Poly FRFR VS Studio Monitors (Best choice for a tight budget)

Get your Mackie monitors here -
3" driver - amzn.to/2O4HAQI
6" driver - amzn.to/2ydpUHP
In this video, I put the Mackie Thump up against a pair of Mackie MR6 mk3 studio monitors. When you're on a budget and you want the best product for the money, this shootout will be very helpful and revealing.
This is a video showing how to pick the right monitor for your kemper, helix, axe-fx, headrush when you are on a tight budget.

[@AzimApurbo]

This is a SUPERB concept and I agree with it wholeheartedly. Thank you.

[@TyQuinn]

Excellent content and I agree with all points. One comment regarding the production of the video itself, I would definitely appreciate if the interstitial/title cards had audio that was mixed to a more similar level to the rest of the video. If you are listening on a good playback system (rather than tinny laptop speakers) the level difference is HUGE! Everytime it cut to a title card I had to jump up quickly to turn it waaay down. And then have to turn it back up once you started speaking again

[@BlueBarrier782]

Greatly appreciate this. I have two older Rockit 5s (G3 I think) just for simple mixing, but I was thinking of getting an frfr speaker. This convinced me to stick with some monitors.

[@anglang7282]

Sound shit 5 inch monitor forget!!

[@ced4589]

Thanks man, got myself a Axe fx 3 and a helix Line6 FrFr cab. Was mortified at how dead it sounds when compared to most YT videos. Going to switch to a decent pair of monitors.

[@jonathanprice1507]

Thanks for this video. It's convinced me to go for a pair of monitors. They will also be more useful for mixing. One point to bear in mind though. Driver size is crucial for frequency response, not just volume. 3" drivers would struggle to reproduce bass convincingly. I play 8 string, I think I'll need at least 6" drivers to accurately produce low E (41hz). Keep up the helpful videos. Subscribed!

[@HeavyInstinct]

As an 8 string player you do have more reason for concern. However the low E string on a typical 6-string guitar is only about 83 hz. While they wouldn't be my first choice, well-designed studio monitors with even a 3 in woofer should be able to handle this frequency at least at lower volumes. 41 Hertz would actually be the frequency produce by the low E string on a BASs guitar.

[@grilledspaghetti]

Thanks for saving me some cash. I'm getting a Headrush MX5 and wanted to get a powered FRFR when I already have a good set of monitors catching dust.

[@justinTime077]

*LOL* MY MAN you really made me laugh at the end. I totally relate to what you just demonstrated there.

[@-Thunder]

Saved me a bunch of money. I just got into amp sim and didn't consider that I already have a couple sets of reference monitors here. If you're recording that's your final sound anyhow. And you want a good set of reference monitors anyhow.

[@WholeLottaBulldog]

These are valid points. I can attest to all of this. Good shit man

[@TONEWARSgearshow]

Thank you!!!

[@phi2771]

Thanks for this video! I always assumed that powered pa speakers would cover the full spectrum of tones that a electric guitar player with amp and FX modeling processors need..Now I know why my tone sounds great through my headphones, but awful through my Behringer 12s. I'll be checking out some studio monitors. Thanks

[@mikeaustin4138]

I have an Atomic Reactor 50-watt FRFR powered (50-watt 6L6) and a Laney IRT-X that I use with my Headrush. The Atomic is definitely wood; not sure about the Laney, but they both sound really good (to me) and I bought each of them used for < $300. I've also played out of my JBL LSR 305 (which sounded much better than the equivalent Mackies at Guitar Center), which I thought sounded great until I got the Laney and Atomic FRFRs. I'll be getting a pair of Kali Audio LP-6s this week. I will definitely run my Headrush through them to see how they sound.

[@hiteshchand]

Excellent advice ✌️

[@DadRockProject]

I got a pair of $40 desktop speakers with my Pod Go plugged into a Scarlett and sounds great. Just gonna upgrade my speakers at some point. But I also plug my Pod Go right into the PA at church and sounds nearly the same through my in-ears and at home.

[@Benp9248]

Im liking the studio monitors for sure. Ill be going yamaha hs8 monitors. Have u tried those dude. Anyway top video. Im only jamming and making songs at home so this suits me fine.

