Studio Monitors reviews from Reddit
Summary
We analyzed 263 Reddit reviews across 34 subreddits and 72 posts to rank the best Studio Monitors brands recommended by redditors, including communities like r/edmproduction, r/BudgetAudiophile, r/musicproduction, r/audioengineering, r/StereoAdvice. Top-rated brands include Yamaha (4.0/5), Kali (4.6/5), JBL (4.4/5).
Stats
Reviews263
Subreddits34
Posts72
Brands42
Products75
263 reviews from
and
By Brand
/By Product
#1
Yamaha
4.0
(53)
"I'd go Yamaha hs5 or if you find a good offer hs7 or better hs8."
"I always came back to my HS7s!"
"Yamaha NS-10s - just love’em."
"I will always suggest Yamaha HS5."
"They are ideal!"
"Love my used Yamaha HS8 pair."
"I love my hs5s."
"You could look for a pair of used Yamaha HS series powered monitors."
"Just got two Yamaha hs5’s and they’re good"
"The yamahas are flatter and better for mixing imo."
#2
Kali
4.6
(28)
"Hands down the best bang for your buck are gonna be the Kali LP6-V2's."
"I really like the Kalis."
"I’ve really been enjoying my kali LP-UNF’s."
"I would absolutely save a bit more and go for the Kali LP-6 second generation."
"Kali in8 v2 are easily the best in that range."
"They beat the snot out of the s."
"The Kali lp6 v2 are really the only monitors you'll want to buy at your price point."
"I use Kali audio lp8s , started with lp6 and loved them."
"Get a pair of these - https://www.sweetwater.com/store/detail/LP-UNF--kali-audio-lp-unf-ultra-nearfield-monitor-system-black-pair."
"Excellent sound reproduction, and decent midbass for the price."
#3
JBL
4.4
(25)
"Best bang for your buck is probably something a bit vintage. JBL 4412"
"JBL 305s of course."
"Love them"
"I just bought used JBL 305p mkii’s and they’re great!"
"Get used JBL 305p MkII."
"JBL 305s can often be had second hand for about $125-150."
"The JBL are kick ass btw."
"We use a pair of 305pMk2s for tracking, they have been a solid performer."
"Absolutely impressed with the jbl monitors."
"JBL monitors, easily. Fantastic speakers, ruler flat frequency response."
#4
Adam Audio
4.3
(20)
"I recently got the adam audio t5v. I am very happy with it."
"Adam T5V or T7V are both incredible for the price"
"I have the Adams (T7V) and absolutely love them, although I run them through Sonarworks for calibration."
"Adam Audio T5V's are my vote. They kick ass."
"I love my T5V's. I am at the point where I would like to upgrade them, but they serve me perfectly well."
"I have a T7V pair and recently got the T10S, very pleased with the Adam ribbon tweeter."
"If you can get AdamT5V's that cheap, go for it."
"Adams!"
"Adam Audio"
"Adam Audio makes killer monitors."
#5
Adam
4.5
(19)
"I have a set of Adam T8Vs and also a a5x set with a sub 8, and I regret nothing."
"Adam A77H really pleasantly surprised me."
"I love the Adam sound and it should be in your budget."
"Exceptional for the price."
"Quite happy with that purchase."
"Adam T5V’s are incredible for the price point. Highly recommend."
"I have the T7V's and they sound fantastic."
"I love my Adam A7Vs."
"Save up a little more for Adam T5V, excellent speakers for the money."
"I like my Adam Tv5's Solid transparent sound, crisp high end."
#6
Kali Audio
4.7
(14)
"I have the lp-6 and they are the best speakers for the price"
"Get Kali LP6 and spend the rest on building some panels."
"Kali LP6 or LP8 best bang for buck."
"Kali Audio LP-6"
"The Kali IN-8s are true three ways with 8" woofers, so you can forgo a sub for a long time."
"Kali Audio IN-8s v2 and a WS-12 v2 sub."
"The difference is astounding."
"Kali audio (ex-jbl engineers) makes excellent speakers."
"Have been solid picks for a while."
"I would recommend the Kali IN-8, cheaper and reaching lower."
#7
Genelec
4.5
(13)
"Definitely get the genelecs. No low end is better than an inaccurate one."
"Genelec 8361 AM"
"Genelec 8341. So accurate, I dont need anything else."
"Yes i use my Genelec 8030c with a 7050c subwoofer."
"I love my genelecs"
"Genelecs"
"Genelec has my vote."
"Or genelec 8010/8020 depending on your space"
"I recommend genelec if you want to improve your skills as they’re not very enjoyable speakers."
"Yes you should definitely listen to that Genelec setup."
#8
PreSonus
4.4
(13)
"I ended up with Presonus Eris E5 A pair for $60 usd Used"
"I'll cast a vote for PreSonus Eris E5's or E8's. Fantastic definition from those little things."
"I definitely recommend you to use eris."
"I love my Prosus Eris 5.....I have been doing production over 20 years, and these guys are amazing."
"Pre sonus eris 4.5 is spectacular for the price."
"Presonus R65, Yamaha HS 5"
"Presonus Eris E5, a set goes for around 250 new."
"If I needed/was forced to choose cheap, small studio monitors to play through a modeller, I’d go Presonus Eris 5."
"Persons Eris 5s are small footprint and sound great."
"Presonus eris e5’s. Also heard good things about the JBL’s and Yamaha’s!"
#9
Neumann
4.8
(10)
"I wouldn't swap out my Neumann KH120 II for anything else."
"Neumann KH120's are incredible if you're looking for something that size."
"Yes, using neumann kh120ii here."
"Yes, using neumann kh120ii here."
"I’d consider them the gold standard in compact nearfield monitoring."
"Neumann kh120 or Adam audio A7v"
"Neumann KH120 . Even more so with the KH750 and room calibration."
