"An honest pair of compact, affordable monitors that are easy to set up": KRK Systems Kreate 5 review review

What is it?

KRK Systems has earned a reputation as one the most consistent studio monitor manufacturers, with its instantly recognisable yellow cone monitors regularly seen across the globe. Both its Rokit and V Series ranges have gradually developed over time alongside a solid selection of subwoofers and headphones. Meanwhile in recent times the GoAux series has provided two ultra portable designs.

Kreate is KRK’s new competitively priced range and features three models - Kreate 3, Kreate 5 and Kreate 8. The Kreate 3s are available as a pair (£169), and the Kreate 5 and Kreate 8 individually (£149 and £229 per speaker respectively).

The Kreate 5 we have for review is a 2-way rear ported powered monitor. It features a 5” LF unit and 1” HF unit. Rear audio connectivity is both balanced (TRS or XLR) and unbalanced (RCA phono). The Kreate 5 also supports Bluetooth, and you’ll find the blue backlit pairing button just above the RCA inputs.

Kreate 5 is powered by regular mains with the illuminated KRK logo indicating they are powered up. Each unit includes twin onboard amps - Class D for LF and Class A/B for HF - with precision limiters. On the back panel you’ll find the System Level control alongside HF Level (+1dB, flat, -1dB, -2dB) and LF Level (+2dB, flat, -1dB, -2dB) adjustment.

Unlike some of the smaller monitors, such as KRK’s own GoAux, each Kreate 5 unit is self-contained, with the compact size making them suitable for a more modest surround setups. That said, with no mounting threads, you’ll need to choose clamp-style wall mounts.

Performance

Kreate K5 is a very straightforward and traditional design. What’s more, with the bass port on the back, it’s very compact - 26cm tall, including the 4mm factory fitted foam isolation pad. It’s also good to see a proper selection of inputs, and worth noting, you can use the unbalanced input and one of the balanced connections simultaneously. Once paired, the Bluetooth connection can also be used simultaneously, so you can stream from a mobile device without upsetting your main studio feed. Handy.

The EQ options are simple to use with the notched knobs making matching each side very easy, even if you’re reaching over the speakers to adjust them. Setting the level meanwhile is assisted by the detented knob. Although there are no specified EQ frequencies, the frequency curve indicates changes from about 2kHz upwards (HF) to 300Hz downwards (LF). Either way, the changes are gentle, and don’t attempt the more drastic room and desk correction we sometimes see.

With the EQ flat, our first impressions are very positive. There’s a slight overall sweetening, which is more noticeable in the high frequencies. And the mid-range is not as upfront as many monitors. This achieves an overall tonality that sits between a traditional monitor and a listening-tuned hi-fi design. Meanwhile, the smooth tweeter waveguides help deliver a broad sweet spot. Taking a look at the response curve reveals a small dip centred on 3kHz, a small boost centred on about 15kHz, and a gradual tail off in the lows with the -10dB point just below 50Hz. In use, we noticed the low frequency tail off from about 56Hz downwards.

The rear bass port design means the Kreate 5 works best a little distance away from the back wall. The EQ does offer some help in reducing low-frequency build-up from corners and walls, but is not drastic. Even so, we positioned them about 30cm from the rear wall (not a corner) and found the -1dB LF setting sufficed. The HF EQ, meanwhile, allows some tweaking for taste.

Verdict

Overall, it would be great if the Kreate 5 had a little more LF EQ flexibility, even though it’s not a deal breaker. If you’re after an honest pair of compact, affordable monitors, these are easy to set up, offer flexible connectivity and work very well for production and more general listening duties.

Alternatives

PreSonus Eris 5BT: £219 at musicradar.com

These very compact monitors performed well in testing and offer features similar to those of the Kreate 5.

Read the full PreSonus Eris 5BT review

Yamaha HS5: £135 at Yamaha Music London

No Bluetooth option, but solid performance from this well-established Yamaha monitor.

Read the full Yamaha HS5 review

Specifications