| Our picks for the best monitors under $300, $500, $1000 a pair -- and more! | | | | | | | | Studio Monitors Buying Guide | | Our picks for the best monitors under $300, $500, $1000 » | | Studio monitor speakers are the crucial last step in your signal chain. Unlike hi-fi speaker systems or your typical home audio speakers, studio monitors are meant to give you a clear, accurate, uncolored picture of the sound you're recording, editing or mixing, without adding distortion or "hyping" or emphasizing any part of the frequency spectrum. A good pair of studio monitors will help you place sounds within the stereo field and reveal to you what's missing from your mixes.
Decent monitors don't have to cost an arm and a leg. We've organized this guide by price range, with our top picks for the best studio monitors under $300, under $500, and under $1000 per pair, as well as the "best of the best." Most models are priced by the single speaker, so as you shop for studio monitors, keep in mind that you'll need to buy two to monitor in stereo.
Follow our guide and shop by price range to find the right monitors for your studio! | | | | Shop zZounds' Studio Monitors Buying Guide » | Best Monitors Under $300 a Pair
To outfit your studio with a decent pair of powered studio monitors, you should expect to spend at least $300. At this price point, you're likely to find small-footprint monitors loaded with 5-inch or 6-inch woofers from home-studio favorites like KRK, Mackie, and M-Audio, as well as newer offerings from PreSonus and Kali Audio -- an impressive newcomer to the studio monitor game with the LP-6 model.
|  | | | | Best Monitors Under $500 a Pair
In the $500-per-pair range, you'll find monitors loaded with larger 8" woofers from all the home-studio staple brands. In this happy-medium price range, you'll also start to see more "boutiquey" offerings, including powered versions of classic unpowered monitors. Coming in well under $500 a pair are the Yamaha HS5 active studio monitors -- Yamaha's modern version of their iconic NS10 passive speakers, known for their flat frequency response.
| | | | | | Best Studio Monitors Under $1000 a Pair
When you step up to the $500-$1000 price range, you'll find powered monitors that have become studio staples in recent decades, such as the Adam A5X. In this price range, you'll also start to see 3-way monitors -- speakers with three drivers dedicated to lows, midrange and highs, for more detailed sound reproduction across the entire audible range. Check out the KRK Rokit 10-3 G3, with its large 10" woofer, for mid-field applications.
| | | | | | Best of the Best Studio Monitors
You can upgrade your microphones, mic preamps, and audio interfaces -- but if you're using cheap studio monitor speakers, you'll be cheating yourself out of hearing the difference the rest of your gear can make. That's why it's worth it to invest in the best studio monitors you can afford. Check out the PreSonus Sceptre S8 with its cool coaxial design, or the JBL 708P with its Image Control waveguide. These speakers feature larger woofers and ported cabinets for outstanding bass response.
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