Best Nearfield Monitors Under $1000 for Well-Treated Home Studio?

[seaofwine]

Hey everyone,

I'm looking for recommendations on a pair of nearfield studio monitors under $1000 per pair for my home studio. The room is well-treated, measuring 13 x 23 ft (4 x 7 m) with an 11.5 ft (3.5 m) ceiling. I use the space for both recording and mixing, so accuracy is my top priority.

I’d love to hear your suggestions, especially from those who have tested different models in similar conditions. Looking for something with a flat response, good stereo imaging, and reliable low-end without being too hyped.

So far, I’ve been considering models like:

• Adam Audio A7V
• Eve audio SC207
• Focal Alpha 65 Evo
• Yamaha HS8
• Kali Audio IN-8 V2

Would love to hear opinions on these or any other recommendations! Thanks in advance.

 

[DSJR]

Would Genelec have something? Maybe the smaller ones need a sub which would add to the costs?

 

[stillshaded]

I think the IN-5's with the WS-6.2 sub are probably impossible to beat in this price range. It would come in at about 1100 if you bought everything new. Might be able to find something B-stock or open box and come in slightly below.

I have the original IN-8's and I really love them. I just find them easy to mix on. I used to have event opals, which are definitely better speakers, but too flattering and I always had trouble getting my mixes to translate. The IN-8's have a very detailed sound, but they do tend to be slightly on the mid forward side of things, which i find to be useful for mixing. The opals sounded too spacious for me, and it just felt like I could get away with cramming so much into the midrange. After using these, I don't know if I can ever go back to a two way.

Also, the coaxial design really does help in a less than ideal setup, because you have a bigger sweet spot, and since the speakers are a bit less picky about placement, you have more room to experiment.

Finally, if you get a measurement mic, you can play around with the boundary eq's and tweak your sound a bit more.

Great speakers.

 

[AnalogSteph]

What's your average listening distance like? This is a fairly large room, and being well-treated it may require a fair bit of oomph depending on your listening levels. I'd say it could easily do with some midfields if the budget weren't in the way (e.g. A77H). In terms of oomph/$ the IN-8v2s are probably going to be hard to beat. HS8s should also be quite good.

 

[seaofwine]

My listening position is relatively close, around 39 inches (1 meter) from the monitors. Right now, I’m using Yamaha MSP5s with the HS8S sub. The room measurements looked great overall, but I noticed a sharp drop somewhere around 15 kHz and above, which got me concerned and made me reconsider my setup.

I’m not sure if this is a limitation of my current monitors, a placement issue, or something else in the room’s acoustics. Given my listening distance and room size, do you still think the IN-8 V2s would be a better fit over the A7Vs or HS8s? Would a different tweeter design help with this?

 

[AnalogSteph]

My listening position is relatively close, around 39 inches (1 meter) from the monitors.

OK, then I generally wouldn't go above the 6.5" class in a 2-way. HS8s can probably still do it as they have fairly tight driver spacing, but it's near the minimum. Things would be less concerning for the Kali 3-ways, although listening should be 20-30° off-axis to avoid the treble dip.

Right now, I’m using Yamaha MSP5s with the HS8S sub.

That would be these. I would consider that a nice setup to have on your PC. (I am not super familiar with these MSP series monitors but they look like sturdy little monitors from the "analog crossovers with AB amps" age, not entirely dissimilar to the slightly newer K+H O110s flanking my monitor here at home.) Maybe a tad undersized in this room but certainly workable. I get why you're looking at the 6.5" class.

I would think something A7V-ish upwards is a good bet (and also required for a solid upgrade - you certainly wouldn't go wrong with some Genelec 8040s either, but those are over 2 grand apparently). But where you can even get those at <$1k(US) the pair? They're $799.99 each at Sweetwater, and at €569 even over here in their native country I doubt they get a whole lot cheaper. I'd be slightly wary of SC207s, they are quite an old design for a DSP job and from before the time when ribbons/AMTs were commonly fitted with waveguides; there certainly are some indications of uneven treble dispersion as a result.

Sticking with your budget, the shortlist would be something like
IN-5
HS8
IN-8v2

In terms of HS8 competition, I might still add Mackie MR824s to the list. RCF AYRA PRO6 and PRO8 would also fit the budget (the 8s might be a bit much but the 6s would go on the list for me; the 5s did fairly well with EQ even if the woofer should probably have gotten a passive series notch at ~4.5 kHz and the cabinet would appreciate some work).

The room measurements looked great overall, but I noticed a sharp drop somewhere around 15 kHz and above, which got me concerned and made me reconsider my setup.

