1. The quick list
2. Best for mixing
3. Best for production
4. Best under $100
5. Best under $500
6. Best compact
7. Best for guitar
8. Best for metal
9. Best for beginners
10. Best for DJing
11. Buying advice
12. How we test
Studio monitors are typically an expensive purchase, with prices for single monitors easily running into the thousands depending on where you look. We're not all made of money though, so for the cash-strapped mix engineer, we've picked out an all-encompassing selection of the best budget studio monitors available today.
There are a lot of choices out there in 2024 when it comes to cheap studio monitors, so we opted to place each of our top models into a handy category by use case or price, to make your decision easier. It's a fully-fledged selection too, as our expert writing team of musicians has reviewed countless pairs of studio monitors over the years. Each of these monitors has been tested in a variety of scenarios, whether that's playing back reference mixes or putting them through their paces during actual mixing, allowing us to get a good overview of how they perform.
If you're completely new to studio monitors, then we'd highly recommend checking out our buying advice section which features loads of common questions answered by our expert writing team here at MusicRadar. If you just want to see the best value-for-money studio monitors available today, then keep on scrolling...
The quick list
If you want to mix tracks on a budget, you'll need as big a speaker as possible and the M-Audio BX5-D3 delivers articulate sound through 5-inch woofers at a ridiculously low price.
Not everyone likes KRKs for mixing due to their bass-heavy tone, but if you're producing music and don't need a totally honest sound, there's little that competes at this price point.
Yep, you read that right. The PreSonus Eris E3.5s come in at below $100 for a pair, making them insane value for money. Don't let the price tag fool you, they sound phenomenal as well.
If you can stretch your budget a little further, the Adam Audio T5Vs will give you crystal-clear monitoring and excellent connectivity at a price well below the $500 mark for a pair.
We found that the Mackie CR3-XBT monitors hit that sweet balance between size and sound, making them a great value monitor for those who don't have much space to work in.
Thanks to their tiny size and all-encompassing frequency response, the IK Multimedia iLoud Micro is perfect for guitar players who want to get full-range sound with an amp modeler.
When mixing modern metal, much of the heaviness comes from the low-end rather than the guitars and drums. The Eris E5s with 5-inch woofers give you a full sound for heavy mixes.
Great for mixing in small rooms, the Alesis Elevate 5 MKIIs give you the perfect combo of size, sound, and value for money, making them perfect for the budding mix engineer.
The DM range is designed to bridge the gap between two sides of Pioneer DJ’s product line - DJ and studio gear. They let users go between ‘DJ’ and ‘production’ modes at the flip of a switch.
Best for mixing
We’re huge fans of the M Audio BX5 D3 series, for a number of reasons. While there are other speakers on this list that will double up as multimedia speakers, or stream from your mobile device, the BX5’s are designed specifically with reference monitoring in mind.
During our testing of the BX5 D3's, we found them to have an incredibly wide frequency range for the price you pay, as well as other useful first-timer features such as room correction - and even a nifty built-in LED light to ensure you have them set up at the right angle for your ears.
If you’re putting together a music studio on a budget, and are looking for speakers whose main aim is to provide clarity and accuracy when it comes to mixing and recording, then the M Audio BX5 D3 might just be the perfect set for you.
Read the full M-Audio BX5-D3 review
Best for production
Sitting at the top end of what we’d call the budget section are the KRK Rokit RP5 G4 studio monitors. Rest assured though, that the improvement in performance and sound reproduction from the ‘true’ budget speakers makes these definitely worth your attention.
From the wider frequency spectrum, meaning richer bass reproduction, through to the onboard EQ presented via an LCD screen at the rear of the speaker, these are serious speakers.
If we were being ultra-picky we’d gripe a bit at the master volume pot being located at the rear of the speaker, but that’s not uncommon. Overall, however, the KRK Rokit RP5 G4s make for a comprehensive package for any home studio enthusiast.
Read the full KRK Rokit RP5 G4 review
Best under $100
If your recording journey has started with you using headphones or the speakers in your laptop, the PreSonus Eris E3.5 will provide an instant upgrade. These affordable studio monitors offer a variety of connections, and the onboard EQ correction is superb to find at this price point.
The Eris E3.5 monitors pull a fairly reasonable amount of low-end out of the small 3.5" speakers, even with the LF range only extending as far as 80Hz. There is a lack of low-end clarity in certain areas, but as an upgrade from headphones or laptop speakers, the Eris 3.5's fit the bill happily.
During our review process, we found that the Eris' are not quite so capable at higher volumes. For a shade under $/£100 though, the quality is still exceptionally impressive - meaning that these monitors are well worth taking a chance on.
