7 Best BUDGET Studio Monitors Under $200 (2022) - Yamaha HS5, KRK Rokit 5, Adam T5V & Kali Audio LP6 

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As a matter of fact Guitar Center had a Labor Day sale and I bought those same JBL monitors (my 4th pair of JBLs) for $109 each. Best money I ever spent. Got them home and put them through the paces. And they performed as well as my other JBL monitors. I also compared them to my Adams, my KRKs, and my Focals and they performed just as good or better.

Kali was some of JBL's top engineers who started there own company, for the money they sound freaking great. I use them for practicing drums while using headphones at low volumn, lg v20, v40 or v60 phone w/DAC-1/8th'' jack-peavey mixer-1/4 ''jack -Kali lp6's on stands at ear level 10' apart 10' back on there sides tweeter out.....amazing

While the JBLs aren’t my favorite in the shootout (and I own a pair of mki 305s), speakers like the JBL 4410 were a recording industry standard before Bluetooth speakers were even a twinkle in anyone’s eye. Writing them off for such a superficial, unfounded reason spoiled what was previously a well put together review.

Thank you for this, great video, The Yamahas and the KRK sounds the best to my ears and taste! But I wonder how the would sound with others genres like Metal !

Thanks for the video, I've just been looking at studio monitors so this is very helpful in making a decision

I won the giveaway but I have a few problems. Give it to someone who needs it more than me. Will still and forever be subscribed to you Edward. Love you my Guy.

I own the Kali lp 6 for the last 2 years and i love them. Around that time i bought the krk's in the 3rd gen as a second pair of referennce monitors. I trade the krk's for a pair of Adam's. For me this combo is badass. My workflow is much faster.

Ok this is the mega comparison. Need to buy that. You save my life

Thanks bro! Which one do you recommend for acoustic music? 5 inch cone works good if you are in a small non treated room and using it at lower volumes?? Have a nice day!!

from the sound comparison i can definitely see why the HS5’s have their reputation for being so bright in the mids lol, definitely helped me decide on the LP’s though!

Great comparison!. It's funny how we perceive things different depending on our age. JBL for me was always a pro audio brand they've been around doing that since forever, but for someone younger they are a consumer bluetooth speaker brand. It's a testament to how well they adapt to technology and market changes.

