Log in
Log in

or
Create an account

or
< All Equator Audio Research D5 reviews
Add this product to
  • My former gear
  • My current gear
  • My wishlist
Equator Audio Research D5
Images
1/22
Equator Audio Research D5
kondwanikaphaizi kondwanikaphaizi

« Excellent Mid-Range  »

Published on 07/16/14 at 23:47
The D5s are powered monitors with a design that you don't find on many low cost speakers. The tweeter and woofer are combined in a single driver. They're quite compact, very sturdy and they fit nicely on my desk. Each speaker isn't heavy, weighing roughly 4KGs. The tweeter and the woofer each have a 50 watt amp. The rear has a power button, a 1/4 inch TRS input, an XLR input, a low end roll-off switch. The finish on the boxes is beautiful and they look and feel expensive. I bought them as an extra pair of reference speakers for mixing to complement my other speakers.

SOUNDS

I use 3 different sets of speakers for monitoring and quality control and D5s often help me to pick out things in my mix that I sometimes miss with my other speakers. The mid range is fantastic and the top highs are very well represented. The sweet spot is wide on these monitors meaning you don't have to to sit in such a calculated and specific spot to enjoy the best sound. You can move around a bit and still hear the best sound from the speakers.They also sound good at low volumes. When I don't want to make too much noise at night but still get a good sense of what's going on in my mixes the D5s are my goto speakers. The sound on these is clear though the low end is not represented well; the bass is thin which doesn't make them good for bass heavy music. For their size though they're loud and don't distort easily. You can mix almost anything that doesn't require a lot of bass with these speakers with confidence that it will translate well.

OVERALL OPINION

I would buy these speakers again ONLY to complement my other speakers; the mid range response is superior to my Rokit 8s and Behringer Truth. They really which helps me to pick out small things that I may not with my other sets of speakers. I wouldn't buy them as my main monitors because from a holistic point of view they are flawed. The low end is thin and the high end can be too bright when you hit certain frequencies. Despite the few flaws the D5s are very good monitors. At the end of the day it's just about learning the sound of your speakers. I was able to make decent mixes back in the day when I was using my hi-fi system, so we can never rule out the importance of skill and knowledge on how to use your gear.

Pros:
- Accurate sound output especially in the mid range
- Wide sweet spot

Cons:
- Bass response is rather weak