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HiFi VS. Studio Monitors for audio enthusiasts which is better ?

MeZoX

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So my Understanding that the HiFi sound is not entirely flat unlike studio monitors , and it has somehow of a different frequency response and certain manufacturers have different sound signatures like B&W for example ,
which is fine but my questions is and specially for enthusiasts , wouldn't it be better to get a flat response monitor so later on you could have the ability to change it's frequency response with an equalizer to anything you like ? because you are going to need to make EQ changes not only for your preferred frequency response but because of room correction as well . I imagine that if you dont have a flat monitor to begin with you are going to have much trouble with an equalizer
 

twsecrest

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Studio monitors should offer better detail in the audio and you can usually sit your butt in the best spot to hear the audio.
Like for audio production

Hi-Fi is better for filling the whole room full of audio (getting loud).

What audio sources are you using?
 

DVDdoug

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Overall they are very similar and you can't say one is always better than the other.

Most monitors are active whereas most hi-fi speakers are passive, and most monitors don't have grills.

An active monitor (usually) means an active crossover and bi-amping or tri-amping which can be a potential advantage because it's easier to tweak/tune/EQ an active crossover.

Many AVRs don't have line-level outputs so they are designed to be used with passive speakers. And if you have a home theater system with surround speakers it's "inconvenient" to run power to every speaker.
 

Frgirard

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So my Understanding that the HiFi sound is not entirely flat unlike studio monitors , and it has somehow of a different frequency response and certain manufacturers have different sound signatures like B&W for example ,
which is fine but my questions is and specially for enthusiasts , wouldn't it be better to get a flat response monitor so later on you could have the ability to change it's frequency response with an equalizer to anything you like ? because you are going to need to make EQ changes not only for your preferred frequency response but because of room correction as well . I imagine that if you dont have a flat monitor to begin with you are going to have much trouble with an equalizer
The difference are not in sound reproduction but esthetic and in the commercial circuit.
You can find passive monitor pro as jbl lsr6332, 708 or Amphion.
You can find active hifi speaker as avi https://avihifi.com/legacy/adm9.html
Or
Rowen
https://www.rowen.ch/en/ls_absolute.php build by Psi Audio.
The dichotomie hifi vs pro is a myth shared by the both side.
 

f1shb0n3

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The qualification "studio monitor" does not imply certain sound signature, although well-designed speakers in general aim to have flat anechoic frequency response and uniform directivity which translates to something similar to Harman target when placed in a room. Good studio monitors can be very competitive with anything that you would call HiFi - check out the measurements and review of Genelec 8361A that Amir posted yesterday - this studio monitor is the current state of the art in bookshelf size powered speakers for both studio and HiFi listening use cases. Based on the measurements and Amir's subjective impressions seems that it can even rival most tower speakers and produce bass as low as 30Hz and probably under with room reinforcement.

Compared to buying passive speakers, amplifier, DAC and processor to apply PEQ for room correction good studio monitors can be a great value and a good option for a minimalist, clean and good sounding system. Check out Erin's Kali Audio IN-8 V2 review and measurements - at $800 for a pair these studio monitors are unbeatable value for their price - you can't get anywhere close to that performance for the price with passive speakers for example.

I myself went the passive speakers route and stacked an expensive rack of components to reach the level of performance I wanted. I've described my system in a forum post here. If I add up the cost of the electronics and add a good pair of passive speakers the price reaches Genelec 8361A levels and the Genelec would probably sound better than my passive speaker system in the end. I still like the flexibility of separates though, provides more potential for audiophoolery which can be fun :)
 
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MeZoX

MeZoX

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So I guess for people with a small budget should go with a well reviewed studio monitors ? since not a lot is spent on the aesthetics part , and you save up on external amps and such . but with high budget you have the luxury to afford the extra cost of aesthetic that suits you
I think studio monitors (2.1 setup) are fine for entertainment.
I do have a 2.1 studio setup , where I live though I couldn't find anything with reasonable price other than KRK , I saw JBL and Yamaha was sold here at double the msrp , I got a pair of KRK 8G4 white noise edition for 600$ and KRK10Sv2 subwoofer for 300 USD , I have them connected to an Audio engine D1 which takes its input from SPDIF out of the TV , my topping E50 should be arriving this week , would be a nice upgrade because of the remote control , balanced inputs is nice but our country by design the households dont have safety ground pins lol so I don't suffer from ground loops just the hazard of electrocution if an electric device has a conductive enclosure and fails ...xD

this is my current setup the desk is a bit small to handle the monitors at correct angled so i added two wooden boards underneath to get a bit more space , i would be moving from my apartment to bigger house anyways within this year so its a temporary solution
 

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f1shb0n3

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I do have a 2.1 studio setup , where I live though I couldn't find anything with reasonable price other than KRK
Your KRK speakers should be reasonably good and with a sub they should sound pretty good for studio and HiFi listening.

From my experience any speakers on a desk, close to the rear wall and with a large monitor in between I was getting some unpleasant peaks in the 100-250Hz range and some other frequency response irregularities which are very audible and deterimental. Measuring with UMIK-1 microphone using REW and applying parametric EQ to correct room effects and possibly some speaker flaws I always get a massive improvement in subjective sound quality. Currently using Dirac Live for that purpose with great success.

If you have not tried EQ'ing your setup go for it, this is a guaranteed way to get real meaningful audible improvements in your system.
 
