Hi folks. I'm going to buy my first set of studio monitors and wonder what you guys/girls prefer/recommend for under 500€/pair? I'm a guitar player so I wish that monitors could translate guitar well and I also wish they don't have high noise floor (hiss or anything noise when playing or not playing music) and that the higs are non-fatiguing. I also hope, they don't lack bass too much. I don't have acoustically treated room at the moment. My genres are mainly rcok/hard rock/metal/grunge. Im thinking about buying Kali Audio LP-8 2nd wave. What do you think about Kali's? Has someone who owns them noticed any audible hiss or noise in them? What about Prodipe Pro 8 Active V3 Studiomonitors?

 

You can't go wrong with Kali's, kinda fit your description/demands quite well, they lowered noise floor with 2nd wave too, in that price range I doubt you will find anything better. Maybe check out Tannoy Gold 7's while you are at it, little over your budget tho.

 

if you were talking about a "ballpark" 500, or looking at used also; you could also check into the JBL 305P, Adam T7V or T8V, Yamaha HS7 or HS8's. There are a number of solid budget models in the same price range, but at 500 you may be a little light still.

 

Hi @Push, I recommend you buy from companies that will last through the next few years.
Also you are buying the know how of well known monitor companies as well as the support.
Yamaha HS 7 - 225 € If you can buy from thomann, you have 30 days money bag !

 

better find little more money and get Kali Audio IN-5, they are completely different league,
8" LP-8 lacks midrange clarity which you might not like being a guitarist particularly

 

@Push
You see, there are many people recommending the HS7s, so they are obviously a great buy. The HS8s are even better, you can't go wrong with either of these.
In the end it doesn't matter which monitors you buy, go for any ones you like. The others already mentioned many great options. Make clear about it's not only the speakers, the best speakers sound horrible in an untreated room. Most important is to treat your room correctly and even more important is to get used to the speakers!

If you fancy the LP-8s, go for them. Create a reflection free zone and install enough traps, then set up your monitors and optimize them for your specific room using e.g. SoundID Reference by Sonarworks. I also recommend you to use a pair of high quality open-back headphones to use as a further listening option for mixing purpose. Same rules there: Optimize them via SoundID Reference and get used to them.

Best wishes!

 

ps: if you're on really tight budget, and not obsessed with bass-heavy audio, and have quite small space to listen at, something even cheaper like Presonus Eris E5 (original one, not XT model) is fantastic, especially given the fact it costs 200€ for a pair (!)

 

Where can I get one of these? Thomann you say? Might help me buy more gear I don't need

 

One thing to factor in too, and not knowing what your space is like, but you say your room is not treated and oftentimes people buying in this price range are often in home/small studio spaces, so take note of the bass port on whatever you buy. Many options in this price will have a rear firing bass port, such as the Yamaha HS range and so on, meaning they have to be a certain distance from the walls (which is obviously more difficult in a smaller room) or you will get weird reverberations and more obvious low frequency clutter in the corners of the room. Options like the Kali Audio LP range have front facing bass ports, and so solve this issue (at least partially) as well as move more air between you and the speaker that includes the lower frequencies, giving you a fuller and more accurate sound. Just my tuppence worth of advice to note in case it helps

 

Sorry, drunk texting.

 

Last edited: Jun 3, 2023

Thank you for your recommendations and points to consider. I've read some reviews of your recommendations and Tannoy Gold 7 or Kali Audio in-5 (in case I need to raise my budget a bit and price range to 700€) seem to be the ones that would be the most interesting to me. I wish I could test them side by side... Some things I'm wondering, that Tannoy Gold don't have magnetic shields, could this be an issue? Someone said that his phone causes some disturbance to monitors. Can they be used near vocal pre-amp and screen? How about Kali in-5:s, I'm not into bass heavy music, but do they deliver bass good enough?
I'm open to suggestion for under 700€ but now I gotta close my wallet, so I can start saving for the sound isolation and other stuff

 

If you are considering mostly coaxial's at this point, I will throw Fluid Audio FX8 as recommendation, similar signature as Kali's (both designers are ex JBL employee's), really hefty low end, great imaging, non fatiguing hi's, amazing price, can be dead silent (if you raise the volume on your audio interface and lower on actual speakers), I love mines and probably will keep them even if I get something better, making music on them is real joy.

 

What did you buy at the end?