[@F3502000]

You instantly won me over with that beautiful kitty!

[@scottw6328]

Great video. Question, do you use a sub woofer with your desktop monitors?

[@MIGHTYIRONBEARD]

Say I have a Mooer micro preamp with cab-sim. Would I need any sort of interface between the preamp and the powered monitors?

[@alanp6980]

Hi! yeah i noticed the same.. I got small genelecs monitors that sound amazing at home.. But what studio monitors do you recommend for playing with a band in a rehearsal room with a drummer?... Need some beefy tones that can keep up.. :)

[@andy4730]

Did you run it straight to the monitors or are you going through a computer and/or mixer?

[@paul.m633]

hello can i use rokit 5 for my helix as my monitor? how's the difference between krk rokit vs frfr? thank you

[@larryjeffryes6168]

I like your criteria for sound objective evaluation. But I need to know the breed details on the cat. It has to factor in. After listening to the rest, I like the part about placement flexibility too.

[@TONEWARSgearshow]

He's kind of a mix of everything with a hint of Tasmanian devil

[@robertclarkguitar]

I'm stuck trying to figure out how to use equipment I already have. Truth 2020a monitors 6.5s self powered tunable wooden cabinet studio monitors that are just amazing. I used with my keyboard each plugged directly into the back of my Moxf6 keyboard. No issues and killer clean sound. Now I've moved to guitar. I have a PC but I do not have the power to run a bunch of stuff out here in my camper. I've been using Boss gt1 processor and having to use the headphone out into a set of regular 2.1 PC media speakers headphone out of the Gt1 which sounds great at min volumes. My question is, before I drag them monitors out of storage would I be able to plug them direct into the Gt1? I have a left and right out I think on the Gt1 ...Also I am dying to buy a nice ambient reverb and hope to be able to tie it into the system but am afraid of I do that will no be able to go through the monitors....just lost.

[@danc3746]

This man speaks the truth, all you need are studio speakers if you are looking for an inexpensive way to use your Helix or Kemper. Although I will say the Line 6 units sound better out of a powered source then the Kemper imo, I still like the Kemper Powered Head out of a real cabinet. I recently picked up a JBL 305p mii 5" speaker to try it with my Pod Go and its sounded fantastic. I was using a power amp previously with the Pod Go into a real cab using preamps only. But now using powered studio speakers opened up a whole new world for my Pod Go in being able to choose full amps, cabs and mic options. Plus the full amps do sound much better then preamps. Ill still send my Kemper through a 2x12 cabinet and use that for gigs, but the Line 6 stuff will get the powered speakers, I am purchasing another one soon to get it going in stereo.

[@givemeajackson]

awww your kitty enjoys your playing

[@metelway]

Thanks much for this great choice, I subscribed now and Im new follower.. hehe. Nice info

[@TONEWARSgearshow]

Thank you!!!

[@kevgh3869]

I agree. Thanks for the info. Do you have a favorite monitor?

[@emiliobertoli]

You have a new sub for the cat ❤️

[@aaronjohansson001]

Hey what if I wanna take my blackstar id core v3 10 watt and run it through a bigger speaker? It uses a software called architect and I wanted to know if 1- if I get Bigger speakers will the sound from blackstar architect become louder and 2- would I need a power amp to run it through an external speaker cab? Not sure if this makes sense but I figured I'd try. Subscribed!!!

[@michalmikolajmaslowski3994]

Great video, Jarrod! Loved the blanket analogy, and yes, the MR6 mk3 sound notably better even with prevalent YT compression. Cheers!

[@TONEWARSgearshow]

Thank you!! Good to hear from you

[@guyfromnj]

I've been using a headrush frfr 12inch for the helix and I knew I had to of made a mistake in buying it because I get better results going into the fx return of a combo amp. The headrush frfr really doesn't do justice to the helix or any modeler in my opinion. I am going to buy some monitors immediately.

[@luizdiaz5196]

Any specific connection needed?

[@markk9184]

Plastic monitors are good for one thing ....recycling, keep dull sound out of the environment! Floored by the difference. Excellent video! I don't get the thumbs down....

