[GADGET: studio monitors] Near-Field Studio Monitors

WHAT is a Studio Monitor? A studio monitor or reference monitor or monitor speakers (you get the idea) is a speaker designed to produce a flat frequency response. What this further means is that no bias in the reproduction of any frequency whether to add more bass, treble or midrange. So that what you hear is what was recorded. There is no added equalization to the sound output which is the case for most home speakers as they are designed to sound good and wow consumer ears right out of the box.

A Near-Field Studio Monitor is a more compact variety that's designed to be positioned closer to the listener. The logic being less coloration can arise from the reflecting waves bouncing all over the room.

[Pictured below is what a typical near-field studio monitor looks like: Mackie HR624 MKII which is THX pm3-certified. It's simple, sleek, solid and sexy. And most of the others look like this. Versatile for any room application including a black-tie event.]

[Here is the rear of the same speaker with available various settings based on specific applications. Take note this is a high-end studio monitor. Lower priced monitors have less settings.]

WHY a studio monitor? How about simply forget speaker set-ups and systems that unnecessarily add treble and bass to the music you're listening to including ones with active equalization that determine on your behalf what you're ears should be perceiving at the moment and eliminating other frequencies that it believes aren't as audible anyway.

Why not just a speaker accurate enough to reproduce the source audio without introducing distortion. That way you can, based on the acoustic properties of your room, adjust on your own certain frequency ranges that have been compromised by that wall-to-wall carpeting or heavy draperies installed on those windows.

So how about jumping into studio monitors that deliver music the way recording engineers meant it to be heard.

WHERE do I start? Studio monitors were admittedly too expensive for the home brew market. But the advent of independent artists and home studio recording suites that required a cheaper alternative made possible the introduction of more affordable speakers designed for accurate listening and mixing. I'm sure you've heard of JBL, but there are other brands including Mackie, KRK, and Blue Sky. Haven't heard of them? Well these speaker manufacturers are the same people who were making thousand dollar reference monitors for professional studio applications.

[On the left is a KRK Rokit Powered 6 Generation 2 studio monitor which has a port on the front to aid in extending toward a lower bass response]

SO, HOW MUCH do they cost? As of this writing, $300 will get you a very (very!) nice pair of studio monitors. However when shopping especially online, take note that these speakers are always sold as a single item. If you're buying for a stereo application then you'll need to buy two. You'll need more for those centre, side and rear channels. The good news is that you're not forced to buy more than you need and you can always replace one item at a time should any damage occur.

IF I DON'T WANT studio monitors? Well you can honestly buy any speaker your ears desire, but a word of caution is that don't be drawn by marketing hype with brands that promised to wow your ears with a "perception" of full spectrum audio rather than actually provide your ears with, umm, a full spectrum. Buy a speaker that actually delivers and is decent enough to publish their frequency response specification and amplification at nominal capacity as well as peak output. This will give you an idea on what speaker best suits your needs and budget before distortion kicks in.


I WANT A STUDIO MONITOR. Now what? Take note that lower end monitors have multiple connections including allowing unbalanced signal such as RCA and TS input. Higher end monitors accept only balanced connections which means XLR and TRS inputs. Know your equipment choices.

[For better view, here is the rear of a limited edition glossy yellow KRK Rokit Powered 6 Generation 2. You'll find two knobs to control high frequency output as well as speaker sensitivity. To the left of the lower knob is the Unbalanced RCA input. Right below that is the Balanced TRS (which also accepts an unbalanced TS input signal). Then beside it to the right is the Balanced XLR input and the most favoured of all connections for professional applications. Below this big black circle is the power switch. Then further below the switch is a slot that enables voltage input based on individual country requirement of 110V or 220V. Finally below that is the power receptacle input.]

To reiterate, the 3 types of audio connections: 1. Balanced XLR 2. Balanced TRS (which almost always can accept unbalanced TS) 3. Unbalanced RCA

When connecting straight from a computer, it usually has a 1/8" stereo aka mini-stereo jack. In this way, you can buy a cable that starts with a 1/8" stereo and terminates to a left and right RCA jack.

[See left photo]

When connecting directly from the output of a television, you can get the old-fashioned RCA to RCA cable.

Receivers and pre-amplifiers will have various audio out connections from RCA to XLR (again depending on cost). Try to use the balanced output signal, if available.

CAUTION: Studio monitors are almost always certainly self-amplified. That's why they're so damn big and heavy as well. So don't make the mistake of connecting these monitors via a speaker-out which already carry an amplified signal. Connect them to a variable line-out.


HOW DOES IT SOUND...