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MeZoX

MeZoX

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If you have not tried EQ'ing your setup go for it, this is a guaranteed way to get real meaningful audible improvements in your system.
I am definitely planning to buy a measurement mic in the future to do some corrections with an EQ , its not readily available where i live for me to purchase but i am looking for it
 

Frgirard

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Excellent answer. This is a quite complex question (due to every speaker sounding different and having a different presentation) but that is the short answer. Pick your tool for the work.
it's a myth.

 
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bo_knows

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it's a myth.

Which part of my statement is the myth?
Can the Genelec 8361A be used for hi-fi (two-channel listening)? It sure can, and I don't think nobody here is disputing this. Just let me know how I can hook it up with my Denon receiver that has RCA outputs. Can KEF R3 and Ref1 be used as studio monitors? You bet they can and I'm sure some people are using them for studio work. All the options found on the Genelec monitors are there for a reason. They are to help out professionals get the most of them and you don't find that in most passive hi-fi speakers.
As far every professional monitor sounding different and having a different presentation, please see the video below.
Enjoy :)

 
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MeZoX

MeZoX

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Measuring with UMIK-1 microphone using REW and applying parametric EQ to correct room effects and possibly some speaker flaws I always get a massive improvement in subjective sound quality. Currently using Dirac Live for that purpose with great success.
I did a spectrum RTA measurement with my phone while playing a sine sweep , done from my listening position on the total 2.1 system , how does it look ?
 

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Frgirard

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Which part of my statement is the myth?
Can the Genelec 8361A be used for hi-fi (two-channel listening)? It sure can, and I don't think nobody here is disputing this. Just let me know how I can hook it up with my Denon receiver that has RCA outputs. Can KEF R3 and Ref1 be used as studio monitors? You bet they can and I'm sure some people are using them for studio work. All the options found on the Genelec monitors are there for a reason. They are to help out professionals get the most of them and you don't find that in most passive hi-fi speakers.
As far every professional monitor sounding different and having a different presentation, please see the video below.
Enjoy :)

The jbl lsr 708 or jbl lsrb32/lsr 6332 are passive
Amphion are passive.
BW, numerous in mastering studio are passive.
Tyler acoustics are passive.
And of course the great Yamaha ns10.... passive
Yamaha ns 1000...passive
Klinger Favre... Passive
Pro ac studio 100...passive

I use k+h o300 and kh420. You learn me nothing on monitors pro. This two models are fun speakers.
 

f1shb0n3

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I did a spectrum RTA measurement with my phone while playing a sine sweep , done from my listening position on the total 2.1 system , how does it look ?
If you can apply some smoothing so we can see the shape better, but it looks like you have a good starting point - the bass goes down to 20Hz, the FR curve is sloping down as you would want it.
 

sarumbear

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So my Understanding that the HiFi sound is not entirely flat unlike studio monitors , and it has somehow of a different frequency response and certain manufacturers have different sound signatures like B&W for example ,
which is fine but my questions is and specially for enthusiasts , wouldn't it be better to get a flat response monitor so later on you could have the ability to change it's frequency response with an equalizer to anything you like ? because you are going to need to make EQ changes not only for your preferred frequency response but because of room correction as well . I imagine that if you dont have a flat monitor to begin with you are going to have much trouble with an equalizer
It used to be monitor meant you can reliably produce loud levels. However, now all it means Hi-Fi speaker has a better finish.
 

richard12511

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In terms of goals and intent, they are different, and @Jim Taylor summed it up well.

The goal of a studio monitor is to show you what's in the mix. The goal of a hifi speaker is to sound as good as possible. Somewhat by chance(or not), it just so happens that those 2 goals have the exact same solution.

The best way to show what's in the mix is to make a monitor that is as neutral as possible. The best way to sound great is to make a speaker that is as neutral as possible. This is quite convenient for us consumers, as it gives us many more options :D.

In my experience, the pro world tends to be a bit better(on average) at achieving their goal. Since both goals have the same solution, this also means that studio monitors tend to sound better for hifi than hifi speakers at the same price point, though it depends on the price point.

Something like the JBL 308p @ $300/pair or the Kali LP 6 V2 @ $400/pair are almost impossible to beat in the passive world(at least I've never found it). In fact, I don't have a passive speaker under $1,000 that I'd choose over the 308p in a blind test, at least before dealer discount. The cheapest speakers I own that beat(confirmed with blind test) the 308p is the Revel M105 and M106, but then I prefer the Genelec 8030c over those. Revel M105 could possibly go for less than $1000 with a good dealer.

This definitely depends on the price point, though. There are exceptions at different price points. For example, I can't think of any active that gives the great combination of extension and wide dispersion as the Philharmonic BMR Tower. Another example, I can't think of anything I'd take over the Revel F208 with dealer pricing. There are certainly more examples. Revel and KEF speakers are almost always up there with the best studio monitors at their price point.

Passive speakers do have other advantages, though:

1. Tower speakers - for some reason, tower speakers are super rare in the pro audio world, and tower speakers do offer real advantages (output, extension) over bookshelf speakers.
2. Aesthetics - usually passive speakers have more care given to the way they look, often with gloss finishes and/or vinyl wrap.
3. Cheaper to hook up for Home Theater - Cheapest way to build a multichannel HT system is via an AVR. 7 channel AVRs can be found for below $300, but those don't have pre-outs. AVRs that can connect to studio monitors are much more expensive.
4. Longevity - In some way, this kinda depends on listening habits. If you almost never crank up the volume to super high levels, a passive speaker should last quite a bit longer. A good active might only last for 20 years or so, whereas a passive can often last twice that long. For me, I seem to listen too loud on occasion, so actives actually tend to last longer for me :(.
5. Less cabling - passive speakers only need speaker cables. Active speakers need 2 cables for every speaker.
 
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