BEST STUDIO

MONITORS FOR THE

HOME STUDIO (2020)

Purchasing a set of studio monitors

for your home recording setup? That’s
a huge step toward making better
mixes.

They’re designed to deliver a flat and

uncolored sound, so you can hear
how the song really sounds.

I’m going to take you through some

of the most popular monitors for
home studio enthusiasts. They each
come in a variety of sizes, with
different features to suit your mixing
space.

So keep reading if you want to find

the perfect pair of speakers!

CONTENTS [SHOW]

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But if you just want to learn about

studio monitors specifically, keep
reading.

Budget
Like any major purchase, you should
make sure you have a budget in mind
for what you’d like to spend on
monitors.

Most monitors will cost you at least

$250 to $300 a pair.

In a position where you’re buying a

bunch of studio gear at once and
have a budget for everything? I would
prioritize monitors as one of your
main purchases.

If you don’t have a ton to spend, don’t

be too worried about it. There are a
ton of great options that will fit
anyone’s budget!

Compatibility
Another thing to keep in mind is to
make sure your monitors are
compatible with your existing setup.

Some monitors have XLR inputs

instead of ¼” inputs. Some include
RCA cables and others don’t.

Check your interface to see what sort

of output options you have. And
figure out if you need a certain
connection.

Or buy converter cables to integrate

the monitors into your system.

Monitor Speaker Size

Before we begin, we need to discuss
speaker size.

Monitors come in a few different

sizes to suit different use cases. All of
the monitor series in this article have
a selection of roughly 5″, 7″, and 8″.

The main deciding factor for what size

monitor you get should be based
around your mixing room size and, of
course, your budget.

Most people will be completely fine

with a smaller set of speakers.
They’re cheaper and work way better
in smaller rooms.

If you’re working out of a regular sized

room, 5″ speakers should work
perfectly.

What if you’re in a larger room like a

garage or a basement or you need a
bit more volume? A larger speaker
size might work better.

If your home studio is pretty sizable,

consider 7″ or 8″ options.

Have you determined what size

makes the most sense for your
situation? Next, you’ll want to find
what brand has the sound, features,
and looks you want!

Yamaha HS Series

Based on the industry standard, NS10,

the Yamaha HS Series has become a
staple in the home studio. They’re
affordable, and they offer fantastic
quality.

These monitors come in sizes of 5″,

6.5″, and 8″.

They’re known for having a flat

frequency response, especially in the
mids. A lot of prosumer monitors
hype up the low and top end, but not
these.

You can expect very accurate and

clean listening from these.

Feature-wise, these speakers accept

an XLR or TRS balanced connection
input. They also have some super
handy room control features.

These controls consist of a low-mid

cut or boost and a high trim or boost.
That way, you can make sure the
speakers sound perfect in your room.

These speakers sit right in the middle

of cost, quality, and feature set. This is
a great option for most people with a
medium-size budget looking for the
best sound.

PreSonus Eris

The PreSonus Eris line is a relative

newcomer to the studio monitor
market. Much like PreSonus’s other
offerings, they deliver exceptional
quality at an affordable price.

The Eris series features a bit more

diversity in speaker style.

They have some standard

woofer/tweeter speakers. As well as
more exotic dual speaker monitors.

Regardless what style you choose,

remember the guidelines about
speaker size still apply.

The most exciting thing about the

PreSonus line is that they are the
most affordable of the bunch. The 5″
model sits at around $125 for one
speaker, with most other brands
starting at $150+ for their 5″ offerings.

These monitors accept a signal from

an XLR, TRS, or RCA output. That is
great if you have a few different
sources you’d like to plug into the
speakers.

The Eris line has some of the best

tone controls as well.

They have controls for lows, mids, and

highs. But they also have a setting for
adjusting the sound for the actual
placement of the speakers.

This is an awesome feature for people

working in an unideal room who may
not be able to set up their speakers
100% perfectly.

If you’re looking for the most

versatility and feature set for your
buck, these are a great option.

Focal Alpha

Focal is a very well-known French

company in the pro audio sphere.
They make some of the best studio
monitors on Earth, costing thousands
of dollars.

The Alpha series is their foray into a

more budget-friendly price range. If
you’re looking for the best quality at a
relatively affordable price, these are it.

The Alpha series can connect via an

XLR or RCA unit, so you may need to
get a converter if your interface has
TRS outputs.

Focal is known for their tweeter

designs, and they have brought that
tech to this speaker as well. You can
expect a super clean top end with no
brittleness.

This set comes with a few more

limited room settings as well. You can
adjust the lows and highs a few
decibels to dial the speakers in.

On a budget but want the best

quality possible? And you have some
decent treatment and won’t need a
bunch of configuration tools?

These are an awesome choice.

KRK Rokit G4

KRK’s Rokit series has been around for

a while. And they continually put out
new versions, improving on previous
designs.

The Rokit G4s are the latest in the

line, and they’re truly impressive. With
low end that’s beefy but not
overwhelming and crystal clear highs,
these speakers sound truly inspiring.

And these things are loaded with

features.

KRK has developed a smartphone

app to help you get the most out of
your speakers. With it, you can easily
make sure your speakers are angled
correctly, check for wiring issues, and
more.

What’s more, the speakers come with

a handy graphical EQ.

You can use the app’s noise generator

to play a sine sweep. So you can
measure the frequency spectrum of
the speakers in your room.

Then you can use the detailed EQ on

the monitors to adjust for any peaks
or dips.

In other words, KRK has made it super

easy to tailor your speakers to the
needs of your room.

I found my old Rokit G2s very useful

for mixing at home. And two
generations of improvements have
only made them better and better.

So if you’ve got a moderate budget

and want your monitors to be super
customizable, KRK has you covered!

JBL 3 Series MkII

JBL is known for creating premium

monitors for the pros.

And they have made a line of

speakers that are affordable. Without
sacrificing the quality their company
is known for.

By including tech from their more

expensive monitors, JBL ensures a
truly stellar listening experience.

For example, the Image Control

Waveguide widens the sweet spot. It
ensures the mix sounds clean and
accurate regardless of where you’re
sitting.

I had the pleasure of demoing the

306s a couple of years ago.

I was in an untreated room a bit

bigger than a tennis court. I paced the
room.

It didn’t matter where I stopped or

what direction I was facing. The music
sounded wonderfully clear.

All that is to say the 3 Series is a

terrific choice if you want pro sound
at a modest price.

Genelec 8000

If you’ve got a higher budget, a pair of

Genelecs might be the way to go.

If you’ve been in a major recording

studio, there’s a good chance you’ve
seen them. And you can also have
them in your own home!!

Genelec is one of the leading creators

of professional monitors, and for good
reason.

They’ve kitted their speakers out with

tons of proprietary audio solutions. So
even their tiniest speakers sound
powerful, wide, and accurate.

Genelec has also created the GLM kit,

which you may want to get as well.
This includes all the hardware and
software you need to set your
speakers up properly.

That being said, they aren’t cheap.

Their smallest 3″ speaker will run you

$350. But despite their small size, they
still sound amazing!

You could even get just one if you’re

looking for a mono reference speaker.

If you’re on a tight budget, it probably

doesn’t make sense for you to buy
these.

Want some of the highest-end

speakers out there and don’t mind
spending extra? A pair of Genelecs
will never steer you wrong.

ADAM Audio AX

Ready to invest in some serious