Many years ago I had a grand to blow on a pair of nearfield monitors. I’d come to the realisation that my mixes weren’t translating well; I simply couldn’t nail it. The out-the-back-of-a-white-van home stereo speakers I’d repurposed were utter garbage. Mixing 101, I know, but I was at the beginning of my mixing journey. It was time to sink some money into monitoring rather than sequencers, synths and MIDI cables.

Back then the nearfield monitoring options at the sub-$1000 mark were thin on the ground. After traipsing around the usual Sydney instrument stores auditioning various contenders, scrutinising pages of specifications and absorbing everything remarked upon in audio mags, the choice came down to a measly three candidates… and they were all passive so I needed to buy an amplifier as well. The candidates were a two-way pair of Tannoys, the venerable Yamaha NS-10s, or JBL’s early foray into the home-studio market: the 4206. All three were from respectable manufacturers. Surely I couldn’t go too far wrong?

Down the track I learned I’d completely made the wrong decision, jumping on the JBLs when I should have gone with the NS-10s. At the time the NS-10 sound reminded me of poor old Nipper, the His Master’s Voice pooch, sitting in front of the gramophone cursing the excruciatingly uninspiring reproduction of his favourite 78s. In comparison, the JBLs projected a way fruitier bottom-end, and I was producing electronica. Please sir, take my money.

The JBLs skewed my mixes in yet another wrong direction, and I eventually moved on. In their defence they did instigate my phobia of metal dome tweeters — they tore my hearing to shreds, making long sessions feel even longer. I still use them for domestic background duties, all the while surreptitiously reminding me of the NS-10s I almost owned.

WHAT’S NEW?

These days the landscape is quite different; it’s awash with affordable nearfield monitors. There’s a minefield of nearfields, if you will, from Adam Audio, Behringer, Dynaudio, EVE, Genelec, IK Multimedia, JBL, KRK, Mackie, PreSonus, Tannoy, Yamaha, some crew called Monkey Banana, and others kicking around, with many scraping in at less than $500 a pair. Unlike my choices from years ago, they’re all powered. Winning.

So what’s brought all this about? The primary factors are advances in Class-D amplification and switch mode power supplies. Class-D amps are extremely efficient and run relatively cool, whereas linear design amps are less efficient and run hotter because they dissipate the wasted energy as heat. There’s also an advantage using switch mode power supplies as the unit can be powered via multiple international AC standards, which undoubtedly aids manufacturing and shipping costs. The upshot is an amp that is light and comparatively small – there’s no need for heavy heatsinks, so the amp can be housed in less space than an analogue design. Combine these factors with advanced front baffle and waveguide designs, add some clever DSP, and the results are both inexpensive and far more sophisticated than 25 years ago.

So, marvel of marvels, I have two pairs of inexpensive monitors to compare. The first from KRK, an established monitor manufacturer, and the second from Presonus, a relative newcomer to the monitor market.

KRK ROKIT RP7 G4

First up we’ll look at KRK’s Rokit RP7 G4. The G4 series is the fourth generation of KRK’s Rokit lineage and is a complete redesign utilising trickled-down technology from the company’s V Series. Pertinent is the use of a Kevlar tweeter rather than a soft-dome driver as found in the earlier G3 series. Also unlike the G3 series, the G4 series uses class-D amplification and DSP equalisation. This is really quite neat. KRK has integrated an LCD into the rear of the G4s to visualise settings and simplify setup, with adjustment made via a single stepped potentiometer that also acts as a push-button switch to cycle through parameters. This keeps the rear panel uncluttered, with the remaining features being a combo TRS/XLR input jack and the power switch.

When it comes to massaging that on-board DSP EQ, KRK provides a free iOS and Android app called ‘KRK Audio Tools’ which provides a spectrum analyser, level meter and phase checker. It also includes an excellent tool for adjusting the alignment of your monitors; sit your phone on top of a monitor, select whether you’re altering the alignment of the left or right monitor, then align it until the display reads 30°. Genius! More important is the EQ suggestion feature. This plays pink noise while you adjust the positioning of your phone at ear-height at your listening position. After 20 seconds or so the app will suggest the EQ preset options to select from the rear panel of the monitors. Super genius! I’m sceptical of the accuracy, but it’s an excellent toy. It’s a freebie so grab it whether you use KRK G4 monitors or otherwise; at the least you can align your monitor angles symmetrically.

This is clever tech for monitors at this price point. For under $800 you can get a pair of Rokit RP7 G4s with a seven-inch low-end driver. For a couple of hundred less you could opt for the cheaper Rokit RP5 G4 with a five-inch low-end driver, or, if you’ve got the room, stump up for the eight-inch driver version (Rokit RP8 G4) at still less than a grand.

