Tapco S5

The Tapco S5 are an very affordable set of studio monitors that almost any one can afford to have for home. You wont find these in any major studio because they just aren't built for that. They are made for the everyday musician that is on a budget and cant afford to spend a bunch of money on gear, not just monitors.


SOUNDS

The sound is pretty good for a cheap pair of monitors. You wont be able to say that they can compare to some of the higher end monitors or any of the KRK line. But with that being said you will still get a great mix in them if you can understand how they sound compared to other systems. Even if you have to listen to some cd quality songs through them to kind of compare your own mixes to the ones on the cd will give you a better idea of how you need to mix and master. Most of the time with monitors its not the quality of the monitor its how well you understand how the monitor will respond to the levels and frequencies. If you can figure that out then almost any decent set of monitors will work for you.


OVERALL OPINION

Overall, they are decent monitors and for the price you can expect to get studio quality sound, but as I said if you take the time to understand them you will still get good mixes. I really don’t suggest mastering in them though just because I wouldn’t want to waste time trying to master in monitors that are sub par from the start. You will need to make a little better investment in some monitors for mastering in or let someone else master for you. All in all, they are good and they are cheap. You would need to listen to them to make your own decision if they could work for you though.

The Tapco S5s are a pair of low budget studio monitors aimed for home studio owners.  The speakers have both RCA and XLR connections and each also has features for controlling both the low and high frequency response.  The monitors are active, so you don't need an external power amplifier.

SOUNDS

The sound of the Tapco S5 is about what I expected for a pair of monitors this size and budget.  While I can't knock the sound too much because of this low price and size, I will say that I don't think that they are all that great for mixing.  For monitoring during recording and simple play back, these will work great as they do have a pretty decent sound quality, I just don't think that have enough accurate response or low end clarity to be adequate mixing monitors.  This being said, I am comparing these to larger studio monitors, so if you are looking for a small set of monitors for a small home studio, these will do the trick fine.  Just keep in my mind that since they are so small, you're not going to get all that much low end response.


OVERALL OPINION

Being as cheap as the Tapco S5s are, this is really a great deal for home studio owners.  I definitely wouldn't recommend these for any professional or larger home studio owner, but for those with smaller home studio who may not need or want large monitors, the S5s are great.  Even though they aren't suited for professional mixing, if you know their limits and what they can and cannot do, you can do some basic mixing on them; just be sure to check your mixes on a variety of other speakers to make sure you've got your low end right.  In addition to a number of other smaller studio monitors like those made by M-Audio, the Tapco S5s are definitely worth a try for home studio owners. 

I wanted Beringher y'en but had more !! then the seller gave me a discount on Tapco S5 and frankly, I'm not, I could not compare with others, but I had some small PC speakers before and since I chang my config, ca dchire. I get my guitars and basses with a M-audio firewire solo card in a brand new dell p4 with a dual core and ca serious dpote !!! the sound is really Good

SONORITS

It is true that the bass can "insuffire" for some but me fits me, the stro is good and I like their neutral and faithful cot and especially powerful for this model, focus not to stick them to the wall or pinch the rear, otherwise it snores !!

NOTICE GLOBAL

I have them for 6 months in a home studio and I am very happy, the switch and the volume front, ca be top but hey .... I do not really get to the rock c top!

Usage is Home Studio, the critters to a Motu 828 MkII complter DP4.11 and a small Ibook G3 / 600Mhz running jaguar ... To this must be added various hardware fates produce Sound ... Not wishing to take my head with the configuration of the trio amp / speaker / Cables, I wanted the active, small but quite powerful, especially blinds ...

Trs are well finished, quite small but not too much, and psent a good weight, that's reassuring
(7 kg for the approximate size of an A4 sheet!)

Events in the rear (especially as they are for small installations) and the 64 Hz limit rponse while competing in the same range of approaching 40 Hz are the limits of these smaller monitors. In practice, these limitations are flying in exploded ...

Finally the price extremely aggressive in this season leaves no doubt, sr APRS costs far ...

SOUNDS

The neutrality? difficult to say again, I lack of references I would have a little more hours will cost you, so here I would tell you more later ...

Stereo image is good, although I am not yet convinced of the positioning of my monitors ... we must do better.

The sound is clear, trs prcis, treble flexible, crystalline, and not tired, beautiful mdiums can be actually a little behind as pointed out an article in Recording, are of low finished, never blurred DPIT the rear vents (they are currently places about 50 cm from the wall, lgrement diagonally).

The spectrum broad enough, the Reserved dynamic is impressive for such a MODEL, and the power trs than enough. I have used in a space of 15 m2, (sub-slope!) CD with some known by heart and chosen for their stamps, and finally with a GooveBox electric guitar .... I never push the master volume of more than half ... both monitors up to them ... I also play the CD is live on both monitors and tr s low rgime that trs high level they are excellent ... and keep all their ... DEFINITIONS

Although trs sr high level should not be afraid of vibrations and it has plutt that lined the cost but it must be the work I undertake is I d mnage my studio ... For me it will be a low cost rgime time pushing others To verify the proper maintenance of the mix ... In fact I intend to use it also to try to catch and grind my sounds ...

OVERALL OPINION

APRS 4 hours testing the house they do not dcoivent me one second, the other models, I do not think even more ...

Use in my home studio, dj is the hardware of a level ... An extraordinary indcent I redcouvre my mix (and it's not flattering) and my records! ! And ... trs than enough power ...

Frankly, if c'tait again, I resigned without rflchir, even at full price!

I return APRS 2 months of use: the verdict does not change, these are trs TAPCO monitors delicious ...

The neutrality I can talk now is to go, no worries of ct-l ... strength but also for large volumes or fans of the COST trs high level I deprecated at the same time ... this is not done to liven up your evenings dancing ... I especially deprecated because of the masking trs fast (high rgime) treble . This is the real limit I find them, it is essential to position itself in the triangle of acute COST otherwise tend fly ... Last BMOL small, switches the rear is pnible ...

These little things as they are great, I love ...