Best 8 inch Studio Monitors Reviews + Buyer’s Guide
Studio monitors are made to play a realistic perception of the audio you record. Every little detail of your audio recording is heard, including any kind of misses and errors.
This shouldn't be seen as negative because the very purpose of a studio monitor is for you to hear your audio and find what improvements can be made in every aspect before playing it on a real high-grade speaker.
Apart from just highlighting the mistakes, you will also know what aspects of your audio need to be enhanced and what kind of tone sounds best on your audio. This is why a studio monitor becomes essential for anyone that is going to work with audio production of any kind.
To make sure that you only end up with a good model, I have researched and compiled a list of the best and new 8 inch studio monitors in the market.
Why do you need a studio monitor?
Many of them are not aware of studio monitors. But do you know? Studio monitors play an excellent role in mixing, audio recording, and mastering. They produce perfect and dynamic sound for your music. Its clear sound helps you to find the flaws in your music and perfectly correct them. Unlike standard speakers, it is best for extraordinary quality music.
Are you wondering why studio monitors are essential for professional audio production? Here are some of the reasons why you should have studio monitors.
Studio monitors comes with well-designed amps and drivers that can handle high-end sound operations and reliable distortion prevention. Yes, studio monitors keep your distortion away, ensuring you get a more accurate sound mix.
Standard speakers have low dynamic ranges, but studio monitors have high dynamic ranges with low audio intensity. It allows you to listen to the lowest intensity sounds with better mixes.
The advantage of studio monitors will fascinate you. Below we recommended the new studio monitors for you. Lets get into the list.
TOP 8 INCH STUDIO MONITORS
BEST 8 INCH STUDIO MONITORS REVIEW
1. JBL 308P MKII - BEST 8 INCH MONITOR SPEAKERS
JBL is very well known for making world-class audio systems. Unlike the regular speakers that deliver only artificial sounds, this studio monitor gives you the perfect raw sound that can be processed later. All this means studio monitors are more preferable to speakers, especially for studio work.
Getting back to the details of tis product. This monitor is designed to be compact and make optimal use of space. With the three series Mk II, you get incredible detail and imaging. It has a broad sweet spot, which means you can get the best possible sound even while off-axis.
A high-frequency (HF) and a low-frequency (LF) transducer come with this monitor, which means you get premium damping that results in a more efficient transient response. The linearity in the audio produces a deep bass record with minimal harmonic distortion. Something that stands out in this product is the modern boundary equalization (EQ).
The EQ restores neutral LF response when speakers are placed on the work surface and adjacent walls. There is a high level of visual appeal with a sleek, modern design coated with a glossy black finish. With such great features, it is clear that the Mk II is among one of the best 8 inch monitors.
JBL 8 inch monitor speakers are designed to deliver reliable performance, even when operating conditions push their limits. Before being approved for production, the 3 Series monitors go through the JBL power test. Each model should function without problems at maximum volume for 100 hours without any interruption.
JBL 3 Series monitors are ready to use for the most demanding productions right out of the box. The two integrated Class D power amplifiers are custom-designed for each transducer, and it provides a generous dynamic range for any project.
This 8 inch monitor speakers offers a wide listening area and neutral frequency response; the 3 Series monitors deliver a crystal-clear representation of your mix.
It offers both balanced XLR and 6.35 jack inputs with +4dBu / -10dBV input sensitivity which gives professional connectivity options that make setup easy.
If you are a JBL lover and want to get the most desirable studio monitor in the market. Don't delay.! Click the buy button below and buy your unique JBL 308P MKII now!
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2. YAMAHA HS8 - BEST STUDIO MONITORS FOR BASS
The Yamaha HS8 is a studio monitor with 2-way bass-reflex bi-amplification. The HS8 has a standard 8" cone woofer that is enhanced by a 1" dome tweeter. This studio monitor is designed to deliver your audio with complete accuracy. Thanks to the room control and frequency response, you can create an almost studio-level environment no matter where you are.
Yamaha HS8 monitoring speaker is an active genre speaker with a one-inch tweeter, an eight-inch woofer, and 120 Watts amplification. It powers and controls the ground-facing 8-inch diameter loudspeaker with passion and perfect control, offering a deep and lively bass without drag.
The 20cm speaker also benefits from a bass-reflex load with a front vent which facilitates the subwoofer's placement in the listening room. The high-grade audio quality that the speakers produce is enhanced even more with a well-engineered mounting system.
Every aspect of this 8 monitors is built to produce better sound, right from the screws to the sound-engineered mounting ring. These parts filter out unnecessary vibration and resonance, allowing the speaker to deliver its full sonic potential.
