We round up some of the best small studio monitors for your listening pleasure.
There’s no getting around the fact that acoustics play a huge part in the sound of monitors, but the shorter listening distances and lower SPLs offered by smaller monitors can certainly help in situations where extensive treatment isn’t practical or possible. As well as their obvious use as a primary listening system for those working in small spaces or putting together a portable setup, compact monitors can also come in handy for a number of other reasons. They can serve as a helpful secondary reference to a larger system, for example, or take on surround and height channel duties in surround and immersive setups. In this month’s Spotlight, we take a look at a selection of monitors that aim to deliver a high-quality listening experience without taking up too much space.
Left to right: ADAM Audio A4V, AIAIAI Unit-4 Wireless+, Focal Shape 40, Genelec 8010A.
ADAM Audio A4V
ADAM Audio’s A4V has been designed specifically for small spaces and short listening distances. Its compact enclosure houses a four-inch MLM (Multi-Layer Mineral) driver along with the company’s X-ART ribbon tweeter, which is mounted in a rotatable waveguide that allows for horizontal or vertical placement. The -3dB points sit at 58Hz and 41kHz, and there’s a wealth of room-tuning capabilities on offer courtesy of onboard DSP that offers parametric EQ, delay and level control, as well as the ability to host Sonarworks SoundID Reference calibration files. Helpfully, the DSP functions can be controlled via the company’s A Control software for Windows and macOS.
$999.98.
www.adam-audio.com/en/a-series/a4v
€899.98 per pair including VAT.
www.adam-audio.com/en/a-series/a4v
AIAIAI Unit-4 Wireless+
Aiming to provide the ultimate portable listening solution, AIAIAI’s debut monitor not only boasts a compact design, but offers up to 20 hours of playback time running on an internal battery. Its bass-reflex cabinet is loaded with a four-inch woofer and one-inch silk-dome tweeter, which deliver a frequency response that’s 2dB down at 50Hz and 20kHz, and users can access a set of predefined voicing profiles or apply a custom five-band EQ via a mobile app. Along with its balanced and unbalanced inputs, the Unit-4 will also accept wireless signals via Bluetooth or the company’s own W+ Link protocol, the latter of which benefits from uncompressed audio and guarantees just 16ms of latency. Refreshingly, the company have designed the monitor in a way that allows users to easily replace components such as the drivers and batteries.
$799.
www.soundonsound.com/reviews/aiaiai-unit-4
aiaiai.audio/studio-monitors/unit-4-wireless-plus
£700 per pair including VAT.
www.soundonsound.com/reviews/aiaiai-unit-4
aiaiai.audio/studio-monitors/unit-4-wireless-plus
Focal Shape 40
The smallest member of Focal’s Shape range has been designed with small rooms in mind, housing a four-inch woofer alongside the company’s M-profile tweeter in a compact MDF enclosure. It can be positioned as close as 60cm from the listening position, and employs a double passive radiator design that means it’s more forgiving than ported designs when placed close to a wall. Three EQ controls are provided (low- and high-frequency shelves and a midrange peak filter) to help combat room-related issues such as proximity to walls or reflections from desks and consoles.
$1098.
www.focal.com/products/shape-40
£858 per pair including VAT.
www.focal.com/products/shape-40
Genelec 8010A
The 8010A promises to squeeze the accurate, natural and powerful sound that Genelec monitors are renowned for into an incredibly compact package. Its three-inch woofer and 0.75-inch tweeter deliver a frequency response that’s within ±2.5dB between 74Hz and 20kHz, and are capable of producing an SPL of 96dB. A pair of Bass Tilt switches (-2 and -4 dB) are joined by a Desktop setting designed to combat desk reflections, and some built-in decoupling is provided by Genelec’s IsoPod stand system.
$700.
www.soundonsound.com/reviews/genelec-8010a
£650 per pair including VAT.
www.soundonsound.com/reviews/genelec-8010a
Left to right: IK Multimedia iLoud MTM MkII & Micro, Kali Audio IN-UNF, KRK GoAux.
