Studio monitors can be found in virtually every home and professional studio, which explains why there are so many different makes and models up on offer. In this Buyer’s Guide, we help you pick the right one by answering some of the most frequently asked questions. If yours isn’t included, feel free to contactus.
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1. What Are Studio Monitors Used For?
Studio monitors are speakers that produce a more neutral sound when compared to standard speakers and as such, aren’t made for a particularly warm, sharp, full or fat sound. When you’re mixing music, uncoloured sound is essential. If your mix sounds good over a pair of studio monitors, it’s likely to sound great when reproduced by other audio systems.
Yes, but not everyone wants neutral sound. You might want to just hook them up to something like the TV or computer, and since studio monitors are active, there’s no need to get an amplifier. If you’re not mixing your next hit record and just want a good-quality yet affordable set of speakers, then have a flip through our range of Home Audio Speakers.
The difference here is that passive monitors require an external amplifier, while active models have an amplifier built in. Active monitors are most common and are always a safe choice.
Manufacturers describe the size of studio speakers in inches, which is actually the diameter of the woofer. The bigger the woofer size, the bigger the sound pressure level you get and the deeper the bass can go. To gain a good treble and bass blend from the woofer and tweeter, bigger woofers usually mean that your speakers will need to be placed further away. Our advice? Pick a woofer size of 4.5 to 6.5 inches for a listening distance of up to a metre. For a listening distance of one metre or more, then it’s better to go for a woofer size of 7 or 8 inches.
By adding a subwoofer to the setup, your monitor system will be much better at handling lower frequencies. A sub can also be a great solution if bigger woofers aren’t an option because you’re short on space and need to sit pretty close to your speakers (see Question 4).
Whether or not you actually need a subwoofer also depends on the kind of music you’ll be working on. Low frequency bass plays an important role in film soundtracks, hip hop and dance music, but are less essential in rock and pop.
6. Studio Monitor Connections: XLR, Jack, RCA Or USB?
Since most studio monitors don’t come with any cables included as standard, it's important that you pick up the right cable on the side. Monitor speakers may feature different inputs, including:
XLR offers a balanced connection that keeps out signal interference when you use long cables. This is only worth it when your mixer or sound card and your cables feature balanced plugs and sockets.
A 6.3mm jack is usually a balanced TRS input that requires a TRS jack cable (stereo plug). A TS jack cable (mono) is possible too, but the signal won’t be balanced. RCA (cinch) is an unbalanced connection, which is usually not a problem in combination with shorter cables. Gear like DJ mixers and Hi-Fi systems are often fitted with this type of output.
A 3.5mm stereo-jack connection is unbalanced and includes mini-jacks and offers an easy way to connect any device with a mini-jack output to something like a laptop or smartphone. USB is a clever choice if you don’t have a separate audio interface. The sound quality of audio outputs found on computers usually isn’t the highest, which is why it’s better to send the signal to the speakers via USB. The speakers will then convert the signal to analogue sound. Balanced/unbalanced isn’t important here, because it’s digital.
7. What Is The Difference Between 2-Way And 3-Way Monitors?
Two-way monitors have two drivers: a tweeter for the higher frequencies and a woofer for the mid and low frequencies. These will generally do for both beginner and more advanced users.
Three-way monitors have three drivers: a tweeter for the trebles, a mid-range driver for the mid-frequencies, and a woofer for the bass. As such, the audio spectrum is split into three instead of just two frequency ranges, meaning that the drivers take care of a smaller portion of the frequencies to result in clearer overall sound.
Audio interface: An interface offers higher audio quality than the output of your computer. If you’re going for low-budget speakers, you may not actually need one. Audio cables: Monitor speakers generally don’t come including cables, so you’ll have to look at the inputs of your speakers and the outputs of your computer, mixer or interface to find out what you need. It’s the easiest when both ends of the cable feature the same plug, if not, you might need an adapter cable. Stands: Studio monitors are ideally placed at ear height and stands can be used for this. Isolation: Monitor isolation is used to prevent your monitors from passing any vibrations on to the desk or stand they sit on.
Most studio monitors have a bass reflex port. This is a hole in the housing that allows the speaker to ‘breathe’ as the woofer moves. With really small speakers, this port is usually found on the back - simply because there’s not enough space on the front.
Speakers with a rear bass reflex port can’t be placed too close to a wall, otherwise the bass will rumble. So, if you’re setting up in a smaller room, we recommend picking out speakers with a bass reflex port on the front.
There are also models that don’t have a bass reflex port. The low frequency reproduction of these closed speakers can sound less impressive at first, but the low frequencies actually sound more accurate.
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