KRK Rokit Powered 5

Having had the KRK Rokit RP5 monitors since December 2008, the main choice at the time for me picking them was price and a recommendation by the salesman at Dolphin Music based in the UK. My main purpose for using the Rokits was/is producing and music mixing, which they are very capable of doing. Used in pairing with both a E-MU tracker pre interface and a Focusrite Saffire Pro 14, the RP5's have a consistent and defined sound to them which carries on no matter what interface is being used in conjunction with them. One of the other influential factors for me choosing these monitors was the impartial sound and flatter frequency response they offer.

SOUNDS

The sound the KRK Rokit RP5's provide is very useful for mixing and producing, especially if you are just starting out. The stereo image is well defined and once you get used to them you will easily be able to tell when elements in a mix are out of phase with one another (for example when mixing drums a loss of low end in the kick drum or body in the snare) and when listening to top pro mixes you can hear extremely wide elements such as backing vocals in a chorus compared to more restrained panning of instruments during a verse for example.

Dynamics (and sometimes lack of dynamics with some genres) are well respected. From the extremes of classical music right through to flat out, compressed-to-hell hip hop and pop tracks of today's charts, the Rokit RP5's stay true and honest to the original integrity of the music. You will also be able to tell when you hear a track that has not been mixed properly, as the RP5's will not 'hype' bad mixes or recordings to make them sound good unlike the majority of consumer speakers available today. You don't buy these monitors to make all your music sound good with a ridiculously inflated bass or treble response, you buy them to tell you the truth about your mixes so you can craft it to be neutral and suit any music style.

The spectrum is fairly presented (with a frequency response of 45Hz all the way up to 35kHz incase your dog needs to mix a track), there are also controls on the back of the speakers to control the high frequency volume amount they give out incase the room you are mixing in is not acoustically treated and has a particular preference to either enhancing the high frequencies too much or soaking them up. Depending on the style of music you are working on, the low end sub response may not be enough for you with the 5" Aramid Glass Composite woofers, so adding a dedicated subwoofer to the setup might be an idea in that case.

OVERALL OPINION

For the price range the Rokit RP5's are in, they can't be beaten for quality and value for money. KRK really spoil consumers with these reasonably priced monitors. Yes there are better monitors for mixing out there such as Genelecs and even the higher end models of KRK monitors, but of course they will cost you more than double the price of these. Add to that the fact that acoustic treatment of the room you are mixing in is just as important - you can have the best, most expensive monitors money can buy but if you're main mixing room is a loft in a council house then it will make little difference. These speakers are also quite portable for travelling with if you are on the go a lot of the time. At the time of purchase i tried other monitors by companies like M-Audio but ultimately decided on the KRK's, and the fact that they still work perfectly more than 5 years after purchase with no trouble is a testament to the quality of the RP5's.

So overall, if you are new to producing/mixing or are a keen hobbyist with a set budget then the KRK Rokit RP5's are highly recommended, however if you are building a proper recording studio and have a fair amount of money to spend then i would advise looking higher up the monitor food chain at some of KRK's or Genelec's (as well as many other pro audio monitor companies) more expensive models.

I was is the market for something with 8" woofs as I was having a difficult time capturing the bottom end in my mixes with my trusted old Tannoy PBM 6.5. I didn't want to listen to anything else, but I walked by while someone was listening to the KRK RP5's. Holy Crap! I spent about 30 minutes listening to these and I walked away with them. The bottom is generous, although not at match for the 8"s I was listening too. But they were so focused and the bottom end so tight, that the 8"s sounded muddy by comparison. I can listen farther into the mix better than the Tannoy's. They have a very tightly defined sweet spot, so take the time to position them carefully and they will performs very well


SOUNDS

The KRK RP-5 Rokit Monitors are nice. The sound is extremely clear and natural. When you crank it there is no white noise that creeps. Great low ends and the highs are heavenly. Frequency adjustments on the back for tuning perfectionists. Good bang for buck. However. If you're rocking out hiphop or rap or anything with a boom it'll distort when its loud. If you forget to turn them off after using them they'll pop when you reboot the PC. If you put your cell phone or any wireless device on top of them they pop and make weird noises. Other than that they've been a great addition to the studio.

OVERALL OPINION

These speakers really are musically well balanced. So many monitors sound like garbage because they are balanced mathematically at the expense of the human ear. This whole series of monitors is made around the idea of striking a happy medium between sterile flat response and the more musical sounding EQ that these speakers have. These have become like an industry standard set of monitors in today’s music world.

As I started building my home studio, it was apparent I needed a decent pair of monitors. I went to Guitar Center and these were the best sounding monitors that I could afford ($300 for the pair). They are active monitors, meaning they have built in amplifiers and do not need to be connected to a power amp. They can accept 1/4", XLR, or RCA inputs. The high frequencies can be cut but -2 or -1 dB, or can be boosted by +1 dB. The volume of the monitors can be changed from -30 dB all the way to + 6 dB, depending on your input or output needs. Since these are active monitors, a user would likely set this value once and change the volume level on his or her mixing console. All of the inputs, control knobs, and power switch and supply are located on the back.

SOUNDS

These monitors produce a flat response with a great deal of depth to material being played. If you have never heard music through studio monitors before, you will probably be surprised at what a difference playing back your favorite records through these speakers can make. That being said, if you were to lay out a lot more money for more expensive monitors, you would be totally blown away by the little nuances that you would be able to easily pick out within professional studio recordings. The monitors themselves produce very little noise when playing back silence, which is not noticeable at all once music kicks in. These speakers do a great job with mid-range to high-end sound, but do not produce a lot of bass. This is partly because they are designed to produce a relatively flat response among all of the frequencies, but in addition, they are only five inch speakers and cannot replicate the bass frequencies as larger speakers can. Pair these speakers up with a subwoofer, and tune your sound system appropriate between these monitors and your subwoofer, and you'll have a great little setup.

OVERALL OPINION

These are great monitors for entry level, but do not approach any of the higher end gear that KRK has manufactured. For the price, these are a good speaker, and occasionally you'll see them on sale for less than the $300/pair that I paid. I eventually replaced these monitors with KRK V8's that I got for a steal. At that point, I took my Rockits and made them my home stereo speakers paired with a Cambridge Soundworks subwoofer. They excel at this, and a I get a great, full sound out of a relatively compact package.

1" silk dome tweeter, 5" aramid glass woofer. Good choice of inputs (xlr, trs, rca), main gain control knob (-30 to +6 dB) and high frequency control knob (-2 to +1 dB). could use a crossover control know but it's not really necessary.

Price paid

$300 USD

SOUNDS

Incredible sound, great response for a 5 inch woofer.

OVERALL OPINION

Very easy to use, just plug in the power, plug in your input, put the knobs to 0 dB, turn on and play away.

Well built, solid as a rock.

This the best purchace I've ever made for music production, given I haven't purchased much. Also, I do believe these are the best monitors you can find for $300 or less.

Originally posted on FutureProducers.com
Posted by: hollip3020 ( 6-, 2005)