It goes without saying that monitors are essential in any recording studio. The market is overwhelmed with new models and picking only seven of the best studio monitor speakers is not an easy task.
For proper recording, composing, mixing, and mastering, you will need a high-quality pair of studio speakers. Every producer knows it is essential to listen to your tracks exactly how they sound. Therefore you cannot rely on just a pair of bookshelf speakers or your computer’s internal speakers. Devices that are designed to make the sound more attractive to your ears, rather than a proper flat response, are not recommended for home recording studios.
It is not quite right to simply list the “best studio monitor speakers” or “best monitor speakers for home studio” and successfully cover all your needs. Speaker preference is ultimately a personal thing. Making the right choice depends first on your studio, its size, available space, your available budget, and of course personal preference on the sound response.
There are plenty of cheap monitors in the market for beginner producers and those with basic home studios. However, not all affordable speakers are a compromise, since most high-end brands deliver a speaker that compares well with many of the more costly and premium alternatives. Yamaha, KRK, JBL, PreSonus, Genelec, and Adam Audio are just a few.
The sound quality is subjective; what you like somebody else might hate!
Spending more money doesn’t guarantee better speakers. Studio speakers achieve full potential in rooms with acoustic that compliments them.
Your preference in music genres also affects the monitor selection as long as they provide a friendly, accurate, and flat sound.
For a good pair of home studio monitors, you do NOT have to spend big.
Contrary to common belief, studio speakers are not very expensive. There are plenty of excellent options available for less than $500 a pair. For home and semi-pro recording studios, those pairs are ideal, offering great audio, sound, and long-term use.
Pieces of information, such as personal experience, reviews, characteristics, and budget, led us on this list of the top 7 best studio monitors for electronic music production, and DJing.
Top 7 Best Studio Monitor Speakers – Reviews
1. YAMAHA HS 5/7/8 Studio Monitor Speaker
“The best-rated studio monitors”
Since 1980, and the legendary NS10M, people have been waiting for the modern equivalent of it, and years later Yamaha produced the new HS series. YAMAHA HS has three different woofer sizes, HS5= 5″, HS7= 6.5″, and HS8=8″.
Yamaha HS is a superb monitor speaker for any home setup. It offers incredibly flat frequency response, outstanding clarity, and competence that you will not find in any other speaker at this price range. The cutting-edge noise reduction technology and the integrated amplifier unit perfectly matched to each model of the series will deliver high-resolution sound.
The mids and high frequencies are excellent balanced, and the bass response is clear to work perfectly when mixing mastering, or producing. Highly suggested for hip-hop, rock, and instrumental music, but not ideal for EDM or other bass-dominant music genres.
The pair by Yamaha might not have any special feature that out-stands others but it offers a nice depth of field and excellent sense of stereo positioning. There are both XLR and TRS jack inputs with the outputs to the main speakers on balanced XLRs. One of the reasons that put this pair on the top of our list of the best studio speakers, is the nearly perfect reviews and ratings by users all around the globe.
Conclusion: One of the most accurate studio speakers is also super affordable. Unless you work in a big studio room, then the HS5 or HS7 will get the job done. The design is neat with a black plastic foil covering cabinets and a white cone woofer that reminds us of the legendary NS10. But with remarkable improvements in sound quality is totally worth the investment.
Musicians who use it: Linkin Park, Kygo, Digitalism, Amine Edge
| Models: | HS5/ HS7/HS8 |
| Woofer Size: | 5″ / 6.5″ / 8″ |
| Frequency Response: | 54Hz-30kHz / 43Hz – 30kHz / 38Hz – 30kHz |
| Output Power: | 75W / 95W / 120W |
2. KRK ROKIT RP5/7/8/10 G4
“The KRK series is considered one of the best DJ monitor speakers for electronic dance music.”
KRK studio is well known for accurate, reliable, and innovative engineering audio equipment. I have changed a couple of studio monitors before I rest with the Rokit G4 RP7 by KRK. Fortunately, I had a friend back then working with a Rokit RP8 in his well-soundproofed studio room, and I got amazed by the power and sound quality of this pair.
