5 Best Monitor Speakers in 2024

When you purchase through affiliate links on our site, we may earn a commission. Here’s how it works.

Affordable and high-quality monitor speakers.

best monitor speakers

If you want to enjoy a crystal-clear sound, make sure to select the best monitor speakers available in the market. Whether you want to listen to your favorite songs at home or work at a professional recording studio, it’s important to purchase high-quality speakers. Hi-fi models usually come with handy auto-adjustment options, which contributes to a more enjoyable listening experience. Monitor speakers deliver high-quality sound and are perfectly compatible with many devices. It makes them a great option to consider regardless of your budget.

Top 5 Best Monitor Speakers

  1. Presonus Eris E3.5 - Our choice
  2. Edifier R1280T - Stylish
  3. Edifier R980T - Budget
  4. M-Audio AV32 - Compact
  5. Edifier R1280DB - With Bluetooth

If you want to enjoy superb sound quality when creating an audio track, you need to purchase the best monitor speakers as they will allow you to hear everything clearly. With them, it will be easier for you to understand which parts of an audio track should be edited. Monitor speakers come with different sets of features and have different price tags so you will easily find an option that suits your needs most. To make this task easier, we have compiled this list of the best models available today.

1. Presonus Eris E3.5

Our choice
presonus eris e3.5 monitor speakers

Dimensions: 6.4 x 5.6 x 8.3 inches | Weight: 6.4 lbs | Subwoofer: Yes | Frequency response: 80 Hz - 20 kHz

  • ✚ Compact
  • ✚ Great sound
  • ✚ Look expensive
  • ✚ Good price
  • Doesn't include a pair of TRS jacks
Rating

Solid built and supremely powerful studio monitor speakers combine to make the Presonus Eris E3.5 professional studio monitor. Offers studio-quality sound at an affordable price, using the most advanced technologies.

The Eris E3.5 features an in-built diaphragm to prevent external noise interference. This ensures that all the frequencies coming from the speaker are accurately represented, resulting in pure and flawless sound.

2. Edifier R1280T

Stylish
edifier r1280t monitor speakers

Dimensions: 6.90 x 9.50 x 5.80 inches | Weight: 10.80 lbs | Subwoofer: No | Frequency response: 48 Hz - 50 kHz

  • ✚ Balanced sound
  • ✚ High-quality construction
  • ✚ Built-in amplifier
  • ✚ Separate bass & treble controls
  • Not enough bass depth
Rating

The Edifier R1280T is a high quality, multi-tasking monitor that can serve as a studio monitor, home theater speaker system, or wireless unit. Equipped with two RCA connections and high-quality construction, the R1280T is perfect for mixing or recording high-quality music. The remote control offers a hands-free operation that makes it easy to change the level or find a specific song.

These powered studio monitors feature a balanced sound that is extended for extended listening pleasure. There are also a number of features available from the R1280T, including the Reference Tone Booster, which improves low-frequency response by boosting middle and high frequencies to reduce any unwanted feedback or ""buzz"" that can occur from dynamic equipment.

3. Edifier R980T

Budget
edifier r980t monitor speakers

Dimensions: 5.5 x 8.9 x 7.75 inches | Weight: 4.0 lbs | Subwoofer: Yes | Frequency response: 70 Hz - 20 kHz

  • ✚ Quality sound
  • ✚ Wooden case
  • ✚ Affordable price
  • ✚ Volume and bass control knobs
  • No treble control knob
Rating

The Edifier R980T is a compact and affordable choice. Small in size, this monitor speaker is an effective 2.0 audio solution for small spaces.

Adjustment knobs are located on the front of the powered speaker, which allows for a custom-tailored listening experience. Like all Budget studio monitors, the R980T offers top-quality sound reproduction, a long warranty, and a slim design. The speakers are not only loud and powerful, but also deliver a wide range of sounds including music, voices, live performance, breathing, and so much more.

4. M-Audio AV32

Compact
m-audio av32 monitor speakers

Dimensions: 6.90 x 9.50 x 5.80 inches | Weight: 10.80 lbs | Subwoofer: No | Frequency response: 48 Hz - 50 kHz

  • ✚ Good price
  • ✚ Compactness
  • ✚ Easy to use
  • ✚ Low frequencies
  • The volume output of these speakers is not that high
Rating

M-Audio AV32 monitor speakers are one of the best speakers that you can get your hands on. If you wish to set up a home sound system at home, you need a good quality set of speakers.

