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Yamaha and KRK are probably the two biggest studio monitor manufacturers in the world. Their products are used by producers such as Tiesto, Martin Garrix, Showtek, and Logic.
For that reason, one of our first studio monitor was the Yamaha HS8 (Read Our Full Review). And to be completely honest with you It was love at first sight, From its surprisingly honest sound to its iconic white cone, the Yamaha 8 was all we could ask for.
A year after we first fell in love with the HS8 we went to our friend’s studio and heard the KRK Rokit 8 G3 for the first time. We were amazed by its impressive sound and colorful design and purchased our own pair a few days later 🙂
We have used both monitors in our own personal studio for a few years and would love to share our opinions with you!
Yamaha HS8 vs KRK Rokit 8 G3
The Yamaha HS8 and Rokit 8 are two different beasts and comparing them is like comparing apples to oranges. Because of that, we won’t have a definite winner at the end of this article.
However, we think that the Yamaha HS8 sounds much more honest and natural than the Rokit 8 it’s also a lot less colored and it will give you a much more accurate picture of your mix.
With that being said, it’s important to note that the Krk Rokit 8 sounds a lot more impressive than the HS8. And that’s why we often find our selves in a weird “love triangle” and can’t figure out which one is the better monitor.
We know the purpose of this article is to help you to come to a decision and up to this point, we are probably making you more confused.
So now, we will start getting to the point. 🙂
From our experience with the HS8 and KRK8 G3, we can tell you that the HS8 is the better studio monitor overall.
Sure its sound is not as impressive as the KRK8, however, that’s not the purpose of a studio monitor.
As you probably already know, the purpose of a studio monitor is to give you the most accurate picture of your mix’s sound.
We feel like the HS8 is doing a much better job at this particular task and that’s why we recommend you to get the HS8 over the KRK8 for studio use.
Specs
Even though we have chosen the HS8 as our winner we would like to showcase both monitors specs so you can make the decision for yourself.
As you probably already know, both monitors feature an 8-inch woofer and 1-inch tweeter. These two components make both monitors sound surprisingly similar when listening to acoustic music. However, when listening to bass heavy music we can definitely tell that the KRK Rokit 8 has a more impressive bass.
You can also see the KRK 8’s slight bass advantage when looking at both monitors frequency response.
HS8’s frequency response – 38hz-30KHZ
KRK 8 G3’s frequency response – 35Hz to 35KHz.
Build Quality
When it comes to build quality, the HS8 is our definite winner. Its premium wooden cabinet is a lot more durable than the KRK 8’s cabinet and it just feels a lot more premium to touch and look at.
Durability
Both the HS8 and KRK G3 8 fell in our studio from roughly the same height (oops :D) and we can tell you that the HS8 held a lot better than the KRK 8 did.
The HS8 sustained a few minor bruises while the Rokit 8 sounded a little off after falling.
We figured that the tweeter wasn’t working as intended and replaced it with a new one. Today it works perfectly! 🙂
Verdict
The winner by a landslide is the Yamaha HS8! It’s surprisingly accurate sound is just too good to pass on. In our opinion, its the best studio monitor in the world for its respective price category.
With that being said the KRK 8 G3 sounds more impressive and its bass is louder. But the rather colored/impressive sound of the KRK 8 is also its Achilles hill.
As you may already know the more colored the sound is the less accurate it becomes And in our eyes that totally defeats the purpose of owning a studio monitor altogether.
As we have mentioned before the main purpose of a studio monitor is to provide you with the most accurate picture of how your mix sounds. Because of that, we are only using the KRK when casually listening to music and looking for the most impressive listening experience. But, when we are mixing or mastering we will pick the more accurate HS8 any day!!
Winner for studio use
Yamaha HS8
Winner for casual music listening
KRK Rokit 8 G3