KRK Rokit may not offer such a perfectly flat sound response as the HS by Yamaha, but it provides impressive deep and punchy bass, along with balanced and clear mids and highs. Thus, it is commonly used as a DJ monitor speaker. The ROKIT 7 G4 includes a 6,5” Kevlar Aramid Fiber composite yellow-colored woofer and a 1” soft-dome tweeter that reaches frequencies up to 40kHz.
On the back of the speaker, it is probably the coolest feature of the new Rokit G4 line of studio monitors. The LCD graphic display with 25 different onboard EQ settings is ideal for correcting the acoustic and getting the most out of your audio in any environment. You can even calibrate EQ settings for proper speaker placement and level matching with the use of the real-time KRK Room Acoustic Analyzer app, available for both iOS and Android.
The KRK studio speakers come in four different woofer sizes, 5″,6,5″,8″, and 10″ as seen by the names Rokit RP5/RP7/RP8/RP10. The RP5 and RP7 are great for any small to middle-sized recording studio. Otherwise, 8″ or 10″ is the choice if your room is relatively big. The biggest model of this series it’s a 3-way speaker, so you will not need to spend money on a new subwoofer.
Conclusion: The yellow feature woofer by KRK appears in most electronic recording studios and not only. The deep bass response and clear highs make it ideal for any music genre with punchy sounds. With a sweet price, the top-rated KRK RP7 is, without a doubt, an excellent choice for your home recording studio. This studio monitor will fit perfectly with the matched studio subwoofer by KRK.
Musicians who use it: Adam Port, &ME, Guy J, Skrillex, Kygo, Nicky Romero, and the majority of electronic music producers.
| Models: | RP5/RP7/RP8/RP10 |
| Woofer Size: | 5″ / 6,5″ / 8″ /10″ |
| Frequency Response: | 43Hz-40kHz / 42Hz – 40kHz / 36Hz – 40kHz / 26Hz – 40kHz |
| Output Power: | 55W / 145W / 200W / 300W |
3. ADAM Audio T5V / T7V Powered Studio Monitor (new entry)
“High-end studio sound for a low-end price.”
ADAM has been producing cutting-edge active music production speakers for many years. Well-known for its larger and vastly more expensive monitors, in work by many professional audio engineers and producers.
The T5V and the slightly bigger T7V are the company’s entry-level monitors, excellent for beginners with a tight budget. Both models have the 48mm U-ART ribbon tweeter which is made from a pleated polyamide film – a new design copied from ADAM’s premium S Series studio monitors. It’s a wonderfully efficient design ( moves air four times faster than conventional dome tweeters) offering a high-frequency response so clear and crisp that makes it is dominant in its category.
These professional 2-way active studio speakers offer a well‑balanced overall sound with detailed mids and tight, full-bodied bass. Loudspeakers with a five or seven-inch woofer will not reproduce a massive low-end, but the T7V will get the job done. Compared to the Yamaha HS series, the midrange is less expressive, but the overall frequency response is much broader.
ADAM’s T series only downsize the rear-ported design and knobs for filter adjustment on the back (just a 2db boost or reduction on highs and lows). As well, it does not have a light indicator on the front to let you know when your speaker is ON or OFF.
Conclusion: ADAM did a great job producing a trustworthy studio monitor at a very attractive price. There are already plenty of impressed users praising its detailed accuracy and transparency, often compared to high-end and more expensive products. T7V and T5V speakers are designed to provide full‑range coverage, but they can also be used with THE ADAM Sub8 subwoofer to create a powerful 2.1 system.
| Models: | T5V / T7V |
| Woofer Size: | 5″ / 7″ |
| Frequency Response: | 45Hz – 25kHz / 39Hz – 25kHz |
| Output Power: | 50W / 50W |
4. JBL LSR 305 / 306 / 308 MKII Monitor Speaker
“The best value studio speakers on the market.”
JBL is a popular brand not only for beginner producers but musicians and audiophiles of all kinds. It is also known for the production of high-quality PA systems, music production speakers, and really powerful subwoofers.
