Best portable studio monitors

Hey guys,

I’m gonna be quite a lot on the road for the next months and I already prepared my travelling setup. I’m just looking to buy some nice studio monitors which are small, easy to handle and light.
Would be very grateful if you can give me some tips on what to look for.
Thanks a lot!

Are you sure studio monitors are the best solution for this? I think that considering the amount of work it would take to set them up properly in every new space, a good set of headphones could be much more simple and consistent.

That’s what I do if I need to work away from home or studio anyway.

Yeah I have tried working with different portable speakers - the most compact and good sounding maybe being the iloud. But I agree with stormwave, I’d get a pair of headphones - I like the Akg q701 (as you may have seen in recent photos).

StormwaveAudio said

Are you sure studio monitors are the best solution for this? I think that considering the amount of work it would take to set them up properly in every new space, a good set of headphones could be much more simple and consistent.

That’s what I do if I need to work away from home or studio anyway.

Absolutely agree with you! My beyerdynamic dt 990 pro saving my mixes when i travel! You need to go shop where you can hear each of them, and choose yours! Test them! I was impressed when i heard my beyer’s in the shop! :slight_smile:

HD600 is really good headphones. I want tot get ones for making mixes and stuff. I have ATH-M50, but it’s closed back and it’s god for recording. I think open back headphones is better for critical listening and mixing.

JohnRosso said

HD600 is really good headphones. I want tot get ones for making mixes and stuff. I have ATH-M50, but it’s closed back and it’s god for recording. I think open back headphones is better for critical listening and mixing.

Yes! And open headphones also has wider stereo field!

I’ve been through the same thing putting together a mobile rig so I can record whilst travelling.

I started with some small Yamaha computer speakers which sounded awful but if the mix was good on them it seemed to travel well.

I then moved on to the JBL Control 2P which are self powered version of the Control 1. I found these a bit too coloured and quite heavy when travelling.

I’ve finally settled on the Genelec 8010 speakers which are incredible for their size. They lack the very bottom octave but you can check that on a good set of headphones. The midrange and sheer scale of the sound field you get from these are incredible, and I sometimes forget I am listening to the little Genelecs rather than my main Dynaudio monitors.

Plus they are only 1.5kg each and made of string aluminium so great for travelling.

Thanks a lot for your answers guys! I already own two pairs of decent monitor headphones which anyways will be with me, but I wanted to take some small monitors as well because I might have to present certain parts of my work to some people. I wont be doing any mixing and mastering on the road, that will wait till i get home.

Its just that I will work with some theater director and some actors and they will also need to hear stuff.

Thanks once again. I think I will check the Genelec Fresh Ears was mentioning. Cheers!

+1 on the genelces.

I have the big ones in the studio and the small ones for on the road.

Portable and small? Genelec - is the best option for you in my opinion. I would like to buy them too, but need some free money for them :slight_smile:

JumaStudios said

Hey guys,

I’m gonna be quite a lot on the road for the next months and I already prepared my travelling setup. I’m just looking to buy some nice studio monitors which are small, easy to handle and light.
Would be very grateful if you can give me some tips on what to look for.
Thanks a lot!

I would suggest you to take a good quality headphones rather then monitors. It is much easier and proper way(IMHO) for carry your mobile studio with you wherever you go.

Genelec. OneRepublic use some little genelecs for thie mobile hotel studios