WHY I RETURNED MY Barefoot Footprint 03

In this video, I explain why I returned the Barefoot Footprint 03s evnthough I loved them. These are the best sounding monitors that I've ever used but there is one reason that made me return these. Find out my reason in this video.
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[@TrapBoiFuse561]

Damn you returned some good working foot 🦶 for no reason

[@CLEANMUDVIDEOS]

Definitely feels like it! Like I said, my issue was the lack of reliability. That is enough for me because a few reviews said their monitors produced issues after the return date. 🤷🏾‍♂️

[@anyerquantum.nuclearrites]

@@CLEANMUDVIDEOS bro, you live in the US, is not like you have to send them to Barefoot from Korea or something like that...

[@mranalog241]

But you didn’t have any issues with reliability. Some people obsess over a few dB of hiss coming out of their brand new speakers while other people use them to make music. The latter group seem to be getting along fine with the 03’s.

[@TrapBoiFuse561]

@@mranalog241 told me what i need hear they are good asf

[@Padillajose]

I've had the FP03's for over a month. So far so good; no issues here. They sound great and work great!

[@CLEANMUDVIDEOS]

Dopeness!

[@YOLO-pj3hh]

do you recommend it for mixing and mastering?

[@Padillajose]

@@YOLO-pj3hhI’m going to try and answer this as best as I can and you may or may not like my response. To quickly answer, yes! You could mix and master on them, however, the room will play a huge role in whether they work for you or not. Also your personal taste will play into it. You will definitely learn how to hear things differently with these. They are detailed throughout the frequency spectrum. The fact that they are 3-way really helps you be able to distinguish and separate elements of frequencies. In my opinion just about any studio monitor would work once you understand how they translate. Hope this helps 😅

[@YOLO-pj3hh]

@@Padillajose Thank's, I'm trying to listen it before buy it but in Mexico is very difficult to do that. We do not have audio stores for do that. Some people told me that Barefoot monitors are no good on transients but I have a quick listening in some KZbin videos (wich is no ideal but is the only way I can listen the monitors) I think these model have no transient problems. I want to get my next studio monitors for mixing and mastering but my options are these Barefoot Printfoot03, Dynaudio LYD-48 and Neumann KH120 II. Now I have a JBL LSR305 MKI with Presonus Eris Sub8 and works good for me in a no treated room. I been listening these speakers day by day for 10 years ago so now I know how they sound. I'm gonna do some acoustic treatment before get my new speakers.

[@Padillajose]

@@YOLO-pj3hh I would strongly suggest you treat your room first. The barefoots are nice but you already have good monitors already. The JBLs in my opinion sound more like a Bluetooth speaker BUT that’s not a bad thing. That’s a good tool to have.

[@MarkRay84]

Sent my pair to barefoot and they switched out the DPS. You had zero issues. shipping was free also!

[@pz1792]

wondering if they will fix this for new iteration of them

[@robgracia509]

thank you for sharing

[@bassinblue]

End of the day, you made the right call, financially. You will miss them, but you'll get over it. I did want to get these monitors, but hearing these issues a few times now has put me off.

[@CLEANMUDVIDEOS]

💪🏾

[@JakeLewisReal]

Bro, you got a pair that was functioning perfectly. The white noise issue isn't something that arises over time, either your set has them or doesn't. Yours didn't. Mine currently do but I've bypassed it by turning the gain on the back down and I've been working through 6+ hour sessions fine. Barefoot customer support already sent me a label to ship mine out for a fix. Their customer service is incredible and responsive. What matters is what YOU are hearing. Those monitors seem to have made you a better engineer and would've made you even better over time. You should've kept them instead of downgrading based off other peoples experiences. I say get them again, screw those Adams bro.