A feature that caught my eye would be the magnet selected to produce an accurate, solid low-end response. The tweeter frames are made with a smooth contour design to pick up high-frequency details with a remarkable sense of accuracy.
Yamaha HS8 box provided with a suitable connector, namely a pair of inputs/outputs stereo asymmetric XLR and a pair of inputs 6.35 mm stereo jack.
The key to the amazing sound produced is the advanced magnetic circuit design that has been beautifully integrated into this monitor. Such a well-designed model belongs to the list of the best 8 inch monitors.
PRODUCT DETAILS:
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3. KALI AUDIO LP-8 - BEST BUDGET STUDIO MONITORS
The Kali Audio LP-8 Studio Monitor produces an 85 dB continuous output at 2 meters. This studio monitor is designed to deliver clear sound with every detail of the mix heard loudly. You get Boundary EQ settings with the monitor to optimize the response you'll get depending on the kind of place you put it in.
The advanced waveguide and large voice coil, along with precision tuning, add transparency to the sound. The oversized low-frequency magnet and low noise port tube deliver a clean enhanced bass response. The speaker is made for convenience and has various input options.
With the LP-8, you get raw audio output, and nothing is boosted or suppressed to hide flaws in your tracks; this 8 monitors will help you get a clear picture of what can be improved.
LP-8 has both balanced features like XLR and TRS inputs and an unbalanced RCA input. Its Class D Power amplifier delivers clean, reliable power that's optimized to this speaker. This studio monitor has a high dynamic range and low distortion, which helps to keep the sound clear and free from distortion.
LP-8 delivers a huge voice coil and huge magnet than any speaker on the market. It gives you a more accurate bass sound that extends lower. So you can turn in precisely the low-end sound you need.
A 3D soundstage from a stereo pair of monitors is what I felt set the LP-8 from all the other models in the market. There is no doubt about the LP-8 fitting in with the best 8-inch studio monitors list with such great features.
PRODUCT DETAILS:
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4. KRK ROKIT8G4 - BEST HOME STUDIO MONITORS
KRK Rokits have a history of being among the best in the market, and the fourth generation is no different. The Rokit 8 G4 is made with a pro-grade design that produces low-distortion. You get an extremely efficient Class D power amp that has a built-in brick wall limiter.
The inbuilt optimized high-frequency waveguide produces a wide, deep, dynamic sweet spot. Incredible imaging seems to be the signature of this monitor. The low-resonance enclosure and front-firing port produce an amazing low-end response and have a straightforward speaker placement.
The Rokit 8 G4 features a cutting-edge DSP that will make any environment studio-like. You can get the best perception thanks to the LCD EQ visual. Every aspect of the monitor can be remotely accessed on the KRK app. If you're keen on protecting your monitor, you can get a faceplate with a protective metal grill as well.
The strong and durable Kevlar drivers ensure low-distortion sound reproduction across the entire frequency range. The enclosure is designed to reduce any unwanted resonance to give an accurate high-end performance.
The front-firing port provides amazing bass output. It can be placed close to any kind of object without any reduction in low-frequency response. All of these factors combined make it one of the best 8 inch studio monitors.
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5. MACKIE MR SERIES - BEST STUDIO MONITORS FOR GAMING
The MR824 comes with an 8" polypropylene woofer and is further enhanced by a 1" silk-dome tweeter to give you premium quality clarity and transient response. This best 8 studio monitor uses Mackie's logarithmic waveguide system, which drastically reduces diffraction and reflections to produce an enhanced stereo imaging audio and a large sweet spot.
The acoustic alignment is precisely engineered to deliver a balanced frequency response. The Acoustic Space switch and High Freq filter allow you to customize the settings to suit you. The all-wood cabinet is something that really caught my eye.
The MR824 comes with an adjustable acoustic space control feature along with a boost/cut filter to perfectly record and play your highs. These controls allow you to fine-tune your frequency response to your room and speaker placement. It has a cutting-edge crossover built-in, and this enables you to dial it in to match your monitors perfectly.
Don't worry, and you can listen to your music without it as well. All you have to do is bypass the subwoofer and built-in crossover with the easy-to-use footswitch. You can say without any hesitation that it is one of the best 8 inch studio monitors in the market.
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6. BEHRINGER 8 MONITOR
Behringer makes some of the best 8 inch studio monitors in the market that fit everyone's budget. These monitors are easy to customize, thanks to the B2031A's room compensation switches. You will also find it easy to control the bass. Something that I found to be worth mentioning is the high-frequency response it gives.
This monitor uses a maximum of 265 watts of power. The unit comes with a ferrofluid-cooled tweeter, so you don't have to worry about it overheating even after long durations of use. With this unit, all mixes are heard loud and clear.
