KRK V4 S4 Nearfield Studio Monitors
KRK CLAIM THESE MONITORS EXCEL IN SITUATIONS WHERE ACCURACY AND DETAIL IS PARAMOUNT, WITHOUT BREAKING THE BANK. ALEX WILSON INVESTIGATES.
KRK have been in the speaker game since 1986, the story beginning when a one-time film audio engineer took the quest for perfect studio monitors into his own hands. Fast forward to 2017, and the company’s Rokit series have made it into studios worldwide. Their punchy, exciting sound makes them a go-to for many who want to mix contemporary styles like rap, EDM and rock, influenced by sonic feeling rather than a strictly flat frequency response.
KRK’s V Series, however, is the product line where KRK emphasises sonic accuracy above all else. The V4 S4s are the fourth generation of this line, and the gradual improvements in the line have paid dividends. For small, affordable nearfield monitors, they sound very impressive. Moreover, the feature set on these speakers makes them both versatile and portable, which we’ll get to later.
SONIC TRUTH
My reference playlist ran the gamut: Rage Against The Machine, Fleetwood Mac, Nas, Steely Dan, Television, My Bloody Valentine, Joanna Newsom, Miles Davis and Nirvana, among others. Surveying familiar tracks, I was struck by the detail and clarity. One of the best tests for a new speaker set is whether it reveals pleasing aspects of well-known materials that haven’t been noted before. The V4s certainly passed that test – music sounds good through them, yet in a new way. I think this is a due to a clear soundstage that reveals depth and separation despite the small size of the speakers. The frequency response feels accurate when set flat. The highs sparkle with good detail, while the midrange feels flat and unimpaired by strange resonances. The only complaint that I would have, sound-wise, is that there’s some low-end sub attenuation, maybe around 60 hertz. It’s a deficiency exacerbated as the volume is turned down, with the bass receding a little faster than expected. What’s there feels admirably responsive, but there’s probably no getting around the physics: a four-inch speaker can only push so much air.
KNOB TWIDDLING
However, this is where the extended feature set of the V4s comes into its own. KRK has added a versatile and detailed system of optional onboard speaker EQ for adjusting the response to suit the listener’s needs. So while you could definitely add more lows by investing in one of KRK’s matched subwoofers, its very welcome switchable low frequency knob did an admirable job of bringing some of that thump back. It’s not perfect, but it’s highly usable. You could also do the reverse if your speaker position led to some unpleasant bass build-up. There’s also a further switchable knob that allows for manipulation of the highs and high-mids.
These two controls taken together amount to 49 different EQ settings – an invaluable tool in helping the engineer get the cleanest and most accurate sound reproduction in any space. There are also a number of other useful features included, such as ground lift, input gain switchable between +4 and -10, then further decibel attenuation on hand if need be. It’s really easy to see how this versatility could be lifesaving for small, untreated workspaces or those who need to bring accurate sound on location.
ME & MY GUITAR
As this is a magazine for guitarists, I think it’s worth noting that the V4s would also be an excellent affordable choice for a guitar-oriented project or home studio. Midrange is incredibly important for all sound sources, but it’s undeniable that it plays an incredibly important role in shaping guitar tone. Whether scooping it out to get a tight, focused metal tone or bringing it forward to imbue your performance with vintage richness, midrange is king.