[@TONEWARSgearshow]

AMEN BROTHER!!! they ALL sound DULL. I tried a Headrush frfr at a store today and it was a JOKE! Dull, hollow and no ballz. They should be labeled PRDR Plastic range Dull response

[@luizdiaz5196]

Great video! Presonus eris e3.5 any good for modelers?

[@chris_and_music]

Thanks for the advice! May i ask if you have experience using the Yamaha HS05 for playing guitar? I'm planning on buying those, or a Headrush FRFR108, im still deciding (i will use it only for home practice)

[@TONEWARSgearshow]

Sorry, I've had no experience with that product

[@liulukkey6524]

Hello Any suggestions for monitors for kemper?krk vxt is expensive to me,so i’m looking for some other options,thank you!

[@TONEWARSgearshow]

The Mackie mr6 work well especially for affordable monitors

[@willman100]

Thanks. What’s about using a high end PA speaker enclosed in a Baltic birch wooden cabinet?

[@TONEWARSgearshow]

Good question. I think that would also sound good

[@willman100]

@@TONEWARSgearshow. I tried a high end 10” PA Speaker with a Baltic Birch cabinet. Still sounded crappy as an FRFR. Sounded like it was very distant, similar to too much reverb. I guess a PA speaker is still a PA speaker. Doesn’t cut it for me.

[@copykon]

I just buy the best things for the job, even if I have to save for awhile. I prefer monitors

[@theo1540]

Hello, i have a pair of adam t5v and i've couple it with a headrush mx5. when i plug the headphones in the mx5 it sounds killer but when i plug the monitors directly from the mx5 it sound a little different, a little sterile. What should i do? (signal route: guitar - mx5( as audio interface) - directly into pair of adam t5v connected via xlr).

[@TONEWARSgearshow]

The sound that you are getting out of the studio monitors should be correct. Maybe check your output settings on your Headrush?

[@theo1540]

@@TONEWARSgearshow Thanks for the reply. I fixed the problem very easily. I just bought the york audio mesa OS IR and now the tone im getting from studio monitors is badass.

[@Kjhd9987hy]

Just bought a tonex and gonna run it though my presonus powered monitors.

[@stuffwithjon]

In the description you recommended the Mackie cr3 monitor pair as an option. are the cr4 and cr5 objectively better?

[@TONEWARSgearshow]

They'll have a little bit more bass response in a little bit bigger sound.

[@stuffwithjon]

@@TONEWARSgearshow thanks for the response! One more question: how should i connect the multifx board to these active studio speakers? Should i use the trs cable stereo out or the xlr-stereo out?

[@HeavyInstinct]

When it comes to the "practicing at home" type situation, this is pretty much a no-brainer. The real question is: how does one deal with a band rehearsal/live gigging type situation on a budget?

[@romeou4965]

At that point you need an FRFR speaker or cab that can project the required volume output

[@romeou4965]

Some use combo amps and plug into fx return to bypass the combo baked in preamp tone

[@matthazelby506]

Hey, I know it's an old vid but I decided to go digital after hearing the Nux 300 mg,went and did the Headrush 108 thing but quickly realised the beautiful lush tones I was getting from my headphones weren't transferring to my Headrush because I was effectively going from the Nux into the one Speaker.Can anyone suggest a pair of speaker's I can use,seperate from a computer,so I can hear the Nux in stereo and to show off it's true potential. I plan on recording once I can find speakers,on a budget that can do the job.👊

[@TONEWARSgearshow]

Try the Kali Audio speakers

[@matthazelby506]

​@@TONEWARSgearshowThat's heading towards £350 for a pair.Do you know of anything in a £150 price mark that will sound ok? 👊

[@josemanuelcaballero1162]

Ok, here is the mofidied question : I am totally new in home recording, getting a Hotone Ampero/ Headrush soon (fed up with tube amps) and plugging it to monitors. But I am not that limited in the budget. Can easily spend 500 - 600 USD in a a pair of monitors. Recommendations?