IK Multimedia iLoud MTM MkII / Micro
IK Multimedia’s iLoud family have garnered a reputation for sounding somewhat larger than they are, and the MTM MkII model combines that performance with some comprehensive built-in room correction courtesy of the company’s ARC system. The enclosure houses a one-inch tweeter along with a pair of 3.5-inch woofers, and utilises a bass reflex design to extend its low-frequency response. An X-Monitor desktop application provides detailed EQ, delay and voicing facilities — including emulations of over 20 popular studio monitors — that extend beyond the options provided by the rear-panel switches, and the monitor can be automatically calibrated for the user’s room by connecting an ARC measurement mic. Even smaller still is the iLoud Micro, which employs a single three-inch woofer and is said to offer the smallest footprint of any reference-quality monitoring system. You don’t get the ARC functionality found in the MTM, but there is still onboard DSP that offers some EQ profiles to suit different placements and takes care of the monitor’s frequency and phase response.
iLoud MTM MkII $799.99, iLoud Micro $349.
www.soundonsound.com/reviews/ik-multimedia-iloud-micro
www.ikmultimedia.com/products/iloudmtm
www.ikmultimedia.com/products/iloudmm
iLoud MTM MkII €951.98 , iLoud Micro €416.49. Prices are per pair, including VAT.
www.soundonsound.com/reviews/ik-multimedia-iloud-micro
www.ikmultimedia.com/products/iloudmtm
www.ikmultimedia.com/products/iloudmm
Kali Audio IN-UNF
Kali Audio’s offering is a three-way system comprising a bass unit and a pair of satellite speakers. The former is loaded with a pair of 4.5-inch woofers along with the system’s amplifiers and I/O connectors, while the two satellites feature the same four-inch coaxial drivers used in the company’s IN-5 and IN-8 monitors. The IN-UNF system is designed to be placed on a desktop, and has been optimised for short listening distances — Kali recommend placing them 0.8m away, and the satellites feature a built-in adjustable stand to ensure they can be angled appropriately. A set of DIP switches provide a range of EQ profiles that cater for various room placements, as well as offering a 4dB low-end boost for situations where a little more impact is in order.
$599.
www.soundonsound.com/reviews/kali-audio-in-unf
£579 including VAT.
www.soundonsound.com/reviews/kali-audio-in-unf
KRK GoAux
Aimed specifically at those working on the go, KRK’s GoAux series boast a compact and lightweight design, and even come with a pair of adjustable stands and a travel bag. As their names suggest, the GoAux 3 and 4 are loaded with three- and four-inch drivers respectively, and employ a rear-ported design to help bolster their low-end extension — both models are 3dB down at 65Hz, but the GoAux 4 offers a slightly higher maximum SPL. Along with 3.5mm TRS and RCA inputs (and USB audio on the GoAux 4), the systems offer wireless connectivity via Bluetooth, and feature a front-panel headphone output that automatically mutes the speaker output when connected. Both models also benefit from high- and low-frequency EQ options that allow users to fine-tune the response to suit their working space.
GoAux 3 $219, GoAux 4 $399.
www.soundonsound.com/reviews/krk-goaux-4
www.krkmusic.com/collections/goaux-series-portable-powered-studio-monitors
GoAux 3 £339, GoAux 4 £399. Prices are per pair including VAT.
www.soundonsound.com/reviews/krk-goaux-4
www.krkmusic.com/collections/goaux-series-portable-powered-studio-monitors
Left to right: M-Audio BX3, Mackie CR3-X, Neumann KH80 DSP.
M-Audio BX3
The M-Audio BX3 pairs a 3.5-inch woofer with a one-inch silk-dome tweeter, and employs a rear-ported cabinet design that helps extend its frequency response down to 80Hz. Some onboard EQ is provided by high- and low-frequency shelf filters that each offer ±6dB of adjustment, and the system’s volume can be controlled directly from the front panel. Inputs are provided by RCA sockets as well as both quarter-inch and 3.5mm TRS, and there’s also a 3.5mm headphone output that mutes the speaker when connected. If you need wireless connectivity then there’s the BX3 BT, which offers a built-in Bluetooth receiver.
BX3 $79, BX3 BT $129.
BX3 £84, BX3 BT £99. Prices are per pair, including VAT.
Mackie CR3-X
Mackie’s compact offering comes in the form of the CR3-X, which combines a three-inch woofer with a 0.75-inch silk tweeter, and uses a rear-ported cabinet design to extend its low-frequency response. There’s a volume control on the front panel, along with a headphone output that automatically mutes the system’s output, and line-level inputs are accepted on quarter-inch and 3.5mm TRS as well as RCA sockets. For those who require wireless connectivity, Mackie also offer the Bluetooth-equipped CR3-XBT.