One of the main pros is the fact that it is a low-frequency booster. This amplifier is also very easy to use, which is great because most wireless studio monitors can be fairly complicated to use. Another good point about this unit is that it is very durable, meaning that it will last for a long time without having to worry about damaging it.

5. Edifier R1280DB

With Bluetooth
edifier r1280db monitor speakers

Dimensions: 5.7 x 9.5 x 7 inches | Weight: 12.43 lbs | Subwoofer: Yes | Frequency response: 55 Hz - 20 KHz

  • ✚ Excellent design
  • ✚ Excellent sound quality
  • ✚ Natural midrange
  • ✚ Convenient remote control and Bluetooth
  • Price
  • Distortion at higher volumes
Rating

Edifier R1280DB offers a stylish look and makes it easy to connect to your preferred device without having to mess with the wiring. This Bluetooth studio monitor also features a high powered dual-zone amplifier and remote control.

When compared to similar products in the market, the Edifier R1280DB has several key features. First, it has the RCA inputs for all of its frequency bands which can be utilized in any situation and are compatible with all of the devices that you own. Second, it comes with an intelligent frequency-shifter circuitry which enables you to automatically adjust the output of each frequency band in tune with the original signal to deliver clean sound with maximum volume output.

IMAGE NAME FEATURES
presonus eris e3.5 monitor speakers
Presonus Eris E3.5
Our Choice
  • Compact
  • Great sound
CHECK PRICE
edifier r1280t monitor speakers
Edifier R1280T
Stylish
  • Balanced sound
  • High-quality construction
CHECK PRICE
edifier r980t monitor speakers
Edifier R980T
Budget
  • Quality sound
  • Wooden case
CHECK PRICE

How to Choose the Monitor Speakers?

how to choose the best monitor speakers

Active or Passive

What makes passive monitors so different from other options is that they aren’t powered, which means that you will need to purchase an amplifier to use them. Active monitors are fitted with amps and crossovers, which makes them a more cost-effective solution. However, professional users believe that passive monitor speakers deliver better sound quality.

Dimensions

When selecting monitor speakers, it’s crucial to pay attention to their size. The bigger they are, the better performance they deliver. Big speakers are known for producing better low-end sound. Nowadays, you can find more compact models that produce decent bass. However, they are hardly suitable for professional use. On this list, you will find affordable options that support a wide sound range.

how to choose the best monitor speakers

Watts

The higher wattage, the higher the volume level that your speakers will support. This parameter is important to take into account when making your choice since insufficient wattage might lead to sound distortion.

Frequency Response

The best monitor speakers support a wide frequency range and deliver clear sound. We can hear frequencies ranging from 20Hz to 20,000Hz (20kHz). High-end models produce bass sound in the range of 40-55Hz and high-end sound in the range of 22-32kHz. More expensive models usually produce great low-end sound thanks to their large woofers and high-quality amplifiers.

Price

If you are looking for pro-level monitor speakers, keep in mind that they cost $150-$200. To avoid shelling out your money on expensive models, you can opt for budget speakers with advanced specs that produce high-quality sound.

Robin Owens

Tech and Hardware Specialist

Robin Owens is FixThePhoto’s first person for all things tech and hardware our team of managers and retouchers use. Growing up in a tech-savvy family, she had all new gadgets as toys from an early age. This created her lifelong interest in PCs and photography-related devices too. After earning her Journalism degree from the University of Kansas, Robin began her career writing tech reviews and guides for local publications, eventually joining FixThePhoto in 2018.

Read Robin's full bio

Tetiana Kostylieva

Head Editor

Tetiana Kostylieva is the Head Editor and Content Creator of all FixThePhoto blog articles, bringing years of creativity and expertise to the team. Her career started in 2013 as a caricature artist at events in New York, where she honed her eye for detail and her ability to connect with people. Now, she leads our editorial team, testing new ideas and ensuring every piece of content is both helpful and engaging.

Read Tetiana's full bio

SAVE UP TO 66% OFF SAVE UP TO 66% OFF