Read the full PreSonus Eris E3.5 review
Best under $500
If you can stretch your budget slightly further, a larger and more expensive speaker will deliver some serious benefits to the quality of your mixes. Coming in well below $500 for a pair, the Adam Audio T5Vs are a fantastic studio monitor for home studio work.
With a 5-inch woofer and Adam Audio’s ‘Unique Accelerated Ribbon Tweeter’, these speakers deliver a beautifully tuned top-end with a wide sweet spot for listening. The overall imaging is fantastic when you sit between a pair, and we loved the stereo separation. The low mids do feel slightly obscured, but this can remedied by adjusting the low-frequency EQ.
They’re quite deep speakers front to back, so not best suited to a compact setup. Overall the build quality is incredibly robust, and they certainly feel up to the task of regular home studio work. It’s a rear-ring bass reflex design, with all the controls on the back panel and strangely, a rear-mounted power LED light.
Read our full Adam Audio T5V review
Best compact
Mackie is a brand which is well known and well respected in studio circles. It’s built a solid reputation over the years for delivering quality gear at affordable prices, and that remit extends to their range of monitor speakers.
We found that the Mackie CR3-XBT monitors hit that sweet balance between price and performance, and offering a great selection of input options, including Bluetooth, with features like a wide frequency range and solid build quality, they have a multitude of uses for the modern producer and music listener.
During testing, the 3” main driver didn't particularly trouble the sub-bass end of the spectrum, but we were still impressed by the clarity and accuracy of a number of reference tracks we tested.
Read the full Mackie CR3 review
Best for guitar
Budget studio monitors don’t have to be large to produce a great sound. The IK Multimedia iLoud Micro monitors prove that, producing a clear, accurate sound from a small 3” driver. We like them so much that they also top our guide to the best small studio monitors.
We particularly liked the room-correcting EQ features at the back of the speakers too, which help if the location you have them situated is hindering the sound in any way. The choice of a 1/8” jack for an input makes them ideal for iPad or laptop producers, while the RCA inputs mean they can easily cope with record players, DJ mixers, or audio interfaces too.
Bluetooth inclusion is nice, and makes them versatile, but judged solely on their monitoring performance the iLoud Micro set is well worth your consideration. Don’t be put off by the size either; these things are capable of some serious volume.
Read the full IK Multimedia iLoud Micro review
Best for metal
The E5 BTs are Presonus’ largest entry into their mixed-use media monitor range. The Eris range has long been a quality choice for speakers that can span the divide between home listening, recording and production.
Although the name might make the E5s sound like they’re not much of a step up front the existing E4.5s, in actuality each E5 BT produces 50 Watts per speaker, considerably more than the 25 watts of the E4.5. The 5.25” LF driver also delivers much better bass extension with overall frequency response of 53Hz to 22kHz. What’s more, and this is something which is specific to the E5 BT, you also have a handy summed mono subwoofer output, making a 2.1 set-up very simple to achieve.
The BT here stands for Bluetooth. Connection is easy, and while we still wouldn’t recommend relying on a Bluetooth connection for your studio monitors, it’s great to have for secondary functions such as home-listening, gaming or podcasting.
Read the full PreSonus Eris E5 BT review
Best for beginners
At the budget end of the spectrum, there are certain concessions that have to be made versus more advanced models. Often, this comes in a reduction of the available frequency range and, more often, it’s bass that suffers.
The Alesis Elevate 5 MKII proves this point, but that doesn’t have to be a dealbreaker; the Japanese firm has included a dedicated bass boost switch for those moments when you are listening for pleasure, rather than for reference.
When we tested these with reference listening in mind, we found that the 40 watts that the 5" driver and 1" high-frequency tweeter kicked out were more than adequate when mixing in a smaller room - but not so much when we expanded into a larger space.
This will be no problem for the typical bedroom producer though, with the power on offer being more than enough for most. Overall, the Elevate 5 set performs well across a range of listening situations and would make a superb addition to any studio or gaming setup.
Read the full Alesis Elevate 5 MKII review
Best for DJing
Pioneer DJ are – unsurprisingly – primarily known as a DJ brand, but the past decade has seen the brand increasingly moving into production territory, releasing synths and samplers, as well as several sets of studio-focused monitors and headphones.
The affordable DM range is designed to bridge the gap between these two sides of Pioneer DJ’s product line. They achieve that via a mix of inputs – with RCA, mini-jack and TRS available – plus DSP-powered sound adjustment that lets users go between ‘DJ’ and ‘production’ modes at the flip of a switch. These BT models also add Bluetooth connectivity.
