Best Mono Reference Monitor

Sources

1. Graham Cochrane, The Recording Revolution, 20141020
   The Best $99 You Could Spend To Instantly Get Better Mixes

   “For better or worse, the Behritone (or any speaker like it) exposes your midrange. And that’s a good thing. Really good studio monitors can give you nice bass and top end response, but even with all that clarity they can hide what’s happening in the mids. And the mids is where all the action is. It’s where a mix is won or lost. In general, it’s a good idea to have some alternative speaker(s) to reference your mix on simply for the fact that our ears (clever as God designed them) can and will adapt to whatever they are hearing, meaning you lose perspective on how your mix really sounds.”

2. User HomeProducer, Gearslutz, 20120208
   Behritones vs Avantones?

   “Got my Behritone C50A yesterday and I am blown away how much this speaker reveals. Lack of transient response? Not at all. I can now focus on the midrange, especially 1-3 KHz. Very good mastered music really sounds good on these and not dull. But also, too much ess sounds from the voice can be identified as well. Everything sounds less impressive than over the mains. So thats a very good sepaker to compare your mix against the very best. Too hard kicks will sound too hard.”

3. Paul Tingen, Sound On Sound, 20150601
   Why Derek Ali (Kendrick Lamar) Mixes In Mono For 80% Of The Mix

   “about 80 percent of my time mixing listening to just one Auratone speaker, so yes, in mono! Dre always told me that if I could get something to sound amazing on crappy speakers, it’ll sound brilliant on normal speakers. So I try to get a great mix on the Auratone, and I’ll then go to the NS10s, and when I’m in Tom-Tom, to their main Augspurgers, with Bryston 4B amps. I make sure everything is clear and crisp and I’ll do any edits on the NS10s, and then I play it super-loud on the mains. I mix on just one Auratone, because I like specific elements of the mix to pop out, and listening in mono on that speaker really helps me define that. When I do my pans I often use the S1 Imager to get things to sound even wider, with things going round in a circular motion, and happening behind your head. But it’s difficult to assess your balance like that, whereas when you listen in mono, you can gauge the true value of how everything sits in the mix. I then reference things in stereo again, but most of the time I’m in mono. I’ve been doing this for the last couple of years, and I know when tracks are phasing in stereo and what to listen for in terms of balance. It’s something that I have developed that works for me.”

4. Jon Goad, Silent Sky, 20110919
   Review: Behringer Behritone C50A

   “Since the purpose of a grot box is not to sound great, this speaker does its job well! It sounds like a typical full-range speaker of its size that you would commonly find in a portable radio, television, dashboard, or computer speaker. Even though it doesn’t deliver a “hi-fi” sound, it has a certain vintage charm to it that’s reminiscent of those days of crusing in the car and listening to your favorite songs on the radio. So it’s in no way unpleasant to listen to. In use, I’m finding that the C50A helps to uncover potential problems in my mixes that I might not normally detect over my main stereo monitors. Specifically, it’s helping me to make more informed decisions about EQ, helping me to watch out for problems with phase cancellation, and letting me know what my mix will sound like for a typical listener. It also provides a nice “reset” for tired ears if you’re in the midst of a long mixing session, and simply need a break from your larger monitors. All-in-all I think the Behritone is a small, but smart investment for a studio of any size that’s looking for another inexpensive way to improve your mixes.”

5. Nelaid, Gearslutz, 20160129
   Behringer Behritone C50A: User Review

   “One of the best price/quality ratio monitors I have tried so far. Very good for mixing in mono, since these little cubes are able to reveal the unpleasant sounds in the mid-range. [...] I would definitely recommend these. As mentioned above, they're not monitors for the joy but to uncover stuff. [...] I was quite impressed of the nearly indestructible way they're made - fell on the floor a few times.”