GREAT! However, you need to re-orient your ears if you've been used to unnecessary and heavy equalized equipment. Take a moment to listen to your favourite CD. One that you are very familiar with from beginning to end. Turn off or flatten the equalizer setting. Take a few passess on it and determine if you really need to highlight or defeat certain frequencies. Better yet, receivers and pre-amplifiers these days include a mic setup that measures and calibrates room acoustics. It's definitely more high-tech than deciding that you want to crank up the bass just because.

You're goal is to listen to music the way it was intended to be heard. If you have unbiased speakers in all frequency range then you will notice nuances in the recording that you never even thought was there. Seriously.


WHAT ELSE DO I NEED TO KNOW...

I've mentioned this previously, but don't forget that studio monitors are almost always active speakers. Which means that they are self-amplified. The upside is that you don't need to buy an external amplifier and worry about matching power and resistance. The downside is that you better make sure you have enough power outlets for all your audio and video equipment. A no-brainer work-around is purchasing a power conditioner and surge protector specifically built for home theater applications. You get a cleaner power signal and good protection from spikes.

[Below is the side view of a Mackie HR824MK2 and HR624 with heat vents for the built-in amplifier.]
Studio monitoring speakers is a force to be reckoned with in terms of performance, size and weight. And that's a good thing. These manufacturers didn't spare anything in terms of sound quality. Rather than spend money on marketing, they spend it on actual R&D and materials.

SPECIFICATIONS...Mackie MR5's have a published frequency response of 60HZ-20KHZ (+-3db) with internal bi-amplification of 55 watts (85 watts peak) for the low frequency and 30 watts (50 watts peak) for the high frequency. Don't be fooled by other speaker manufacture ratings stating 200 watts power which don't mean a thing unless they meant peak power before the internal fuse blows while already clipping at maximum distortion. Did you hear how loud your built-in television speakers can get. To think they are rated at 3 to 6 watts only. So with these truthful power rating, these Mackies are LOUD! Your ears neighbours will come knocking first before you can blow the fuse of these speakers.

The truth is I was perfectly happy with my Blue Sky MediaDesk 2.1 [see right photo] speakers just because I couldn't afford a THX pm3-approved Mackie HR624 at that time. The frequency response was awesome at 35HZ-20KHz. The speakers were fully sealed which provided less distortion and good bass output thanks to the 8" driver enclosed in a box that also houses the amplifier for all speakers.. I tossed the packaging boxes so I decided to sell them when I moved cross-country than risk damaging perfectly great speakers.

A bonus feature of these speakers is that it allows you to move up to a 5.1 surround-sound set up with the purchase of a kit in the form of three more satellite speakers, additional amplifier and a control module to fine-tune the audio output.

[See left photo]

I now moved the Mackie MR5 pair to the living room and disabled the built-in speakers of the television and then obtained a pair of KRK Rokit Powered 6 Generation 2 studio monitors which is equally accurate as the Mackie, but has better frequency response at 48HZ-20KHz (+-1.5db) due to it's 6" low frequency driver.


WHAT TO GET...

If you're budget allows for a Mackie, I would get an MR5 or even an MR8 if the space allows as well. A cheaper alternative but still along it's price range is the KRK RP5G2 which also comes with a 5" low frequency driver. But for the same price as the Mackie MR5 is the KRK RP6G2 with better frequency response and a hefty weight and size.

The difference is the porting on the cabinet. Mackie believes in using a rear port, while KRK argues a front port is better as it allows more flexible placement without fear from unnecessary bass response due from the rear ports when placed nearer against the wall.

My recommendation is to listen to both at your nearest studio monitor dealer that stocks both and decide. In the future you can expand to a 2.1 configuration to extend the bass response even lower by purchasing their own respective subwoofer counterparts.

As usual, KRK products are better priced so this might affect your decision now the same way it did to me. As you saw above, KRK has been producing limited edition speakers I guess as a means to stand apart and eventually capture more of the market. They actually started with a "special edition" white colour of the original KRK Rokit Powered 6 and continued on to the Generation 2 line [see above left photo]. And then there is the "limited edition" of the same speaker line this time in glossy yellow [see above right photo] which I have recently procured. It looks like an equivalent of having an Italian sports car paint job. It's all yellow with a highlight of black and coupled with the glowing KRK logo.

If you want a 2.1 configuration right now, then the Blue Sky MediaDesk 2.1 is the way to go which has differentiated itself by sporting a grey colour.

Either way you won't make a mistake patronizing any of these manufacturers. But please do yourself a favor and get yourself a decent studio monitor than an exorbitantly priced speaker set from a manufacturer that (1) either advertises amplification and frequency response that can be achieved at full clipping power or (2) won't even advertise their specifications at all and then claim their "actual" performance doesn't do justice to the over-equalized supposed sound output.