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What are Studio Monitors?

by Stuart Charles Black

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This is part 6 in a series on various studio equipment, what it does, and how to choose!

  1. How to Choose Studio Headphones (Coming Soon!)
  2. How to Choose a Headphone Amp
  3. How to Choose a Microphone
  4. How to Choose a MIDI Keyboard
  5. How to Choose a Turntable (Coming Soon)
  6. What are Studio Monitors? (You are here)
  7. What does an Audio Interface Do?
  8. What does an Audio Mixer do?
  9. What is a Soundcard?
  10. What is a USB DAC?

Hi friend and Welcome!

What are Studio Monitors? Glad you asked!

Before I tell you, sign up here for amazing updates!

Click here to be taken away to another site that has nothing to do with what you came here for! Just kidding, lol.

Grab a snack, sit back, and relax though because…

You’ve come to the right place!!

What are Studio Monitors?

What are Studio Monitors?

What I will bring you in this article

  1. Introduction
  2. What are Studio Monitors?
  3. Set-Up & What you will need
  4. Some recommendations
  5. Final Word

Now without further ado, let’s get rolling!

Introduction

JBL LSR 305 Studio Monitors

Entry level heaven.

When I think of the word “monitor,” I usually picture a computer monitor.

You may be the same way.

Even now that I have studio monitors, I always just think of them as speakers, regardless of the fact that I do mix/monitor on them.

For the longest time, I relied solely on a pair of Sony MDR-7506s for mixing.

While they are considered an industry standard and helped improve my mixes immensely, I knew that at some point I needed a pair of monitors to really hear what was going on.

Closed-back headphones can only take you so far, but open-back headphones are another story.

Related: Closed back vs. Open back headphones.

If you have a good pair, they do mimic speakers to an extent, by providing a phenomenal Soundstage.

Regardless, you will eventually want to have both in studio to reference back and forth on and make sure the mix is proper.

I waited a long time to purchase monitors, and frankly, I don’t know why.

I also didn’t know too much about Cables & wiring, and how to build a home studio.

The process was intimidating, to say the least.

When I finally decided to bite the bullet, I went with the LSR 305s.

But…

What are Studio Monitors?

JBL LSR 305 Review

Rear ported.

They’re basically just speakers, but allow you to monitor what’s going on in your mix if you happen to be a producer like me.

If you have a good pair, they will reveal the flaws in your recording, as well as the music you may already have lying around.

The beauty of it is that high-quality source files will likely sound amazing.

You may be prompted to go back and listen to all of your old vinyl, CDs, etc. just to really soak it all in.

Monitors will reveal even the subtlest of nuance in good audio, and for that reason become an almost spiritual experience for some.

I’ve read countless Amazon reviews from people who were in tears listening to the same songs they’ve heard for years, all because they missed out on details that their new monitors picked up on.

Coming from experience, it really is an amazing revelation (with good headphones as well).

Studio monitors could also refer to headphones because a lot of them do function in that way. 

A lot of people will tell you not to reference with headphones, but I personally believe having both is ideal.

You may actually prefer listening with headphones or monitors. It just depends!

If you can hear what’s going on better with headphones, there’s nothing wrong with that.

The same goes for studio monitors/speakers.

Set-Up

Equilateral Triangle

If you decide to purchase a pair, the setup is very important.

If you purchase near fields, they should be very close to you, as the sound diminishes in output and power the farther away you get.

This is your common desktop/bookshelf speaker, and each monitor should form an equilateral triangle pointing to your head.

The tweeter (which accounts for the treble/mid-range) should be about level with your ears, and the monitors should be elevated so that the sound actually will travel towards your ears, and not below or above them.

This will give you the very best possible sound in whichever room you are in.

It also helps to create more of a 3D image; placing instruments and vocals in their proper context on stage.

So instead of the sound coming from the speakers, the Equilateral triangle setup gives off the illusion that the music is coming from behind the speakers; left to right. 

This is what helps create that image in your head of where things are.

Sound Treatment

JBL LSR 305 Review

Connections on the back.

This is very important, and something that I learned the hard way.