[@CLEANMUDVIDEOS]

I’ve found that there is a piece that tends to burn out on them that causes the white noise. Also, why would I keep a set of monitors that I would likely have to send back to the company to repair? If I need my monitors, I would hate to have to send them back occasionally to get repaired. I’ve never had to do that with any set of monitors I’ve owned and I’ve own quite a bit of them. More than likely, these aren’t the only set of 3way monitors available. This was just my introduction. I like them but at the moment, I don’t trust that they’ll be solid for a long period. No one knows yet because they are so new. We can only hope that they are as solid as we need them to be. So if they are shipping out speakers that have that problem to begin with, how good is there quality control? With that being said, I’ll wait until more time goes by. Appreciate your input and feedback

[@JakeLewisReal]

@@CLEANMUDVIDEOS can you supply a link to an article or forum posts you found that discusses a piece that burns out on these? From my understanding it’s an issue that occurred with specific early batches of the monitors and isn’t an issue that arises over time or by a part burning out over time

[@CLEANMUDVIDEOS]

@@JakeLewisReal even if that is the case that earlier products had the issue, it’s smart of me to wait. It ain’t like my other monitors are gone. I was just switching to something new. You are on here like you get a commission for them bruh. My money and my choice. Plus I never said I would never get them again. I’m just waiting

[@WassupFred]

Yea I agree man.. I highly spun that barefoot wouldn’t fix that on a brand new speaker.. before I returned them I woulda contacted them to see how I would be covered I know.. but I def want these

[@JakeLewisReal]

@@WassupFred Yea their customer service is fantastic. I’m sending my 03’s in and they sent me a lender pair of 01’s while they repair so I can keep working. Never too late to get them in the future.

[@gamza4017]

My FP03 serial number is around 600 I sent it back to the dealer with too much noise. It's heartbreaking because the speaker is so perfect except for the noise. I hope this problem will be solved soon

[@TachyonTheImmortal]

I have barefoot 03's. There was a issue with the first batch, some bad components. I shipped them back to barefoot and they fixed the problem for free. There good now. Coming from the genelec 8030s

[@CLEANMUDVIDEOS]

Nice!! Definitely good to hear

[@WassupFred]

Yea idk if I woulda sent them back.. idk how u did it.. but they gotta get that fixed or at least guarantee that if it goes bad, they will fix it! Man I want these!!!!

[@YOLO-pj3hh]

do you recommend it for mixing and mastering?

[@CLEANMUDVIDEOS]

@@YOLO-pj3hh if that issue is fixed, I highly recommend them

[@SirFreak]

Lots of noise in studio monitors is a damn shame. I had to return my KRK Rokit 10-3 G4's for that same reason too. I loved those speakers and how they reproduced music too, but the constant white noise drove me crazy. I hope Barefoot is able to solve this issue.

[@CLEANMUDVIDEOS]

Most definitely!!

[@Ast3rixMusic]

Sorry to hear that your forever monitors had issues. I have been using focal for years and when I had the chance to upgrade to the flagship trio 06's I jumped on it. When you go from 2 way to 3 way it really does change the way you hear everything. When you're using them daily it really makes you mix naturally even while you are tracking. You can clearly hear things in positions and sonically that you just don't notice with 2 ways. I have a second pair of avantones that I use as an alternative reference which gives me a more personal perspective for smaller devices. Hopefully you find your forever pair.... that will give you the experience you were looking for..

[@CLEANMUDVIDEOS]

💪🏾💯 So you are currently running the Trio 06 by Focal?

[@Ast3rixMusic]

@@CLEANMUDVIDEOS Yes I have been using them for 3 years now. I migrated to them from a pair of Focal Alpha's 8's which I had for more than 8 years. So being a 2 way user was all had ever experienced until I got the Trio 6's. Focal is very different from the Barefoots the highs are smooth with the beryllium they use for the tweeter. You can crank them and they remain very smooth. The low end is insanity... and you have to really control it. The room I am in is not optimal for the Trio 6's. I have had to work with an acoustician and find ways to control the low end in my space. I need one more ceiling mounted rear bass trap to improve my left side imbalance, but my room is so small that adding it would make me feel trapped. I have had to tune them down bass wise to not have them knocking things off the walls when they are at high volume. Bass wise I hear tight and defined low-end and can make sound decisions because of the accuracy of what I am hearing. I can crank them and not worry that it is skewing my perception. My mixing is a work in progress. It's better than it was previously before I started paying attention to the overall sound. I love the sound quality of focal they are flat, but very dynamic and allow me to hear things that I never noticed with my old 2 ways. I still have to have an alternative reference so the avantones will always be part of my setup as well.