The JBL LSR 305, 306, and 308 offer 5″, 6″, and 8-inch woofer sizes, respectively, and cannot go unnoticed by anyone with a tight budget. The Mk II series (2nd generation) features updated high and low-frequency transducers, which respectively optimized damping for a superior sound response. This recording studio speaker offers excellent sound quality with smooth and precise mids and highs. Along with impressively deep bass with lower harmonic distortion, due to the slipstream low-frequency port design, making it the perfect studio monitor for DJing.
The LSR is not such a popular monitor speaker compared to the above, it has satisfied users and hundreds of great reviews on the web, giving us one more reason to trust this series by JBL. However, there are a couple of reviews by users who are not satisfied with the performance of mid-frequencies. We believe it is because of high standards or lousy room acoustics.
Conclusion: These entry-level home studio monitors have a beautifully sleek, modern design that makes them a good addition to any studio or DJ setup. To get a pair of 5-inch studio speakers with impressive performance, and well-defined bass for such a low price, then it surely is an excellent “value for money” purchase. Its only minus, like the Yamaha HS series, is the limited manual frequency correction on the backside.
| Models: | LSR 305/LSR 306/LSR 308 |
| Woofer Size: | 5″ / 6″ / 8″ |
| Frequency Response: | 49Hz – 20kHz / 47Hz – 20kHz / 47Hz – 20kHz |
| Output Power: | 82W / 112W / 112W |
5. FOCAL ALPHA 50/65/80
The award-winning by Music Tech, Focal Alpha 50/65/80 can satisfy even the most demanding users and owners of any recording studio. Focal professional is not a commercial brand like Yamaha and KRK but is very famous to experienced studio owners.
Focal Alpha is available in 3 different woofer sizes, 5″, 6,5″, and 8″ as indicated in the model’s name. Its sound quality outperforms most of its competitors, with deep and clear bass, smooth high frequencies, and balanced midrange response.
The ALPHA65 has a 6.5-inch powerful poly-glass cone subwoofer and 1-inch aluminum inverted dome tweeter. The Woofer has a 70W amplifier, and the tweeter has a 35W amp. It gives total output power of 103 watts with a frequency response of 40Hz to 22kHz. It also has room correction EQ, and you can connect up to 2 audio sources.
The details make the difference, and Focal Alpha even offers an automatic standby mode that turns off the speaker after 30 minutes of inactivity. A pretty useful feature for forgetful users like me. Important to add the 15mm thick MDF build, partially with a vinyl finish that will make your speaker handle any hardship.
A slide switch boosts the volume up to 6dB if needed, and twin shelving EQs with corner frequencies at 300Hz and 4.5kHz allows you to adjust the monitor’s frequency response at your desire.
Conclusion: As we mentioned before, Focal doesn’t have a big audience like other brands, but this small crowd gives excellent reviews. The price tag is the only misgiving of the Focal Alpha series. But if you want loud monitors with powerful bass and quality audio to vibe up your studio or DJ event, then the Alpha 80 is a perfect choice.
| Models: | Alpha 50/65/80 |
| Woofer Size: | 5″ / 6.5″ / 8″ |
| Frequency Response: | 45Hz – 22kHz / 40Hz – 22kHz / 35Hz – 22kHz |
| Output Power: | 103W / 105W / 140W |
6. PreSonus Eris E 5/8/44/66
PreSonus is an American manufacturer with over 23 years in the professional audio equipment and software industry. Their small monitor speakers are in work in radio, TV, streaming music, online videos, and movie and gaming soundtracks.
The Eris series comes with 3.5″, 4,5″, 5″, and 8″-inch woofers and are the perfect entry-level studio speakers. There are two more models the “E44” and “E66″ with dual woofers 4,5″ and 6.5”. Check out the full series review of the Presonus Eris E.
In general, the sound response of the E series is flat and precise. The mids are highly detailed and revealing, and the metal grid in front of the tweeter gives crisp and clear high frequencies up to 22KHz. The E5 may not be able to produce a significant amount of deep low frequencies. You do have a tight and solid bass but not on the level of the above models.
The Eris E8, on the other hand, offers a deep and clear bass response that works perfectly well in a studio without the need for a sub. The 8-inch woofer offers a 140W amp and 105 dB maximum SPL for intense studio sessions. It is also featured as one of the best DJ studio monitors.