If your room doesn’t have some basic Acoustic Sound Treatment, your mix may not translate well.

Case and point: One time I was mixing a beat using my monitors and the bass sounded really smooth.

When I subsequently put on my headphones to reference it, it was way too loud and muddy. It sounded awful!

Why?

Because I didn’t have any bass traps in the corner, and foam panels on my walls to absorb some of the deficiencies that were present in my room.

Do yourself a favor and invest in a few of these.

You don’t really have to go crazy at first, but you will definitely need some of each regardless.

What you will need

In order to be able to hear your monitors, you will need a good digital-to-analog converter, or what is commonly called an audio interface.

Recommended: What does an Audio Interface Do?

You could also opt for a mixer if you’re more hands-on. But for the interface your connection would go:

  • Studio Monitors via XLR or balanced TRS/unbalanced TS > Audio interface > laptop via USB.

It’s really as simple as that. Find out more about how your computer processes all this in my bit depth vs. sample rate article!

Also check out the difference between balanced and unbalanced cables and how that could affect your audio: TRS. vs. TS!

Some recommendations

JBL LSR 305 Review

Entry level heaven.

Recommending studio monitors can be a bit tricky, because of the fact that it’s more subjective, and very much based on the reputation of the company.

It’s also a bit more difficult to test out different monitors due to their size, as well as the variances in gear that accompany them. i.e. Your audio interface.

That said, the JBL makes amazing entry-level units.

My top picks for starting out would be:

  1. JBL LSR305 – Small/Medium-sized rooms. Best Price to Performance Ratio. Room Treatment is optional but recommended.
  2. Yamaha HS8 – Large-sized rooms. More Bass. Needs Acoustic Sound Treatment
  3. Yamaha HS7 – Medium-sized rooms. Best Overall.

General Room Sizes

I get asked this question quite a bit so I’ll go ahead and outline it here for you.

Generally speaking:

  • Small Room – 10×10 or smaller
  • Medium-Sized Room – 12×12
  • Large-Sized Room – 14×14, 14×16 or larger

For reference, my room is probably considered medium-large at around 12×14.

Keeping these in mind, I wouldn’t buy LSR308s or Yamaha HS8s for a medium or small room.

Stick with Yamaha HS7, HS5, and LSR305.

My room may be okay with the HS8, but it’s pushing it.

If you’re in a similar situation, I would certainly recommend treating your room as best as possible before buying a super powerful monitor like the 308 or HS8; especially if you plan to get a subwoofer to go with it.

For most people, the LSR305 is an incredible option because it both works in all room sizes and is super powerful even despite its smaller footprint.