Another great informative video Edward. Thanks. Allow me to say I agree for the most part on your comments and with comments from the others. Here's how I look at speaker choices having worked in several studios in and out of TV and audio studios professionally. First, bias is like one person preferring a BMW while another chooses a ´57 Chevy hopped up or the stock original. Each has a job to perform. Looks definitely come into play. That's pretty basic, huh? Flat frequency monitors have a job to perform too. That is without question IMHO. I've owned iconic L series JBLs at home and I have listened to similar 44 hundred series which are a more suitable and moderately expensive flat series found aimed at production. These JBLs gained historical critical acclaim the world over. In the past, blown or worn, mostly old school, JBL woofers (as with others) are less than rare; however, it's fair to say they are known to be musical faves so it's hard to argue with success. Take note that a speaker (or any equipment for that matter), whatever brand, can be found in professional studios not only for their ability and quality, but for their price or, maybe, association and deals with the providers. Established professional powerhouse studios often share a track or album which may find their way from one production facility to another, perhaps to sweeten or master or . . . In such a scenario, a commonality will be welcomed in audio and video should the need arise. This does not mean you have to rush to get the same when it doesn't suit the job. Just know that what you see here or there isn't always an indication of good, better, best. The reverse is true, of course, but usually that happens where money is of less or no concern. Still, bargains are out there, and one might tweak your interest. I inherited some recommended Yamaha home audio electronics. Except for a nice top end cassette deck, I wasn't impressed. Then again, the Yammys competed with my higher end Class A Denon and older American owned Marantz amongst other gear. Not really a fair comparison. The newly acquired Yamaha electronics were not terrible, in fact, all were quite good in a quirky way, but Yamaha, at least to me, takes on a different philosophy (both good and bad). Your choice. I once questioned a Sony engineer why a certain filter was needed in their amplification (after being told a perfect amp is a straight wire. Don't ask.). His reply was, forget the specs, if it doesn't sound musical it gets the additions or the deletions. Note that flat monitoring has it's purpose, and speaker selection requires a different approach when it comes to taking control of your pre and post recording. At least with Yamaha, there seems to be a standard across their line which can be expected. If you own this brand, you know what I speak of. I once moved to a new job, finding that large Yamaha monitors would face me every day in the control room. That was in 1985. Japanese speakers were a hit and miss at times in those days. In fact, it was reported that many offshore manufacturers took to this side of the pond for their quality rebranded driver supply. My guess is Europe was also in the mix. I recall owning some AKAI speakers in 1971. Not bad, but not great either. Yamaha, like many Japanese firms, soon invested in foreign companies to share their tech and knowledge. The converse existed too. The late 60's and the 70's were booming with change. Yamaha developed their pianos, drums, and other instruments to where they were and are. That success is found on some of the best stages and in top class studios around the world. Pretty good reference for Yamaha audio equipment, including speakers, marketing aside. Back to my control room's Yamaha studio monitors complete with JBL like white cones. Dang! They looked good to staff and visitors. No "Wows" on the sound quality though. No hates either. Expecting to see and hear something different, more to my experience and liking, I grew to accept the Yammys over time. They sufficed. Good thing since I was stuck with them for 10 years. I was no longer in denial, but I wasn't blown away either. I could continue this conversation, but my suggestion is to trust your ears, be willing to take compromises, consider your work and end product, and environment. If EDM or similar are your preference, then you may require a speaker that can take a beating and produce a vibe for that. On the other hand, perhaps jazz, classical, pop or country is your choice. You get the idea. Make sure you add your music choice to the demo and listen for nuances like separation, location such as depth, how a cymbal or chime decays, how reverb and tremolo is replicated, how a low volume and a higher volume works with and without distortion, how various effects, instruments (including acoustic), and voices sound naturally, and on and on. Don't be shy to audition your speakers with alternative music across the genres. Most of all, no matter how flat the sound, it won't keep you satisfied for long if it isn't to your liking. Don't overpower or underpower your workspace. You can always upgrade, where you might not want to downgrade. There's something for everyone. I'm going to be replacing mine soon, and I have yet to choose until I hear the offerings. Consider your cans (headphones), monitors, and/or entertainment speakers your team. Go get 'em Coach. Hit recordings have made it with less, and it begins with a song. YMMV Good luck in your search. You'll be fine.🤘

Kali LP6’s all day long , everyday! 🔝 The Hs5 ONLY with additional woofer. Still..Kali is the way.

Great video, thank you for sharing their differences as well as what you like and dislike about each of them. Even though RU-vid audio compression and the microphones used can’t possibly make justice to any real acoustic comparison, it gives a very good idea of what their acoustic profile is. I personally found the 3 in the center (KRK, PreSonus and Yamaha) to have a better balance and less sound coloration, which is what you want from studio monitors. The Pioneer and JBL do sound like something I’d use for regular, home stereo use more than for studio monitors, I feel they still can’t get serious in the studio market and continue to be a general-purpose set of speakers. Thanks for the great content, keep up the good work! 😊

That Yamaha monitor is based on the old single full range speaker sealed box enclosure that was used to simulate the sound from a consumer transistor radio in order to make sure the mix from the actual studio monitor translated well to smaller consumer audio devices

I got the presonus, its amazing, I use it to fine tune my master mixes which I do exclusively on an auxed, cheap bluetooth speaker first - then switch on the presonus.

