PreSonus Eris E3.5 Review – Setting the Standard for Budget Monitors

Studio monitors from PreSonus’s Eris Series are used in studios around the world by producers and engineers who need clarity and transparency. Now the collection has a super affordable option for those on a budget. The Eris E3.5 near-field speakers use a lot of the same tech as the higher-end models, so – even though they go for less than one hundred bucks – expectation is pretty high. Let’s take a closer look…

Design

The Eris E3.5 enjoy a very sophisticated design that makes these speakers look a lot more expensive than their budget price tag suggests! The box itself is made with MDF, with resonance-suppressing internal bracing, with a height of around 8” and a 5.6” width. So, it’s a lightweight and compact set that’s suitable for a small studio setup, a desk or TV stand. In terms of aesthetics, things are kept simple with a matte black vinyl finish and no extensive branding, and just volume and power controls on the front (along with 1/8” aux in and headphone output) for easy access. Around the back sits the high and low frequency controls, as well as balanced 1/4” TRS and unbalanced RCA inputs. Simple, stylish and well-built for the low price.

Features

Moving onto features and the Eris E3.5 has both 3.5” custom-woven Kevlar woofers and 1” ultra-low-mass silk-dome tweeters, which is a pretty standard line-up for small speakers such as these – but still pretty solid. Looking at specs, this translates to a significant 50 watts of power in total (25 watts for each speaker), which is considerably more than some of the other models on our chart of the best budget studio monitors. There is also a listed frequency response of 80Hz to 20kHz. Even though it’s a budget speaker set, smaller details like the ‘soft start’ feature, which eliminates popping on power-up, are appreciated additions.

Performance

For the compact size, the E3.5 certainly packs some volume, although the low-frequency drivers deliver a good bass thump without distortion or rattle. The tweeters provide a smooth sound, free from harshness. Ultimately it is a very well-balanced set. They don’t feel completely flat, but they are clear and accurate for mixing and monitoring – in fact, these are some of the best budget speakers around when it comes to performance. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OLAg3l-LVAo

Conclusion

As you may have gathered, we are mightily impressed! The sleek design and lightweight but robust construction would make them feel worth the cash alone, but the performance is another level. If somebody told us these were $200 speakers, we would genuinely have no reason to doubt them. With this in mind, for under $100, the Eris E3.5 from PreSonus are a steal. For more info about the PreSonus Eris E3.5, click here. For more Studio Monitors Under $100, click here.