It’s not uncommon to want to play apart in how music is made, especially how hip-hop music is made and mixed. To start on this path, first you’re going to need to right monitors! You may be interested in finding out the pros and cons of the top studio monitors for mixing hip hop on the market right now. To help you make a decision, we’re going to go through several options and break down what might work the best for you.
To get started upgrading your hip hop mixing experience, let’s start by laying out some of the top monitors. The following links will be what the rest of the review is based on, so be sure to make your own judgements as well!
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Top picks: Our top hip-hop mixing monitors for you in 2017
We poured over the best options possible to you, the consumer and have finally come up with a holy grail of monitors to help you get on your way. Of course not every monitor will be listed here, but we’ve done the research to ensure that these select few will be a primetime possibility for you and your new setup. Let’s take a look.
Yamaha HS5 Review: Best hip hop mixing studio monitor for price
If you’re just getting into mixing hip hop, it might not be the best idea to go spending thousands of dollars. To start out safe and small, we’ve picked a monitor that should work great for you and fit right into anyone’s price range!
Yamaha HS5 Powered Studio Monitor
These Yamaha HS5 Powered monitors are the cheapest of all the monitors we will be looking at. Though I can recommend them for someone looking to save a buck, they aren’t quite the perfect monitors for hip hop mixing, and I’m going to break down why.
What we like about this one:
- 2-Way bass reflex
- Bi-amplified nearfield
- Great low frequency response
- Different energy levels for different performance
These monitors look so simple yet so serious. Yamaha is a trusted name and I trust that this speaker would live up to great quality. The speaker is only 5” and you would have to buy a subwoofer separately, but this monitor is loaded with great stuff for not a big price.
What we dislike about this one:
- One monitor
- Old design
Not much to dislike here. You’re going to have to put up with having only a single monitor, but the technical quality in this little thing makes it a beast. I do recommend it if you’re looking to save some money.
Yamaha HS8 review: Best small studio monitor for quality
If you have a bit more money to spend, why not consider getting the monitor that will give you a supreme experience for mixing hip hop? It should be anyone’s goal to be able to afford the highest quality tools for your passion, so if you are in the market, this monitor may be perfect for you.
Yamaha HS8 Studio Monitor, Black
These Yamaha HS8 studio monitors are not extremely expensive at only $350 at the larger 8 inches size, but it also has several great technologies built into them.
What we like about this one:
- Upgraded model
- 8 inch cone
- Even better low frequency response
- Bi amp system and tons of input jacks.
- Room control and high trim response
These monitors have a boatload of features and have my favorite design of all the ones we will be looking at, and even come in a sleek white alternative color. With room control and high trim response, these might be especially perfect for mixing hip hop.
What we dislike about this one:
- Only one monitor
First of all, this is another monitor that just comes with a single speaker, but besides that it is virtually better than the previous model we looked at in rever regard. This is an excellent product and loved by the ones who bought it. For around double the price of the last monitor, you’re on the right track here.
Neumann KH 120 Review: Best overall hip hop mixing monitors
If you aren’t looking to save a dime yet not necessarily needing to break the bank, then I have the perfect set of studio monitors for you. This pair is double what the second set we looked at was, but it once again is a fantastic package. Let’s take a look at another pair of monitors for the final time.
Neumann KH 120 A – Active Studio Monitor
These Neumann KH 120 A’s are nice and have the most.. Interesting design of all of them. It’s sleek, it’s bold, and it’s thick. Fortunately, the interesting design of these speakers encapsulates them into being the best overall speaker we’re looking at.
What we like about this one:
- Precision manufactured
- Bi-amplified
- Compact and rugged
- Widest frequency response range
These monitors easily have the boldest look and the quality lives up to the design. At $700 these are a pretty penny, let’s look at what other cons come with this beast.
What we dislike about this one:
- Single monitor
- Abstract look
What’s not to love about these speakers? They are top of the line, and recommended but industry experts a like. If you want to go full in on the craft of mixing hip-hop, consider this speaker.
Comparing the Yamaha HS5 vs the HS8
We looked at two similar Yamaha monitors in this guide, and we’re going to distinguish the differences between these two models.
The main identifying difference between these two monitors is the size difference. The models are self titled as 5 inches and 8 inches respectively, but there are not many more differences than just the size. With the HS5 having generally the same features as the HS8 the main factor will be how big you want your monitors to be and how much you want to spend.
