PreSonus Eris E5 Studio Reference Monitors Review
PreSonus Eris E5
| Frequency Response: | Low-Frequency Amplifier Power: | High-Frequency Amplifier Power: |
| 53Hz – 22kHz | 45W | 35w |
The PreSonus Eris E5 is a member of the Eris family of studio monitors. It is designed for beginning engineers, DJs, and home recording musicians who are looking for a pair of reference monitors that are still reasonably priced and functional. The Eris E5 unquestionably offers everything the bedroom or home studio producers could ask for at an incredibly affordable price, despite the fact that there are many options available in a similar price range from numerous reputable manufacturers.
PreSonus Audio Electronics Inc., also known as PreSonus, is an American company that produces professional audio hardware and software. Professional studio and live engineers, musicians, and home studio producers use their product lines on a global scale. PreSonus has released a number of products since it was founded in 1995, including the Studio One DAW, the Notion and Progression Composition Software, as well as a wide range of digital mixers, control surfaces, MIDI controllers, studio monitors, audio interfaces, and headphone amplifiers.
Let’s take a moment to understand reference monitors, what they are, and how they function in a studio setup to help us better understand how the Eris E5 monitors operate before we look at the Eris E5 monitors themselves.
What are Studio Reference Monitors
To put it simply, recording, mixing, and mastering engineers, musicians, radio producers, and post-production engineers use studio reference monitors to faithfully represent the content they are working with. Due to the fact that Hi-Fi speakers are made to enhance the sounds that are played through them, audio engineers cannot use them to record, edit, or mix music or dialogue. Reference monitors are made to reproduce audio as accurately and “cleanly” as possible, just as it was mixed or recorded. The frequency response should be as “flat” as possible.
A studio’s reference monitors are arguably its most crucial component. Since if your monitors can’t accurately represent your sound, all of your other expensive and professional equipment and software are useless. Studio monitors come in a wide range of shapes and sizes, and many of them have subtle characteristics that the user must be aware of and take into consideration when making edit and mix decisions, such as speakers that have a slight dip in a particular frequency range.
Making a mix that works well on other systems requires ear training and frequency response testing on your monitors. Studio monitors are used at the very end of the signal chain in a studio or at home during production. They receive the signal through the soundcard or audio interface outputs on your computer. These connections can take the form of RCA, XLR, or TRS ports and vary from interface to interface. Therefore, before you buy your new studio monitors, it is essential to check the output options on your audio interface.
the PreSonus Eris E5
When you take into account their adaptability, toughness, and sound performance capabilities, the Eris E5 monitors are incredibly affordable.
Design
Let’s start by looking at the packaging. The PreSonus team was very helpful in ensuring that my speakers arrived at my front door safely and undamaged. The monitors were delivered safely packaged in a double-box arrangement with protective Styrofoam for added support. I discovered the following items in the box:
- 2 x PreSonus Eris E5 Studio Monitors
- 2 x Power Cables
The speaker cabinets are constructed from medium-density fiberboard and coated in vinyl for a slick aesthetic, feel, and protection of the enclosure. PreSonus paid some serious attention to detail upon manufacturing these monitors. All knobs, switches, and inputs are made from high-quality materials and feel great to use. The front of the speakers features a small LED indicator to display the speaker’s on/off status, using a blue light that ensures high visibility even in brightly-lit environments.
Connectivity
When used in unfavorable rooms, such as those with reflective surfaces, inadequate or no acoustic treatment, or unsuitable room shape or size, the PreSonus Eris E5 has sound-altering controls to enhance the acoustic properties of the speakers. The mid and high knobs on the cabinet’s back can be used to modify the pertinent frequency responses and characteristics, respectively. Although there isn’t a control for the lower frequency range, I think the mid and high controls can make up for it, and the sound stage controls are helpful if your room struggles with bass response.
Depending on where your studio’s monitors are placed, you can adjust the sound stage controls, which are marked “acoustic space” on the back of the cabinet. Additionally, there are diagrams to help you select the best mode for your monitor placement. To achieve precise, transparent, and high-quality sound reproduction, it’s imperative to consider where you should place your reference monitors. Before simply plugging them in and starting your DAW, I would advise researching placement options. Additionally, investing in a good set of speaker stands will significantly improve isolation.
Three inputs are available for connectivity with the PreSonus Eris E5s:
- Unbalanced RCA
- Balanced TRS (1/4 inch)
- Balanced XLR
These monitors can be used with practically any audio interface you might be using thanks to their input options, as well as for other purposes like referencing a movie soundtrack or using a vinyl system.
Sound
Any audio-related device’s capacity to faithfully reproduce sound is its most crucial feature. For their low price, the PreSonus Eris E5 monitors deliver high performance. The equalization and sound stage controls mentioned above give the speakers more adaptability and tonal shaping options to perform at their best in any situation.
Remember that these speakers are not appropriate for use as a stereo setup or HiFi system where enhanced and exaggerated tonal qualities are to be anticipated when evaluating the sound quality of these speakers. These reference monitors have flat responses and are made to faithfully reproduce the source signal.
The absence of a low-end presence was the first thing I noticed. This is to be expected considering the E5’s small 5-inch woofer size and low-frequency response, which begins at 53Hz. I then took the speakers out of their isolators and set them down on my low-density wood desk. While the bass response was undoubtedly “improved,” this was primarily the result of resonance brought on by the surface contact, which is something to avoid when using professional reference monitors.
While the absence of low-frequency content was a slight disappointment, I managed to adjust this using the onboard equalization controls to find a balanced ‘sweet spot’. Yamaha’s HS5 speakers, which provide better low-frequency representation, are a similarly priced set of entry-level studio monitors worth considering.
Regarding the remaining frequency range, I really have nothing to complain about: a flat response with a clear midrange and high-frequency thanks to the 1.25″ tweeter. The earlier necessary adjusting is made up for by the frequency information and definition. I was very impressed by the Eris E5’s improved definition when compared to a pair of HiFi speakers. My only real complaint is that there is a high signal-to-noise ratio; the speakers occasionally hum and make a popping noise when turned on and off.
The E5s are more than suitable for a bedroom or small project studio where you can edit, mix, and master your music, podcast, or video content to a high standard, even though they might not be the best choice for a high-end studio setup.
Conclusion
As an engineer who has had the privilege of working on a wide range of reference monitors, including some of the best in the industry, I can say with certainty that the PreSonus Eris E5 offers excellent value for money for small project studio or hobbyist applications.
An affordable pair of trustworthy monitors that consistently deliver predictable results and are surprisingly loud for their small size of 5 inches! The front-facing bass port gives you more options for where to place speakers (however, it is vital to research and implement proper monitor placement techniques for best results). Since there are so many connectivity options, almost any interface or media device can be used with ease.
The above-mentioned signal-to-noise ratio problem and a lack of bass response, which results in a “thinner” overall sound, are my only complaints. However, you can fix this by making an effort to equalize the situation using flexible onboard controls. It is also important to note that PreSonus’ support staff is a very helpful group if you have any warranty or technical support-related questions.