On the backside of the speaker, there are a bunch of EQ settings to adjust and correct the acoustic of your room:
- Mid-range controls (1 kHz): +/- 6 dB
- High frequencies controls (4.5 kHz): +/- 6 dB
- Switchable highpass filter: 80 Hz – 100 Hz
- Acoustic-Space switch: 0dB, -2 dB, -4 dB
The Presonus Eris has a relatively simple appearance, but the matte black finish gives a modern and sleek design to look great in any studio setup. It is also very portable, as it weighs around 10lbs, which is a few pounds lighter compared to most 5-inch studio speakers.
The Eris E monitor series is suitable for an extensive range of musicians. The versatility offered by the rear-panel controls on the speakers will fit ideally in a studio of most electronic and hip-hop music producers.
Conclusion: There may be some better studio monitors out there, but at this price range, not many speakers can beat the Eris. It’s light and portable, and if you have a small home studio, even the 3.5″ and 4.5″-inch models will cover your needs.
| Models: | E 5/8/44/66 |
| Woofer Size: | 5″/8″/2*4.5″/2*6.5″ |
| Frequency Response: | 53Hz-22kHz / 35Hz-22kHz / 55Hz-22kHz / 45Hz- 22kHz |
| Output Power: | 80W / 140W / 135W / 145W |
7. GENELEC 8010A
“The best small and portable studio monitors in the world.”
If you want to become a music producer, you need to be generous when it comes to sound quality. Genelec is a high-end brand, trusted by many musicians and used in many professional recording studios. If your pocket can afford it, Genelec sound is probably the best you will ever get in your home recording studio.
You will be amazed by the smooth and loud sound with a superb deep bass that comes out from this mini studio monitor. To add also the smooth and accurate mids and highs that make it perfect for every producer to mix and master every music genre. It doesn’t fill your eye that this mini 3-inch woofer, which smaller than the size of your palm, but it does deliver a crystal clear sound.
Conclusion: Genelec is the Lamborghini of speakers, and 8010A is a fantastic studio and DJ monitor, but not very budget-friendly. There are other similar models with a bigger woofer size than 8010A, like the 8020CPM, 8030B, 8040B, and 8050B, but except the first one, all the rest are very pricy.
| Models: | 8010A |
| Woofer Size: | 3″ |
| Frequency Response: | 74Hz – 20kHz |
| Output Power: | 50W |
Monitor Speakers Buyers Guide
What are the best studio monitor speakers to buy in 2024?
- Yamaha HS 7
- KRK Rokit Rokit RP7 G4
- ADAM Audio T7V (new entry)
- JBL LSR 308
- FOCAL ALPHA 65
- PreSonus Eris E 8
- Genelec 8010A
- Equator D5
- Mackie MR5
What to consider before buying studio monitor speakers?
- Passive or Active:
Studio monitor speakers are separated into Active and Passive. Active monitors, also known as powered, have an amplifier built into them, so you don’t need anything else to start using them. Passive monitors, on the other hand, need an external amp to power them. In our list, we will explore active monitor speakers that the manufacturer adds the perfect internal amp with the speaker, leading to the best possible performance. If you want more details and a comparison of active and passive studio monitor speakers, check this post by prostudiogear.com. - Speaker size:
By speaker size, we mean woofer size. It’s pretty easy to recognize them by name. Yamaha HS5 has a 5″ inch woofer, HS7 has 7″an inch, and so on. The size of the woofer is a fundamental matter to consider, and the choice should be proportionate to the size of your room. As well as the bass response you desire in your home recording studio. Big speakers sound better in big rooms and small speakers in smaller spaces. To own a tiny home studio and purchase speakers over 5 inches, is pointless. - Frequency response:
The average human ears enjoy frequencies from 20Hz to 20kHz. Studio speakers will specify their frequency range, something between 35Hz to 35kHz. Those specs should be expected on speakers with woofers over 8″ inches. On 5″ inch woofers, you will hear from 45Hz to 35kHz. Once again, the sound quality is subjective; what you like, somebody else might hate!
Image Source: bhphotovideo.com
How to properly place and set up your studio monitors?
