Are you looking for a good studio monitor at an entry-level price point?
If so, look no further!
Music producers and hobby musicians alike agree that the PreSonus Eris E5 is great for its price!
The Eris E5 has a good frequency response, a well-built and solid body that uses high-quality materials, and acoustic space control to fit your studio perfectly.
But don’t just take our word for it.
Read on for our full PreSonus Eris E5 review to see where it shines and where it can be better!
PreSonus Eris E5 Overview
Before discussing the nitty-gritty of the PreSonus Eris E5, note that this is NOT the same as DJ speakers or home stereo monitors.
- Those are for delivering a solid performance and filling up a space with as much sound as possible.
- Meanwhile, a studio monitor is for MIXING and hearing true tones.
Now that that’s out of the way, we’ll start the review by saying that the PreSonus Eris E5 is a good studio monitor that you can purchase at an AFFORDABLE price.
They are a pair of 5-inch studio monitors that is great for a home studio or a small to mid-sized studio.
That being said, we think it best fits the needs of novice sound engineers because it offers shockingly good frequency response and controls for a reasonable amount.
Intermediate producers and professionals will still enjoy the CLEAN and FAITHFUL sound it produces, but they may need more bass than the PreSonus Eris E5 can give.
Acoustic treatment and strategic speaker placement are always recommended, but if these are not possible, these have acoustic space controls with which you can customize the sound.
Main Features
We will be breaking down the strengths and weaknesses of the PreSonus Eris E5 for a full look at its capabilities.
Keep reading to see if these are the studio monitors for you!
Sound Quality
In terms of near field-monitors, the PreSonus Eris E5s are good studio monitors available on the market.
It has a very satisfactory frequency range of 53 Hz – 22 kHz with a crossover frequency of 3 kHz. These are very good specs to see on a budget studio monitor!
It has a great flat response that allows you to hear all the details of the sound as you are mixing and mastering your tracks.
A great thing about the PreSonus Eris E5 is that it has an acoustic space control on the rear of the monitors, so you can CUSTOMIZE the sound reproduction to fit your studio.
Many cheaper studio monitors do not have this feature which can cause the frequency response to be a bit out of whack.
While the mid frequencies are clean and crisp, they probably suffer most with the low-end and deep bass.
If you are into creating hip-hop music or other bass-heavy genres/sounds, you may need to get a woofer to provide an appropriate bass boost to the PreSonus Eris E5.
Build
You’d be wrong if you thought that the PreSonus Eris E5 would have a cheap build quality because of its price!
These 5-inch monitors are built with medium-density fiberboard, a solid material that can take some beating.
It has rear panel controls for sound customization. You can also find an unbalanced RCA input, a balanced XLR input, and a balanced 1/4 inch TRS input.
In terms of accessories, it comes with an RCA cable, but we recommend getting good quality XLR and TRS cables as well.
Note that many studio monitors do not come with these cables anyway, and the lack of them in this package is not because of its lower price.
The PreSonus Eris E5 makes use of Kevlar low-frequency inductors. External interference is also reduced with some adjustments.
If you are working within a small studio, keep other electronic devices away to minimize interference, as some users report hearing a hissing sound.
Design
When it comes to design, this all boils down to personal preference, but we think the manufacturer of the PreSonus Eris E5 did a great job.
The sleek all-black look of these speakers looks classy and polished. Furthermore, this means it can fit the aesthetic of most studios in which it will be placed.
It has a very modern touch in the form of a little branding logo on the bottom right portion that gets illuminated when the power is on.
These studio monitors also have rounded edges which are great so that you don’t hurt yourself if you accidentally bump into them.
Tuning Options
The PreSonus Eris E5 really edges out its competition with its acoustic space switch on the back panel of the monitors.
This enables users to fine-tune the sound reproduction for a smooth and accurate mixing experience.
Both the mid-range and high range can be adjusted in these controls to fit the room’s capacity and make it conducive to music production.
Such a feature is especially great for those who work from a home studio and have limited space and placement capacities.
In the absence of acoustic treatment, this is a good avenue to compromise sound quality in an efficient manner.
Few studio monitors manage to pull off this feature as well as the Eris E5 does, so this feature is a real standout among its other impressive qualities.
Value for Pricing
In our opinion, the Eris E5 is the BEST one in the category of affordable studio monitors.
It has an affordable price, but its performance can be comparable to producing a PRO-LEVEL sound.
The frequency response and acoustic space settings alone make it more than worth the purchase.
Pair those with a good build; you can’t beat it for its price of less than $150 per monitor.
And since these are budget monitors, you can use the extra money and spend it on acoustic treatment for your studio for a better and neater mixing experience.
However, if a sophisticated low-end sound is important to the type of work you do, these monitors might not be the best bet.
It also bears repeating that the Eris E5 is NOT the best for DJ performances or home entertainment.
You will be disappointed if you buy these studio monitors and expect them to work well for those purposes!
Alternatives to Consider
If you are a sound engineer or a hobby musician who is beginning to take production seriously, we suggest investing in good quality studio monitors such as the PreSonus Eris E5.
