Who says studio monitors are "cold and analytical"?


Who says studio monitors are "cold and analytical"?  Does that mean audiophile speakers are warm/colored and distorted?   If Studio Monitors main goal is low distortion, does that mean low distortion is not something audiophiles want?  They want what, high distortion?  "Pretty" sounding distortion?  Or find pretty sounding speakers that make bad recordings sound really good?  What is the point of searching out good recordings then?  They won't sound as intended on a highly colored distorted speaker!   

Ag insider logo xs@2xlonemountain

Well there are a lot of different  speakers made and only a few of them are worth owning. I don't find pmc,b&w or atc  ones that I want to own. 

@lonemountain

studio monitors tend to sound accurate and analytical to most people. one of their design goals is to allow studio engineers to hear any flaws in the recording. some people like them for home use too. me personally i can take them in small doses but only with the right recordings, meaning well mastered and clean.  

home audio "audiophile" speakers are voiced to be pleasing to the listener and to avoid listening fatigue.

one way this is accomplished is by voicing to a sloped curve where the low frequencies begin at a certain output and then frequencies are gradually tapered downward by some degree, example 2db per octave, so that the response is flat, just tilted downward.

this is not done with distortion- it is done by tapering the response in the crossover design so that the output is a gradual slope. most people find some degree of elevated bass and slightly rolled of treble to be pleasing.

conversely a ruler flat and level response is found by most to be analytical.

According to discussions Ive read, Pro audio users do not want their speakers to sound good. If they sound good they are regarded as colored. They want their speakers to be accurate. As a result of this market need, the studio monitor industry was created in order to satisfy these needs. So these studio monitors are not designed by audiophiles or music lovers. They are done by engineers who have no understanding of music. They rely on measurements to guide their design along with user feedback, But since the studio pros themselves are not audiophiles, it is a case of the blind leading the blind. 

If you are a music lover, stay well away of these horrid and stupid studio monitors. Just get yourself a good speaker. Have it tuned and start enjoying your music. 

@avanti1960

conversely a ruler flat and level response is found by most to be analytical.

Its just WRONG. Dont be afraid to say it. There is no such thing as analytical. A speaker needs to reproduce the input signal. Either its right or wrong. Dont give me this hogwash about it being analytical or accurate or pleasing. I like to think in terms of is it RIGHT? or is it WRONG?