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Studio monitor stands are the type of audio upgrade that’s easy to overlook. While upgrading your speaker cables or soundproofing your room has become accepted by wide swaths of the audio community, many folks are content with keeping their studio monitors directly on their desk. However, this is a suboptimal place to keep them for several reasons. First, treble is directional, so positioning speakers to ear level will help ensure frequency ranges don’t drop off unless you carve them out and it can create a better “sweet spot” for imaging. Second, elevated speakers can significantly reduce the amount of micro-vibrations—caused by the studio monitor cabinets on a surface, as well as controllers and mix consoles and computer fans—which can alter how they sound. The best studio monitor stands will allow you to optimize the position of your studio monitors next to your visual one, as well as your audio interface, etc. And it helps solve any issues with accuracy and reverberation, which is great for music lovers in general and essential for musicians/audio engineers who need to hear how their in-progress mixes sound before they leave the home recording studio.
Best overall: HumanCentric Desktop Speaker Stands
Best splurge: IsoAcoustics Iso-Stand Series Speaker Isolation Stands and IsoAcoustics Iso-Puck Series Acoustic Isolators
Best budget: VIVO Universal Height Adjustable Ergonomic
The best studio monitor stands: Reviews & Recommendations
Best overall: HumanCentric Desktop Speaker Stands
Specs
Height: 4 inches
Width: 5.13 inches
Price: $49.99
Pros
Angled design
Anti-vibration pads
Aluminum construction
Cons
May be too tall
HumanCentric’s Desktop Speaker Stands are the platonic ideal of this audio accessory. Its base is wide enough not to tip over, and its aluminum construction will hold up well over time. They are perfect if all your gear is on a single surface, as these stands keep your studio monitors elevated and slightly angled upward to hit your ears optimally. If a set space and a low price are driving your decision, these desktop speaker stands have few obvious flaws, save for the lack of adjustments so make sure that they are the right dimensions for your height and the elevation of your desk. If they’re too tall, HumanCentric offers low-profile stands that still angle your studio monitors upward but only elevate them by a few inches. HumanCentric recommends using these stands with small and medium-sized studio monitors, which covers most of the speakers in this category. If the measurements work out, there’s no reason to avoid picking up these studio monitor stands.
Best splurge: IsoAcoustics Iso-Stand Series Speaker Isolation Stands and IsoAcoustics Iso-Puck Series Acoustic Isolators (shown)
Specs
Height: 8.25 inches maximum (Stands), 1.2 inches (Pucks)
Width: 5 inches (Stands), 2.4 inches (Pucks)
Price: $99.98 – $169.98 (Stands), $59.98 – $119.98 (Pucks)
Pros
Designed to mitigate vibrations
High weight capacity
Compact
Cons
Price
Designed with mix monitors in mind (shown with the Pioneer DJ VM-50 in our general speaker stands roundup)—but applicable to hi-fi speakers, powered and passive with an amp as well—IsoAcoustics’ Iso-Stand Series Speaker Isolation Stands are our picks for the best splurge in the desktop category. They have a unique design that not only lifts but angles the speakers as you need, providing 14 points of height and tilt. They also effectively reduce vibrations and clean up sound, necessary when mixing or even just listening, and are offered in a variety of different-sized stands, so you’re sure to find a set that suits your desktop needs.
IsoAcoustics’ studio monitor pucks may not elevate your speakers as high as the stands, but they were designed specifically to reduce micro-vibrations on surfaces that are already optimized for height (custom shelves, etc.). If your speakers are tall or you are more worried about distortion than finding an audiological sweet spot, this set is worth its high cost. The National Research Council of Canada professionally tested the stands to determine their sound isolation performance. The isolators work by managing how much energy (loud sound) from your speaker drivers makes it to the surface of your desk. By reducing that, the vibrations can’t reverberate upward. IsoAcoustics offers these short stands in a $119.98 four-pack (or buy them in smaller quantities) and recommends using that many—one per corner—per speaker. If you use your studio monitors for music production and general listening, these stands will make the most material difference in how your audio sounds. If you’d like these stands with slightly higher elevation, IsoAcoustics offers them in a larger size.
Best budget: VIVO Universal Height Adjustable Ergonomic Stands
Specs
Height: 12 inches
Width: 8 inches
Price: $34.99
Pros
Height adjustable
Anti-slip top pad
Price
Cons
Large size
Vivo’s studio monitor stands are the least expensive and the most flexible. You can adjust them between 4.5 and 6.5 inches to dial the height of your speakers in just so. Having height-adjustable studio monitor stands also ensures you can continue using them even when you upgrade your speakers to a slightly shorter or taller set. VIVO also made its stands out of aluminum, a premium material given their low price, and topped the stands with a layer of textured rubber to keep your studio monitors from slipping off the top. Our only qualm is that the base and top of the stand are very wide. This was a functional design decision as it ensures your speakers won’t tip over and will be fully supported on top, but does mean they require a lot of desk space. If you have the room to spare, the value of these cost-effective studio monitor stands is hard to beat.
A couple of additional studio monitor stands that can elevate your audio:
Vondynote Heavy-Duty Desk Clamp Stands w/ Adjustable Tilting Tray
Kanto SP9 Universal Steel Desktop Speaker Stands
FAQs
Q: Are studio monitor stands worth it?
Yes. Studio monitor stands will help you use your speakers to their fullest potential by directing sound directly at your head, creating a sweet spot.
Q: Do speaker stands improve sound quality?
Yes. Studio monitor stands can prevent vibrations created by speakers (low frequencies specifically) from impacting their audio quality. The difference will be subtle, but it’s there.
Q: What is the best height for a studio monitor stand?
This depends on your height. Ideally, studio monitor stands will position the speakers at roughly head level, so music is sent directly toward your ears.
Q: How much do studio monitor stands cost?
Our studio monitor stand recommendations cost between $34.99 and $169.99.
Final thoughts on the best studio monitor stands
Studio monitor stands may not be the first audio accessory to get, but they’re an inexpensive way to get that last ounce of performance out of your speakers. The fact that they can help de-clutter your desk or make it more aesthetically pleasing in general is just the icing on the cake. If you’ve generally been pleased with how your studio monitors sound but want to optimize them as much as possible, seriously consider picking up a pair of stands and heighten what you’re hearing.
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