The B2031A uses proprietary waveguide technology to give you wide yet controlled dispersion. With this kind of technology, you get a wide sweet spot for mixing. It also has cutting-edge room compensation technology.
With that technology, you'll be able to customize the B2031As according to your environment, even if you have to position them in less than ideal locations.
PRODUCT DETAILS:
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7. ROCKVILLE DPM8B 8 STUDIO MONITOR
The Rockville DPM8 has a design that is good enough to put it along with the best 8 studio monitors. These speakers are separate units. Each speaker is bi-amped, which means you get one amp for the highs, and another for the lows.
These speakers have the ability to produce 300 watts of peak output power and withstand 150 watts of continuous power. The Rockville DPM8B comes with a flat frequency curve. All of these factors make them the perfect studio monitors.
This monitor uses an ADAU 1701 Digital Sound Processor (DSP) for audio processing and TPA3116 for amplification. These are advanced cutting edge best in class circuit design that gives you a performance like no other. These components are customizable and allow you to tweak them towards your needs with the soft programing on a computer during the design stage to give your mix the perfect tone.
The integrated circuits are made by some of the best available brands like ADI and TI. Ferrofluid keeps your 1.5" neodymium silk dome tweeters cool. A metal grill protects it from any kind of damage during usage.
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8. PIONEER DJ MONITOR, 8 INCH
The Pioneer studio monitor uses a highly rigid medium density fiberboard (MDF) for its enclosure and bass reflex ducts. This drastically increases the reliability, and the woofers are made out of high-quality aramid fiber cones and have soft dome tweeters integrated within the magnetic fluid.
This best 8 studio monitors features a porthole that was engineered with grooves. The soft dome tweeters are placed in the middle of a convex diffuser to get the best possible output while dispersing the sound energy in both left and right directions, which results in wider imaging. A highly efficient Class AB amplifier drives the speakers in a bi-amp configuration to power the tweeters and woofers separately.
Something that I feel is really good about these studio monitors is that they are highly compatible with any kind of device. This is possible because of the diverse range of input options available. All in all, it is safe to say that the Pioneer studio monitor is among the best 8 inch studio monitors.
PRODUCT DETAILS:
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BUYERS GUIDE FOR 8 INCH MONITOR
Price
Many people will think that they need to look for higher-priced options to get a quality product. But, this isn't really necessary; some of the best 8 studio monitors cost under $200. It doesn't mean you should choose the cheapest option; on the other hand, you don't need to break the bank to get an excellent set of studio monitors.
Monitor size
You should choose the monitor size depends on how much space you have. Maybe some of them have limited space on their desk to place studio monitors; smaller speakers will work better for them. If you have huge space to mount them, you can go for more prominent speakers. It would be best to think about how you will configure them to produce the best sound. Choosing the monitor size is up to you.
Frequency range
It is essential to pay attention to the frequency range of any speaker that interests you to ensure that it can handle the entire frequency range of your recordings. Most of the recording requires a frequency range like 50 kHz to 20 kHz. So it is essential to consider this criteria.
Power
It will be essential to consider the number of watts of your speakers. Because larger rooms will require more power to bring sound to every corner of the room. For small spaces like a home office, you won't need more watts.
Connections. Whenever you are purchasing studio monitors, make sure the speakers offer connections compatible with your other equipment. Studio Monitors generally have RCA, ¼", TRS, XLR, or S / PDIF connectors. Some have balanced inputs and unbalanced inputs, or both.
Active monitors vs Passive monitors
Active monitors have a built-in amplifier, and it has an active crossover instead of a passive one. Nowadays, active monitors are top-rated for those who want to make home recordings. All you have to do is connect your monitor to your DAW or mixer, and now you are good to go. Active monitors will save your money for a long period, and you don't want to buy multiple different components. The amplifier built into an active monitor is specially designed to work with the other features of the speaker.
On the other hand, passive monitors do not have a built-in amplifier and require a separate amplifier. Passive monitors still have many advantages because they allow for greater versatility. Professional studios often use them because they can buy specific amplifiers to suit their needs. When you can use a separate amp, you have more control over the sound and its settings.
CONCLUSION
There are a lot of choices for 8-inch studio monitors in the market. All of these models have their own benefits and shortcomings. So it can be hard to determine which one is the right choice for you to pick. You should consider a number of factors like flexibility, great design, and sound quality before making your choice.
Researching that kind of information can be time-consuming and take a lot of effort from you, which is why I have saved you the trouble of doing so. I put together a list of the top 8 studio monitors. All you have to do this go through the list, note down the pros and cons, and determine which model has the right combination to cater to your needs perfectly.