One of the most important things you will do in your home studio is make sure that your monitors are set up and placed properly. Most sound engineers and music producers prefer using their monitors to create an equilateral triangle, and this is the best way to ensure that the proper balanced sound levels and frequencies are going to reach your ears.
If your studio or DJ monitors are placed too wide or facing straight ahead, you may end up missing low frequencies or create a weird stereo-mono mix. Ideally, have a 3 feet distance between you and your speakers. It is also important that the height of your studio monitors needs to be on the same level as your ears.
Image Source: thomann.de
Check out this complete guide by Wikiaudio on how to set up your studio monitors.
Is a pair of studio monitors enough, or do I need a subwoofer?
For starters, a good pair of home studio speakers are perfect. However, most semi-pro and pro studios have more than one pair. That way, they can listen to a track from different sound perspectives. If you also add a good pair of studio headphones, then you have a broad range of different sound outputs to help you get the best results in your productions.
Installing a subwoofer in your studio is a nice idea but only to delight your ears. Otherwise, it will boost the bass, and you won’t hear an accurate sound to deliver proper mixing and mastering. If you still want a full-range bass sound in your home studio, check the best studio monitor subwoofers.
Can you use studio monitors for regular speakers?
You can use them, but not in big spaces or events. The bass and sound will not be heard if you sit far from a small monitor speaker. You will need large powered monitor speakers for a party or a DJ event.
Can you use studio monitors for DJing?
Studio speakers are ideal when DJing at home. They are affordable, portable, and light so you can install them fast and easily. Place them in the right position as we described above, and you will get the best possible results when practicing at home.
What tools you will need to complete your home studio?
The additional tools that will complete your home recording studio are the audio interface, DAW, and MIDI keyboard. In our articles The Best Audio Interface under $200 and The Best Thunderbolt interfaces, you will find popular brands that include music production software such as Ableton Live.
Here you will find everything on how to build a home recording studio at under $600.
Final Thoughts
Whether you are a hip-hop or electronic music producer, monitoring speakers are an essential studio tool for creating high-quality recordings and mixes. Since you’ll probably be using your home studio speakers a lot, it’s worth getting a pair that you’ll be 100% pleased with the results. It is a studio tool that you should not be afraid to spend a little more on.
The Yamaha studio speakers will be ideal for nearly every musician out there. KRK and JBL are known worldwide for perfect studio monitors for electronic music. And no one can ignore the high-end sound quality of Adam Audio and Genelec speakers.
The active monitor speaker market appears big nowadays, there are “too” many brands and models available. Without a doubt, it is a hard choice to make, but all options will fit perfectly in any home recording studio. All models above offer a nice flat and balanced sound, in lovely designed housing, available on many woofer sizes and with a friendly price tag.
There are a few flat speaker monitors that could fit on our list such as the Equator D5, and Mackie MR5, but we preferred to keep it tight and make your choice easier.
Remember that you will need to buy a pair, as they are often sold separately, which can be a little confusing.
Did you find this article helpful? Feel free to drop some knowledge on any of the above music production speakers.
Great article on the best monitoring speakers! I agree with a lot of the things you said in this article. Even the entries on your list are on point. In fact, some of them are among the best selling studio monitors according to Studio-Speakers.com. Like you said, sound quality is subjective, but the fact that these speakers are on the best selling studio monitors list means that consumers like them more than the other models. I do have the Yamaha HS8 monitoring speakers myself and I personally think they’re among the top performing studio monitors.
Hello and welcome to our platform for djs and producers. I hope soon you will enjoy our free tutorials and free sample sounds.
I totally agree with you, that if some speakers are best sellers, they are for a reason. Or better many reasons 🙂
I personally own KRK Rokit6 and if i would ever change studio monitors it would probably be Yamaha HS. Are you happy with yours?
Genelec are also extraordinary monitor speakers but pricey for me. I have a good friend who has 2 pairs of Genelec in his semi-pro recording studio and the sound in there is dreamy!!
This is an amazing article. There is soo many things that you need to know while buying a studio speaker and this article has almost all the things necessary for buying studio speakers. I’ve been using KRK classic 5 5 inches powered studio speaker and it is the best speaker I’ve used.