Another thing that was said in the review was that the front vented monitors produce more bass at the listening position than the rear vented. Which is not true. The monitors with the port in the front are called front vented speaker enclosure. They are not as efficient at producing bass although they can be depending on the design of the inside of the enclosure. To get more bass from a vented speaker you have to utilize the back firing sound wave of the woofer so that it adds to the front sound wave of the woofer in phase meaning moving in the same direction. This will increase the output and efficiency of the woofer. To put the rear sound wave in phase with the front you need a physical mechanism to flip the rear wave 180 degrees to the front wave. What engineers use to properly accomplish this is called a labyrinth. This is an assembly of baffles inside the enclosure to redirect the rear wave so that it reaches the opening of the front vent in phase with the front firing sound wave. This has to be done properly to get the most output and efficiency. This design can be complicated, expensive, and add significant weight to the enclosure. Because of this a lot of manufacturers will skimp on this design and compromise the performance yielding not as much output and efficiency. This is why high end speakers cost a lot more. The monitors with the rear firing port using a tube is a bass reflex enclosure design. This design uses a tube especially designed to fire the woofer’s rear sound wave out the back of the enclosure. The actual phase reversal of the rear firing sound wave is accomplished by bouncing off what ever physical structure that’s behind the enclosure. This is why you have to consider what distance you place the monitor from a wall. The bass reflex enclosure design was developed as a cheaper, simpler, and lighter design than the front vented enclosure. So size for size and db for db the bass reflex enclosure design offers lower bass response, higher output, less expense, and less weight than a marginally designed front vented speaker enclosure. Each design has its advantages and disadvantages. However the bass reflex enclosure design tends to be the more preferred because of the features I pointed out above. By the way JBL pioneered much of these studio monitor designs along with the folded horn, passive radiator, sealed box, labyrinth, arrays, etc.

GREAT VIDEO NEEDED THIS ....... GR8 WORK BRO

Nice thanks exactly what I needed!

Thanks for making, very Informative

JBL is like top 3 in any speaker environment, especially for music. I ran JBL floor speakers for a decade without lost in quality from tv entertainment to music in my home gym. JBL is definitely a top 3 standard in any sound environment. Granted, I'm going with the HS8 also, you can never fail with a Yamaha. I'm on your channel for the Yamaha review anyways so I'm already partial.

Im honestly thinking at this point that any studio monitor displayed here would be leagues ahead of my 20 year old Spirit Absolute Zero's. Really leaning towards the Adam's, always loved the design

Man... If you happen to see this, I'd love to hear from you. I'm a little torn between 3. I love the Kali's, and they would undoubtedly be my best option here. I know, looks isn't a good reason to chose a tool, but I love the way the Eris e5 looks and the krk so much more. As far as price, I really wouldn't need to save up any longer to buy any of those 3. My deal breaker is the bass reflex port. I want front firing which all 3 have. My question is, is it worth my time an money to buy the e5's or the krk's AND later on buy the Kali's? I've heard it's beneficial to have 2 sets of studio monitors to switch between while referencing. (provided you know them well enough to do so) I just feel like it could be a waste of money to go that route. But my creativity thrives more in my environment, so the design of the presonus and krk just feel more appealing to me. I just love that look of the colored kevlar cone.

You young guys always use the worst possible music to test out speakers.

Good review, but surely you should have talked about frequency response differences ???

*You'll be always my fav!* ❤✨

BEST STUDIO MONITORS UNDER $200 (Amazon US Links): 🔊 Yamaha HS5 ($199) - amzn.to/3nEW2gH 🔊 Kali Audio LP6 ($149) - amzn.to/2QPt4hP 🔊 Adam Audio T5V ($199) - amzn.to/3y8jTKF 🔊 KRK Rokit 5 G4 ($179) - amzn.to/3dIpHSG 🔊 Presonus Eris E5 ($139) - amzn.to/3olWPUg 🔊 Pioneer DJ VM-50 ($169) - amzn.to/2QVHKMG 🔊 JBL LSR 305P MKII ($149) - amzn.to/3sZuymU

Ditched everything in a hurry to watch this.

