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US vs UK Interpretation

Posted by cawson@onetel.com (A) on October 18, 2021 at 17:13:42

In Reply to: Let's talk about "Monitors" posted by George S. Roland on October 18, 2021 at 09:42:46:

I get the impression that many US contributors on forums tend to use the word "monitor" to describe stand-mount speakers. This is clearly wrong. UK contributors tend to use the expression stand-mount (or bookshelf) for small speakers and monitor for speakers of any size that are designed for professional use.

Monitor speakers are those used by recording studios, broadcasters, etc as accurate (though often dull) speakers that enable studio engineers to do their magic with recordings so that the end result should sound great on domestic speakers.

Monitor speakers are usually big full-range ones, though some (such as BBC LS3/5As) are very small and optimised for use in OB vans where big speakers can't be used. They still have to be accurate within their physical capabilities.

Generally speaking (and this will be hotly disputed) professional monitors are less good in the domestic environment than domestic speakers. The latter are designed to make music sound exciting and life like, whereas monitors are designed to highlight deficiencies in the recording so that the engineers can correct these problems. Domestic speakers (and amplifiers for that matter) put less emphasis on "accuracy" and more on pleasure-providing sound. Give me the latter any day - horns, SETs, etc never stand up well to the oscilloscope, but sound to the ear so much better in the home than the professional gear used in studios.

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