Did the production world need more self-powered nearfield studio monitors? The folks at PreSonus decided it did, introducing the Eris E8, E5, and most recently the smaller E4.5 into an already-crowded affordable monitor market. Each offer bi-amplification for woofer and silk-dome tweeter, ported cabinet and extensive input options and electronic controls. This review will focus on the Eris E8 with a list price of $399 each, though most will find the street price is much lower.
At first glance, the E8 is an attractive speaker with beveled corners, matte black finish and striking eight-inch blue Kevlar woofer. For those who like to really dial in their sound, the E8's back panel may be even more appealing. There the speaker has balanced XLR, balanced 1/4-inch and unbalanced RCA inputs. These feed a wide-ranging input level control with up to 35 dB of gain (above unity). From there users can contour the input signal with midrange (1 kHz peak) and high-frequency (4.5 kHz shelving) knobs that offer up to 6 dB of boost or cut. While 6 dB may not seem like much compared to the filters on a mixer or plug-in, a little goes a long way in this application.
Monitor position relative to walls and corners has a significant impact on bass output. The E8 has this variable covered with an acoustic space switch that affects frequencies below 800 Hz. This switch has flat, -2 dB and -4 dB settings to compensate for speaker placement away from walls, against one wall or near a corner respectively. Finally, a bass roll-off filter with flat, 80 Hz and 100 Hz settings allows the E8 to play well with a subwoofer. Well-designed illustrations and instructions on the back of the E8 make the controls easy to locate and adjust.
Too Good?
Flipping the back-panel power switch turns on the speakers and illuminates the bright blue PreSonus logo on the front of the E8. With signal flowing, I was immediately impressed with how good these monitors sound. Out of the box, they were detailed, crisp and open. Hi-hat, cymbals, vocals and strings all had noticeable air and brightness. Bass output and extension was impressive, making a subwoofer unnecessary for most production chores. Checking the specs revealed the numbers behind the E8's deep bass: rated low-frequency response extends to 35 Hz (53 Hz with the five-inch E5, and 70 Hz with the 4.5-inch E4.5; both specs likely at -10 dB). For those needing extended bass response, Presonus offers the Temblor T-10 subwoofer.
The E8's imaging is very good, making it easy to locate individual sounds in the stereo field. Tweeter coverage is on-par with other monitors at this price point, delivering consistent sound across a large area in front of the monitor. The E8's crossover and internal processing seem to be well-engineered, and I heard no anomalies around the 2.2 kHz crossover frequency.
After extended listening to my favorite tracks, though, something about the E8's sound was bothering me. My concerns were confirmed when I compared the E8 to the self-powered near-field monitors I've been trusting for my own mixes for 15 years. With all EQ filters set to flat, the PreSonus monitors sound too good. How can a speaker sound too good? It can err on the side of telling you what you want to hear instead of what you need to hear. Flattery is great in a hi-fi speaker, but brutal honesty is what you want in a near-field monitor.
This is where the E8 tone controls come in to play. With a slight bump to the midrange and a few dB trimmed off the high-frequency output, the E8 came much closer to the honest, accurate sound I was after.
Testing different acoustic space settings allowed me to optimize the bass response as well. That's the beauty of the E8's back-panel controls: the speaker went from slick salesperson to trusted friend in 15 minutes.
Total amplifier power of 140 watts drives the E8 to a maximum SPL of 105 dB, which falls a few dB short of the loudest speakers in its class. Output volume was still more than adequate for most monitoring chores in typical control rooms. The E8's sound remained clear right up to where the speaker's built-in protection circuits started kicking in.
Once dialed in for my room and personal preferences, I was pleased with the sound of the E8 speaker. How well the E8 compared to my near-field monitors (at several times the price) was an eye-opener: entry-level speakers have made huge strides in recent years. The only thing on my wish-list for the E8 would be a front-panel power switch instead of the one positioned down low on the back panel. Lacking that, an auto-off or “sleep” mode would have been a nice touch.
With the E8, PreSonus has hit that sweet spot where the monitor's innate sound and flexibility of control allow it to meet the needs of most entry-level buyers. If you find the E8 too flattering straight out of the box, you can sculpt its sound to deliver what your ears (and room) need. Though inexpensive, the PreSonus E8 will allow you to achieve excellent, consistent mixes for audio or video production.
