TOP 5 MASTERING SPEAKERS - Streaky.com

[@DeltaUK_]

Your brief mention of previous workplaces got me thinking: you should do a few videos on your career and where you've been, maybe with some comparisons of how you progressed compared to how you would approach it now etc, would be interesting and even useful to some :)

[@cryptout]

It's good to know what to buy when I win the lottery!

[@nathanielbrice8725]

All of them?!

[@NathanOakley1980]

You can get N802 speakers for a reasonable price these days, they came out in 1999. You definitely need a big room to put them in though.

[@MOSMASTERING]

Twice! lol... high end audio is an addictive black cash hole

[@Rayshader]

Spot on observations, PMC is killer on bass at the risk of being too clinical, the low end will always grab you though. ATC warmish midrange that is sub par to none period, Focal in general leans on the brighter spectrum. Different schools of colours indeed. Happy New Year.

[@amdenis]

I love the Kii 3 BXT’s - amazing monitors for our large room. We use the Trio Be 11 Focal’s also, and Beryllium tweeters are about 1.5 dB HF hot in some rooms, so uncorrected they force a slight reductio in HF on masters. corrected on the monitor bus they’re great. How do you find that they result in hot HF masters- am I missing something?

[@sigurtsigurt549]

Dutch and Dutch 8c ?

[@hidjedewitje]

What are some speakers that you still want to try? I think you should try the Grimm LS1Be with DMF sub. They're awesome!

[@morespinach9832]

Gosh they cost a lot. But they seem to be destination speakers. At 35000!

[@hidjedewitje]

@@morespinach9832 They are not cheap. However they are endgame speakers for professionals. Top of the line active ATC's or in wall genelecs/PMC's also cost a fortune. Kii 3 with BXT also costs an arm and a leg. Yet I think the Grimm system is superior.

[@xsensvit8660]

Thank you! You're amazing!

[@amdenis]

You are so 100% correct as always. The Kii’s are wonderful in the right size (i.e. smaller) room. I find the high’s a bit “dirty” and slightly harsh, and midrange a bit boxey on any ATC we have ever demo’d here. PMC’s would never make it as a real audiophile grade monitor, even at half their price; so, from my perspective they are over-hyped and I hate their high frequency drivers.

[@hurshdayaal]

Streaky what about dutch and dutch 8c?

[@ezrashanti]

I have the Dutch. Excellent speakers, but perhaps he feels they're too powerful for his small room. I'm still dealing with room modes in the low end.

[@federicolopezmusic]

I wonder how you can keep consistency when changing speakers so often?

[@Streaky_com]

Federico Lopez skillz

[@stealthis]

@@Streaky_com So humble 😂

[@jesperhagberg]

I'd say he stays consistent by doing proper referencing. If you know your reference tracks you can get good results on most speakers as long as you don't lack too much bottom end. And if your speakers lack bass, just consider not boosting what you cant hear, and mby reference bass in headphones.

[@Frankie_G_]

Can you not use bigger speakers at lower volumes to avoid the issues of speakers being too big for a room? Thanks

[@Pablo-T]

No Genelec?!

[@amdenis]

Any mastering monitor recommendations for larger size well-treated room (8 meters by 17 meters)?

[@amdenis]

What do you think about Martin Logan for Mastering and demo, like their high-end models?

[@Aquiiin]

What about the Dutch & Dutch 8c? Thought you like them? Do you prefer the Kii's?

[@doriarama]

He answered this question in his past comments here and on his FB page.

[@Aquiiin]

@@doriarama can not find anything about it here nor on fb but i'll have another look now

[@doriarama]

@@Aquiiin Just for you: Torolla & Co לפני חודשיים Why did you go for the Kii3 instead of the D&D 8C? Streaky Mastering Streaky Mastering לפני חודשיים The bass, the different tweaks and I can add the bass bottoms (bxt) if I need more volume which I don’t currently as they go mega loud.. kzbin.info/www/bejne/l3PGfIx7lt2cgtk

[@lrrrruleroftheplanetomicro6881]

he did a video on them: kzbin.info/www/bejne/sKqwi3mQp65kjJI

[@sigurtsigurt549]

In my experience the DD 8c has little bit fuller bass other then that they are super close

[@wadewilliams1892]

Genelec’s classic 1033’s compare ? Genelec’s contemporary ‘the ones’ compare?’

