What are studio monitors and how are they different from a powered speaker like the Ai41? In short, studio monitors are loudspeakers used for professional audio recording, mixing, and mastering. Does that mean that if you put a set in your home and hook them up to your turntable or home theater, you are going to have a better listening experience? Not really.

Both studio monitors and powered speakers designed for use in your home have clear differences, and each is suited for different uses. In this video, we will explain what those differences are, and in which scenarios you would want to use studio monitors.

Chapters
0:00 Intro
0:14 Aren't Studio Monitors Powered?
0:39 What are Studio Monitors?
1:43 What are Powered Speakers?
2:17 When should you use studio monitors and when should you use powered speakers?


BLOG: Powered Speakers vs. Studio Monitors: What’s the Difference?
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Fluance Music Systems (Ai41, Ai61, Fi70)
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Ai41 Powered 5" Stereo Bookshelf Speakers
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TRANSCRIPT:

Today we're going to answer the question: What's better: powered speakers or studio monitors?

First off, let's clarify what we mean when we say powered speakers. Yes, in nearly all situations, studio monitors are powered, so they are technically powered speakers. But for the sake of this video we're using the term to referer to a powered speaker used for home listening, like the Ai41.

Powered speaker vs studio monitor. Which is better? Neither. They're just different. To understand this difference you need to consider why you need them.

Studio monitors are used for things like audio recording and mastering. For studio use, you want a sound that does not hide any flaws. If there is a flaw in a recording, you want to hear it. Think of it like this, if you're creating a big, bassy song and you want to feel that low end hit you right in the chest, would you rather listen to it on a set of speakers that are tuned to add that low end, or would you rather listen to it on a studio monitor that will let you know whether or not that bass really kicks you in the gut? I would choose the latter, and that's what a studio monitor offers.

You can listen to a song in the car or on a phone afterwards to see how it plays in a real-world scenario, but in the studio, you want to listen to it with a speaker with a flat frequency response so it's true to life.

That isn't to say that a pair of powered speakers don't want a flat frequency response. You certainly don't want that frequency response graph all over the place. But it will be tuned in a way to add some personality and brightness to it, which isn't the case in a studio monitor.

On the flip side, powered speakers hide flaws and make the music sound as pleasing as possible. To that end, the speaker maker can also design their speaker with a specific use in mind. For example, a powered speaker designed for home theater use it may be tuned to add that low end so you can feel big explosions in movies. But a set of speakers designed for vinyl listening may favour a higher dynamic range. But in the end the goal is an enjoyable listening experience that sounds as good as possible.

When should you use studio monitors over powered speakers?

Studio monitors are the best option for mixing, editing, and mastering audio to a professional degree. There are no two ways about it. If you are a pro-level audio engineer, use studio monitors.

If you are a content creator like a hobbyist music maker or you create videos for Youtube, powered speakers can certainly work and work really well. If you are editing video or dabbling at home with your MPC at home, you can benefit from studio monitors, there's no doubt about it, but at that level, we wouldn't say they're essential.

For home theater and music listening, get a pair of powered speakers.

Speaking of powered speakers, check out one of these videos and learn more about our powered speaker offerings, or just more about home audio in general. And be sure to subscribe. Thank you everyone for watching and we'll see you next time.