[@TONEWARSgearshow]

IMHO Adam or KRK

[@josemanuelcaballero1162]

thank you, just got a pair of active Adams to plug to the XLRs

[@TONEWARSgearshow]

@@josemanuelcaballero1162 cool. Let me know how you like them

[@jhackett9482]

I use an rp360 and some Behringer powered monitors and it sounds better than my amps.

[@gunshotheafy]

Hi man! Thanks for sharing this information. I'm thinking about this 3' Mackie monitors or a pair of Edifier r100t4 Monitors, which are even cheaper. What do you think about? Ill appreciate your reply. Regards from Mexico 🇲🇽

[@juanvaldez5422]

gunshotheafy you need at least a 8 inch (really 10 inch) speaker, at minimum. Tiny speakers just don’t push air, it’s physically limited

[@HeavyInstinct]

@@juanvaldez5422 That depends on what your objective is. In this video he's specifically talking about "for home practice", not a gigging or practicing in a band type situation.The low E on a 6-string guitar is only about 83 hz. It doesn't take a very large speaker to reproduce that frequency. You only need to be able to "move air" if your goal is to play at high volumes which isn't what most people are trying to do in their small bedroom size studios.

[@juanvaldez5422]

HeavyInstinct I agree , I’m just used to having 8 inches ...

[@XII_TH]

Hey man, I’m thinking about buying a Helix and those mackie monitors you use in the video. Can I just plug the helix to the monitors or do I need to put a mixing console in between? Great video btw

[@TONEWARSgearshow]

thank you. I'm glad you like the video. The monitors are powered so no need to use anything in between the Helix and them. You can plug directly into them and have great sound.

[@XII_TH]

TONE WARS Thanks man, you are amazing

[@TONEWARSgearshow]

@@XII_TH my pleasure!!!

[@JustJoshing4L]

This just made my life so much easier. I've been wanting studio monitors from the start, but found myself second-guessing it because I always hear people saying "no, buy an FRFR!" Now I know monitors were the right choice all along. It's a night and day difference even on KZbin, and this is on my phone speakers at that

[@TONEWARSgearshow]

Thanks for commenting. I'm glad this video helped you. I still use studio monitors in my living Room when I practice. I love the stereo separation I get from them. Besides all that, they sound way better than a plastic speaker enclosure

[@RichardLuna2025]

Hey, Jarrord what about the Kali audio lp6 or 8 I hear they are amazing and very affordable.

[@TONEWARSgearshow]

Hello Richard, I haven't tried the Kali Audio products yet. I'm sure they are better than a plastic wedge though:)

[@RichardLuna2025]

@@TONEWARSgearshow thanks Jarrod, as long as I can connect the headrush to it direct, it would be a great solution for my price point-

[@TONEWARSgearshow]

@@RichardLuna2025 you should be able to do that. Let me know how it works out

[@MiguelGuitars]

Did you ever get the Kali lps? I'm looking into them also now

[@rafaelnunes2195]

Hello Tone Wars! Thanks for the video! I really liked the 6" driver than the 3. My question is about bedroom playing. In my bedroom, ate low volumes, the 6" will sound that good, or do I have to open the volume for the speaker sounds good? My options are presonus eris 5 xt, yamaha hs5, and kali audio lp6. Thanks very much!!!

[@TONEWARSgearshow]

Thanks for commenting. My best advice to you would be if you're able, bring two different sizes home and see which one fits the room the best.

[@rafaelnunes2195]

@@TONEWARSgearshow I live in Brazil and my sister will bring me one from Europe, so I can't test. To use with helix, or boss gt1000, wich one do you think would sound best at low volume (little louder than TV) at bedroom? Thanks again Tone Wars!

[@TONEWARSgearshow]

@@rafaelnunes2195 honestly, I've never played through any one of those speakers so I can't really tell you which one is the best between those. I would check out some reviews and see how they stack up

[@MRxr400]

all this frfr hype is, to a sound engineer, hype. there's always a need to eq each room to get your sound right, no matter what speaker is used. that being said, I am open to trying the headrush 108's to get a reasonable tone, with a graphic over them, to use my hearush through and maybe fb for rest of band. they're pretty cheap for stage monitors, and may be a good cheap option for me.

