Small, reasonably priced studio monitors?

The Lounge Other Gear
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Looking for a pair of reasonably priced but small studio monitors to sit on a shelf that is 8” deep.

Anyone have any recommendations?

…and yes, I know about room treatment. That’s not my question.

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I’m very happy with my Presonus Eris E5s.

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Genelec 8010? You could probably even fit the 8020 with a couple of inches to spare.

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I grabbed a pair Mackie cr5bt recently, 200 bucks. Sound quite nice for home studio use.

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Adam A5X / A3X

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JBL LSR305s are the best bang for buck monitors, imo. Put them on iso acoustic stands and they clear up quite a lot.

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You guys are great - thank you for your responses. Amazing how this category of gear has opened up!

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I use Genelec 6010 monitors with the 5040 sub. The sub makes a great foot stool too!

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Lol - I actually need a footstool because my desk is higher than my existing one and I’m kind of short! Oh noes, looks like I’ll HAVE to get a sub!

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They do sound awesome together, decent bass in a very compact footprint.

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if you’re looking for a great value, check out Monkey Banana. A pro mastering engineer friend turned me on to these; incredible step up from the old set of Tannoys I was rocking.

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What is resonably priced? I got two Genelec G One As for about $700 total used (like new). I’d make a list of decent ones you want and look for the best deal. I like the Genelecs a lot. Low level listening is insanely clear and louder stays very nice.

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I really like Genelecs as well, the 8020s are small and not too killer price wise. They feel like they will last a long time too.

If you like sound a good pair of speakers is the best money you can spend. I wish I had gotten some sooner.

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I’m in a weird spot. I’ve now got two kids (2.5 months and 2.5 years) so music time is limited and somewhat sporadic. I guess I’m looking for something “cheapish” ($200-300), but that could yield decent results somewhere down the road.

I’ve got some KRK v6s in the closet, but they’re just too big and too heavy. The pair of Adams I own have been repurposed for the family room and are also too big, too heavy for the music desk/space. Somewhere down the line I hope to reclaim them. :slight_smile:

Focus right now is price, size, and sound. I had been considering things like the iLoud micro monitors until I realized that more audio manufacturers had started making proper monitors at affordable prices, so I wanted to expand my search.

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I second the JBL LSR305s - there’s no better bang for that buck out there at the moment.

EDIT: Just saw that you own KRK v6s - the LSR305s are way more balanced, better separation, better stereo field by far! (To give you a reference point)

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I use Equator D5 they are very good and should be around your budget, but I also considered the aforementioned Presonus Eris E5 and JBL LSR305 as both those are very highly regarded mid priced 5” drivers that are considered fairly neutral. The Yamaha HS offerings are also very good if you want monitors that are a less forgiving in the problem mid range area, if you want monitors with excellent stereo imaging then Auratones or clones of them are a good choice with the added bonus that they are pretty ruthless at revealing any problems. I’d steer clear of a sub unless it is used sparingly as they can encourage the perception that the low end is meatier than it actually is, and if the room isn’t treated, especially so.

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For years all of the music I ever listened to, from Radiohead to Neko Case to orchestral soundtracks, were through the KRKs. I got to know them very well but never loved the sound. I just learned that if Mr. Greenwood’s guitar sounded “that way” so would mine (probably! Lol).

Thank you for the comparison to the JBLs. I know I should go listen to some monitors, but that’s probably not going to happen. :expressionless:

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I like the HS series for monitoring and use the HS7 myself but they’re too big for the OP I think - even the HS5 is more than 8 inches deep.

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I’ve never ever mixed with a sub! I got close to buying one a few times, but I always thought better of it given that my music rooms have never been treated, etc. I always figured i should do that before investing in a sub. Plus that money could always have gone to a new synth! :smiley:

It would be super fun to have one, some day. Probably just for listening purposes, though.

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You’re correct, but I don’t expect people to look up specs for me - thought some people might know from memory.

Small footprint monitors are good, but 8” or under in terms of depth are kind of a must… especially with a toddler around that might bump into the desk… :frowning: