# Looking for studio monitor recommendations



## MikeLG (Dec 1, 2021)

Hello! I've been using strictly headphones for far too long, and decided I'd like to purchase my first set of studio monitors. I don't mix my own music, so I'm not looking for something extremely precise, though I do want to be able to listen to mixes I receive on them. Basically, I'm looking for something in the 600 - 800$ range that can give me a sense of what my music will sound like on something other than headphones. Any recommendations?


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## RAdkins (Dec 2, 2021)

where are you located (US or EU) and how big is your room?

Take a look at the Kali Audio IN5


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## MarcusD (Dec 2, 2021)

Yamaha HS line of monitors are decent. Just be sure to get the correct size for your room setup. Bigger speakers doesn’t equate to better sound if the dimensions of the room are too small. Also placement is important. Otherwise it’s pointless buying expensive speakers


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## Jeremy Spencer (Dec 2, 2021)

I highly recommend Yamaha HS8's along with Sonarworks for room correction.


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## proggermusic (Dec 2, 2021)

For a first set of proper monitors, I agree that the Yamaha HS (5, 7, or 8) is probably the safest way to go. If your mix sounds good on those, it'll generally translate well. (It's still always a good practice to check mixes on as many various sources as possible, including headphones.)

Keep in mind, the HS5s don't have strong bass, so if you use those you'll usually want to check bass in your headphones and elsewhere to make sure you're not over-compensating in your mix, blowing out your headroom with too much low end. Taking that into account, I think the HS5s are really useful monitors overall and great for the price.


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## ed buller (Dec 2, 2021)

Adam A7X Active

best

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## MikeLG (Dec 2, 2021)

Thank you for the recommendations everyone, this gives me a really good place to start. I'm in a fairly large room - I need to figure out how to treat it acoustically, but that's another story entirely!


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## MarcusD (Dec 2, 2021)

MikeLG said:


> Thank you for the recommendations everyone, this gives me a really good place to start. I'm in a fairly large room - I need to figure out how to treat it acoustically, but that's another story entirely!



Do you have much room to play with or is there lots of furniture etc... in the room?

Positioning is pretty critical to get a decent sound, even if the room isn't treated well, because you can monitor at lower volumes to compensate for room imperfections. Obviously treating the room is a good idea 

Quick way to figure out how far off the short wall your speakers need to be is to measure the length of the room then multiply it by .38 and you'll get an approximation of how far the desk / speakers need to be away from the short wall. Then, make sure the speakers are at equal distances from the side walls.

To get the sweet spot, angle the speakers inwards so you cant see the sides (from your monitoring position) then measure from the centre cone of the Left (or right) speaker, to the Right speaker centre cone. The distance you get should be how far away your sitting to from an equilateral triangle.

The alternative is to sit in your mixing position, then get someone to measure from your ear to the centre cone, that way you'll know the distance the speakers need to be from each other to form the triangle.

Speakers should be roughly 47 - 55 inches off the floor, If they're at half the height of the room you need to tilt the speakers off axis, try not to exceed 15 degrees from vertical.

Positioning the speakers first before treating the room is handy, as you'll know where to put panels up after 

EDIT: Brain fart.


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## MikeLG (Dec 3, 2021)

MarcusD said:


> Do you have much room to play with or is there lots of furniture etc... in the room?
> 
> Positioning is pretty critical to get a decent sound, even if the room isn't treated well, because you can monitor at lower volumes to compensate for room imperfections. Obviously treating the room is a good idea
> 
> ...


I have some room to play with, there's stuff in here but nothing too crazy. Thanks for the suggestion about figuring out how to place the speakers, I've read how important that is so I'm going to make sure I get it just right.

I'm leaning towards the HS8 speakers right now. The set I'm looking at includes stands and isolation pads. I wonder if adding a sub is worth it?


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## rrichard63 (Dec 3, 2021)

MarcusD said:


> Speakers should be roughly 47 - 55 inches off the floor, another way to measure is to have the tweeters roughly sit halfway to the height of the room.


I have read that the tweeters should be at (or close to) ear level. For most people in most rooms that's less than 48 incles.


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## MarcusD (Dec 3, 2021)

MikeLG said:


> I have some room to play with, there's stuff in here but nothing too crazy. Thanks for the suggestion about figuring out how to place the speakers, I've read how important that is so I'm going to make sure I get it just right.
> 
> I'm leaning towards the HS8 speakers right now. The set I'm looking at includes stands and isolation pads. I wonder if adding a sub is worth it?


I don't use the sub, so I can't really make an helpful suggestion there. TBH though those speakers, I think they go down to 36 or 38hz, which is plenty enough. Only time to consider a sub would be if you're consistently doing commercial work, like sound design for games / trailers / film.


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## MarcusD (Dec 3, 2021)

rrichard63 said:


> I have read that the tweeters should be at (or close to) ear level. For most people in most rooms that's less than 48 incles.


Sorry, I just re-read what I wrote, defiantly got my wording incorrect. What I meant, if tweeters are at half the height of the room (when they are at the ideal height of 47 - 55 inches off the floor) they need angling off axis with your ears. Avoid having tweeters absolute vertical centre.

Tweeters do need to be at ear height. For most, room, seating etc.. isn't ideal setup. So you have to make the most of what you have.


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## MikeLG (Dec 4, 2021)

I pulled the trigger on the Yamaha HS8 speakers, without a sub - I can always add it later if I need to. I really appreciate everyone's suggestions and explanations. Thank you!


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## GeoMax (Jan 8, 2022)

How do I size monitors for room dimensions?

My room 12.5' x15.5' with 8' ceiling. Room is carpeted. I have GIK Tri traps in the corners, floor to ceiling, and the entire room perimeter covered with 4' x2' Monster traps hung on the walls. I also have 4 panels suspended from the ceiling over head at my mix position.

I mostly track vocals and acoustic guitars in my studio, and everything else is VSTs or DI.

My current monitors are JBL 4328p, but they are causing me issues with unmatched levels, even after using JBL RTM mic. So, I decided to replace them.

I was thinking of the Neumann KH310's. I do check my mixes with Sennheiser HD800S headphones.

Would 310's be too large for my space? Recommendations?


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