Looking for studio monitor speakers for your home studio? Here are the best budget audio monitors under $200.
In the studio or home studio, studio monitor speakers are part of the essential equipment that everyone should have. Without a good listening system offering neutral sound, your mixes will not be balanced, and their flaws will stand out when you listen to them in your car or on another medium. For example, the bass will be too strong, the midrange will be muddled, or the treble will be aggressive.
To avoid this, the first step is to choose studio monitors that will help you make the best mixing decisions possible.
As always with studio equipment, there are many makes and models. There are inexpensive monitoring speakers and more high-end ones. Thanks to our experts, here is already a selection of the best audio monitors.
The top 8 budget studio monitor speakers for your home studio
Studio monitors are not only used in studios. You can use them to update your desktop speakers for better sound. You can connect them to your TV to get a higher-quality sound. Also, you can use them if you want a better listening experience when you play music. You can even buy a quality studio monitor speaker for under $200.
There are many options out there. Below you will find our ranking of the best studio monitors for all levels, from high-end models to economical ones, with a description of the main features. Are you ready? Let’s start.
KRK 5″ Classic Studio Monitor
This affordable studio monitor from KRK tops our list thanks to its professional level of performance at an affordable price. KRK is a leader when it comes to studio monitors, and it’s evident why when you look closely at this product.
In our opinion, it is essential that a studio monitor offer some flexibility when it comes to controls. Not all tracks are created equal, and the monitor must be able to deal with that. Fortunately, this speaker allows you to alter both the high and low frequencies so that it can suit your needs. There is also a “bass boost” function, which can also be useful for playback.
This product also includes high-quality components such as a soft dome tweeter and a low-resonance enclosure. It is a top-quality product at an affordable price.
Pros
- Ample headroom
- Pristine, crisp sound quality
- Lightweight
- Low price
- Excellent build quality
Cons
- The bass is slightly boosted.
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Adam T7V
ADAM has been at the forefront of active studio monitor speaker design for many years. With its larger and much more expensive monitors, it conquered high-end facilities, including the world-famous Abbey Road Studios.
Conceptually, the T7V is similar to the more expensive ADAM speakers in that it uses a 1.9-inch accelerated ribbon tweeter. This tweeter incorporates the “trickle-down” technology of the more expensive ranges and manages the highs up to a good 25 kHz. While the seven-inch woofer offers bass extension up to 39 Hz,.
Pros
- High Level Of Transparency
- Impressive Balance
- Attractive And Durable
- Good Value For Money
Cons
- Rear Firing Port
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Behringer Studio 50 USB
An ideal studio monitor for beginners, the Behringer Studio 50 USB will give you the experience of a professional studio without spending a fortune.
In my opinion, these speakers lack bass power, while the mid and high frequencies tend to be too powerful. However, when paired with a subwoofer, they could have a very significant impact, as the clarity is still very good across the spectrum.
As the name suggests, it also contains a USB input for directly connecting stereo digital audio sources, as well as two analog inputs on XLR and 1/4 connectors that can be combined for the playback of multiple sources.
Pros
- Low cost
- USB input
- Multiple playback
Cons
- Bass response
- Powerful mids and highs.
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Mackie CR4
Like the Behringers, these Mackie CR4s are ideal for beginners. Mackie’s high-end products are of superior quality, but even the budget products are surprisingly decent. However, you should be careful when listening to these products.
With a frequency response of 70 Hz to 20 kHz, the CR4s are clearly not the best on the list; the frequency response is not as flat as you would expect from larger speakers, and the low frequencies are definitely lacking.
These are manufacturer compensations for the small 4″ woofers and beautiful design. Despite the inaccuracy, the CR4’s sonic fidelity is more than acceptable for its small and compact design.
One of the best features is that the power and volume controls are located on the front of the speaker, which is very easy to use. The AUX input allows you to connect to another device.
On the back of the speaker, there are TRS and RCA inputs to allow the use of multiple sources.
Pros
- Superb design and excellent construction
- Front power and volume controls
- Auxiliary input
- Excellent value for money
Cons
- It’s not exactly the most accurate monitor
- A little smaller than normal
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YAMAHA HS8 Studio Monitor
The Yamaha HS8 studio speaker fits into even the most cramped control rooms. Room control filters, which provide 2 or 4 dB of cut below 500 Hz when activated, compensate for speaker boundary effects.