[@morespinach9832]

8351 would be in the same league.

[@zikirecords3872]

Hi, what ist witch Focal Sopra No. 3 .....for mastering and mix

[@orphic-trench]

Hey Streaky! No B&B 8C on this list!????

[@NackDSP]

B&W 802 Nautilus have wild variation in directivity with frequency both vertically and horizontally making them practically a special effect or audiophile speaker, but they are not high fidelity and totally not suited for mastering anything. Vented bass is not accurate, as it is slow, late, rings as it has terrible transient response that crushes the leading edge of plucked bass notes. The super narrow baffles lead to huge variation in directivity at the low end of each drivers range. Abby Road has these in one room as a promotion. Only a fool would use them. The vast majority of rooms at Abby Road have great professional high fidelity monitors with much more even directivity patterns. The Kii audio speakers leverage the best technology available today and put the archaic B&W lineup to shame. No mention of the Genelec speakers is a crime. Those are another modern very high fidelity studio monitor used by the best studios in the world.

[@genkifd]

imo B&W for me are too boomy. The ATC are some much nicer but i only heard the ATC 100 actives

[@marcbass2]

how many thousands !!!!

[@vilddyr]

You can be 100% sure that your lowend "Problem" on the ATC is your room - any proper room match or soffit mount will put that statement to shame :) PMC is a joke - they shouldn't be taken serious, since they are obviously takin' a piss with their pricing.

[@silviosarunic3234]

Get a life, idiot! PMC are studio standard!

[@vilddyr]

@@silviosarunic3234 spoken like a true amateur. They are in no way or form a studio standard - they are not even a standard. They are harsh loudness speakers, dressed to impress with excessive HF and Lowend, and crude mid representation. Not at all a reference for anything.

[@JohnWDisco]

Streaky, question for you. What are the best monitors for a mixing guy like myself. I’m leaning towards Adam A7X’s

[@Streaky_com]

John William listen to Hedd, focal or Neumann before Adam

[@MarcoCygnel]

This is like watching Supercars when you drive a Fiat Panda . Very cool , but absolutely pointless waste of time 😂 God bless

[@sventrautmann]

Get Barefoot MicroMain26

[@DnBLand81]

in every case all of them just for the price of a your kidney

[@nathanaelthomas2945]

I’m sorry, did he say BMW or BNW? Naaah it was BMW

[@embiebie3063]

kii three doesnt fit in this class of speakers , i ve heard them ...too much adjustments and the bass sounds reproduced .

[@molleytoons]

I have heard them too they sound amazing.

[@embiebie3063]

@@molleytoons i am 44 years i hear from 27 hz - 17.500 hz ...i know what i hear

[@vonotebook]

PSI Audio A25m ;) A must ! Impressive of précisions :)

[@gwapster13]

About your comment on Focal speakers, wouldn’t mixing with a bright pair of speakers actually result in LESS bright mix? Or did I just misunderstand your statement?

[@NathanOakley1980]

They don’t have a boosted treble, they just sound very very clear in the high end. It’s difficult to describe, I did several shows using Focal and they are very clear, that is to say they draw your attention to details in the treble but I’m willing to bet they measure as flat (if you can say that about a speaker) as any other speaker shown here. Overall I prefer the balance of the B&W’s but I’m biased as I use a set of 804’s.

[@mohamedahmed1023]

Where do the Dutch and Dutch fall in for you and how do they compare against the Kii Three?

[@f.troiani5937]

yes Streaky, maybe you could elaborate on your preference of the Kiis over the 8C's or maybe the new Buchardts? Cheers

[@tristandesade8635]

I think that Pink Floyd used ATCs. Thinking about saving money for their 2-way actives.

[@NathanOakley1980]

Great video. Love your taste in speakers. The first 4 you list I have heard and I totally agree with everything you said about them. No idea about the ones you use now, the only other speaker I got to hear when I was a rep were the massive Tannoys. I think they were called Westminster Royals or something like that. They too needed a massive room. Very few £100k speakers I listened to were presented in a good room, as they sounded poor for the most part. The 802 are my favourite of the speakers you listed. Followed by the Atc’s, followed by the focals. The PMC’s sounded….ok when I listened to them. Big, then the dealer told me the price and I nearly had a heart attack. Yeah they sound good but there were plenty of £10k - £20k speakers that could give them a run for their money as you showed here. Big props for stressing the importance of the room! Subscribed.

