[Titan2]

What is meant by monitor speakers and by reference speakers. Are these technical terms or just marketing hype?

 

[Kal Rubinson]

They are, today, mostly marketing terms. Sure, there are real studio monitors and there are consumer versions as well as consumer speakers that are equally good. OTOH, attaching the monitor label is not controlled by any standards, laws or rules of ethics.


Reference? To what? See above.


Note that having such labels does not mean that the speakers aren't good.

 

[ChrisWiggles]

What Kal said.


Although you may use "monitor" speaker as designating a "stand-mounted" speaker or a "bookshelf" speaker, as in that it's not a floorstanding speaker. This has nothing to do with performance, but rather just size.