Best budget studio monitors 6.5-8 inch at up to $1K a pair?

[tw 2022]

The Kali line up is what i keep hearing is solid in that range.... I've heard the jbl 5 inch monitor (305?) It was pretty decent, it played clean imo...

 

[Curvature]

Thomann Swissonic A305, Sub10 and money on stands that tilt upwards as well as a Umik-1.

Learn to listen, measure, read graphs and EQ. Read some books on acoustics and psychoacoustics. Enjoy for a few years.

Then blow thousands on Genelecs or whatever.

 

[Pearljam5000]

He’s not buying nothing until he can afford the 8381s.

That's the plan

 

[Curvature]

Thomann Swissonic A305, Sub10 and money on stands that tilt upwards as well as a Umik-1.

To be clear all of this can be had for 1k USD.

 

[ooheadsoo]

I assume you mean powered/active?

 

[Pearljam5000]

I assume you mean powered/active?

Yes active

 

[Pearljam5000]

To be clear all of this can be had for 1k USD.

It's definitely nice
But I'm less brave when it comes to brands I don't really know.
I was think about Kali Audio In-8 or Adam T8V or Dynaudio LYD 8 or something like that .

 

[Curvature]

Kali Audio In-8

Best of the bunch.

Dynaudio LYD 8

I would generally avoid their products. They have oldschool priorities (do not priorotize off axis response).

Adam T8V

I don't like the vertical directivity of AMTs or ribbon speakers. Especially when listening close in.

I strongly suggest getting a measurement microphone and measuring whatever you are currently listening to (laptop speakers or whatever), and then comparing the results to the speakers you choose.

At home I use Equalizer APO+Peace, with separate profiles for laptop speakers, headphones, IEMs and my monitors. All EQ profiles except the IEMs are based on measurements.

 

[dfuller]

Kali IN-8, call it a day.

 

[Curvature]

It's definitely nice
But I'm less brave when it comes to brands I don't really know

Why be brave when you have data? How much do you really "know" without measurements?

Easily compare loudspeakers measurements

www.spinorama.org

 

[mjgraves]

I bought a pair of refurb'd JBL 705Ps for $1200. From PSSL.com. Worth the stretch IMHO.

 

[montyliam]

Please just buy a set of monitors and enjoy some music. I've never seen anyone ask for so many recommendations or A vs B comparisons and never actually buy anything.

 

[tw 2022]

Please just buy a set of monitors and enjoy some music. I've never seen anyone ask for so many recommendations or A vs B comparisons and never actually buy anything.

Agreed, analysis paralysis can kill joy, and that's the point...upgade- itis is another buzz kill...

 

[Steve Dallas]

I don't own proper monitors but there's a lot to choose from in that range.

I've been a JBL fan since the old days.

The JBL LSR308 always gets good ratings and it seems like a bargain. Personally, I wouldn't go with anything less than an 8-inch woofer, especially without a subwoofer.

...If you are using them as monitors (for audio production) they don't need to "sound great" or be "the best". Of course you don't want any big defects or weaknesses in the monitors or room acoustics, but the main thing is to learn what a good mix sounds like on your monitors so you can make a good production.

This is a tough question and you have to narrow down what you like. Also, is a sub included for this price? Without a sub defintely bigger woofer. What's your usage? Monitoring, music listening, etc. How loud do you plan to play? Here are some top choices. Sorry no Genelec for this price without a sub IMHO

Really?

In my experience, this is a common myth. In the world of studio monitors, a larger woofer gets you lower distortion at higher SPL and not much more. In the nearfield, you normally do not need higher SPL, therefore the lower distortion becomes moot. It does not get you lower bass extension in many, if not most, cases. Consider the Kali IN-5 vs. the Kali IN-8 where the 8 has 5Hz lower extension at F10, which is barely audible after masking:

If we keep perpetuating myths on this site, we will have to change is name to Audio Silliness Review.

Subs are great, but I have always preferred to mix without them unless the material has a lot of synth bass, and I have never mixed much of that. Unless perfectly integrated, they mostly just annoy me when I am working. I keep turning them off to check the mix without, then end up leaving them off.

 

[Steve Dallas]

Would you choose the JBL over the Adam T8V?

Adam makes good monitors, but you have to like AMT tweeters, which I do not. The vertical dispersion pattern is too narrow, and I find myself moving up and down in my chair looking for the sweet spot at nearfield distances. Give me a decent dome over an AMT any day.

 

[Ellebob]

Really?

In my experience, this is a common myth. In the world of studio monitors, a larger woofer gets you lower distortion at higher SPL and not much more. In the nearfield, you normally do not need higher SPL, therefore the lower distortion becomes moot. It does not get you lower bass extension in many, if not most, cases. Consider the Kali IN-5 vs. the Kali IN-8 where the 8 has 5Hz lower extension at F10, which is barely audible after masking:

View attachment 347885

If we keep perpetuating myths on this site, we will have to change is name to Audio Silliness Review.

Subs are great, but I have always preferred to mix without them unless the material has a lot of synth bass, and I have never mixed much of that. Unless perfectly integrated, they mostly just annoy me when I am working. I keep turning them off to check the mix without, then end up leaving them off.

That is why I asked how loud do you play and what the usage would be. And integrating a sub well is a problem I see as a calibrator quite frequently. Also, I know a lot of musicians check their mix with and without a sub. Get a system that makes it easy to go between sub on and off. As Kali has been recommended their subs make this easy with a foot switch. When you turn the sub off with the switch, it bypasses the crossover and sends full range to the speakers. I think that is a very nice feature for someone mixing on a budget.

 

[voltronic]

Kali IN-8, call it a day.

I've been looking at the IN-8 and IN-5, and their specs are extremely close, so much so that I'm questioning whether it's worth the extra $100 for a pair of IN-8.

Power for MF and HF drivers are identical. IN-5 supplies 20 W more to the bass driver. IN-8 LF response is only 2 Hz lower than IN-5, and max SPL only 2 dB higher.

What am I missing?

 

[Steve Dallas]

I've been looking at the IN-8 and IN-5, and their specs are extremely close, so much so that I'm questioning whether it's worth the extra $100 for a pair of IN-8.

Power for MF and HF drivers are identical. IN-5 supplies 20 W more to the bass driver. IN-8 LF response is only 2 Hz lower than IN-5, and max SPL only 2 dB higher.

What am I missing?

I had the same line of thinking and chose the IN-5.

 

[dfuller]

I've been looking at the IN-8 and IN-5, and their specs are extremely close, so much so that I'm questioning whether it's worth the extra $100 for a pair of IN-8.

Power for MF and HF drivers are identical. IN-5 supplies 20 W more to the bass driver. IN-8 LF response is only 2 Hz lower than IN-5, and max SPL only 2 dB higher.

What am I missing?

Distortion is substantially lower on the IN-8 in the low mids to upper bass. Talking ~3% to ~1%.

 

[Steve Dallas]

Distortion is substantially lower on the IN-8 in the low mids to upper bass. Talking ~3% to ~1%.

Which only matters if you push them hard enough for it to matter. At my listening distance of 1.5 meters at an average of 75dBC, it does not matter.

Also, directivity is better on the IN-5.