However, you may still be having doubts about whether or not these are perfect for you.
We have made this shortlist of other studio monitors that are comparable but have their own edge. Let’s have a quick look at these other speakers.
1. JBL 305P MkII
JBL has an OUTSTANDING reputation with sound engineers and musicians for creating great studio monitors.
The 305P MkII provides a large sound stage with JBL’s signature (and patented!) Image Control Waveguide.
This makes it a good choice for those who want to use a bigger studio space when mixing and mastering tracks.
It also has a nice bass response, an output that is lacking in the PreSonus that some producers may look for.
The build on the 305P MkII is SOLID and durable! They are a little hefty at 4.5kgs, but that just means bumping into them won’t immediately result in a tragic fall.
In terms of inputs, it offers XLR and 1/4 inch TRS, so you can use either cable.
The cons, we’ll have to say, are that these JBL monitors are rear-ported and that they are on the expensive end of the entry-level ones.
The port placement makes it tricky for people with limited space to find a spot for it in their studio.
The pricing also makes it less attractive because you can get something cheaper that functions almost or just as well.
2. Yamaha HS5
If JBL has a good reputation, Yamaha is regarded as one of the industry’s veterans! If legacy brands are important to you, these are worth checking out.
Like the PreSonus studio monitors, they have a 5-inch body targeted to both beginners and professionals.
Yamaha’s history in the music market has allowed them a good understanding of what producers need, hence the impressive sound quality of these speakers.
They deliver a clear and flat sound, making it a joy to use for mixing and mastering. This enables you to hear all details and easily pick out and correct mistakes.
In addition, we appreciate the subtle but sophisticated look of these studio monitors, probably also lending to Yamaha’s history and appreciation for the classic.
However, again similar to the PreSonus, it is ideal that you get a woofer to reinforce its performance on the low end.
Bass frequencies are not the best with the HS5 but are still a great option for its target market.
3. KRK Rokit 5 G4
The KRK Rokit 5 G4 studio monitors are excellent for producers in genres that rely heavily on basses, such as hip hop and EDM.
The G4 delivers a great modulation across all frequencies and more thump and pronounced bass than all of the speakers we’ve discussed so far.
Because of this, casual listeners will NOT be disappointed by these and can probably even work well for home entertainment purposes!
However, this huge difference in performance is needed by engineers and musicians who need tonal clarity and faithful reproduction.
The balance that the KRK Rokit 5 G4 offers may not be for you if what you are looking for is a flat studio monitor.
Nonetheless, these have an attractive price tag that is on the cheaper side, especially for the impressive tuning options it offers.
Frequently Asked Questions
Has our PreSonus Eris E5 review so far not been able to satisfy all your curiosities?
Here is some quick information on things you might be wondering about regarding these studio monitors!
Are PreSonus Eris 5 Good for Mixing?
YES, the Eris E5 is a good monitor for mixing!
The sound quality has a flat response that allows clear and crisp sound reproduction that you will need.
Many users across the board report good and consistent listening experience from E5s that help them create the best tracks.
Additionally, these are affordable monitors, so it’s very tough to beat when it works so well and comes HIGHLY recommended.
But, again, if a deep bass is something you need, maybe you can look at other studio monitors, as these don’t provide the best bass response.
Does PreSonus E5 Have Bluetooth?
No, the Eris E5 is not a Bluetooth-powered studio monitor.
It has a rather diverse range of options when it comes to cable inputs, offering balanced XLR and TRS (1/4 inch) inputs and an unbalanced RCA input.
Those cables are the standard inputs that most speakers come with and are VERY VERSATILE in their uses.
However, PreSonus also offers the Eris E5 BT version for the producers and musicians who are inclined to use this connectivity method.
They are priced at $249.95 for a pair and may be worth investing in if you use Bluetooth a lot.
Do I Need an Audio Interface for PreSonus Eris E5?
Yes, you need to have an audio interface to properly use the PreSonus Eris E5.
Additionally, note that when you purchase the studio monitor, the cables that can connect it to your interface will not come with it.
This practice is standard among speaker manufacturers and is not caused by the Eris E5’s relatively low price.
What it does come with is PreSonus’ digital audio workstation.
With their Studio One Prime software, you can access virtual instruments, synthesizers, and other plugins for FREE! Such a steal!
The Verdict: Is it Worth It?
The PreSonus Eris E5 is a great monitor option and probably the best among budget monitors out on the market today.
These sound FANTASTIC with a sound quality that delivers a flat response, perfect for hearing all the details in sounds that even professionals will be impressed by.
It also includes some amazing acoustic space controls that allow it to be versatile and efficient for home studios or small to mid-sized studios.
The build quality on these is quite impressive for its price, made with quality materials that are meant to help it extend its life.
Final Words
We recommend supplementing these studio monitors with a woofer if having a better low-end sound reproduction is a significant concern.
If you are looking for a loudspeaker for DJ performances or something to function as home stereo speakers, these are NOT the ones for you.
All in all, these studio monitors are 100% WORTH IT, in our humble opinion, as the pros heavily outweigh the cons.
Thank you for stopping by to check out our PreSonus Eris E5 review!
