Are studio monitors with a "flat" sound good for media consumption?

[cpugeek21]

I have finally found a really nice set of speakers which I would like, which are advertised as studio monitors. I heard that studio monitors often have a flat sound since they need to be as accurate as possible, and are usually less than ideal for regular use by average consumers such as myself.

 

https://www.presonus.com/products/Eris-E35

 

Could someone help me determine if this set of speakers would be suitable for me based on my listening preferences and habits?

 

1. pop (genre I listen to most in terms of music) - usual mainstream artists (think Ariana Grande, Chainsmokers, Marshmello, avicii). K-pop as well, which I assume have the same sound signature(?) as English pop, slight bit of EDM.

2. classical music - Lindsey sterling, soothing music for studying

3. games - I heard such speakers shine here. Since the soundstage is pretty accurate, you can hear all your enemies. I play CS:go so that's right up my alley.

4. movies - usually action, like marvel avengers, superheroes...

5. YouTube - run-of-the-mill media consumption

Any help would be greatly appreciated, thanks!

[Steven Porter]

47 minutes ago, cpugeek21 said:

I have finally found a really nice set of speakers which I would like, which are advertised as studio monitors. I heard that studio monitors often have a flat sound since they need to be as accurate as possible, and are usually less than ideal for regular use by average consumers such as myself.

 

https://www.presonus.com/products/Eris-E35

 

Could someone help me determine if this set of speakers would be suitable for me based on my listening preferences and habits?

 

1. pop (genre I listen to most in terms of music) - usual mainstream artists (think Ariana Grande, Chainsmokers, Marshmello, avicii). K-pop as well, which I assume have the same sound signature(?) as English pop, slight bit of EDM.

2. classical music - Lindsey sterling, soothing music for studying

3. games - I heard such speakers shine here. Since the soundstage is pretty accurate, you can hear all your enemies. I play CS:go so that's right up my alley.

4. movies - usually action, like marvel avengers, superheroes...

5. YouTube - run-of-the-mill media consumption

Any help would be greatly appreciated, thanks!

It's an acquired taste, but I really enjoy it. I've been listening casually on studio's reference monitors for years and find it much more engaging than my previous listening speakers (Bose 301 Series V with a vintage Fisher hi-fi amp) due to the huge boost in clarity and depth. 

 

However, keep in mind that what you're looking at are (relatively speaking) very low-end monitors with tiny drivers. I hate to sound like a snob, but given their small size, limited response, and low powered amps, I'd hardly consider them studio monitors. (Most common entry-level monitors are closer to ($100-150 per speaker, and even they are best used with a correctly tuned subwoofer to get the full range.) In their defense, I've heard a few other PreSonus models before and have been impressed with their clarity and definition, but do NOT expect any bass out of these. 

 

If you're looking for larger speakers for normal listening, I'd highly recommend looking in the used market for old hi-fi speakers. You can find tons of 5-8" speakers for very cheap on Craigslist and amplifiers are really inexpensive brand new. I have several Lepy 2020 series amps and they're totally sufficient for listening. Going this route will almost certainly be less expensive and give you a much better listening experience. 

[cpugeek21]

51 minutes ago, Steven Porter said:

It's an acquired taste, but I really enjoy it. I've been listening casually on studio's reference monitors for years and find it much more engaging than my previous listening speakers (Bose 301 Series V with a vintage Fisher hi-fi amp) due to the huge boost in clarity and depth. 

 

However, keep in mind that what you're looking at are (relatively speaking) very low-end monitors with tiny drivers. I hate to sound like a snob, but given their small size, limited response, and low powered amps, I'd hardly consider them studio monitors. (Most common entry-level monitors are closer to ($100-150 per speaker, and even they are best used with a correctly tuned subwoofer to get the full range.) In their defense, I've heard a few other PreSonus models before and have been impressed with their clarity and definition, but do NOT expect any bass out of these. 

 

If you're looking for larger speakers for normal listening, I'd highly recommend looking in the used market for old hi-fi speakers. You can find tons of 5-8" speakers for very cheap on Craigslist and amplifiers are really inexpensive brand new. I have several Lepy 2020 series amps and they're totally sufficient for listening. Going this route will almost certainly be less expensive and give you a much better listening experience. 

I see...the thing is I have limited desk space, so the size of these were just right for me. The small form factor works out for me in that case. And to be honest, I'm coming from an audio setup of an x-mini speaker that plays from my right side, so my left ear is totally deprived of sound. So it's not like I would be able to discern between an average setup and a good setup; they're all gonna sound great to me.

 

I also did a bit of research on these speakers, they actually are quite well-regarded for their size, and their reviews are mostly positive on Amazon. 

 

I hope I don't sound like I'm defending these speakers just so I get a "yes" response, so let me phrase my question in another manner: for the use cases as I listed above, would my choice of speakers be appropriate based on the use cases I listed above? I know they would be awesome for some (classical, games etc.) but not sure about some others such as pop. I know you don't have the exact model, so any insights based on your experience with "flat" speaker would be great.

 

Thanks!

[rice guru]

for headphones I don't enjoy a flat response but for speakers. I like having flat speakers better because if I want to add color I just put a subwoofer on the setup. and these speakers are an excellent choice for what you want.  but as the other guy is saying dont expect much bass from these

 

[Steven Porter]

On 3/18/2019 at 12:29 AM, cpugeek21 said:

I see...the thing is I have limited desk space, so the size of these were just right for me. The small form factor works out for me in that case. And to be honest, I'm coming from an audio setup of an x-mini speaker that plays from my right side, so my left ear is totally deprived of sound. So it's not like I would be able to discern between an average setup and a good setup; they're all gonna sound great to me.

 

I also did a bit of research on these speakers, they actually are quite well-regarded for their size, and their reviews are mostly positive on Amazon. 

 

I hope I don't sound like I'm defending these speakers just so I get a "yes" response, so let me phrase my question in another manner: for the use cases as I listed above, would my choice of speakers be appropriate based on the use cases I listed above? I know they would be awesome for some (classical, games etc.) but not sure about some others such as pop. I know you don't have the exact model, so any insights based on your experience with "flat" speaker would be great.

 

Thanks!

In that case, given your budget and limited space and the speaker you're upgrading from, you'll probably be totally happy with them!

 

Going back to flat vs colored sound, it's probably worth mentioning that even studio monitors can sound quite different from one another. There isn't really a specific quality that is exclusive to monitors vs other speakers. At the end of the day, they're all just drivers in a box, and aside from their pro-grade connectors and tendency to be more flat than others, there's nothing magic about them. They are all colored to some extent, they just tend to be less extreme. If there's a music store near you, see if they have them on display so you can hear for yourself. The Guitar Center near me has a whole room full of monitors and you can plug in a phone and switch between them to compare.

 

Now that my random tangent is over, I would recommend these speakers based on your needs. Just to reiterate, they will almost certainly have very little bass, but I would expect that mids and highs will be very smooth and clear from my past experience with the brand. Hope this was helpful!