[@Ast3rixMusic]

@@CLEANMUDVIDEOS Yes, I have been using them for about 3 years or so now. I was previously a focal Alpha 8's user for more than 8 years. The Trio's really have changed the way I hear music in general. They are smooth on the high end and the low end is tight. I have had to make some adjustments due to my room size to keep things from rattling and bluring my perspective. I like them and really appreciate the way that I am able to clearly hear things.

That's the exact reason I didn't buy them after extensive testing last month. The sound, the size, the looks, the price (!) were all perfect, but I just could not stand the white noise coming from tweeter, it was like +12 dB of hiss all the time. Maybe it's a defective batch, but for now I had to pass. And that's a shame, man, cause for me they were much better than the 02's which I tested afterwards

[@CLEANMUDVIDEOS]

What did you find lacking with the 02s? That’s what I was considering look at.

@@CLEANMUDVIDEOS Sorry for a late response! In my smallish room 03s had much fuller and more precise low-end. Even though 02s had objectively more low end, it was loose and hard to dial in.

[@MarkRay84]

Fear will hold you back bro. Should have kept them

[@CLEANMUDVIDEOS]

Sometimes it will. Also, the wide spread issue that I was seeing, made me rethink that purchase. If I hear that the issue is fixed, I could possibly purchase them again. I had read that the issue happened again after switching them out too. If that’s an issue I could avoid, then I’m avoiding it. The sound was dope, I just wasn’t in for taking that chance.

[@RoomAtTheTopStudio]

Try the Genelec three way monitors. I think they are less than the Barefoot but soundwise they are on a par, from what I've been told. I missed out on a secondhand pair of Barefoots a few months ago. Looks like it was fortunate that I did then.

[@CLEANMUDVIDEOS]

I do believe that the Genelec are more expensive than the Barefoot. I’m looking at a few other options as well. Thanks again

[@dpmusic21]

Genelec's are way more expensive for their 3 ways. At least double the price.

[@RoomAtTheTopStudio]

@@dpmusic21 probably sounds twice as good then, lol. With the small 8030s they are twice the price of the big KRKs and sound twice as good.

[@dpmusic21]

Bro you look sad as heck in this video. Trust me I feel your pain. I haven't heard the Bearfoot FP03, but what you described is pretty much what I've been hearing about them (good and bad). There's just nothing like a high quality 3 way monitor for sure. Once you go 3 way its hard to go back to 2way. I actually have some Dynaudio LYD-48s which are about the same price as your Barefoots (maybe a hundred or so more). But they sound fantastic. You should definitely look into those if you are interested in keeping some 3 ways at the same price point.

[@CLEANMUDVIDEOS]

AAAAYYYEEE! 😂 fr fr! It hurt sending them bad boys back. I will definitely check them out though! 💪🏾💯

[@axoplanet6081]

I made great mixes with the Adam A7X + Adam Sub. Then I upgraded to Neumann KH310. I also use a pair of Mixcubes and a single mono Auratone. The Neumanns are so quit, no noise or anything and so linear it is scary. I would allways prefer Neumann over Barefoot speakers. And the meme-function on the Barefoots…isn‘t that just an eq? They did not sound like MixCubes or NS10s for me, so I would rather pick real NS10 or CLA10 for second reference.

[@CLEANMUDVIDEOS]

Nice! I’ve never used the ns10s nor the cla10s. I don’t think the meme is just an EQ curve as much as it is the response of the speaker itself. I’ve never looked into the Neumann monitors. Do you run them with a sub like you did the Adams?

[@Del-ok8uw]

I love footprints you don’t have to worry about anything and if you use it right it’ll keep you dry 😂

[@CLEANMUDVIDEOS]

😂😂😂

[@HOTROD256969]

i was going to get them

[@kniferideaudio5145]

I recently switched to PMC 6-02 from an Adam 2 way system. It took me over a month to really acclimate to the 3 ways and I don't think I could go back. I'm not a fan of Barefoots DSP. Their cabs are not specifically well designed and they rely on DSP to achieve a good frequency response. I prefer a speaker that starts with a great cab design and lean on DSP as little as possible. If you like the ADAMs and want 3 way the new Adam A8h are fantastic monitors. I like them way better than any Barefoot I've sat with.

