Best Budget Studio Monitors Under £200 That Don't Suck - 2022

We’ve rounded up the best budget studio monitors here at PMT to prove that you don’t have to spend thousands to get a good studio sound. As far as home studios or even professional studios go for that matter, studio monitors are probably the most important piece of kit you’ll need – aside from talent that is! Fortunately, thanks to the rise of the home studio enthusiast, brands have made professional quality studio monitors widely available to those on a tighter budget. The good thing is, although the cost may be lower than expected, the quality is still sky-high offering you the best sound possible. If you’re in the market for a set of cheap studio monitors for your studio or home recording set up, you’re in luck as there’s plenty out there that’ll do the job nicely. So, today we’ve put together a list of the top 10 best budget studio monitors that prove you don’t have to fork out a load of cash to get a decent mixing studio up to pro-level standards.

Our first pick for this list is our favourite, because as well as being some of the sweetest sounding monitors around, you can actually get a pair for under £200 with the Trumix AR5s - in fact, you can even get the AR7 pair for under £200 if your room calls for it. 

SO, WHY SHOULD I CHOOSE THESE BUDGET STUDIO MONITORS?

The Trumix range boasts professional quality features on a budget - so no matter if you're an aspiring producer, DJ, editor, or broadcaster, you'll appreciate the attention to detail given to the crafting of these monitors.

With a 55Hz-20KHz frequency response and a combined 55W of power from the analog amplifiers, these monitors perform well above their price range. They have a maximum SPL of 106dB, and thanks to the gain and HF adjustment controls you can tweak them for the space you're using to ensure they always deliver the most crisp and detailed sound.

They have a host of connectivity options, so whether you require XLR, TRS or RCA connections, the AR5 has you covered - ideal for all professional installations where versatility is invaluable and reliability is king.

Mix with confidence with Trumix monitors, and never compromise on your music again.

The RCF Ayra PRO5 Studio Monitor is a great option that stands firmly as one of the best budget studio monitors available on the market today. Partnering a budget-friendly price tag with high quality, studio worthy sound is something the team at RCF have excelled at here as these speakers give you a whopping 200 watts of power as well as an accurate tonal balance for way under £200.

SO, WHY SHOULD I CHOOSE THESE BUDGET STUDIO MONITORS?

We love the RCF Ayra PRO5 Studio Monitor as they’re way under the £200. At just over £120 these budget studio monitors still manage to deliver a powerful sound that studio owners of all levels will appreciate. The 6.5" Composite Fiberglass Woofer offers up all the tight low-frequency response and the 1" ferrofluid-cooled Soft Dome tweeter ensures all your high-end frequencies are taken care of without any of that horrible resonance or clipping creeping in. These cheap studio monitors certainly don’t suck as they benefit from some really smart design features like the 4 two high power, low distortion class-D true active amplifiers. They also have internal limiters in place so you're free to push the volume as hard as you want. The 0-degree phase response feature allows you to place the monitor in different mixing environments so you can get the best sound possible whether you’re mixing, mastering or recording tracks. Great for small to mid-size studios. Shop all RCF Ayra Monitors.

The M-Audio BX3 Monitor Pair is another option that allows you to pick up a pair of monitors within your budget. They're stylish, compact, and easy-to-install, so they're perfect for beginners or enthusiasts who don't want to break the bank.

SO, WHY SHOULD I CHOOSE THESE BUDGET STUDIO MONITORS?

These monitors are some of the best-priced available on the market, and M-Audio products are always built to a high-standard with quality components that will last.

They utilise 3.5-inch Black Kevlar low frequency drivers alongside 1-inch natural silk dome tweeters, and they also boast a new computer-optimised tweeter waveguide for precise imaging.

High and Low EQ controls allow you to dial in the perfect sound for your environment, and they also have a host of connectivity options that make setting up a breeze.

In terms of output power you can expect 120W (total peak) and 2 x 25W (RMS), and the cabinets are designed with acoustic performance in mind - so you can expect smooth lows and punchy mids that outperform others in this price bracket.

Next up we’ve got the Presonus Eris E5 Active Studio Monitor delivers exceptionally accurate representations of your audio and is an ideal option for producers, DJs and musicians on a budget. For just over £100, you get all the control you need and extensive acoustic tuning controls.

SO, WHY SHOULD I CHOOSE THESE BUDGET STUDIO MONITORS?

The Presonus Eris E5 Active Studio Monitors are some of the best studio monitors under £200, and even some of the best studio monitors regardless of price as they offer accurate bass mids and highs as well as a smooth and accurate frequency response. The team at Presonus have spent time developing a special weave within the Eris E5’s five-inch woofer which breaks up reflected energy for a more constant dispersion and cleaner sound overall. They offer powerful Class AB amplification with a load of headroom left to spare. In addition, you also have the extensive tuning controls on the rear of the monitor. The three-position Acoustic Space switch allows you to adjust the monitors and compensate for the boundary bass boost that can sometimes occur when a monitor is placed near a wall or near a corner – ideal for mixing in a wide range of different environments.

The Yamaha HS5 Active Studio Monitor has long been considered one of the most accurate nearfield monitors in this price range, providing small studio owners and home recording enthusiasts with amazing value for money and, most importantly, accurate sound.

SO, WHY SHOULD I CHOOSE THESE BUDGET STUDIO MONITORS?

These Yamaha monitors are some of the best budget studio monitors as they are based on the industry standard NS-10M monitor speakers. They provide similar detail and accuracy but in a far more convenient active enclosure – and they’re a lot cheaper too! A 54Hz - 30kHz frequency response ensures all styles of music are catered for and the newly designed transducers deliver exceptionally clear, natural and detailed sound. For those with boxy or more bass heavy rooms, you’ll appreciate the ability to cut the low frequency response by -2dB or -4dB – ideal for those with smaller rooms. In addition, a High Trim gives you the power to Boost or Cut the higher frequencies at 2kHz if your room is quite bright. Available in Black or White.

