Studio monitors

 

Silver Member
Username: Sinkdrain

Post Number: 106
Registered: Aug-04
How do studio monitors differ from the speakers one would buy for home audio/theater?
 

New member
Username: Erik_barber

Grand Rapids, MI USA

Post Number: 2
Registered: Jan-05
I don't pretend to be an expert, but here is my understanding.
Studio Monitors are designed to be very accurate and revealing. They strive to produce a very flat frequency response(+/- 1-2 db) within a given range. That is so the people in the studio, mixing the music, know exactly what is being recorded.

Typical home speakers are not necessarily designed to be extremely accurate (though most are very accurate within +/- 3 db), but more pleasing to the ear. Listen to people when they say a speaker sounds warm or bright. They are describing a coloration of the sound by the speakers.
Studio Monitors are purpose built not to introduce any colorations.
That is not to say home speakers are inaccurate or not playing the music correctly, just that they are designed to sound good. Monitors are to be honest and truthful, to show any flaws in the music.

Another difference is the distance you are sitting from them. Most monitors are "near-field" speakers. Designed for you to be listening to them in a close range (approx.2-5 feet) Most home speakers are built to fill a room with sound.
(Think of headphones. Sitting on your lap they sound thin and tinny, but when you put them on your head they are full and rich)

An Example of Monitors is the Mackie HR824:
http://www.mackie.com/products/hr824/index.html
These are flat from 39Hz to 22.5KHz with +/- 1.5 db.
An example of smaller home speakers is the Ascend Acoustics CBM-170: http://www.ascendacoustics.com/pages/products/speakers/cbm170/cbm170specs.html
These are hightly praised on this board, and measure 63Hz to 20kHz +/- 3dB

If anybody has any corrections please say so, just going on what I have read. I've never actually used a true studio monitor.
 

Silver Member
Username: Sinkdrain

Post Number: 107
Registered: Aug-04
very interesting- thanks!
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