"Neumann kh80s on my desk are incredible for their size and price."
"Pair of neumann kh120 should go a long way."
"Neumann KH80"
#10
KRK
3.9
(9)
"KRK 5's, or the Yamaha equivalent ive had both for about 10 years now."
"I just got KRK Rokit 5’s and they do more than enough for my bedroom DJ setup."
"I have rokits and love em. Rokit 5s"
"Old speakers were KRK Rokit 5s they were solid."
"KRK Classic 8’s can be had for about $500 a pair."
"I'm pretty happy with Rokit 5's."
"8" monitors are your best best in the price range."
"Look for some used KRK rokit 5."
"I’ve heard them and they’re great for mixing but terrible for parties or casual listening."
#11
Edifier
4.0
(7)
"Just get an Edifier and be done with it."
"I've always heard good things about the edifier 1280 and it's about this price"
"Every post I see about Edifier I recommend some similarly priced monitors."
"Try Edifiers MR4. Those are closer."
"It has a switch where you can toggle between music and monitor mode."
"I've been happy with them overall."
"I'm using an Edifier MR4. It's cheap (around $100) and generally available."
#12
Focal
4.5
(6)
"Personally got a pair of used focal alpha 50s for 300. i got lucky and waited for a"
"You might also want to take a good look at the focal alpha 50 evo's. I like focal's sound in general."
"Have a listen to Focal. Fantastic brand."
"Get focal Solo6 Studio monitors."
"For under 2k i’d get used focal solo6 + pair of subs"
"I didn't like the 'reference' sound quality from the Focal units."
#13
IK Multimedia
4.6
(5)
"I don't think it gets much better than the IK iLoud micro."
"Iloud micro's"
"It’s utterly amazing what a great (and accurate / neutral!) sound is coming out of these little things."
"Ik multimedia iloud mtm. They have rooom correction."
"For new monitors at the 350 pounds mark I would recommend the IK Micro Monitors (which I personally use and find decently well balanced)"
#14
iLoud
4.4
(5)
"The sound is much bigger than their diminutive size would suggest."
"They sound fantastic and are very small!"
"I use the iloud micro monitors and have no regrets."
"I just bought the iLoud micros for this exact purpose."
"Have a look at reviews for the iLoud micro monitors.. I don't personally have it, but heard good things about it."
#15
M-Audio
4.3
(4)
"I've been using them for 2 years now. Highly recommend."
"I use two M-Audio BX8 monitors. 150 W each, 8’’ speakers, ideal for playing and listening imho."
"I really enjoyed my M-Audio monitors."
"I’ve been very happy with my M-Audio BX5’s."
#16
Barefoot
5.0
(2)
"So exciting, insane low end extension and very good imaging."
"Speakers I've enjoyed: Barefoot, Amphion, Dynaudio, Yamaha, Meyer, Genelec, M-audio, Yorkville, JBL."
#17
ATC
5.0
(2)
"ATC SCM25A w SCM15 sub"
"ATC or Genelec would be a better choice for speakers."
#18
Headphones
4.0
(2)
"Monitors are great, don't get me wrong. It's way less fatiguing than wearing headphones all the time."
"While you can get by, using your headphones a few hours each day."
#19
Sterling
4.0
(2)
"Sterling Mx5 is a great studio monitor as well. Has a decent bass response."
"I’ve used the Sterling MX5 for a while, I got a pair on Reverb used for under 100."
#20
Mackie
3.5
(2)
"I've used the gen1 of the Mackie CR3 and the Presonus Eris 3.5 and they're both totally fine."
"I used to have Mackie CR3s in my home studio. They were a bit bass-heavy for that, but they were decent as general speakers."
#21
Meyer Sound
5.0
(1)
"Love my Meyer Sound HD1’s"
#22
Amphion
5.0
(1)
"Amphion One18’s. Beautifully Honest, just like their slogan claims."
#23
Auratones
5.0
(1)
"Auratones."
#24
PMC
5.0
(1)
"PMC BB6 XBD"
#25
Genelec 8010/20
5.0
(1)
"You'll be future proof."
#26
iLoud MTM mkIIs
5.0
(1)
"I honestly enjoy the iLouds the best."
#27
Yamaha HS8
5.0
(1)
"I was able to snag a pair of HS8, an HS8S Sub and an SSL2 audio card for $500."
#28
Genelec 83x1 The Ones Series
5.0
(1)
"Genelec’s 83x1 (The Ones) series is excellent."
#29
Kef LS50 Wireless II
5.0
(1)
"Kef LS50 wireless II are currently on sale till the end of January."
#30
Dali
4.0
(1)
"Music and speech sound really good through my speakers."
#31
Yorkville
4.0
(1)
"The Yorkvilles are the surprise and I would put them side by side against anything."
#32
Eris
4.0
(1)
"I snagged a used pair of Eris E5s for a solid deal."
#33
Dynaudio
4.0
(1)
"Dynaudio lyd7"
#34
Studio Monitors
4.0
(1)
"Look for something front ported if you are going for smaller, cheaper studio monitors."
#35
MR
4.0
(1)
"MR4s in monitor mode, probably."
#36
Adam A Series
4.0
(1)
"Is good step up"
#37
JBL 305P
4.0
(1)
"I think JBL 305P are compact and good."
#38
Eris 3.5 or 4.5
4.0
(1)
"I think they sound excellent for the price."
#39
T8V
4.0
(1)
"T8v"
#40
Goldenear BRX
4.0
(1)
"Or just get really good bookshelves. Goldenear BRX for example."
#41
JBL 305
4.0
(1)
"JBL 305? Some Kali?"
#42
KH120
3.0
(1)
"If you go buy a pair of KH120s right now, you’re barely going to get an improvement."
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