Maybe it's just the video, but I thought the Pioneers sounded the worse in this comparison, almost like they were under water. I quite liked the sound from the Yamaha's, KRK and JBLs.

How did you have these all setup were they all flat or did you tune them. Also I think a better song that gave more frequencies. Some of the midranges sounded muddy. Others the bass didn’t really project.

The JBL's sound the most natural I felt

Very informative!

I have the Adam Audio T5V with subwoofer sounds awesome.

I am a guitar player (playing at home at bedroom levels, no gigs) and looking for the best monitor to plug my multieffect pedal / amp sim (Zoom G1Xon or NUX MG300) directly into a powered monitor. Presently I go into a small PC HiFi desktop monitor which sounds quite good. Which of the monitors you presented in the video would fit my needs best? And would the tone / sound be dramatically improved compared to the 3 inch desktop speaker? Thanks

What do you consider bedroom size? We are looking at a 12X12 bedroom?

Ive heard all of these in person and owned a couple of them. Krk easily

I'm planning to replace my old genius surround system. Would LP6s have enough low end to use them without a sub? My living room is quite narrow, but long (3m x 6.5m) And I dont plan to mix on those, just for casual lsitening.

I have got pioneer monitor VM-80, and he said, you can’t go wrong with any of these… and VM-80 is crazy 😜 😊

HS5 are the best, less bass, but the sound is crispier and really in the front

I Like JBL Too. Reasonable price and good sounds quality.

which has the best bass between all of them and which one is the loudest at max?

I truly love the sound of rockets they’re the best out of all

I was actually pleasantly surprised how good the Presonus sounded in the video! And on the contrary, I was surprised how dull the Kali's sounded in contrast to all the hype I've heard. Pioneer sounded like arse, easily the worst of the bunch by mile! Yamaha's sounded as if the treble was cranked and all the bass yanked! KRK sounded very hyped, the vocals and bass were in ur face! Adam was probably the best = most balanced. I have the JBLs, but on here they sounded like something was missing in the mid/high range (in my room they normally sound like something's missing in the bass)...

Hi Ed ! For heavy metal music adam is top? Or Yamaha?

i been watching ppl talk so bad about rokits but they sound the best out of all these imo...i own the kali lp6 and rokkit 5 and when it comes to listening and overall mix they do the job..its a reason so many studios have them..

you are just amazing

What do you think of Tannoy Reveal 402 vs Presonus Eris 3.5 ?

I am already a subscribe of your youtube channel and Following instagram because i like his review and has a nice voice. Wish i could atleast have Audio inter face or midi keyboards to begin my career with music.

I've watch tons of videos trying to get an idea of what my first real pair of monitors should be. I say "real" because I have the Eris 3.5's and although they sound great for the size, it's obvious to me that they can't handle whatever producing I throw at them. It's nice to know that no matter what I choose out of this lot, I will probably be making a good decision. This is something I don't see a lot of other reviewers saying. Great video!

I had the older version of those JBL speakers and the always sounded cleaner than anything I’d heard (on a consumer level). No rumble in the bass but I didn’t mind. They had the cleanest mids and highs with no distortion at higher volumes. Surprised you didn’t like them that much.

Great video! I'm thinking on get the HS7 or T7V .

These are all good monitors, but the Yamaha HS series is the gold standard. The HS5s are nice, but HS7s and HS8s are even better if you have the budget and room. The HS5s can also be matched with a Yamaha sub.

Im looking at getting some studio monitors for video editing, mostly for editing and eqing dialogue and setting levels on music tracks. Any advice for this use case?

Best value for sure the JBL. The Kali are roughly 50% more in price. If you interested in any Monitors though, I'd recommend checking out some more scientific comparison. Look and Brand might be something to impress your buddies with, but it won't help you with your music.

