By Enti Bracamonte
Posted: February 4, 2022

Studio monitors versus Hi-Fi speakers. What’s the difference?

 
In a nutshell:

Studio monitors are supposed to produce neutral, as-is, ruler-flat sound, meaning that they are supposed to reproduce all frequencies with the same level of intensity (volume), rather than enhance sound by boosting or softening specific frequencies. In contrast, Hi-Fi speakers produce a tailored, more pleasing, sound by enhancing or softening specific frequencies.

Although I will not be discussing any technical aspects, here, such as speaker specifications, I will say that “ruler-flat” is just a theoretical aim, an ideal. In actuality, the frequency response curve of a studio monitor is never going to be a perfectly straight line, unless some kind of trickery, like DSP or measurement averaging, is used.

The reason I am partial to studio monitors is because they aren’t trying to sell me anything, they are simply doing what they are supposed to do: reproduce sound accurately. Let me re-word that for emphasis: Good studio monitors don’t sweeten the sound for you, they present it as it is.

The fact—on the other hand—that Hi-Fi speakers produce enhanced, tailored sound means that someone has decided for me what “good” sounds like. But what sounds good to you, may not sound so good to me.

My view is that recording, mixing, and mastering engineers have already gone to great lengths to deliver the sound the artist/producer intended and you should indeed be able to hear that intended sound if you so choose, especially if it means you will have the flexibility of a blank slate to build upon, if you prefer otherwise.

Unlike any set of studio monitors worth their salt, Hi-Fi speakers come with a built-in frequency response that may not be suitable for you for any number of reasons—not the least of which may be room acoustics.

If your listening space is not ideal for accurate music reproduction (e.g., perfectly square, tall ceilings, bare surfaces), the dips and peaks built into the frequency response of your Hi-Fi speakers will just be yet another problem to contend with.

Granted, studio monitors are not for everyone; they are purpose-built instruments, tools of a trade, and, for the most part, those who use them are aware of their characteristics. Some studio monitors, in fact, have frequency response curves that are not actually flat, for specific reasons. Famously, the Yamaha NS-10—now discontinued, I believe—had a bump in the mids that caused studio engineers to EQ in the opposite manner, which led to some desirable results.

There are many factors that require careful consideration when shopping for studio monitors. If you are starting from zero and would like to avoid the complication of a seemingly steep learning curve; if all you want is to close your eyes, relax, and listen to your favorite music; just go to the store, audition the speakers you think you are going to like, and take them home if they sound right to you. The only danger, if this is the route you are taking, may be the possibility of overpaying—but you wouldn’t be buying these speakers very often, would you?