Nearfield Monitor
Small monitors used up close, letting direct sound dominate over room reflections
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Nearfield monitors sit about a metre away, close enough that direct sound arrives before most room reflections. That lower dependence on the room made them standard in project and home studios.
Set them up symmetrically: tweeters at ear height, the two speakers and the listening position forming an equilateral triangle, with some distance from the wall. Desk reflections can be reduced with stands or pads. Nearfields have limited low bass; do not force it with EQ. Add a subwoofer and calibrate it separately if needed.
The usual mistake is assuming nearfields remove the need for room treatment. They reduce the ratio of reflected sound, not standing waves; corners and the rear wall still matter.
Sources
- 近场监听与摆位，参 Bob Katz, Mastering Audio 与 Philip Newell, Recording Studio Design；本文为原创表述
Used for fact-checking only; all prose is original.