PRESONUS ERIS E8 XT

Looking at the monitors they have on offer, I get the impression that Presonus are trying various monitor designs until they get their head around what sticks. With forays into single-point dual-concentric drivers (Sceptre series), through to ribbon tweeters (R series) and D’Appolito designs (Eris E44, E66), the company isn’t afraid to discover what it does best. There’s nothing wrong with that, and the results aren’t to be sniffed at. Following the company’s previous Eris E8, the re-imagined Eris E8 XTs sitting on my stands retain the ‘woven composite’ low-end driver of the previous E8 but include the addition of a waveguide surrounding the 1.25-inch silk-dome tweeter. Presonus say the waveguide widens the sweet-spot, which it does.

They’re a solidly built cabinet with a ‘no bells and whistles’ approach to design. Instead of class-D amplification, Presonus has stuck to an AB amplifier design, although they use class-D amplification in their more expensive monitor offerings. Like the KRK Rokits reviewed above, and pretty much all nearfields hitting the market these days, porting ejects from the front baffle.

Inputs are provided for anything line-level: XLR, TRS and RCA. Above these input connectors are three continuously variable knobs with centre-detents. One adjusts gain, while the remaining two allow up to ±6dB adjustment of mids (1kHz) and high frequencies (10kHz). There are also ‘Acoustic Space’ settings (flat, -2dB or -4dB at 800Hz) to compensate for placement close to walls or corners, and a high-pass filter switch with three options: off, 80Hz or 100Hz. With continuously variable pots for the mid and high EQ adjustments, getting them aligned precisely in stereo will take a lot of measurement and effort. In all honesty, I’d be leaving the mid and high pots set flat, and maybe instigating the room setting switches if things weren’t translating so well. With all the adjustments set to flat I wasn’t disappointed by the Eris E8 XTs. Imaging was perfectly acceptable and midrange detail was forward and amply detailed. If you hustled around, I reckon you’d get a pair for $800.

CONCLUSION

The unavoidable conclusion here is that you get a lot of bang for your buck when it comes to monitoring these days, even at the cheaper end of the market. But regardless of how far the technology has come (and it’s come a very long way), there’s no substitute for auditioning monitors in your own space. You should still do your homework. Read the reviews and peruse the forums, and seek out what will suit your requirements. Don’t use eight-inch drivers if you’re working in a 3.6sqm bedroom because you’ll just end up shaking the house about and annoying the locals. Most importantly, look out for the balderdash and gibberish. As with both the monitors mentioned here, there are features that may not add up to what the manufacturer claims, and/or may be inconsequential to you. Only your room, your ears, and how the mix translates will tell you the truth.

KRK Systems introduces the CLASSIC 5 Professional Bi-amp Studio Monitors to its renowned family of professional-grade monitor offerings. Incorporating over 30 years of innovation from the world’s leading studio monitor manufacturer, KRK’s CLASSIC 5 was designed using concepts from the brand’s previous ROKIT lines to deliver the same high-quality mixes that customers have come to expect from KRK. 

“At KRK Systems, our goal is to design solutions that provide users with the freedom to create the most accurate and pristine productions, no matter what genre or environment they’re working in,” says Jimmy R. Landry, Global Director of Marketing, Pro Audio Division, Gibson Brands, Inc. “With this CLASSIC 5 studio monitor, we took into consideration what people have always loved about creating music on previous KRK monitors. From there, we zoomed in and finetuned certain components to make it an incredibly versatile monitor for music creation, mixing and mastering. With the optional +2dB KRK Bass Boost, the new CLASSIC 5 can hold true to the acclaimed KRK sound that music creators around the world have loved for years.” 

Delivering a multitude of features to meet the needs of producers and engineers, KRK’s CLASSIC 5 is an incredibly versatile powered nearfield studio monitor—great for any style of music. True to their name, the CLASSIC 5 monitors are packed with a multitude of time-tested classic features, including an innovative bi-amped Class A/B amplifier with built-in automatic limiter and a low-resonance enclosure for minimised distortion and colorisation. Additionally, the five-inch lightweight, glass-Aramid composite woofer delivers clear midrange and tighter bass, and a one-inch soft dome tweeter with optimised waveguide provides smooth, pristine, and articulate highs up to 35KHz and ensures detailed imaging in the listening position. The CLASSIC 5 monitor also comes preinstalled with hi-density foam pads underneath to decouple the speaker enclosure from the surface; this helps with clarity and more accurate frequency response.

