Studio Monitors
Read our Studio Monitors Buying Guide48-month financing* on select brand purchases.
Featured in Studio Monitors
Top Studio Monitor Brands
- ADAM Audio
- AIAIAI
- AKG
- Alesis
- Allen & Heath
- AlphaTheta
- Amphion
- API
- Apogee
- Apple
- ART
- ATC
- Audeze
- Audient
- Audio-Technica
- Audix
- Auratone
- Austrian Audio
- Avantone Pro
- Aviom
- Barefoot Sound
- Behringer
- Beyerdynamic
- Black Lion Audio
- Bose
- Bowers & Wilkins
- Cambridge Audio
- Clear-Com
- Dangerous Music
- Danley Sound Labs
- dbx
- Dekoni Audio
- Denon
- Digital Audio Denmark
- Digital Audio Labs
- Direct Sound
- Drawmer
- Dynaudio
- Ex Machina Soundworks
- Focal
- Fostex
- Galaxy Audio
- Genelec
- Grace Design
- Hear Technologies
- HEDD
- Heritage Audio
- Hosa
- iFi
- IK Multimedia
- JBL
- Kali Audio
- Klang
- KRK
- Listen Technologies
- Little Labs
- M-Audio
- Mackie
- Marshall
- Meze Audio
- Midas
- Millennia
- Movek
- Neumann
- Ocean Way Audio
- On-Stage
- Phil Jones Bass
- Pioneer DJ
- PMC
- PreSonus
- Pro Co
- Radial
- RCF
- Rode
- Roland
- Rolls
- Rupert Neve Designs
- Samson
- Sennheiser
- Shure
- Sonarworks
- Sonos
- Sony
- SPL
- Steven Slate Audio
- Subwoofer Pros
- Tannoy
- TASCAM
- TC Electronic
- Technics
- Trinnov
- Universal Audio
- V-Moda
- Vic Firth
- Warm Audio
- Waves
- Westone Audio
- Wolff Audio
- Yamaha
- Zildjian
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Studio Monitor Speakers Reveal the Details You’ve Been Missing
Since the 1940s, mix engineers have relied on specialty reference speakers, known as studio monitors, to provide the accurate detail to make critical mixing decisions. At Sweetwater, you’ll find active studio monitors with built-in amplifiers, passive studio monitors that require external amplifiers, nearfield studio monitors with space-saving designs, large studio monitors with separate drivers for mid and low frequencies, and even studio monitors with onboard DSP for acoustic management.
Which Monitor Speakers Belong in Your Control Room?
Small reference monitors, such as the Avantone Pro MixCubes, are great for checking how your mix translates to typical consumer playback systems. Most studio speakers aim to deliver a sound as flat and uncolored as possible, and they generally include a woofer for low frequencies and a tweeter for high frequencies. The size of the woofer influences the range and clarity of bass and lower midrange frequencies. Additional drivers dedicated to midrange frequencies help a monitor reproduce the full frequency range more efficiently. However, cost and size can make larger studio monitors impractical for smaller recording studios and home studios.
Powered Studio Monitors vs. Passive Studio Monitors
There are two basic categories of studio monitors: powered studio monitors, also known as active studio monitors, and unpowered studio monitors, also known as passive studio monitors.
Active monitors are the most common type sold today. Their built-in amplifiers and crossovers minimize rack space and setup time. Many active studio monitors, such as KRK Rokit models, also include simple EQ and gain controls to compensate for frequency imbalances in your room. More advanced studio monitors, such as those in the JBL 7 Series, can include sophisticated DSP designed to help address more complex room acoustics.
Passive studio monitors are rarer today, but many engineers still swear by them. The lack of onboard electronics contributes to the reputation for clean, transparent sound enjoyed by high-end passive monitors from Amphion and ATC.
Subwoofers & Surround Monitoring Systems
Adding a studio subwoofer to a stereo pair of studio monitors lets you monitor in 2.1 stereo. The benefit of a 2.1 setup is that it extends the low-frequency range of your monitoring rig while allowing your midfields’ low-frequency drivers to reproduce midrange frequencies more efficiently. Because bass frequencies are generally less directional than mids and highs, a single subwoofer is typically all you need. Manufacturers such as Genelec also offer packages that include a subwoofer and five or more matched satellite speakers for streamlined surround monitoring.
Dial In Your Studio Monitor Setup with Help from Sweetwater
Choosing the right studio monitors doesn’t have to be tricky. Building your first home studio? Learn how to choose monitors that suit your space, workflow, and budget. Mixing in an untreated space? See how to get the best results with our studio monitor placement guide.
Studio Monitor Categories