[@DS-fi4hf]

That Mackie Thump sounded a million times better!

[@Karan-iy5mz]

Sir, Would you suggest studio monitors or boss katana 100 for bedroom playing? Thank you

[@TONEWARSgearshow]

What would you play through the studio monitors?

[@Karan-iy5mz]

Another option is to pair a joyo zombie with a 112 or 212 cab. But would it sound good for bedroom volumes?

[@TONEWARSgearshow]

@@Karan-iy5mz bedroom volumes would sound best with a kemper and studio monitors. Would that fit your budget?

[@Karan-iy5mz]

@@TONEWARSgearshowKemper is way out of budget. I'm a beginner(student) just wanted to upgrade from my Blackstar id core 20. I can get a boss gt 1 or audio interface to pair with studio monitors.

[@Karan-iy5mz]

@@TONEWARSgearshow Kemper is way out of budget. I'm a beginner ( student) just want to upgrade from my Blackstar id core 20. I can get boss gt1 or audio interface to go with studio monitors though.

[@MrDavemiley]

Nice cat !!

[@klguitar1]

Will jbl 305p monitors do the job for kemper ?

[@TONEWARSgearshow]

They will probably sound OK but I would highly recommend the kemper kab Or a good pair of studio monitors

[@klguitar1]

@@TONEWARSgearshow the profiles that you have in your site for kemper and line 6 pod go will sound amazing like in your videos ? Thanks

[@TONEWARSgearshow]

@@klguitar1 Thanks for asking. They will sound exactly like they do in the video. There's no pre or post processing done to them on my demonstrations. In fact, you will notice more top end on them when you play them yourself. KZbin's compression squishes some of that down. The Badander profiles on my website are the most popular right now. They came out really good

[@Gigirizzolihhhhyyy]

What about that racoon like cat tail?

[@jerbear1601]

Studio monitors are absolutely best for home practice! I use mine with backing tracks mixed in and it's wonderful! More frequencies, flat eq, stereo sound, etc. It's really nice to be able to get that cranked amp sound at practice volume.

[@TONEWARSgearshow]

Great point regarding practicing to backing trax. I love doing thay as well

[@gitarman666]

Yeah plus your near fields are needed for your DAW if your recording otherwise your hearing two different tones the frfr and monitors, I spent some bread on genelecs and they are incredible for mixing and mastering and obviously for tracking which opens up the whole re-amping world, it’s a no brainer imho

[@Happy-Me.]

Or a Boss GT1000

[@sstutes1972]

I was hearing all these rave reviews on the Headrush etc.. and was thinking with the portability, if it sounded that good.. they might be cool.. My setup here.. I have a Kemper and run it through Alesis 300w into Event 20/20 monitors 8"...wooden cabs. and they sound awesome.. I also use a Firehawk 1500, in either stereo, or wet/dry/wet.. is has wood cab ofc. and sounds pretty stellar. also fx return on tube amps but thats another story... anyway, yes.. who wants to 'blanket' their tone? not me.. Great video man, excellent comparison at the end.. more people need to watch it. (plastic wedges out of the question)

[@TONEWARSgearshow]

Shon, Thank you. By the way, have you tried the Friedman ASC 12's? Best cab in my opinion. I'm reviewing the Friedman ASC 10 very soon. It's only 33 lbs! I have high hopes for this product

[@sstutes1972]

No I have not tried them yet.. I am always looking for whatever might better fit the bill. And just to stay in the 'know' I look forward to more of your videos, keeping an eye on your channel.

[@jarrodgrumblatt5090]

The Friedman ASC 10 just got here!! I'll let you know what think in a bit. A full review will follow soon. Thank you so much for subscribing!!!

[@rangerdoc1029]

"This guy is soo full of shi...... Oooh, Kitty!" [mashes subscribe button]

[@TONEWARSgearshow]

Bahaha I knew I'd get you one way or another

[@nerdrage4852]

affordable and Kemper do not go along ... LOL

[@marineman2298]

If you want to show off shredding skills just put up a vid titled "Look at me shred". Comparing speakers/monitors by listening to them on KZbin through computer speakers and then making a purchase decision based on that is just a plain stupid idea.