The Pioneer monitors don’t belong on that list. They lack clarity that all other monitors are having.

PreSonus y MKII Suenan hermosos 😍

What about Mackie mr524 ?? I've heard about its fantastic sound...

Nice video

Does it make a difference when you use aux cables instead of TRS cables? do TRS cables give you better quality?

Can you review this studio monitors Rockville APM8W or APM5W 2-Way 500W I heard they are great for the price, both together for $200 or $150!!!

Which best for guitar?

For nf-monitors they sound allmost same, but I take adams out because of ribbon tweeter (99% dont have it) pioneer highs sound dull. 🤔🇫🇮

What are your thoughts on the presonos e8 xt?

Best sound satisfied from JBL though vocal is low clean but more clear sound n next is yamaha hs5

hi,which one better for my small room,hs5 or adam a3x?since i cant audition in this situation.thank you

HAve you ever tried the Yorkville Studio monitors ? the are well priced in Canada but i have no idea if they are good.

JBL is the most realistic sounding followed by the Yamaha. The Yamaha may be better for a monitor but I like the JBL for listening purposes. Never mind the thump, sizzle and boom -they all do that. What I was looking for was the most accurate mid-range voice sound. The other speakers sound like the voice was coming from a cardboard tube. I'm a retired classical studio musician that played on more than a 1,100 movie sound tracts. If you really want to test speakers, play orchestral music through them. That sorts them out really fast

Wich one has the bigger basses? (I may use it to do some party too)

Why do the Yamaha HS5 always sound so resonant to me? It's almost like there were shelf peaks in the high-frequency range around 5K or so..

Looks like the Kali Audio LP6's are discontinued. Any thoughts on the revamped LP6 V2s? They've also bumped the price to $199 per unit too. How do they compare to the Yamaha HS5s?

Great Video. If I need to install my speaker close to the wall, should I look at a front air vent monitor or it doesn't matter?

hs5s or lp6s ? I will be having em close to the wall. My room is 10*10 ft with a 3*4 ft vocal booth at one corner.

Hello! I'll be quick: which of these 7 monitor studio is the best for home listening/Hi-Fi? I have been a owner of Yamaha HS5 for a year now, bit disappointed with the listening experience...

"The bigger the cone, the bigger the low end" is a generalization but isn't always true. The Adam T5V has better bass and low end, than the Kali LP6. And it's a 5" speaker compared to a 6.5". Both are fantastic monitors but the Adams have better bass by far.

Yamaha HS range have mega nice crisp tweeters that my current other brand monitors does not. Yamaha for tweeters i say 👍🏼

Hey Ed thanks for all you do. But I have to agree with notorious vip that your knowledge of JBL is undermining.JBL has been around the music industry for decades and has been used on countless hit records. That’s not to say a newbie can’t come on the scene and be better. At the end of the day it’s all in what sounds good to you and what can turn out the best mixes in your opinion rather mixing on $300 or $2000 speakers. You will not know how a speaker really sounds unless you hear it in person or in your studio room. Actually the Kali speakers are designed and made by former employers of JBL. I will give kali the edge because of the front port although I’ve mixed on JBL for the last 7 years turning out great mixes. Then again IMO it’s all subjective.

Very difficult for me between Yamaha HS5 and Adam Audio T5V, damn they both have it's glory points.. But honestly, if you're going for anything under HS7/HS8 you're probably making a mistake with yamaha compared to the rest of the lineup, unless yo really need this kind of clarity in highs and accuracy overall.. I don't know... I think HS5 is more flat and less in low end, while I feel like T5V is a little bit rolled off on the high maybe even high mids. HS5 sounds more crisp and detailed, but I mean... If you're making HipHop or some heavy bass EDM: I think the T5V would be a little bit better even though the highs are maybe a little less clear (you probably have a headphone, some other tool to listen to the music: so no doubt you'll find a sweetspot in EQ). But to be honest, I am only listening to this on an AT ATH-M40x, so it might be a little bit difficult to judge. Also I really need new pads they start to lose it's depth and clarity, so I might be really off in accuracy.