[@W0LFGANG11]

Hey! What’s your opinion on Barefoots just as good speakers in general I’m looking at the footprint01 and was just curious on your opinion

[@fattohead]

Hi, just came across with this video. Considering you've uploaded it in 2019, did you try Genelec - The Ones after this video, if yes would you compare them with the Kii's please? If not, I wish you'll do a Genelec 83X1 review in future. Thanks!

[@James_Gilchrist]

Alan Parsons uses the B&W 802s at his ParSonics Studio in Santa Barbara. Had the privilege of listening to him re-mix some Al Stewart classics using them during a master class in March, 2020. (Part of the Art and Science of Sound Recording sessions - first rate experience!) The speakers are amazing!

[@tomhirschel8524]

The best Loudspeakers I've heard are "Stenheim reference statement" Swiss...If you have to ask how much......

[@fosterlewis7360]

“The ROOM is the most essential thing.” Amen!

[@LogicBomb34]

Maby 10 years ago.Technology is moving forward.Of course, you can't have a studio in an empty or square room

[@riktascale4]

This only pertains to someone living in the US or Europe where these are sold. Outside of the US we just have to take the risk and buy what we think is great based on reviews.

[@fosterlewis7360]

steelwiz Where what is sold? Monitors? Software? Software is not returnable in the USA, so it’s not like I can try out SW for rooms. I use reviews to inform my decisions, too. My point was that equipment manufacturers drive the discussion too much. That they push a narrative that monitoring is where one should invest. Yet monitors and a room act together as one system. Buying better monitors if the room is the weak link is probably a waste of money. And electronic correction to the system frequency response does almost nothing for the time domain frequency response. Acoustics are always in play. Anyone promoting an electronic “room correction” approach without at least mentioning physical acoustics almost certainly doesn’t know what they’re talking about. Hence my comment quoting this video. Don’t expect a software to do the heavy lifting. The more extreme the corrective curve, the less graceful the processing will sound. Use Room Eq Wizard (free software) with a cheap measurement mic to find out what your waterfall plots look like. If you can get the decay times even across all frequencies with a steady rise in times for frequencies below 100Hz, you’ll have much less frustration. And if you also use a product like Sonarworks, you can use REW to see what the ACTUAL post-correction response curve looks like: Sonarworks only shows you the corrective EQ curve and a theoretical post-EQ response. The fundamental thing in acoustics is the room dimensions. No acoustic treatment can fix bad dimensions. But acoustic treatment can always improve the room. Lots of resources are available for making DIY treatments and for figuring out where to position them. I recommend books over videos/articles for the best info on application, though. I’m not arguing to avoid these software approaches; just that I see too many people suckered into believing these are a substitute for acoustic treatment. I bought ARC by IK about 8 years ago for $500, and found it essentially unlistenable, with all sorts of phase weirdness from the processing. But there’s been a couple newer versions since then, and the cost of these things has come down. I have also studied acoustics pretty extensively since then, and I’ve learned that there is no magic bullet. I still intend to use some electronic correction, but I’m probably going to do a system with a second computer running Acourate Convolver, so I get much more control over what is and isn’t corrected. But all the extra work of configuring a setup like that isn’t suitable for many people, so I see a lot of promise in newer “auto-correction” softwares like SW for most.

[@fosterlewis7360]

Kuba Kubin I’m not sure I understand your argument: that sonarworks is an adequate substitute for good acoustics? I suppose you might be comfortable working that way. But you’ll never hear great sound without a good room. Less inspiring for work, and work goes slower too. Also, what on earth are you talking about, “10 years ago”? Electronic frequency response correction has been around a lot longer than that. But top studios, many using such EQ, have kept hiring acoustical engineers to design their spaces. Funny, that.

[@CobraChamp]

So the D&D 8C doesn't make this cut?

[@wojciechczupta]

Could you comment a bit more about ATC's base? I use SCM 100 active and I had to tame the base by selecting thin sounding DAC (but it could be my room as well). Is it about low frequency extention (below 60Hz) or about base definition?

