KRK RP8G2 Rokit G2 Powered 2-Way Active Monitor

zZounds' Take on KRK RP8G2 Rokit Powered G2

If you've worked in your share of home project studios, you've undoubtedly seen (and heard) KRK Rokit studio monitors before. The instantly-recognizable design of these speakers is no accident. The front-firing slot bass port, rounded corners, and KRK's signature yellow woofer cone aren't simply there to look cool; they provide accuracy and performance that's unbeatable at this price. And although your Rokit 8 G2s' sharp looks may attract attention, their sound lets you focus on your mix without being distracted by the "color" of your monitor speakers. "G2" stands for "generation two": an improvement on the quality and value that made the original Rokit speakers a ubiquitous home-studio workhorse. You can spend a lot of money on high-end speakers -- or you can opt for a pair of Rokit 8 G2 monitors, and get exactly what you need from studio monitors: sound that's big, loud, and accurate.

Bigger For a Reason

You may be tempted to go with small speakers for a small home studio, but the fact is, if you're using 4, 5, or 6-inch monitors, you're compromising your system's low-end. Consider the laws of physics: for each octave lower you go, a speaker needs to move 4 times as much air to maintain the same volume -- which is why you'll find giant, pants-flapping 10, 12, and even 15-inch cones in dedicated low-end speakers like subwoofers and bass guitar amps. Of course, your favorite earbuds can also produce bass -- but then again, your ear canal is a rather small space to fill, and that's what "volume" really means: space to fill.

So, how much air should your studio's near-field monitors really be able to push? If you can make room on or behind your desk, 8-inch drivers are a definite upgrade from their 5-inch little brothers. The 8-inch woofers in the KRK Rokit 8 G2 studio monitors combine efficiency and flat response for a difference you can hear and feel. And although these speakers are bigger than some other monitors, they're still designed to work in a small space -- which is why their front-firing bass ports are facing you, not your walls and corners. RCA, 1/4-inch, and XLR inputs ensure that these monitors can work in just about any setup.

Don't Be Square

It's no secret that a rectangular, flat-surfaced room isn't very conducive to accurate sound, which is why pro studio control rooms' walls are acoustically treated to absorb and diffuse sound instead of reflecting it. Think of traditional, boxy speakers the same way: sound coming out is affected by the square edges of the cabinet itself, and reflected back to the listener at different time intervals, causing phase distortion (even in a perfectly treated room).

KRK's ingenious solution is the curved front baffle of the RP8G2, preventing sound leaving the cabinet from getting in its own way -- resulting in a wider "sweet spot" for more accurate reproduction, regardless of where you're sitting. Meanwhile, the tweeter's waveguide conducts high frequencies outward, away from the cabinet. And speaking of accurate high-end, these Rokits include a high-frequency level control dial that lets you shelf anything over 2 kHz to +1 dB, flat, -1 dB, or -2 dB, depending on your space and your personal preference. Often found on much more expensive monitors, you'll find this high-frequency control is a lifesaver when you're customizing your setup.

Unmatched Accuracy for the Price

The second-generation Rokits feature a 1-inch neodymium soft dome tweeter, designed to be more accurate and less fatiguing than traditional metal-domed tweeters. Meanwhile, KRK's unmistakable yellow woven glass aramid composite 8-inch woofers minimize distortion and maximize excursion performance (that is, how far the cone can safely move, and how much air it can push). Each RP8G2's active crossover and true bi-amplified system provides discrete, low-distortion, efficient power for these two drivers. It all adds up to an accuracy that's exceptional for the price. Especially if you're creating music that depends heavily on bass, such as hip-hop or electronic music, KRK's Rockit 8 G2 studio monitors can handle it with ease -- and without over-exaggerating.

Features:

- 140-watt, bi-amplified powered speaker
- 1-inch neodymium soft-dome tweeter
- 8-inch glass aramid composite woofer
- 45 Hz to 20 kHz frequency response
- High-frequency level control
- Input gain control from +6 dB to -30 dB
- XLR, 1/4-inch balanced/unbalanced, and RCA inputs
- Front-firing bass port
- Tweeter waveguide
- Newly designed curved front baffle

Manufacturer's Description for KRK RP8G2 Rokit G2 Powered 2-Way Active Monitor

The RP8G2 Rokit G2s are designed to do what true reference monitors should do: faithfully reproduce only what's actually there in the music. This is exactly the sort of thing that KRK specializes in, and it's one of the reasons they created the KRK RP8G2 Rokit G2 studio monitors.

