You may have heard of monitoring speakers, and you might know that they are the type of speakers found in studios and home studios… but you want to know specifically what makes these speakers special?
You’re in luck, you’ve come across the right article!
Definition of Monitoring Speakers
So, what is a monitoring speaker, by definition?
It is a speaker that emits sound and has the characteristic of altering the audio signal very little.
In other words, monitoring speakers are designed to be respectful of the audio signal they reproduce.
This is reflected in a frequency response that is as flat as possible across the audible spectrum: there are of course always small variations, but generally, we are talking about +/- 3dB, which is quite low.
Generally, monitoring speakers are also less sensitive to distortion, which translates to good THD characteristics on the technical sheets.
Where are Monitoring Speakers Found?
I already mentioned it a bit in the introduction: monitoring speakers are primarily found in studios or home studios.
To be precise, they are usually connected to audio interfaces, or sometimes directly to mixing consoles.
That said, they can also be seen in other situations, such as artistic acoustic installations or among audiophiles who want very flat speakers.
The Difference Between Monitoring Speakers and Hi-Fi Speakers
Of course, there are different types of speakers on the audio market:
- portable bluetooth speakers;
- soundbars;
- “mini hi-fi system” speakers;
- home hi-fi speakers (for music or cinema);
- monitoring speakers (passive or active);
- etc.
Hi-Fi speakers, as well as other types of speakers except for monitoring ones, tend to enhance the sound they reproduce.
In other words, they have a certain sound coloration, especially in their way of reproducing frequencies, which makes listening to music on them tend to “sound better,” to be more pleasant.
Although some models provide a lot of detail, they generally remain colored and therefore relatively less honest compared to the original sound, because the goal is to provide a sound that is enjoyable to listen to.
Monitoring speakers, on the other hand, are designed to be much more analytical. For the sound engineer working with them, it is indeed important to hear absolutely everything in the most neutral way possible to make the best mixing decisions.
The consequence is that when listening to music on monitoring speakers, it can sometimes be a bit less pleasant/fun/interesting than when listening on hi-fi speakers.
Two speakers, two uses.
What are Monitoring Speakers Used For, Specifically?
In fact, when used in a studio or home studio context, they serve two purposes:
- They provide information about frequencies, dynamics, and stereo imaging that is as accurate and analytical as possible;
- They need to be as neutral as possible so that mixes made on them sound good on any listening system.
On this last point, it should be noted that, of course, the sound of the speaker and the ability of the sound engineer to make the right decisions will also depend on the acoustic treatment applied in the room.
But the idea is indeed that mixing on neutral speakers makes the mixes produced on them more balanced, which optimizes their sound on average, so that it sounds good on any speaker, in any context.
Need Monitoring Speakers for Your (Home) Studio?
There you go, you now know exactly what a monitoring speaker is.
If you’re looking for a model for your (home) studio, for example, click here to discover my recommendations.