KRK Classic 5 Review (Studio Monitor)

[YSC]

One silly question:
I know room mode dips shouldn’t be eq to boost that as that will boost the cancellation wave together and only increase distortion but not solving the dip, but should we eq port resonance for that?

 

[Zerohour]

The one and only qusetion: DOES IT HISS? (like typical "$129 monitor grade" D-class)

really interested in this one too, I've looked around and found some hissing issues on other KRK speakers, but nothing on this Classic 5. It might also hiss, I guess?

 

[JIW]

Hi,
HNY!

@amirm
How do you run your THD measurements?
Do select an axis run the FR/THD at two different levels? Is that it?
If so, it might be the right time to measure the built-in EQ, you could rerun the FR with the different settings.
I am not even sure if the desk EQ is needed...
From what I have seen with some speakers (check here: JBL 308p) it could get most of the job done with 0 effort.
When the effect of each setting is measured it is trivial to recalculate the scores etc.

Here are some thoughts about the EQ.

The raw data with corrected ER and PIR:
Score no EQ: 2.76
With Sub: 5.22

Spinorama with no EQ:

• Too much HF
• so bad for the port interferences
• Some other stuff also going on 230Hz and 290Hz

View attachment 103613
Directivity:
- Reasonable LW
- Better stay at tweeter height
- Better horizontal control than expected up to 5000Hz given the really minimal round-over around the Tweeter.
There is really no more excuses for not having a minimal waveguide...
View attachment 103605
View attachment 103614
View attachment 103606

EQ design:
I have generated two EQs. The APO config files are attached.

• The first one, labelled, LW is targeted at making the LW flat
• The second, labelled Score, starts with the first one and adds the score as an optimization variable.
• The EQs are designed in the context of regular stereo use i.e. domestic environment, no warranty is provided for a near field use in a studio environment although the LW might be better suited for this purpose.
• Once the LW is EQed to flat the Score is basically behaving as a 1.5dB trim of the HF
• Nothing can be blindly done with the interferences I am afraid.

Score EQ LW: 4.20
with sub: 6.62

Score EQ Score: 4.83
with sub: 7.19

KRK Classic 5 APO EQ LW 96000Hz
January042021-145927

Preamp: -0 dB

Filter 1: ON PK Fc 585 Hz Gain -0.67 dB Q 5.4
Filter 2: ON PK Fc 4277 Hz Gain -0.5 dB Q 5.49
Filter 3: ON PK Fc 5057 Hz Gain -2.25 dB Q 2.82
Filter 4: ON PK Fc 7360 Hz Gain -2.06 dB Q 1.66
Filter 5: ON PK Fc 17029 Hz Gain -2.94 dB Q 3.43

KRK Classic 5 APO EQ Score 96000Hz
January042021-145032

Preamp: -0 dB

Filter 1: ON PK Fc 584 Hz Gain -1 dB Q 7.93
Filter 2: ON PK Fc 2969 Hz Gain -0.74 dB Q 8.18
Filter 3: ON PK Fc 4810 Hz Gain -3.34 dB Q 2.07
Filter 4: ON PK Fc 7466 Hz Gain -3.06 dB Q 1.4
Filter 5: ON PK Fc 15783 Hz Gain -3.37 dB Q 2.44

On can add a High-Pass filter 50Hz, Q=0.7 that flattens the LF and decrease the output by 3dB @50Hz and 10dB at 30Hz.
The score drops a tiny bit (4.69 with Sub: unchanged at 7.2) but that's is worth a try.

View attachment 103608
Spinorama EQ LW
View attachment 103612

Spinorama EQ Score
View attachment 103619
EQ Score + HP
View attachment 103625

Zoom PIR-LW-ON
View attachment 103621

Regression - Tonal
Almost flat with the EQ score
View attachment 103618

Radar no EQ vs EQ score
Quite some improvements
View attachment 103615
The rest of the plots is attached.

Could you also try for EQ the filters suggested by me based on measurements of the RP10-3: HF level to -2 dB and also HF level to -2 dB and LF level to +1? Maybe you can also try different combinations based on what results you get.

If the previous, third generation of Rokits is anything to go by, the filter characteristics may well be the same as those on the RP10-3. Just looking at it, I would guess Q is around 0.7 and the frequencies are 300 Hz and 3 kHz.

Source: https://www.soundandrecording.de/equipment/studiomonitor-krk-rp-10−3-im-test/

However, looking at the controls of the G3s (see below), the low frequency level changes are different for the Rokit G3 compared to the classic - -2, -1, 0 and +2 dB vs. -1, 0, +1, +2 dB.

