Gearank

The Presonus Eris E5 appears smaller than other studio monitors with 5" diaphragms but don't let that fool you: the diaphragm on the Eris is actually 5.25".

This subtle increase in diameter allows the woofer to output slightly more low frequencies while shouldering more range before the tweeter handles them.

The crossover frequency is at 3khz. This means that the woofer needs to be built to handle a wider range of frequencies than your average monitor.

Features

• Driver: 5.25” Woofer, 1" Silk dome Tweeter
• Amplifier: 45W LF, 35W HF
• Inputs: 1 x XLR, 1 x 1/4" TRS, 1 x RCA
• Frequency response: 53 Hz - 22 kHz
• Crossover Frequency: 3 kHz
• Enclosure: Ported
• Controls: Volume, MF Control, HF Control, Low Cut, Acoustic Space
• Dimensions: 10.24" x 7.68” x 7"
• Weight: 10.2 lbs

Pros

Many users note that the speakers have great clarity despite being on the lower end of their budgets. A lot of them were looking at more expensive offerings but when they tested out the Eris E5, they were hooked. The E5 shines in smaller spaces, as seen by the number of users who have it in their project/bedroom studios. The front firing bass port also takes care of any bass resonance problems behind the speaker.

Cons

Sweet spot is said to be narrow and not ideal for listening "in the room" with clients. This is good if you're a solo musician or songwriter that doesn't need to show off a mix. Less than ideal if you're aiming to go pro and have to mix with people in the room.

Overall

The Small Eris E5 can sound bigger than it looks without introducing too much of the room's inconsistencies. Get it if you operate out of a small room or project studio and want some low midrange fidelity in an affordable package. While it's not a high-end Genelec or Focal, it offers great price-to-sound quality that will make you forget you're mixing on sub-$150 monitors.

Although this was previously on our recommended list, there are now more highly rated options available which you can see in our guide to The Best Studio Monitors.