A Cleaner, More Accurate Sound

Retaining some of the features that made the original Rokit series stand out (front-firing bass port, soft-domed tweeter, glass aramid composite yellow cone), the RP8G2 adds a newly refined voicing as well as a curved baffle to eliminate diffraction and provide a clearer sound, free from coloration. Basically, KRK wants producers to hear the cleanest, purest tone possible and they do this a few different ways.

1.) Curved Surfaces; Looks Good, Sounds Better
Using uniquely engineered curved surfaces, the Rokit RP8G2 monitors virtually eliminate the diffraction that traditionally shaped speakers suffer from. As sounds leave the edge of a rectangular speaker, tones at the edge of its cabinet are reflected back into the original sound field at different time intervals, resulting in a boxy, flat sound. By curving the cabinet, KRK avoids this "phase distortion" for a better sound across a wider area.

2.) A Superior Tweeter Wave Guide
A properly engineered high frequency wave guide is an integral part of a good, clean tone and something that KRK takes very seriously. To this end, they've designed a superior tweeter wave guide for the RP8G2s. Unlike conventional speaker designs, the G2s provide a high frequency pattern control that directs sound outwards and away from the cabinets instead of along its pane. This way, they can avoid those pesky phase problems and avoid the increased diffraction that plague traditional speakers cabinets.

3.) Front-Firing Ports
Front-firing ports are a key to creating clean and accurate bass response, even at high SPL's. While speakers with rear-firing ports tend to create bass coupling with walls or corners, the KRK RP8G2s reduce port turbulence and can be placed anywhere without unfairly coloring your mix.

Connections For Any Studio Environment

KRK wanted to ensure that there monitors were as flexible as possible. The Rokit RP8G2's feature RCA, 1/4" (balanced/unbalanced) and XLR connections to fit with any studio set up. They also included a volume control and high frequency control, to allow you to tune output of the speaker to suit your particular mixing environment.

Features

- 1" Neodymium Soft Dome Tweeter with Ferro Fluid
- Glass Aramid Composite Cone Woofer
- Radically curved front plate design virtually eliminates diffraction distortion
- Waveguide design provides amazing detail and imaging
- Front-firing port provides low freq extension without boundary coupling
- New speaker voicing for even more accurate frequency response
- Peak SPL: 109dB
- Frequency Response 45Hz - 20kHz (+/- 1.5 dB)

Complete Monitor and Mic Pack Contents (Optional):

- 1 x Samson C01 Large Diaphragm Condenser Microphone
- 1 x CAD GXL1200 Single Condenser Microphone
- 1 x Audio-Technica ATHM20 Stereo Monitor Headphones
- 2 x On Stage 7701B Tripod Boom Mic Stand
- 2 x Whirlwind MC20 Mic Cable XLR - XLR (20 Foot)
- 2 x CBI BLUC10 Ultimate Series Male XLR to 1/4-inch TRS Cable (10 Foot)

KRK Systems

Frustrated with the lack of accurate, true-to-the-source studio monitors, engineer Keith Klawitter began building his own monitors in 1986. As engineers and audio professionals started to take notice of Keith's unique and high-quality monitors, KRK Systems was born. With a reputation for producing accurate, reliable and precise professional audio equipment, KRK monitors can be found in home and professional studios the world over. zZounds is an authorized dealer of KRK products.

Drivers:8" Glass Aramid Composite Woofer
Tweeter:1" Neodymium Soft Dome Tweeter with Ferro Fluid
Frequency Response:45Hz - 20kHz (+/- 1.5 dB)
Video Shielding:Yes
Input:
- XLR (3-pin)
- 10k Ohm Balanced
- RCA & 1/4" TRS
- 10k Ohm, Balanced / Unbalanced
- Amplification:HF: 20 Watts/LF: 70 Watts
Dimensions (H x W x D): 15" x 10 7/16" x 12" / 38.1cm x 26.5cm x 30.4cm
Weight:26.1 lbs / 11.8 Kg

Dimensions and Weight in Packaging

Single Speaker with Free G2 Pack

Shipping Weight: 47 lbs

Single Speaker

Shipping Weight: 31 lbs

Shipping Dimensions: 20 x 16 x 15 in

Pair, with Free SMS6000 Monitor Stands (Pair)

Shipping Weight: 75 lbs

Pair, with Complete Monitor and Mic Pack

Shipping Weight: 81 lbs