 If you’re a producer constantly on the move or you’re mixing in different rooms from time to time you’ll love the KRK ROKIT RP5 G4 Active Studio Monitor.

SO, WHY SHOULD I CHOOSE THESE BUDGET STUDIO MONITORS?

We think it’s one of the best budget studio monitors thanks to the fact you can tailor the speaker to your exact room size. This is made possible by the 25 visual Graphic EQ settings accessed through the LCD display – this feature in conjunction with the included KRK App means you can measure your room acoustics in realtime and make instant adjustments. This takes into account any sweet spots and problem areas so you get the best sound possible. These 4th generation KRK ROKIT studio monitors have been redesigned from the ground up and include a new front-firing port that provides better low-end extension and punch. A 5.25" Kevlar Aramid Fibre woofer and 1" Kevlar Aramid Fibre tweeter have been built in so you can enjoy every aspect of the 43Hz - 40KHz frequency response. Finally, the KRK RP5 G4 now features a Combi XLR / 1/4" Jack opening up a world of connectivity options.

If you’re an aspiring producer, you’ll know all about the Adam Audio A7X studio monitor speakers, but they’ll also know that they’re not exactly budget friendly. With that in mind, the team at Adam Audio have taken most of the many important features from the high-end S series monitors (which retail at upwards of £1500) and transferred that technology into the new ADAM T5V and ADAM T7V. Both of these studio monitors share the same U-ART tweeters and folded ribbon technology found in their higher end monitors, so you get crystal clear, accurate sound and high-res recording and mixing.

SO, WHY SHOULD I CHOOSE THESE BUDGET STUDIO MONITORS?

The 5” woofer and rear firing bass port on the Adam T5V (pictured) provide massive sound, and the 45 Hz – 25 kHz frequency response ensures you’re all set for all styles of music. We think these are some of the best budget studio monitors thanks to the inclusion of the precision waveguide used in the Adam Audio S Series monitors.  You’re getting an absolute bargain here with these monitors as they sound just like the higher end Adam Audio monitors but don’t come with the higher end price tag!

If you love the Yamaha HS series studio monitors but you need to step up your game from the 5's, then the Yamaha HS7 Active Studio Monitor is the logical next step.

SO, WHY SHOULD I CHOOSE THESE BUDGET STUDIO MONITORS?

This version comes loaded with a 6.5” cone woofer and 1" dome tweeter as well as an extended 43Hz - 30kHz frequency response. In addition, the team at Yamaha have built the HS7’s with a new transducer that provides a clearer, more detailed yet entirely natural sound, so you hear exactly what you’re supposed to. We think these are some of the best cheap studio monitors that will actually suit pro-level set ups as they also feature a 60 watt LF plus 35 watts HF bi-amp system which means you get a total of 95 watts pumping out! Finaly, the Room Control and High Trim response controls are a welcome addition. The Room Control allows you to cut the low frequency response by -2dB or -4dB cutting that unwanted ‘boom’ that can sometimes creep in whilst the High Trim lets you Boost or Cut the high frequencies at 2kHz to compensate. A wide and consistent sound coverage also ensure you’re not chained to one spot on your desk whilst mixing – ideal for any size studio. Available in Black and White.

The penultimate entry into our best budget studio monitors, the PreSonus Eris XT Series is available in a variety of sizes starting from £118 per monitor.

SO, WHY SHOULD I CHOOSE THESE BUDGET STUDIO MONITORS?

Flexible connectivity and acoustic tuning control mean these monitors will fit into your existing set-up seamlessly. Boasting a wide sweet-spot with EBM (Elliptical Boundary Modeled) waveguide technology as well as bass that reaches as low as 48Hz, the Presonus Eris XT series is an update to a classic studio monitor.

The low-frequency driver offers a clean and punchy bass sound that can be modelled with Low, Mid and High-cut controlling to suit your studio space, and the additional tuning configurations mean that the sonic consequences of imperfect spaces can be refined to perfection.

The budget-friendly E5 model offers 80 Watt, Class AB bi-amplification capable of driving up to 102 dB of sound through its ported enclosure, ensuring crystal-clear sound and the tight low-end that producers crave, and is also available as a pair here.

The ADAM Audio A3X Active Studio Monitor may be the smallest of the AX-Series speakers, but don’t let their size fool you – these are extremely powerful studio monitors ideal for studios of all sizes.

SO, WHY SHOULD I CHOOSE THESE BUDGET STUDIO MONITORS?

We think these are some of the best studio monitors as they offer superb sound, control and portability without breaking the bank. Thanks to the smaller size, these monitor speakers will fit neatly into any compact studio and can be easily transported should you need to take your studio mobile. These are capable of pushing out frequencies between 60 and 50,000Hz, so all styles of music and audio are covered whilst the 2” X-ART Ribbon tweeter technology offers superb high frequency reproduction and response that traditional neodymium tweeters simply can’t achieve. There’s a useful ‘Stereolink’ feature which has been designed to integrate wit your DAW and thanks to the additional input and output jacks for the second stereo channel you can control the volume for both monitors via one loudspeaker. However, the volume control of the other monitor affects its own volume so you can compensate for differences in listening distance. There’s also dedicated EQ controls on each speaker so you can make necessary changes based on your environment. 

Shop a full range of studio monitors over at PMT Online today or call in to your local PMT store to speak to one of our studio and PA