Question

Hello all,

I have been using my ERIS E3.5 speakers (non-blue-tooth) monitors for a couple of years and generally are quite happy with them. The problem I consistently see (well... "hear" actually) is that they tend to "boom" when a C note (130.8 hz) is played on my guitar (recorded and played back). That is the note on the 3rd fret of the 5th string or the 8th note of the 6th string.

If you could imagine taking an EQ and highly boosting that frequency until you get "booming". That's how they sound. If I listen through headphones instead, that "boominess" is not there. Also, if I source the signal from my other laptop (both computers are Win 10), the same "boom" effect happens at that frequency, leading me to believe it is the speakers themselves causing the booming.

I have tried adjusting the two "Acoustic Tuning Controls" on the back of the speakers. The low control (according to the user's manual) "Boosts of cuts frequencies around 100 Hz by ±6 dB" and is "a low-shelf EQ and attenuates or boosts frequencies below 100 Hz." 

Well, this isn't very helpful for a couple of reasons.
1. My 130.8 hz issue (a "C" note) kind of is right at the cutoff point between the "Low Frequency" control and the "High Frequency" control. 

2. Since the two controls are "shelf-filters", they will cut/boost all frequencies above or below the setting. I don't want to do that.. I want to focus in on that booming 130.8 "C" note.

My work-around, of course, is to use headphones for mixing. That "boominess" is not there in my headphones. Of course, that means that "trusting the sound" coming from the monitors is a gamble. The whole reason I have monitors is to hear how something is going to sound when projected into the room... but I can't do that with monitors that "boom at me" at certain frequencies.

Is there any hope of getting around this issue? Your thoughts and suggestions would be very helpful.

Thank you... and stay safe out there.

Answer 1

Hello all,

Same issue here, at my E3.5 is this „boom“ most critical on 117Hz. Luckily in my country I am able to return product 14 days after purchasing with full refund.

I know that is not helpful but maybe somebody from PreSonus will read it and try to improve check of their products in future.

Answer 2

Hi ,

I have the exact same problem, using the eris e4.5 speakers at around 128-130hz, I think it might be my desk resonating or something. Were you able to fix the problem?

Answer 3

@aapoholopainen

No, unfortunately not. Your post confirms that I am not the only one experiencing this problem.

I tried adjusting the two "range knobs" on the back but that 130.8 Hz falls right in between the adjustment ranges of the two knobs, so I can't "tune out" the problem.

My only "solution" (more of a work around) was to simply never trust them for audio editing. I bought a reasonably nice pair of studio headphones and use those instead. Of course, headphones never emulate sound going out into the room, so that isn't really a good solution.

My "permanent solution" is going to be to sell these speakers and buy a pair that won't have this "boominess" issue. Generally, I have been happy with PreSonus gear... but these speakers are a big "fail" as studio monitors. They simply do not do the job for which they are designed. I would never recommend them to anyone.

Good luck to you too!

Answer 4

Even i'm not a professional and just bought to listen music on my desk i noticed that booming in some tracks https://open.spotify.com/track/4OhqsmPMreC0EFCo3OmDSm?si=a51c1a7b62c542ae .

then i researched a bass test on youtube you can easily notice something different at 130hz.

I was very happy about sound quality but i have to resend just because of that irritating problem

Answer 5

Yeah, I have the same problem with brand new Presonus E3.5s

I'll be returning them and will never buy PreSonus again because the manufacturer clearly doesn't care about this widespread issue.

Answer 6

Same problem here, I now have my speakers on a stands isolated by sorbothane bumpers so I'm quite sure it's not resonating into my desk.

These are incredibly boomy at 130Hz, it sounds like the cabinets themselves resonate at this frequency.

My workaround on windows has been running: https://sourceforge.net/projects/equalizerapo/ with the equalizer at about -12 at 130Hz

Sadly I'm well outside the return window but I really only use these for conference calls and listening to music, and after cutting the output at 130Hz they work fine for that.

Annoying I have to use an equalizer to do this, also amazing that these are even allowed to ship and be called "Studio Monitors"

Answer 7

Hi everyone, I just purchased a pair or PreSonus Eris 4.5 BT and I'm having exactly the same issue. I play the bass guitar and my setup, before buying the PreSonus, consisted in playing my bass from my Fender Rumble 100 (we are talking about a 100W amplifier with a 12'' cone!) of course keeping it at 1/10 or 2/10 of its volume and listening to the music from my MacBook speakers and playing along.

I wanted something that could allow me to play all together at acceptable volume and I thought these monitors could do the work (I connected them to a Focusrite).

The sound is simply awful :(

Even playing music from Tidal makes the sound "muddy" and I've tried to tune the bass gain to -6 dB.

I also confirm a similar behaviour that happens when playing certain notes: when I play the E string (without pressing any fret), which is the lowest on a 4 string bass guitar, the sound is even acceptable, but if on the same string I play the G or A (third and fifth frets) I feel my chair trembling under me.

This is definitely not acceptable and way not what you would expect from a "studio monitor" (the sound should be more natural and flat!).

Since I just purchased them and I "should" have 30 days to return them, I'm definitely going to return them.

Answer 8

That's interesting. I thought it was my desk that was causing the "C" boom, but apparently it's a fault of the speakers.

Quite a bummer.