KRK CLASSIC 5 Professional Bi-amp Studio Monitors also feature a front-slotted bass port, which reduces boundary coupling and allows for flexible positioning within a room. With high- and low-frequency controls, users can adjust the monitor’s sound to their environment and preference, adding versatility and improved accuracy for mixes that translate in any setting. Additionally, multiple input connections (XLR, ¼-inch, RCA) ensure the CLASSIC 5 will seamlessly integrate into any system configuration, allowing for universal connectivity. 

FLIP THE SWITCH

I’m actually quite impressed with the features KRK has built into the Series 4 monitors. Aside from the grille on/off option, there’s a tonne of options when it comes to adjusting the EQ, and all the models in the range feature the same controls. All up there are 49 permutations of this digital EQ, and are adjusted via a five-position potentiometer for low-end and another for high-end. These are set curves comprising a mix of different amounts of low shelving at 60Hz and cut and boost PEQ at 200Hz, as well as a flat setting (thank goodness). The V8s arrived with the +3dB 60Hz firmly on, so I spent a couple of hours mired in bass before thinking there was a tad too much bum going on and checking on the EQ settings. The high-end adjustments consist of various combinations of high shelving at 10kHz and PEQ cuts and boosts at 3.5kHz, alongside a flat setting.

The V4 models are set with 75Hz low-end EQ curves rather then the V6 and V8 models being set at 60Hz, because four-inch drivers don’t, like, do 60Hz… ever. Anyway, there’s a pile of adjustment if you need it for wall proximity and/or console muddiness. But hey, I set them flat, because I don’t have a console and I don’t believe in equalising monitors.

Beside the EQ pots there’s also a set of dip-switches for, yes, more settings. These are to do with the mechanics of the system, and again, I’m impressed with the thought put into these features. First up, there’s a dip-switch for ground lift, which while helpful in a poorly-earthed system, amounts to a last minute fix for shoddy mains power wiring. The next dip-switch flips the monitor between -10dBV and +4dBu input levels — fair enough, standard fare. The next few dip-switches I love: The fourth and fifth switches turn the bright LED KRK logo on the front of the V8s on or off, or flip between two brightness settings — great if you don’t fancy blinding lights or if you like to mix in a darkened area.

IDLING ALONG

Switch number three is my favourite. This will instigate sleep mode for the monitors, which means the monitors will shut down after 30 minutes of not receiving signal input. I’d love a feature like this on my own monitoring as I tend to arc up my system during the day, and often keep it running until late evening. That’s 420W of amplification running for 10-12 hours a day, drawing around about 90W each in general use and about 35W when sitting idle. A sleeping monitor saves energy and consequently hard earned dosh. To wake up, all the monitor needs is -50 dBu at the inputs. However, it was a bit weird when the two V8s came back online about two seconds apart from each other. When it first happened, and knowing about the sleep function I thought I had a faulty or DOA monitor on my hands.

Another uncommon feature and something that’s yet to be deployed with the Series 4 KRKs is the mini USB port on the back of the monitors. KRK are keeping schtum about the use for this, other than pointing out the port “… is for possible future updates and/or features.” I can imagine this being implemented for alterations to the DSP-based EQ. Perhaps an app for more precise EQ nudges?

STAND UP IMAGE

Here’s something else you don’t see too often in monitoring — the Series 4 V model monitors are available in either black or an off-white cream colouring. The models I received were the white, which in all seriousness would not be my choice. Monitors should be black, or at least very very dark grey. The white models on my monitor bench were already showing signs of dirt and discolouration. I’ve no idea why you’d want white monitors, but as they say, different strokes, there’s no accounting for taste, etc, etc.

Sound-wise I have to say KRK do a great job with bottom-end. The Kevlar cones, combined with KRK’s square front porting, offer some very respectable and concise low-end, whilst high end is both accurate and unfatiguing. In terms of stereo imaging the V8s are quite a smart setup. The image ‘stands’ where it should with a minimal amount of set-up and ‘toeing’. I quite liked the V8s, and could happily live with a pair were I not over-endowed with monitors. When being informed of the price for the V8s I was astounded. For the money, at the moment I don’t believe you’d find a better bang-for-buck proposition. Impressive sound and imaging, plenty of customisation, and some change out of a two-grand investment. Well worth your auditioning.

You have the chance to win a pair of KRK V8s. Just subscribe to AudioTechnology’s print edition by the 31st of October, 2018, and answer the subscription prize question to go in the running. Thanks to Jands for this amazing prize. Subscribe here.