Preview
More Power/Bass
YAMAHA HS8 Studio Monitor, Black, 8 Inch
Better For Reference
Yamaha HS7 100-Watt Series Monitor, Black, 6.5"
Best Value
JBL Professional 305P MkII Next-Generation 5-Inch 2-Way Powered Studio Monitor
Title
YAMAHA HS8 Studio Monitor, Black, 8 Inch
Yamaha HS7 100-Watt Series Monitor, Black, 6.5"
JBL Professional 305P MkII Next-Generation 5-Inch 2-Way Powered Studio Monitor
Color
Black/White
Black/White
Black
Weight
22.5 lbs.
18.1 lbs.
10.12 lbs.
Amp Type
Active (Does not need separate amplification)
Active (Does not need separate amplification)
Active (Does not need separate amplification)
Controls
Level Control, EQ: High Trim Switch, Room Control Switch
Level Control, EQ: High Trim Switch, Room Control Switch
LF Trim, HF Trim
Total Power
120W
95W
82W
Balanced Inputs
1x Balanced XLR, 1x Balanced TRS (1/4" or 6.35mm)
1x Balanced XLR, 1x Balanced TRS (1/4" or 6.35mm)
1x Balanced XLR, 1x Balanced TRS (1/4" or 6.35mm)
Frequency Response
38Hz - 30kHz
43Hz - 30kHz
43Hz - 24kHz
Driver Technology
Low Frequency: Cone, High Frequency: Soft Dome
Low Frequency: Cone, High Frequency: Soft Dome
Low Frequency: Cone, High Frequency: Soft Dome
Driver Size
Woofer: 8" Tweeter 1"
Woofer: 6.5" Tweeter 1"
Woofer: 5", Tweeter: 1"
Dimensions
Height: 15.4" x Width: 9.8" x Depth: 13.1"
Height: 13.1" x Width: 8.3" x Depth: 11.2"
Height: 11.75″ Width: 7.28″ Depth: 9.88″
Rear Ported
Prime
Amazon Prime
Amazon Prime
Amazon Prime
Price
$398.99
$349.99
Price not available
More Power/Bass
Preview
YAMAHA HS8 Studio Monitor, Black, 8 Inch
Title
YAMAHA HS8 Studio Monitor, Black, 8 Inch
Color
Black/White
Weight
22.5 lbs.
Amp Type
Active (Does not need separate amplification)
Controls
Level Control, EQ: High Trim Switch, Room Control Switch
Total Power
120W
Balanced Inputs
1x Balanced XLR, 1x Balanced TRS (1/4" or 6.35mm)
Frequency Response
38Hz - 30kHz
Driver Technology
Low Frequency: Cone, High Frequency: Soft Dome
Driver Size
Woofer: 8" Tweeter 1"
Dimensions
Height: 15.4" x Width: 9.8" x Depth: 13.1"
Rear Ported
Prime
Amazon Prime
Price
$398.99
Details
Better For Reference
Preview
Yamaha HS7 100-Watt Series Monitor, Black, 6.5"
Title
Yamaha HS7 100-Watt Series Monitor, Black, 6.5"
Color
Black/White
Weight
18.1 lbs.
Amp Type
Active (Does not need separate amplification)
Controls
Level Control, EQ: High Trim Switch, Room Control Switch
Total Power
95W
Balanced Inputs
1x Balanced XLR, 1x Balanced TRS (1/4" or 6.35mm)
Frequency Response
43Hz - 30kHz
Driver Technology
Low Frequency: Cone, High Frequency: Soft Dome
Driver Size
Woofer: 6.5" Tweeter 1"
Dimensions
Height: 13.1" x Width: 8.3" x Depth: 11.2"
Rear Ported
Prime
Amazon Prime
Price
$349.99
Details
Best Value
Preview
JBL Professional 305P MkII Next-Generation 5-Inch 2-Way Powered Studio Monitor
Title
JBL Professional 305P MkII Next-Generation 5-Inch 2-Way Powered Studio Monitor
Color
Black
Weight
10.12 lbs.
Amp Type
Active (Does not need separate amplification)
Controls
LF Trim, HF Trim
Total Power
82W
Balanced Inputs
1x Balanced XLR, 1x Balanced TRS (1/4" or 6.35mm)
Frequency Response
43Hz - 24kHz
Driver Technology
Low Frequency: Cone, High Frequency: Soft Dome
Driver Size
Woofer: 5", Tweeter: 1"
Dimensions
Height: 11.75″ Width: 7.28″ Depth: 9.88″
Rear Ported
Prime
Amazon Prime
Price
Price not available
Details

CHECK OUT MY OFFICIAL JBL LSR 305 REVIEW!!


Final Word

Well, that’s about it for today my friend! I hope I’ve answered your question, What are Studio Monitors? If I missed the mark on something or didn’t explain something enough, please let me know down below or Contact me!! I would love to hear from you…

All the best and God bless,

 

 

-Stu

[Xtr@Ba$eHitZ]

Be sure to check out my Reviews and Resources page for more helpful and informative articles!

Don't forget to share if you found it helpful!

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2 comments

Manuel Mancera-Tejadilla December 31, 2020 - 1:14 pm

I’ve been reading some of your articles in these days, since I’m planning to renew my home audio equipment. I’ve learned a lot, thank you!

Reply
Stuart Charles Black January 3, 2021 - 3:33 pm

Hey man! Thank you so much! That really encourages me as I refresh some of the articles and stuff. Check out the revamped producer series. I’m still working on it, but have the first 2 pages done 🙂

Reply

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