15 kHz? At 48, you can consider yourself lucky if you can even still hear that. Not to mention it doesn't take much in terms of misalignment to upset a measurement up there. (And I would go for on-axis for a measurement mic as well, complete with the matching 0° compensation.) The MSP5's designers must have been concerned with extreme treble dispersion as they gave the tweeter kind of a baffle/aperture to effectively reduce its size, although that in turn might also contribute to the "slightly ragged treble" than the SOS review noted (in which case some PEQ should sort it out). The usual approach seems to be using a diffuser.

Speaking of measurements, I haven't seen any spins for the MSP5s anywhere, probably because they're a quarter century old now and virtually nobody did that in the review space at the time. It might be a fun exercise to take some with a "Lazy Susan on a stand" setup plopped into the middle of your room, which sounds like it ought to yield some decent gated measurements down to 200-300 Hz at least.

 

[TheWalkman]

I think the JBL 308S certainly qualify.

https://www.audiosciencereview.com/...ds/jbl-308p-mkii-studio-monitor-review.17338/

from Amir’s review:

Conclusions
If you want to get a taste of accurate sound production that manages to delight, the JBL 308P MKii is a wonderful entry into this world. You would quickly learn that what research says about preference and accuracy being two sides of the same kind is very much true.

As with many powered speakers, amplification for the woofer is the limiting factor. This speaker with 100 watts or more to power the woofer would be so darn perfect. As it is, it will get quite loud and present ton of bass. Just don't expect miracles in overall loudness.

I am very happy to recommend the JBL 308P MKii.

 

[seaofwine]

OK, then I generally wouldn't go above the 6.5" class in a 2-way. HS8s can probably still do it as they have fairly tight driver spacing, but it's near the minimum. Things would be less concerning for the Kali 3-ways, although listening should be 20-30° off-axis to avoid the treble dip.

That would be these. I would consider that a nice setup to have on your PC. (I am not super familiar with these MSP series monitors but they look like sturdy little monitors from the "analog crossovers with AB amps" age, not entirely dissimilar to the slightly newer K+H O110s flanking my monitor here at home.) Maybe a tad undersized in this room but certainly workable. I get why you're looking at the 6.5" class. I would think something A7V-ish upwards is a good bet.

15 kHz? At 48, you can consider yourself lucky if you can even still hear that. Not to mention it doesn't take much in terms of misalignment to upset a measurement up there. (And I would go for on-axis for a measurement mic as well, complete with the matching 0° compensation.) The MSP5's designers must have been concerned with extreme treble dispersion as they gave the tweeter kind of a baffle/aperture to effectively reduce its size, although that in turn might also contribute to the "slightly ragged treble" than the SOS review noted (in which case some PEQ should sort it out). The usual approach seems to be using a diffuser.

Speaking of measurements, I haven't seen any spins for the MSP5s anywhere, probably because they're a quarter century old now and nobody did that at the time. It might be a fun exercise to take some with a "Lazy Susan on a stand" setup plopped into the middle of your room, which sounds like it ought to yield some decent gated measurements down to 200-300 Hz at least.

Thanks for the detailed breakdown! That makes a lot of sense. Given my 1m listening distance, I see why 6.5” woofers are a good target. Between the A7V and the IN-5, would you lean one way or the other based on my use case?

As for the MSP5, I agree they’ve held up surprisingly well over the years, but I do feel like I’m missing some detail and depth, which is why I’m considering an upgrade.

Regarding the 15 kHz dip, we actually measured it 4-5 times in different positions, and the drop was consistent in that frequency range. That’s why it caught my attention. Would you say this is likely a speaker characteristic, a room-related issue, or something else?

 

[ZolaIII]

Old JBL LSR2328P's if you by some chance bump on them as old stock.
Edit: for the; crossovers, very quiet AB class amplifiers, very good done waveguid tweater, original 5 years warranty.

 

[terryforsythe]

I would go with the Kali Audio IN-8 V2. It has a concentric midrange/tweeter, which provides better beamwidth in the vertical direction in comparison to a separate midrange and tweeter - you get a larger listening window vertically. So, positioning them for nearfield listening should be easier - you don't need to worry about aiming the tweeter right at the height of your head. And, if you standup or move around, the tonality will be more consistent.

 

[seaofwine]

Old JBL LSR2328P's if you by some chance bump on them as old stock.
Edit: for the; crossovers, very quiet AB class amplifiers, very good done waveguid tweater, original 5 years warranty.

Interesting suggestion! I hadn’t considered the JBL LSR2328P. How do you think they compare to more modern options (like the IN-8 V2 or the A7V?) in terms of detail and translation?