CR3-X $99.99, CR3-XBT $119.99.
www.soundonsound.com/reviews/mackie-cr3-x
mackie.com/en/products/studio-monitoring/cr-x-series/CR3_X.html
CR3-X £99, CR3-XBT £119. Prices are per pair, including VAT.
www.soundonsound.com/reviews/mackie-cr3-x
mackie.com/en/products/studio-monitoring/cr-x-series/CR3_X.html
Neumann KH80 DSP
The KH80 was the first DSP-equipped monitor to join the Neumann line-up, with its onboard processing taking care of tasks such as crossover filtering and allowing for room correction facilities when used in conjunction with the company’s MA 1 measurement mic. It offers the same neutral sound character that’s associated with the rest of the KH range — its four-inch woofer is joined by the same dome tweeter employed by its larger siblings — but in a more compact enclosure that’s well suited to smaller rooms. Acoustical controls on the rear panel offer a range of voicings designed for different room placements, and more in-depth controls including delay and room calibration are available via the Neumann.Control iPad app.
$1098.
www.soundonsound.com/reviews/neumann-kh80-dsp
www.neumann.com/en-gb/products/monitors/kh-80-dsp-a-g
£795 per pair including VAT.
www.soundonsound.com/reviews/neumann-kh80-dsp
www.neumann.com/en-gb/products/monitors/kh-80-dsp-a-g
Left to right: PreSonus Eris 3.5, PSI Audio A14-M Studio, Tannoy Reveal 402, Yamaha HS3.
PreSonus Eris 3.5
The Eris 3.5s are the smallest members of PreSonus’ best-selling Eris monitor family, and promise to deliver studio-quality sound in a compact form factor that makes them ideal for smaller rooms. Their 3.5-inch composite woofer is paired with a one-inch silk-dome tweeter, delivering a neutral sound and covering a frequency range of 80Hz-20kHz, while a pair of rear-panel controls offer ±6dB of high- and low-frequency EQ so that users can fine-tune the monitors to their room. For those who need wireless connectivity, there’s the Eris 3.5BT, which features a built-in Bluetooth 5.0 receiver.
$99.99
www.soundonsound.com/reviews/presonus-eris-35-bt
www.presonus.com/en/monitors/studio-monitors/eris-series/2777500122.html
£119 per pair including VAT.
www.soundonsound.com/reviews/presonus-eris-35-bt
www.presonus.com/en/monitors/studio-monitors/eris-series/2777500122.html
PSI Audio A14-M Studio
PSI Audio’s A14-M Studio has been designed to deliver the highest possible bandwidth and SPL capabilities in an extremely compact enclosure. Its all-analogue design employs the same technology — and handmade tweeter — used in the company’s larger offerings, and manages to deliver a frequency range of 56Hz-23kHz, and a maximum peak level of 113dB. Like all of PSI’s monitors, the A14-M Studio is hand-built to extremely tight tolerances, and every unit is calibrated individually in an anechoic chamber and delivered with its resulting frequency response sheet.
$3178.
www.soundonsound.com/reviews/psi-audio-a14-m-studio
www.psiaudio.swiss/a14-m-studio
£2637.60 per pair including VAT.
www.soundonsound.com/reviews/psi-audio-a14-m-studio
www.psiaudio.swiss/a14-m-studio
Tannoy Reveal 402
Tannoy’s Reveal range has been a well-known name in the home studio world for quite some time — we reviewed the original red-faced model back in 1998! They’re still a part of the company’s current line-up, and the smallest, the Reveal 402, houses a four-inch woofer and 0.75-inch tweeter in a compact, ported enclosure. XLR and quarter-inch TS are joined by 3.5mm Aux Link connectors that make quick work of hooking up consumer playback devices, and a toggle switch offers a choice of three different voicings: Hi Cut, Neutral and Hi Boost.
$238.
www.soundonsound.com/reviews/tannoy-reveal-502-402
www.tannoy.com/product.html?modelCode=0316-ABA
£202 per pair including VAT.
www.soundonsound.com/reviews/tannoy-reveal-502-402
www.tannoy.com/product.html?modelCode=0316-ABA
Yamaha HS3
Launched in 2023, Yamaha’s HS3 was created to offer the signature sound of the popular HS series in the most compact form factor possible. They pair a 3.5-inch woofer with a 0.75-inch tweeter, and the cabinet design utilises the company’s Twisted Flare Port technology, which is said to improve low-end clarity and accuracy by reducing air turbulence noise in the reflex port. XLR, TRS, RCA and mini-jack inputs offer compatibility with a wide range of pro and consumer devices, while Room Control and High Trim toggle switches make it possible to tailor the monitors’ EQ profile to suit the room.
$529.
shop.usa.yamaha.com/en/p/pro-audio/studio-monitors/hs3-3-5-powered-studio-monitors-pair
£369 per pair including VAT.
uk.yamaha.com/en/products/proaudio/speakers/hs_3_4_inches/index.html