In this article, we highlight a selection of popular studio monitors available to buy in 2020 covering low-cost solutions well suited for home studios through to high-end loudspeakers for pro facilities. Alongside our most recent reviews, we also feature a selection of monitoring accessories designed to help you improve the performance of your monitoring environment. As an added bonus, we also cover a number of topics aimed at helping you to better understand studio monitors.
A decent set of monitors is an essential requirement in any recording studio. After all, it is the aural window into what we do. Without them we are working blind, so we need monitors that are able to tell us the truth. Without a decent set of monitors placed in a room with reasonable acoustics, we would be lost.
We demand a lot from monitors in terms of performance and durability. Over time plug-ins come and go, but a set of solid-sounding studio monitors that we trust can stay in service for at least a decade, often longer. These are long-term purchases, which make it doubly important for us to know what our options are when considering a new set of monitors for our studio.
This article isn’t meant to be an exhaustive list of every product on the market today. Rather this article curates the reviews, and articles that we already have on the site that cover this very important topic.
We start with the monitors that the team use every day…
What Monitors The Team Use Every Day
What monitors the team use every day - In this article from 2017 the team share what monitors they use in their studios.
Dan Cooper - Adam P22a
Mike Thornton - PMC LB1s and TB1s
Julian Rodgers - Genelec 1029a/1091
James Ivey - Focal Twin 6Be & Sub 6
Russ Hughes - Eve SC205 2-Way 5" Studio Monitors (Russ now uses Kii Threes)
Peter Barter - Genelec 8010A
Alan Sallabank - Presonus Eris E66MTM, Eris E5 & Temblor 10
Monitors Suited For Small Home Recording Studios On Tight Budgets
Choosing a set of studio monitors on a budget for a home recording studio can be a minefield, after all, the choice is vast in this price range, which means determining which is best can be challenging. Our first piece of advice is to establish a modest budget and stick to it while you consider your options.
For those new to audio production, expensive sets of $2,000+ near field active monitors may well be out of your price range. Don’t worry as there are plenty of great-sounding studio monitors to choose from for a lot less. Here is a selection of studio monitors for less than $500 per pair that we have reviewed. Check them out to find out what we think of these low-cost studio monitors.
Guide Price Range: Up to $500 for a pair
To help you even more with advice on choosing monitors for under $500 then check out our article Our Top Pick Of 5 Great Sounding Nearfield Active Studio Monitors You Can Buy Today For Less Than $500 For The Pair
Affordable Studio Monitors For Medium Sized Studios For $500 to $3,000
You may have outgrown your first set of low-cost monitors, or you may have a larger budget to invest. Whatever your reasons for considering studio monitors in this price range, you will quickly discover that yet again you are not short on choice.
Unlike low-cost monitors, the products below, these options vary quite a lot in features and performance. Below you can check out our recent reviews in this price range. In our reviews, you will find that we provide detailed descriptions with real-world listening evaluations to help you understand the distinctions between some of the most popular studio monitors on the market today.
Guide Price Range: Between $500 - $3,000 for a pair
To help you even more with advice on choosing monitors for between $500 and $3,000 then check out our article Our Pick Of Monitors in the £500 To £1000 Price Range - Here Are Eight You Might Consider
High-End Studio Monitors For Demanding Professional Audio Engineers Starting from $3,000 Per Pair
If you are the sort of audio engineer who demands a lot from your monitors then you can consider a pair from the next selection starting from $3,000, with one or two options exceeding $10,000 for a pair.
Price Range: $3,000+ for a pair
One of the more recent developments in speaker design is the use of digital signal processing to help improve the sound even further. You might want to read our article on this topic DSP In Studio Monitors - Do You Need DSP To Get A Great Sound? We Look At What Some Of The Top Brands Are Doing
Studio Monitors Accessories
So far we have considered the studio monitor speakers but buying a new set of studio monitors isn't the whole story. You may want to consider accessorises like isolation, stands and speaker correction technologies to help improve your studio monitoring even more.
Although this selection of studio monitor accessories are not mandatory, they are popular and have their place in many studios. Some could be a future consideration when budget permits…
continuing the theme of studio monitor accessories, monitor controller functionality often are included in a DAW interface or control surface, but the features in these situations may not be comprehensive enough and in these cases, you may want to consider a dedicated monitor controller. if so check out our article 7 Features Every Monitor Controller Should Have - How Does Yours Compare?
Do You Need A Subwoofer? If You Do, EVE Audio Has Four Different Models For You To Choose From
Lessons In Studio Monitors
To conclude this roundup , you may want to check out several of our articles which dig deeper into a number of important studio monitor topics…
We hope this roundup has helped you if you are looking for a new studio monitoring setup. This article isn’t meant to be an exhaustive list of every product on the market. Rather the article curates the reviews, and articles that we already have on the site that cover this very important topic.