Still, setting the HF level adjustment to -2 dB, looks to leave a 1 dB hump between 3 and 8 kHz in the predicted in-room response. Setting the LF level adjustment to +1, may also change the balance more towards neutral if not a bit toward recessed in the midrange.

 

[stevenswall]

Makes me wonder how the 10" 3 way version performs... If they put more time into it and the mid fixes some of that midrange suck out, and you shelve the highs, then you'd have a relatively cheap monitor with a 10" driver, which is somewhat of a rarity at this price.

 

[JIW]

Makes me wonder how the 10" 3 way version performs... If they put more time into it and the mid fixes some of that midrange suck out, and you shelve the highs, then you'd have a relatively cheap monitor with a 10" driver, which is somewhat of a rarity at this price.

That is the one I am referring to above.

 

[stevenswall]

QUOTE="uwotm8, post: 624253, member: 17890"]The one and only question: DOES IT HISS? (like typical "$129 monitor grade" D-class)
[/QUOTE]

Don't the Harman Kardon Soundsticks cost like $100? They are class D and don't his. I'm curious how they managed that and why other companies can't do that.

 

[dasdoing]

Makes me wonder how the 10" 3 way version performs.

there is no classic version of it. and the g4 is a totaly new development

 

[stevenswall]

All in all, the reputation of these little KRKs for a rather "hi-fi" sound seems deserved.

I like how "hifi" is in quotes.

I hate how HiFi sound is defined as colored when it literally means "highly true to life" or "highly similar rendering of reality."

 

[Mawclaw]

Obligatory no one cares-

The G2 rokit was the first "hi-fi" speaker I heard in my friends project studio. It honestly set me down the path of wanting good sound. I can weirdly still vividly picture being an 18-year-old sitting in front of pro-tools and being mind blown something could sound so clear. I bought the KRK VXT8s 4 months later after working my ass off and then started flipping vintage equipment and building PA bass bins. 12 years later audio is still one of the nicest things in my life. Big nostalgia for me here.

 

[dasdoing]

I bought the KRK VXT8s 4

you still got those?

 

[Mawclaw]

No, I like them a lot but sold them off to get into vintage audio for a while. Bought some Mac stuff and my first ADS speakers.

 

[Zerohour]

dropped in to say that I had the KRK and Gibson rep reply to my question (which I sent last month) about the HF/LF switch and they literally have no idea what it changes other than LF/HF. Nice customer service

also still no idea if they hiss, so I'm a bit wary of blind-ordering them for near-field usage.

 

[dasdoing]

dropped in to say that I had the KRK and Gibson rep reply to my question (which I sent last month) about the HF/LF switch and they literally have no idea what it changes other than LF/HF. Nice customer service

also still no idea if they hiss, so I'm a bit wary of blind-ordering them for near-field usage.

they have no DSP, the switches are probably just gains for the amps

 

[YSC]

Their g4 dsp ones are very cheap and likely would be great entry level best choice though

 

[Neuropsychology]

I'd love to see other KRK speakers!

 

[Lambda]

I have tested them as PC speakers ~1m listening distance.
They are completely unusable noisy for my taste!
Everything else is good enough for a cheap PC speaker(for my needs). but i personally can't live with the Hiss.
If i would not have two of them i would have guessed i got a defective unit.

I'm apparently super noise sensitive and the kind of person that builds PCs without moving parts and adds extra isolation foam to there refrigerator compressor (it actually made huge difference and it's still working fine)

 

[Zerohour]

I have tested them as PC speakers ~1m listening distance.
They are completely unusable noisy for my taste!
Everything else is good enough for a cheap PC speaker(for my needs). but i personally can't live with the Hiss.
If i would not have two of them i would have guessed i got a defective unit.

I'm apparently super noise sensitive and the kind of person that builds PCs without moving parts and adds extra isolation foam to there refrigerator compressor (it actually made huge difference and it's still working fine)

oof, sorry to hear, I appreciate your sacrifice in testing them for the rest of us interested to use them as near-fields desktop speakers

 

[dasdoing]

extra isolation foam to there refrigerator compressor

living room kitchen combo? whoever came up with that idea was deaf

 

[Lambda]

living room kitchen combo? whoever came up with that idea was deaf

No it's a separate room but the door is normally open.

Any sugestions for small/cheap desktop monitors with low self noise?

 

[dasdoing]

Any sugestions for small/cheap desktop monitors with low self noise?

have you seen Amir's review of the DSP/class-d version? he said they have no hiss. also they are much flatter out of the box