[@nicholastoo858]

I've just discovered Kii

[@gooshie3]

Most of these are the price of a car or a small house!

[@russcontact]

I know this is a bit old, but curious if anyone on here has heard the Ocean Way Hr3.5s? I’m just wondering how they stack up

[@RavencoreLZR]

1:12 - B&W 802 2:14 - ATC 150 4:25 - PMC BB5 7:00 - Focal Sopra 8:55 - Kii Audio 3

[@morespinach9832]

B&W is a mastering speaker? Haha. Kii is now overshadowed by Dutch & Dutch 8C or HEDD Type 20. PMC isn’t even in this class. Genelec 8351B, Neumann KH310,.. etc.

[@morespinach9832]

I wa a expecting to see Genelec, HEDD, PSI.

[@faithhopelove6945]

@@morespinach9832 Ooh Boy, PMC, Genelec 8351B, Neumann KH310,...are all under 6K€..., this Speakers are playing two Leagues lower..., adifferent Class.

[@richardaling5278]

I am Dutch and Dutch won't pay those complete idiot amounts for a littlebit hifi;)

[@emilandersenaudio]

would be interesting once theyre released to hear about the new dynaudio core 59

[@mosermichael4404]

Have you already listened to the new PMC pro series? Last week I had the great pleasure of listening to the PMC 6-2 and the 8-2 with subs8-2 XBD. It was a real pleasure !! 😍The bass is so clean and tight and has a deep gradation. wow amazing !! 👌😱 the mids and highs are really soft and soft but very very present! Really a super new series. Massive punch the tops have 1600watt rms (4x 400 watts per piece ..) The sub8-2 600watt rms (2x300watt rms) Apiece 😱😂👊

[@one2micreview846]

Streaky can you do a sub £500 best speaker for mastering please... Just for us peasants.

[@NathanOakley1980]

Good subs cost loads and do very little. Save up and get a good one….if you need it. I spent loads on cheap subs over the years and they never got lower than the speakers I have. Getting deep bass takes the big bucks but is well worth it if you can save up for one that will actually extend the frequency response of the system into the lowest octave and cope at SPL levels that match the L&R. Same goes for for low frequency in room acoustic treatment. Costs a tonne and is only effective in the last octave. That’s how I found this guy. He uses active bass traps that’s cost thousands and only treat the last octave. Totally awesome, wish I had a pair.

[@one2micreview846]

NathanOakley1980 thanks for the info bud that’s really helpful indeed. What I actually meant though was a pair of speakers below £500 that might be usable for mastering 👍

[@OfficialLemnisc8]

Man I'd love to hear those Kiis. The d&d 8c would be in my top 5 right now

[@blaze2051]

SCM150

[@stealthis]

Now tell is your choices for individual speakers under $1000. I'm thinking HEDD Type 07, but to be honest, I think I like more fancy waveguide focused ones because I like the largest sweet spot and more tolerance for error.

[@07wrxtr1]

HEDD type 20's are on my list; I'm lost on why HEDD does not get much attention at all.

[@stealthis]

@@07wrxtr1 I wish I could afford 3 ways in that price range, but I am just an enthusiastiast and can't justify it. The closet 3 way I could do is Rokit 10-3 G4 lol. It is probably hard to make inroads at this point no matter how good your speaker is. There are numerous manufacturers and since most people only buy 1 pair, whoever gets a head start really has a better advantage. There's brands I've never heard of every once in a while too, hidden gems, but nobody can talk about something they don't know exists.

[@gino3286]

Very very fascinating display of amazing marvels ... for ATC they should think to separate M and H from L maybe putting the woofer on a separate box ... that could free them to adopt different bass solutions.

[@nickhepfer2618]

That's exactly why Guzauski Swist did it.

[@gino3286]

@@nickhepfer2618 Hi ! thanks for the info. I did not know the Brand ... great speakers i see now. I start from the consideration that bass is a beast to control when level goes up and frequency very low (heartquake experience) I really think it is a big technical challenge indeed. For me the very fundamental issue is at which point to set the xover frequency between the bass box and the remaining upper part of the range. That is indeed a big issue to solve. I really do not know ... someone even say 60 Hz ... i do not know. Anyway a big woofer placed in the same box of mid and highs can transfer vibrations ... Thanks again. Gino

[@BB..........]

