Monitors / Monitoring

Active monitoring used to be the preserve of those with quite a lot of money to spend on their studio speakers. Recently, though, it's become a lot more affordable. Hugh Robjohns powers up the 4Ps and undergoes a spiritual experience.

Janet Harniman-Cook checks out the new kid on the monitoring block and discovers a history of serious loud speaker design.

Is it a bird, is it a... toaster? Paul White tightens his seatbelt and road-tests the sporty new Rogers db 101s.

Paul White finds that all things bright are not necessarily beautiful.

Affordable compact and with magnetic shielding, the new Point Seven monitors are sure to cause a stir. Christopher Holder determines whether serious reference monitoring has taken another price dip.

Paul White puts Dynaudio's new nearfield monitors to the test and is actively impressed.

Paul White lends an ear to Westlake's new nearfield monitors and discovers that they have a distinctively Californian sound.

Finnish company Genelec have long been admired for their high-end professional monitors, but have only recently started to fix the project studio market in their sights. Hugh Robjohns checks out their smallest and most affordable active monitors yet to see if quality as given way to cost considerations...

Belgium is better known for its chocolates than its studio monitors — but Belgian company FAR aim to change all that. David Mellor opens up the black magic boxes...

A pair of active small studio monitors with the Spendor pedigree have to be worth investigation. Gumshoe Paul White pulls his hat low, dons his mac and checks them out.

Spirit's new baby monitors incorporate some of the design principles used in pro monitors costing many times the price. But have too many corners been cut to keep the price so low? Paul White finds out.

Tannoy's latest nearfields offer an updated version of their famous dual-concentric technology, while still retaining that distinctive Tannoy sound. Paul White test drives them.

Paul White tests a pair of US-built studio monitors designed to combine tonal accuracy with affordability.

Paul White discovers that Dynaudio's new nearfield monitors show economy of scale, not performance.

Paul White tries out these tiny, British-built monitor speakers — and discovers that small really is beautiful.

When Paul White heard that Rogers had built the LS1 low-cost monitors for home studio use, he was keen to try them out. But could they deliver Rogers' quality at such a low price?

Paul White checks out what must be one of the smallest serious monitors ever.

B&W's new hi-fi speakers turn in an impressive performance as small studio monitors as Paul White discovers. But can they compete with the dedicated monitors already on the market...?

Once again, Paul White disrupts his studio listening system, this time to audition Tannoy's diminutive PBM5 IIs.

Paul White subjects his studio to yet more upheaval as the monitors are changed yet again, all in the cause of research.

Paul White tests the latest Silver closefield monitoring system, which can be extended to full-range use by the addition of bass enhancement cabinets.