[@CLEANMUDVIDEOS]

Them things are expensive!! Hopefully I can level up like that soon! 💪🏾

[@Dadhus1]

The speakers in the thumbnail look like they spell the word: " 🅱️💿💿🅱️". ..and that's why I clicked on the vid. 😂

[@CLEANMUDVIDEOS]

😂😂😂

[@mylifeandhobby2716]

I came for this comment was wondering if I’m the only one that noticed 😂😂😂

[@sekritskworl-sekrit_studios]

What about people who aren't on Instagram? We can't get a shot?

[@CLEANMUDVIDEOS]

You can jump in. IG is just an easy way to contact the winner. Enter in and make sure to hit the bell notification in case you do win

[@jaketanner109]

what was your serial number?

[@CLEANMUDVIDEOS]

I’m not sure.

[@JayHartMusic]

been down this rode in the past... ppl get that white noise due to not have a power conditioner or having a cheap one, believe it or not mfrs will spend bands on gear but be cheap on the power strip or plug them directly into the wall and wonder why white noise exists then get rid of the gear smh

[@CLEANMUDVIDEOS]

I hope that’s the case! 💪🏾 I had to upgrade mine power supply years ago. Even with my guy upgrading to the 02s that noise was not prevalent

[@JayHartMusic]

@@CLEANMUDVIDEOSbro see what type of power conditioner ya mans is using, that may be the source, my boy had some of those monitors I don’t know which number they was but they was like 3k-3500 he didn’t have no issues at all but he sent them back bcuz he didn’t like the audio (he was use to his old speakers and didn’t let the barefoots break in if you ask me)

[@dpmusic21]

@@JayHartMusic Its not a power conditioning issue in this case brother. Its an actual design flaw with the monitors. If you check out the forums, possibly 100s of people are describing the exact same issue that he is talking about in his video. Personally I think its best to wait for them to come out with a version 2 of the monitors or go with another 3 way brand.

[@HOTROD256969]

You did not got a warrantee ?? Maybe they could had fixed it for you

[@CLEANMUDVIDEOS]

Try them out and grab you a warranty. They might be nice for you!

[@JdsBleedo]

Man don't do that to the Adams 😂😂😂 I got the a7v and they sound amazing

[@CLEANMUDVIDEOS]

😂😂💪🏾 What’s good wit it my guy! 😂😂😂

[@JdsBleedo]

@@CLEANMUDVIDEOS Cooling man I was looking at those barefoots today

[@CLEANMUDVIDEOS]

@@JdsBleedo they sound dope though honestly! But…. 🤷🏾‍♂️

[@Mrpsblobsoflowendmung]

so you sent your favourite monitors back because of issues other people were having with them? that makes no sense at all to me. Barefoot are a very reputable company and will sort the issue usually for free! I know a few folks who have them with no issues at all

[@CLEANMUDVIDEOS]

From your perspective it makes no sense because it’s not your time nor your money. I know very little about this company other than those monitors seem nice. If so many other people are having trouble with these monitors, what makes mine exempt? This was there first shot at making ported monitors. May not make sense to you but made perfect sense to me. If the issue turned into an ongoing issue, why would I trust in them to be my sole set of monitors 🤷🏾‍♂️

[@athanasiusdicia117]

It's totally unacceptable for so called "entry high end". Not even cheap ones like Focal Alphas have such issues. I'll pass on them for PSI A14-m as a pick of a second pair of monitors, unless they make a bold move. QC should've addressed such a problem. Apparently, QC is the real issue there...

[@CLEANMUDVIDEOS]

Honestly

[@waltdokken2120]

White noise add inaccuracy in reproduction of original audio source. It is unacceptable for studio monitors. Good u sent them back 4 good. Cuz they produce same hiss even after return from Barefoots repair shop under warranty. Same white noise hiss is present in KRK V8,R10 Rokit series. Therefore Barefoots and KRK are NOT suitable for critical listening or studio work. People exposed to white noise experience nusea n' headache.🤯

[@CLEANMUDVIDEOS]

💯

[@StanleyKubick1]

no one wants to watch you speak slowly for 10 minutes. add some content to break up the monotony and I'm sure you'll get more views

[@CLEANMUDVIDEOS]

Appreciate the feedback! Maybe I’ll do a few lines to amp myself up before I start my next video! 😂 But nah, thanks for the input! 💯