Otherwise, they would muddy the low-frequency response when the monitor is placed close to a wall.
A complementary high-trim filter boosts or cuts the HS8’s response by 2 dB above 2 kHz.
The HS8’s 8″ woofer and 1″ dome tweeter are bi-amplified with enough power to make a stereo pair downright loud.
Balanced XLR and TRS connectors provide an alternative input; the latter can accept unbalanced signals. It would have been nice if the XLR connector had been docked, but that’s asking for the moon in a monitor with such a low price.
Pros
- Good sound quality.
- Great for mixing.
- High power output.
- Good range of tuning options.
Cons
- Not Budget-Friendly
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KRK Rokit RP5 G4
KRK is no stranger to the world of recording studios. It’s not uncommon to see the G3 series of studio monitors in both home and professional studios.
With the new KRK Rokit 5 G4, the company has once again pushed the boundaries of what it can offer while keeping its range of monitors affordable. The Rokit G4 has balanced frequencies for a much better soundscape than the previous model. The highs feel less pronounced and sit more comfortably with the mid-high frequencies.
The incisiveness of the bass has made the Rokit range a privileged choice for DJ studios. The redesigned bass port on the front helped clean up the low end. Unless you need thumping bass, you won’t need to add a subwoofer to your setup.
Pros
- Very flat frequency response
- Excellent price-performance ratio
- Available in two different designs
Cons
- Rear-mounted volume and trim controls
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Edifier R1280T Bookshelf Speakers
This edifier product is of high quality and is made with the most modern components. First of all, the sound is exactly what you want from a workroom monitor: powerful and clear. Second, it adds a ton of convenience by offering multiple input options, including a dual auxiliary input. You can connect two devices via USB at the same time. Plus, it will work with all devices with dual RCA output or 3.5mm headphone output.
These affordable bookshelf speakers put control in your hands with their remote control. You can adjust the bass, treble, and volume while sitting on the couch. Edifier is a popular brand, so there is no doubt about the durability of these speakers. They may be pocket scanners, but they are designed to be durable. Their wood finish makes them even more elegant and resistant.
Pros
- Remote control
- Two auxiliary inputs
- 2-year warranty
Cons
- No wireless capabilities.
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JBL LSR305
JBL has a great reputation when it comes to speakers and is not really considered a pocket-friendly speaker brand. However, the LSR305 workroom monitor is an incredibly affordable product that offers loud, high-quality sound. It is especially suitable for recording because it offers greater depth. Another positive aspect of this monitor is that you do not need to be close to the speaker to get maximum performance. Produces consistent sound throughout the room.
Regardless of the acoustics of the room, you will get a neutral and loud sound throughout the work room. If you don’t know much about room acoustics that produce optimal results, you should get this one.
Pros
- Rock-solid build.
- Accurate, clean audio performance with powerful output.
- Affordable.
- Adjustable high-frequency and low-frequency levels.
Cons
- There are no protective grills on the woofer.
- No RCA input.
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Kali Audio LP-6
Studio monitor speakers have revolutionized the market recently. The LP-6 has been praised in many reviews for its dynamic range and how detailed everything sounds.
A 5-inch bass/mid-range speaker with a polyglass membrane that is loaded through a wide-section laminar port and a one-inch Sharp with an inverted aluminum dome. It comes with a 20 W amplifier for the tweeter and a 35 W amplifier for the speaker, which allows it to offer a frequency response of 45 Hz to 22 kHz (+/- 3 dB).
All these monitors have versions of 6 and 8 inches with more pressure and a wider response in frequencies.
Pros
- Neutral sound profile
- Consistent audio delivery
- Fantastic tuning options
- Excellent value
Cons
- Price bump from the previous model
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Conclusion
For my taste, it is quite clear. If you can stretch a bit in the budget, go for the Adam AX. Although they raise a little price, its value for money is great.
Now, if you are looking for a good pair of monitors at a more reasonable price, without a doubt your best options are the Alesis Elevate 5 MKII. It has given me very good results, and while you cannot afford to make the jump to Adam or some others of a higher level, it is a perfect intermediate option.
I hope I helped you choose the best study monitor for you. As always, if you miss any models or want to give your opinion, leave a comment! Thank you.