How are Dunlavy's not in this list?

[@Rolanoid]

The focal speaker in the background of the photo looks like a Dalek the way it's positioned.

[@kazpermusic]

Hey Streaky, Hey guys. Love the content, really helpful. Ocean Way Audio HR3.5 Monitors (about the same price range of the atc150's), I don't think these were intentially designed for mastering but it would be nice to hear your thoughts on those.

[@robkraanen]

I miss the Lipinski Sounds speakers. To me those are the best speakers I ever heard.

[@yesjo1456]

you should listen to Grimm audio ls1

[@bluematrix5001]

I thought you liked the Dutch & Dutch 8C better

[@DJActionVasquez]

Hmmm, as a mastering engineering, i find it interesting that your choices are so many 3-way speakers. I always felt this configuration was the best sounding because of the separation of frequencies. However, a lot of mixing engineers use 2-way designs. Why the difference? Is it just personal or $$$? On another note, I noticed all the pictures you showed placed the speakers' mid/tweeter assembly on the INSIDE. I built some 3-way monitors and I also noticed that when I placed the tweeters on the outside they sounded terrible. Initially I was mortified. But then I put the tweeters on the inside, and WOW, these speakers sound like from a pro speaker manufacturer. When I watch tv with them, the sound seems to be coming straight from my tv, instead of from the sides where the speaker are mounted. It's a very pleasing sound

[@iqi616]

When I was trying to master on 2-way monitors I just couldn't get the mids right due to the crossover. Seems to be worse on monitors with 8" woofers than 6" woofers. The mids are the most important frequencies for translation so you have to be able to hear what's going on. 3-way speakers give the mids their very own driver.

[@DJActionVasquez]

@@iqi616 Yep. Hence the reason I prefer 3-way speakers. However, that's not what I see in a lot of studios.

[@Projacked1]

Waiting to see what PS Audio brings with the new speaker. Very cool concept , and all focused on musicality. Keep up the videos Streaky

[@morespinach9832]

A25 you mean?

[@TjMoon91]

What does focused on musicality mean? As opposed to these speakers that aren’t meant for music?

[@jobimboy]

if you wanna hear what kii sounds like if your mixing. jacob collier is using it.

[@DavidAnthonymix]

who did your room acoustics ? is there a video for your build ?

[@erikkroll2154]

The Kii3 uses Peerless drivers from Denmark.

[@iamrentrey]

Peerless are great. Got some old wood box peerless speakers my dad bought in 90’s, they are amazing

[@erikkroll2154]

@@iamrentrey I built my studio monitors over 20 years ago with Peerless drivers. Just gave them to my brother and built some new ones with Scan Speak and Seas drivers.

[@arande3]

@@erikkroll2154 how do your new monitors compare to the peerless?

[@erikkroll2154]

@@arande3 I like the Scan Speak drivers better. But Peerless makes great drivers. You can't go wrong either way.

[@arande3]

@@erikkroll2154 cool thanks! i have some peerless and morel, was looking to compare

[@ac81017]

As an Audiophile, and as someone who´s trying to get closer to the music. I´ve listened to the Focals, 802´s and the ATC 150s and i agree with everything you said. After over 100 pairs of speakers including the B&W 801 and 802´s and Focals, I´ve ended up with Tannoy FSM. Have you ever listened to the Tannoy FSM??

[@GrenOulio]

If you could create Streaky Frankenstein Speakers what would be in them?

[@sub40hz]

My Mrs would kick me in jewels if I purchased the Kii Audio monitors. 😬

[@nathanbell6962]

I'm sure that many people watching this video are in the mid or lower price bracket, what's your opinion about these?

[@iqi616]

Having a limited budget I listened to the B&W 603 but ended up choosing the psb X2T. Just as good in the mids and highs but a lot clearer and more controlled in the low end if a little forward (seemingly voiced to suit those kinky vinyl fetishists rather than digital sources). No expense wasted on unnecessary aesthetics. Never once regretted picking them over the 603. Partnered them with a nice fast Marantz amp which reveals the texture and detail in the music (slew rate seems to be a forgotten spec these days). I shouldn't need to consider an upgrade until the room treatment is finished.