Can anyone help me 🥺 I want to monitor my electric guitar which monitor do you prefer between hs5 ,adam t5 , eris e5xt

In actuality any of these monitors would perform adequately once your room is properly treated and the monitors are equalized properly. And that should be your biggest consideration.

Either Kali or JBL, they both sound nice.

i'm looking for a 5 incher to make trap beats on.which one you recommend the best for this genre?

krk's and the jbl sound the best and clearest on this specific sound test you did. they just had a more clearer and better sound. if you are a dj and like to mix more heavily bass tracks i would deffintly go for the krk's or the jbl's. in terms of features i think you are wrong the krk's offer great dsp tuning options and also being able to set it up with an app and an lcd screen just takes them to a higher level. overall i deffintly recommend them.

The fact that you have no real knowledge of JBL. Means we cannot take your opinion or review seriously. JBL are the only real speaker manufacturer within your list/review. Since 1946 to be precise, they have been manufacturing speakers. I appreciate they are not known especially for studio monitors. But when it comes to speakers. They are innovators. The two flatest, which is what you require for mixing, are the Presonus, and the Kali Audio. But you should have reviewed the XT version of the presonus.

Unfortunately your sample audio comparisons are all too brief! Apart from that, good video.

Have you ever tried the Yorkville ?

Krk is lob😻

JBL and Yamaha wiped the floor here. The rest sounded almost like plastic old PC speakers compared to those two.

Hi Edward, I would like to know what you think about the Monkey Banana Gibbon 5 speakers? These speakers are also available for under $200 and would fit very well into this comparison. Maybe you can test them sometime, I don't think they have to hide from any of the speakers tested. They sound great, and they come in a variety of colors.

Hi! What the track is playing?

So wait how is the price 200 under for monitors ?? The title is misleading- I wish we could get monitors under 200 lol but it was still a great video great job 👏🏽 😊

Hi Edward, I'm going to purchase the MacBook Air M1 8GB varriant will it be sufficient for music production, recoding vocals, Mixing Mastering making a final Orginal music? I'm afraid because I won't switch to another laptop in the next 4 years....also I don't have more $200 for paying the 16Gb version Although I'm getting a 16GB ryzen 7 4800H Laptop the same price of the m1 air 8GB Please Help.... I'm a beginner and I'm an indie singer-songwriter so I release Original indie music....

mackie mr524 and m audio bx5 not make the cut for the comparison or wat?

Hey bro...please read up on JBL history-they are maybe the largest speaker manufacturer in the world and have been producing Studio and hi-fi speakers for decades. Nice video otherwise. 👍 Anyway...any of these monitors are pretty good but I think Kali LP6 are the best all around with JBL and Adam T5v tied for second. Adam have the best warranty and I think are the best looking but still would choose Kali.. JBL on sale are an incredible value but regular price of Kali combined with their sound quality make them my top recommendation. KRK new generation shown hare are excellent monitors as well and have no real faults plus the customization built in is a really nice/useful feature. Yamaha HS5 are too bright and bass weak but HS7 and HS8 are great monitors all around though pricey/not the best value. Same with Presonus-too bright and while I love Studio One DAW I don't trust their hardware long term based on my experiences.

I am thinking of taking a pair of kali LP 6. Do you think this is the most suitable speaker for techno? Thank you in advance for your answer, I do not know the particularities that i need for techno. Thx, big up from France

Even though I own Adam’s A7X those jbl’s sound the best out of this bunch. The other monitors are doing something weird with the midrange. It adds a weird artificial sound

Bro please review vault c5 studio monitor❤

Rokit are grea - if you like 'smart' speakers that keep switching themselves off because you're not playing them at max volume.

I'll pick yamaha

The krk sounded so clear 🤯