 

[ZolaIII]

Interesting suggestion! I hadn’t considered the JBL LSR2328P. How do you think they compare to more modern options (like the IN-8 V2 or the A7V?) in terms of detail and translation?

It's Tooles unwanted child the cheaper brother of JBL LSR-4328P with same driver's which whose mother of all modern Genelac's and Neumann's. That's why crossovers are so good as they had time and good model. It's better than anything on the list but not easy to find and if you do it's bingo.

​

 

[ZolaIII]

Only difference is a little bit less bottom end in comparison.

Anyone interested in a review of the JBL LSR4326P

I have pair of these and approached Amir about reviewing this monitor. He stated he would if there was any interest in the community but that he gets grief for reviewing discontinued products at times. I bought these used and I think they are excellent. 150 watts for the woofer and 70 watts for...

audiosciencereview.com

 

[seaofwine]

It's Tooles unwanted child the cheaper brother of JBL LSR-4328P with same driver's which whose mother of all modern Genelac's and Neumann's. That's why crossovers are so good as they had time and good model. It's better than anything on the list but not easy to find and if you do it's bingo.

I actually found quite a few JBL LSR-4328P listings on Reverb, but I’m a bit hesitant. Buying used monitors always feels like a gamble—there could be issues like worn-out voice coils causing distortion, amp problems from aging capacitors. Tweeters and woofers might also have wear, especially if they were pushed hard over the years. Plus, crossovers could be out of spec, who knows.

Would you say it's worth the risk, or should I just go for something new? Have you ever had issues with used monitors?

 

[D2013]

Hey everyone,

I'm looking for recommendations on a pair of nearfield studio monitors under $1000 per pair for my home studio.

Is this a typo? A7Vs are not less than $1k for a pair.

 

[ZolaIII]

I actually found quite a few JBL LSR-4328P listings on Reverb, but I’m a bit hesitant. Buying used monitors always feels like a gamble—there could be issues like worn-out voice coils causing distortion, amp problems from aging capacitors. Tweeters and woofers might also have wear, especially if they were pushed hard over the years. Plus, crossovers could be out of spec, who knows.

Would you say it's worth the risk, or should I just go for something new? Have you ever had issues with used monitors?

Try to find old stock not used ever one's. You see them on the second hand market so much because they just worked on the long run.

 

[ehabheikal]

Hey everyone,

I'm looking for recommendations on a pair of nearfield studio monitors under $1000 per pair for my home studio. The room is well-treated, measuring 13 x 23 ft (4 x 7 m) with an 11.5 ft (3.5 m) ceiling. I use the space for both recording and mixing, so accuracy is my top priority.

I’d love to hear your suggestions, especially from those who have tested different models in similar conditions. Looking for something with a flat response, good stereo imaging, and reliable low-end without being too hyped.

So far, I’ve been considering models like:

• Adam Audio A7V
• Eve audio SC207
• Focal Alpha 65 Evo
• Yamaha HS8
• Kali Audio IN-8 V2

Would love to hear opinions on these or any other recommendations! Thanks in advance.

neumann KH80

 

[Timcognito]

Ascend Sierra-1 V2 Speaker Review

This is a review, listening tests, EQ and detailed measurements of the Ascend Acoustics Sierra-1 V2 bookshelf speaker. It is on kind loan from a member and costs US $998 for a pair ($948 on sale). The finish is nice enough. The cabinet feels quite heavy for its size and especially in the front...

www.audiosciencereview.com

 

[uwotm8]

Adam Audio A7V

I can't judge them as monitors but man they sound amazing. Sometimes - nothing but phenomenal (keeping in mind they're just $650/pcs nearfield 2-way).

A7Vs are not less than $1k for a pair

1200 eur

 

[uwotm8]

do you still think the IN-8 V2s would be a better fit over the A7Vs or HS8s

I highly suggest you not to believe that budget monitors are on the same level as medium range.
I mean, do not buy without listening and/or no option to return.
Ideal case would be to listen as much of mentioned models as possible in some store.

Measuremen wise, JBL and Kali have rather poor THD.
Coaxial Kali have dip in treble and many people consider them as dull.
JBL 308 are pretty flat.

BTW that's LSR 308 front panel. This is not a joke, it's not a faceplate over MDF baffle - this thing itself is all.

Kali are same story.

Yamaha, Focal, Adam, Eve do not cut costs in such way.
Cast aluminium Genelec and Neumann should be the best construction wise tho.

Genelec 8030C cost exactly as much as Adam A7V, I'd shortlist them as well.