[@beautifulscenesinmovie6044]

wait, where is PSI Audio and Neumann.

[@mrkeeny]

PMC look like old Celestion hifi speakers , which is good 😀

[@MrMerab]

S U P E R..............!!!!!!!!

[@johnathanmeeks58]

I'm trying my best to ignore calling monitors speakers

[@mattastic247]

What are your thoughts on Klipsch speakers like the Belle and Cornwalls? I feel like the horns have great high end articulation. In a big room with a sub the Belles sound incredible.

[@timeltdme4355]

is there an update on this video? thanks.

[@Bcwilderness]

i think get a hearing test earwax and congestion first before parting with tens of thousands on hyper sensitive electrical products, nice light btw

[@Threemicsrecords]

What do you think about Revel?

[@chargymusic]

How much do u charge for Mastring please

[@bluematrix5001]

I love the Dutch & Dutch 8C

[@wojciechczupta]

regarding ATCs what subs are used with them by studios?

[@vesalaasanen2158]

Check out Amphion!

[@sugiiyuma9066]

What do you think about genelecs?

[@Austin-vk1lw]

One day I’m getting kii

[@cartofgiant]

Dam streaky,, what do you recommend for home mastering. Small to medium room.

[@Streaky_com]

Bigger is better

[@frankogio5715]

thnx for Kii tip !

[@meshplates]

The room is an issue for all of them except the Kiis. That's why they revolutionary.

[@airdavies6026]

ns10 vibe at 13k lmao

[@citizen1529]

✔🤣 (My impression is that if your mix sounds good on the NS10 then your mix will sound good on any speaker/monitor/headphone. The hard part is...is to make your mix sound good on the NS10 in the first place).

[@ronny150]

The kii's are lovely but how reliable are they really? Mine became faulty after 8 months and had to be shipped back to kii, not really acceptable for a £13000 monitor system.

[@Streaky_com]

Ronny no probs yet with mine...they sound great

[@RAYSHIO]

Anyone please can tell something about Adam S2X?

[@nickhepfer2618]

I personally don't like Adams. They just sound not naturally to me.

[@MUNRO13]

I can tell you Neumanns are much better,

[@oblitafier]

Would just like to add the ATCs are available with high end real wood cabinets, and the last time I checked, PMC use ATC’s mid range drivers in their monitors.

[@launchpadmcquack98]

ATC doesn't sell their midrange drivers to any other brands anymore.

[@karipintakivi9153]

PMC has been using their own midrange for a long time already. My IB2s boxes are 11 years old and have PMC mid. It weighs 11 kg, by the way as the magnet is HUGE and they can take 500W continuous.

[@doriarama]

This video is exactly the reason why I like Streaky and his video channel more than any other reviewer: his honest opinion.

[@EarthboundMastering]

An important thing about the ATC's, according to me, is they really should/must be mounted into the wall. The low end will play much nicer that way. But yes, subs can absolutely help them a tiny bit.

[@nickhepfer2618]

Hey Streaky, did you ever had a chance to listen to the Guzauski Swist GS3A system? Cheers!

[@Streaky_com]

Nick Hepfer - Audio Engineer no not yet

[@NessunDorma732]

Those focals are like 90.000 $$ ?? Hahah

[@deanweise1834]

12.000

[@RemcoJvGrevenbroek]

Geneleg not good for mastering?

[@moano3271]

I assume that the videos you post these days are recorded at different times and that you don't actually have 2 sets of the Kii's..1 white and 1 black and you change them every now and then 😂 btw..do you have any advice on amps for the NS10's? Something on a low budget, not Bryston or anything. I see a few different opinions on that, some say you GOT to have bryston to get anything out of the ns10's while other people say just get some random amp. Thoughts? I just have a hard time taking any advice from random people on forums.

[@Streaky_com]

Moano onKZbin get an old quad 405 for ns10’s if you can’t stretch to a Bryston

[@lectriclicks]

Have you ever listened to the ACAPELLA TRIOLON HORN SPEAKERs? Also hi-fi like the B&W and Focal’s but unbelievable dynamics. They weigh 400kg each and cost a fortune but the sound is unlike anything else I’ve ever heard!!