solution is actually dead simple. Thanks for the link!
I have a pair of gen 1 rokit 5s that I bought as floor models from GC in like 2005. They still sound more or less like they always have, and with a small sub, they can do an apartment party.
They are not that flat. They don’t sound that great. I will upgrade them, but it’s not a top priority. They’re also a lot cheaper than genelecs.
I have DEFINITELY gotten my money out of them. They’ll wind up TV speakers when I upgrade.