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Strother Bullins on KRK Rokit 4 G3 Nearfield Studio Monitors & 8S Studio Subwoofer

On the heels of the AES Convention in Los Angeles where KRK announced their new line, the V Series (slated to replace VXT), I felt inspired to check out the smallest, most affordable KRK 3-piece monitoring system available today, a Rokit 4 G3 Nearfield Studio Monitor stereo pair with the 8S Studio Subwoofer, priced at $139.5.

Compared to most other powered speakers classified as studio monitors, the magnetically shielded Rokit 4 is tiny, measuring 8.31” x 6.09” x 8.82” and weighing less than 9 lbs., each. Though total power is 30 W, when the Rokit 4 is paired with the 109 W, 26 lb., 13.3” x 11.57” x 14.25”-sized 8S subwoofer, the system’s sound is full, frequency-balanced, remarkably smooth on the top end and punchy, detailed and deep on the bottom. For this review, I swapped out my normal 8-inch woofered full range active monitors with this Rokit rig and didn’t miss a beat; the 8S’s 35Hz-133Hz frequency response reaches down deep, making it a great choice for listening to bass-heavy content—from modern educational gaming to impressive in-house multimedia productions.

As with all KRK products I’ve had the pleasure to use, this system’s MDF-comprised cabinetry is well designed and assembled, and both the Rokit 4 and S8 offer comprehensive pro- and consumer-grade I/O, allowing the system to be used in a wide variety of ways. Aesthetically, the Rokit 4 fits a comparably wide range of environments, since it is available in traditional black, “Mac Book-ish” silver, and white.

Further, features abound between the Rokit 4 and S8, revealing KRK Systems’ understanding of the needs of its customers; for example, where other brands may leave its subwoofer’s driver exposed to potential damage, the S8 comes with a kick-proof grille, which is nice considering most S Series subwoofers will be under small desks and other non-traditional studio environments, despite their usage.

In all, the Rokit 4/S8 system is an ideal desktop monitoring system well suited for anything from music, A/V and multimedia production to high-quality institutional monitoring in schools, houses-of-worship, theaters, and more—all for less than $650 street.

Strother Bullins is Technology Editor for NewBay Media’s AV/Pro Audio Group. sbullins@nbmedia. com

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