Can Studio Monitors Be Too Big?


Studio monitors are essential for any home studio since they allow you to hear your music as accurately as possible. There are many studio monitors to choose from, and while they all boast accurate sound reproduction, it is critical to pick a size that matches your room.  

The size of studio monitors should be proportional to a room’s dimensions. If the speakers are too big, the excessive low-frequency output can cause unwanted sound reflections. Unless the room is acoustically treated, oversized speakers can compromise sound accuracy and the outcome of a recording.

If you’re unsure how big your studio monitors should be, read on. This article will discuss how size can impact a speaker’s performance, what size is right for your room, and what to do if your monitors are too big.  

Table of Contents

Can Studio Monitors Be Too Big?

How the Size of Studio Monitors Impacts Performance

Bigger studio monitors may be more expensive, but that doesn’t always mean they are better.  It’s vital to match the speakers with the size of the room they will be placed in because the room’s acoustics dramatically impact how speakers perform.  

Studio monitors usually have two to three drivers; a woofer, a mid-range, and a tweeter. These drivers are essentially individual speakers cased and wired together to form a bigger speaker, such as a studio monitor.  

Two-way monitors have a woofer and tweeter, while three-way monitors consist of all three drivers. Other speakers may have a combination of two of the same different drivers.  

Each speaker driver specializes in a particular frequency range.

  • Woofer:  Low-frequency bass sounds
  • Mid-range: Mid-frequency
  • Tweeter: High-frequency treble sounds 

Aside from the cabinets, the size of the woofers is usually what differentiates bigger studio monitors from their smaller counterparts. The size of the tweeters and mid-range drivers often stay the same.  

Studio monitors are said to have accurate sound reproduction because they closely match how the original recording should sound.

These speakers have a flat frequency response, which means there are no prominent peaks or dips across the frequency spectrum. In other words, their sound quality has little or no coloration.  

However, if the size of the studio monitors isn’t proportional to the room’s dimensions, certain issues can arise that will compromise their accuracy.  

Effects of Studio Monitors That Are Too Big

Speakers produce sound by converting electrical signals into vibrations. The speaker’s voice coil converts electrical energy into mechanical energy by vibrating a diaphragm, which moves air molecules to create sound waves.  

Generally speaking, larger speakers create bigger sound waves, which are more prone to reflections as they bounce off the walls or any hard surfaces in a room. These sound reflections trigger room modes that are either constructive or destructive forms of interference.  

When sound waves bounce off walls, they can intercept other sound waves from the speakers.  Colliding sound waves that are identical and in phase results in constructive interference, but if the sound waves are similar and out of phase, the interference is destructive. 

Constructive interference increases the amplitude of the sound frequency, while destructive interference cancels out the frequency.

Whether it’s constructive or destructive, interference can be detrimental in a home studio since it compromises the accuracy of your studio monitors.

Some frequencies will be inaudible, while others will appear louder than they are. The inaccuracy may cause you to increase and decrease sound levels for specific frequencies where you don’t have to.  

Effects of Studio Monitors That Are Too Small

Given the impact room acoustics have on larger speakers, you may think that getting the smallest studio monitors available is the safest option. Small studio monitors may be less prone to acoustic interference, but they are not perfect.

One of the most significant drawbacks of using small monitors is they struggle to reproduce low-frequency sounds. 

Small studio monitors usually come with woofers 4 to 5 inches (10.16-12.7 cm) in diameter. Since the woofers’ cones have a smaller surface area, they struggle to push the amount of air needed for sound frequencies below 40 Hz. 

Another disadvantage of small studio monitors is that most are rear-ported. Many speaker cabinets have ports that equalize air pressure inside the cabinet by letting air in and out. Since a port allows the woofers to expel more air, it also increases bass response.

Rear-ported studio monitors may also trigger unwanted resonance if the back of the speaker cabinet is too close to a wall. The low-frequency sound waves from the ports can bounce off the wall and produce a boomy sound.  

The Right Size for Your Room

If your home studio’s dimensions are less than 10 ft by 10 ft (3.05 x 3.05 m), studio monitors with 5-inch (12.7-cm) woofers should suffice. There’s no point in spending more money on bigger speakers because they will only compromise sound accuracy.

The advantage of using small studio monitors in a confined space is that they will not be as prone to activating room modes, giving you more accurate sound reproduction. Since small studio monitors are near-field speakers, you can be sure that their sweet spot is within your work area.   

A speaker’s sweet spot is where the listener hears everything the way it is intended to sound.  The sweet spot gives the listener the most accurate representation of the details, balance, and tone of a recording. 

I also recommend reading my comparison guide where I discuss the differences between 5-inch and 8-inch monitors. You’ll learn which option to buy depending on your needs. 5 Inch Vs 8 Inch Studio Monitors: Which Should You Buy?

How to Make a Room Match Your Speakers

If you already have a pair of studio monitors and find that they are too big for your room, you can apply acoustic treatments to minimize unwanted sound reflections. You can significantly improve a room’s acoustics by placing sound-absorbing materials.

A rug and soft furniture will help lessen sound reflections, but you can take it an extra step by installing bass traps and acoustic panels.

Bass traps work best at the corners of the room since that’s where sound waves have the most velocity. You can place acoustic panels behind the monitors and on the walls that the speakers face.  

Final Thoughts

An audio salesperson might try to convince you to spend more money on bigger monitors, but the size of your speakers should be proportional to the size of your room. It’s crucial for studio monitors to deliver accurate sound, and getting speakers too big for your space can significantly compromise performance. 

Juan Louder
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Juan Louder

I started SoundStudioMagic to learn how to record my own audiobook at home, and now I'm addicted to all the latest techniques and gear.

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