Portable studio monitors for professionals on the go

Studio monitors are known for many things, but being lightweight and easy to transport isn’t one of them. For many people, the only option for serious audio or video work on the go is to use headphones. The KRK GoAux 3s aim to solve this problem, as they are much more portable than other monitors.

KRK’s Rokit series of studio monitors have been a solid, affordable choice for musicians, producers, and content creators for years. The GoAux 3 and GoAux 4 look similar, but are much smaller and meant to be taken with you wherever you go. We’re looking at the GoAux 3, the more portable of the two.

Is the KRK GoAux 3 a better option than hitting the road with nothing but your laptop and headphones? In most cases, absolutely.

build and design

It’s hard to get a good idea of ​​how small the GoAux 3 monitors are until you see them in person. They stand just under seven inches tall and, thanks to the ABS casing, weigh just under seven pounds. While they are lightweight, they don’t feel flimsy or brittle at all.

These are designed to be moved around and used in ways you never could with full-size studio monitors. In that regard, they’re almost more like a Bluetooth speaker. That said, these don’t have any kind of IP rating, so make sure you try to keep them indoors.

Due to the small size, it is difficult to place the speakers at ear level, where studio monitors generally should be. Instead, the KRK includes two isolation stands that can angle the speakers to aim them at the proper height. These are attached with a single screw for each speaker at the bottom of the base.

You can make the speakers as small as you want, but carrying around two speakers and some cables isn’t easy, no matter the size. That’s why KRK includes a handy carrying case. There are two padded sections for securing the speakers, as well as another section for the isolating mounts.

Pockets on the outside of the case and inside the zippered cover store cables and other accessories.

connectivity

There are two analog options for connecting your computer or audio interface to the GoAux 3: a pair of RCA inputs and a single 3.5mm auxiliary input. The larger GoAux 4 also has a set of 1/4-inch inputs, which would be nice to have on the GoAux 3, but considering the small size it makes sense that they’re not present here.

If you’re using the speakers just for general music playback or as computer speakers, you’ll appreciate the Bluetooth connectivity. Pairing is easy, thanks to a dedicated button on the back of the right speaker. Not everyone interested in GoAux 3 will want or need Bluetooth, but it’s handy to have for convenience.

Another useful touch is the 3.5mm headphone jack on the front of the right speaker. In some cases, you’ll be plugging them into your computer’s headphone jack, so it’s helpful to be able to plug in headphones without unplugging your speakers.

The speakers automatically mute when you plug in headphones, which is another useful touch.

Portability and configuration

We’ve already mentioned the carrying case, but the interior layout makes setup a breeze. Taking the speakers and it stands out, then placing the speakers on the stand takes a minute or two. Connecting the speaker wire and plugging it into the wall takes even less time.

One odd touch is the length of the cable to connect the left speaker to the right speaker. KRK recommends placing the speakers three to five feet apart, and the cable will allow you to place them much further apart.

A longer cable is less of a problem than a cable that is too short, but it’s still an odd choice. The cable also uses four-pin connectors that would look more snug inside a PC, but at least the locking nature of these connectors means you don’t have to worry about accidentally unplugging one.

KRK provides an app to set up your monitors, the KRK Audio Tools app, available for iPhone and iPad as well as Android devices. It doesn’t control anything on the speaker directly, but it does offer a tool to properly align your monitors and measure your room.

The front of the speaker has a volume knob that also acts as a multi-function button, allowing you to turn the speakers on and off (there’s another power switch on the back to turn it off completely) and mute them. The rear of the speaker also features two buttons that toggle between corrective EQ modes.

These two switches, labeled LF and HF for Low Frequencies and High Frequencies, each toggles between three modes. The default is flat, but you can also increase by two decibels or decrease by three decibels. We’ll see how these affect the sound in the next section.

sound quality

The GoAux 3 gets the number in its name from its three-inch glass aramid woofer, while the GoAux 4 has a four-inch woofer. Both models use the same one-inch soft textile dome tweeter.

The speakers sound much bigger than small drivers would imply. The soundstage is not only spacious and detailed, but the bass is punchier than you might expect. This is mainly due to the port on the back of each speaker, which is doing a solid job here.

Adjusting the equalizer a few decibels here and there doesn’t seem to make much of a difference, but it does. That being said, this is a corrective equalizer meant to help the speakers better adapt to different working environments. You can’t really make anything sound bad by adjusting the equalizer, even if you try.

I started listening to a song I often use to test speakers, “Take Five” by The Dave Brubeck Quartet. This song really shows off the image of these monitors, which is downright impressive for the size. The saxophone seems to float in midair, reminding me of a slightly scaled-down version of the images on my usual larger studio monitors.

The bass line on Enon’s “In This City” is impressive considering these are 3-inch drivers, and that’s with the low-frequency EQ switch in neutral. Activating the 2dB boost via the button on the back does indeed boost the bass slightly, but not in a way that makes the speakers sound less natural.

Compared to the other songs I listened to during testing, Joe Walsh’s “Mother Says” sounded a bit muffled on the high end. The use of built-in high-frequency boost brought out that little extra detail that was missing, without making it sound too sharp.

As good as these sound, the small size means you won’t get any sound below 60Hz. If you’re using them for audio work and need to manage low bass frequencies, you might want to pair them with a pair of headphones you trust. to check the bottom end.

Should you buy the KRK GoAux 3?

Have you ever found yourself wishing you had speakers with you, but you didn’t? Because that’s the deciding factor when it comes to whether these are for you. First of all, the KRK GoAux 3s are problem solvers and do an exceptional job at it.

These speakers sound fantastic for the size, but they can’t beat the physics. Bigger speakers will always have a place because they just sound bigger. That being said, the KRK GoAux 3s aren’t just for professionals on the go. These would make a great set of computer speakers, assuming you’re not put off by the price.

These aren’t the only small speakers available. For example, the Audioengine A2+ are great if you just want to listen to music. That said, if you need clear, precise control wherever you go, this is probably the best option available for the price.