ESI NEar05 EXPERIENCE studio monitor speakers

I do have in my possession back home is a pair of KRK RP-5s, but I decided not to bring it this time when we flew to Hong Kong hoping that I could buy another set of studio monitors and the nEar05 eXperience by ESI proved to be another set of affordable studio monitor speakers for the serious studio musician on a tight budget like myself.

The nEar05 eXperience is actually the upgraded version of the nEar05 classic speakers which was specifically designed for serious home and project studios. Most online stores sell it at US$240 but I got mine at Tom Lee in Hong Kong during their sale for only HK$1,500 which is roughly equivalent to US$200. I was actually saving up for a pair of Genelecs which is quite expensive (well, for me that is), but I needed a pair of studio monitors quickly because of some projects that came up. Just in time, an accidental visit to Tom Lee led to me buying the nEar05 eXperience. Honestly, since I was hooked up on using KRKs and very impressed with the Genelecs, buying the nEar05 was not my priority, but I saw the big SALE sign which says HK$1,500 for a pair, so I thought why not give it a try. I was really surprised to hear such quality from such a price. So I asked for the box, manuals and specs sheet. For a home or small project studio, this would serve its purpose. I started to test it for another half an hour, which I think became a bit annoying to the store staff, but then, it's a music store right? So i did what I had to do. There is no doubt, I was convinced.

Features:

integral bi-amplified 70 Watt active near-field monitor

5 1/4" kevlar low frequency driver

1" silk-dome high frequency driver

cross-over control optimizes performance in relation to placement

magnetically shielded for desktop operation

input connections: 1 XLR balanced & 1 TRS balanced/unbalanced

input sensitivity: 200 mV

input impedance: 30k Ohm balanced, 15k Ohm unbalanced

Protection : RF interference, output current limiting, over temperature, turn-on/off

frequency response: 60Hz - 22kHz

crossover frequency: 3.2 kHz

low frequency amplifier: 40W

high frequency amplifier: 30W

blue power LED on the front

dimensions: 250mm (H) x 176mm (W) x 200mm (D)

weight: ca. 6.5kg / speaker

The  nEar05 eXperience has a 5 inch Kevlar woofer which gives out quality ultra-flat low-mid frequencies. Kevlar..? hmm..same material they use for bullet-proof vests, but I don't think I'll be doing a shotgun test with my unit. ESI is actually the first studio monitor manufacturer to use kevlar and a lot of vendors have copied it from then, I think that includes KRK. There are no EQs on the speaker, just a level knob, which I think is fine since the frequencies are separated and optimized with the crossover (at 3.2khz). The  nEar05 eXperience is also said to be magnetically shielded so it could function well beside any other equipment or gear without interference.

Upon getting home, I've done more tests with my new toy. Playing different kinds of music from hard rock, metal, acoustic, classical, etc.. I even became more convinced. The clarity is crystal and definition almost visual. Although it did not work well with Hip-Hop and R&B tunes (same with th KRK RP5s), there is an option to add a SW10K, a subwoofer speaker to complement the  nEar05 eXperience making your system full-range capable of giving out all frequencies needed. Overall, for music production in a home or project studio, the ESI NEar05 EXPERIENCE studio monitor speakers will do a good job. For its price, function and performance, the  nEar05 eXperience is one of the best buys I've ever done.

***A Gizmo Guerilla Music Gear Review