PreSonus Eris Sub 8BT — 8" Inch Powered Subwoofer, Powered Sub, Active Subwoofer, Wireless, Bluetooth, Home Audio, Bass Speaker, Home Theater, Music Production, Gaming

Let me first start by saying that this is not my first pair of small near-field monitors. I've owned two other pairs of similarly-sized monitors in the past, both of which sounded like cheap junk. These days, I do my listening and mixing on a pair of Yamaha HS8s on two isolating stands in a very dampened (though largely untreated) bedroom, but I needed a slightly more portable pair of speakers that could accompany my laptop and a small interface to production sessions away from home. I wanted something with above-average sound quality at a price that wouldn't hurt my feelings if they somehow got damaged during transport.I read tons of reviews both here and at every reputable pro-audio retail website, and chose these over every other similarly priced and sized model because of their consistently glowing reviews. Of course, I was still skeptical because I have a hard time trusting the opinions and expectations of others when it comes to reviews on entry-level studio monitors. As a self-proclaimed "reasonable audiophile" and someone who has been producing and mixing music for a little more than 10 years now, I'm sure even my credentials (and my ears) will come into question during this review, and they should. It's always best to be skeptical about the type of claims I'm going to make here, especially when it comes to speakers or headphones that you haven't personally had the opportunity to audition before buying. Keeping that in mind, here are my thoughts on the Eris E4.5 monitors.Wow.At the time I purchased these, they were selling here for just under $200. I feel comfortable saying that these are the unicorn exception to the "you get what you pay for" rule of audio equipment. They don't blow me away in the same way that larger, more expensive speakers often do, but to say that I was initially stunned by the sound of these speakers would be an understatement. Because I purchased these speakers for mixing, I was most interested in how they perform at low-to-moderate levels. They certainly get loud enough to fill a room with sound, even uncomfortably loud in the right room, but I'll never need them to be that loud.At a level just slightly above the volume of the average speaking voice, these things sound unbelievably good for their size. The bass and sub-bass response isn't going to shake your foundation, but it's more than good enough for my purposes. They feel sturdy and don't have a lot of strange resonances that are difficult to work around; they don't "ring" a lot when you rap on them with your knuckles. The included adhesive foam pads didn't do anything special in terms of isolation, but they stick well and helps them to not slide around so easily on a smooth surface. If you really need to isolate these from the surface they're sitting on, just spring for some Auralex or a pair of small desktop stands.On the whole, they perform well across the frequency spectrum. They're far from flat, but they're also nowhere near as colorful as other similar small near-field monitors I've used; make no mistake, this lack of extreme coloration is a very good thing. They really shine in the midrange and treble frequencies, though. At low volumes, they deliver audio with impressive clarity. If you're working a quiet room, you should have no trouble hearing your changes on these little workhorses.I've already traveled with them once; took a trip to a cabin in the mountains and these had no problems keeping up when inspiration struck. I produce primarily electronic rock music, so being able to hear and understand what's going on at the bottom of the mix is extremely important in most of what I do. Again, the bass won't rock the house, but it's there and it gives you just what you need if you know what to listen for.When they're at home, they're hooked up to my turntable; a very modest AT-LP120 and a MicroPhono preamp (yes, the Behringer unit). The manual included with these monitors states that you should use the on-board "low cutoff" control to attenuate the bass frequencies if you plan to back them up close to a wall, but I've gotten the best results by ignoring that advice, leaving that switch at 0 and keeping them about 2" from the wall atop a bookshelf. I'll need to upgrade at least two other parts of my vinyl chain before I can feel like it has outgrown these speakers.To sum this all up, these monitors sound far better than they have any right to, considering their size and at the price they're being sold for. I won't waste your time waxing poetic about the subjective, unquantifiable aspects of the sound these monitors produce, but I can't emphasize enough that you'll get more than your money's worth out of these. If you have realistic expectations of what near-field monitors of this size and price will sound like, you'll probably be just as impressed as I was.

Awesome lil speakers, they absolutely get the job done and are super cheap. Awesome sound quality, pretty easy/ straightforward to use, nice sleek look great performance and nice to have for home studio/ portable speaker. Definitely buy for the price!

PreSonus Eris 3.5-inch Media Reference Monitors with Bluetooth (White) - My Honest ReviewI'm not a professional musician or anything, but I wanted some decent speakers for my computer setup. I mostly use them for listening to music while I work, watching YouTube videos, and sometimes playing games. I was tired of the tinny sound from my old computer speakers, and I wanted something with a bit more oomph. After doing some research, I decided to try the PreSonus Eris 3.5s with Bluetooth.First off, they look great. The white finish is clean and modern, and they fit nicely on my desk without taking up too much space. Setting them up was super easy. I mostly use the Bluetooth connection, which paired instantly with my phone and laptop. No complicated setup required!The sound quality is a huge improvement over what I had before. Everything sounds much clearer and more detailed. The bass is surprisingly good for speakers this size – it's not going to shake the walls, but it adds a nice fullness to the sound. I can actually hear the different instruments in music now, and dialogue in videos is much clearer.I also like that there are some controls on the front of one of the speakers. It makes it easy to adjust the volume without having to mess with my computer settings. I haven't really used the EQ settings much, but it's nice to know they're there if I need them.Honestly, for the price, I'm really impressed. They're a big step up from basic computer speakers, and they sound great for everyday use. If you're looking for good quality sound for your home office or bedroom without breaking the bank, I'd definitely recommend checking these out.Pros:Easy to set up, especially with BluetoothGreat sound quality for the priceLook nice on a deskConvenient front controlsGood bass for their sizeCons:Not super powerful – probably not ideal for large rooms or parties (but that's not what I bought them for)Bottom line: If you’re like me and just want better sound for everyday use, these are a great choice. I'm really happy with my purchase.