Naturally, you do pay for all of these features, so if you’re after monitors purely for studio use, there are cheaper options out there. But for home producers that also use their set-up for DJing or listening to club-focussed music, these are a solid choice.
Buying advice
What's the difference between studio monitors and speakers?
If you’re new to home recording or music production, you may be wondering how the best budget studio monitors in this guide differ from the killer high-end Bluetooth speaker you use to stream Spotify or Apple Music – we're talking about the likes of Sonos and Bose here.
Without wanting to sound too blunt, studio monitor speakers don’t exist for your listening pleasure. They aren’t designed to make your recordings sound good like the aforementioned ‘lifestyle audio’ brands. They are there to offer a point of reference for your music; if the audio you feed into them sounds good, your speakers will too. If not, you’ll soon find out. In short, monitors give you the truth, for better or for worse.
Regular speakers, from the aforementioned Bluetooth type, right up to your parent’s prized hi-fi set, are created differently. They are there to sweeten the audio they’re fed, either through gently boosting bass and treble frequencies or by applying other predefined EQ settings. What’s more, the choice - and age - of the speaker cone itself also has an impact.
Monitor - or reference - speakers differ in that they have no prior agenda. They operate with what’s known as a ‘flat-frequency response’, which means they produce the sound exactly as it’s received; in the producer’s case from either the digital audio workstation (DAW), instrument, or other source.
The benefit of this approach is simple, yet brings with it a ton of complexity. In theory, if you can make your mix sound balanced, clear, and accurate on a set of budget monitors, then you can be confident it will sound good on whatever speakers the end-user chooses. This could mean anything from a mobile phone or iPad to a car stereo, or even one of the best PA speakers in a club.
What should I know about budget studio monitors?
When you’re looking for a set of budget studio monitors, there are a few things you should keep in mind. First, you need to consider how you’ll connect them to your laptop, recorder, or other device. For many, an audio interface will be required. This connects to the laptop or PC via USB and provides connectivity for audio going in – instruments – and audio going out – monitor speakers. Studio monitors are mostly active, which means they employ their own amplification and require a power source to do this.
Connection-wise, most of the best studio monitors are generally hooked up to your device via USB, XLR, or by shielded ¼” jack cables – the shielding helps reduce the hum from nearby electrical equipment or lights. Finally, consider the size of speaker you’ll need. Most bedroom/home setups will find a set of 5” driver equipped nearfield monitors will more than cope with what you can throw at them, while larger studios may find they need something more substantial to fill the room properly.
Why should I buy a pair of budget studio monitors?
If you're new to the world of home production and recording, then a pair of budget studio monitors is really all that you need. Most budding producers just need to be able to hear their creations in a way that 'isn't too bad' - no more, no less. As you progress further, your ear will start to pick up new and different things that it didn't before, and that's when you need to think about the sound quality of your studio monitors. That doesn't mean you should buy better ones, though - more so exploring your budget pair and seeing how far you can push them. You'd be surprised at what they're capable of.
Budget studio monitors are also getting really, really good. Like most musical tech available, the quality of budget studio monitors has also vastly improved over the last few years. There's never been a better time to buy budget studio monitors if we're honest - with products from the likes of IK Multimedia, M-Audio, and Presonus all making a great impression on us for not a lot of money - both aurally and with regards to their build quality and looks.
How we test
Similar to regular studio monitors, budget studio speakers should also deliver a reasonably truthful and uncoloured sound so what you hear is what the mix actually delivers and you can mix accordingly and correctly.
We test studio monitors in exactly the same way, whether they're a budget pair or not. Our first step is always to play some of our favourite reference mixes through the pair at varying volumes to see how they fare. We'll listen for how the low-end is coming through, whether there is any mud in the midrange or any harshness at the top of the frequency spectrum. These reference mixes will be varied, taking into account beautifully mixed songs in genres from hip-hop and EDM to metal and progressive rock.
Next, we'll try some actual mix moves on them, taking whatever piece of music we're currently working on and balancing it from scratch on the new set of monitors. We'll then add various EQs and compression to further refine the mix, before moving to more creative effects like reverb and delay. All the while we'll be flicking back and forth between our current main monitor pair for mixing (typically a much more expensive set) to see how they compare against one another.
With studio monitors it's important to bed in with them over a period of time. Here, first impressions don't count for much because what you're really testing is the ability to make a mix that will translate on a variety of different systems. So it's only through a lot of back-and-forth testing that you can accurately determine whether or not a pair of studio monitors is up to the task of assisting you in crafting your mixes.
Read more about how we test music making gear and services at MusicRadar.
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